The Daily Graphic / The Ghanaian Times
Rawlings, Kufuor preach peace / Let’s vow to ensure peace
Ghana, 3 others to destroy cocoa?
Women survives murder attempt
Judges threaten to go on strike
Obed held captive at Keta
Ghana Palaver / The Accra Mail
More NPP top men to defect / More defections to hit NPP...And NDC too
Rawlings, Kufuor preach peace / Let’s vow to ensure peace
The Daily Graphic and the Ghanaian Times reports that leaders of four political parties, including the President J.J. Rawlings and the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. J. A. Kufuor, have called on Ghanaians to consolidate the gains of democracy by working for peaceful elections in December.
The papers mentioned the others as the flagbearer of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Prof. George Hagan, the National Chairman of the National Reform Party, Mr. Peter Kpordugbe.
The party leaders are reported to have joined thousands of Catholics to celebrate the Great Jubilee of the Holy Year 2000 of the Catholic Church at Cape Coast which had as its theme, “Reconciled and United, Let us Pursue our Common National Destiny”.
The paper reports that the Church had invited the leaders to the just-ended Bishops’ Conference and to preach the essence of reconciliation and the need to ensure peaceful elections.
More../
Ghana, 3 others to destroy cocoa?
The Daily Graphic in another front-page story reports that four African cocoa producer countries have sent strong signals to consumer countries that they will pursue all kinds of mechanisms to push the international market price of cocoa up.
The story names Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Cameroon as agreeing to withdraw 250,000 tonnes of cocoa from the market and destroy it in a decision made at representatives’ meeting at the Ivorian capital of Abidjan.
The four countries together, account for nearly 70 per cent of the product, according to the paper.
More.../
Women survives murder attempt
Times says a 30-year old woman who had gone to the bush to attend to nature’s call nearly met her death when she was attacked by a cutlass wielding man.
The paper says Comfort Amissah had entered the bush close to her house in the afternoon of Saturday but noticed as she squat, that the man, Ayaa Tagoe, with a bag and a cutlass headed towards her, attacked and attempted to strangle her.
The man, according to the Times, was overpowered by passer-bys who were attracted to the scene by the shouts of a girl who saw the incident and raised the alarm.
Comfort is reported to have told the paper on her hospital bed at Tema that when Tagoe made advances, she suspected rape and decided to succumb because she was frightened but it turned out that he meant to kill her.
“When he reached me, he asked me for the direction to the local slaughter house. When I started showing him the direction, suddenly he booted me to the ground and started assaulting me... The man did not rape me: rather, he used my clothes to try to strangle me and in the process, he banged my head against the ground several times until I lost consciousness.” She said.
According to Comfort before losing consciousness, she heard a young girl shouting to attract people to the scene.
GRi.../
Judges threaten to go on strike
The Dispatch in its lead story says threats by some judges to embark on a strike action to back demands for improvement of conditions in the Judicial Service should tell Ghanaians that their judicial system is on the verge of a breakdown.
Moreso, when a judge resigned last week and stated in part that “this is not a mere resignation”. “It is a liberation of one’s self from the shackles of administrative injustice, or better still, cutting oneself the cancer of indiscipline, unfairness and injustice...”
According to the paper, the judge who resigned had said if things continue the way they are now “the place of the judiciary in the depths of gloom is very much assured in the days ahead.”
The Dispatch says its sources close to the judges threatening the strike action said they are negotiating with their colleagues who have been advising them to exercise restraint and give the next President a chance since President Jerry Rawlings has only ‘paid lip service’ to improving conditions in the service.
One of them, according to the paper stated that; “before the so-called salary rationalisation, the Chief Justice (CJ) and the Governor of the Bank of Ghana were on the same salary scale. Now the CJ is on ¢1million a month while the Governor is on over ¢6 million a month.”
GRi.../
Obed held captive at Keta
The NDC’s Vice Presidential aspirant, Dr. Obed Asamoah last Thursday walked into a hornet’s nest at Keta and was held captive for hours by highly charged chiefs and NDC supporters who physically threatened to manhandle him for his foul reaction over their unyielding stance on the rejection of Squadron Leader Clend Sowu as Parliamentary candidate. The Ghanaian Chronicle said.
Dr Asamoah is reported to have fled into the residence of the Keta District Chief Executive with irate supporters banging at the door amidst singing of Hogbetsotso war songs until a reinforced police detachment arrived to help disperse the crowd.
According to the paper, he escaped later into his pajero and sped off to Accra with three others including a journalist whose tape was seized.
The paper reports that Obed’s attempt to woo the Voltarians, who severally have complained of the area’s neglect, into acceptance of the party’s parliamentary choice Sowu by spelling out a number of development projects underway for the area, backfired at the mention of the MP’s name.
“There was a loud chorus of No! No! No!” Chronicle said.”
GRi.../
More NPP top men to defect / More defections to hit NPP...And NDC too
The Ghana Palaver and ‘The Accra Mail’ say further defections could hit the New Patriotic Party after Alhaji Issaka Inusah announced his resignation on Thursday.
The Mail however adds that the National Democratic Congress is also likely to be in the fate.
The Palaver has it that its scouts have revealed that the defections in the biggest opposition party, are occasioned by the dictatorial tendencies of R.R. Amponsah and Odoi Sykes, accused of vetoing major issues with support from other members.
The paper lists as among the defectors, expected between now and October, Nana Akufo Addo’s confidant and a Kwame Pianim loyalist.
The Mail on its part reports that the NDC is implementing a crucial phase of its long intended strategy, to demoralise its main challenger, the NPP as the 2000 elections approach.
The paper, referring to Acquaah-Harrison, a founding stalwart of the NPP who later defected to join the NDC, adds however that it has gathered from political analysts that the defections would have very little or no impact on NPP.
GRi.../