A nation in tears - Govt declares 3 days of mourning
Death toll now 126
6 Police officers interdicted
Parliament grieves over tragedy
One Ashanti Chief among the dead
Otumfuo cancels trip abroad
Accra Stadium disaster - Gruesome scene at 37
Thieves rob stadium victims
Public blame police for stampede
Mallam Issa scouts for new lawyer
Quality grains affair - Conceived with best intentions
Police ban PRO from Speaking to Press!
A nation in tears - Govt declares 3 days of mourning
The Government has declared three days of national mourning in memory of the soccer fans who died in a stampede at the end of last Wednesday's premier league match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko, reports the Daily Graphic.
In a nationwide broadcast, President J.A. Kufuor said during the period of mourning, all flags would fly at half-mast.
He said at the end of the mourning, an inter-faith service would be held at the State House of May 13 in memory of the deceased.
He also announced the setting up of a funeral committee under the chairmanship of Mr J.H. Mensah Leader of Government Business in Parliament, which would be responsible for arranging fitting burials.
President Kufuor said the government would also bear the full cost of medical expenses of the injured.
The President has also decided to establish a Commission of Enquiry to be chaired by Mr Sam Okudzeto, a legal practitioner with other members of the commission as Mr George Ofosu Amaah, former Director of the Special Branch and Dr Agyeman Badu Akosa, President of the Ghana Medical Association. The rest are Prof Akua Kuenyehia, Dean of the Faculty of Law, Legon, and Mr Ken Bediako, a veteran sports journalist.
The commission would investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy and make recommendations to ensure that such a dreadful event does not occur again.
It would also investigate and make recommendations about the state of the country's preparedness to deal with such national emergencies and disasters during its one month sitting.
The President said he endorses the police action to interdict six of its officers in charge of the police contingent at the stadium, pending the outcome of investigations into the incident and gave the assurance of the law taking its due process on anyone found guilty by the commission of any willful excess or misconduct.
He appealed to all Ghanaians to show restraint and be supportive of one another "in our moment of grief."
President Kufuor asked Ghanaians to show to the world that "we are a dignified and peace loving people."
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Death toll now 126
The death toll of soccer fans in the Accra Sports Stadium tragedy has now reached 126 with four more bodies sent on Thursday to the 37 Military Hospital by families that had wanted to bury them because of religious beliefs.
One injured person at the Police Hospital also died on Thursday increasing the tally from five to six deaths.
The death toll at the 37 Military Hospital now stands at 106 as against 102 on Wednesday.
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6 Police officers interdicted
Six police officers who were in charge of police personnel deployed at the Accra Sports Stadium to maintain peace and order on Wednesday have been interdicted.
They are Supt Nana Koranteng-Mintah, ASP F.A. Aryee, ASP John Naami, ASP B.B. Bakomora, ASP Frank Awu and ASP E. Faakye Kumi.
The Police Administration, according to Graphic, has also set up an internal probe into the circumstances that led to the death of more than 120 football fans in a stampede after violence erupted in the dying minutes of the soccer match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko.
The five-man committee is chaired by Mr W. Sam Awortwi, Commissioner, Legal and Prosecution.
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Parliament grieves over tragedy
Parliament, according to The Evening News, on Thursday morning observed a minute silence in memory of football fans who died in Wednesday's match between Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko at the Accra Sports Stadium.
"The grief on the face of the Parliamentarians was such that Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, the Speaker of Parliament, had to suspend the day's proceedings to enable himself, the two Deputy Speakers, the Chairman and ranking members of the Parliamentary Committee of Youth and Sports and other members to visit the sick and the injured at the various hospitals in Accra where they are receiving treatment."
Earlier in a statement to the House, Paapa Owusu Ankomah, Deputy Majority Leader and MP for Sekondi described the event as a national tragedy never witnessed in the history of sports in Ghana.
"Never could any Ghanaian have imagined that we could have such a tragedy," he said.
Rising in support of the statement, Mr E.T. Mensah, MP for Ningo Prampram and former Sports Minister said even though the management of the two sporting clubs might have taken steps to avert the tragedy, there were not enough.
Mr Mensah stated: "I am not apportioning blame," and added, "this is the kind of circumstances we use the combination of the military and the police to enforce security."
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One Ashanti Chief among the dead
One of the chiefs on the Asantehene's entourage to the USA is reported to be among the 124 spectators who died in Wednesday's disaster at the Accra Sports Stadium when arch rivals, Kumasi Asante Kotoko played against Accra Hearts of Oak.
Authorities at the Police Hospital where the body of the chief is being kept were reportedly, tight lipped on the name of the chief because of custom and tradition that goes with the announcement of the death of chiefs, particularly Ashantis.
Brigadier Seth Twum, director of Health services at the 37 Military Hospital, told newsmen that a post mortem would be conducted on all the bodies after which they would be embalmed and kept in the mortuary to await government's directives.
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Otumfuo cancels trip abroad
The Ghanaian Times says the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on Thursday cancelled his trip to the United States and Europe following Wednesday's disaster at the Accra Sports Stadium.
The Asantehene, the Life Patron of the Kumasi Asante Kotoko Sporting Club, was scheduled to visit the University of Maryland and the Savannah State University, both in the US, and the Glasgow University in Scotland to receive Honorary Doctorate degrees by the three universities in recognition of his efforts to promote the progress of society.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu on Thursday visited the injured in hospital.
He told a press conference after his rounds at the wards that he was shocked at the disaster, describing it as a national tragedy.
He declared: "Both Kotoko and Hearts belong to me, therefore any problem confronting them is my problem. I have to stop everything and cut short my trip as a result."
The Asantehene said that he would be returning to Kumasi soon to see to things there.
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Accra Stadium Disaster - Gruesome scene at 37
The Free Press says as the nation keeps on counting the dead resulting from the stampede at last Wednesday's Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko match at the Accra Sports Stadium, the scene at the 37 Military Hospital the following day was indeed tragic as countless number of anxious relatives rushed there to find out whether their loved ones were involved.
"By 4.00 am on Thursday, some reports had it that curious relatives from both Kumasi and the suburbs of Accra were at the Ridge, Police and the 37 Military Hospital to identify some of the dead bodies or to find out the fate of their friends and relatives who went to the Stadium the previous day."
When the paper got to the 37 Military Hospital at about 7.00 am, hundreds of cars and scores of people and some volunteers had gathered at the Hospital premises were waiting to gain access into the mortuary to help in identifying some of the dead bodies brought there.
"The spontaneous sounds of wailing that characterized the atmosphere sent even some of the reporters gathered there sobbing. Such was the scene of tragedy that, some concerned relatives and curious onlookers started heaping insults and blame on the police for what they described as a 'trigger happy law enforcers," says Free Press.
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Thieves rob stadium victims
The adage that one man's meant is another man's poison came into full play last Wednesday, according to The Accra Mail, when thieves took advantage of the tragedy at the Accra Sports Stadium and robbed both the dead and the living of their valuables.
It carries that as panicked sports fans got crushed or wounded, some pick pockets organized and robbed the victims of their cash, mobile phones, wristwatches, and shoes.
Eyewitnesses said they saw some young men who pretended to be helping victims of the disaster but rather helped themselves with their valuables.
One eyewitness said he saw the volunteer- turned thieves removing the shoes and wristwatch of a dying man they pretended to be helping. They were later seen sharing their booty.
In a related development, a police patrol was stoned by some angry residents on Nima, minutes after they learnt of the death of some of their friends and relatives.
The peace officers had stopped along the Nima-Mamobi Highway to buy some items when the mob attacked them in revenge for their dead friends. The police jeep sped off when they sensed danger.
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Public blame police for stampede
The Weekend Statesman says Public outrage has been directed to the doorstep of the police whom many believe were responsible for the stampede that took place at the Accra Sports Stadium on Wednesday leading to the death of 126 people.
The public has blamed the police for the tragic incident, triggered after they fired tear gas in an attempt to control violence during the football match between the two top clubs, Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko.
Charles Asante who escaped death in the stampede told says the police overreacted. "They should have taken a cue from the Hearts vs. Esperance match last December when the tear gas caused so much confusion and be more cautious, especially as it was clear that the crowd had panicked."
Others believe that sports authorities need to begin to look at the whole issue of stadium violence and crowd control.
"The issue is about how well we train our police in effective crowd control," said Ama Atta, a trader. "Obviously the stadium has not been built to be emergency friendly. I mean just look at the barbed wire all around and those narrow gates, how will any body be able to escape in case of an emergency?" she wondered.
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Mallam Issa scouts for new lawyer
The Ghanaian Chronicle says it can reveal that after dispensing of the services of his first lawyer, Mallam Issah, the former Youth and Sports Minister, is in deep negotiations with two top senior lawyers in Accra for the replacement.
The two lawyers who are likely to be hired by Mallam Issah are Messrs Ambrose Derry and Ayikoi Otoo, but it is not yet known who will get the nod. However, it is certain that either of these legal brains or both will surely lead Mallam to prove his innocence or otherwise.
Mallam Yusif Issah, who is standing trial before an Accra High Court, is charged on two counts of stealing and fraudulently causing financial loss to the state.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has been granted $500 million bail and ordered to deposit a title deed of landed property with the court and report to the Police Criminal Investigation Department on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays till, the end of the case.
On Wednesday morning, Alhaji Huhu Billa fired a terse letter to the High Court registrar informing him about his withdrawal from the case, apologizing for any inconvenience "I must have caused to the court because of my withdrawal,"
Alhaji Nuhu Billa of Ameyi Chambers represented Mallam Issah at the Commission of Inquiry set up by the government over the loss of the $46,000 leading to the dismissed Minister's charge.
Alhaji Nuhu Billa in his letter of withdrawal said his decision was personal, stating that he accepted to defend the ex-Minister without any personal gain.
At the last sitting there were seeming cracks in the defence front when Alhaji Nuhu Billa disagreed with his client over the second charge.
He pointed out to the court presided over by Justice Julius Ansah, an Appeal Court Judge, sitting as an additional High Court Judge, that his client was responsible for the loss of the money, and that they were making efforts to pay it back to the state, while Mallam Issa had pleaded not guilty to the two charges.
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Quality Grains affair - Conceived with best of intentions
The Aveyime Rice Mill Project was conceived with the best of intentions and at no cost to government, the NDC's mouthpiece, The Ghanaian Democrat reports.
Government according to the paper only acted as guarantor and all payment made, on the guarantee, to the company.
Currently, payments made to support the provision of infrastructural and other support services have benefited the inhabitants of the Aveyime-Vume area.
These include the resettlement programme under which 170 houses have been built, feeder roads constructed whilst electricity, water and telephone services have all been extended to the project site.
All is now ready for rice production. So how can this gigantic project of immense benefit to the nation be described as "financial loss" to the state?
These observations, according to the Democrat, were made by the former Minister of Communications in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) regime, Hon. John Mahama at the press conference on Monday.
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Police ban PRO from Speaking to Press!
The Police Administration headed by Mr Ernest Owusu Poku, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) is said to have barred its Ashanti Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO) from ever talking to the press, the private Daily Guide reports.
Disclosing this last Wednesday, a source at the Police Headquarters said the Head of the Police Public Relations Directorate Unit in the Ashanti Region, Superintendent Mr. Angwubutoge Awuni who faces severe disciplinary action if he should speak to the press again, was barred following a publication in an Accra weekly.
In the said publication, Awuni was quoted as saying that though there are corrupt elements in the police service, there is corruption in many other institutions, so people should stop pointing fingers at the police alone." He also accused the judiciary of being corrupt.
Inspector Awuni, who used to be Head of the Police Public Relations in Accra, was reacting to an allegation that a policeman had arrested and locked up a young man for accusing him (policeman) of accepting a bribe from a tro-tro driver.
Supt. Awuni was quoted by the weekly as saying "there had been occasions when police personnel had arrested suspects and arraigned them before court only for judges to take bribes from the suspects and set them free."
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