CPP goes to Congress

The third National Congress of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) would take place at the Great Hall of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi on Saturday, December 15, this year, a statement said today in Accra.



It said the Congress would be preceded by a meeting of National Executive Council (NEC) of the party on Friday, December 14 to approve the agenda for the congress.



The statement signed by Nii Noi Dowuoana, General Secretary of the of the party said the Congress would bring together more than two thousand delegates drawn from each of the 230 constituencies, regional executives the NEC, Council of Elders, Founding Members, MPs, Overseas branches, Youth and Women leagues and representatives from TEWSCHART. The congress would elect a presidential candidate to contest the 2008 elections as well as the election of national officers to steer affairs of the party for the next four years. Meanwhile, regional conferences for Western, Eastern, Volta Greater, Accra and Brong Ahafo Regions would be completed by December 8, while the conference for Eastern, Western Regions are scheduled for Koforidua and Takoradi on November 29 and December 8 respectively. The statement said it was expected that party members would play their respective roles to ensure an uninterruptible preparation leading to the event.



In that connection, contestants for the various positions at the Congress were reminded to desist from smear campaigns and acts that would denigrate the integrity or image of other aspirants so as to preserve the internal cohesion of the party 27 Nov. 07

Source:

GNA

Kenyan Airport Security in a Diplomatic faux pas with Ghana's Defence Minister

Defence Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah yesterday fought Kenyan security operatives when they tried to have him undergo a body-search at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, from where he was to emplane for home.

At Gate 8 of the airport, the Minister, who was returning home after an official duty in DR Congo, was stunned when a young Kenyan security operative asked him to submit himself for a search before boarding the Kenyan Airways aircraft, his diplomatic passport notwithstanding.It was the Minister’s Military Assistant, Wing Commander Appiah Agyekum’s angry response to the diplomatically incorrect search demand which attracted the attention of some Ghanaian passengers at the airport.

“You cannot search my Defence Minister. I am his Military Assistant,” he said.Upon discovering what they considered disrespect to their minister, the Ghanaian passengers rallied round the Minister in solidarity, showing interest in the progress of the standoff.One of them even said, “Ye be ye dede”, to wit: “We will make noise”. The Minister told the young Kenyan security man that he was not going to allow himself to be searched.

“If we had an ambassador here, would you have treated me this way?” he asked.Not even the security man’s decision to exclude the Minister’s shoes in the search could convince him to succumb to the Kenyan’s demand. One of the operatives retorted, “We would search even the Vice President. The only person we would not search is the President”.Another security operative, who sought to calm the nerves of the Minister, pleaded with him to allow the search to go on but the Defence Minister stood his ground as the standoff continued. Hon. Kan-Dapaah stood aside as the security men continued taking other passengers through the routine checks.

At a point however, he sought to go and sit outside the search area since he was not ready to be searched. He sat calmly at the passenger-waiting area of Gate 8 as a flurry of diplomatic activities went back and forth until he finally had his way and boarded the aircraft without being body-searched.A member of his entourage pleaded with some Ghanaians who wanted to stay behind and see the outcome of the standoff, to calm down as according to him, “It would be alright.”

There was relief on the countenance of the Ghanaians on board the Boeing 737-800 when the Minister finally made his way to the cabin after what appeared to be a diplomatic horse-trading.When Daily Guide asked him for a reaction, he showed the expected diplomacy by saying “that’s alright”, with a smile. When the flight landed in Accra and the Minister stepped out to the waiting arms of olive-green clad military personnel, who saluted in turns, the sharp contrast to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport diplomatic faux pas some five hours away by air, was crystal clear.
Source:Daily Guide

France Telecom Wins GT Bid

Few days after Singapore Telecom withdrew from the race to take over 51% stake in Ghana Telecom (GT), the Government of Ghana has selected Telecom France as the winner of the bidding process for GT.

France Telecom beat Vodacom and Portugal Telecom. The price is yet to be confirmed but sources close to the Ministry of Communication say it is between $500 million and $600 million

In all, twenty foreign investors expressed interest in Ghana Telecom when the Government of Ghana announced early this year that 51% of GT would be sold to a strategic investor in a bid to enhance efficiency and quality of service. The rest of the shares would then be floated on the Ghana stock exchange (GSE).

Ecobank Development Corporation (EDC) and Societe Generale are the transactional advisors for Ghana for the privatization.

Telecom France's revenue was up by 1.9% on a comparable basis to EUR25.9 billion (up 2.1% on an historical basis), reflecting a good second-quarter performance in the first half of 2007.

Source: Ghanaian Chronicle

From Rawlings' Office---NDC Running Mate

RE-NDC RUNNING MATE

It has come to the notice of the founder of the NDC, former President, that certain newspapers have made it their preoccupation to publish lies about the NDC and attribute such lies to him. One of such newspapers is The Point , which, in its last Friday’s edition published that ‘Rawlings okays Betty Mould as Mills’ running mate’. The founder would like to assure the party faithful that, the said publication is absolutely false and should be disregarded.

The founder has also indicated that the leadership is not unaware of the overwhelming Choice of the masses and wish to assure all the party faithful that the flag-bearer will at the opportune time, in consultation with the party’s council of elders and other appropriate organs of the Party, announce a running mate who will reflect that desire of the masses across the length and breath of the nation

Source: Victor Emmanuel Smith (Special Assistant and Director of Public Affairs)