Twenty-two
die in crash
Govt. bans
party cards…in business circles
Kmart is bankrupt.
Royal burial for Okatakyie
Representatives of the business community in Ghana have begun initiating moves to seek legal redress against public officials whose negligence continue to cause their businesses to suffer financial losses.
The representatives, which included the Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of PHC Motors Limited, Mr Paul Pepera, Mr Ishmael Yamson, Chairman-Unilever Ghana and Mrs Cecilia Kwofie, Vice Chairman of DOMOD Aluminium Company, said the private sector can no longer afford to tolerate the financial losses that occur when their goods or raw materials are delayed at the port due to the negligence of public officials.
Reacting to Chronicle’s question on the private sector zero tolerance policy in a collective interview at Elmina in the Central Region, Mr Pepera stressed that the private sector can no longer afford or tolerate the financial loss their businesses suffer when a negligent official delays the clearance of their goods from the port or loses vital files or fails to return phone calls or even reply to important letters.
Mr Pepera, whose family own the PHC Group of companies with over 40 years of experience, said the move is part of the sector’s effort to revive the nation’s ailing economy and check the inefficiency, incompetence and negligence of public officials.
“I have consulted the Hon. Attorney General, Nana Akufo Addo and he had advised that there is no legal impediment to prevent private individuals from taking public officials to court for negligence that leads to financial loss, although, the Hon Minister did hasten to add that, as Attorney General, he will have to defend them,” he stressed.
Even though Mr Pepera was of the view that the private sector can not succeed without the existence of an efficient public sector, he believed that it is extremely crucial for the public sector to reform itself and become an effective partner and not a hindrance to private sector development.
On the issue of over aged vehicles, he said in order to encourage the development of the local motor industry, Government needs to restrict and not relax the importation of over-aged vehicles in the country.
He added that Government should also encourage motor companies to set up vehicle assembly plants in Ghana, and by so doing, he noted, it will generate employment. He said in this regard, government could enter into commercial contracts to purchase fleets of vehicles from companies on condition that they are assembled locally.
However, in what he termed as a 15-point agenda on ways to create an enabling environment to boost private venture growth in Ghana, he called for, among others the streamlining of the clearance procedures at the ports and make officials legally accountable for acts of negligence and dereliction of duty that cause financial loss to the private sector.
He suggested that government cut its expenditure to bring down Treasury Bill interest rates to single digits as well as asking government to speed up the land registration process to address the growing cancer of debtors.
GRi…/
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Twenty-two
die in crash
Twenty-two
people, including four children, died on the spot at about 4 am on Wednesday
when a Kumasi-bound Neoplan bus in which they were travelling from Bawku was
involved in an accident between Denase and Kodie in the Ashanti Region.
Forty
others who sustained various degrees of injury have since been sent to the
Intensive Care Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi for
treatment. The bodies of the deceased, yet to be identified, have also been
deposited at the KATH for autopsy.
The
accident occurred when the Kumasi-bound Neoplan bus tried to overtake an
abandoned stationary timber truck on a hill in the middle of the road between
Kodie and Denase. In the process, the Neoplan bus nearly ran into an on-coming
articulated truck.
Sensing
danger, the driver of the Neoplan bus veered off the road slightly to the side
of the stationary timber truck to prevent the imminent head-on collision. The
articulated truck from Accra, loaded with cement belonging to Kasardjian Ind
(GH), scrapped the left side of the Neoplan bus, killing the 22 persons on the
spot.
Police
sources said they suspect that those who died were sleeping when the accident
occurred. They said the driver of the Neoplan bus sustained serious injuries
and is receiving treatment at KATH.
The driver
of the Tamale-bound articulated truck together with his two mates escaped
unhurt. The whereabouts of the driver are being withheld by the police for fear
of instance justice through mob action.
The two
mates of the articulated truck said in an interview that they were asleep and
did not see that accident. They said they were only awakened by the screeching
sound from the brakes of the vehicles.
Residents
of the area said in separate interviews that at about 4 am, they were awakened
by loud screeches from the brakes of the vehicle. They said they rushed to the
scene to help rescue some of the passengers who were still trapped in the
vehicle and put them on vehicles to be sent to the hospital.
Some of
them threatened to burn down the timber truck, which was abandoned on the road
for over a week before the accident and accused the police of negligence of
duty.
The police
had a hectic time conveying the dead bodies to the morgue as they had to depend
on the benevolence of some drivers plying the route, in the absence of official
police vehicles. Meanwhile, the police are investigating the cause of the
accident.
More…/
Nine
ex-policemen in the Upper East Region have appealed to the government to
investigate the circumstances that led to their untimely retirement from the Ghana
Police Service and the delay in the payment of their entitlements.
According
to the ex-servicemen, the 1992 Constitution stipulates that serving officials
should proceed on compulsory retirement at the age of 60. “But in our case, we
were forcefully retired five years prior to the workers retirement age without
any reason,” they contended.
The
ex-servicemen, who made the appeal in a press statement, signed by Ex-Sergeant
Adamu Afoya, and released at Bolgatanga, pointed out: “We believe this action is
unconstitutional and a violation of our rights.”
The others
are RSM Assim Asongo, DSM Sapalega Frafra, RSM Baani Nkoenim RSm Joseph A.
Nsoh, Ex-Sgt. Bukari Mamprusi, DSM Atinga Frafra, Ex-Sgt. Agambilla Agama and
DSM Mahama Builsa.
They
explained that in 1994, all affected persons took the case to court for redress
and that the court ruled in their favour by ordering that their entitlements be
paid to them.
According
to the statement, they were paid various sums of money in respect of gratuity
and were further made to understand that other entitlements covering the five
years they were not allowed to serve would be worked out and paid subsequently.
“But since
then we have not heard anything and for about six years now, nobody has
explained the cause of the delay in the payment of our benefits,” the statement
said. They said that: “It is for this reason that we the affected ex-servicemen
in the region are appealing on behalf of our colleagues in other parts of the
country to the government to come to our aid.”
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Shell-shocked
Black Stars deputy captain Samuel Osei Kuffour returned home on Tuesday after
being thrown out of the Africa Nations Cup tournament for alleged acts of
indiscipline.
The Bayern
Munich defender, who arrived on board a Ghana Airways flight accompanied by the
GFA General Secretary, Mr Kofi Nsiah, and Management Board member, Mr Sylvester
Mensah, said he was surprised at the decision, noting he was simply a victim of
circumstances.
He remarked
that the issues he raised were not personal but rather affected the whole team.
Looking surprisingly calm, Kuffour said he went to Mali determined to give his
best to the nation but as the officials singled him out for blame he had no
other option than to return home.
He told the
Graphic that following Monday’s game against Morocco, he left the camp to call
his family and on his return he was summoned by the head coach, Fred Osam
Duodu. He was unceremoniously asked to leave for home for allegedly causing
problems in the team.
“We had
problems with accommodation, the food was bad and we were not supplied with the
necessary kits by our sponsors, Adidas. As such, on occasions we had to wear our
own attire. These were issues we raised as a body, but I’ve been singled out
for blame,” he remarked.
One of the
reasons cited for Kuffour’s expulsion was that he led the players to turn down
an order to watch the Bafana Bafana-Stallions match. Instead, they chose to
watch the match on television.
However,
the reigning Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Sportsman and
Footballer of the Year said they chose the other option because the weather at
the stadium was cold and this was explained clearly to Osam-Duodu.
As most
senior player in the team, Kuffour said he felt compelled to voice his team’s
grievances and saw nothing wrong with his actions. His only regret was letting
his fans down.
FA scribe
Nsiah explained that the FA only endorsed the decision taken by the Stars
technical handlers to eject Kuffour from the squad, to avoid a full breakdown
of discipline in the team.
GRi…/
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Govt.
bans party cards…in business circles
The
Government has made it clear that it will not tolerate nor encourage the use of
political party cards in doing business in the country. It pointed out, that
the era in which political party cards were used to transact business in the
country was over.
The Senior
Minister, Mr J.H. Mensah, made these remarks at the opening of a national
workshop to define the policy direction and strategies to usher in the Golden
Age of Business and development of the private sector at Elmina. President John
Kufuor officially opened the four-day workshop, which was attended by leaders
in the private sector and stakeholders in the public sector.
Mr Mensah
said that the government will not discriminate against anyone who is prepared
to invest in the country to enhance development. “Whether you are an NPP or NDC
member, local or foreign investor, we are prepared to work with you to promote
the economic growth of the country.”
“There will
no longer be the use of political party card to do business in the party era,”
he stressed. The Senior Minister however stated that the government will deal
with only honest and loyal investors in the country.
He
explained that the government has the responsibility not only to promote
business but to ensure that it strives to enhance the development of the
country. Mr Mensah said that the government had mapped out effective strategies
to promote private sector growth.
He gave the
assurance that the government is more determined to use both legal and
constitutional means to acquire lands for investors and also to ensure that
practices that impede private sector growth were removed.
The Senior Minister
called for a special partnership between the government and the private sector
to make the Golden Age of business a reality. The Minister of Private Sector
Development Mr Kwamena Bartels, stressed that need for government policies to
include the views of the private sector to promote business and enhance
economic growth of the country.
More…/
Special
bank accounts are to be opened at the various Ministries, Departments and
Agencies (MDAs) treasuries for the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
funds.
This will
enable the MDAs apply to the funds judiciously and implement credible policies
for the mutual benefit of all. The director of the Audit Investigations of the
Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD), Madam Grace Adzro,
disclosed this at a workshop in Accra on last week.
It was
aimed at enlightening the various Accountants and policy implementers on the
benefit of HIPC and its associated problems. “This accounts are to receive
funds from HIPC relief that have crystallised and will be controlled by the
Bank of Ghana (BOG),” she explained.
Madam Adzro
said that the HIPC funds were meant for poverty reduction programmes and not
the frivolous purchasing of luxurious vehicles and mansions by government
workers.
The
Controller and Accountant-General, Mr John Prempeh said, the government was
partially independent as far as the disbursement of donor funds was concerned
since the donor countries would control or dictate to it as to how it should
apply the funds when it was due.
“Donor
countries will not give out their resources and just walk away unconcerned,” he
stressed.
GRi…/
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Kmart is bankrupt.
KMART Corporation, which was recently brought into the country to assist in the export and distribution of Ghanaian textile and garments to the USA under the President’s Special Initiative (PSI), is bankrupt.
A BBC news report said that the corporation, the second biggest discount retailer in the United States, filed for bankruptcy protection on Tuesday. Its presence in Ghana was facilitated by Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Mr Allan Kyeremateng, following a deal reached after negotiations between him and the corporation.
On Monday, Mr Kyeremateng led a delegation from the corporation, headed by its vice-president, Mr Dale Apley, to call on the President and discussions were held on the deal. The BBC news report said that suppliers had been deserting the 105-year-old chain, which urgently needs a cash injection and had had a poor Christmas season.
In its Chapter 11 filing, KMART said that its 2,100 stores would remain opened while it restructured its business, which employs 250,000 staff. The Michigan based retailer also said that it had secured two billion dollars of financing in the form of a bankruptcy credit line from a group of banks headed by JP Morgan Chase.
Wall Street analyst had been tipping KMART as a likely candidate for a Chapter 11 filing for some weeks as its shares had tumbled to more than 30-year low. The firm had been hit by weak sales and poor logistics. Its antiquated stores had found it difficult to compete with updated outlets operated by rivals such as Wal-Mart and Target, analysts say.
Loss-making Kmart found itself unable to offer the same level of discounting as Wal-Mart. Its sales suffered further when it was forced to rein in advertising to save money, analysts say.
Kmart’s only grocery distributor, Fleming, said on Monday that it would stop supplies after the retailer failed to make its weekly payment for deliveries of foods and other products.
It was followed by Scott, a maker of gardening products such as Miracle-Gro plant food, and two Taiwanese firms, retailer Test Rite and clothing firm Nien Hsing Textile. Nien Hsing Textile, a maker of blue jeans, said on Tuesday that it was delaying its weekly shipment “while we wait to clear plan from Kmart to solve its financial problem.”
Immediately ahead of the Chapter 11 announcement, Kmart’s shares had plunged into a 38-year low of 61 cents from their previous close of $1.74 on Friday. Efforts to get the Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey and the Government Spokesman, Mr Kwabena Agyepong to comment on the issue proved futile.
More…/
Dr Sam Jonah, Chief Executive Officer of the Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC), has expressed concern about the political name-tagging of companies in the country. “Companies are labelled pro or anti, the ‘government in power’ and ‘lose or wins jobs as a result of their political association”, he said.
Speaking at the just ended national workshop to define the policy direction and strategies for achieving the Golden Age of Business at Elmina, he said given the sheer size of the public sector, it was almost impossible for any business to survive without some flirtation with the government of the day.
He said the world class entrepreneurs were in short supply in the country and stressed the need for all to come together and work to make the country an economic success.
“The viciousness, vindictiveness, pull-him-down syndrome, envy, back-stabbing- all these negative trends which have become so much a part of our culture will deter some of us to contribute our quota to the socio-economic development of the country.
Dr Jonah said that the ship had been taking in water for a long time and there was now the need to plug all the holes and bail out the water. “This is not the time for us to be preoccupied with who gets the best cabin on board”.
He said that the determination to make the country the gateway to the sub-region and investment destination of choice would only be successful if the environment was safe, friendly and economically attractive.
Ours is a small economy and had to attract investments, he advised that policy makers must act positively and quickly. To that end, he suggested the need for the acceleration of the integration of the economies of the sub-region.
Dr Jonah stressed the need for the country to stop spreading itself thinly. “Investible capital to our part of the world is scarce and we should therefore identify areas of comparative advantage where we will direct our scarce resource” he said.
More…/
The State Insurance Company (SIC) is to be restructured. In line with this, some positions would be scrapped while intra-company reposting or reassignments would be made. The Chairman of the SIC board, Professor Isaac M. Ofori, disclosed these at a news conference in Accra.
Mr Ofori said until 1999, the Insurance Industry had experienced growth, however, the sharp deterioration in the micro-economic environment experienced in 2000 affected their cash flow.
Giving a background to the exercise, Professor Ofori said in June 2000, the then executive commissioned a private consultant to review the performance of SIC. This they did, but the final recommendation of the report were not implemented.
Professor Ofori said, “based on the finalized report, SIC is currently being restructured by the new board of Directors with the objective of creating a learner workforce that can provide an efficient and effective service, be more client responsive and become more profitable”.
He added “that it was necessary to re-focus our operations, missions and begin to see improvement in our operations”. He however emphasised that, the release or separation of the member staff has nothing to do with malfeasance.
Touching on the restructuring exercise, the Managing Director of SIC, Mr Peter Osei Duah said, the exercise would be done in phases. The first phase he said, would involve managers, explaining that they would be re-posted to other regions whilst those found to be redundant be talked to on one-on-one basis and severance packages paid to them.
He said time is being taken so as not to lay off experience staff as it did happen in previous exercises. He said all the departments in the company would see some form of change, adding that the exercise was not targeted at a particular type of people.
Mr Duah said preliminary exercise showed that some clients were frustrated at the speed of service and the delays in processing. He hoped the exercise would flush out these problems.
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An investigative exercise undertaken by The Statesman has unmasked the personalities that will sit on the soon to be constituted National Reconciliation Commission.
The men and women to direct this necessary healing exercise, with the aim to reconcile the nation by seeking to make a non-punitive amends for the victims of military rules, are household names of notable repute. The list reads like “Who is Who” in Ghana’s civil society, including a retired army general, a traditional ruler, religious leaders, academics and a retired trade unionist.
The names are as follows: Justice K. E. Amua Sekyi, a retired Supreme Court judge, is slated as Chairman, Mrs Margaret Nkrumah, Headmistress of SOS School, Tema (and wife of Professor Francis Nkrumah, son of the late Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President), General E.A. Erskine (Rtd), former Commander of the United Nations Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Presidential candidate in the 1992 elections.
Others are Mrs Sylvia Awo Mansah Boye, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) and former Registrar of the West African Examination Council (WAEC), Professor John Nabila of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon and a Mamaprusi Traditional Ruler in the Northern Region.
The rest are Malvi Wahab Adam, Ameer and Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Christian Appiah-Adjei, former Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Professor Florence Abena Dolphyne, former Pro-Vice Chancellor of University of Ghana, and last but the least, Bishop Charles Palmer-Buckle, Catholic Bishop of Koforidua.
Some of the prospective panelists contacted by the Statesman confirmed that the government has indeed sounded them. They were, however, reluctant to comment since they were yet to receive their letters of appointment.
Sources at the Castle remarked that the government is currently deliberating upon the above names. But, when questioned as to whether what was left to iron out was merely the presentation of formal letters of appointment, one of the sources refused to offer any further elucidation on the matter except to add: “The President, in consultation with the Council of State, is currently contemplating on these names and I can assure that his decision will be made public soon.”
The National Reconciliation Commission, sources say, it will be instituted in the coming next weeks.
The Reconciliation Bill, which received Presidential assent early this month, is focussing on the eras of military rule- the periods of unconstitutional governments, which impeded the construction of multiparty democracy, frustrated efforts to consolidate and strengthen state institutions, and undermined respect for human right and the rule of law. The specific periods are from 24th February 1966 to 21st August 1969, 13th January 1972 to 23rd September 1979 and 31st December 1981 to 6th January 1993.
Moreover, the Commission is empowered to consider individual cases that fall outside the specific periods of reference, which once considered would be given the same scrutiny as any other. It is recalled that the transitional provisions of all the three constitutions succeeding a military regime (in 1969, 79 and 92) prevented any court of law from questioning the legality or otherwise of the human rights violations committed by agents of state at the time.
The Commission will be a fact-finding body with broad investigating powers. Its functions include investigating abuses and violations of human right such as killings, abductions, disappearances and seizure of properties suffered by any person within the specific periods, with the view to recommending appropriate forms of redress. The object is to seek and promote reconciliation among the people of Ghana.
The emphasis, as often repeated by the government, is on the victims rather than the perpetrators. But, while not expressly clear in the Bill, it is anticipated that the exercise may help Ghanaians recollect the ugliness of unconstitutional rule with the aim of insulating the nation against any such quirks.
All the national political parties, including the main opposition party, the National Democratic Congress, have at least in principle supported the exercise to reconcile the nation.
Protected by the transitional provisions in both the 1979 and the 1992 Constitution, grievances tabled at the Reconciliation Commission cannot lead to prosecution of members of the erstwhile AFRC and PNDC regimes, enforcing the claim that the exercise is not aimed to punish perpetrators but rather to pacify victims and help heal the nation.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) gave a commitment in its 2000 manifesto to urgently establish a Commission to heal the festering wounds within Ghana’s body politics and social conscience, with the goal of consolidating the process of nation building.
The government believes that the consolidation of democracy and the promotion of constitutional rule demand that the nation deals with some of the issues from its turbulent past that risk compromising the democracy and peace in the country.
More…/
Royal burial for Okatakyie
Twenty-three years after being shot and later buried in a shallow unmarked grave near the Nsawam Medium Security Prison in 1979, the late General Akwasi Amankwah Afrifa, will on Saturday, be given a decent and fitting burial at Krobo, his hometown, near Asante Mampong.
Yes, Gen Afrifa, would be given a royal burial by the Mampong Tradition Council because he is a chief. The erstwhile Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), led by ex-Flt. Lt J.J. Rawlings, executed the late General together with seven other senior military officers in June 1979.
The other military officers were: Major General E.K. Utuka, Air Vice-Marshal George Yaw Boakye, Major-Gen. R.E.A. Kotei, Col. Roger Felli, Gen I.K. Acheampong, Gen F.W.K. Akuffo and Rear Admiral Joy Amedume.
Their bodies were handed over to their families on December 27 at a Reburial Service. At the handing over and reburial service held at the Garrison Methodist/Presbyterian Church, 37 Military Hospital, Accra, General Erskine, member of the Committee of Exhumation, described the killing of the senior military officers as senseless.
He said most of them were killed for simply performing their professional duties. For instance, Air Vice Marshall Yaw Boakye was involved in the military regime when he was appointed Air Force commander.
The atmosphere at Krobo and Mampong is already charged for a big funeral for Gen Afrifa. Most houses have been repainted, all weedy areas have been cleared and all hotel rooms have been fully booked. Krobo and Mampong are already in mournful mood for a departed hero who did so much for them in the two neighbouring towns.
Before the burial at Krobo, the casket with the remains of the Generals will be flown to Kumasi on Friday. In Kumasi, it will be sent to the Manhyia Palace, official residence of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.
It would be recalled that the late Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, the uncle of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, conferred the title ‘Okatakyie’ (hero) on Gen Afrifa. From the Manhyia Palace, the bearing casket would go on procession in the principal streets of Kumasi. It would then be taken to its final resting place at Krobo.
According to the programme, the last procession would stop at Jamasi, Agona and Kona before continuing to Mampong. At Mampong, the Traditional Council will receive the casket and keep it for a day before it is taken finally to Krobo, General Afrifa’s village for burial.
Thousands of mourners are expected to attend the funeral and “The Statesman” has learnt that provision has been made for a considerable number of security personnel to maintain law and order. Traders, drivers and other service providers are also waiting feverishly to cash in on the funeral and maximize sales during the period.
It would be recalled that in March last year, the widows of the slain Generals and senior military officers petitioned President J.A. Kufuor to exhume the bodies of their late husbands for a proper burial.
On November 28, 2001, the President granted the widows their request days after the exhumation of the bodies, most of the executed officers were buried, leaving General Afrifa whose turn is due on Saturday and Rear Admiral Amedume.
GRi…/
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