Serious Fraud Office investigates Sterling Financial Services
Transparent Corporate governance is key to success - Nana Wereko Ampem
Probe death of Kplembare - Directors
Military chief calls for cooperation with the media
Minister calls for comprehensive aged policy
New Juaben gets seven billion cedis for road rehabilitation
Moves to check stealing of livestock
Professor leads a crusade to beautify Techiman
Cable Test Van for ECG Commissioned
Serious Fraud Office investigates Sterling Financial Services
Accra (Greater Accra) 1st July '99
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) said on Wednesday that investigations are continuing into the operations of Sterling Financial Services (SFS) on its role as consultants to the Divestiture Implementation Committee (DIC).
In an interview in Accra on how far the investigations have gone, Mr Tetteh Mensah, Assistant Director, Investigations, said documents on the company have been recalled from the Registrar-General's Department, Internal Revenue Service and other allied bodies to facilitate investigations.
He would not disclose the kind of investigations that the SFO is undertaking in respect of the allegations against SFS since this would undermine the whole process, and urged the media to bear with them.
The SFO last week said it had detected some anomalies in the business dealings of SFS in respect of procedures for engaging it as consultants to the DIC, the contractual relationship as well as its professional conduct in the transactions it has handled so far.
The SFO's investigations will also include allegations of conflict of interest between SFS and its sister companies and other matters related to specific divestitures it has undertaken.
Independent investigations since last week have revealed that SFS is a subsidiary of Metropolitan Insurance Company.
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Transparent Corporate governance is key to success - Nana Wereko Ampem
Accra, (Greater Accra) 1st July '99
The rapid global changes in world economy calls for the total understanding of the respective roles of government, the public and private sectors, Nana Wereko Ampem II, Omanhene of Amanokrom, said in Accra on Wednesday.
Launching the Institute of Directors - Ghana (IoD), a body of corporate directors that seeks to promote corporate governance, Nana Wereko Ampem said there is the need to put in place discipline in the management of the economy to attract more investment.
He said Ghana's Vision 2020, which he described as "a well thought-out document" if well implemented, could lead the country to the goals it has set out in the document.
"But, it is a fact that without a large inflow of direct private investment the vision will remain unfulfilled.
"It will therefore be necessary to ensure that conditions - social, political and economic - are provided for the attraction of both domestic and foreign direct capital into the economy."
Nana Wereko Ampem said good governance of public corporations and private companies, which have become a subject of global concern and interest are the key to accessing global capital markets.
"Transparent corporate governance also provides investors with a clear map of their rights in relation to the companies in which they invest."
This, the Omanhene said, should be pursued with integrity and transparency so as to win the confidence of society.
Nana Wereko Ampem said in other parts of the world, such institutes of directors have played important roles in the advancement and growth of their economies.
Those institutes are consulted on a number of relevant issues by their governments and corporate bodies.
"...It is only the actions of the institute which will determine the respect and credibility that it will command in the society and hence its effectiveness as a contributing factor to the nation's economic advancement," he said.
The IoD, he said, has come to fill an important vacuum by bridging the gap between private-public sector initiatives to enhance productivity.
The President of the Council of the IoD, Mr Frank Ocran said the Institute was established to promote good corporate governance for the benefit of stakeholders.
He said the Institute would ensure a strong relationship between the board and shareholders, board and top management, boards and regulators as well as auditors.
The Institute which was formed barely a year ago with about 98 members from the public and private organisations hopes to establish good corporate governance in the country as a means to achieve global standards of business efficiency.
Mr Ato Ampiah, Managing Director of Auto Crystal, who chaired the function said the dynamism of global economic environment is driven on human capital and urged the Institute to put more emphasis on the training of its members.
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Probe death of Kplembare - Directors
Bunso (Eastern Region), 1st July 99 -
The Conference of the District Directors of Agriculture Ghana has appealed to President Jerry John Rawlings through the
Minister of Food and Agriculture to probe the circumstances under which Mr Morris Kplembare, the Director of Agriculture for Bole in the Northern Region, was killed.
A statement issued at Bunso Cocoa College on Wednesday and presented to Mr Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, a Deputy Minister of MOFA, appealed to the President to investigate the incident and bring the culprit to book.
Dr J.H.O. Bannerman, Interim Vice-President of the conference, signed the statement.
The statement protested at what it described as the ''brutish and barbaric behaviour of EX-WO1 Ebenezer Quaynor of the National Security Council, Castle Annex,' alleged to have shot the deceased in traffic at Achimota.
Mr Asiedu-Nketia expressed the Ministry's condolences to the bereaved family and said MOFA was shocked by the incident.
He told the Directors from the Eastern, Volta and Ashanti Regions on a 12-day training programme at the college that their petition would be handed over to the President.
He, however, said that since this was purely a murder case, it would be dealt with by the courts and urged them to have faith in the judiciary since justice would be done.
An EX-Warrant Officer of the Ghana Army, alleged to be working at Castle annex shot and killed Mr Kplembare.
The deceased was said to have left the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) where he was on course on Thursday, June 24, to complete his research project work at Pokuase, near Accra.
While returning to GIMPA late that day, his vehicle was allegedly hit by that of the EX-Warrant Officer.
An argument ensued which resulted in EX-Warrant Officer Quaynor allegedly shot and killed Mr Kplembare instantly, claiming that he (Quaynor) had killed an armed robber.
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Military chief calls for cooperation with the media
Accra, 1st July 99 -
Lieutenant-General Ben Akafia, Chief of Defence Staff, on Wednesday called for co-operation between the Military and the media in the dissemination of news reports affecting the security and peace of the country.
Gen. Akafia speaking at a durbar of high ranking military officials at the Burma Campsaid, in the media's attempt to educate, inform, and entertain, a little "unguarded report, deliberate or inadvertent, can create chaos and instability in the society.
"In other words, the rupture of the sensitivities of the military can cause this country a great deal as it does in other countries".
He pointed out that this would be counterproductive and unnecessary adding that "the Ghanaian needs and loves his or her peace. The Armed Forces is no exception even though we are in the profession of arms. So remember to be circumspect and work in the interest of only our country and not otherwise."
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Minister calls for comprehensive aged policy
Accra (Greater Accra), 1st July, 99 –
Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, on Wednesday reiterated the need to plan and execute a comprehensive ageing policy to focus attention on issues affecting the aged.
The Ministry, she said, is working hard to develop such a policy for the aged, especially old women, who need special attention because ''most of them have no social security''.
Mrs Benyiwa-Doe, who was addressing a seminar for "older women" in Accra, said a policy focus is needed for old women, because of their limited economic power and their deprived state.
"Most aged women do not earn any pension and have little income", he said, adding that because of cultural beliefs in certain societies, some of them are treated as outcasts and neglected".
The seminar was under the theme "towards society for all ages".
In a welcoming address, Mrs Molly Anim-Addo, Chairperson, National Commission on Women and Development (NCWD), said older women have contributed and still make an input into the socio-economic development of the country.
"It is for this reason that the seminar is addressing their problems because they are more disadvantageous than old men.
She said "older women who were once seen as symbols of wisdom are now seen as a source of calamity, abandoned, fearsome and ridiculed".
Mrs Alberta Ollenu, President of Help-Age Ghana, who chaired the function, stressed the need to develop a programme for older women.
"Women never stop performing and could still be of help to the nation no matter their age", she added.
Topics being discussed include the economic and political contribution of the aged and the social and civic contribution of older persons to national development.
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New Juaben gets seven billion cedis for road rehabilitation
Koforidua, (Eastern Region) 1st July '99
The government has voted seven billion cedis for the rehabilitation of the Koforidua-Suhum junction road and the Adweso dual carriage road in the New Juaben Municipality.
The Koforidua-Suhum junction road will cost five billion cedis while the Adweso dual carriage road will cost two billion cedis.
Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, deputy Eastern Regional Minister, made this known on Tuesday during an inspection of roads in the municipality.
The poor state of the roads has been attributed to construction works being carried out for Ghana Telecom for underground cables.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo expressed concern about what he described as "defacing the municipality of its beauty'' and asked the management of Ghana Telecom. to terminate jobs it awarded contractors who are unable to meet specifications and deadline.
Mr Paul Amusu, acting Eastern Regional head of Ghana Telecom, said Messrs P.K. Mensah, an Accra based construction firm, has been sub-contracted to work on the affected roads.
The work would involve the construction of culverts to ensure free flow of water.
Mr Dan Anyang, Eastern Regional Director of Ghana Highway Authority, explained that engineering works were underway on a 3.5 kilometre Adweso dual carriageway.
The rehabilitation of the Koforidua-Suhum junction road, both to be executed by Messrs Kasap, would commence soon.
He said routine maintenance works involving pothole filling and grading of patch shoulders were being carried out to make the Adweso road motorable.
Accompanying the minister was Mr Emmanuel Adu Boateng, the Municipal Chief Executive and officials of the Eastern Regional Co-ordinating Council.
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Moves to check stealing of livestock
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 1st July '99
The Ghana Livestock and Meat Marketing Association (GLAMMA) has embarked on an exercise in the Brong Ahafo region to check the rampant smuggling and stealing of animals especially cattle from the Northern regions.
The exercise, which involves the rigorous inspection and issuing of waybills to livestock dealers at selected barriers, has taken off in the Kintampo, Wenchi and Techiman districts.
Mr K. Adjei-Kanton, Secretary-General of GLAMMA, said this would be extended to the remaining 19 districts of the region soon and eventually to other parts of the country.
He said in Sunyani on Tuesday that the exercise is in response to the Minister of Food and Agriculture's call on the association to introduce measures to curb stealing and smuggling of livestock and other negative traits in the livestock sector.
Mr Adjei-Kanton appealed to the security agencies to help make the exercise a success and urged members of GLAMMA entrusted with the exercise to live up to expectation.
He asked dealers and owners of livestock to ensure that they are issued with the necessary papers before travelling with their animals.
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Professor leads a crusade to beautify Techiman
Techiman (Brong Ahafo) 1st July '99
Dr Joseph Mensah, a university Professor from British Columbia, Canada, is in Ghana to spearhead a campaign to beautify Techiman in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He will be joined by Dr Senyo Adjibolosoo, also a professor from British Columbia.
The professors will lead members of the International Institute of Human Factor Development (IIHFD), a development research organisation, to undertake the campaign in conjunction with the Techiman district assembly, the Techiman
Holy Family Hospital and the Canadian Bureau of International Education, a division of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
Dr Mensah said the campaign seeks to help clean up the Techiman and to educate the public about health hazards posed by urban waste.
The campaign, he said, is not just about garbage; it is about the compelling need for clean drinking water, good sanitation and reasonably good toilet facilities.
He called for co-operation and the involvement of the people in dealing with "a common human problem from now up to the first week of August, this year."
A steering committee will be formed to plan similar campaigns in subsequent months after August 1.
Dr Mensah called for the involvement of individuals, schools, churches, banks and clinics in the exercise.
Meanwhile, a secretariat for the "Keep Techiman beautiful campaign" has been set up at the Techiman Holy Family Hospital.
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Cable Test Van for ECG Commissioned
Accra (Greater Accra) 1st July '99
The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) on Wednesday commissioned a Cable Test Van equipped with modern instruments and testing gadgets to enable it reduce time wasted to locate faults in cable networks.
The Van will also be used to measure the insulation level in transformers, switch gears, overhead networks as well as cables and test their suitability for connection unto the distribution network for operation.
It will promote quick relocation of the cables for construction industry.
Mr William K. Kyeremanteng, Director of Operations, said the acquisition of the van is part of efforts to ensure customer satisfaction in the provision of electricity.
He said faults occur in the electricity distribution network when the insulation in the equipment, lines and cables breakdown as a result of ageing, fire or physical damage, caused by third parties.
Mr Kyeremanteng said faults in sub-station equipment and overhead lines are relatively easier to locate as these items are visible.
However, in the case of cables, it is more difficult to locate fault points since they are usually buried in the ground.
Mr Kyeremanteng said it is time wasting and expensive to dig the entire cable length to locate and repair faults, hence, the need to use special equipment.
Mr Phil Kennedy, International Sales and Application Manager of AVO International, suppliers of the van, handed over the keys of the vehicle to Mr Kyeremanteng.
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