Revamp SSNIT Board
Alice Boon in trouble
Victim of Akwasi Agyeman brutality denied justice
No more SSNIT loans for students
NDC organiser in electoral fraud
Mills offers no hope-NPP
Ghanaians are thieves - Freedom moderator
Revamp SSNIT Board
The Daily Graphic reports that the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called on the government to restructure the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to enhance worker representation on the board.
It is reported to have contended that, though the trust is constituted with workers' contributions, their representation on the board is insignificant. In a 10-point resolution adopted by GNAT and presented to the Ministry of Education as part of activities marking the World Teachers day in Accra on Thursday, it called on the government to recognise the work of teachers and strive to improve their conditions of service.
It also called for the implementation of the global action plan for education for all by the year 2015.
GRi…/
Alice Boon in trouble
The Evening News reports that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has reacted swiftly to the allegation made by the MP for Lambusi Hon. Alice Boon, which alleged that the party wanted to kill her.
The paper has it that the minority leader in Parliament said last Wednesday in parliament that his party will not entertain such intentions, adding that steps must be taken to correct the MP’s allegation. He said the allegation having been confirmed by the president was a serious one.
Mr. Mensah pointed out that there is the need for the house to have time to defuse this, so as to ensure proper relationship in the House. Mr. Annan, Speaker of the House is reported to have taken note of the allegation, which he said, had not been reported to him officially but will be investigated.
It would be recalled that the Guide published in its last edition that Hon. Alice Boon had told the president and an NDC rally at Wa on October 8, 2000 that the NPP members in parliament wanted to kill her when she first came to the House after she had won a by-election.
GRi…/
Victim of Akwasi Agyeman brutality denied justice
The Weekend Statesman on its front page reports that three and a half years after the former Ashanti Regional Minister, Daniel Ohene Agyekum, and Nana Akwasi Agyeman, former KMA Chief Executive, brutally assaulted Yaw Brefo, a Kumasi trader, the victim is yet to receive any justice.
According to the paper, Yaw Brefo who got partially blind in one eye, incurred the wrath of Agyekum and Nana Agyeman in April 1997 at the Kumasi Central Market, where the two men, had gone to the Market to lead a clean up exercise.
Brefo who the paper claims has a store in the vicinity, was having his meal and called out to a colleague to partake in the meal, but the Former Minister and Nana Agyeman appeared on the scene just in time and when they heard the name being called, that is "Osonoba" meaning, "elephant". Agyekum thought he was being referred to and asked that Brefo be brought to him.
The paper alleges that the two men then pounced on Brefo after which they organised some macho men to "teach him a lesson". The complaint, which was lodged shortly to CHRAJ has still not been ruled upon after three years, reports the paper.
GRi…/
No more SSNIT loans for students
The Ghanaian Times reports that the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), will from next academic year, stop its students' loan scheme.
This is because the scheme, established to assist students in tertiary institutions, has turned out to be the main source of loss to the Trust, as most beneficiaries have not paid back their loans.
A top official of the Public Affairs Department of SSNIT told the paper in Accra on Thursday that, the Trust had already informed the government of the decision and was awaiting its response.
It said, whiles loans given out continue to be rise, the ones being paid back are too small that the scheme has to get money elsewhere to sustain it.
It said the current rate of the loan given out is unrealistic at 6% interest rate, where the lending rate at the banks is 48% and 52%.
GRi…/
NDC organiser in electoral fraud
The banner headline of the Free Press states that the ruling National Democratic Party (NDC) women's organiser in the Akim-Oda Constituency, Madam Esi Sarfoa, has been arrested by the police for allegedly possessing six voter ID cards.
The paper says sources close to the Akim-Oda police told it that the suspect, who was arrested recently was bailed by the NDC constituency organiser, Mr. T.C Brown, a librarian. The source said since the courts were on recess, Sarfoa could not be arraigned before court last week.
According to the paper, further investigation reveals that Sarfoa allegedly possessed more ID cards than the number she surrendered to the police and that she was advice by NDC to produce only six of them.
GRi…/
Mills offers no hope-NPP
The Evening News reports the NPP as saying yesterday that the Vice-President’s press conference offered no hope for Ghanaians if he was elected as President.
Mr. Kwadwo Afari, a member of the publicity committee of the party, expressed these sentiment when he presented his party’s views on the media encounter with the Vice-President in Accra on Tuesday.
He said the Vice-president only postponed solution to the economic problem, which the NDC has created for the nation. "This is because as the Vice-President and Head of the Economic Management Team, if he has answers to the economic problems the country would not have found itself in this economic mess.
According to the paper, he said most of the answers were pre-fixed with "I would that". This he said is a clear manifestation that he is not in control.
GRi…/
Ghanaians are thieves - Freedom moderator
The Palaver reports that it has been confirmed the CNN Johannesburg Bureau Chief, Charlayne Hunter-Gault who was the moderator of the Presidential Forum held at the Accra conference center on September 27, 2000 has referred to Ghanaians as thieves.
The paper says the name-calling according to their scouts has been due to the moderator's claim of having lost $17,000 at the hotel where she lodged during her stay in Ghana for the Forum.
According to the scouts, Charlayne claims she left an envelope containing the amount in the hotel's security vault during her stay, but when she went for the envelope, she did not check the content.
She is reported to have said that she went back to her hotel room only to realise that $17,000 out of what she originally put had been stolen.
The Palaver says its scouts have confirmed that a report has been made to the Labadi Police Station and investigations are continuing.
The young lady, the Charlynes suspect has been granted Police enquiry bail.
GRi…/