NDC losing votes to reform
If I open my mouth… Goosie Tandoh warns of doom for NDC
Raid on Keta project
(100 million cedis cash, equipment worth several million stolen)
NPP plot against NDC exposed
More withdraw from elections
Gladys Asmah challenges NDC
Military brutalise soccer fans
Commandos attack NPP MP
Reconstituted NMC sworn into office
NDC losing votes to reform
The Dispatch in its banner story says on going research indicates that this year's Presidential elections would be closer and tighter then the Parliamentary one. Unlike the Parliamentary where even a single vote can guarantee a win in a Constituency, any Presidential candidate who hopes to win after the first round of voting should get 50 percent plus one of the valid votes cast.
According to the paper, the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has realised that it is losing votes to the National Reform Party (NRP) and is now focusing its attention on minimising REFORM's damage to its political fortunes.
REFORM's damage will be more pronounced in the Presidential than in the Parliamentary elections, the paper says, adding that the Reform has been concentrating on the rural areas, the heart of the NDC's support base. This form of political campaigning is proving to be very effective.
The recent statement by the President that NDC supporters should not vote for someone on the ballot paper with a complexion like his (an obvious reference to REFORM's Goozie Tandoh) but rather the black skin near the umbrella was a recognition of the REFORM's impact.
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If I open my mouth… Goosie Tandoh warns of doom for NDC
The Ghanaian Chronicle reports Mr Goosie Tandoh, the National Reform Party (NRP) Presidential Candidate, as saying that if he and his group decide to reveal the decadence within the NDC, the country will be plunged into chaos and instability.
The paper quotes him as saying "between the NDC and I, who has stolen the country's money? We don't want to get into that because if we do, this country will be destabilised. I am telling a fact. It will be destabilised."
Talking about how he acquired the 10 billion cedis loan that the NDC has been hammering on in their campaign, he said; "I happen to be one of the main individuals in a company that pioneered the export of cassava. We developed a project and we have exported around $8 million so far. By the end of the year, it will be $10 million. It is a fact. Go and check it, " the paper quotes him as saying.
Mr Tandoh said he has no qualms about his company borrowing money from the government. The government, he added, said it was supporting the export of non-traditional goods. So the company borrowed some money from it for its cassava business.
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Raid on Keta project
(100 million cedis cash, equipment worth several million stolen)
A group of armed robbers raided the site of the Keta Sea Defence Project at Havedzie near Keta in the Volta Region in the early hours of Monday, October 23, and made away with 100 million cedis, reports the Daily Graphic.
The paper says the robbers, numbering about 10, also took away equipment worth several millions of cedis. Two security men among those on guard duty who resisted the robbery attack were shot.
The victims, whose names are being withheld for security reasons, are on admission at Aflao General Hospital.
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NPP plot against NDC exposed
It is now very evident that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is all out to undo the huge impact the NDC, particularly Professor Atta-Mills, is making on the electorate with pragmatic policies he is proposing to follow to move the country forward in development, says the Ghana Palaver.
To that end, members of the NPP have resorted to piling up lies upon lies, some clearly libelous, in other to propel their agenda, Prof. Kofi Awoonor, Co-Vice Chairman of the NDC told a press conference in Accra yesterday in reaction to the one held by the NPP Parliamentary caucus on Monday October 23, 2000.
Prof. Awoonor said; "the NPP managed to gain access to documents, many of which they obviously did not understand and tried to use these to justify their trumped-up charges of the NDC government having engaged in frivolous expenditure."
He said he was glad that none of the documents exhibited by the NPP was marked "Secret", 'Confidential' or 'Restricted' adding, this means had the NPP MPs not gone like 'thieves in the night' to their collaborators in the Civil Service to procure those correspondence, they could have easily had them upon request.
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More withdraw from elections
The Evening News reports in its banner story that ten people who filed their nominations to contest the December 7 Parliamentary election have withdrawn from the race.
Nana Kofi Karikari, a senior electoral officer at the Electoral Commission who disclosed this to "The Evening News" in Accra yesterday said the inability of the candidates to effectively compaign and personal problems among others also formed the basis of their withdrawals.
Nana Karikari said the GCPP has three candidates, NDC, 200, EGLE party, one, the NPP, 198, the CPP, 188 and the PNC, 155. The UGM has 104 candidates with the National Reform Party (NRP) contesting 178 seats while 64 others are contesting as independent candidates.
Gladys Asmah challenges NDC
The Weekend Statesman reports on its front-page that Deputy Minority Leader, Mrs. Gladys Asmah, has challenged the NDC to tell Ghanaians how it got money to purchase more than 200 campaign vehicles and how much duty it paid on them.
She also challenged Vice-President Atta Mills to expose and deal with corrupt government functionaries now and not wait until he is elected as president, she told a rally to launch the New Juaben NPP campaign at Asokore-Koforidua.
She accused the NDC of siphoning fuel for its fleet of campaign vehicles from official sources.
Mrs. Asmah is also said to have reminded the Vice-President that the “Asomdwe” or peace he is talking about cannot be achieved if the prevailing conditions of hunger and deprivations of the masses as against the affluence of the few in government continues.
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Military brutalise soccer fans
The Free Press reports that the precincts of the Gyandu Park in Sekondi was turned into a battle-field last Sunday, October 8, 2000 when several armed members of the Navy pounced on fans and brutalised them using the butt of the guns.
As a result, goalkeeper of Sekondi Eleven Wise football club, Nathaniel Hammond and four others got wounded and were rushed to the hospital.
Mr. Victor Krakue, Operations Manager of the club said immediately after a second division match between the Dolphines of the navy, which resulted in a 2-0 defeat for the Dolphines, the gate keeper opened the gates of the stadium for the spectators to leave but some of the naval ratings shut them to keep the spectators and players and supporters hostage for reasons best known to them.
Sensing danger, the players forced the gates opened, by which time the Naval personnel called for re-enforcement team, who came over and beat the spectators indiscriminately.
Meanwhile the paper says the Management of Eleven Wise has appealed to the Chief of Defence Staff to appoint a committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the brutalisation of its players and supporters of the club by naval personnel.
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Commandos attack NPP MP
The Guide has it that four military personnel, believed to be members of the 64 Battalion (Commandos) stationed at Tema, last Sunday, October 22, 2000, gave the MP for Tema East, Hon. Ishmeal Ashitey the rude shock of his life when they told him that he will not live to see this year’s election.
The paper reports that the group led by L/CPL Opong, allegedly trailed the MP in a light blue Land Rover No. BA 439 C for over a distance then crossed him and issued their threat.
In a protest letter to Minister of Defence, the Speaker of Parliament just to name a few, Ashitey called for investigation into the matter, and also asked for protection, since his life has been threatened.
When the Community 1 police were contacted they confirmed that such a report had been made and the matter is under investigation.
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Reconstituted NMC sworn into office
The Ghanaian Times carriers on its front page that seventeen out of the 18 members of the reconstituted National Media Commission (NMC) were sworn into office at the Supreme Court in Accra yesterday.
Those sworn in included Mr. Christian Aggrey and Prof. Awoonor, both Presidential nominees; Mr. Nutifafa Kuenyehia, Ghana Bar Association; Dr Cyril Acolatse, Ghana Journalists Association; Mr. Dan Ansah, Private Newspaper Publishers Association and Kwaw Ansah, Association of Private Broadcasting Companies.
The only absentee of the membership was Mrs. Magaret Ivy Amoakohene, representing the Institute of Public Relations/Advertisers Association of Ghana, who is currently out of the country.
Addressing them, Mr. Justice Ampiah reiterated the importance of the media hence the need for a Commission to insulate it from outside interference and control.
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