GRi Press Review Ghana
08 – 06 – 2001
Minority
slams president’s trips
981 drug
cases recorded last year
NPP hits back
at Rawlings
Britain to
cancel debt, if…
Chambas
condemns Rawlings
CCD plan
peace march
I did not
kill – Kumepreko
Palmer-Buckle
calls for return of loot
Detained
Bodies of Murder Victim Police Hospital claims ¢44m morgue fees
Thousands
Invade Arts Centre
Don't
Divert Attention
Aliens
without permits panic
Minority
slams president’s trips
The
Minority in Parliament on Thursday urged the President to refuse his trips
abroad and concentrate on more important domestic maters, reports The Ghanaian
Times.
In a
statement on the “Presidential Travel Abroad” issued in Accra and signed by the
Minority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin, the Minority said that it had noted that
President J.A. Kufuor had travelled abroad 10 times over the last five months,
making an average of one trip every fortnight.
“Coming at
a time when the country has been declared HIPC, the strain of the expenditure
of foreign travel on the national budget could be adverse, especially regarding
the large number of ministers and aides who accompany the President on such
trips”, it said.
The
Minority Group noted that considering the present tight economic situation, “we
expect that the President will stay at home and galvanize his team of ministers
and advisors to bring relief to our people in the face of the present high cost
of living”.
The
statement expressed disappointment that in comparison with the 10 trips made outside
the country on the domestic front, the President had carried out only one working
visit to the Ashanti Region, stressing that it was necessary for the President
to tour the country and acquaint himself with the problems of the people, especially
the hardworking farmers during the farming season.
More…/
981 drug
cases recorded last year
The number
of drug related arrests recorded by the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) increased
from 249 in 1999 to 981 in 2000.
According
to The Ghanaian Times, a total of 10 women were arrested last year as against
eight in 1999, with most of them being arrested for heroin possession. Out of
971 men arrested last year, 889 possessed cannabis sativa.
Most of the
people arrested with drugs were between 21 and 30 years.
Statistics
from the NCB on hospital admissions show that the Accra Psychiatric Hospital
recorded 524 drug-related admissions, followed by the Ankaful Hospital with
261. The Pantang Hospital had 181 admissions.
However,
the total admissions of 966, was an improvement over the 1999 record of 1,068. Of
all the hospital admissions, none was from the Upper East Region.
The Greater
Accra Region recorded the highest of 516, Central 130, and Ashanti Region, 102.
One person was also admitted from Cote d’Ivoire.
Cannabis maintains
the top position as the drug most people dealt in, with 594 people arrested
with it. The least patronized included
pethidine, cocaine and heroin.
GRi…/
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NPP hits
back at Rawlings
The New
Patriotic Party has described the utterances of former President Rawlings at
the arts Centre in Accra during a public lecture on Monday as a total disgraced
to the high office of President, which he occupied for eight years, writes The
Evening News.
By that
conduct, the party said, ex-President Rawlings has disqualified himself to
continue to be treated as an eminent person by the United Nations.
In a
statement signed by Mr S.A. Odoi Sykes, National Chairman of the party and
issued in Accra this morning, the party said it roundly condemns the scandalous
and subversive outburst of the former President in deliberately planning to use
the opportunity to launch an unprovoked verbal attack on President J.A. Kufuor
and some leading Ministers of State whom he “impudently called liars.”
The party
said it was utterly injustifiable and unbefitting the occasion for him to have done so.
Mr
Rawlings, the statement said, openly advocated and resorted to “indiscipline
and violence in the Ghanaian society and “shamelessly” threatened to plunge the
country into chaos and anarchy for a third time through a “violent explosion.”
“The ex-President
was apparently blown up by the constitutional abolition of June 4 as a public
holiday in Ghana by our Parliament.
“His
pipe-dream of implanting his name in the history of Ghana by virtue of the June
4 aberration has evaporated and finds his ego and pride completely deflated,”
it said.
With 31st
December long outlawed, the statement said ex-President Rawlings now has
nothing else to cheer about after wielding political power in government for 20
years.
It said to
many Ghanaians, June 4, 1979 was a rueful day best forgotten, adding that it
ushered in a period of five months of sorrow, anguish and shame.
What
Ghanaians experienced, according to the statement in that short period were
shameless killings, wanton destruction of properties, dehumanization of
innocent citizens, thievery, maiming rapes and disappearances of many law
abiding innocent citizens.
GRi…/
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Britain to
cancel debt, if…
Britain has
agreed to cancel Ghana’s debt, if it is able to meet conditionalities otherwise
known as the decision point under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
initiative, reports the Daily Graphic.
The
Minister of Finance, Mr Yaw Osafo Maafo, who announced this in Accra on
Wednesday, said Britain also agreed to convince the G-8 countries to cancel
debts owed by Ghana.
Mr
Osafo-Maafo told journalists on his return from the African, Caribbean and
Pacific countries conference of ministers in London that the decision point is
the time where creditor countries agree to release funds after being convinced that
targets set in the budget can be met.
Other
conditionalities include the stabilisation of the cedi against the major
foreign currencies, keeping inflation in check, reducing waste and improving
the revenue generation base. Mr Osafo-Maafo did not disclose Ghana’s total
indebtedness to Britain and other G-8 countries.
He said the
UK is determined to assist Ghana in her economic recovery effort, adding, “What
is now required is for Ghana to come out of her difficulties by adopting
pragmatic policies and working hard.”
Mr
Osafo-Maafo said normally, a country that has opted for the HIPC initiative is
allowed 18 months to reach the decision point but Ghana would take steps to
reach the point latest by September to pave the way for the country to receive
support from the donor community.
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Chambas
condemns Rawlings
The
Ghanaian Chronicle says former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ibn
Chambas has strongly criticised the outbursts of Ex-President Rawlings
describing it as unwarranted and uncalled for.
Speaking in
an interview on Joy FM on Thursday, Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, who is also the
NDC Member of Parliament for Bimbilla Constituency, said even though the
Ex-President was expressing a genuine concern, the way he presented it did not
help him; rather, it created a platform for total condemnation. “Even though he
was presenting a genuine concern, I think the way and manner he did it did not
help him. The Ex-President has done so much for this country and on the
international scene. For him to come down to this level and make such
pronouncements that give all kinds of people the excuse to make all kinds of
interpretations is most unfortunate.”
It would be
recalled that on the 4th of June 2001, Ex-President Jerry John
Rawlings made some scathing remarks about the NPP government on the occasion of
the 22nd anniversary celebration of June 4th Uprising which
was held at the arts Center, Accra.
In his
address to members of the NDC and activists of the party Ex President said the
New Patriotic Party under President J.A. Kufuor is making the same mistakes
that brought about the June 4 uprising in 1979.
Dr Ibn
Chambas called for the strengthening of institutions for good governance. We
have to strengthen governance by strengthening all our institutions, especially
Parliament to move the nation forward and not to allow ourselves to be
distracted by platform speeches.
He added
that the Press overreacted by subjecting the Ex- President speech to various
interpretations. According to him the media’s handling of the ex-president’s address
rather created a panicky situation. As a senior and eminent statesman, Mr
Rawlings should learn to stay up there on the international scene and not come
down to the level he did last week, Dr Ibn Chambas opined.
GRi…/
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CCD plan
peace march
A coalition
of pro-democracy NGOs called the Coalition for the Defence of Democracy, have
reacted to the June 4 effusions by Jerry Rawlings.
According
to The Accra Mail, to register their angst further at what Rawlings did at the
Arts Centre and to show that they really mean to resist any attempt to derail
the current freedom blowing in this country, they have schedule a demonstration
for Tuesday, June 12. The peace march which would start from the Kwame Nkrumah
Circle at 8am will also be a protest against the divisive and dangerous
politics of Jerry Rawlings. The march is intended to send a message to the
international community and the forces of repression and darkness that Ghana
has had enough of the Rawlings phenomenon. They are therefore calling on
organised groups like the TUC, GBA, GNAT and Market Women Associations to join
in the march for peace on the above stated date.
GRi…/
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I did not
kill – Kumepreko
The suspect
who was recently arrested by the police in connection with the May 11, 1995
“Kume Preko” killings has reportedly admitted that he conveyed some soldiers to
the scene of the demonstration, says the Daily Guide.
The suspect
known as Joseph Asamani has however denied killing anybody during the
demonstration. According to him, he was only ordered by his superiors to drive
some soldiers to check the Kume Preko demonstrators. The names of his superiors
are yet to be known.
He noted
that he did not handle any weapon that day but the soldiers he conveyed to
parts of Accra-Central where the demonstration took place had weapons. He told
the police that even-though his colleagues fired shots into the air to disperse
the demonstrators they did not kill anybody.
Asked if he
can identify some of those who were on the operation, he replied in the
affirmative and provided some names to the police.
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Palmer-Buckle
calls for return of loot
The Weekend
Statesman reports that the Catholic Bishop of Koforidua, Rt. Rev. Charles
Palmer-Buckle, has described as unethical, immoral and unjust for a developed
country or otherwise to hold back stolen monies stashed in their countries,
simply because of banking confidentiality.
He said
whatever is properly identified as illegally acquired wealth should belong to
the country and people from whom it had been wrongfully acquired.
Delivering
a paper on “Bringing Back the Loot from Abroad in Aid of Poverty Reduction,” at
the 5th National Governance Workshop in Accra, Bishop Palmer Buckle
said Africa needs the money sitting in the vaults of the developed countries to
fight poverty, disease and hunger and to enhance her development. The theme of
the workshop was “Ghana Uniting Against Corruption.”
He asked
African governments to employ lobbying and advocacy with the Western financial
institutions, with a view to changing laws and mentalities that contradict
international law and social justice. He wondered whether it would be wrong to
ask for the repatriation of such wealth and assets, even with some interest.
Africa, he
said, needs to be more pro-active in confronting her problems.
Citing
Mobutu for instance, he said at the time of his death, he had assets and wealth
that could pay all his country’s foreign and internal debts three times over.
All this
loot, he noted, is still in Swiss, French, and other European banks, while his
country, now the Democratic Republic of Congo, wallows in abject poverty and
misery.
“Is this
fair? Is that international justice from the lords of democracy and the rule of
law?” he asked.
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Detained
Bodies of Murder Victim… Police Hospital claims ¢44m morgue fees
Three
corpses have been 'imprisoned' at the Police Hospital Mortuary since May 11,
1999 and hospital authorities are not willing to release the bodies to their
families for burial.
The dead
persons, Oko Ofori, Tawia Ofori and John Amoah were allegedly killed during
factional fighting between warring groups in a chieftaincy and land disputes at
Aplaku, a village in the Borteanor Electoral Area of the Ga District.
The Free
Press says it can revealed that following the incident police arrested several
people some of whom were charged and arraigned before an Accra Circuit Tribunal
presided over by his Honour Charles Quist.
According
to investigations while the trial was ongoing, the Honourable trial judge
invited some witnesses to help clarify certain pertinent issues in connection
with the case but those people refused to testify.
The Court
rightly issued a bench warrant for the arrest and presentation of those people
but an alleged order from the then Minister of Interior, Nii Okaidja Adamafio
intervened and that might have compelled the then Regional Police Commander, Mr
Agboli, not to execute the court's order.
This
situation, according to Judicial sources did not help the trial panel.
Concerning the three bodies in the Police mortuary, it was decided after a
series of deliberations that the family pay the mortuary fee from the time the
post-mortem was conducted to date.
The bodies
were brought to the mortuary in May 1999, and several attempts to get the
family for the post mortem to be conducted early proved futile. The post mortem
was conducted in September 1999 and the report was issued the same day.
The
document noted that the bodies have been in the mortuary for 450 days.
If the
rebate is considered the total days that will attract fee will be 315 days. First
21 days, ¢170,000, after 21 days ¢50,000.00 bring the total to ¢44,610,000, concluded
the document.
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Thousands
Invade Arts Centre
The generic
impact of the June 4, 1979 Revolution could be likened to the French Revolution
which stewed the monstrous proportions out of a military oligarchy and the
ruling elite class who thought political power is a self-serving device for
perpetual oppression of the foot-soldier, writes the Ghanaian Democrat.
That June
4, 1979 is firmly anchored in history whether it is a national holiday or not
was amply demonstrated by the milling and ecstatic crowd that invaded the venue
of the 22nd anniversary celebrations.
In fact the
Accra Arts Centre was not big enough to contain the sea of human heads of NDC
party faithfuls and June 4 adherents who thronged there to have a glimpse of
the ever charismatic and idolised, former President Jerry John Rawlings and his
wife Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.
The event
also brought home the fact that the NDC is still the dominant political force
in the country with a massive following that cuts across religious and ethnic
backgrounds.
It was
clear that the cancellation of the celebration could not in anyway undo the
spirit of the day as party supporters sang inspiring and patriotic songs to
wish their leaders well for the task ahead.
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Don't
Divert Attention
The Ghana
Palaver says the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Kwamena Bartels, has been
challenged not to be "hedgy" with answers, but come out, in the open,
with a detailed accounts on Government's expenditure on the renovation works at
President J.A. Kufuor's private house in Accra and the Osu Castle.
Throwing
the challenge, Alhaji Danjuma Alhassan, a youth organizer, said the minister,
so far, has only succeeded in deepening the concerns of the people with his
evasive and contradictory answers on the issue.
He
referred, particularly, to Mr Bartels' decision to give some details only
"in chambers" (parliamentary committee) and said there was no need
for the Minister to keep any bit of information on the projects, outside public
view.
He warned
the Government not to play any diversionary political game with its June 4
debate, and run away from issues on the ground today.
Finally,
Alhaji Alhassan warned that it would be in the President's own interest and
that of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Administration on a whole, to throw the
matter wide open to allow transparency in the whole transactions.
As matters
stand now, he said, there remain many pressing unanswered questions, especially
in an era, promised to have no room for corruption.
GRi…/
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Aliens
without permits panic
The
Dispatch says credible reports reaching it indicate that there is increasing
unease and panic among non-Ghanaians working illegally in the country. This
follows the deportation of a 28-year-old Liberian journalist, Darryl Ambrose
Nmah last Tuesday for working in Ghana without a permit. Ambrose had since
1998, been working as a presenter at a private radio station, Radio Gold.
What The
Dispatch discovered during its investigations was that whilst the Ghana
Immigration Service (GIS) may be doing its duty of ensuring that all non-Ghanaians
working here have permits, some Ghanaians have taken the advantage to extort
monies. What these opportunists have been doing is to approach employers,
charging fees between ¢3 to ¢6 million, to help them get permits for
non-Ghanaians working in their establishments.
Those who
do not have access to the employers have been using the non-Ghanaians to get
their employers to regularize their employment status. They have been citing
the ¢10 million Radio Gold paid as penalty for employing a foreigner without
legal permit as a benchmark for the fees these fixers have been demanding.
Communities
of foreigners have also panicked at rumours being circulated that the
government intends to deport non-Ghanaians who have over-stayed the ninety-day
ECOWAS permit.
GRi…/
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