The Statesman

"Justice Annan and Parliament on Trial" says a front-page banner headline of the Statesman.The paper says Parliament begins its Third Meeting of the Second Session today under a cloud of suspicion and credibility problems. It said with the refusal of the Legislature to debate the alleged $5m bribe deal between the late Abacha and Rawlings fresh in the public's mind, national attention will be exceptionally focused on the House on Thursday when the House reconvenes for the formal opening of the Session.With the opposition boycotting all activities which were linked to the 31st December Revolution, the paper looked at a situation where the opposition may stay at home to signal its determination to check the growing waywardness and indiscipline of the ruling NDC. In another front-page story, "Akwasi Agyeman in trouble", the paper said the controversial Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive is likely to be removed as the political head of the Kumasi Metropolitan Area.According to the paper, allegation level against Nana Akwasi Agyeman by some chiefs, members of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, parliamentarians and a section of the public coupled with negative press may finally be taking their toll.NDC source told the paper that the Serious Fraud Office is being urged to investigate allegation of diversion of heavy duty tyres belonging to the KMA by Nana Akwasi Agyeman for his own private construction business and deals in the purchase of refuse containers for use by the Waste Management Department of the KMA from a Lebanese company based in Kumasi. Other areas to be investigated include multi billion cedi contract awarded for the rehabilitation of the Prempeh Assembly Hall, and practices of paying full contract sums even before the projects are completed.  

Ghana Palaver 

In a headline: "NPP to boycott Parliament" the Palaver referred to the NPP as the tribal group that parades the length and breadth of the country as a party, saying that the NPP is to boycott the official opening of Parliament on Thursday, January 14."Far from raising an eyebrow, political pundits believe that the action would be in line with the party's ossified posture of resorting to boycotts anytime it cannot have its way" the paper said.

 The Daily Graphic

"Fate of 71 students in a fix", says the Daily Graphic in its front-page lead. The paper reports that the fate of 71 final year students of the Manya Kpongunor Presbyterian JSS in the Manya Krobo District, hangs in a balance as their headmaster, Mr. William Appiah Boateng, is alleged to have embezzled 800,000 cedis being their registration fees for the Basic Education Certificate Examination in August, last year.The Paper quoted the MP for Manya as saying that his investigations have confirmed that because of the embezzlement, the students could not meet the deadline of December 18, last year for the registration.

The Ghanaian Times

"Traders hike prices" is a front-page headline in the Times. The story says some traders and shop owners in Accra are taking advantage of the re-introduction of the Valued Added Tax (VAT) to increase prices of their goods.Others have also pasted photocopies of the VAT certificates in their shop instead of the original one while others have hidden their contrary to the VAT law.According to the paper, this came to light when the officials of the VAT Service went round to assess how traders were responding to the implementation of the tax.

The Independent 

"Dark Clouds . Bad start for Gov't, Opposition".The paper reports that President Rawlings by his ex-tempore speeches is a time bomb waiting to explode and destroy the peace and stability known about Ghana. According to the paper, the president's two major speeches on 31st December, 1998 and 7th January 1999, not only re-opened old wounds but further deepened the chasm between Government and the country's opposition.While the Supreme Court of Ghana has ruled that December 31st as a military event cannot be observed as a public holiday, President Rawlings has not ceased observing the day through military parades cleverly designed as part of the Fourth Republic celebrations.The opposition has chosen to ignore activities connected with the day and as such boycotted the sixth anniversary of the Fourth Republic.

The Crusading Guide 

The paper in a front-page splash says: Fall-out from the El-Walk Drama J.J. must be medically examined. The paper says the incoherent, unfocused and venomous nature of the speech delivered by President Jerry John Rawlings on December 31, last year, has attracted a lot of comments from a cross-section of the population. The Crusading Guide says perhaps, by way of defending the President, the state-owned Daily Graphic reported in its January 1, 1999 edition that President Rawlings was unwell suffering from Plus 2 malaria. The paper says subjecting the contents of the Graphic report to strict scrutiny, Mr Kwesi Pratt Junior, Publisher of the Weekly Insight= and deputy General Secretary of the Convention Party (CP), has proposed that a medical board of inquiry be set up to ascertain the fitness of the President to remain in office because it is a very grave matter. If you have an incoherent President who cannot string words together and who cannot remember simple things like out-dooring, then this country is heading for a very serious crisis and we need to examine all aspects of the allegation of malaria in order to establish his fitness to continue in office=94, Mr Pratt is reported as saying  

In a second front page story headlined: After 15 years in exile in Togo Flying Officer Dong is dead! the Crusading Guide reports that a retired Ghanaian Flying Officer who claimed he was refused medical care by the local office of the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR in Lome, has finally given up the ghost. The paper says the retired Flying Officer, 45-year-old Dong James Yibarah, who was reduced to the size of a broomstick by a strange disease that afflicted him in February, last year, decided to return home when he realised that he had been abandoned to his fate. It is better to die with the remaining honour left in me than to remain in Tchekpo Dedekpo village in Togo and die lie a dog, he is reported as telling friends who contributed monies and other donations for his agonising and risky journey back to Ghana. The retired Flying Officer is reported to have died at Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region, on his way to his hometown, Sankawa, in the Upper West Region.

The Guide 

24-hour police guard over Bosumtwi-Sam's grave, is the screamer on the front page of the Guide. The accompanying story says the late Albert Bosumtwi-Sam, former deputy Minister of the Interior, has fully established his credentials as a man of controversy both in life and in death. According to the Guide, Bosumtwi-Sam was considered in life as a ruthless tormentor of the private media but a powerful and outspoken member of the ruling NDC government. The paper says the former deputy Interior Minister had a rough relationship with his wife and crowned it all with a controversial will, adding that the dust has not yet settled over his last will and testament as President Jerry Rawlings has promised =93to do something=94 about it. The paper says the latest issue which has arisen after the demise of Bosumtwi-Sam is that the Sekondi Police in the Western Region, have mounted a 24-hour guard over his grave at the Sekondi public cemetery, following reports that certain persons have planned to vandalise and desecrate the tomb  

The Graphic Sports 

Harry is Joking=is the lead story of the Graphic Sports. The paper says one of the key men in the Yaw Sakyi transfer scandal, has stated that he will, at the right time, produce evidence to prove that he paid $20,000 to Mr. Harry Zakkour, Chief Executive of Accra Hearts of Oak. I will move heaven and earth to defend and protect my integrity. For security reasons, I can=92t disclose a lot to the press now. I have already given a statement to the on the scandal to the police in Kumasi and I=92m waiting for the day the matter will go to court,=94 the paper quoted Coach Abubakar Ouattara as saying in an interview. 

The Coach, the paper said was reacting to a story published in the 8 to 11 January edition of the Graphic Sports in which Hearts and Harry Zakkour, in separate statement, categorically denied transferring Yaw Sekyi to a club in Germany with a forged certificate.