Paul Osei-Tutu in Accra, reviews the Ghanaian press. The stories have not been verified and therefore we cannot vouch for their accuracy.
'28 drag government to court', says the Daily Graphic in a front page headline. The accompanying story says 28 former employees of the Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, have filed a writ at the Sunyani High Court against the government for the underpayment of their redeployment packages. The paper says the government was sued through the special redeployment office of the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare, and the Attorney-General's. The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration from the court that the end-of-service benefits paid to them by the government did not conform to provisions laid down by the law. They are also seeking an order of the court compelling the government to pay the said end-of-service benefits in conformity with the provisions of the law, and interest at the prevailing rate on the outstanding amount.
In another front page story the Graphic reports that the Ghana Water and Sewerage corporation (GWSC) will, from June this year, introduce a computerised pre-paid water meter for use by its consumers throughout the country. The paper says the introduction of the meter will first begin on a pilot basis in some selected areas in Accra after an intensive public education to enable the GWSC to reduce the extent of non-payment of water tariffs by consumers and to allow them to budget in advance. Mr Charles Anson-Lawson, Director of Public Relations of the Corporation, disclosed this in Accra when he announced measures being taken by GWSC to reduce tariff defaults by consumers.
The Mirror reports inn inside page story that Florence Okine, a 29-year trader , in a typical Mike Tyson fashion, bit off the left thumb of her ex-husband in a fight at the man's new matrimonial home at Madina, near Accra. The paper says Florence, who is on a one-million cedi bail, decided to fight for her right when she thought her husband, Mr Augustine Bassah, a 42-year-old waiter at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra, had not treated her fairly by leaving her unceremoniously for another woman. The Graphic quotes the prosecutor as telling the court that Florence had lived with Augustine in her family house at Dansoman in Accra for seven years. The marriage, according to the prosecution, became sour when Augustine realised that Florence could not bear any child. He therefore left her to marry another woman whom he wedded and went to live with at Madina.
Florence who became embittered by the turn of events, demanded one million cedis from Augustine as rent for the period that he stayed with her at the family house at Dansoman. Augustine paid the money with the understanding that he had nothing to do with Florence anymore. The proesution said on January 12, this year, Florence went to Augustine's matrimonial home at Madina in his absence and brutally assaulted his new wife, Mrs Philomena Bassah and threatened to either kill Augustine or hire others to kill him. On February 7, the prosecution said, Florence again went to he former husband's home at midnight where a scuffle ensued during which she bit Augustine several times on his left thumb Causing severe injury. After the scuffle, separate reports were made by the ex-lovers to the Womenand Juvenile Unit of the Ghana Police Service which took up the case and later referred it to the court. Florence, according to the Mirror, has pleaded not guilty to charges preferred against her. She is to re-appear before the court on March 10.
In a front page story headlined: 'CHRAJ asks for powers to prosecute offenders', the Ghanaian Times reports that the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has called for an amendment of its enabling statute to specifically give it powers of seizure and powers of prosecution.
The paper quotes Dr Kenneth Attafuah, Director of Operations and Chief Investigator of the Commission, as making the call at a garden discussion with members of the media on: 'Corruption and the challenges of national development'. Dr Attafuah, says the Times noted that there was the need for the establishment of a special anti-corruption unit within the Commission with the requisite resource to perform its constitutional and statutory functions of preventing and investigating corruption. 'There must be real governmental readiness and leadership to grapple with the problem. Government must lead by example and commit adequate resources to the Commission to investigate corruption, to educate the public against corruption and to prosecute corruption cases', he is quoted as saying.
The Times in an inside page story, reports that the Ministry of Education has awarded a 22 billion-cedi contract to 25 local publishing companies to provide 4.5 million copies of supplementary readers to primary and junior secondary schools in the country. According to the Times, quoting a statement from the Ministry, this forms part of the ministry's programme to provide reading materials to basic schools to help improve the standard of reading and writing among the students. The statement said representatives of the Ghana Book Publishers' Association, made this known when they called on Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Education to expresstheir gratitude for the major boost for the local publishing and printing industries, which would providwe considerable employment and support to the national economy. The Times says the books are being printed with a seven million-pound sterling grant (free of charge) ffrom the British Department for International Development (DFID).
'Killed over a 1,000-cedi debt', says a front page banner of the Weekly Spectator. The paper says a driver's mate at Asamankese in the Eastern Region, whose name was only given as Eugene, and whose whereabouts is not known, is being sought after by the police for allegedly killing his colleague over a 1,000-cedi debt. Eugene, 24, was said to have strangled Kwame Awuah, 28, for failing to repay the debt. The Weekly Spectator says Eugene had demanded the money to buy kenkey and fish for breakfast on February 14, the fateful day. The paper says Awuah's body has been deposited at the Police Hospital mortuary in Accra for autopsy. Awuah's master, Kwame Duodu and Mohammed Tahiru, vice-chairman of the local branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), who appeared before the Asamankese Community Tribunal on February 15, charged with abetment of crime, have been remanded in prison custody The Weekly Spectator quotes the prosecution as telling the court that Duodu and Tahiru prevented onlookers at the scene of the incident from separating Eugene and Awuah who had engaged in a fight.
'Jerry'spain of leaving office =96 Clinton' is the headline of a story describing a dinner party hosted by the United States President, Bill Clinton, for President Jerry John Rawlings and his entourage, last Wednesday. President Clinton is said to have stated at the party that he empathised with President Rawlings' end of term in office. Clinton said 'I want you all to know I have spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about President Rawlings' political predicament. 'He was elected President by his fellow citizens in 1992. He was re-elected in 1996. He loves his country and he loves being President of his country. His constitution prevents him from running again in 2000. Mr President I feel your pain'. President Clinton is reported to have outlined what seemed like an agenda for the two departing Presidents, 'that they should commit to work on the things that matter to people and their future. To strengthen our democracies, to make education and health care better and more widely available and to protect the environment among other things'.
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The lead story on the front page reads: 'Tony Aidoo is telling lies' =96 Goosie. The story says the spokerman for the Reform Movement, Mr Augustine Goosie Tanoh has dismissed as false the allegation by Dr Tony Aidoo, Deputy Minister of Defence-designate that the Reform Movement had reproduced the NDC manifesto and made it what they termed the 'Reform Agenda'. The Voice says Mr Goosie Tanoh's reaction is in response to Dr Tony Aidoo's claim on a 'Radio Gold' programme that the 'Reform Agenda' is an 'eclectic' cut and paste document derived from the NDC's own manifesto, the draft of which he (Tony Aidoo), gave to Goosie. The paper added that Goosie also reacted by saying that ideas are not the monopoly of anyone person or party. 'The fact that somebody uses ideas similar to yours does not mean that the person copied from you', he is quoted as saying. The paper reports Goosie as saying that when the Reform Movement becomes a political party in May, it will continue to emphasize the need to move away from the politics of personality cult to the politics of ideas and programmes.
The paper carries a story with the heading: 'Ike vrs the people' on its inside pages. According to the story, Ike Quartey, the man who has been terrorising people in the ring for his living, is being terrorised mentally.
The paper says Ike seems not to understand why his countrymen can turn their back on him by openly celebrating in the streets after his fight with De La Hoya., adding that the Ghana Boxing Authority has issued a strongly-worded statement condemning the behaviour. The paper says that many more Ghanaian are rejoicing in their hearts and minds. The African Sports says in as much as it sympathizes with both the GBA and Ike, neither of them has the right to demand or condemn any Ghanaian for what ever they believe in. The paper notes that a section of Ghanaians claim the former champion is arrogant and disrespectful. it It therefore calls on Ike to apologise to all those he may have offended.
The Public Agenda has as its banner headline: 'NDC & REFORM FIGHT OVER CADRES'. The paper says last week's announcement by the NDC that it was holding talks with the Reform Movement for the support of the party's estranged cadres whose support is crucial for the success of the NDC in the next elections. The paper says, however, that there is a counter statement from the Reform Movement dissociating itself from the so-called series of talks. The Reform Movement not only denied holding any talks with the NDC but dismissed the statement as clearly targeted at cadres, whom the paper describes as the driving force behind the Movement. 'It is a scheme by the NDC to confuse and mislead the public', The Public Agenda quotes the Reform Movement as saying. The paper says that a member of the working committee of the Reform Movement Mije Barnor also denied any talks with the NDC on a Radio Gold programme 'Rejoinder' last Friday. Instead information available indicated that the negotiations were rather with a faction of the Reform Movement led by Sam Garba, a former member of the working committee of the breakaway movement and member of the team that negotiated with the NDC until the talks broke down later last year.
'The King is gone!.. Succession sets tongues wagging. Akwasi Agyeman is candidate', says the lead headline story of the Ghanaian Chronicle. The paper says as a routine, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, had gone to bed for a siesta at 3 p.m. with instructions that he should be woken up at 5 p.m., if he was not already up. The Chronicle says like the obedient servants of the King, the valets went to inform the Asantehene that the time he gave them was up, but this time, there was no response. Otumfuo had joined his ancestors. The Chronicle reports that rumours of the death of Otumfuo Opoku Ware had done the rounds previously without substance. The paper says about three years ago, the Asantehene returned from treatment abroad and expressed serious concern about rumours that he had died in London. It says last year, Otumfuo Opoku Ware fell ill and was rushed to London for treatment, reportedly paid for by the government. On his return, he thanked the government for the gesture. According to the Chronicle while in London for treatment, rumours did the rounds that the Asantehene had died. Otumfuo Opoku Ware who reigned for 29 years, was enstooled Asantehene on July 27, 1970.
In another front page story headlined: 'Keta sea eats up Rawlings' home', the Chronicle reports that the family house of President Jerry Rawlings at Keta has been gobbled up by the sea, quoting Torgbui Nyaho Tamakloe, acting President of the Anlo Traditional Council. According to Torgbui Tamakloe, there is no more cordial relationship between the people of Keta, the sea and the lagoon. 'The sea no longer gives the people in the area enough fish but has turned into an =91angry bully', pounding the shores, destroying houses and rendering thousands of residents homeless', he is quoted as lamenting. Torgbui Tamakloe is said to have expressed these sentiments in his welcoming address at a durbar in honour of the new Volta Regional Minister, Alhaji Iddi Seidu, at Keta. According to the paper, Torgbui Tamakloe said the 'mighty Keta Lagoon, which is the greatest fishpond in West Africa, has also dried up, bringing economic activities to a halt'. 'How long shall we allow this brute force from the sea to go unchecked? My grandfather's palace at Keta is miles in there, so also are those of the Aamegashie and James Ocloo families. 'Even the family House of Mr Agbotui, the grandfather of our beloved President, J.J. Rawlings, has not been spared. Is this right? I ask you', he is reported as saying.
The lead headline of the Daily Graphic reads: 'War over GOIL-Two foreign firms vie against workers' The accompanying story says a bidding war over who acquires the 60 per cent government shares in the Ghana Oil Company (GOIL), gathers momentum as a determined management-worker buy-out group submits its final proposals to the Divestiture Implementation Committee. The paper says the war is now among the group =96 Total, a French oil marketing firm and Engen, a South African-Malaysian company. The Graphic quotes Mr Sam Sallas-Mensah, managing consultant to the group as saying in Accra that the group is determined to win the bid so that the GOIL remains the basic and only Ghanaian oil marketing company. Consequently, he said his consultancy services, Sallas-Mensah and Associates, has packaged its business and financial plans which would enable the group to win the =91war'. According to the Graphic a deal has already been clinched between the group and the merchant Bank Ghana Limited, to syndicate funds for the buy-out.
The Ghanaian Times in a story headlined: 'Kumasi thrown into state of mourning', reports that Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region, has been gripped with shock and grief, culminating in a state of mourning. The paper says the people are mourning the death of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, who passed away last Thursday. According to the paper, those who had heard of his death on that day, became saddened and sympathised with the royal family, but those who did not hear about the death went about their business as usual. The Times says the following day when the sad news spread like bushfire, people started to wear mourning cloth, the Manhyia Palace, the seat of the Asantehene, was very quiet and the guards there remained tight-lipped. The paper says Otumduo Opoku Ware's death is a great loss to the Asante kingdom, which celebrated the silver jubilee of his reign in September, 1995.
In another front page story the Times says the queeenmother of Dormaa Traditional Area, Nana Akosua Ansoaa, is reported dead. She is said to have died on Saturday at a Kumasi hospital to which she was rushed after allegedly slashing herself with a knife in a suicide attempt, last Monday. Last Friday the paper reported that Nana Ansoaa had slashed herself many times with a bread knife after she heard that the kingmakers would not support her nomination of her son as the successor to the late Omanhene, Nana Agyeman Badu. She is said to have been first rushed to a hospital at Dormaa Ahenkro for emergency treatment and then transferred to Kumasi.