Another scandal rocks ‘sold’ bank
Ghana honours al-Quathafi / OAU Summit opens in Lome today
Quathafi urges Africa to unite
President worried over the murders
NDC quarrels worsen
Editors are mad – with Uncle Sam
Decentralisation - my biggest achievement
Another scandal rocks ‘sold’ bank
The Ghanaian Chronicle reports in its lead story that the National Investment Bank is on the lips of disaster.
The paper says racked by divisive bickering by contending players within Government over its unsettled divestiture which has been compounded by controversies surrounding workers’ interests and Trust funds, its sources has also uncovered massive raiding of funds in its coffers by powerful interests with NDC links.
The story says that technically, 60 per cent of the Bank has been sold for $8.5m (¢50billion), but the buyer, Faith Brothers, declared winner at the auction in a swathe of controversy, negligently failed to conduct a due diligence as a result of a stampede to buy it, but discovered upon taking possession that they had walked into a nightmare.
Chronicle says last week, it confirmed rumours that more than 73 per cent of the total loan portfolio of the bank went to three companies and they virtually ceased servicing them.
The figures, an astonishing 30Billion cedis were shared among a ‘gang of three’, it said, adding that Selina Packaging which has an NDC strongman as boss had alone racked up close to ¢20billion. The story also links Metalloplastica with some ¢5 billion of debts and Sien Goldfields.
Chronicle says some of these loans have eaten into workers’ provident funds unknown to most of the workers whose fate is now in the hands of Faith Brothers.
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The Daily Graphic, in a front-page story says President Jerry John Rawlings has urged Parliament to expedite action on the passage of the Education Trust Fund Bill to facilitate the disbursement of the funds to needy students and the provision of education infrastructure.
The paper says President Rawlings expressed concern about the fact that as many as 80 amendments have been proposed to the bill, stressing, “I hope that this does not unduly delay the prompt establishment of the fund and the early disbursement of monies already earmarked for this purpose.”
President Rawlings, in a message read on his behalf at the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Mawuli Secondary School at Ho, is reported to have noted that despite government’s massive investment in education to improve upon access and facilities, indications are that they are inadequate for the demands of all levels of education, particularly, the second cycle and tertiary sectors.
The story quotes President Rawlings to have stated that the establishment of the Educational Trust Fund is therefore intended to supplement budgetary allocations meant for improving access to education and infrastructure facilities.
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Ghana honours al-Quathafi / OAU Summit opens in Lome today
The Graphic in another front-page story reports that Ghana has conferred on the Libyan Leader, Col. Muammar al-Quathafi, the ‘Companion of the Order of the Star of Ghana (CSG) award, one of the highest honours of the country, in recognition of respect for social justice and commitment to African unity.
The story says the honour, with an accompanying medal was bestowed on the Libyan leader at a colourful gathering at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra at the weekend during a two-day visit of Bro. Gathafi.
The paper names former South African President, Nelson Mandela and the Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, as those previously accorded with the honour.
In another front-page coverage, Graphic reports that African leaders begin a landmark summit in Lome Togo today with two Southern African countries boycotting it in protest of Togo’s alleged support for Jonas Savimbi’s UNITA rebel group in Angola.
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Quathafi urges Africa to unite
The Ghanaian Times, reporting on Brother Muammar Quathafi’s visit writes that the Libyan leader, at the weekend repeated his call on African States to unite and face the current challenges of globalisation.
According to the story, Bro. Quathafi said that by his 4,000 km travel from Tripoli to Accra by road, he had realised that “Africans are one people with one culture, but the artificial borders created by the colonial masters to partition the continent have seen them wide apart.”
Times quotes Bro. Quathafi as saying that it was the responsibility of Africans to eradicate the economic and other barriers that had impeded the integration and development of the continent because they did not serve any better purpose than re-emphasising the exploitation by the colonial masters.
He, according to the paper, expressed the hope that African leaders would use the Organisation of African Unity Summit in Lome, Togo this week to find solutions to the continent’s problems such as building their own infrastructure, developing links to eradicate poverty, diseases and irrigation to boost agriculture.
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President worried over the murders
The Times in another story reports that the President, Flt-Lt. J.J Rawlings has stated that the unexplained murders of women in parts of Accra is an affront to the strenuous efforts the Government has made in the past 15 years to promote the well being of women in the country.
The paper says President Rawlings, in a press statement issued in Accra on Sunday noted that “one of the things which even foreigners to Ghana are quick to notice is the freedom and security under which Ghanaians, particularly women, can be found even at the dead of the night going about their lawful duties, a situation which they say do not exist in their own countries where women dare not go out after dark, except in groups.”
He is reported to have stated that the government was determined to do whatever was necessary to maintain that enviable characteristic of Ghanaian society.
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NDC quarrels worsen
The National Democratic Congress’ huge patronage machine is creaking under severe strain after the unilateral announcement of sitting MPs to contest the December parliamentary elections, the Public Agenda said.
The story, a front-page coverage contained that several constituencies across the country, which had vowed to resist the imposition of any candidates by party leadership in Accra, have subsequently embarked on a series of protest activities.
According to the paper, the announcement on July 3, 2000 of the party’s candidates for the December 8 elections, a day after party leaders dispatched fact-finding teams to all ten regions to have first-hand assessment on the level of discontent against the issue of retaining sitting MPs, took even some leading members of the party by surprise.
It says unlike the past where the party sent missions led by individual members who hail from the same region, the leadership swapped the teams this time round. “Apparently to avoid any conflict of interest and to signal to the aggrieved supporters how concerned the leadership was about the crisis facing the NDC,” the paper said.
The Agenda says its sources have confirmed that the announcements confirming some sitting MPs as choices has in effect aborted the Fact-Finding Mission project.
It says information indicate that the party hierarchy used a complex rating system to maintain sitting MPs.
“However this appears now as a costly U-turn from the National Executive Council’s affirmation that constituencies will organise conferences to elect their MPs subject to the approval of the party leadership in Accra. That was then. Reality check now: over 50 sitting parliamentarians confirmed as the party’s candidates for the forthcoming elections were not endorsed by the constituencies for the December elections.” The Agenda said.
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Editors are mad – with Uncle Sam
The Accra Mail writes that a one-year old report prepared by the US Embassy in Accra on Ghana is creating great consternation and anxiety in sections of Ghana’s vibrant but under-funded independent press.
The paper writes that the 12-page script, popularly called the “private press”, has come to represent not only the conscience of the nation, but also a safety valve, allowing citizens to sound off on all manner of subjects, by mainly those dealing with how their country is run.
According to the paper Ghana is probably one of the few countries in Africa where the media have become assertive to the chagrin of the government and, by and large, to the joy of the public, coming in several hues, sizes, colours and leanings.
However, amidst this media bounty, the US Embassy in Accra has in a surprisingly harsh tone announced to the world on its website that “the independent media is largely anti-government or to be accurate, anti-Rawlings”.
The report carries that the independent media is quite wide in Ghana and the generalization quoted above gives an entirely erroneous picture of the media landscape.
It says furthers that the document contained a number of extremely pro-government publications and said their pro-Rawlings stance makes them virulently opposed to non-government politicians and some of their attacks on these politicians are intensely offensive.
The paper says be as it may, the US Embassy’s opinion must be music to the ears of Rawlings who has always held the view that the private press established themselves to demonise him.
According to the paper, the report further says, “their (private press) personal attacks on Rawlings sometimes obscure objective analysis and investigations...”
The Accra Mail continues that the report, without doubt is “a sop to the Ghanaian authorities and the authors have been very careful in selecting their language in presenting their opinions and observations.” “...so careful have they been that they have even deigned to be economical with the truth in presenting Ghana’s contemporary history.”
On Rawlings himself, the report simply states: “Rawlings headed a ‘provisional’ regime from the end of 1981 until January 1993, when democratic government under a written constitution was restored. It is almost as if the US is embarrassed to present Rawlings’ coup legacy as part of Ghana’s political history”
“What kind of provisional regime? How did it come into being?” Questions the Accra Mail.
According to the paper, the report has caused a stir in the corridors of leading independent newspapers. “They feel a betrayal and suspect Uncle Sam may be out to strengthen Rawlings’ hands at some extra constitutional behaviour,” the Mail submitted.
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Decentralisation - my biggest achievement
The Ghana Palaver in its banner story says President Jerry John Rawlings in a statement made to the ‘International Herald Tribune’ has described the devolution of power from a centralised government to a decentralised system as one of the fundamental changes chalked during his tenure of office.
He reportedly stated as another feat chalked the current acceleration in the integration process in the sub-region.
The Palaver further reports President Rawlings as stating that the government is no longer a distant mystery, adding that ‘hundreds of thousands of ordinary folks now take part in planning, determining priorities and monitoring social infrastructure development projects.
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