7b cedis scandal rocks BOG
Foday Sankoh captured in Sierra Leone
Political parties ask for extension
5 ex-students seek headmaster's blood
Pay up - COSGA urges radio and TV stations
Only 25 MPs turn up in parliament.
NUGS back UTAG.
NDC will do it clean-Huudu
Three regional capitals to get libraries
Lecturer laments poor state of economy
CBN launched in Ghana
Lotto receivers disagree
7b cedis scandal rocks BOG
The Daily Graphic reports in a banner story that another financial scandal has rocked the Bank of Ghana (BOG) with one Hajia A.B. Abubakar Sadiq, popularly called Hajia Baby Ocansey, alleged to have a long criminal history and convictions, at the centre. This time, the scandal involves $1.5 million (over 7billion cedis).
The story says that two top officials of BOG, Mr. S.K.D. N. Gavor, Director, Budget and Accounts Department and J.A.N.O. Larbie, Deputy Director, Banking Department, are suspected to have connived with Hajia Ocansey to defraud the bank.
Four other officials of the bank, Mrs. Caroline Kessie, Deputy Manager Foreign Operations; Mrs. Dorothy Nyarko, Assistant Manager; Mr. Emmanuel Ashie, Officer One and Mrs. Angelina Mensah of the Foreign Exchange Unit (FEU) are helping in investigation into the matter, the paper said.
Graphic says its sources indicate that the scandal, involving honouring of a fake bank draft, dates back to November 26, last year, when Hajia Baby Ocansey allegedly presented a bank, draft drawn on Chase Manhattan Bank of the U.S. to BOG through Mr. Gavor for payment.
The draft was to be paid to the order of Hajia and Mr. Gavor who, the story says, had become a beneficiary.
Graphic carries that the Overseas Banking and Control (OBC) Unit of BOG, at various times in December, liased with CitiBank of New York, its agents, for certification and collection of the draft but while this was underway, Mr. Gavor used his position to facilitate transaction ahead of the five weeks needed.
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Foday Sankoh captured in Sierra Leone
Another story that made the front-page of the Graphic is the arrest of Sierra Leone's rebel leader, Revolutionary United Front, Foday Sankoh.
"Sankoh has been captured and taken to what has been described as a secure location near Lungi Airport.
The arrest is reported to have been made on Tuesday and Sankoh was taken to the Army headquarters and stripped naked.
The report carries that UN officials are currently talking to President Tejan Kabah about what to do with Sankoh, adding, indications are that UN agencies and neighbouring governments will respect the jurisdiction of Sierra Leone as a sovereign state and the decision of the Sierra Leonean Government.
Graphic continues that news of the detention of Sankoh spread around Freetown like wildfire with thousands of people going into the streets, cheering and celebrating.
Graphic says the arrest of Sankoh, has been welcomed in international circles with a prediction of a change in the political equation in the war-ravaged country.
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Political parties ask for extension
Four political parties in the Upper East Region have called for the extension of the Voter's Registration Exercise, which ended on Monday, reports the Ghanaian Times in a front-page story.
The paper names the Peoples National Convention (PNC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Reform Party (NRP), and National Democratic Congress (NDC). They contend that there was ample evidence of shortage of materials to ensure the smooth implementation of the exercise. This, they said made it impossible for a large number of people to register.
According to the Times, top officials of the parties at Bolgatanga told it on Monday that the Electoral Commission (EC) woefully failed Ghanaians during the current exercise aimed at capturing those who had turned 18 years.
The four are reported as saying that the importance of the exercise could not be underestimated as far as Ghana's new democratic dispensation was concerned.
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5 ex-students seek headmaster's blood
The Ghanaian Times carries another front-page story in which it says five former students of Aburi Secondary Technical School whose 1999 SSS results were cancelled by the West Africa Examinations Council (WAEC), for malpractices, armed themselves with cutlasses and went to the school to attack the authorities.
The students, Frank Lartey, William Asante, Ernest Amoah, Wisdom Abbey and Prosper Womenyo are reported to have destroyed official posters on the notice board and a plantain grove belonging to one of the tutors while they threatened to kill the headmaster, Mr. Peter Logo and some tutors.
According to the Times, four of the students were later arrested and put on trial. Womenyo is said to be on the run.
The Akropong Akuapem Circuit Court is reported to have remanded them in prison custody to re appear on Friday.
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Pay up - COSGA urges radio and TV stations
The Graphic Showbiz carries a front-page story in which it says seven out of 25 broadcast stations in the country that owe royalty payments to music owners have made arrangements to settle their indebtedness to the Copyright Society of Ghana (COSGA) within the last four weeks.
The paper says the present cooperation comes as a result of a recent publication in the press, which named some of the indebted stations, according to Mr. Joe Mensah, member of COSGA's Oversight Committee.
"We have spoken with many radio stations over the issue. Some have responded quickly and positively. At least seven of them have either made down-payments or made satisfactory arrangements to settle their old indebtedness," he was quoted as saying.
Listed in the story are Joy FM, Radio Ada and Peace FM who are said to have made part payments while GTV, TV3 and Radio Univers are reported to have made pledges.
The story says while preparation of tariff for Top Radio is presently underway, its management has already approached COSGA to find out what the station owes.
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Only 25 MPs turn up in parliament.
The Independent reports that absenteeism at Ghana’s Parliament reached its lowest ebb yesterday when at the commencement of business in the House only 25 members of parliament out of the 200 elected representatives turned up.
According to the paper, by a head count there were only 25 members of parliament in the chamber of the House-11 from the majority party, National Democratic Congress and 14 from the minority side.
The paper states that the MP for Asokwa West, Honourable Osei Kwaku of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) reminded the first Deputy speaker that there was no quorum for business to commence. He complained of absenteeism and attendance by parliamentarians.
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NUGS back UTAG.
The Independent has another story, which reports students of the University of Ghana as noting that lecturers in the country have genuine problems and appropriate measures should therefore be taken to end the impasse between the government and the lectures.
According to the paper, the president of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) Emmanuel Adjei Domson said the contribution of lecturers to national development is immeasurable.
The students also appealed to the University Council to show commitment and concern to the lecturers’ demands.
The students appealed for practical demonstration of political commitment to resolve this life-threatening issue to avoid the 1995 one-year disruption, which is still fresh in the minds of students.
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The Ghanaian Democrat reports that the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Alhaji Hudu Yahaya, has assured Ghanaians, the International Community and the International observers of the December general election that the NDC will not indulge in any electoral malpractices.
According to the paper, he urged all contesting parties and candidates whether independent or sponsored not to engage in any kind of election malpractices in the December elections.
The paper says he made this call during a press conference held by the party’s activists to draw Ghanaian’s attention to the alleged voter registration malpractices by Mr Kwamena Bartels in Accra.
He stressed that the NDC would always up hold the principle of fairness, justice and fair play before, during and after the 2000 elections. The opposition must do the same, if they want incident free elections, he emphasised.
According to the paper, Alhaji Yahaya also called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to ensure that the rural dwellers were registered.
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Three regional capitals to get libraries
The Ghanaian Democrat says the Ministry of Education has voted 600 million cedis for the construction of three regional libraries at Wa, Ho and Sunyani.
Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, Deputy Minister of Education made it known at an Education Forum at Wa.
According to the paper he under scored the importance of libraries to education delivery, and said that was the reason why the government is investing heavily in the provision of libraries in all the regions.
He further announced that plans are far advanced to link district and regional offices of education to national headquarters through computer networking to improve information management, storage and retrieval.
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Lecturer laments poor state of economy
The International Monetary Fund has threatened to withhold vital foreign exchange resources for Ghana if the Government does not take immediate and urgent steps to withdraw the recently announced measures intended to stabilised the cedi, reports the Crusading Guide.
According to the paper, in a terse and uncompromising three, paragraph letter to the Minister of Finance, Mr R. K. Prepah, dated April 28, 2000, the Director of IMF’s Africa Department, Mr G.E. Gondwe accused the government of reneging on its agreement with IMF and recommended strongly that the government rescinds the measures in the best interest f the country.
As far as the IMF is concerned, the Government’s measures represent a major set back in the pursuit of sound macroeconomic policies, the paper said.
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CBN launched in Ghana
The Accra Mail reports that Christian Broadcasting Network International (CBN International) the largest Christian television network in the world reaching over 62 countries across the globe has launched its media blitz for Ghana.
According to the paper, this followed a meeting in Accra with head pastors, Reverend Ministers and members of Orthodox and Charismatic Churches across the country. There was a video presentation on CBN’s activities in Africa and other parts of the world.
Founded in 1960 by Dr. Pat Robertson, a former Republican presidential candidate in the US, CBN has the sole purpose of exposing the Gospel to about three billion people around the world.
The paper states that the chairman for the launch, Mr Kwabena Darko, Managing Director of Darko Farms, noted that the opportunity for people to share their testimonies and miracles with millions of television viewers through CBN, testifies to the excellent quality and impact of the programme.
Mr Ben Edwards, Vice President CBN International said CBN is not coming to compete with Christian groups, but rather complement their role in achieving the vision of the Lord.
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Lotto receivers disagree
The Accra Mail writes that Lotto Receivers Union of Department of National Lotteries recently registered a strong protest against the activities of their counterparts in the private sector for violating the agreements between the two bodies.
According to the paper, they cited some loopholes in the modalities for payment of taxes stipulated in the agreement as the cause of revenue evasion by the private operators.
The paper says that the Chairman of the National Association of Lotto Writers Mr Andrews Abrokwa said the initial experiment involved an up front payment of 15% sales tax on the weekly turnover to DNL to print coupons. But this was a severe drain on the initial capital of the operators, which might have compelled them to reject the experiment.
Mr Abrokwa has therefore called for modification of the terms of the agreement to give relief to the private operators and enable the government to reap in more revenue.
The paper states that a consultant to the lotto writers association, Mr Kofi Aikins said DNL’s bureaucratic approach to the operation and payment of winning has drawn more stakers to the private operators and advised lotto operators not to cheat.
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