The Daily Graphic / Ghanaian Times
16 sacked at BOG
16 B.O.G officials sacked
'Review salaries of lecturers' (Graphic)
ECOWAS monetary zone will succeed - Ahwoi (Times)
Elections will go round two - Nduom
PRINPAG to monitor 2.5% VAT collection
Culprits dodge Police / Press surveillance
NDC top man accuses his own men of corruption
We underestimated number of eligible voters-EC official.
T’ Poly principal challenges graduates
Bombshell, I had no idea of the letter-MD
Stop singing “sympathy chorus”-UTAG President.
We shall miss Rawlings
16 sacked at BOG
16 B.O.G officials sacked
The front-page stories of both the Daily Graphic and the Ghanaian Times have it that sixteen employees of the Kumasi and Tamale branches of the Bank of Ghana (BOG) have summarily been dismissed or have had their appointments terminated for their involvement in various financial malpractices.
Both papers give the names of those sacked as Mrs. Janet Gyimah-Kesse, Regional Manager; Mr. Simon Kwadje, Issue Manager; Mr. Samuel Ellie-Obir, Bankinfg Manager; Mr. Osei Kwadwo, Treasury Manager and Mr. Marrtin Boadi-Okae, Security Guard.
The stories named five other employees whose appointments were terminated as Ms. Christine Kumah, Chief Cashier; Mr. Kwasi Owusu-Appiah, Deputy Issue Manager; Mr. Sarkodie-Minkah, Senior sub-Officer and Mr. John Botchway, head of security.
The papers say two persons have received dismissals while another four have their appointments terminated at the Tamale branch of the bank.
The two papers said a statement issued by the bank in Accra yesterday said the sanctions are without prejudice to any action that the police and the bank may take against them.
Both the Graphic and the Times say the statement indicated that the affected persons were to be held jointly and severally liable for any losses incurred by the bank.
The two reports have it that the action taken is in line with "the bank's policy and rules to deal with such matters swiftly and without favour".
Graphic recalls a story in its April 24 issue in which it carried a 1 billion fraud story at the Kumasi branch involving the five dismissed officials.
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'Review salaries of lecturers' (Graphic)
In another front-page story, the Graphic says the student’s body of the University of Ghana, Legon, has appealed to the government to review the salaries of lecturers and that of other workers of the country's universities, as a matter of urgency, to avoid further disruptions in the academic calendar.
Mr. Ken Gomado, President of the Students Representative Council (SRC), is reported as saying the strike action embarked upon by the Universities Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has prompted the Teachers and Educational Workers Union (TEWU) and the University Senior Staff Association of Ghana (FUSSAG) who are threatening to follow suit.
Mr. Gomado was quoted as saying the 1999/2000 academic year, has a few more weeks to travel and students cannot afford to prolong their stay on campus.
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ECOWAS monetary zone will succeed - Ahwoi (Times)
The creation of a second monetary zone in West Africa is on course and bound to be successful because of the strong commitment and political will of the governments involved, the Times said in another front-page coverage.
Mr. Kwamena Ahwoi, Minister of Planning, Regional Economic Co-operation and Integration, (PRECI), according to the Times, told journalists on Tuesday
that although implementation and targets achievement may not be easy, leaders of nations involved have demonstrated their determination to go through.
Mr. Ahwoi is reported as saying the 'Accra Declaration' signed last month which envisaged dealing with only two currencies in the sub-region by 2004 underscored the leaders' desire to reach the set goals.
Times quotes the minister as saying separate ministries had been set up by member-states to facilitate and harmonize the formulation of policies designed to promote and maximise the benefit of their participation in the region's socio-economic integration process.
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Elections will go round two - Nduom
The Evening News says Dr Kwesi Nduom, a leading member of the Convention People's Party (CPP), has predicted that no clear winner would emerge from this year's general elections, expressing the hope that there will be a run off.
The aspiring CPP parliamentary candidate for Komenda Edina-Eguafo-Abirem (KEEA) is reported to have told the Evening News in an interview that no single party can win the presidential race in the first round.
He further says that the CPP might not win the elections but will be the party to decide which presidential candidate should go to the Castle and that it will do so to the candidate it prefers.
He was quoted as saying that the CPP is currently re-organising itself, saying, "by the time we enter into the election month, we would have mobilised more votes to influence the elections.
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PRINPAG to monitor 2.5% VAT collection
The Evening News says in another front-page story that the Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana (PRINPAG) has declared its intention to monitor the collection and utilisation of the additional 2.5 per cent increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT) so that it would be used for the purpose for which it has been canvassed.
Nana Kofi Coomson, President of the association who, the paper says was speaking during the installation of the body's new executives, said the issue of education is so important that no sacrifice is too harsh for its advancement.
The PRINPAG President is reported to have expressed the hope that attempts by its members to verify VAT particulars when the bill is passed into law would not be frustrated.
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Culprits dodge Police / Press surveillance
The Free Press says the surveillance mounted by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the security agents last week led to the discovery of an illegal voter-registration gang operating from a private residence at Fadama in the Okaikwei North
Constituency, in the Greater Region.
The paper says an attempt by the Tesano Police to crack down on the culprits however, was foiled last Friday, May 12, 2000 when the gang got wind of the operation and failed to turn up.
The Free Press says one Mrs. Mawuenyega, wife of the former aspiring NDC MP for the Constituency had opened for herself, a registration centre in her house at Fadama which performed registration activities long after 5 p.m., the official closing time of the Electoral Commission (EC).
The story alleges that on Wednesday may 10, the said centre, at 7.45 p.m. registered one Lydia Asare, 22 and Kate Afrifa, 24.
Free Press says the Police and the press, as a result laid in wait for the culprits on Friday April 12 evening but the group had wind and apparently bolted away.
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NDC top man accuses his own men of corruption
Honourable Doe Adjaho, Majority Chief Whip in Parliament is engaged in the fight of his life. The young lawyer is doing everything possible to repair his image following allegations that he attempted to rape a party stalwart, the Weekly Insight said.
Mr. Adjaho is reported as having said that he is being destroyed because of his resolute stand against corruption.
The paper says its sources indicate that Mr. Adjaho, at a meeting arranged by President Jerry Rawlings to settle a sexual abuse allegation against him (Adjaho) by Mrs. Nazzah Gidiglo, a District Chief Executive, said Mrs. Gidiglo abused her office for personal gain and cooked up the attempted rape story to divert attention.
The Insight says Mr. Adjaho's claim is significant because it is the first time that a leading member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has publicly admitted that there is serious corruption in the District administration.
The story carries that opposition leaders have over the years alleged that most of funds allocated to district administrations have been diverted into the pockets of some District Chief Executives and party heavyweights.
The Insight says Mr. Adjaho is a member of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, which has been scrutinising all public accounts and is in a good position to know about corruption at all levels of the government.
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We underestimated number of eligible voters-EC official.
The Ghanaian Chronicle writes that, Mr. Sammy Yirenkyi, the electoral officer in charge of the Greater Accra Region has stated that the Electoral Commission (EC) did not expect the number of voters who turned-up during the exercise.
According to him, when the EC realised the turn out was high, they rushed in with materials.
In an interview with the paper, Mr Yirenkyi said the EC had to also control supply to some areas based on suspicion that the electorate in those areas who registered in 1996 were registering during the recent exercise instead of re-applying for a new voter identity card.
The paper says Mr. Yirenkyi disagreed with a suggestion that the voter’s registration forms were not adequate and instead said the EC deliberately denied Ayawaso and some Constituencies the number of forms demanded “ because we heard people were registering twice”.
The paper says its investigations indicated that some registration centres in the Alajo electoral area were not supplied forms between Sunday 14 May to 15 May.
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T’ Poly principal challenges graduates
The Ghanaian Chronicle discloses that, the Principal of the Takoradi Polytechnic, Dr Nicholas Aidoo Taylor, has called on graduates from the country’s polytechnics to convince society that they have acquired knowledge and skill, which are of value to the nation.
Dr Aidoo said it is now common to see graduates and students of the polytechnics divert to continue at the university to pursue programmes for the purpose of acquiring degrees, while such degrees may not necessarily earned them employment as the diploma qualification.
According to the paper, Dr Aidoo made this known at the first ever congregation of the Takoradi Polytechnic, where six hundred and forty two students including 138, females graduated.
Another area the principal touched on, according to the paper was recruitment of staff. He said polytechnics have not made much progress because of unattractive working condition pertaining at there in the early stages.
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Bombshell, I had no idea of the letter-MD
The Dispatch reports that its investigation into the Koforidua Water Supply Project has taken a different turn. This was when the Managing Director of the Ghana Water Company (GWCL), Mr. Charles Adjei told the paper that he had no idea about any letter of a review of SADE proposals to the Minister of Works and Housing until last Monday.
According to the paper, Mr. Adjei confirmed the paper’s assertion that the contract has been awarded to SADE, but emphasised that by awarding it to SADE, the nation was saving $20 million, the difference between the bids of BATEMAN and SADE.
The paper discloses that Mr. Adjei, admitted that he had, by 9 November 1999 sent a letter to the sector Minister, that BATEMAN had submitted technical and financial proposals and was “ therefore closing the tender” for submissions of analysis. He said SADE later submitted a bid, which was far cheaper but with virtually the same technical details.
According to the paper, Mr. Agyei said it was SADE who brought the idea of embarking on the Peki and Koforidua Water projects. They embarked on the Koforidua project but the financing of the Peki project delayed giving BATEMAN the advantage of meeting the deadline. When SADE brought theirs, the difference of $20 million was too much for the authorities to be rigid on deadlines, the GWCL boss disclosed.
The paper states that by the end of the meeting, it became clear that SADE’s bid for the project was about $47 million whiles BATEMAN’s was $61 million.
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Stop singing “sympathy chorus”-UTAG President.
The Dispatch reports the President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) Prof. S.A Osei as observing that the mere expression of sympathy by the government on the plight of the nation’s lecturers is not enough. “We have had expressions of sympathy all over the place and at every suitable forum. Unfortunately this has never been converted in to remedial action”.
According to the paper the UTAG President was speaking at a press conference at the University of Ghana, Legon, to throw light on their one-week strike action.
The UTAG President pointed out that the one week strike dubbed “Operation Storm Cloud” is not being engineered by any disgruntled politician or recycled octogenarian.
The paper states that, Prof. Osei also debunked the assertion by the Minister of Education Mr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah that UTAG did not fully exhaust the normal channels for negotiations on salary related issues before embarking on the strike action.
According to the paper, Prof Osei stated that if the strike action goes beyond 19 May, UTAG could not help but disrupt the academic calendar.
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The Ghana Palaver discloses that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has declared its intention to ensure a free and fair election this year, and would not hesitate to take up arms if the need arises.
The paper says that Honourable Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu member of parliament (MP) for Asante Akim North, made this statement at a forum of political parties organised by the Leaders of Tomorrow Foundation, a Kumasi NGO.
According to the paper, he also declared: “we shall not allow them to rule the country for the third time through “ a stolen verdict” and called on all Ghanaians to be vigilant and ensure that the NDC is defeated.
The paper states that MP for Subin Mr. S.K Boafo, assured Ghanaians that the controversial presidential jet would be returned if the NPP comes to power.
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We shall miss Rawlings
The Ghana Palaver on its front-page reveals that the Offinsohene, Nana Wiafi Akenten II has described President Rawlings as a brave man committed to the general development of Ghana and the people.
“Ghanaians will miss him” especially for his immense contribution towards the HIV/AIDS prevention campaign in the country, the paper reports the Offinsohene as saying.
According to the paper the Offinso chief made this known at the 33rd annual general meeting of the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG) at Offinso in the Ashanti Region. He criticised the exclusion of chiefs from the AIDS campaign programme, saying, that is why the region has not achieved much since it was launched.
He said traditional rulers command a level of influence in their communities and that their inclusion in the anti-AIDS campaign at the grassroots would impact on the people.
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