Speaker meets with 5 parties…On planned demo
Ghana has lost 1,484 doctors
Judge’s car burnt…Arson suspected
Lunatic causes blackout at Sunyani
Opposition demo under threat
Two big demos to rock Accra
Insurers raise 150 million to lobby Parliament?
More ministers to be sacked
The Ghanaian Times
Speaker meets with 5 parties…On planned demo
The Ghanaian Times Reports in a front-page banner that the Speaker of Parliament, Mr Justice D.F. Annan, on Friday, granted audience in Accra to the Joint Action Committee of the five political parties that plan to lead civil society groups to demonstrate to defend Ghana’s Democracy and against the hardships facing ordinary Ghanaians.
The Times says the five-member team comprised Mr Sam Odame, People’s National Convention (PNC), Mr Armah Tagoe, United Ghana Movement (UGM), Madam Amma Busia, New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Felix Amoah, Convention Party (CP) and Mr Peter Kpordugbe, of the National Reform Party (NRP).
The paper quotes a statement issued in Accra by Mr Kyeretwie Opoku, a member of the Joint Action Committee as saying that Mr Kpordugbe, a spokesman for the group, briefed the Speaker, the Majority Leader, Dr Kwabena Adjei, the Minority Leader, Mr J.H. Mensah and the Acting Clerk of Parliament, Mr Rex Owusu-Ansah, on the plans for the November 25 demonstration.
Mr Kpordugbe is said to have explained to the leadership of Parliament the programme and selected routes for the demonstration, as well as the status of consultations with the police. The Speaker was also informed of the desire of the parties to present a statement to Parliament after a march through the principal streets of Accra Central on that day.
According to the statement, the Speaker cautioned the joint committee to plan the march such that it would not degenerate into violence. Mr Justice Annan is also said to have requested the committee to remain close touch with his office, to work out the presentation programme in line with parliamentary procedure.
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Ghana has lost 1,484 doctors
In another front-page story, the Times reports that only 316 out of the 1,800 medical doctors trained Ghana’s two medical schools since 1967, are currently practising in the country.
The remaining 1,484, constituting about 80 per cent of the trained doctors, have found their way out to other countries, particularly the United Kingdom and the United States for greener pastures.
The paper says what this means is that Ghana is using the very scarce resources to provide high quality medical education for more advanced countries without getting any returns for its investment.
The Times says that this disclosure was contained in a paper presented by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, Prof. Ivan Addae-Mensah, at a forum organised at Winneba in the Central Region, by the University College of Education, Winneba (UCEW). The forum formed part of a programme to mark "African University Day" in Ghana, under the general theme: "2000 milestone – preparing the university for the third millennium.
The Vice-Chancellor is reported as saying that subvention per student to the medical schools had fallen from over six thousand dollars in 1991 to 1.5 thousand dollars in 1998/99, even though the medical schools required a minimum of 4.6 thousand dollars per student annually to function effectively.
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Judge’s car burnt…Arson suspected
The Daily Graphic reports in its top story that a red ‘Mazda’ saloon car, belonging to Mr Justice Victor Ofoe, an Accra Circuit Court judge, who on Thursday sentenced former Editor of the "Free Press", Mr Eben Quarcoo, to three months’ jail term for intentionally libelling the First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, was destroyed in a mysterious fire at his Cantonments residence in Accra.
The Graphic says the car, with registration number GR 3172 E, was parked in the compound of the residence.
The paper, quoting a resident of the house, says three vehicles were parked in the house, including the Mazda. According to him, members of the household were indoors and did not see anyone enter the residence, which has only flower hedges for a wall and no gates.
He said none of them saw the fire but a driver in the opposite house, who was outside, saw the flames and rushed to the house to inform them that one of the vehicles was burning.
The Graphic says another source at the residence stated that two policemen, who were on duty that day, were late and reported only after the fire had been put off.
A police statement issued yesterday, said that an enquiry has been instituted into the cause of the fire. The paper says Justice Ofoe himself was not available to comment on the incident.
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Lunatic causes blackout at Sunyani
Another front-page story in the Graphic says a lunatic caused a stir at Sunyani over the weekend, when he climbed a high voltage electric pylon at the Brong Ahafo Regional station of the Volta River Authority (VRA) resulting in a power outage in the town.
The paper says the lunatic, who was badly injured and currently on admission at the Sunyani Government Hospital, was said to have evaded the security of the VRA to climb the pylon.
The Graphic says the incident occurred during he dying minutes of the World Under-17 football match between Ghana and Mexico.
It says resident who did not know the cause of the blackout, poured their anger on the VRA officials for denying them the opportunity to watch the final stages of the match. Power, however, was restored about an hour later, the paper concludes.
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Opposition demo under threat
The Ghanaian Voice warns that as members of the main opposition parties gear up for the proposed nation-wide demonstration on November 25 against the current hardships in Ghana, brought about by alleged economic mismanagement by the NDC government, there are unfolding developments that threaten to wreck the planned action if care is not taken.
The paper says, in the first place, some NDC elements are said to be planning to stage a counter-demonstration on the same day, in support of government policies, a scenario that is likely to be a replay of the 1995 "Kumepreko" demonstration that left four people dead.
According to the Voice, apart from this threat, some cracks appear to be showing following allegations that while the original aim of the opposition is to demonstrate against hardships and the reckless management of the economy, some political leaders are trying to divert attention by telling the police that the demonstration aims at building confidence in democratic governance and to protect democracy.
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Public Agenda
Two big demos to rock Accra
In its lead story, the Public Agenda says two big demonstrations will ht the Ghana’s capital, Accra, next week.
The first, scheduled for Tuesday, November 23, will be organised by the "Jubilee 2000 Africampaign Ghana", with support from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Catholic Secretariat.
The paper says the four main opposition parties are also feverishly preparing for the November 25 demonstration, despite threats of violence from the ruling NDC. The Jubilee 2000 Africampaign Ghana march, which is to coincide with the consultative meeting between the government and its creditors, often referred to as the ‘donors’ conference’, is for the cancellation of Ghana’s external debts.
According to the Public Agenda, the march, will also highlight the demand of the international Jubilee movement for complete cancellation of the external debts of the Third World, including Africa, by the beginning of the 21st century.
The paper says the group will present a petition to the consultative meeting scheduled for November 23 and 24.
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The Ghanaian Chronicle
Insurers raise 150 million to lobby Parliament?
The Ghanaian Chronicle reports that insurance companies in Ghana are raising funds to influence the government to enact a compulsory Fire Insurance law, which will enable insurers to rake in billions of cedis in premium incomes.
The Chronicle says the law, which will make it mandatory for all commercial properties in urban centres in Ghana to have fire insurance cover, has already received blessing from the Insurance Commissioner, Mr Samuel Appiah Ampofo.
The paper says sources within the insurance industry indicated that the Ghana Insurers Association mooted the idea to have Parliament pass the fire insurance bill at a recent extraordinary meeting at the boardroom of Ghana Re-insurance, on September 2, this year.
According to the Chronicle, the Insurers Association, at the meeting, decided to raise 150 million cedis to assist the National Insurance Commission to have Parliament pass the bill.
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More ministers to be sacked
The Dispatch notes that when President Jerry Rawlings, who is not used to explaining why he fired or changed ministers starts explaining, then there is room for speculation as to the effects of public opinion on him.
The paper says more ministers are to be dismissed by January 2000. According to the Dispatch, analysts believe that the President’s attempt to explain his actions was an indication of weakening of his resolve on ministerial changes or dismissals.
The paper sys a top NDC member posed a question thus: "Is the President going to explain all ministerial changes henceforth? If the President said he appointed Mr Kojo Yankah to head the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), a statutory body, then he should next appoint a Minister of State to head another vital statutory body, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC)".
According to the Dispatch, credible sources within the NDC have hinted that the transfer of Mr Yankah from the Ashanti Region to Accra and the out-going Health Minister, Mr Samuel Nuamah Donkor, to Ashanti as the Regional Minister, was part of a scheme by the powerful "Konadu for President 2000". lobby within the NDC.
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