Population now over 18 million
2 Bank officials, others in 1 billion cedis fraud case
Africa needs peace, security - President
2 cops supplied guns for highway robbery
Obed is dead in water - It's no deal now
Reform congress to reveal top NDC defectors
Kufuor's running mate …narrows down to Akufo Addo, Selby, Ali
NPP to boost Police Service
NDC rigging machine set in motion
Population now over 18 million
The Daily Graphic reports that provisional results released by the National Census Secretariat has put the population of Ghana at 18,412,247, registering an increase of 49,7 per cent over the 1984 figure of 12, 296,081.
The release gave the new figure as comprising 9,025,069 males and 9,387,278, representing a rise in the female population from 50.7 per cent of 1984 to 51.0 per cent.
Dr. Kwaku Twum Baah, acting Government Statistician and National Census Co-ordinator, is reported as saying that the growth rate is 2.5 per cent.
The report, according to the paper, also found the population of Greater Accra more than doubled for the period while Ashanti region is the most densely populated with Northern region as the least.
Dr Twum Baah is reported as saying that the preliminary report, which will be ready by the end of December 2000, will provide more details while that of demographic and economic characterisation will also be available within two years of the release of the preliminary results.
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2 Bank officials, others in 1 billion cedis fraud case
Five persons, including two officials of the Osu branch of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), have appeared before an Accra Circuit Tribunal for their alleged involvement in an unauthorised transaction, which cost the bank over 1 billion cedis. The Daily Graphic says Richard Tonnie Welsing, the branch manager and Betty Appiah, the System Administrator of the branch, are said to have manipulated the computers at the bank and issued various sums of monies running into several millions of cedis to three contractors.
The contractors; Daniel Nana Ofori Atta, Peter Ofori Amoah and Alhaji Sumani Zakari are facing two charges of conspiracy and stealing together with Welsing and Betty, who are also charged with falsification of accounts.
They had all pleaded not guilty and the bank officials were remanded in police custody while the contractors were granted bail in the sum of 300 million cedis each, with one surety to be justified.
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Africa needs peace, security - President
The Ghanaian Times in its lead story says President Jerry John Rawlings, on Thursday asked African intellectuals and their counterparts in the diaspora to forge partnership that will enable them to steer the continent towards peace, security and development.
President Rawlings, speaking at the opening ceremony of the 3rd Emancipation Day Celebration in Accra, is reported to have observed that the 21st century had been earmarked as the African century during which there would be an African Renaissance.
He is quoted as stating however that "unless we look ahead and find more practical and concrete ways of working together politically and economically, true African Renaissance would remain a dream.
President Rawlings, according to the Times, recounted the events that took away Africans and the injustice they went through, but warned against too much, efforts being wasted on them.
"Rather than dwelling on the injustice of the past, we must instead, from today, critically examine our own shortcomings, mistakes and inadequacies, which, if not corrected now will prevent us from achieving up to our potential in future," he was quoted by the paper.
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2 cops supplied guns for highway robbery
The Times in another front-page says two policemen have been remanded in custody by an Accra Circuit Court, for their involvement in the robbery of two Niger nationals at Anyinam in the Eastern Region.
The cops, Corporals Imoru Ibrahim, 42, and Kingsley Amankwa, 32, are said to have supplied the weapons for an operation in which armed men waylaid a vehicle at Anyinam and robbed the two Nigerians of 476.5 million cedis.
Also in the dock with them was Mumuni Daud, 39, who was arrested at Weija, near Accra with 78 million cedis being his share of the booty.
The three are reported to have pleaded not guilty and were remanded in custody until August.
The Tribunal chairman, Mrs. Elizabeth Anderson Yebuah is reported to have ordered the arrest of three other accomplices in the robbery.
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Obed is dead in water - It's no deal now
The Ghanaian Chronicle reports that after high level of fierce propaganda in the NDC Vice Presidential race, the dust appears to have settled with the chances of Dr. Obed Asamoah, now virtually dead in the water, and that of his silent competitor, Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, no less brighter.
The paper writes that a huge fall out of the Attorney General's two-week blitz is that it underscored his major weakness - arrogance of power - and handed his opponents with ammunition to fix him with and consolidate the wedge between him and the Vice President's official and unofficial supporters. His critics, according to the story, are now beaming, we told you so.
The Chronicle says the Daily Graphic story, which bannered "Obed Gets the Nod", and packaged as an official story was done with the knowledge and endorsement of the Attorney General.
IT says information gathered by the paper as at Wednesday indicted that the President had not reneged on his personal promise to Vice President Mills to give him a completely free hand as far as the choice of running mate is concerned.
"Though the Vice President has virtually reached a conclusion on who his running mate will be, Chronicle has learnt from authoritative sources that the soft spoken Professor, famous for his Christian principles, does not have the name of the rugged political warhorse on even his reserve list".
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Reform congress to reveal top NDC defectors
The Dispatch writes that the main attraction to the August 1-5 National Congress of the Reform Party, will not be the election of Mr. Goozie Tanoh, as the party's flagbearer, rather, the outdooring of several top members of the NDC who have defected and are in the background.
A leading NDC Member of Parliament, now with Reform is reported as saying that the defectors have remained in the background for good reasons but the Congress is a good time for them to come out.
Dispatch says with 75 out of 133 sitting MPs re-nominated as at Thursday by the party hierarchy, the fate of the remaining 58 are so undecided that a few have pleaded with the Reform to postpone its selection primaries for their consideration if the NDC rejects them.
The paper states that a source close to the Reform explained that the party had postponed its primaries to concentrate on the Congress but "if it coincides with the political game plans of some NDC MPs who want to contest the primaries, why not?"
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Kufuor's running mate …narrows down to Akufo Addo, Selby, Ali
The Ghana Palaver says reports reaching it indicate that the large number of NPP vice-presidential aspirants have now narrowed down to four prominent members of the party.
The four, Nana Akufo Addo, Dr Dsane Selby, Alhaji Mustapha Ali and Major Courage Quarshigah, according to the Palaver have got hold of influential members of the party to push for their candidature.
Nana Akufo Addo, the reports said enjoys strong support from the women caucus as well as the goodwill of the powerful G-15 and is said to be secretly propping up pressure groups to intensify his lobby for the job.
Dr Selby, reported to be also in strong contention, is said to have full blessings from Gas in the party, his father being a Ga, and Mr. Kufuor, the paper says is contemplating a Ga card.
Alhaji Mustaph Ali, also with support of some leading members, is clinging on a firm promise Kufuor gave him before the NPP congress in Sunyani in October 1998.
The backbone of Maj. Quarshigah is Mr. Jake Obetsebi Lamptey with whom he is reported to enjoy a leverage. Jake, powerbroker and close to Kufuor is seen capable of manipulating him to pick his friend according to the paper.
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NPP to boost Police Service
The Weekend Statesman, in a front-page coverage says MP for Ablekuma North, Mr. Kwmena Bartels said the NPP will strengthen the Police by 6,000 recruits within the first two years in power because it is committed to providing adequate protection for the life and property of Ghanaians.
Mr. Bartels, addressing a party rally in Accra, is reported as saying that the rising crime wave in the country should not be blamed on the Police as, with less than 18,000 men and women, they can only be overwhelmed by criminals.
The MP is reported to have note that at independence in 1957, there was an 18,000 strong police service for a population of less than six million, but today, with about 20 million, "the government has not found it necessary to increase the strength of the Police.
Mr. Bartels, according to the Statesman said the NPP is ready to provide purposeful leadership nd urged Ghanaians to vote massively for the party.
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NDC rigging machine set in motion
The Free Press says events that unfolded during and after the recent registration exercise in the country have lent credence to allegations that the voters register is bloated and likely to pave the way for massive rigging during the forthcoming general elections in December.
The paper says reports reaching it show that two centres in the Greater Accra region had their number of registered voters of 267 and 173 swollen up to 614 and 204 respectively, when the register was opened for exhibition between July 10 to 17.
The paper carries that NPP members for Ga North, one of the constituencies where the change was noted, apparently not happy about the issue has petitioned the chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr K Afari-Gyan as well as other relevant bodies and individuals.
They are said to have called for the removal of the polling station since it is sited behind the house of a known NDC operative.
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