Soldiers on rampage again
Hajia Ocansey in town
AIDS cure doctor gets military protection
Kufuor: I’ll unite Ghana
Amoo’s case: ruling on Thursday
Women in massive protest against murders
No end in sight
African leaders Summit begins
Ghosts, Mafia take over… Deputy governor of BOG involved?
Soldiers on rampage again
The Crusading Guide writes that a group of soldiers are alleged to have physically attacked, severely molested and seriously injured some residents of Kumasi Anloga, on two different occasions, about four weeks ago.
The paper says the revelation was in a statement made by the Ghana Committee on Human & Peoples’ Rights (GCHPR), and signed by its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Owusu Barimah.
According to the paper, the statement said GCHPR was highly disturbed by the case of Master Mohamadu Salifu, 13, who sustained bullet wounds in the left arm during the unwarranted invasion and is on admission at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hosptal.
GCHPR is reported to have unambigously condemned, “the situation whereby a slight misunderstanding between military personnel and civilians results in the Military letting loose some of its personnel to indiscriminately ransack and take innocent persons to ransom”.
GCHPR is reported to have called for a “halt to this wanton disregard” to the current constitutional order and asked the Ashanti Regional Security Council as a matter of urgency “to institute a detailed investigation” into the invasion and make whoever shot Master Mahamadu Salifu bear his medical bills.
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Hajia Ocansey in town
The Independent says it can reveal after weeks of investigations that Alhajia Amina Sidik, better known as Hajia Baby Ocansey, who duped the Bank of Ghana (BOG) to the tune of seven-billion cedis is in the country.
The paper says its sources have revealed that the lady that has earned the title of Queen of the Con was at a funeral in Madina, an Accra suburb, three weeks ago during which she made a donation of two million cedis.
The paper says that an attempt to meet with her however proved futile. According to the story, the paper’s men, accompanied by a source who had booked an appointment with the ‘most wanted woman’ in the country, were informed that Hajia was not in when they called at her home.
Independent says the attempt to lay eyes on the con woman was the last stage of a covert campaign to monitor her movements after being told that Baby Ocansey, also known as ‘Donor’, had sent emissaries to collect her rent at her Darkuman-Nyamekye house.
“Further investigations led to the fact that Baby Ocansey Donor has been moving between Darkuman and another of her houses at Gbawe”, the story said.
According to the Independent a source hinted that Hajia is presently holed up in her Gbawe abode where only family people have access to her.
“Nonetheless, she moves freely to attend to her numerous businesses which of course include professional conning”, Independent quoted an aide of Hajia who is reportedly fed up with her behaviour.
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AIDS cure doctor gets military protection
The Ghanaian Democrat, in its lead story says the life of Dr. Jeremiah Abalaka, the Nigerian doctor who is reported to have found both a cure and a preventive vaccine for the HIV virus, which causes AIDS, appears to be in danger, for being an African.
Dr. Abalaka, the Democrat says, told the BBC in an interview at the weekend that two attempts have been made on his life, for which reason he now goes about with military guards. “I am grateful to the Nigerian Army for coming to my aid”, he is reported to have stated.
Dr. Abalaka is reported to have expressed regret that his fellow Nigerian doctors are calling him a fraud when they should be happy that their colleague has made a major-breakthrough in medicine.
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Kufuor: I’ll unite Ghana
The Presidential candidate of the NPP, J.A. Kufuor has promised to heal the wounds of the nation, unite it and propel it forward as a corporate entity if he wins the election in December, reports the Statesman.
Mr. Kufuor, according to the paper, told the Ghanaian community in London on Sunday that even though he is contesting the election as the candidate of the NPP, he would, as President of Ghana, always place national interest above that of the party, especially in solving problems confronting the nation.
“I will ensure that Ghana starts and operates as a corporate entity, with all productive views very well taken into account”, the paper quoted him as saying.
He further said national reconciliation will be a top priority of his government. Mr. Kufuor is reported to have expressed confidence in his chances in winning the election and gave the assurance that in spite of the seriousness of the problems of the country, his government would provide the desired solutions by getting to the roots of the problems.
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Amoo’s case: ruling on Thursday
The Statesman in another front-page story says the Court of Appeal is expected to give a ruling on the case of the disputed Ayawaso West Wuogon parliamentary seat, involving Isaac Amoo of the NPP and Rebecca Adotey of the NDC, on Thursday July 13.
The paper says the court, composed of Justices P.K. Twumasi (Presiding), Julius Ansah Akrofi and Mrs. Adinyira, gave the date for the ruling at its last sitting on May 22.
The story carries that at the sitting, Samuel Cudjoe, Counsel for Adotey who instituted the appeal against the ruling of an Accra High Court, argued that his grounds of appeal were that the trial judge erred in law in awarding the case to Amoo, when he had not sought relief for violation of fundamental rights.
Counsel for Amoo, Peter Ala Adjetey, had submitted that the orders of mandamus and of certiorari which his client sought included violation of a political right and, therefore, the court had jurisdiction to grant the orders.
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Women in massive protest against murders
The Daily Graphic carries a front-page story on the demonstration by women in Accra on Monday against the gruesome killing of innocent women in Accra over the past two years.
The story has it that about one thousand women clad in mourning clothes and wearing red bands picketed the Police Headquarters in Accra in a one-day protest against the inability of the security agencies to unravel the mystery surrounding the serial killings of women in the nation’s capital.
The paper says the protesters, under an umbrella body, Sisters Keepers, an NGO, carried placards some which read “no solution, no vote”, why only women”, “please do something about the killings”. They cautioned that if the security agencies failed to apprehend the perpetrators of the murders, they would embark on another sit-down strike.
The women’s intention, according to the story also carried by the Ghanaian Times, is to bring severe pressure to bear on the security agencies to compel them to solve the mystery or at least, ensure that the killings cease.
They said they would never rest until the culprits are brought to book.
Both the Graphic and Times carry that Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Peter Nanfuri, assured the protestors that the police are doing everything possible to unearth the mystery.
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No end in sight
The Graphic in its banner story writes that there appears to be no immediate end to the current load-shedding which began last week in Accra.
According to the paper, the problem has been extended to other parts of the country as the reduction in power from the Volta River Authority (VRA) has made it impossible for the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) to meet the demands of its customers.
Graphic says a top official of the VRA acknowledged the problem that have necessitated the load-shedding and indicated that it will be difficult to tell when the company can restore normal supply to ECG who reported last week that the VRA had requested it to carry out emergency load-shedding.
VRA in an earlier statement notified that it was beset with problems at its operating stations at Akosombo and Aboadze.
According to the paper, a VRA source told it on Monday that the problems were technical and that a the slightest mistake could cause havoc to the other machines.
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African leaders Summit begins
The 36th ordinary session of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) began in Lome yesterday in a conventional manner, with the leaders pledging to tackle the hydra-headed problems of the continent in a more pragmatic way for the betterment of their people, reports the Ghanaian Times.
The front-page story of the paper contains that the leaders, numbering more than half the membership of the organisation, including President Jerry Rawlings have lined up the economic challenges, the debt problems, the challenges of peace, security and stability on the continent as well as the HIV/AIDS pandemic as the main problems to occupy their attention.
The story says that the session has attracted the continent’s heavyweights, President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, Muammar Quathafi of Libya and Nigeria’s Olusegun Obasanjo while UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan is also present.
Times carries that the leaders would consider a Consultative Act and sign a protocol for the establishment of the African Economic Community and the Pan African Parliament.
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Ghosts, Mafia take over… Deputy governor of BOG involved?
The Guide in its lead story says the phenomenal looting of state resources that seems to be part of normal national life is not limited to cash takings only as physical property belonging to the state are now being looted under very unacceptable circumstances.
The paper says it’s investigations have revealed that one of the biggest assets belonging to the defunct Ghana National Trading Corporation (GNTC) has been taken over by some unknown persons or a mafia group, and there is no evidence of any payment on that asset to the state to date.
“The magnificent GNTC headquarters in Accra (near the General Post Office) popularly known as Ghana House is someone’s property ‘for free’, the paper said.
The story has it that the building is now undergoing very extensive architectural changes for office accommodation that will attract thousands of dollars in rent when completed.
Guide says its investigations into ownership of the building revealed a very funny “ghostly owner”, the ‘GNTC Winding-Up Committee’ whose chairman, Mr. Osei Kumah was former Managing Director of the company and currently, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana.
The paper says its underground investigations sighted a tender document that supports its claim. Guide says a source that pleaded anonymity told it that the committee was not mandated to go into any business by way of annexing any of the items on divestiture.
The source furthered however that if the committee that saw to the process of divestiture becomes interested in the property being sold, by way of ownership, then some improprieties are likely to set in.
Guide has it that so far there is no evidence of any payments on the Ghana House to the state, by whoever owns the property.
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