GRi Newsreel Ghana 05 - 01 - 2001
About 640 parliamentary candidates lose
deposits
Elizabeth Ohene named Kufuor’s adviser on
public affairs
Media watchdog announces board members of
state-owned media
ECOWAS says thank
you to Rawlings
NPP government asked to ensure peace
Kufuor will be given free hand to operate –
Botwe
Constituencies and electoral areas to be
re-demarcated
Pregnant woman murdered
for rituals
Ex-chief's palace
vandalised at Twifu-Mampong
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 January 2000
The committee overseeing preparations for the inauguration of Ghana’s President elect, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor as the fifth elected leader of the country are putting finishing touches to discussions with representatives of both the incoming and outgoing administration speaking of a high level of co-operation.
Professor Adzei Bekoe, Chairman of the Inauguration Committee, said discussions are far advanced to ensure a successful event on Sunday. It will be the first time in the 43-year history of the country that one elected government will be handing over power to another.
Outgoing President Jerry John Rawlings’s mandatory eight-year two terms of office end on the midnight of January 6. He has been in power for almost two decades.
The occasion will also see the inauguration of a 200-member legislature, in which the incoming government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) now holds 100 seats and the outgoing National Democratic Congress has 92, with the rest shared among two smaller parties and independent candidates.
Mrs Cecilia Djan Amoah, widow of Professor Philip Kofi Amoah, the NPP Parliamentary candidate who died a few days before the December 7, 2000 general elections, on Wednesday won the Asutifi South seat for the party. The election in that constituency was postponed because of the death of her husbands.
Meanwhile, sources close to the inaugural committee said eight Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have confirmed their participation in Sunday's inauguration.
Though the source declined to disclose their names, it said the list might include President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo, Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, Omar Bongo of Cameroon, Alpha Omar Konare of Mali, Charles Taylor of Liberia or his representative and President Mathieu Kereku of Benin.
The source said there would be representatives from Australia, Germany and the UK.
Already, a six-member Nigerian government delegation led by Dr Dele Cole, special adviser to President Olusengun Obasanjo on foreign relations, is in Accra to witness the event.
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About 640 parliamentary candidates lose
deposits
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 January 2001
Six hundred and forty-one parliamentary candidates who contested the December 7 election lost their deposits as they failed to obtain the minimum 12.5 per cent of valid votes cast to qualify for refund.
This represents about 60 per cent of the 1,063 candidates who contested the parliamentary election, according to a Ghana News Agency (GNA) analysis of the results. The 641 candidates together lost 128.2 million cedis to the state.
The analysis also showed that only the two presidential candidates who contested the second round of the election on December 28 - Mr John Agyekum Kufuor and Vice President John Atta Mills - qualified for a refund.
The five others lost five million cedis each for failing to obtain 25 per cent of the valid votes cast in the first round.
They are Mr Dan Lartey of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Prof. George Hagan of the Convention People's Party (CPP), Dr Edward Mahama of the People's National Convention (PNC), Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby of the United Ghana Movement (UGM) and Mr Goosie Tanoh of the National Reform Party (NRP).
According to the electoral laws: "If a candidate fails to obtain 25 per cent of the total valid votes cast at the presidential election, he or she forfeits the deposit to the state."
The laws state that "a parliamentary candidate must obtain 12.5 per cent of the valid votes cast for a refund of deposit."
During the filing of nomination on September 14 and 15, the seven presidential candidates deposited five million cedis each while each parliamentary candidate deposited 200,000 cedis.
The statistics indicated that four out of the 200 candidates fielded by the out-going NDC government failed to obtain the mark while 33 NPP candidates out of 197 fielded failed to obtain the 12.5 per cent votes cast.
For the CPP, 170 out of 191 candidates lost their deposits while for the NRP 163 out of 171 candidates lost.
The figures show that 136 out of PNC's 143 candidates won less than the 12.5 per cent of the votes while 99 of UGM's 103 candidates lost their deposits.
They also show that 35 of the 55 candidates who contested as independents failed to make the mark while the only candidate of EGLE and all three of GCPP also failed to obtain the 12.5 per cent.
The GNA analysis includes candidates who withdrew after the ballot papers and related elections notices had been printed.
The Electoral Regulations state that the name of such a candidate will remain on the ballot papers and related notices and he/she will lose the deposit paid at the time of nominations.
A regional analysis showed Ashanti, which recorded the highest number of candidates also, saw the highest number losing their deposits. It showed that 109 out of 175 candidates could not make the 12.5 per cent mark.
Upper West recorded the lowest parliamentary contestants of 36 candidates and recorded the lowest number of those who lost their deposits. Twenty candidates obtained less than 12.5 per cent vote cast.
Others are Western - 40 candidates, Northern - 79, Volta - 71, Central - 52, Greater Accra - 82, Brong Ahafo - 71, Eastern - 82, and Upper East - 38.
In the 1996 elections, out of a total of 711 parliamentary candidates who contested 300 representing 42 per cent failed to obtain the 12.5 percent of the valid votes cast.
All the 199 candidates fielded by the NDC had more than the 12.5, while of the NPP's 168 candidates, 26 had less that the 12.5 percent.
The rest are PCP (67 out of 100 candidates), PNC (103 out of 120), EGLE (three out of four), DPP (four out of five), Independent (30 out of 48).
All the 66 candidates fielded by the NCP and the only one by the GCPP failed to obtain the 12.5 per cent of the valid votes cast in 1996.
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Elizabeth Ohene named Kufuor’s adviser on
public affairs
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 January 2001
Ms Elizabeth Ohene, a veteran journalist and one-time editor of the Daily Graphic, was on Thursday appointed as Adviser on Public Affairs to President-elect John Agyekum Kufuor.
A statement signed by Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Campaign Manager of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), said Ms Ohene will be responsible for all media activities of the president-elect. "She will be responsible for all statements issued on behalf of the president-elect, " it said.
The statement said Ms Ohene, who worked for many years in London with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), has accepted the appointment.
The NPP appealed to media practitioners to "confirm with her any stories on the in-coming administration they wish to publish or broadcast".
Ms Ohene comes from Abutia in the Volta Region. She attended Mawuli School and did her degree course at the University of Ghana, Legon.
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Media watchdog announces board members of
state-owned media
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 January 2001
The National Media Commission (NMC) on Thursday named the new board members of state-owned media houses.
A statement signed by Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, Executive Secretary of NMC said the appointments were done in consultation with the Head of State.
The appointments are for two years. The statement said the inauguration of the boards would be done at the respective premises of the media houses from January 9 to January 12.
The New Times Corporation (NTC) board will be inaugurated on January 9, the Ghana News Agency (GNA) board on January 10, the Graphic Communications Group (GCG) board on January 11 and Ghana Broadcasting Corporation(GBC) board on January 12.
The members of the various boards are:
Ghana News Agency;
Mrs Georgina Baiden (Chairperson)
Ms Audrey Gadzekpo
Mr Samuel Loving Asiedu
Mr Sulemanu Alhassan
Ms Mariam Agyeman-Gyasi
Mr Fred Oware
Mr Robert Kafui Johnson, General Manager of GNA.
Ghana Broadcasting Corporation;
Professor George Benneh Chairman
Mr Idris Egala
Ms Dorothy Gordon
Ms Esther Ofori
Mr A. A. Can-Tamakloe
Mr Kabral Blay-Amihere
Mr A. T. D. Okine
The Director General of GBC;
Graphic Communications Group Limited
Mr Alex Quamyne (Chairman)
Mr Herbert Morrison
Mr Joseph B. Yegbe
Rev. David A. Dartey
Mrs J. Quarcoopome
Prof. Akua Kuenyehia
Baafour Agyeman-Duah
Nana Amba Eyiaba
Managing Director of Graphic Communications Group
New Times Corporation;
Mr Andrews Evans-Quayson (Chairman)
Mrs H. A. N. Mensah-Bonsu
Mr Kwame Gyasi
Mr Joseph Allotey Pappoe
Mr Emmanuel Adoayl Addo
Mr Napoleon Kpoh
Mr Kojo Yankah
Mrs Elizabeth J. Villars
Managing Director, New Times Corporation
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ECOWAS says thank
you to Rawlings
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 January
2001
The Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS) on Thursday expressed its gratitude to President Jerry John
Rawlings, saying his dynamism contributed to the advancement of the 16-nation
sub-regional economic grouping.
ECOWAS said President Rawlings'
personal involvement in peace efforts in the then war-torn Liberia was a
positive factor in ending a war that had claimed tens of thousands of lives and
turned many more into refugees.
Mr Lansana Kouyate, Executive
Secretary of ECOWAS, who was sent by the Chairman of the community, President
Alpha Konare, expressed these sentiments.
"On behalf of President
Konare, I would like to say thank you for what you have done for West Africa
and for ECOWAS," he said. "I
am usually not emotional but today I am because of what you have done for
ECOWAS."
President Rawlings served for two
consecutive times as ECOWAS chairman in the heat of the Liberian civil war.
Many peace talks were held in Accra and Akosombo to help end the bloodshed.
President Rawlings leaves office
on Sunday after ending his second four-year term as head of state of Ghana.
Mr Kouyate also mentioned President
Rawlings's role in Sierra Leone, the output of Ghanaian troops, the President's
active support for the fast track policy to advance the policies of ECOWAS and
said: "we are grateful."
"Without your personal
involvement, the fast track policy, mooted by Ghana and Nigeria, would not have
taken off," he said.
Mr. Kouyate also briefed President
Rawlings on peace efforts in Sierra Leone and said the Revolutionary United
Front (RUF) is ready to hand over its positions to UN peacekeeping troops.
"But UN troops cannot occupy
those positions because it does not have troops following the withdrawal of
Indian and Jordanian troops.
"The peace process is
gathering momentum but if we do not take the chance, the opportunity will be
lost", he said.
President Rawlings said he hoped
the in-coming administration would continue from where his government is
leaving.
"People did not believe we
will leave office. We have a strong
sense of justice," he said.
Mr. Victor Gbeho, out-going
Foreign Minister said, "it is our hope that ECOWAS will grow from strength
to strength." He added: "there is no doubt that we will
succeed."
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NPP government asked to ensure peace
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 January 2001
The incoming government of the New Patriotic Party was on Wednesday, asked to set up committees in conflict areas like Bawku, to resolve all outstanding issues, which could result in further disturbances.
A release by the Foundation for Peace and Development signed by Mr Frankie Asare Donkor, Executive Director, expressed the hope that the President-elect, Mr J A Kufuor, would move quickly to find ways of healing wounds and uniting the country.
The foundation congratulated Mr Kufuor on his elevation as the next President of Ghana, the Electoral Commission (EC), and all the political parties for ensuring peaceful elections.
It urged Ghanaians to be honest in all their endeavours to promote the required peaceful atmosphere for national reconstruction, cohesion and development.
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Hwidiem (Brong Ahafo) 05 January 2001
Mrs Cecilia Djan Amoa of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Wednesday won the Asutifi South parliamentary election with 8,220 votes.
She beat the incumbent, Alhaji Colllins Dauda of the National Democratic Party (NDC) who had 7,670 votes.
Mr Alex Osei Amankwa, the candidate for the Convention People's Party (CPP) had 16 votes, while Mr Kwabena Yeboah of the People's National Convention (PNC), had nine, with Mr Alfred Osei Nkrumah of the National Reform Party (NRP), polling 23 votes.
Mrs. Amoah who was widely tipped to win the seat replaced her late husband, Professor Philip Kofi Amoah, who died suddenly a few days before the December 7, 2000 elections.
Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission, who was at the constituency to observe the election with top officials of the commission, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election.
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Kufuor will be given free hand to operate –
Botwe
Hwidiem (Brong Ahafo) 05 January 2001
Mr. Dan Botwe, General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), on Wednesday assured Ghanaians that the party would give President-elect John Agyekum Kufuor a free hand to operate as an executive president.
"The party will only make suggestions to Mr. Kufuor and will not impose its will on him."
Mr. Botwe was speaking to the Ghana News Agency after the declaration of the results of the postponed parliamentary election in the Asutifi South constituency at Hwidiem.
The sudden death of the NPP's parliamentary candidate, Professor Philip Kofi Amoah, a few days to the December 7 election necessitated the postponement of the election.
Mrs. Cecilia Gyan Amoah, widow of the Prof. Amoah, who replaced him, polled 8,220 votes to win the election.
The incumbent MP, Alhaji Collins Dauda of the NDC, obtained 7,670 votes to place second among five contestants.
Mr Botwe gave the assurance that the party would make sure that it does not unduly interfere in the day-to-day administration of the state by the president.
Mr. Botwe noted that, for the NPP to clinch victory in both the presidential and parliamentary elections "shows the popularity it is currently enjoying with the Ghanaian populace".
"It is, therefore, imperative that we work around the clock to meet the expectations and aspirations of the people to justify the confidence they have reposed in us."
He said that though by the 100th day of its governance, the NPP government would have consolidated itself, it would, however, be a short period for Ghanaians to judge its achievements.
On ministerial appointments, Mr. Botwe said that the exercise "is the prerogative of the President-elect and the party will not impose anybody on him".
Mr. Botwe thanked the electorate in the Asutifi South constituency for electing the party's 100th MP in the 200-member legislature.
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Constituencies and electoral areas to be
re-demarcated
Hwidiem (Brong Ahafo) 05 January 2001
Boundaries of the 200 constituencies and about 16,000 electoral areas will be re-demarcated this year, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) announced on Wednesday.
Speaking to newsmen at Hwidiem after declaring the results of the Asutifi South parliamentary election, he said he could not say how many constituencies and electoral areas the country would have after the demarcation.
He said a number of factors, including the recent population census figures and economic and social infrastructure, would be taken into consideration. Dr Afari-Gyan also announced that elections to the district assemblies would be held next year.
Mr Yahaya Mahama, Brong Ahafo Regional Deputy Director of the Commission, explained that the demarcations followed requests by some traditional leaders.
He said the commission would examine such requests on their merit and recommend to government for approval.
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Pregnant woman
murdered for rituals
Tamale (Northern Region) 05
January 2001
A 28 year-old pregnant woman at Nakpanduri
in the East Mamprusi district, Miss Deborah Jato was allegedly murdered on
December 22, last year by the medical assistant of the Local Assemblies of God
clinic, for rituals.
The suspect, Gabriel Kwao Boso,
allegedly killed Miss Jato, seven months pregnant, and cut her body into 179
parts before burying them together with the skeleton in a septic tank.
The Northern Regional Crime
Officer, Mr. Joseph Kwame Fosu, who briefed the GNA in Tamale on Thursday, said
Boso painstakingly removed every flesh of the deceased, leaving her skeleton.
Her brain matter, liver, heart,
breast, navel, genitals, internal organs, collarbone and part of her ribs were
missing.
Mr. Fosu said the death of Miss
Jato so infuriated the youth of the town that they burnt down the palace of
their chief, as well as the houses of five other people suspected to be part of
the alleged ritual murder.
A combined team of the police and
military was dispatched to the area to maintain law and order.
Meanwhile, Boso has been remanded
in police custody at Gambaga pending further investigations.
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Cuba Honours Capt. Tsikata
Accra (Greater Accra) 05 January
2001
Cuba on Thursday conferred one of
its highest honours "The Solidarity Award" on Captain Kojo Tsikata
(RTD), former Member of the Council of State, for his dedication to the
liberation struggle of the African continent.
The Cuban Ambassador Mr Jose Perel
Novoa, who presented the award in Accra, described Capt. Tsikata as "a man
whose life has been characterised by international solidarity.
"You have been and are a man
whose life has been characterised by international solidarity and many a
country can speak about your dedication and willingness to contribute to a just
and dignified life for the people.
"You are a man who has
dedicated his life to the struggle for national liberation of the people of
Africa and other parts of the world," a citation accompanying the award
said.
In accepting the honour, Capt.
Tsikata said Ghana and Cuba share cultural and historic bonds that have been
deepened by "Cuban martyrs for the liberation of Africa.
"It is with these sentiments
that I receive this award, and to share it with African martyrs, especially the
young ones who laid down their lives for the liberation struggle of
Africa," he added.
He praised the role of Cuban
leader Fidel Castro, as an example of the struggle of third world countries to
maintain their independence and sovereignty.
Capt. Tsikata was awarded one of
Cuba's highest decorations "The Order Of Carlos Manuel De Cespedes"
in 1995.
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Ex-chief's palace vandalised at
Twifu-Mampong
Twifu-Mampong (Central Region) 05
January 2001
The palace of the late Omanhene of
Twifu-Mampong Traditional Area, Nana Ampontenfi II, was on Tuesday vandalised
and his remains that were interred there allegedly removed.
It was also alleged that the black
stool, palanquin and some stool regalia have been stolen. Nana Ampontenfi died
about five years ago.
The Queenmother, Nana Nyamaa Broni
II, who was assaulted, is on admission at the Assin Fosu Catholic Hospital.
The incident was believed to have
stemmed from a chieftaincy dispute between the Akonfre and Asokwa families over
the outdooring of a new chief.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency,
Mr Fred Afum, a teacher and husband of the queenmother, alleged that five
members of the Akonfre family led 20 policemen and 10 "machomen" to
vandalise the palace.
When the GNA visited the town on
Wednesday, it observed that the doors and windows to the 13-room palace had
been destroyed and the floor of the courtyard of the palace covered with blood
while broken bottles and furniture littered around.
A Nissan Sunny saloon car with
registration number WR 349A parked at the palace and a cocoa shed near the
palace had also been destroyed.
Mr Afum alleged that the incident
followed the refusal of the regent, Nana Kofi Buabin of Asokwa family, to allow
the Akonfre family, which had installed a new Omanhene, under the stool name of
Nana Kojo Entwiwaa II, to enter the palace.
He further alleged that the
police, who had been invited by the Akonfre family from Twifu Praso, fired
warning shots and teargas at members of the Asokwa family who were then
guarding the palace and, in the process, destroyed property and stole some
stool regalia.
Mr Afum took the GNA to inspect
eight destroyed houses and visit their occupants who were assaulted on
suspicion that the 'black stool' was in their custody.
When contacted, Opanyin Kwesi
Addo, head of the Akonfre family, alleged that members of the Asokwa family
prevented them from entering the palace to look for the black stool.
He said the Asokwa members mounted
roadblocks and threw stones at them during a procession through the town.
He said it was as a result of that
the policemen responded by throwing teargas into the midst of the culprits and
apprehended some of them.
Opanyin Addo alleged that it was
after the arrests had been made that they had information that the black stool
had been hidden in the tomb of the late Omanhene and therefore led the police
to the palace to retrieve it.
He explained that, traditionally,
the royal families have a special room at the palace where the black stool and
other regalia are kept. But when they went there, the items could not be found
and so they decided to break the doors to all the rooms in search of the items.
He said they retrieved the stool
from under the coffin containing the remains of the late Omanhene and
thereafter outdoored the new chief.
According to Opanyin Addo, Nana
Buabin has since the death of Nana Ampontenfi refused all attempts to have a new
Omanhene installed even though it is the turn of the Akonfre to do so.
When the Central Regional Police
Commander, Mr Jossie Amofa, was contacted on Thursday, he confirmed the
incident and said investigations were in progress.
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