Accra (Greater Accra) 22 June 2000
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Wednesday said it had acknowledged the decision of the government to restore the assets of the late Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia, former Prime Minister, to his widow and family and said it is a decision that was long overdue.
A release signed by Mr Dan Botwe, the party's General Secretary, in Accra, said the government's decision announced by the Minister of Communications on Tuesday also "represents the correction of a manifest gross injustice that has endured for
28 years."
The NPP, which is an off-shoot of Dr Busia's Progress Party, however, said the party is surprised that "in making the announcement of the restoration of the assets on allegedly humanitarian grounds, the government chose to reiterate the tired old charge of illegal acquisition of properties by the late Prime Minister".
The NPP said the findings of the Taylor Assets Commission, which deliberated in absentia on Dr. Busia, and whose authority he publicly repudiated, have been constantly challenged as perverse by him, his widow and the family.
"Various petitions on the issue have been submitted to succeeding governments, amplifying this point without response.
"The charge was baseless and the result of a bare-faced, politically-motivated attempt to smear the reputation of one of the greatest patriots the Ghanaian nation has produced."
It said the NPP, therefore, condemns the attempt to revive the accusation. Dr. Busia, who was Prime Minister in a Westminster system, from 1969 was overthrown in 1972 by the National Redemption Council led by then Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong.
The NPP expressed the hope that the restoration of the assets is part of a comprehensive programme to return "all such wrongful and politically-motivated confiscations that have bedevilled the country".
The party urged the government to reconsider its position on the rehabilitation of the assets since they have undergone substantial damage and deterioration from the exclusive use and possession by the state or quasi-state agencies before handing them over.
It also restated its call for the establishment of an independent tribunal to deal with the broad issue of recent human rights violations that have led to so many pain and divisions in the country. It said the commitment of the ruling National Democratic Congress government to national reconciliation would be meaningless "unless it uses the closing days of its tenure of power to heal the numerous wounds that have been inflicted on individuals," by duly restoring all assets and compensating the afflicted.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 June 2000
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Wednesday refuted allegations in two private newspapers over its dumping of voters' registration forms in a bush behind the Tema General Hospital Mortuary.
The 'Ghanaian Chronicle' and the 'Free Press' editions of June 21 both carried on their front pages stories with the headlines "Alarm blows over scattered register" and "NDC's treachery exposed".
Both stories said bundles of voters' registration forms from the Fanteakwa and Lambussie Districts and a cartoon of the NDC labelled "Bottles of Schnapps" with the photographs of President Rawlings and Vice-President John Evans Atta Mills were discovered in the bush behind Tema General Hospital Mortuary.
According to the stories, the items were found by "some vigilant New Patriotic Party (NPP) youth last Saturday around 2130 hours".
"The pile of registration forms belongs to 43 polling stations in the Fanteakwa constituency of the Eastern Region and Jirapa\Lambussie constituencies of the Upper West Region," said the Chronicle.
"With barely six months to general elections, there is apprehension that the incumbent is bent on doing everything to win the elections, including vote rigging," the Chronicle said.
Mr Huudu Yahaya, General Secretary of the NDC, told a press conference in Accra that the NDC does not know a thing about the allegations and that "it is a deliberate attempt by the (NPP) to frame up the NDC to satisfy their foreign collaborators".
"This definitely has a motive because we have contacted both constituencies and there were no cases of missing registers.
"In any case, what were these NPP supporters doing behind a mortuary at that time of the night?"
He said the NDC is committed to a clean and peaceful election and will not associate itself with "such dirty politics" by the NPP.
Mr Yahaya said the reportage was in bad taste considering the outright conclusion given by the papers that it was the NDC that dumped the said forms at the place and was ready to rig the forthcoming election to stay in power.
"Is the Chronicle a mouthpiece of the opposition? And can we have a peaceful election with this kind of reporting from a section of the media?" Mr Yahaya asked.
"Their accusations are ridiculous and this style of reporting from the private press should be stopped," he added.
"In 1996, it was stolen verdict, I wonder what it would be this time round. "The country can do with fair reporting about elections from the media."
He said voter's registers are public property and as such each political party, on request, can have access to the voters' register for clean-up purposes before elections because they are not classified documents.
Mr Yahaya said the NDC has everything to benefit from the elections and that it was only those who have something to lose who will make such allegations.
He said the NDC was looking at other options open to it in accordance with the constitution to address the issue.
Mr. Quaynor Mettle, Propaganda Secretary of the NDC, said the party still remains focused on addressing issues and aspects of national life, which affects the general living conditions of the people.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 June 2000
The Serious Fraud Office says it has discovered some fraudulent acts in the accounting system of the Afram Plains District Assembly, resulting in the loss of 13.1 million cedis to the state.
The SFO said it found out during its investigations that nine million cedis originally meant for the purchase of roofing sheets by the Afram Plains District Assembly had been diverted by the District Financial Officer for his own private purposes.
The amount is part of the MP's share of the district assembly common fund. According to the 1999 Annual Report submitted to the President and Parliament, the money was collected in the name of one Lucakoff Enterprise owned by the district finance officer.
It said even though the documentation was correct, the items never reached the schools in the Dwarf Islands where they were meant for. The Report said in a similar development, an amount of 4.1 million cedis allotted to buy black and white television sets and antenna for the people of Didja, also in the Afram Plains, was also diverted for other purposes.
"One supplier, SAMBADOS Enterprise, collected the money but the items were not supplied."
The Report, however, said the 4.1 million cedis has been recovered and paid back to the district assembly with the directive that proper procurement procedures be put in place to avoid any further occurrence.
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Domiabra (Ashanti Region) 22 June 2000
The Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South, Mr Stephen Balado Kwaku Manu, said on Wednesday that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not a tribal party because its membership cuts across the length and breath of the country.
Addressing the people of Domiabra as part of his tour of the constituency to interact with the people, the MP said the membership of the party is not limited to any particular ethnic group as the party's opponents would want the people to believe, adding that such statements are only aimed at soiling the party's image.
Mr Manu briefed the people on some bills passed recently, including the increase of the Value Added Tax, citizenship, traditional medicine practice and the appropriation bills.
He advised the chiefs and people of the town to rekindle their communal spirit to initiate development projects.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 June 2000
Ghana Telecom (GT) on Wednesday denied ever using the new Vat rate of 12.5 per cent to bill customers for April and May.
Mr Johnny Tetteh-Addy, Head of Corporate Communications, said since the new rate became effective only in June, the company would never have used it in preparing customers' accounts.
Mr Tetteh-Addy was reacting to customers' allegation on an Accra FM that telephone bills sent to them in April and May reflected the new rate.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Tetteh-Addy expressed surprise at the claims of the customers, saying that the bills for April were only despatched about a week ago while those for May are even not ready.
Using a copy of a customer's bill for April that showed the 10 per cent deductions, Mr Tetteh-Addy said no such claims had come to the attention of management and his outfit. He appealed to customers who have genuine concerns to come for redress.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 22 June 2000
Workers of Ghana Telecom are yet to sign a collective bargaining agreement with management but consultations are still going on.
Mr Emmanuel Darkwah, branch union chairman, told the Ghana News Agency that the joint negotiating team is going through the agreement documents to ensure that decisions reached were reflected in the final document.
He said if this were done and the parties were satisfied, an agreement would be signed. Mr Darkwah could not, however, give any time frame within which the agreement would be signed; neither did he elaborate on the decisions contained in it.
Workers of GT last week warned management to expedite action on their collective bargaining agreement and other conditions of service.
In a six-point resolution last week, the workers appealed to management and the negotiating team to reach an agreement before Monday.
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