CJA to hit the streets on December 11

The Committee for Joint Action (CJA), a pressure group made up of opposition leaders, on Thursday announced that it would hold a demonstration dubbed: "Ye wuooo", Agbe woeee" or "We are being killed" on December 11, in Accra.The group said the protest was against the general economic hardship, corruption, drugs, unemployment and official impunity, which had engulfed the nation.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra, Mr. Kwesi Pratt Jnr., spokesperson for the group, called on government to review all its policy initiatives to alleviate the suffering of the mass of the people.He said since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government came to power in January 2001 it had increased petroleum prices by 700 per cent from 6,400 cedis per gallon to 44,000 cedis per gallon. The November 1 increase in petroleum prices is the fifth for this year.Mr. Pratt said the November 1 increases in water and electricity tariffs represented an average increase of 35 per cent."Our leaders do not see our suffering. Rather, they seize each and every excuse to increase our burdens.

"He noted that the recent power crisis was the result of the failure of our leaders to anticipate and plan for a situation, which experts had predicted many years ago.Mr. Pratt, who is also the member of the Convention People's Party (CPP), also chastised the government for failing to make treated water available for the growing population.He said the quality of service from the Ghana Water Company (GWC) to the poor had been decreasing hence the outbreak of cholera, dysentery and guinea worm, which the people were suffering from.

Mr. Pratt said the government's response had been to transfer the exorbitant and increasing costs of the incompetence of the new foreign operators of GWC to the public.He also stated that the recent revelations from the Public Accounts Committee sittings and the ostentatious lifestyles of the several NPP Presidential aspirants showed the levels of corruption and waste that the government had presided over in the last seven years.

Mr. Pratt also said some of the unfortunate incidents, which had resulted in bloodshed, loss of live and property could have been avoided."We are seeing the same disintegration now in the Anlo crisis, itself a chilling reminder of the dangerous politics of divide and rule and pandering to backward elitism that gave us the still unresolved Dagbon crisis."
Source:GNA

Aliu vetting fiasco---Explained

Mr. Samuel Odoi Sykes, a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Vetting Committee has apologised to the Vice President Aliu Mahama, saying failure to vet him was as a result of a mix up.This afternoon, Tuesday November 6, 2007, the Vice President Aliu Mahama and his supporters went to the Party headquarters in Accra for his vetting, only to be disappointed, because the Vetting Committee members were not available at the premises to receive him.Speaking to Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoe, Mr. Odoi Sykes claimed that the Committees meeting time for this week was rescheduled from the mornings to the afternoons.

He said the change in the time was communicated to all members by the secretary to the Committee by text messages.He said all members were duly informed to meet this afternoon, Tuesday November 6, 2007 at 3.00pm to vet the Vice President and then vet Prof. Frimpong-Boateng at 4.00pm.

However, he said the Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Adzei Bekoe, told the committee that he would not be available for the afternoon because he already has a programme scheduled for the evening to meet some visitors from outside the country and so the meeting should be rescheduled for the morning at 10.00am, but the secretary according to Mr. Odoi Sykes did not get the Chairman’s message.

He argues that the confusion resulting in the failure of the Vetting Committee to meet with the Vice President Aliu Mahama was due to the mix up between the chairman and secretary Hon. Adjabeng.Mr. Odoi Sykes answered questions on issues regarding the Vice President’s membership card, claiming the committee only asked for photocopies of documents and not originals.He has subsequently apologised to the Vice President.He said however that the meeting has been rescheduled for Thursday November 8, 2007.

Speaker and deputy 'abandon' parliament?

Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, Deputy Majority Leader, on Tuesday raised issues over the whereabouts of the Speaker, Mr Ebenezer Sekyi Hughes, who was not available to preside over Tuesday's sitting.

He said members of parliament had a right to know where the Speaker was if he cannot attend to business in the House at any given sitting. The Deputy Majority Leader brought the issue to the fore when the Second Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Alhaji Malik Yakubu, sat in for the Speaker.

Quoting Standing Orders 13 (1) and 13 (2), Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the House needed to know where the Speaker was at every given time because the President always informed Parliament of his absence from the country and when the Vice President had to take charge in line with constitutional provisions.

According to Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, it was the duty of the Clerk to inform the House of the absence of the Speaker and who was deputizing for him."I call on the Clerk at Table to do the right thing in accordance with Standing Orders 13 (3)," the Second Deputy Speaker then had to rule. This forced Mr Emmanuel Anyimadu, Clerk to Parliament, to rise to his feet and inform the House that the Speaker was not available to preside and therefore the Second Deputy Speaker was taking charge.

Later, Alhaji Yakubu told the House that the Speaker had traveled to Kuwait at short notice, while Mr Freddie Blay, First Deputy Speaker, had also gone to Burkina Faso.
The Standing Orders of the House states that whenever the House is informed by the Clerk at the Table of the unavoidable absence of the Speaker, the First Deputy Speaker shall perform the duties of the of the Speaker in relation to all proceedings of the House. The Second Deputy takes charge in the absence of the Speaker and First Deputy Speaker.
Source:GNA

Vetting Cmttee Stays Away From Aliu Mahama

The scheduled, highly anticipated vetting of Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Tuesday afternoon turned out to be a no show.The vetting committee had appointed 3:00pm to meet and subject Aliu Mahama through the NPP?s vetting process mandatory for all who aspire to be presidential candidate and lead the party to the 2008 presidential elections.He made it to the venue about five minutes ahead of time but to his surprise, no member of the committee was present. Not even the chairman of the Council of State, Prof. Adzei Bekoe was around, and there was also no communication from the party.

The Vice President who looked disappointed told journalists that the incident was one of a few challenges within the party which he hoped would be addressed.But he repeated expressed his love for the party and Ghanaians and said it would not break his resolve to go for the topmost post.A publication in the PUNCH newspaper on Tuesday suggested the Vice President may not have a valid party ID card, one of the key requirements for flagbearer aspirants.Coming after newspaper publications which suggest the Vice President?s nomination papers may have been leaked, his campaign team is suspicions.

Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, a special aide to the Vice President was of the view that whatever ill-intentions anyone harboured against Aliu Mahama, may not be established. He however, maintained that the party has to explain what caused the obvious embarassment before the next scheduled meeting.So far attempts to get explanation from the party leadership have proved futile.A member of the vetting committee told Joy News he had earlier been informed about the postponement but without further explanation.
Source:JOY ONLINE

Use of arms banned in Anloga and environs

The Ministry of Interior has placed a ban on the carrying of arms in and around Anloga in the Volta Region and an Executive Instrument issued to this effect.

Mr. Kwamena Bartels, Interior Minister, announced the measure when he addressed police personnel dispatched to maintain peace at Anloga, following chieftaincy clashes there on Thursday, in which four people including a police constable were killed.

The Minister of Interior was at Anloga together with Mr. Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister of Defence and Mr. Joe Ghartey, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to assess the situation on the ground. They were taken round the scenes of the clashes including where the body of the police constable was damped near a lagoon and also visited the injured at the Keta District Hospital.Mr. Bartels on Thursday announced an imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Anloga as part of measures to put the situation under control.

He commended the police for exercising maximum restraint and acting professionally even though they lost a colleague in the fray. Mr. Bartels reminded the police that the crisis was not over and that they would be required to do their very best to enforce law and order, peace and stability in the area while upholding the rights of peace loving people in the area.Addressing a contingent of soldiers, Mr. Dapaah expressed confidence that they would put their peacekeeping experiences both locally and internationally to good effect at Anloga. He asserted that about 99 percent or more of the people at Anloga and its environs were peaceful and that only a few people were responsible for the trouble there.

Mr. Dapaah assured the soldiers that all the logistics and materials required for their operations would be put at their disposal. Except for Anloga where an atmosphere of apprehension could be felt with most of the people keeping to their homes, life in the surrounding communities appeared undisturbed as people were seen on their vegetable farms along the lagoon on Saturday while others went about their businesses.
Source:GNA

Ghana Must Lead Africa's Change-Akuffo Addo

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, one of the aspiring candidates vying for the NPP presidential race, believes it is time the world saw a successful African State and Ghana must take the lead in that direction.He said the integration of the sub-region under the Economic Community of West African States should become a critical part of Ghana's national development.

"We must get involved in the construction of a new West African State in particular and an African State in general”, he pointed out.Nana Akufo-Addo was addressing the NPP chapter of the Tertiary Education Students Confederacy of the University for Development Studies, Wa campus, at Wa on Tuesday, as part of his one-day campaign tour of the region.

Earlier on Saturday in Lagos, Nana Akufo-Addo, who met a group of influential Nigerians, including Vice President Jonathan Goodluck, at a social event, spoke of the need for Ghana and Nigeria to take charge in leading the sub-region of some 240 million people onto a plateau of growth, prosperity and security.He told his Lagosian audience that Ghana and Nigeria can do for West Africa what France and Germany did for continental Europe after the Second World War.

The two opposing sides in that war turned around to work together to build what has now become the European Union, through deepening economic integration and allowing the free movement of people, goods and services among member states.Akufo-Addo, a strong believer in an integrated Africa feels Nigeria and Ghana have a great opportunity to make it happen by driving the process within ECOWAS and beyond.He was also delightfully moved and encouraged by the sense of pan-Africanist consciousness that he witnessed in Nigeria.Back in Ghana, he continued the second leg of his national campaign which took him to the three northern regions. At the UDS, he urged students of the universities to get involved in national development and participate actively in the decision-making process to ensure that the right things were done to enhance the overall development of the people.He said for the nation to move forward, it must utilise her raw materials instead of only exporting it and called for the transformation of the economy, especially the industrial sector to provide jobs for the youth. Earlier, Nana Akufo-Addo paid courtesy calls on the Upper West Regional Minister, George Hikah Benson, the Chief Imam, former NPP Regional Chairman, the Yeri-Naa, the Akan Chief and Elders of Jengbeyiri.
Source:Cynthia Uche Addae

Parliament passes Anti-Money Laundering Bill

Parliament on Friday passed the Anti-Money Laundering Bill.The object of the Bill is to prohibit money laundering, establish a Financial Intelligence Centre and provide for related matters. The House after much debate rejected a proposed amendment that stood in the name of Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, (NPP-Amenfi East) and Mr Freddie Blay, First Deputy Speaker that sought to summarily convict a person for giving false information against a person in relation to a money laundering transaction.Members indicated that such a clause would stifle the flow of information on the illegal activity.The clause had stated that:" A person who maliciously provides false information against any other person in relation to a money laundering transaction commits an offence and is liable on a summary conviction to a fine of not more that five hundred penalty units or a term of not more than three years or both. 02 Nov 07

Dusk to dawn curfew in Anloga and Keta

The Interior Minister, Mr Kwamena Bartels has by Executive Instrument immediately imposed a dusk to dawn curfew on Anloga and Keta to ensure peace, law and order in the area. The 0600 to 1800 hours curfew has been imposed following the explosion of violence in the Anlo Traditional Area over the nomination, confinement and installation of an Awoamefia, resulting in the death of six people, including a policeman."The police and the military will strictly enforce this curfew and anyone, who breaks the curfew, will face the full rigours of the law," Mr Bartels said this at an emergency press conference in Accra on Friday.Mr Bartels noted that in the wake of the violence, the Government, by Executive Instrument had decided to invoke the authority of the Public Order Law 491 to stop any further processes leading to the installation of an Awomefia for the people of Anlo.He said a team of investigators from Ho and the CID Headquarters in Accra were investigating the deaths and had so far arrested 92 people who were being screened to identify the culprits.He said the issue of who was the rightful heir to the Anlo Paramount Stool should be settled through the constitutionally recognized structures of the Regional or National Houses of Chiefs, or the courts and not on the streets of Anlo or Keta or in the media.Mr Bartels said by Executive Instrument, the Minister of Interior had with immediate effect, prohibited all persons in the Anloga and Keta areas from carrying arms or ammunitions.He said though the Government stood by its position of non-interference in chieftaincy affairs it had an over-riding responsibility to ensure peace, tranquillity, law and order. The Minister appealed to traditional and opinion leaders and to all citizens, residents and well-wishers of the Anlo Traditional Area to assist the Government to ensure that calm prevailed.Mrs Oboshie Sai Cofie, Minister of Information and National Orientation, called on the elders of Anlo and Keta to advise the youth and encourage them to use constitutional means to address their problems.Meanwhile, the Fast Track Division of the High Court in Accra on Friday stopped the installation of Francis Nyonyo Agboada, Regent Torgbui Sri III, as the death toll in the riots at Anloga in a protracted chieftaincy dispute rose to six.The court, granting an order for interim injunction, barred the kingmakers, the Anlo Traditional Council and any other persons or institutions involved in the preparation and installation of the Awoamefia of Anlo forthwith "from holding any event to install the person named Fracis Nyonyo Agboada, also known as Regent Torgbui Sri III, as the Awoamefia scheduled for Saturday 3rd November 2007". The court presided over by Justice Marful Sau, an Appeal Court judge sitting as an additional High Court Judge, restrained the same parties from holding any meeting or event concerning or connected to the installation of Regent Torgbui Sri until further notice.The Court further directed that the service of the order be effected by substitution through the electronic and print media. The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Patrick Acheampong, who instituted the action, was represented by Mr Joe Ghartey, Minister of Justice and the Attorney-General and the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms Gertrude Aikins.Mr Ghartey, in an Ex-Parte motion with supporting affidavit, prayed the Court to restrain the installation of the regent.He said the Anlo Traditional Council gave notice to the police about the installation and it was granted but violence broke out resulting in the death of four persons including a police officer. Mr Ghartey said two more people had been reported dead on Friday and that tension was still high adding that more confusion and bloodshed would happen if the event went ahead.He said unless the parties were restrained by the Court, the installation would go on.Mr Ghartey said the Government had the responsibility of restoring law and order by way of seeking the court order. He said although the IGP withdrew the permit, some people still wanted to go ahead with the installation."If the court should wait after 48 hours, it would be too late. The court should, therefore, grant an instant order since the nature of the case is volatile.He, therefore, prayed for a restraining order through a substituted service which should be published in the print and electronic media. Earlier on Friday, the Police Administration on Friday confirmed the murder of General Constable Moses Daba of the Volta Regional Police Task Force, who was kidnapped while on duty to maintain order in the chieftaincy conflict at Anloga on Thursday.A statement issued by the Police Administration said Crime Scene Management Teams and Detectives from the CID Headquarters had been dispatched to the scene to assist the Volta Regional Police in the investigations into the killing of the Police Constable and the others. The riots started when a faction in the raging chieftaincy dispute tried to prevent the performance of rites at a shrine to pave the way for the installation of Regent Torgbui Sri III as Awoamefia of the Anglo Traditional area.Eyewitnesses said the police clashed with the crowd that tried to stop the performance of the rites at the shrine resulting in three people being killed and several others sustaining injuries. The statement said furthermore, a joint team of police and military personnel had been deployed in Angola to restore order. Police said 94 people had been arrested and screened and 74 of them had been sent to Ho for further investigations."The police are, therefore, appealing to the factions in the conflict to exercise restraint and use all legitimate means to resolve their differences."Furthermore, we also appeal to the residents of the area to volunteer information that might lead to the arrest of those who murdered the Constable and the three civilians." Civilians confirmed dead on Friday are Israel Ahagzi, 28, Mana Senyo, 48, and Menco Tugba, 47.
Source:GNA

Asantehene Will Attend Head of State's Forum

Otumfuo Osei-Tutu II, Asantehene would leave the country on Thursday November 1, for the Federal Republic of Germany to participate in the third African Forum for Heads of State.

He would be accompanied by Nana Otuo Serebour, Juabenghene for the forum, which takes place between 2nd and 4th November at Kloster Eberbach Monastery Conference Centre, in the State of Hesse in Germany.

In a press release issued on Monday from the Manhyia Palace and signed by Mr G.B. Osei-Antwi, Media Relations Manager, Otumfuo would address the forum on Traditions and Modernity. The forum, which would bring together top politicians, businessmen and members of civil society organisations has the theme "Pushing Forward into the 21st Century, The World State of Flux: Answers from Africa and Germany."
Source:GNA

Ghana-Fuel Prices Shoot Up

Prices of fuel in Ghana have shot up after recent upsurge in the prices of crude oil on the world market.The indicative maximum price of premium petrol is now up by 4.11% to 97.78 pesewas per litre from 93.92 pesewas per litter quoted last month.Kerosene also shot up by 8.76% from 79.38 pesewas per litre to 86.25pesewas per litre.However, the indicative maximum price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) shot up significantly by 20.72% from 81.10 pesewas per GHp/Kg to 97.90 pesewas GHp/Kg which may be due to taxi drivers powering their engines with LPG.

The price of gasoline was not spared the shakeup as it also increased by 5.35% from 90.44 pesewas to 95.28 pesewas per litre.The indicative maximum price is a price beyond which an Oil Market Company (OMC) in Ghana is not allowed to sell petroleum products.It could be recalled that Oil prices, traded near a record high of US$93 a barrel and threatens an all time hit of US$100 if political tension and speculation continue in the Middle East, the hub of the oil industry.

Oil hit an all-time high of US$93.07 a barrel yesterday, because of the violence between Turkish soldiers and Kurdish guerrillas and a record low of the US dollar.According to officials from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), oil has risen for reason unrelated to supply and demand and that there is little the exporter group can do to lower price.OPEC is set to raise oil output by 500,000 barrels per day from November 11-18, 2007 in Riyadh for their third Heads of State Summit, an event that is usually a talking shop that makes no decision on supply policy.

Reasons adduced to the increases, according to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the NPA, Mr. Steve Larbi are not far fetched from the indicators on the futures market.The National Petroleum Authority ACT 691 was enacted by the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana to regulate, oversee and monitor activities in the petroleum downstream industry; to establish a Unified Petroleum Price Fund; and to provide for related purposes.
Source:Ghanaian Chronicle

Money can’t influence delegates---Frimpong-Boateng

A presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has stated that delegates to the congress to elect the party's flag bearer will not base their choice on monetary inducements. "The delegates are listening and comparing what we (the aspirants) say with what we have done and can do for the country and party," he said.

Speaking in an interview in Accra, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said anybody who claimed he was on top must be joking. According to him, from his interaction with members of the party throughout the country, it was evident that the members had been disappointed and therefore want someone they could trust, someone who would help them build their future. "They tell you no one can buy their conscience and they also know that it is God who establishes kings and will be using them to elect the flag bearer of the party," he added.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said he was happy with what was taking place on the ground, stressing that "I am doing very well. I am in to win and will win with God's help." When asked to comment on the results of opinion polls being conducted on supposed leading candidates, he said, the pollsters were "Whistling in the dark". "I believe they are scared and want to put up an appearance of being brave," he stated. According to him, opinion polls are very expensive to conduct and that if one knows the source of funding for the opinion polls, one could predict the outcome. As to why his campaign message has centred on science and technology, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng says everything in nature revolves around science and that until Ghana adopts science and technology, "We cannot survive."

He said science is the factor accounting for the difference between developing countries and the developed ones and that the poverty gap is essentially a technological gap. He added that during the recent devastating floods in the country, it took the assistance of French helicopters to reach inaccessible areas. Prof. Frimpong-Boateng adds that to do anything in education, health, agriculture, environmental sanitation, water resources, renewable energy, among others, technology is required. He says because the country does not have the technological know-how, its imports far outstrip its exports, adding that although the country is endowed with abundant natural resources, those resources are exported in their raw form for far less the value if the country were to refine them.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng vigorously asserts that science and technology is needed to teach history and archaeology also. "We pride ourselves as a football nation and yet we cannot even-manufacture a football,” he lamented. Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said it was because of the science and technological gap that he had decided to champion it when elected flag bearer and later as President of the Republic of Ghana. According to him, eight years as President of Ghana would be enough to do many things to chart a new path for Ghana's development."We can develop a machine tool centre within a year, start manufacturing small machine parts and develop the capacity to make implements," he added.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng says it is regrettable that $2.5 million worth of bolts and nuts are imported into the country every year besides other machine parts. "I promise that within four years we should be building pick-ups. We should be able to produce spare parts for other countries," he pledged. "I just don't talk about it, I do it. Right now, I produce my own 'bio-diesel to fuel my vehicles and I have a machine tool centre at the Free Zones and my work as a heart surgeon, which is high-tech, will propel me on to do greater things for Ghana and Ghanaians," he declared, Source: Daily Graphic

GCPP is not a political party - IEA

"GCPP does not qualify as a party to be funded because it has no representative in Parliament and also all efforts by IEA to know where GCPP's offices are located in the country over the years had proved futile." The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has said.The IEA described as baseless the claims by the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) that the institute is using foreign funds to promote four leading political parties in the country.

The IEA said GCPP was crying foul out of frustration since its allegations against the institute held no water. The GCPP, in a statement issued last week and signed by the General Secretary, John Thompson, described the IEA as a think-tank that was running a parallel Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) with the four leading parties to decide for the rest of the political parties, adding that the act was undermining democracy.

"lEA is a neo-colonialist organization whose activities should be critically examined by the government," the statement maintained. The party claimed that the monies being used in assisting the parties were coming from a Dutch organization, the Netherlands Institute for Multi Party Democracy (NIMD). According to Mr. Thompson, this action of the IEA was making the political playing field in the country uneven, and also described the IEA as a body which used illegal means to fund four parties to the detriment of others.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE in reaction to the accusations, however, a source close to the IEA stressed that before a political party could qualify for funding by any entity, it had to have at least one or two representatives in the nation's House of Parliament. It said despite IEA's advice to the leaders of GCPP to fight for Parliamentary seats to enable it to get equal support from various funding bodies as other parties were getting, GCPP remained adamant.

The source stated that IEA did not see why parties' capacities should not be built to help enhance the nation's democracy, stressing that the laws of the land prohibited direct funding of political parties from foreign bodies but did not prevent indirect funding. It emphasized that the IEA, through various measures, had ensured over the years that political parties including the GCPP were educated in all their political endeavours to ensure political and democratic stability in the country.Source: Daily Guide

16 million cedis to be spent on each prisoner

It is estimated that the Government of Ghana would spend an mount of 16 million cedis on each prisoner in Ghana this year, having already spent 10.4 million on each prisoner last year. Mr. Kwamena Bartels, Minister for the Interior, said the calculation was based on the total expenditure of the Prisons Service to care for prisoners.Answering questions in Parliament, on Wednesday in Accra, on issues for which the Ministry is responsible, Mr. Bartels said there were 13,800 prisoners in Ghana.

Out of the number, 713 were prisoners who were foreign nationals from 25 countries from Africa, Europe, the Far East and North and South Africa.There were 4,218 prisoners on remand trial. The question stood in the name of Mr Charles Hodogbey (NDC-North Tongu).Mr Albert Kwasi Zigah (NDC-Ketu South) asked when accommodation facilities at the Aflao Police Station would be upgraded. The Station was said to have been established in the 1950's, but without any major rehabilitation.

Mr Bartels said Government was tackling the problem of accommodation of the Security Agencies, including the Police holistically.The Minister said the Ministry had come out with proposals to handle the situation, adding that attempts were being made to source the requisite resources both locally and internationally. He said more than $120 million would be needed for the housing and office accommodation project for the security agencies. Mr Bartels said the funding would be part of the 2008 supplementary budget proposals to be submitted to Parliament, and that the Security Services, including the Police had been asked to submit a list of all uncompleted projects with cost implications.

"A committee has been set up to assess the total budgetary implications for the completion of projects to enable the Ministry source funds to complete them", Mr Bartels said.The Minister accepted a suggestion from Mr Francis Aggrey Agbotse (NDC-Ho West) to establish an enquiry into reported cases of foreign registered motorcycles from the Republic of Togo, who operate along communities of the Ghana Togo border.Mr. Agbotse had asked why the Police allowed them to operate in such towns as Kpedze, Aflao, Shia, Kpetoe, Nyive and Dzodze, all in the Volta Region.Minister Bartels said the Volta Region had never identified any of such perpetrators and left them off the hook as alleged.

He said information gathered from the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service and the Ghana Immigration Service indicated that such motorcycle owners drop their "passengers" on the side of their border and return to Togo but do not return to Ghana for commercial purposes. The Interior Minister announced that the Ministry had entered into negotiation with the ECOWAS Bank for Development for a loan of $24.7million to procure new fire tenders for distribution to Fire Stations throughout the country.

The response, which was to answer a question by Mr Gershon Gbediame (NDC-Nkwanta South), which sought to know when a fire tender would be supplied to the Nkwanta District Fire Station. Mr Bartels said the Nkwanta Service Station would be considered under that programme.
Source:GNA

It's Not Been Easy

The President, Mr. J.A. Kufour has acknowledged that his leadership as the Chief Executive of the Republic of Ghana has been tough and challenging.He said for the past seven years, he has led a government that has ensured a holistic national development, thus making his experience as the President fulfilling as well as sobering.

President Kufuor was speaking at the inaugural lecture of the Association of Black Rhodes Scholars at the Oxford University in UK, last Monday.The Black Rhodes Scholars Association was formed primarily to encourage brilliant but Black needy students who are not privilege to be enrolled in universities and also to ensure effective representation of black student at Rhodes.Members of the association are drawn from the US and Canada as well as from all former British colonies.

Oxford University enrolled its first black student 900 years after its establishment and even today, as the oldest English University and in deed one of the oldest in the world, has only one percent of its entire student population as black.The inaugural address by President Kufour also marked this year’s black history month as well as Ghana’s 50 independence anniversary at the university.The Rhodes House, the venue of the lecture which is the first in the series of lectures planned by the association, was filled to capacity long before the schedule time but the blacks were very few.

President Kufour noted that in a month’s time he will be entering the final year of his rule and the legacy he will want to leave behind for the youth of Ghana and Africa in general will for them to seize the opportunities of global system to secure a dignified position for the continent.He said, as he left the walls of Oxford University some fifty years ago “there was no certainty of becoming the President of Ghana”, but by dint of hard work and unwavering focus he today finds himself as the President of Ghana, The Chairman of the African Union and two-term Chair of the ECOWAS.

In a very motivational disposition, President Kufour remarked “I have been careful with the choices I make and how I make them. I was also aware of the potentials of what I can do for my country” He noted that it has not been easy for the past forty years. “What has made the difference though has been the constant vision to make myself relevant to the development of my society and therefore I have sustained the spirit of perseverance in spite of the heavy odds.”

He said he has used a blended values of his family background, the culture of Ghana as well as the faithful application of educational precepts and influences of the various institutions he attended especially Oxford university. He also mentioned the traditions of the New Patriotic Party as very useful to him.He mentioned some of his government’s achievements as the turning around of the nation’s stagnant economy by attaining a record and steady GDP growth rate of 6.5 percent currently as against 3.2 per cent in the year 2002.

President Kufour predicted that all being equal Ghana’s GDP growth rate will be at 10 percent within the next four years especially at a time Ghana has discovered off-shore oil.He also touched on the improvement and expansion in the health, educational and agricultural sectors adding that production of the country’s main cash crop, cocoa, hit 700 thousand tones and expressed the optimism that cocoa production in Ghana will hit one million tones by 2010.
Source:Nana Sifa Twum & Isaac Amo-Kyereme

GHANA 08: 18 Players Already Known

Claude Le Roy, Coach of Ghana's Black Stars has only five places left to make up for his 23-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations next January.

The Frenchman is certain about his first 18 and intends to channel his focus on searching for the additional five to make up the mandated 23 for the biennial party with the January 20 commencement date rolling closer.
He told GNA Sports "It will be stupid if I didn't have an idea about a bulk of my team at this moment."I know who the first 18 are and my vision is to get the five as soon as possible to enable us to begin full scale preparations."

The Trainer told GNA Sports that a fair representation of experienced and young players with regard to selection have been taken into consideration ahead of the three-week tourney, which his employers have mandated him to win."I have plans of including some young players into the team for the sake of the maturity and exposure they need beyond Ghana 2008. "One cannot win a major competition with young players but one can always win if they are part of the team."What is always required is a good balance - experience, hunger to win and the maturity to keep going on big stage like the Nations Cup."

Le Roy told GNA Sports that it will be ensured that the team make great sacrifices aimed at winning the trophy on home soil to equal Egypt's fifth record."There will be no compromise with regards to making sacrifices to become champions on February 10."We will ensure that the boys do not feel caged but they must also appreciate that without sacrifices, one cannot triumph and be successful."Coach Le Roy envisages no challenge in assembling his team for the planned two weeks camping before the Stars tournament opener with Guinea on Sunday, January 20, in Accra.
Source:GNA

NPP Grills Aspirants Today

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) today, Tuesday October, 2007 begins the vetting of its aspiring presidential candidates to ensure that the aspirants qualify to contest the position of President of Ghana.

The nine-member vetting committee consists of five chairpersons of the standing committees of the National Council and three persons appointed by the council, one of whom shall be designated chairperson of the committee.Briefing the Daily Graphic in an inter¬view, the National Chairman of the NPP, Mr Peter Mac Manu, said the national council shall also ensure that at least two of the nine members were women.Although he did not give any specific date for the submission of its report, he said the committee would finish its job before the congress in December 22 to give room for the filing of appeals, if any.

The members of the committee include Major Courage Quashigah; the Minister of Health, who is also the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee; Brigadier Obeng, the Chairman of the Organising Committee; Mr Samuel Odoi-Sykes, the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee; Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, a former Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of the Constitutional Committee.It is chaired by Prof Daniel Adzei-Bekoe, the Chairman of the Council of State. The two women include Madam Ama Busia.Article 9 (C) (f) (iii) of the NPP constitution says, "The vetting committee shall disallow the candidature of any aspirant when it finds that such an aspirant does not qualify to be a presidential candidate.

It shall submit such a finding in writing to the National Executive Committee, with a copy to the aspirant."Sub-section (iv) also states, "An aspirant who is dissatisfied with such a finding, may appeal against it to the National Executive Committee within 48 hours of receipt of notice of the finding by filing an appeal in writing with the General Secretary.The National Executive Committee shall give its decision within seven days of receipt of the appeal. The decision of the National, Executive Committee on the appeal shall be final."
Source:Daily Graphic

Osafo Maafo--NPP not about blood relationship

Former Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo has stated that the contest for the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not about blood relationship and family issues, but basically about the future of the country and who is most suitable for the job.

The former minister, who is the MP for Akim Oda, said these when he formally launched his campaign to contest the flagbearership race of the party last Friday at Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region.He told the cheering crowd in Twi: ?Moma yenhwe no yie. Party asem na yeka no, enye anuasem, enye abusua asem. Eye oman neyie ho asem na yeka. Eye oman ne mpuntuo ho asem na yeka?. ("Let us be very careful.

This is a party matter and has nothing to do with family or blood relationship. It is about the country and its development").He claimed that amongst the 19 presidential aspirants of the ruling NPP, he was best placed and prepared to lead the party in the 2008 elections."I am not running for the presidency for the sake of being president. I want to move the nation to the next level, and that can only be done by a man of vision," he said.Describing the forthcoming general elections as a super final match between the two major political parties in the country, the ruling NPP and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Osafo-Maafo said in a contest like that only skilled and proven players were selected to play.

He therefore urged the delegates not to view the flagbearership race through family or ethnic lenses.The Electoral College of the party, he said, ought to be quick in listening to what the rest of the country was saying about the aspirants before making any ultimate choice at the party's National Delegates? Congress scheduled for December 22 at the University of Ghana, Legon.The former Finance Minister further told the delegates to bear in mind that the candidate they would elect on December 22 would not only serve the interest of the NPP but also that of the whole nation, adding that NPP supporters alone could not vote for the party's candidate to win the 2008 elections.

Hon. Osafo Maafo told delegates that the party?s flagbearer should be a person who would be accepted by a vast majority of the population so they should scrutinize the backgrounds and achievements of each of the 19 aspirants to establish who was best placed to lead the party to victory.To him, the eventual candidate must be able to attract the votes of the floating or undecided voters, whom he said usually voted based on the candidate's track record and capabilities.Mr. Osafo-Maafo recalled his achievements in the Finance Ministry, and how he took the nation to the completion point of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative within a record time of two and a half years.

He said through his efficient handling of the economy, some $4billion of the country?s foreign debt was cancelled by her creditors, saying funds ploughed back as a result of the HIPC initiative were going into the provision of schools, hospitals and feeder roads."It is about time Ghanaians began to think outside the box and develop a new economic paradigm for this country". He said Ghana at her present state should graduate from production of raw materials to provider of services in West Africa, stressing that but for his hardwork, the country would not have benefited from the Millennium Challenge Account.

The official launching of Hon. Osafo Maafo's campaign attracted hundreds of party activists, constituency executives and sympathizers from various parts of the country, with traditional rulers also in attendance. An unprecedented crowd of nearly half a kilometer long of human traffic greeted and escorted him on a march through the principal streets of the Ashanti Regional capital, amidst drumming and dancing. The retinue moved from Adum, through Kejetia, Central Market to the Prempeh Assembly Hall at Fante New Town.

Riding in an open Toyota Land Cruiser, the MP for Oda and his convoy responded to cheers from the thick crowd that thronged the streets, some of them climbing on rooftops.
Source:Daily Guide

995 million cedis down the drain...

THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday heard how 2,153 garments, worth ¢995 million, sewn to promote the “National Friday Wear Programme”, were distributed free of charge by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and Presidential Special Initiative to unknown people.

The distribution list could also not be produced for verification by the audit team, an audit report said.The PAC also heard how the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited awarded 14 contracts worth ¢1.4 billion in 2004 through single sourcing, instead of through competitive bidding as provided by Section 43(1) of the Public Procurement Act, 2003.

“To enhance transparency, efficiency, and fair prices in the award of contracts, we recommended to management to apply competitive bidding to all contracts,” the audit report said.Other areas queried by the audit report is the double payment of ¢185.7 million the ministry made to Toyota Ghana Limited for the same repair service it offered the ministry in 2004.The payment of unlawful emolument of ¢122 million between September 2002 and May 2005 to Mr Victor Owusu, Brong-Ahafo and Ashanti Regional Co-ordinator of the Rural Enterprise Development Programme was also queried.

However, Mr Owusu, the report said also enjoyed monthly salary as a full-time employee of the Ghana Energy Commission, within the same period.The report said Mr Owusu enjoyed double salary from the Consolidated Fund, and recommended that his appointment should be terminated and the emolument paid to him recovered.An unexecuted consultancy fee of ¢221 million was paid by the ministry to five consultants it engaged between January and November 2004 to provide business plans for eight districts, within 35 days of their engagement.

The audit report, however, said no business plans had been submitted as at June, 2005 to the ministry by the consultants.The ministry was also queried for its failure to bond a sponsored employee, Mr Kojo Ofori-Safo, who was employed on April 1, 2005 as the Co-ordinator of the Ghana Investors Advisory Council on a monthly salary of 1,500 US Dollars.The audit report said, in June, 2005 barely three months after his appointment, Mr Ofori-Safo gained admission to the University of Ghana Business School.

The report said, the ministry sponsored him and paid his tuition fee of 2,000 US dollars per semester for the 2 years period of his course.It called on the ministry to bond him to serve the ministry on completion of his programme.The PAC was also told about an outstanding Business Assistant Fund Loan of ¢1.3 billion that had been outstanding in the name of five companies since 1996.The report said the ministry contracted M/S Global Consultants for the recovery of the loans but the companies could not be traced except M/S New Kool Bottling, which has since paid ¢20 million out of its outstanding debt of ¢308 million.

The Minister for Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and Presidential Special Initiative Mr Joe Baidoo-Ansah, and his Deputy, Ms Gifty Ohene Konadu, appeared before the PAC to respond to some of the queries.The minister said he had given his accounts clerks one month to produce documents and receipts covering payment of ¢27 million as contingency to some contractors who did not issue receipts to the ministry.On all the queries raised, the minister said most of them have been resolved, and that the ministry will take steps to resolve the rest in due time.

Mr Samuel Sallas-Mensah, chairman of the PAC and most of the bi-partisan PAC members were not satisfied about almost all the explanations the minister and his technocrats gave on the queries raised.“Most of the explanations are not acceptable. By the 15th of November, your accounts officers should retrieve the money or be surcharged,” Mr Sallas-Mensah said.
Source:Times

Refund The Money...Police Told

Eighty-six policemen who, out of the ignorance of a judge, received a total of ¢3.1 billion as compensation from a circuit court, have been ordered to refund the money.

The directive from the Public Accounts Com¬mittee (PAC) of Parliament at its sitting in Accra Friday to consider the Auditor-General's Report, said the practice of paying such compen¬sation from fines imposed by the courts was improper.

The PAC further directed that should any portion of the amount become irrevocable, the judge and the registrar of the court concerned should be called upon to make good the shortfall.At the sitting, officials of the Judicial Service were queried over missing transcripts; cash shortage and the payment of compensation to policemen.According to the Chairman of the PAC, Mr. Sallas-Mensah, an audit of fines imposed by the Circuit Court B3 in Accra between August 2002 and August 2004 found that the court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Ankamah, had imposed a fine of ¢5.2 billion on motor traffic offenders.

He said out of the total amount of fines imposed on offenders, ¢3.1 billion or 59% was paid as compensation to 86 policemen who prosecuted the cases in the court.“Payments to individual policemen ranged between ¢200,000 and ¢1.4 million, while the Judicial Service legitimately retained 15% of the total fines for administrative expenses and the remaining 26% paid into the Consolidated Fund as revenue,” he said.

The report, the Chairman pointed out, attributed the irregularity to the ignorance of the judge of the repeal of the previous legislation which sanctioned such payments.He said the report further noted that the number of traffic offences referred to the court for prosecution was an average 668 per month from August 2002 to August 2004.Mr.

Sallas-Mensah explained that when the Auditor-General’s Department started the audit in 2004, it directed that the payment of compensation be discontinued, since it was improper.“The number of motor traffic offences sent to the Circuit Court B3 reduced from 668 per month to 84 cases per month from September 2004.This suggests that the policemen could be adjudicating the traffic offences themselves. We are liaising with the Police Administration to resolve this issue,” he said.He said the report also uncovered that at the Agona Swedru High Court in the Central Region, between April and October 2005, unearned salaries totaling ¢5 million were paid to two members of staff, namely Miss Emelia Forson and Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, because of the inability of management and the Controller and Accountant General’s (CAG’s) Office to promptly delete the names of the officers from the payroll.“We drew their bankers’ attention to the irregularity but noted that only ¢1.4 million was in Miss Forson’s bank account at the Awutu Beraku Rural Bank, while the unearned salary of ¢1.7 million had been withdrawn by Mr. Iddrisu,” he said.

The PAC Chairman said the report advised the Judicial Service to ensure that the remaining amount of ¢1.4 million in Miss Forson’s account was transferred into the CAG’s Suspense Account, while steps were taken to retrieve the ¢1.7 million withdrawn by Mr. Iddrisu.Responding to some of the queries, Judicial Secretary, Madam Regina Abotsi, said the service had taken notice of the development and had, therefore, put in place a number of interventions to forestall its recurrence.

Members of the committee expressed their displeasure over the delay in the establishment of the Financial Administration Tribunal as provided for in the Financial Administration Act, 2003, and questioned why the Judiciary had not made it a priority. In response, Madam Abotsi said efforts were being made to establish the tribunal, adding that at the moment, the issue was in the domain of the Attorney General. Source: Daily Graphic

Ghana to camp in Dubai for Nations Cup

Ghana's Black Stars are expected to camp in the commercial capital of the United Arab Emirate, Dubai ahead of the 26th Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for January 2008. Black Stars manager, Claude Le Roy told GNA Sports that the choice of Dubai was deeply thought of considering the need to have the best facility to prepare the team for the competition with the aim of lifting the trophy."We need the best facility to be at our peak to win the trophy as all Ghanaians expect."Defending the choice of venue further, the coach said, "the weather condition in Dubai is 24 degrees Celsius and I do not think that should affect our acclimatization for the tourney".The Stars are housed alongside Morocco, Guinea and Namibia and are expected to camp for 14 days before the biennial party commences at the national stadium, Ohene Djan in Accra on Sunday, January 20. The Stars may however consider camping in South Africa should the unexpected happen."South Africa has great facilities and a favourable weather and it will be a perfect replacement for Dubai when the need arises". Coach Le Roy told GNA Sports that the responsibility to win the Nations Cup on home soil has got to a fever pitch after the official balloting was held at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) last Friday."I feel we are on the last line after the draw last Friday. Every minute, I think of how to deal with the opponents at the group stage because we must qualify from there to stay on course."To win the trophy, it means we must win six games and to achieve that means winning all from our group and completing it with the last three".The Frenchman said the Stars must be ready for all teams in their search for the fifth trophy that would equal Egypt's record. "We need to be ready because we cannot afford to be trapped. We must be compact because our opponents will be hoping to catch us on the break and we cannot afford that."
Source:GNA

CORRUPTION Outbreak

... CJA calls for prosecution of official ... failure of the nation's accountability system .. Churches, professional bodies and academia silent

The Committee for Joint Action (CJA), a political pressure group, on Thursday called on government to immediately prosecute and punish officials identified in the Auditor General's report to have mismanaged or misappropriated funds. The group said the trial of officials was possible even without resort to the controversial rules regarding "wilfully causing financial loss to the state".
Mr Kwasi Pratt, a leading member of the group, speaking at a press conference in Accra, said the objective of the meeting was to dwell on the implications of the recent exposures of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Members of the group present at the meeting included, Dr Nii Lante Percy, National Reform Party (NRP), Mr Ato Ahwoi, National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan of the Peoples National Convention (PNC).
The rest are Mr Okudzeto Ablakwah, former NUGS President, Mr Bernard Monah, PNC and Madam Ama Benyiwa Doe, NDC.
Mr Pratt demanded institutional reforms at the various public sectors coupled with better funding and empowerment of the accountability institutions established under the laws of the country including the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and Serious Fraud Office (SFO). He also called for measures to protect these agencies from executive interference.
He called for urgent action on the Financial Administration Tribunal, saying it was not enough for official to state, "work is ongoing".
"We have a crisis and we demand action. We also demand that the prosecution authority be given greater independence from the Attorney General's Department," he added.
Mr Pratt called for a code of conduct for all political appointees with real sanctions for those who failed to meet the minimum standards of accountability.
Mr Pratt, who is a member of the Convention People's Party (CPP), also expressed concern about "the failure of the nation's accountability system" to expose, punish and correct criminal misapplication of public resources over the last five years.
"Of course, not every public servant is incompetent or grossly dishonest. However the level of failure exhibited suggests that many in the senior echelons of the public service are indeed corrupt or incompetent," he argued.The CPP firebrand also questioned the silence from the pillars of social establishment such as the churches, professional bodies and academia, which he said, had remained deafening for sometime now. "Our so-called social leadership continues to delude itself that it is being politically mature as it tolerates this rape," he stressed.

Rate of drug shipment to Ghana becoming worse

Mr. Kwamena Bartels, Minister of the Interior on Wednesday bemoaned the rate at which massive quantities of drugs were being shipped into the country and said government would make the necessary amendments to PNDCL 236 to deal with the current trends. He said the situation was as a result of the increased efforts of Drug Enforcement Agencies in Europe and Latin America to rid their countries of the trade forcing drug cartels to seek alternative routes in Africa.
Mr. Bartels said the government was collaborating with the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to assist to implement the global container control project at the main harbour in Ghana for profiling.The Minister was speaking at the launch of the Hibiscus anti-drug trafficking campaign in Accra which is being supported by the United Kingdom in collaboration with the Government of Ghana."I wish to assure you that we have the political will to implement the provisions of the International Conventions we are signatory to," he said and commended their partners for their support in training and provision of equipment.Mr Bartels appealed to government's partners to support the Narcotics Control Board with the establishment of Treatment Centres for the treatment and rehabilitation of addicts as a way of rescuing them from the destruction of drugs.He noted that currently the Psychiatric Hospitals provided treatment for addicts but the stigma attached to them prevented many from seeking early help.He urged all stakeholders to increase the awareness through education and campaigns since it was only though that, that the country could make progress in the fight against drug abuse and trafficking. Dr. Kim Howells, UK Foreign Office Minister said the United Nations spent about 300 billion dollars a year on drug related cases and that the UK sought to work with countries affected by the drug trade. He said the rate at which West Africa was being used as trans-shipment point was worrying and urged Ghana to combine her efforts with the European Union, the UK, UN, Interpol and other agencies to curb the menace.
Source:GNA

CPP congress is a turning point for the party - Akosa

Professor Agyemang Badu Akosa, a Convention Peoples Party (CPP) flag bearer aspirant on Tuesday said the party's congress next month was a turning point in its history not only to determine its fate in the 2008 elections but its future and image. He said the congress was crucial and urged the delegates to elect the person with the right leadership qualities acceptable by the electorate.Professor Akosa made the observation at a meeting with delegates of the party from Essikado-Kettan, Shama, Sekondi, Takoradi and Effia-Kwesimintsim constituencies and students from Takoradi Polytechnic at Sekondi.He was accompanied by Alhaji Iddi Imoro Egala who is contesting the party's National Chairmanship, Madam Imoro Ayarna and Mr Kwame Gyantoa both members of Professor Akosa's campaign team. Professor Akosa noted that CPP was the only hope for Ghanaians yearning for a new leadership that had practical answers to the country's myriad problems.He said when elected as President of Ghana, education and creation of opportunities for youth employment and housing schemes for the people would be among his priorities.Professor Akosa advised the delegates not to be swayed by money and other considerations but elect the person who had the "pedigree, commitment and ready to die for the country and CPP". Alhaji Egala said the party's congress was a "make or break affair" therefore delegates must elect people who were prepared to sacrifice to build a strong party as leaders.He said when elected as the National Chairman, he would embark on a massive membership drive to make the party more attractive, strong and dynamic.
Source:GNA

Dube's Funs Heckle Supected Assasins In Court

A South African judge on Tuesday ordered four men accused of murdering reggae star Lucky Dube held without bail after they made a brief appearance in a court packed with the singer's fans.The murder of Dube, South Africa's biggest-selling reggae singer, stunned a nation already traumatised by one of the world's worst violent crime levels and prompted widespread calls for a dramatic police crackdown on criminals.The suspects, identified by SAPA news agency as Sifiso Mlanga, Julius Gxowa, Thabo Mafoping and Mbofi Mabe, were heckled as they were led back into the holding cells at the magistrate's court in Johannesburg.They are charged with murder, attempted hijacking and possession of an unlicensed firearm and ammunition in connection with the Oct. 18 slaying of Dube, who was shot in front of his kids in a Johannesburg suburb in an apparent botched carjacking.The men, two of whom are Mozambicans, will appear in the same court on Oct. 30 to have their applications for legal aid processed, SAPA reported.South Africa's murder rate jumped 2.4 percent between April 1, 2006, and March 31, 2007, with 19,202 murders recorded in the period. The number of rapes, carjackings and assaults also remained alarmingly high in the period.Dube, who recorded more than 20 albums in his career and won over 20 awards locally and internationally, will be buried on Sunday in Newcastle, South Africa. His funeral is expected to draw large numbers of fans as well as members of the public. Source: Reuters

Aggudey Gets Angry....For Once

The Convention People’s Party’s flagbearer aspirant, George Opesika Aggudey is not happy with what he deems negative questions being raised about his bid to lead the party for the third time into general elections.Aggudey was the CPP’s candidate for the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, and on Monday, he filed his nominations to contest the party’s flagbearer race, convinced that he was the obvious choice among six interested in the position.He did not take kindly to questions from journalists that his opponents claim he was not marketable and that after losing on two occasions, there was nothing to fight for again.“It is you who is not marketable, it is you. You join other political parties and you come to CPP premises to come and do what…don’t let me use the word on you,” an agitated Aggudey barely restrained his tongue from issuing the undesirable.When told that his critics say he has no chance in the election, Aggudey retorted angrily; “It is you, it is you, what chance do you have in life, you tell me? I am better placed in life than you are, you annoy me so much….” before party members and some of his followers who were on hand restrained the man harbouring dreams of becoming Ghana’s President.For Aggudey, his chances at annexing the CPP slot are as crystal, claiming that he already has the nod of party delegates to become the flagbearer of the CPP and so all he would be doing when the party goes to congress to elect a candidate would be to go for a confirmation of his mandate.Other aspirants who filed their nominations plus the GH¢10,000 (¢100 million) filing fees included Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa. He told journalists that he will as a matter of priority tackle the unemployment situation in the country if he gets the nod to lead his party and Ghana. Dr. Kwaku Osafo who also arrived at the CPP headquarters riding on the back of a motor bike, committed to strengthening the party to make it a formidable force capable of winning any election in Ghana.Lawyer Bright Akwettey and former Public Sector Reform Minister, Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom also filed their nomination papers. Monday was the deadline for filing of nominations and the party says medical practitioner, F.W. Akuffo has already filed his nomination.(Play the attached audio to listen to Aggudey.)

Westel Has been Sold

The Ministry of Communications on Monday announced that Celtel International, a subsidiary of Kuwaiti company Zain (formerly named MTC) has bought 75 per cent of the shares of Western Telesystems (Ghana) Limited (Westel) for 120 million dollars. A statement issued in Accra by Dr Benjamin Aggrey Ntim, Minister of Communications said the government, through the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, would hold the remaining 25 per cent."Following extensive negotiations, a price offer of 120 million dollars has been agreed upon for 75 per cent shareholding reducing to 70 per cent within three years when Celtel will release five per cent of its shares in addition to those to be released by the government to be floated on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) to benefit the Ghanaian public," the Ministry said. The statement said the offer price of 120 million dollars included an additional consideration of 15 million dollars outright payment to cover the penalty fee of 25 million dollars due to the National Communications Authority (NCA), which would have been paid over an 11-year period of the licence's lifespan.The successful conclusion of a settlement agreement between the government and Western Wireless International (WWI) saw the transfer of the 66.67 per cent shares of WWI to the government. Consequently in March 2006, the government charged the Ministry of Communications to facilitate the divestiture of Westel in an open and transparent manner. "An inter-ministerial committee was duly constituted with representation from the Ministries of Communications, Finance and Economic Planning, Energy, and Attorney General's Department, the President's Office, in addition to representatives of Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC) and Westel to select a Transactions Advisor. "Messrs NTHC/Databank was accordingly selected as the Transactions Advisor to undertake the privatisation of Westel through a competitive process."The statement said by the close of the deadline for the submission of bids for Westel and after consideration of the technical evaluation of the capabilities of the companies, the Transactions Advisor presented six companies in order of ranking Celtel, Kinz Telecom, Vodacom, African Soft Ltd, National Telecom Cards Company and Afritel Communications."In accordance with the terms of reference of the request for proposals, the Transactions Advisor recommended the top four bidders for negotiations with Government. However, Vodacom withdrew its candidature before official negotiations could begin," the statement said.It said the government invited Kinz Telecom of United Arab Emirates on April 11, 2007 following an encouraging outcome of initial discussions, as it had offered the superior initial price, to seek firm commitments on technology, details of roll-out implementation, as well as possibility of price enhancement by the company. "For consideration of additional spectrum requests by Kinz for Third Generation Network (3G) licence and Wimax frequencies, the company accepted to pay a total of 250 million dollars for 66.67 per cent shares of Westel, after which a Memorandum of Understanding was signed for payment to be executed within 45 days before the conclusion of a Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA)."However, after the expiry of the stipulated time and further extensions granted for the payment, Kinz Telecom was not able to fulfil its undertaking and consequently, the exclusivity granted to it was withdrawn, whereupon Government invited Celtel, as the next successful bidder, for negotiations over its bid.The statement said on July 10, 2007 Celtel International, a subsidiary of Kuwaiti company, Zain, formerly named MTC, entered negotiations with the government "and for the purposes of this transaction turned down the offer of additional licences for Wimax and Third Generation Network (3G) services at this time". "The ensuing negotiations, therefore, resulted in an agreement on the final offer price of $120 million. It is to be noted that this amount is considerably less than the Kinz price quoted above, but principally, this is due to the limited frequencies being offered to Celtel."The statement said Celtel would be investing millions of dollars in a state-of-the-art telecommunications network and associated services to offer its unparalleled experience as a pan-African operator, bringing telecommunications services to more than 24 million customers in 14 countries across the continent. "Celtel prides itself on offering attractive career opportunities in its countries of operation, not only with the company directly, but also via its network of distributors, suppliers and advisors. "Westel's current management and staff, who have worked under challenging circumstances to date, will play an important role in taking the company forward."The statement said Celtel also looked forward to promoting Ghana as a gateway to West Africa through its One Network, the world's first borderless network. "This offers Celtel's customers the opportunity to move freely across geographical borders using the same services they would access in their home country, and to make calls without roaming surcharges and without having to pay to receive incoming calls and messages. "The service also permits customers to buy and top up with local airtime when they visit other countries in which One Network is operational. Celtel's One Network service is currently operational for 160 million people across six nations in East and Central Africa."The Ministry said it was their conviction that the entry of Celtel on the Ghanaian telecom market at this stage would further promote the needed competition in the telecom sector to ensure quality service delivery to the people of Ghana. Source: GNA

Zero Tolerance For Corruption Alive

President John Agyekum Kufuor supports the public sittings of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament as it falls perfectly in line with the Government's aspiration of zero tolerance for corruption.The sittings are yet another score in the nation's quest for democracy and good governance, his Press Secretary, Mr Andrew Awuni said at a Castle press briefing on Monday."These sittings symbolize our collective will to put behind us the dark side of our past and forge ahead with our quest for a truly open society in which probity and accountability is not just a mere slogan."Mr Awuni said while Ghanaians applauded the work of the Committee and bemoaned the potential losses caused by poor judgment on the part of some public officials, it was important to ponder over "what we did not have the chance to hear about in the past, the losses we made in the past that we will never get to know, not only in the era of the Fourth Republican Constitution, but as far back as our minds can take us".Revelations at the sittings should, therefore, not be looked upon as the failure of a Government but, on the contrary, the triumph of a new regime and a new culture that must be upheld and rewarded."Government is committed to promoting a new culture of openness and transparency; a culture that frowns at graft and incompetence; a culture of the rule of law and a truly democratic society where good governance remains the cornerstone."This, Mr Awuni said, had been demonstrated through the introduction of appropriate legislation and strengthening of the Public Finance Administration laws and agencies mandated to fight corruption as well as the expansion of the frontiers of free expression.He cited the repeal of the Criminal Libel Law; introduction of the Procurement Law; Whistle Blowers Act and the strengthening of the operational capacities of the Serious Fraud Office; Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Auditor-General's Department to support his assertion.The Press Secretary entreated the media and social commentators to refrain from the skewed analysis and the tendency to misrepresent facts. They should rather ensure circumspection and high professionalism and avoid pointing accusing fingers or judging public officials, who appeared before the Committee as criminals, saying they should wait for the law to take its course.
Source:GNA

Aliu starts his presidential campaign

Vice President Aliu Mahama at the weekend assured Ghanaians of quality leadership when elected to lead the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2008 General elections. He said he had successfully served as a chief apprentice under President John Agyekum Kufuor, adding: "I now want to be the master". Vice President Mahama was speaking at Enchi as part of a four-day tour of the Western Region to market himself to the chiefs and people ahead of the NPP national delegates' congress scheduled for December 22. The Vice President formally declared his intention last Thursday to contest the NPP presidential primaries when he filed his nomination at the Party's office in Accra."Experience is the best teacher, you cannot find experience in any textbook or buy it with money. Experience equips a person with the necessary tools to lead," Alhaji Mahama said. During a similar interaction with the chiefs and people of Beyin and Wassa Akropong, he said he was in their midst to seek their blessing to serve the country with humility."I have served the country for the past seven years with humility. Humility is not weakness".He described himself as a bridge to unite Ghana and attract floating voters for the NPP.Responding to the numerous development challenges confronting the communities he visited, Vice President Mahama assured the chiefs and people of his personal intervention to address their concerns. The common concern expressed by the chiefs was the bad nature of roads in the region.At Enchi, the traditional authority told the Vice President that successive governments had played politics with the link roads to other parts of the region and therefore the people are awaiting the promise of the NPP to change that perception.Alhaji Mahama said Enchi as a major cocoa producing area was the heartland of the country's development efforts, hence the commitment of government to tackle the poor road network in the area and provide the communities with basic amenities.He said government was providing 30,000 bags of cement and roofing sheets to victims of the recent floods that hit the town. Nana Ntadu III, paramount chief of Sefwi Wiawso and Awula Annor Agjaye III, paramount chief of Beyin bemoaned the poor network in their traditional areas.Vice president Mahama assured the two chiefs of efforts to provide a three-phase electricity line by December this year to facilitate the establishment of small-scale industries.At Wassa Akropong, paramount chief Kasapreko Kwame Passayin III asked government to resolve the erratic power supply in the area, expand the health facility and provide a bus to the local Senior High School. Vice president Mahama would visit Ashanti and Northern Regions as part of his campaign tour.
Source:GNA