GRi Press Review 09 – 01 - 2002

The Ghanaian Chronicle

Frightening details of PNDC torture emerge

Another NDC scandal exposed

The Ghanaian Times

Worawora can’t be under Asante - Volta chiefs

The Daily Graphic

We were not invited-NDC

Replace voters’ register

Evening News

Special account for ghost names refund

Tema Development Crporation boss has five houses?

The Statesman

Ghanaians flock to invest in long-term bonds

Master Richard faces charges for beating wife

The Times

Who says money can't buy you happiness?

 

 

The Ghanaian Chronicle

Frightening details of PNDC torture emerge

 

Sixteen years after the treason trial of 1986, the Chairman of the then Public Tribunal set up by the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), Mr George Agyekum, has come out with details of events that unfolded with the aim of enabling the public to assess the records and come out with their own comments.

 

According to Mr Agyekum, the book titled, “The treason trial of 1986-Torture and revolutionary injustice and Judgement proceedings and miscellaneous,” is not intended to justify the trial but rather to present facts both on the trial proceedings and legal aspects for the public to assess the records and make their own submissions.

 

“The book is not to assess whether or not the 1986 trial was right or wrong,” he said in his brief but emotional statement that plunged the venue, the Accra International Press Centre into a deathly silence.

 

It was a chilling and moving moment as Mr Ben Ephson, Editor of the Dispatch, who launched the book, read an extract that rather sounded like excerpts from a bloody move than a real life experience.

 

“Hot metal was used on my body, something like a knife was used to cut my chest. I could feel some portion of flesh being removed from my back, and my penis being slashed with a metallic object,” declared one of the accused persons at the trial.

 

Continuing, Mr Agyekum who himself escaped death during those turbulent years, thanks to some sympathetic soldiers who assisted him to avoid the torture he allegedly sentenced people to suffer, admitted that there were very painful and mysterious views about the public tribunal he assisted to establish.

 

He made it clear that his book will be surrounded by a lot of legal controversy and promised to arrange a press conference to answer questions that would arise after people have read the book.

 

The press conference, he promised, will be in a month’s time as he refused questions during the launching with the explanation that he would prefer Ghanaians to read the book before commenting or asking questions.

 

Mr Ben Ephson, who himself witnessed the trial (He covered it for the West Africa Magazine) recalled almost in tears how he saw tortured people with slashed bodies, burnt fingers and bloodied faces. “It was one of those painful things that people went through”, he recalled, adding that even though the leadership of the PNDC had at least 5,000 letters from human rights groups the world over and some individuals concerning the trials, nothing was done about it as they seemed unconcerned.

 

Mr Haruna Attah, Publisher of the Accra Mail, who chaired the function observed that the chapter of the country’s history is shrouded in confusion and mystery. He said the launching of the book has come at an opportune time that Ghanaians are calling for reconciliation and hoped it would be a good material towards that purpose.

 

It would be recalled that in 1986, Mawuli Goka, Kyeremeh Djan, a brother of Major (Rtd) Boakye-Djan, and others were tried and executed for their alleged involvement in a coup attempt to overthrow the PNDC. Others like Captain Ampofo, Atta Boakye and Evelyn Djan were also tortured and tried.

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Another NDC scandal exposed

 

The former National Democratic Congress (NDC) District Chief Executive for Awutu-Senya District Assembly, Mr William Osardo, doled out ¢2,000,000 from the Poverty Alleviation Fund as part payment of a ¢9,000,000 compensation the party promised a victim who was knocked down by one of the NDC’s uninsured and unregistered vehicles.

 

Records at the assembly indicated that the two million cedis compensation was recorded as having been a loan given to the victim, Ghanney Ebenezer, even though this paper can report that Mr Osardo gave it out as part of the promised compensation, which under normal circumstances should have been handled at party level and solved with party fund.

 

The NDC has always denied rumours that it was using state resources such as the poverty alleviation fund for party activities but this instance has confirmed public cries that indeed the party used state funds for its activities.

 

On October 12, last year, the Efutu Awutu Senya District Assembly fired a letter to Ghanney asking him to indicate within two weeks how he intended to liquidate the ¢2 million debt plus ¢600,000 interest.

 

In a petition to Attorney-General, Ghanney stated that on August 7, 1996, he was knocked down by an uninsured and unregistered private Lada vehicle belonging to the Winneba branch of the NDC.

 

The vehicle, according to a police report signed by Deputy Superintendent S.Y. Danso of the Winneba District police, was then being driven by Eric Amankwa, an unlicensed driver.

 

The victim petition further states that he was referred from the Winneba Government hospital to the Koforidua St. Joseph hospital on August 9, 1996 after medical examinations confirmed his condition was serious.

 

After being bed-ridden at the hospital for a year, Ghanney Ebenezer was finally discharged on December 24, 1997 and information indicated that while he was hospitalized, the NDC which is the owner of the uninsured vehicle that was being driven by an unlicensed driver and party member causing the accident, left the victim to his fate and never catered for his hospital bill.

 

The case has never been called at court even though it was listed for hearing on three occasions at the Circuit Court in Swedru.

 

Upon persistent pressure amid threats to take on the NDC for neglecting him, the victim was finally summoned to a meeting in the year 2000, three years after he was discharged from hospital and four years after the accident.

 

At the meeting, which was attended by the then DCE, Mr William Osardo, the District Co-ordinating Director, Mr G.B.L. Siilo and the District Superintendent of Police in charge of Winneba District, Mr Danso, the then DCE promised to pay ¢9,000,000 as compensation to cover the medication since the victim was neglected and left to his fate while at the hospital.

 

Out of the agreement, Ghanney was paid four million cedis as compensation, leaving the remaining five million cedis yet to be settled by a political party that always boasted of having men of integrity.

 

Last year, after the NDC left office and records at the Awutu-Afutu-Senya District scrutinized, it was detected that the then DCE, Mr Osardo, doctored records as having given out two million cedis to the victim as loan, even though in actual fact that money was part of compensation payment to the victim as a result of the accident caused by the NDC.

 

The victim is yet to receive the full compensation promised him even though the District Assembly, as recorded falsely in their document by the then DCE, has written to him to pay back the ¢2,000,000 “loan” given him with interest of ¢600,000.

 

In a telephone interview, Mr G.B.L. Siilo, the District Co-ordinating Director, admitted that the issue of compensation should have been handled at party level but since Mr Osardo was controlling the Poverty Alleviation Fund, he doled it out to the victim, which was wrong.

 

“It should have been done at party level but since Osardo was controlling the fund, no one could stop him,” Mr Siilo said.

 

Asked why the victim was written to pay back the money with interest, he said since it was recorded as a loan it was his duty to write to the victim, requesting him to pay it back. Meanwhile, a medical report from the St. Joseph’s hospital assessed the victim’s cosmetic disfigurement and incapacity to be at 45 per cent.

 

The report signed by Dr Juan Casals, the Orthopaedic specialist stated that Ebenezer Ghanney, though in good condition of health currently, has Mild Cerebral Concussion, Partial Impairness of the eyes and anaesthetic scars and other scars due to the abrasion and lacerations sustained during the accident.

GRi…/

 

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The Ghanaian Times

Worawora can’t be under Asante - Volta chiefs

 

The Volta Regional House of Chiefs is opposed to the swearing of allegiance by the Woraworahene to the Asantehene. The chiefs claim that the action by the Woraworahene was a contravention of the customs and tradition of the region.

 

This came out when the NDC caucus of the Region met with the Standing Committee of the Regional House of Chiefs to map out development strategies for the region.

 

Togbega Gabusu, President of the House, noted that there was no paramount chief in the region who owed allegiance to any other chief within or outside the region, so the alleged swearing of the oath of allegiance by the chief of Worawora to the Asantehene contravened the custom of the region.

 

He expressed dissatisfaction with the action taken by the chief of Worawora and entreated the government and political leaders to help solve what he termed an entrenchment of traditional powers by the Asantehene.

 

Togbega Gabusu urged the MPs to co-operate with their chief and government to help address chieftaincy and land problems in the region towards accelerated economic growth before they got out of hand.

 

The issue came up when the Mr Kosi Kedem, MP for Hohoe South, wanted to find out the significance of the visit by Otumfuo Osei Tutu, the Asantehene, to the traditional area during the “Akwantutenten” festival.

 

Nana Aburam Akpandza, Buemhene felt a deep resentment at the visit by the Otumfuo to the Buem Traditional Area and said it was a violation of the norms of the chieftaincy institution because it was rather fomenting trouble instead of rekindling hope for development.

 

He said that Worawora lands did not belong to the Akan settlers, and for that reason, to pay allegiance to Asantehene was an act of disrespect to the ancestors and chiefs of the Buem Traditional Area.

 

Nana Akpandza said he was given a short notice of the visit by the Asantehene, which he refused in a letter asking the Asantehene to suspend his intended visit, but he did not heed his advice.

 

Following his letter to Otumfuo Osei Tutu, an 11-member government delegation visited his Palace, a few days later, to make a case for the visit.

 

Nana Akpandza, indicated that tension has been mounting in the area after the visit of the Asantehene and that he and his elders would soon hold a press conference on the traditional area and the position of the chief of Worawora and his Akan lineage. History has it that that the people of Worawora were from Ashanti.

 

In an address, Mr Modestus Ahiable, chairman of the parliamentary Caucus, assured the people of genuine support and co-operation with the Regional Co-ordinating Council and felt unhappy about the absence of the Regional Minister or his representative at the meeting.

 

He expressed grave concern about chieftaincy disputes and land litigation in the region and advised the House to adhere to the ambit of the constitution to help reduce to the barest minimum, such disturbing issues.

 

Mr Ahiable, who is MP for Ketu North, was unhappy that District Chief Executives in the region had neglected them in the decision-making process and cautioned that such a situation would not augur well towards improving the quality of life of the people.

 

Miss Akua Dansua, MP for North Dayi, appealed to the House to actively involve queenmothers in their activities since they had unique skills to handle any difficult situation.

 

Mr Francis Agbotse, MP for Ho West, called on chiefs to take advantage of the powers they wield to assist their people to contribute meaningfully to uplift the living standards of the people.

GRi…/

 

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The Daily Graphic

We were not invited-NDC

 

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated that its members were not invited to the People’s Assembly in Accra on Monday.

 

The General Secretary of the NDC, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, said in an interview in Accra on Tuesday that only “only four blank invitation cards were sent to the party’s headquarters late in the afternoon of Thursday, and there was no way we could decide on which official should be given the blank cards before Monday”.

 

The General Secretary said most of the national executive members of the NDC were attending other commitments in Accra and elsewhere in the country at the time the secretariat received the invitation cards.

 

For instance, he said Professor John Atta Mills was interacting with party officials at a reception at Kuku Hill at Osu, while Alhaji Issifu, the National Chairman was away on a different assignment.

 

Alhaji Yahaya said the accusations being levelled against the NDC as having deliberately boycotted the function are unacceptable. “This is also very dishonest on the part of our accusers. They want to sound as if the whole forum was organised because of the NDC,” he added.

 

Alhaji Yahaya described the Assembly as “being an objective forum,” and said it can only pass for “a press conference for the NPP to showcase its self-righteous and self-serving achievement for one year.”

 

Mr E.T. Mensah, MP for Ningo Prampram, who shared the same sentiments, said if the government seeks to bring all Ghanaians together, then it should first address the concerns raised by Ghanaians in respect of the National Reconciliation Bill.

 

Nii Adjei Boye Sekan, National Executive member of the NDC in charge of Progressive Voluntary Oganisations (PVOs), said the real interaction between government and the people was introduced by the NDC through the “Meet the Press” series in which the members of the minority in Parliament were involved.

 

Officials at the Ministry of Information insisted that the NDC was not left out of the assembly, and said the absence of their members at the assembly could rightly be described as a deliberate boycott of the function.

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Replace voters’ register

 

Ghana Legal Literacy and Resource Foundation has called on the Electoral Commission to replace the voters register entirely in line with electoral regulations.

 

It said electoral regulations require that the voters register be replaced after ten years or after national census has taken place.

 

This was contained in a 63-page report launched by the Foundation at a ceremony in Accra. Mr Sam Okudzeto, a board member of the Foundation, who read the recommendation said the voters register should also be revised every year to cleanse it of fake names and multiple registration.

 

He said to be able to do so, the Electoral Commission should liaise with the Births and Deaths Registry as well as appeal to the general public and political parties to supply it with any relevant information to maintain a credible register.

 

The Foundation recommended that the Electoral Commission and the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) should embark on a voter education since it would not have all the resources to embark on a sustained intensive voter education.

 

It suggested that a computerised system should be put in place in all regions and districts to enable registration of voters be an ongoing process until the last three months before the elections.

 

The Foundation recommended that armed soldiers should be kept out of poling stations except when their presence is considered very necessary adding that polling stations with a reputation for violence be noted in order to strengthen the security in such areas.

 

It also recommended that only one form of voter ID card should be used in any election since donor funding had already been obtained to replace all thumb-printed ID cards.

 

It said that the photo ID card makes voters identification easier and greatly reduce impersonation. The Foundation recommended the setting up of more private FM station in all the regional and district capitals for the dissemination of information in both English and the local dialects.

 

It noted that in the run-up to the December 7, 2000 elections, it was observed that incumbency advantage was exploited to the disadvantage of the other parties, thereby not providing a level playing field.

 

It therefore stressed the urgent need for a legislation to distinguish between political and non-political functions of incumbents so that they do not commission projects during the campaign period.  

GRi…/

 

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Evening News

Special account for ghost names refund

 

A number of people allegedly involved in the payment of ghost workers within the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) have been arrested.

 

Their names are being withheld for security reasons while investigations continue. Mr Edward Dua Agyemang, the Auditor-General, disclosed this to "The Evening News" in a interview in Accra last Friday.

 

He said, so far, a substantial amount paid to 'ghosts' had been recovered. He did not specify the amount. The Auditor-General announced that as part of measures to retrieve the moneys paid out to ghost workers, the department had opened a special account with the Bank of Ghana (BOG).

 

He said the hunt for ghost workers on the payroll had started earnestly throughout the country by the staff of the department. So far, he observed that the response has been encouraging with some monies recovered from the Ministries of Health and Education among others.

 

The A-G, however, assured the security and confidentiality of informants who might help in the arrest of the 'ghosts' adding that their transport expenses would be refunded.

 

Explaining further, Mr Dua Agyemang said after the head count at the MDAs, the employees would be made to fill a form providing further details.

 

The A-G said the forms would be analysed and compared with the payroll and subsequently cross-checked it with the report which is an instruction to the banks to ascertain whether or not the employees are the actual owners of the accounts.

 

Mr Dua Agyemang noted that there are several anomalies and deficiencies in the personnel database at the MDAs level, but said instead of rejecting these anomalies during validation process at the Controller and Accountant-General's Department, they are all owed to pass and eventually appeared on the payrolls.

 

It is recalled that in December last year the Minister of Finance, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, disclosed that the government loses ¢300 billion every month through the insertion of ghost names on workers' payrolls.

 

According to him, the amount represents 10 per cent of about ¢3 trillion that the government expended on civil/public servants every month.

 

He mentioned personal emolument, names of pensioners and the dead on the payrolls as some of the channels clandestinely used to pay the faceless government workers adding that the problem was particularly deep-rooted in the health, education and local government sectors.

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Tema Development Crporation boss has five houses?

 

The serious Fraud Office (SFO) is investigating a case of alleged financial impropriety involving some top officials within the Tema Development Corporation (TDC).

 

This follows a petition submitted to it by Nana Anoff Ahwireng, Ahenemahene of Aburi and a resident of House NO. W2 Community 4, Tema and copied to the President. The petitioner alleged that the acting managing director of TDC, Miss Elizabeth Mansah Banson owns five houses at Tema.

 

He mentioned the houses as RP/10/2/16 Community 10, RP/10/20/32 Community 10, RP/10/36/1 Community 10 (acquired secretly in the name of her sister Matilda E.M. Banson which was later transferred to one Osei Asibey), 126/HOS-4 Community 4, 1/HOS-5 Community 5.

 

Nana Ahwireng described Miss Banson as spend-thrift. He said even though Miss Banson as a substantive solicitor secretary of the corporation has her official car (VW BORA No. GR 7953Q) in addition to a Nissan Patrol car GT 3389 for the managing director, she went ahead and ordered a brand new Nissan Patrol at the cost of 53,037.00 dollars.

 

The petitioner, a former member of the IMF, accused Miss Banson of using one Mr Adjei Nuamah as agent in the sale of several plots near Afariwaa Farms, Ashiaman. Each plot was sold for ¢30 million. She is also accused of buying a swivel executive chair at the cost of ¢4 million.

 

According to Nana Ahwireng, he is ready to provide information that Miss Banson has acquired NTHC property at Community 3, Tema, in the name of her son, in addition to a SSNIT Flat, a Community 3 Room B, a Regimanuel House and an Emefs House.

 

Furthermore, he alleged that some TDC officials including Mr Bright Amlalo and Miss Banson are also involved in the secondhand cars business at Tema and they have frontmen or agent selling their vehicles among those displayed at the Motorway roundabout, Tema.

 

Nana Ahwireng said that was why the TDC was not willing or had not got the nerve to have them moved to the specially prepared place for the cars at Kpone.

 

According to him, Miss Banson had to deliberately mislead or misadvise Mr Kwamena Bartels, the former Minister of Works and Housing, to issue an ultimatum which was flouted with impunity and resulted in an embarrassment to Mr Bartels and the NPP government.

GRi…/

 

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The Statesman

Ghanaians flock to invest in long-term bonds

 

A huge crowd of more than one hundred people packed the trading floor of the Ghana Stock Exchange on Tuesday morning to mark the listing of the Ghana Government Index-Linked (GGILB) on the Exchange. The Bonds, which were originally released on September 7 last year, have now been listed on the exchange in order to further the government’s goal of encouraging capital trading in Ghana.

 

The GGILB are long-term government bonds that collect interest at a rate that reflects inflation. Whereas a normal, short-term bond will have a fixed interest rate, the GGILB will have a flexible interest rate that will increase if inflation increases.

 

That way, investors will be able to earn a steady rate of interest of 5-6 per cent, regardless of inflation. This makes it most attractive for the ordinary Ghanaian investor who may prefer the safety afforded by this inflation-pegged bond.

 

The aim of the GGILB is to shift domestic debt burden away from short-term loans into long-term loans. According to Mrs Grace Coleman, Deputy Minister of Finance, who spoke at the event, most of Ghana’s ¢9.4 trillion domestic debt was composed of short-term treasury bills bearing high interest rates, as of December 2000.

 

This created an untenable situation as the government had to spend 43 per cent of the budget revenue on domestic debt interest in 2000. “There was therefore the urgent need to take immediate measures to reduce the debt stock and break the cycle of borrowing more to pay interests,” Coleman said.

 

This launching then, “was born out of this need”, and, in the words of F.D. Tweneboa, Managing Director of Ghana Stock Exchange, “marks a major milestone in the development of the country’s capital market.”

 

And investors have been quick to show appreciation of the government’s commitment to developing the capital market. Since its launching on September 7, over ¢1 trillion of GGILB have been issued as of December 31, 2001.

 

At this rate, the Ministry Finance expects that approximately 50 per cent of the domestic debt will be converted to long-term bonds, giving the government some much-needed breathing room in the face of tough economic times.

 

The financial community had great praise for the government and its “unflinching commitment towards the development of the capital market,” as Tweneboa put it.

 

Mrs Stephanie Baeta-Ansah, who chaired the meeting, thanked God that this country is encouraging medium and long-term investment rather than sitting and waiting for the investors to come to them.”

 

The organisers of the event were encouraged by the turn out and enthusiasm surrounding the event. Ekwow Afedzi, Senior Manager at the GSE said that the messages were very positive and he hoped that it would encourage more people to learn more about capital trading in Ghana and invest in their numbers.

 

As confidence in the economy generally is on a high, with the feel good factor still strong, the omen is good and adverse to investor apathy.

More…/

 

Master Richard faces charges for beating wife

 

Micky Osei Berko, commonly known as Mister Richard in the popular television soap opera, Taxi Driver, is likely to face prosecution for subjecting his wife to the most brutal form of domestic violence.

 

Kicking, punching, walloping and slapping the mother of your two toddlers black and blue is not the sort of award winning display Ghanaians would have associated this popular character with. But, sadly, that happened to be on the script during the festive season.

 

Master Richard, who also doubles up as ‘Konkonsa’ on Radio Gold, gave her common law wife, the mother of his children, aged 1 and 3, the most gruesome of New Year present by pounding the helpless mother to a pulp on Sunday, December 30.

 

Apparently that was not the only time this wife-beater was subjecting his wife to such a treatment. Appallingly, when the woman was carrying the second pregnancy, she was beaten to a near coma courtesy of the “Rambo” husband, The Statesman has learnt.

 

Coming at a time when women groups such as the Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA), the Ark Foundation and the Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation Centre, have kicked against domestic violence, the TV actor may not find an easy way out of the mess he has got himself. A case file is being prepared on the incident and the next episode should see him arraigned before a court of law.

 

Master Richard, the Statesman learnt threw decency and caution to the wind and rained punches on the wife over “silly disagreement on a party,” last week Sunday.

 

Sources close to the Women and Juvenile Unit (WAJU) of the Police Service where the woman had lodged a complaint told The Statesman that Micky faces a jail term if found guilty of the grievous bodily harm meted out to the wife.

 

WAJU boss, Esther Appiah in a telephone interview, on Tuesday said that the Unit has intensified investigations into the case.

 

According to the statement made to the WAJU, Micky’s wife narrated that on Sunday, 30th December, when people were in festive mood to usher in the New Year, Micky drove to her Asylum down residence where she lives with the couple’s two kids, and asked to take them to a party he was hosting at his Ashongman residence.

 

The wife, perhaps, saw the intervention timely as she was also preparing to attend a friend’s party. This infuriated her chauvinistic husband who steamed into his hapless wife.

 

It took the intervention of neighbours to rescue her from the masculine grips of Master Richard. His mother-in-law was pushed aside and hit her head when she tried to intervene.

 

Micky’s wife-bashing has made nonsense of women’s right campaigners call to an end to violence against women. Just last December, human rights activists marched through the streets of Accra calling for zero tolerance for violence against women.

 

Master Richard’s action has sent shockwaves through the human rights community, especially because of his high profile as a role model for many boys.

 

Ms Dorcas Coker-Appiah, a legal practitioner and Executive Director of Gender Studies and Human rights Documentation Centre, called for stiffer punishment against men who batter their wives. Indeed most assault on women happen at home.

 

Ms Coker-Appiah commended Micky’s wife for taking the bold decision of reporting the matter, saying that, “this is the only way to stop domestic violence.” She urged women to report cases of abuse to the appropriate authority such as the police and lawyers for redress.

 

When the TV actor was contacted at Radio Gold he was said to be presenting his Konkonsa programme. However, he later called in but said had nothing to tell because the matter had been settled. Perhaps, not to the battered wife’s knowledge.

 

WAJU boss confirmed that the wife and her father were at the police station on Tuesday showing their determination to pursue the matter to its legal conclusion.

 

Sources at WAJU said when Micky was invited last Wednesday, he displayed a sense of distasteful arrogance, maintaining that he could only make statement in the presence of his lawyers, disgracefully leashing unprintable insults on her wife, the bearer of his children.

 

Efforts to speak to the wife proved futile as she was not ready to speak with The Statesman.

GRi…/

 

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The Times

Who says money can't buy you happiness?

 

Those spoilsports who pour scorn on lottery hopefuls with a doom-laden "money can't buy happiness" are dead wrong. Even a small win or bequest from an aged aunt can bring an enduring glow of contentment.

 

Windfalls of as little as £1,000 can improve a person's sense of well-being, while £1 million can fill even the most miserable souls with lasting joy, according to the largest study yet of the psychological effects of wealth.

 

The findings have emerged from research by Andrew Oswald, Professor of Economics at Warwick University, and his colleague Jonathan Gardner, who tracked more than 9,000 families through the 1990s.

 

Many inherited money or won the lottery or the pools - though none received more than £500,000 - and the researchers measured the impact of the windfalls on their lives using two scales: one based on how happy people said they were, the other using standard stress indicators.

 

A £1,000 windfall led to clear improvements on both scales. "Even quite small windfalls were picked up," Professor Oswald said. "It seems obvious that people get happier as they get richer, but it's very hard to prove scientifically. This is the best scientific evidence that's ever been produced."

 

Despite mammon's power to delight, however, it is far from being the secret of a contented heart. Marriage, good health and a fulfilling job are much more potent authors of happiness. The most miserable people would have to win £1 million to feel as good as the happiest, and £250,000 is needed to raise people one notch on a four-point contentment scale.

 

But a divorce causes as much hurt as a salary cut of £60,000, while severe illness is as damaging as losses of £200,000 a year.

 

"These figures are much more than most people earn to start with - suggesting strongly that these factors are much more important," Professor Oswald said.

 

Source: The Times (London), 9th January 2002

GRi…/

 

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