Fuel to sell at 12,000.00?
Another woman murdered
‘ACDRs, others have no place in military’
Govt to grant 1,000 prisoners amnesty
More shady deals at Sports exposed
Kufuor for All
J.J. Rawlings turned away
‘8 billion cedis tax evasion’ saga
How Afrifa, Felli, Others were buried
More workers to go home
Fuel to sell at 12,000.00?
The Government is to adjust upwards, the price of premium petrol from 6,400 cedis to about 12,000 cedis, ‘The Ghanaian Times’ reported.
The increase may, however, not be made at one go but periodically to make its effect bearable.
Mr F.K. Owusu Agyapong, Minister of Transport and Communications, dropped the hint in Accra on Monday at a meeting with editors of both the print and electronic media.
He said the adjustment would only be made after consultations with the various stakeholders in the energy sector.
The price of kerosene, he said, may not change in view of the effect its increase would have on vulnerable groups such as those in the rural communities and there will also not be an adjustment in diesel price since it could be easily substituted by kerosene to cause shortages in the latter.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) may also not go up because of the ramifications an upward price adjustment would have on the country’s forest resources.
The Minister said that the Government was aware of the 18 per cent increase on transportation costs that would emanate from the new adjustment but said it has become necessary due to the 3 trillion cedis incurred deficit plus a 6 billion-cedi daily debt that is being realized.
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Another woman murdered
The Times in a front-page capture reports that Joyce Boateng, 25, a native of Juabeng Ashanti, was in the early hours of Monday found dead in a bush at the Civil Aviation quarters near Madina, in Accra.
The body, chanced upon by a farmer, with a foamy mouth was in a supine position with the legs wide open, and her torn panties and slippers lying nearby.
Her death brings to about 36, the official number of such murders of women in Accra.
A watchman at the Civil Aviation installation close to the spot where it was discovered, Mallam Sumaila, said the farmer reported the incident to him at about 7 am and he, in turn, informed the police.
The police, after preliminary investigations, sent the body to the Police Hospital Mortuary.
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‘ACDRs, others have no place in military’
The Minister of Defence, Dr Kwame Addo Kufuor, was quoted by the ‘Daily Graphic’ as saying on Monday that quasi-political organisations such as the ACDRs, the June 4 Movement and the Danquah/Busia Club have no place in the country’s military barracks because they have the tendency of breeding indiscipline and divisiveness among troops.
At his maiden visit to the Southern Command, the minister also announced that henceforth the celebration of June 4 and the 31 December Revolution will not to tolerated.
He reminded the troops that the Supreme Court has ruled that no public funds should be used in celebrating such events.
Dr Addo Kufuor noted that monies spent on such celebrations could be used to rehabilitate the Armed Forces barracks and other development projects in the armed forces.
He assured the forces that the government is aware of their problems and noted that despite the current economic problems, measures will be taken to address them.
The minister disclosed that the Chinese Government has made available $2.7 million for the rehabilitation of the barracks.
He said as soon as the grant becomes available, the 49 Engineering Regiment will be tasked to carry out the rehabilitation of the dilapidated military barracks.
He assured the troops of the government’s readiness to do everything in its power, within the constraints of the budget, to resource the military to enable it perform its roles and responsibilities effectively.
The Defence Minister commended the soldiers for the impressive peacekeeping roles and promised them of the government’s continuous support and assistance.
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Govt to grant 1,000 prisoners amnesty
Graphic carries that the Government is to grant amnesty to about 1,000 prisoners on Independence Day, March 6, as part of measures to decongest the country’s prisons.
The beneficiaries will, however, not include rapists, murderers and hardened criminals, but it is likely that about 300 of that category of criminals, based on their degree of crime, will have their sentences commuted or reduced.
The Minister of the Interior, Alhaji Malik Al-Hassan, who announced this in Accra when a six member delegation from the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) paid a courtesy call on him yesterday, said the ministry has sent a proposal to that effect to President and John Agyekum Kufuor for approval.
He said the Director of Prisons has so far furnished the ministry with about a 1,000 names for review.
Alhaji Al-Hassan said another measure the ministry is considering to undertake to decongest the prisons is the establishment of settlement camps where certain category of prisoners will be kept and equipped with skills like carpentry and farming among others while they serve their sentences.
According to the minister, this will enable the prisoners to become employable citizens in society after serving their sentences.
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More shady deals at Sports exposed
The Ghanaian Chronicle says fresh details emerging over the award of contracts for the provision of costumes for Ghana’s contingent to the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games have raised eyebrows and set tongues wagging as to the transparency of the bidding process.
Investigations, it said, have revealed that a certain George Ayitey Addoquaye, contrary to laid down rules undergirding the process of bidding for contracts, was awarded two different contracts after presenting two bids with two different companies.
It turned out however that the two companies, Gaddompey Enterprise and Ricochet Company Limited which won bids totalling 17.9 million cedis and awarded by the regional tender board, belonged to him from a search made at Registrar-General’s Department.
A response of the Ministry of Youth and Sports to the Chronicle’s questionnaire disclosed that Gaddopompey was awarded contracts to supply 125 athletic pennants. 125 boxing pennants and 60 souvenil (sic) boxing gloves.
The other contract involved the provision of 100 pieces each of Locos “T” Shirts, Socks, Neck Ties, White “T” Shirts and 20 pieces of Ladies Blouse all totalling 17.9 million cedis.
According to the Ministry, Addoquaye’s companies managed to stave off opposition from two different companies from each bid to win the two.
Another contract to provide 80 pairs of jumpers and shorts, 10 boxing pants, 100 ceremonial track suits costing 58 million cedis was awarded to Jonathan AddoAryee Mingle a long time, sports wear manufacturer and close pal of ex-Minister, Hon. Enock Teye Mensah.
In all over 13 companies offered bids for the contract with at leat two each bidding for one contract.
“Interestingly the response of the Ministry does not list any company as having offered a bid for the abovementioned contract,” the paper said.
Mr Enock Teye has not responded to Chronicle’s enquiries sent to him over two weeks ago.
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Kufuor for All
“Kufuor For All,” seems to be the clear message of millions of Ghanaians who lined the streets last weekend as the President went through three regions to Kumasi and back, reports ‘The Statesman’.
The three-day visit to Oseikrom afforded President J.A. Kufuor the opportunity to reach out to Muslims, Christians and traditionalists with his message of thanks.
For the people, it was an opportunity to catch a glimpse of the man they voted into the presidency and to renew their confidence in him. This they did in style.
All the way from Accra, through towns in the Eastern Region to the Ashanti capital and back, millions lined the highway to hail him.
Puncturing the air with the ‘asee ho’ slogan which has come to represent the power of the thumb and of the vote, the crowds burst onto the streets, thumbs shot out, and pointed downward to indicate whom they voted for – Kufuor and the NPP.
Explosions of joy in a renewal of the people’s confidence was aptly described by scenes on the Accra-Kumasi highway, as crowds rushed from their homes at the noise of the siren, to herald the President’s approach. Some tried to obstruct the convoy as they threw themselves spread-eagled in front of the motorcade while the women spread their cloths on the road and typical of him, the President slowed down the convoy at all such points sending the crowds into frenzy.
Kumasi, the story said, never seems to have witnessed Mr Kufuor’s kind of arrival, as homes were emptied of their tenants, who spent hours in the scorching sun, climbing every available tree or pole to take a look at the President.
“Crowds gathered along every route on which the President passed for the entire three days his trip lasted, and every inch of space at every forum he showed up was taken up,” it said.
The high point of his trip to Kumasi was on Saturday, when President Kufuor visited Kejetia to familiarise himself with the 15 billion rehabilitation project.
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J.J. Rawlings turned away
The daily Guide says intelligence reports reaching it indicate that ex-President Jerry John Rawlings was advised to stay clear of the Akwasidae Festival last Sunday in Kumasi.
Former President Rawlings had spent the previous night in Kumasi on his way to Accra from Sunyani where he attended the funeral of Mrs Cecilia Johnson’s father, Opanyin Anthony Kwadwo Gyimah last weekend.
The ex-President Rawlings who was said to have experienced very cold reception in Sunyani, where his presence was not even recognised, drove to Kumasi with the intention of spending the night over, and showing his presence at the Manhyia Palace on the celebration of Akwasidae.
However, the National Security advised Manhyia to ask Rawlings not to be at the celebration for his won safety and security.
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‘8 billion cedis tax evasion’ saga
The over 8 billion cedis tax evasion saga involving ex-President J.J. Rawlings’ bossom buddy, Marwan Traboulsi and his company, Air Ghana would soon be made public according to a story carried by ‘The Crusading Guide’.
Mr Akuffo, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), made this promise to the paper on Friday.
He said the IRS in the new era would do everything possible, without fear or favour to get to the bottom of the matter.
Mr Akuffo’s promise was made in the face of doubts of the paper as to the preparedness of IRS to cooperate and furnish it with the findings of their (IRS’s) investigations into the AIR GHANA over 8 billion cedis evasion saga.
The Crusading Guide about three years ago first broke the news on Air Ghana’s tax evasion.
It found to its utter amazement that the IRS had very little information on the Air Ghana operations and therefore furnished firm with relevant and documentary evidence that could help in the investigation of Air Ghana.
Unfortunately, for three years now the IRS has failed to tell what it had gotten out of its findings.
Last August, ‘The Crusading Guide’ in seeking answers from the just (unofficially) “dismissed” IRS Commissioner, Mr David Adom on the tax evasion matter met with a wall.
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How Afrifa, Felli, Others were buried
The Evening News says twenty-two years after their lives three former heads of state and their colleagues were terminated, few clues are now emerging as to how they.
Gen. I.K. Acheampong, Gen. Fred Akuffo, Lt-Gen A.A. Afrifa, Major-Gen E.K. Utuka, Maj-Gen Robert Kotei, Colonel Roger Felli, Air Vice Marshal Yaw Boakye and Rear Admiral Joy Amedume were in June 1979 blindfolded tied to stakes at Teshie Military Range and sprayed with bullets.
Their offences included the acquisition or obtaining of loans, properties, material, promise, favours or advantages whatsoever by abuse or exploits by virtue of their official position in the public service.
Joy Amedume was indeed, accused of taking 50,000 cedis (Fifty thousand cedis) bank loan.
Their death, the popular notion had been that they were given a mass burial at Nsawam and that the site could not even be traced.
But the current Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mr Richard Kuure, dismissed that notion in a JOY FM radio programme in Accra last week, disclosing that the slain men were buried in makeshift coffins provided by the Prisons authorities.
He said the Prison Service had no hand in the executions but were there when the bodies were brought to them at Nsawam for burial with no clear reasons given as to why the bodies should be brought to them.
The Prison boss could, however not tell whether any form of religious ceremony was performed before they were buried.
He said in the face of current agitations that the former gallant men of the Armed Forces must be given a decent burial, the prisons authorities would assist in that respect.
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More workers to go home
The Ghana Palaver writes that The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is implementing its version of the infamous ‘Apollos 568’ programme in Government establishment, but in some cases in the quiet.
Among the latest chief executives asked to “go home” are Mr. J.H. Newman, Cocoa Board, Col. G.K. Gbikpi, National Lotteries, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and Ms Sherry Aryittey, GIHOC Distilleries.
According to sources close to government, there is a frantic hunt-down of other officials in top positions in the Ministries and other parastatal organisations, who will either be forced to go on early retirement or even dismissed on flimsy excuses.
“The developments are creating panicky situations in these departments, where men in top positions feel insecure as searching eyes are turned on them when the “new rulers” pass by their offices”, it said.
Already a plan to send some 2,000 soldiers home in an attempt to prune down the size of the Ghana Armed Forces and also rid the Force of those “suspected” to be “non loyalists”, has been shelved temporarily, according to sources.
The sources maintain that the early “sweet promises” to the soldiers are only “moon-shine”, since the plan would be put into operation, as soon as the present exercise in the government departments is over.
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