Scandal rocks Korle-Bu
Robbery victim in cells…Police discover he is a thief
Mystery of Saudi billionaire’s ‘phantom’ offer
MP’s supporters attack ‘patriots’ at meeting
Economy on course…In spite of recent setbacks
No reason for Ohene-Kena’s dismissal
Scandal rocks Korle-Bu
The Daily Graphic reports that the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana’s largest medical institution has been hit by alleged multiple scandals. In a lead story, the Graphic says the allegations border on a baby, whose head was said to have been severed during delivery, a nursing officer of the hospital, who died under questionable circumstances and clandestine deals at the Allied Surgery Wards ‘A’ and ‘B’.
The paper says its findings go contrary to submissions made by the hospital administration in response to the allegations. The Graphic says in the first instance, it gathered that the mother of the baby, Madam Joyce Akotua, a 35-year-old resident of Korle-Gonno in Accra, had to be rushed to the hospital when her conditions worsened after administering a vaginal insertion pill.
The woman herself inserted the pill, prescribed by a medical officer of the hospital, on September 3, this year. According to a source close to the family, complications set in after the insertion and she was rushed to the hospital, where a scan report indicated that she was to be in labour on September 13.
The paper quotes a statement signed by Dr H.A. Holdbrook-Smith, Chef Executive of Korle-Bu as saying the baby was dead before delivery. The statement explained that the baby was rotting in the uterus with its skin peeling off. It is reported that in an effort to deliver the baby quickly to save the life of the mother, the head was separated from the body.
It had to be delivered separately by manual extraction. On the death of the nursing officer, Sister Anita Tamakloe on October 13, this year, the Graphic says investigations indicate that certain drugs were prescribed for the deceased although her medical history has shown that she suffers from drug allergy. Her colleagues, the paper says, contended that this might have played a role in worsening her condition.
Regarding the deals at the Allied Surgery Ward ‘A’ and ‘B’, the Graphic says some unscrupulous persons in the wards, who are in league with certain ‘elements’ outside Korle-Bu, substitute genuine drugs being returned by patients to either the pharmacy or the main dispensary, with expired drugs.
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Robbery victim in cells…Police discover he is a thief
In its top story, the Ghanaian Times reports that the Anti-Armed Robbery Squad of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), has established that Kossi Amengornu, 27, who was reported to have been attacked by armed robbers in a taxi near the Achimota Forest in Accra, is rather a thief.
According to the squad, Kasim Abdulai, owner of an onion farm at Achimota inflicted cutlass wounds he suffered on him, when Amengornu attempted to steal from the farm. The Times in its September 14 issue, quoting a police source, said Kossi claimed to be a passenger on his way from Kade in the Eastern Region to James Town in Accra, to distribute local gin (Akpeteshie).
Kossi said that robbers in a taxi, which he had hired from the Ofankor barrier, attacked him. He said the driver branched into the Achimota Forest area and two other passengers in the car, assaulted and inflicted cutlass wounds on him until he fell unconscious.
He claimed that his assailants stole 350,000 cedis and four gallons of the gin as well. According to the Times, Kossi managed to escape with his wounds and sought assistance from a tea seller, whom he told that he had been robbed. The tea seller stopped a police patrol car, which was passing by, and Kossi was taken to the Police Hospital where he was treated and discharged.
The police however, found out that the ‘omnibus’ vehicle Kossi claimed to have travelled on from Kade to Accra on that day, arrived at 7 a.m. and not 2 a.m. as he indicated. The bus driver could not corroborate Kossi’s story, saying he did not stop at the Ofankor barrier because it is not a designated bus stop.
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Mystery of Saudi billionaire’s ‘phantom’ offer
The Ghanaian Chronicle says a strange story without a source in the state-owned ‘Daily Graphic’ on Wednesday, put a ‘dramatic spin to public anxieties over the current national and international horse trading’ over the Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC), but initial investigations indicate that the story was a ‘diversionary kite’.
The Chronicle says Mr Nicholas Morrell, chief executive of Lonmin the mining conglomerate which are in merger talks with AGC, has stated that he had not heard of any proposal from any Saudi billionaire. He is quoted as saying: "There are a lot of Saudi billionaires about, but they tend to keep to themselves and I don’t know of any such offer. In any case, what are they offering and for what?"
The Chronicle says the ‘Graphic’ reported in a very scanty story with no by-line that Al Waleed, had pledged ‘financial support’ for the Ghanaian government in a move that could block Lonmin’s bid for AGC".
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MP’s supporters attack ‘patriots’ at meeting
In a front-page screamer, the Free Press says the impending parliamentary primaries in the Tema West constituency, seems to be heading towards a big collision following a clash between two splinter NPP groups during an executive meeting.
The paper names the two factions as the ‘Patriots’, believed to be rooting for the candidature of Madam Hawa Yakubu Ogede, an Independent MP in the First Parliament , and the other, comprising the youth in the constituency, who have rallied behind the incumbent MP. Mr Abraham Ossei Aidooh.
According to the Free Press, it was reported that on September 25, this year, an NP executive meeting scheduled to take place at Dr F.T. Donkor’s residence at Community 11, ended in disarray when some thugs, believed to have been hired by Mr Aidooh, stormed the venue, disrupted the meeting and vandalised the residence.
The paper says in the ensuing commotion, Mr Laud Amanor, NPP Ward chairman for Community 5 Railways, was allegedly assaulted and his 16,000 cedis and vital documents, including the birth certificate of his daughter, allegedly carried away by the MP’s followers.
The Free Press says according to Mr Aidooh, the Patriots had convened the meeting to persuade the youth to demonstrate against him the day after the meeting. He is reported to have explained that the Patriots wanted to destroy him and to bring in Madam Hawa Yakubu Ogede. "Infuriated by this, the youth, who strongly supported me, turned on the instigators and beat them up", the MP is quoted as saying.
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Economy on course…In spite of recent setbacks
The Ghana Palaver reports the Minister of Finance, Mr Kwame Peprah, as stating that in spite of the recent setbacks Ghana encountered on account of developments on the world commodity markets, the country’s economic stabilisation programme is well on course.
The Minister is said to have mad the assertion when he delivered the keynote address at the opening of a four billion-cedi ultra-modern ‘Ring Road’ branch of the Standard Chartered Bank in Accra, last Wednesday. Mr Peprah said the government will continue to implement policies that will improve the macro-economic climate to make for a more robust growth in the banking sector.
"We should not, however, lose sight of the fact that the challenges that lie ahead are enormous, interest rates will continue to fall as we push inflation further down into the single digit bracket, as such, sheer trading on the treasury bills market will cease to be the recourse to the profitability that it has been in the past, to our banks", he is quoted as saying.
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No reason for Ohene-Kena’s dismissal
In a centre spread story, the Weekend Statesman reports the Communications Minister, Mr John Mahama, as saying that he is unable to assign reasons for the removal of Mr Fred Ohene-Kena as the Minister of Mines and Energy, because that decision is the prerogative of the President.
"The President has the power to appoint and remove any Minister. He is not constitutionally mandated to offer reasons. He can remove any of us for non-performance. At the moment I can’t assign any reason for his removal", Mr Mahama is quoted as telling a post-Cabinet press briefing at the Castle, Osu, last Tuesday. The Minister, who was reacting to questions from the press on Mr Ohene-Kena’s dismissal, is said to have also declined to comment on the removal of the Executive Director of the Minerals Commission, Mr Kofi Ansah.
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