Row at vetting
Ghana Cote d’Ivoire to expand scope of ties
Dadzie, Peprah, 3 others charged
BOG slams high bank minimum deposits
Top Atta Mills aid confesses
Otumfuo attacks the constitution
Amend Constitution – Prempeh
We want ESB back
Soussoudis in police custody
Ghanaians tortured in Bulgaria
NDC to insist on Good Governance
Row at vetting
The vetting of seven deputy ministers designate at Thursday’s sitting of the Appointments Committee of Parliament was momentarily halted when Mr Victor Gbeho, Independent Member for Anlo and some NDC MPs had to step in to cool down tempers between the Chairman, Mr Freddie Blay, and Mr Asiedu Nketiah, a member of the committee, reports the Daily Graphic.
The committee had vetted six out of seven nominees slated for the day and was left with Mr Joe Donkor MP for Tano North and Deputy Minister-designate for Transport and Communications, when the incident occurred.
According to the paper, it all started when after the vetting of the sixth nominee, Mr Nketiah burst out and told a section of the Parliamentary Press Corps that he had the right to refuse to talk to Mr Blay because he was not pleased with the way Blay addressed him over the allegation he (Nketiah) made against Mr Kufuor at the previous day’s sitting.
With Mr Blay standing almost beside him, Mr Nketiah told the journalists that “the Chairman cannot run the committee as if he is a headteacher talking to his pupils,” insisting that as “an MP, I have every right to say anything, in the course of performing my duties in the House. I am not obliged to disclose my source of information to the committee or the Chairman,” he said.
His comment seemed to have provoked Mr Blay who attempted to react instantly, but was restrained by Mr Gbeho and other MPs after which they took him out of the chamber.
Before proceedings began, Mr Asiedu Nketiah declined to shake hands with Mr Blay, when the latter stretched out his hand to him, and also declined to participate in the vetting proceedings.
Mr Nketiah, instead, occupied himself in the back row of the House, reading newspapers and occasionally leaving he chamber.
Mr Nketiah’s anger stemmed from the fact that he was chastised by the chairman at Wednesday’s sitting of the committee for making an emphatic allegation of stealing against Mr Benjamin Osei Kufuor, deputy Minister designate for Lands, Forestry and Mines.
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Ghana Cote d’Ivoire to expand scope of ties
Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire have reaffirmed their determination to strengthen and expand the scope of their ties for the mutual benefit of their peoples.
In line with this, they have agreed to reactivate their Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation, which has been dormant for some time now.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the two-day official visit of the Ivorian President, Mr Laurent Gbagbo, to Ghana.
During the visit, President J.A. Kufuor and his Ivorian counterpart reviewed in depth their bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues.
They also discussed at length the numerous opportunities offered by the economies of both countries and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen economic ties between the two countries.
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Dadzie, Peprah, 3 others charged
The Ghanaian Times carries that two former Ministers and three others have been charged for their role in the controversial Quality Grain Company saga.
They are Mr Kwame Peprah, former Finance Minister, Alhaji Ibrahim Adam, former Minister of Food and Agriculture and Nana Ato Dadzie, former Chief of Staff.
The rest are Dr Samuel Dapaah, Chief Director, Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Dr George Sikpah-Yankey, formerly with the Ministry of Finance.
A reliable source at the Attorney-General’s Department told the ‘Times’ in Accra on Thursday that the five officials would appear before an Accra High Court next week, charged with conspiracy to commit financial loss to the state.
According to the source so far 10 million dollars is what has been computed to have been lost to the state. This includes the assets of the company, and a light aircraft purchased for spraying at the cost of 500,000 dollars.
The source said further investigation is being conducted into the operations of the company to get the real amount involved.
The former President Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings and his Vice Prof. J.E.A. Mills were not the subject of investigations by the Serious Fraud Office and could therefore not be held for anything for now but the source indicated that the principal character in the whole saga Mrs Renee Woodard Cotton is currently under investigations in the United States and “we are waiting for that to be completed”.
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BOG slams high bank minimum deposits
The Bank of Ghana (BOG) has described as disturbing the attitude of some banks who discourage individuals and small business operators from saving at the banks because of the high minimum deposits imposed by them.
Some banks, the BOG said impose deposits ranging between 100,000 cedis and 500,000 cedis before doing business with prospective customers.
Speaking at the opening of the Abossey Okai branch of the Metropolitan and Allied Bank (Gh) Limited in Accra on Wednesday, a deputy Governor, Mr Lionel Van Lare Dosoo explained that such attitudes tended to defeat the Bank’s policy of widening financial literacy, bring banking services closer to the doorstep of many people and raise the level of effective financial intermediation.
Records have already revealed that about 80 per cent of the currency in circulation is outside the banks, actually being hoarded for speculative activities.
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Top Atta Mills aid confesses
Looking relaxed but showing traces of subdued anger and disappointment, Mr Willie Ansah, Special Assistant o the former Vice Presdient, Prof John Atta Mills, on Thursday (3.06pm) walked to the office of The Evening News with a stunning message to his colleagues in the NDC.
“The time has come for us (NDC) to admit and accept our mistakes and to apologize to Ghanaians for the severe pain and difficulties we have inflicted on them over the years.
“People like Spio Garbrah and other NDC operatives should shut up. They should not add salt to injury by trying to give excuses for the mistakes we committed, behaving as if nothing has happened.
“We cannot close our eyes to the many brutalities and other atrocities that Ghanaians were subjected to” Mr Ansah said.
He said by giving excuses, the NDC was creating the impression that it was overthrown through a coup d’etat.
“No, NDC was voted out of power and there were genuine reasons why we were voted out of power,” he stressed determined to get it off his chest.
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Otumfuo attacks the constitution
The King of Ashanti and the occupant of the Golden Stool, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has, over the past couple of years, opined on topical issues with circumspection. And as he celebrates the second anniversary of his enstoolment, he has, among other things, called for an amendment to portions of the 1992 Constitution.
Addressing a general meeting of the Ashanti Regional House of Chiefs, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II noted that there was the urgent need to effect a constitutional amendment that would allow the various Regioanl House of Chiefs to choose their members to the Council of State.
He categorically kicked against the constitutional provision which entails that the President, acting on behalf of government and the people of Ghana choose chiefs for membership of the Council of State.
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Amend Constitution – Prempeh
A US-based Ghanaian legal practitioner, H. Kwasi Prempeh, has called for the amendment of entrenched provisions in the Consitution to enhance constitutional democracy.
He said the first provision that should be amended is Article 290, which deals with entrenched provisions.
Prempeh made the call while delivering the inaugural lecture at the maiden edition of the National Constitutional Week organised by the National Commission on Civic Education in Accra, under the topic “Eight Years of Constitutional Rule, Challenges and Prospects.”
According to him, Article 290, which itself is an entrenched, sets an impossible and ridiculously high requirement for amending the Constitution.
It says that after going through the Council of State and a first reading in Parliament, a bill to amend an entrenched provision of the Constitution must be submitted to a national referendum; where there must be a voter turnout of not less than 40% of the registered voters; and of the votes cast, at least 75% must be in favour of the amendment.
Prempeh noted that the provision, which is needlessly costly and obstructive would make an entrenched clause of the Constitution almost impossible to amend. “We must change Article 290 to allow an entrenched provision to be amended if say, two-thirds of Parliament approves of the amendment, and after that, 50% or more of all district assemblies also approve of the amendment.”
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We want ESB back
Ghanaian workers on Tuesday converged at the Independence Square in their numbers in commemoration of Workers’ Day (May Day) to pledge their support for the new government.
The workers also used the occasion to make a strong case for the new government.
The workers also used the occasion to make a strong case for the restoration of the End of Service Benefit (ESB) for workers as most of the placards they carried talked about restoration of ESB.
Some of the placards they carried read “Mr President, You are the workers’ best hope,” “Restore ESB now, what is good for the goose is good for the gander”.
“HIPC in the pockets of workers” “Poor Ghana, Kenkey now 1000.00 cedis, minimum wage unrealistic,” “We cannot educate our children.” “We condemn rot at SSNIT” “Pay us well, We’ll Deliver,” “we’re Highly Indebted Poor Workers – What’s Good for Ex-Ministers is also good for workers” and “Welcome to the poor world of Ghanaian worker, Mr. President”.
The occasion was attended by the President, Mr J.A. Kufuor who took the salute and some Ministers of State.
In an address the Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Mr. Kwasi Adu-Amankwa called on the government to place the interests of labour right in the centre of economic decision-making.
This, he explained, will not only ensure that social policies are formulated as part of economic policies but also social interests of the population would be considered before economic policies are implemented.
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Soussoudis in police custody
Ex-President Jerry Rawlings’s cousin, Mr Michael Agbotui Soussoudis, was on Thursday remanded in police custody by an Accra Circuit Tribunal, following the discovery of hordes of assorted ammunition in his house. He is to reappear on May 9.
The Chairman of the Tribunal, Mr. Mohammed Nabon, was told by he prosecution of how Soussoudis had concealed the ammunitionin various parts of his house.
The prosecution team told the court that the accused had hidden six pieces of powerful and dangerous explosive ammunition, concealed in his boys quarters . Also found were some military kits.
His counsel, Mr B. O. Lamptey, argued that his client had not committed any offence and that possessing assorted ammunition with licenses was not a crime.
The prosecution further disclosed that the police in their operations had discovered AK47 assault rifles, six loaded magazines and an SMG rifle with four magazines, which were kept in the bedroom of the accused on the first floor of his house.
According to the prosecution, some of the arms were discovered at the top of he building in a biscuit card box and they include fragmentation grenades marked 10B, IB, IIB and another three smoke grenades marked each as 1330 and 9890.
The prosecution told the court that some of the ammunition were retrieved inside the accused’s satellite dish mounted on top of his house.
Soussoudis has been charged with possessing arms and ammunition without authority and possessing military accoutrements. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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Ghanaians tortured in Bulgaria
A ten-member Ghanaian crew aboard the ship Olga J. which has been abandoned in the port of Burgas, Bulgaria, since September 1998, has told of the torture they have had to endure.
According to Francis Koomson, a crew member, the shipowner abandoned the vessel without food, water or medical supplies, leading to the death of one of the crew, Jacob Andoh.
O make matters worse, the crew has not been paid their earned wages for about eleven months and has suffered several beatings at the hands of the Bulgarian Port Police.
In an interview with The Dispatch, Mr Koomson, accompanied by another crew member, Emmanuel Ansah Dodoo and French journalist Olivier Aubert, revealed that between 1996 and 1997, the ship was used by he United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) to transport refugees between Liberia and Guinea. However, in late 1996, the ship was sold and the new owner, John Christo Dolou, ordered it to be sent to Burgas for repairs. Upon arrival there, Dolou signed a cheque to pay salaries, but it bounced, and he absconded, and he absconded, leaving the crew at the hands of the port authorities who confined them to the quayside.
The crew was therefore subjected to racial discrimination, severe beatings by the Bulgarian Police and had to beg for their food from adjoining ships.
Mr Koomson acknowledged attempts made by the Seafarers Trade union in Burgas to seek legal assistance for the crew, which did not yield any positive results.
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NDC to insist on Good Governance
The NDC Parliamentary Caucus has assured the nation that it would offer constructive criticisms that would challenge the NPP government to promote good governance for the betterment of the people.
The Chairman of the Eastern Region NDC Parliamentary Caucus, Mr Samuel Sallas-Mensah, who gave the assurance, said the opposition would check the government against any policies that it sees as detrimental to the interest of th people and reneging on its campaign promises.
Mr Silas-Mensah was speaking at an encounter with the regional press corps in Koforidua.
He cited the NPP decision to accept the Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative, the promise for 100,000 jobs in 100 days, abolishing the cash-and-carry system and the introduction of the National Reconstruction Levy as some of the policies.
He denied that the NDC was preparing to adopt the HIPC initiative if it had won the 2000 elections, saying due to the “harsh conditionalities”, involved, including the removal of subsidies and divestiture of vital state instutions such as banks and the utility service institutions the NDC abandoned the idea.
According to him it would take about six years for the country to benefit from the HIPC in view of the adverse effects on development.”
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