Ridge doctors to re-apply
Sunyani School imposes ‘Price Waterhouse’ levy
$13.3 million for ‘Job 600’…Rehabilitation work to resume before end of year
Two murdered in Accra
Poly students caution government on new schools
31st DWM goes on demolition spree
KMA ‘rebels’ lose case…Their hopes dashed
GBA urges government to break silence…
Ridge doctors to re-apply
The Ghanaian Times reports in a banner headline story that the new military administration of the Ridge Hospital in Accra, yesterday issued forms to the doctors at the hospital to re-apply for work The forms, the paper says, bear the inscription "Defence Form C335 June ’65, Application for Civilian Employment with the Ghana Armed Forces". The Times says doctors who are opposed to the military take-over, are to report at the Ministry of Health today for re-posting. Brigadier Seth Twum, Commanding Officer of the Military Hospitals, who is reported as disclosing this, said that the process of handing over ended yesterday and that the military would take full charge of the Ridge Hospital today. He said those who were ready to work under the military would be bound to abide by the code of service discipline of the Ministry of Defence, since the hospital would now be under the authority of the Defence Ministry.
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Sunyani School imposes ‘Price Waterhouse’ levy
In a second story, the Times says the authorities of the Holy Family Primary and Junior Secondary Schools in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region, have imposed on parents, fees based on the salary levels of the Price Waterhouse report, to settle arrears of teachers arising out of the implementation of the Price Waterhouse report on salaries. The paper says parents are to 22,500 cedis for each child, adding that with the school’s population of 500, 11.25 million cedis is expected to accrue from the levies. According to the Times, a letter to the parents signed by the head of the school, the Reverend Sister Yvonne, stated that ‘being aware of the Price Waterhouse report and government’s directive for increase in salaries with due arrears due as from January, 1999, it has become necessary for an increment in school fees of 22,500 cedis per child for the academic session’. The letter indicated that the last date for payment was August 5, with a warning that failure to comply would lead to the withholding of the results of pupils concerned. The Times, however, says its investigations have revealed that even though most parents have paid, they did so under duress and are fuming with indignation at the decision of the school.
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$13.3 million for ‘Job 600’…Rehabilitation work to resume before end of year
The lead story in the Daily Graphic says the World Bank has released $13.3 million to Ghana to enable the country to resume rehabilitation on the State House Tower Block popularly called ‘Job 600’. Dr S.B. Arthur, consultant to the Parliamentary Service, who is reported as announcing this, said with the grant from the bank, work on the project will resume before the end of the year. The rehabilitation project has remained at a standstill since 1996, due to financial constraints. When completed, the Tower Block will have offices for MPs, committee rooms, library and resource centres, among other facilities. According to Dr Arthur, the rehabilitation of the Parliament House complex, otherwise known as the State House complex, began in 1992 with the conversion of the conference hall into a chamber for MPs, an office for the Speaker and a Banquet Hall. The World Bank, Dr Arthur said, requested a re-appraisal of the project, which was undertaken by an Accra consulting firm. The bank then formally responded to the re-appraisal and offered to support the project as part of the general programme to strengthen democracy and good governance.
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Two murdered in Accra
In another front page story, the Graphic says barely 24 hours after the Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) raised concerns about recent murders in Accra, residents woke up yesterday to a rude shock of two alleged murders in two suburbs in the metropolis. The paper says a yet to be identified lady, who is fair in complexion and believed to be in her 20’s, was found dead at Mataheko at about 5 a.m. Another victim, Mr Jonathan Acheampong believed to be in his late 50’s, was found dead in his living room at Mamprobi. The Graphic says Mr Acheampong, co-owner of SAGES Electrical Construction, was alleged to have been gagged while the hands and the legs were tied. His white Toyota Corona saloon car, was said to have been driven away while two personal computers, three television sets and some other electrical gadgets.
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The Weekend Statesman
Poly students caution government on new schools
The Weekend Statesman reports that the Ghana National Union of Polytechnic Students (GNUPS) has appealed to the government to exercise restraint in its plan to establish new polytechnics in Ghana. The paper says in a communiqué issued at its 22nd annual delegates’ congress, the union said that while it is not against the constitutional provisions of making higher education accessible to Ghanaians, it opposes the conversion of existing technical institutions into polytechnics. The communiqué is quoted as saying that what needs to be done is to expand the existing infrastructure of the polytechnics to boost their student intake. "GNUPS suggests that the existing infrastructure in polytechnics should be expanded and in a situation where a new polytechnic should be opened, this should not be done at the expense of existing technical institutes", the communiqué is quoted as saying. The students, the paper says, expressed concern over the uncertain future of the Higher National Diploma (HND) graduates in relation to their academic progression and urged the government to establish post-HND programmes in some selected polytechnics with the necessary resources
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Free Press
31st DWM goes on demolition spree
In a screaming front-page headline story, the Free Press reports that at 600 Ghanaian residents and mechanics in the South East McCarthy Hill area of Gbawe, a suburb of Accra, face the possibility of losing their homes and workshops today, October 1, 1999. The paper says this so if the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM) carries out its threat to demolish all structures around the Brick and Tile factory, which it has acquired in the name of Caridem Development Company Limited. The paper says according to the ‘horrified’ and ‘astounded’ residents, who pleaded anonymity , they acquired the land through the chief of Gbawe, who promised to formulate their agreement in the year 2001, after the lapse of the lease agreement between the Gbawe stool and the government for the Brick and Tile factory built about 50 years ago. The Free Press says the residents maintained that based on the assurance of the chief, they constructed fitting and machine shops, sawmills and chop bars, which offer training and employment to the people. According to them, they were therefore shocked to find a quit notice on their shops and houses from Caridem Development Company Limited on August 24, this year, ordering them to remove their belonging and leave the land on or before September 6, this year. The exercise, according to the quit order, is to enable a real estate development company to undertake a housing project. The paper says the quit order was ironically, signed by a ‘nameless’ chief executive of the company.
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KMA ‘rebels’ lose case…Their hopes dashed
The Ghana Palaver says reports reaching the paper indicate that on September 16, Mr Justice A.K.J. Abadah, presiding over a Kumasi High Court, dismissed the interim injunction sought by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) ‘rebels’. including Mr Agyeman Pambuor, Assemblyman for Santasi electoral area. The paper says as if by coincidence, it was the same day that Dr R.W. Anane, MP for Bantama alleged being assaulted by Nana Akwasi Agyeman, the Metropolitan Chief Executive. The Palaver says according to the ‘rebels’, the KMA was not properly constituted and therefore could not vote on the ‘confidence’ motion brought against Nana Akwasi Agyeman, or indeed conduct any business at all. The paper says in a terse one paragraph judgement, the judge ruled that ‘the motion for interim injunction is dismissed since it is apparent that the assembly as at today, September 6, is made up of 28 and no longer 29 members". The Palaver says it would appear that it was this decision of the judge that precipitated the series of action that resulted in Dr Anane finding himself in the vicinity of the KMA premises at a time when rumours were rife that a mob was on its way to physically remove Nana Akwasi Agyeman from office. The paper says this eventually resulted in the confrontation in which Dr Anane alleged being physically assaulted by the KMA boss.
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The Ghanaian Chronicle
GBA urges government to break silence…
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) is reported as calling on the government, as a matter of urgency and in the name of peace, to break its silence on the acquisition of the controversial presidential jet. In a back-page story, the Ghanaian Chronicle reports Mr Joseph Ebow Quarshie, President of the GBA as saying at the association’s general meeting in Kumasi that for peace to prevail in Ghana, the government should explain its position on pertinent issues and ease tension on the national front. He said the tension on the campuses, police brutalities, Price Waterhouse report and the spate of armed robberies need to be addressed. The paper says Mr Quarshie wondered whether the objectives of the ‘Vision 2020’ could be achieved if students could not receive better education in the tertiary institutions. The GBA president, the Chronicle says, urged the government to find a lasting solution to the issues at stake and avoid resorting to ad-hoc measures.
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