President Declares 2007 Year Of Action

President J.A. Kufuor has declared that 2007 will be a year of action.He, therefore, asked Ghanaians to change their attitudes and rise up to meet the challenges and the programmes lined up for the year.

The President was responding to remarks made by the Chairman of the Council of State, Professor Daniel Adzei-Bekoe, at the last quarterly meeting between him and the Council of State at the Castle, Osu, yesterday.

After the opening remarks by the President and Professor Adzei-Bekoe, the meeting retired into a closed-door session.The President said 2007 would begin with Ghana playing host to the President of Germany, other African leaders and representatives of youth groups from all over the world at a forum intended to discuss the vision and arrangements for the emerging global village.

The forum, he said, would be followed almost immediately with a lecture by the outgoing United Nations Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan, to kick-start the country’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.

He said Mr Annan, who had had a distinguished diplomatic career and also brought honour to the country, needed to be given a hero’s welcome to Ghana when he retired home next year.Besides the celebration of the country’s Golden Jubilee, the country would also be the venue for the African Union Summit and Conference on the Africa Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) to be attended by all beneficiary countries of the facility to map out strategies to maximise benefits under the facility.

The year 2007, he said, would be the period for the country to complete its preparations towards hosting the African Cup of Nations (CAN) in 2008.Again, he said, the year would witness the earnest implementation of the programme drawn up to utilise the $547 million facility given to the country under the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) of the US.

The President said all those events, as well as other engagements, had been lined up at a time when the sanitation situation was not the best, while crimes such as cocaine trafficking posed a threat to the international image of the country.

He said such challenges could be best overcome with the active participation of all Ghanaians and, therefore, called for co-operation from all citizens to contribute their quota towards dealing with those difficulties for a successful year.As part of efforts to deal with the cocaine menace, the President said, the security agencies had busted another group of people suspected to be dealing in cocaine.

Reports submitted to his office, he said, indicated that some officials of a reputable company on the Spintex Road in Accra noted for rice importation had been busted for allegedly dealing in cocaine.Earlier, Professor Adzei-Bekoe commended the President for the progress that the country had made in the year 2006.

“We have maintained our economic stability, in spite of the frightening hike in oil prices and the impact that this has had on the cost of transportation and electric power for industrial and for domestic use,” he stated.“Fortunately, prices have come down significantly and the trend continues, though the downward trend has not been as dramatic as the increases months ago,” he added.

Professor Adzei-Bekoe said by the participation of the President in various forums and negotiations which had gone on with the host countries, he had secured for Ghana positive indications of support which could bring much needed relief in the short and medium terms.

He, however, expressed concern about some issues, including Dagbon and cocaine trafficking, and appealed to the parties involved in the Dagbon case to follow the road map which they had already signed for peace to prevail.
Source:Graphic

Police Probe Burning Of Currencies By A Chinese

The police are investigating a case in which a Chinese working in Ghana, Liu Jianpu, allegedly burnt a Ghanaian currency note, together with the Chinese yuan and the US dollar, for ritual purposes at Asokwa in Kumasi.

Jianpu, who works with the China Henan Guo Construction Company, which is drilling boreholes in the country, claimed that what he burnt were photocopies and not the original notes.

The police have consequently granted him bail while investigations continue. The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Frank Adu-Poku, told the Daily Graphic that at the moment the exhibits in the custody of the police were photocopies of a ¢20,000 note, a 100 Chinese yuan note and a $100 note.

He said on December 19, this year, three residents of Dadiesoaba, a suburb of Kumasi, reported to the police that they had seen some Chinese burning the currency notes at Asokwa.Policemen were, therefore, dispatched to the scene and they saw the ashes of burnt photocopies of a ¢20,000 note, a 100 yuan note, and $100.

When Jianpu, who was said to be the man at the centre of the act, was questioned, he explained that they had been performing some rituals to mark one week of the death of their colleague, Du Jia Quan, and to bid him farewell in line with Chinese custom and tradition.

ACP Adu-Poku stated that Jianpu further explained that what they had used were photocopies of the currency notes, as well as some favourite fruits of the deceased when he was alive.
Source:Graphic

Rawlings wishes Ghanaians Happy X’mas and Prosperous New Year

Former President John Jerry Rawlings on Friday wished Ghanaians Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year, asking them to consider unity as imperative for national development.

In a statement, Rawlings said, “We must all help build a national unity, which transcends ethnic, political, class and professional boundaries.”

He said that could only happen “when each and everyone of us demands that our political, religious, academic, industrial and traditional leaders pursue a bold and sincere course towards real good governance.

It must be one that eschews corruption, nepotism, tribalism, cronyism and political cynicism. Rawlings said, “as long as we maintain a passive or indifferent attitude towards the persistence of these socially divisive tendencies, we would have betrayed the developmental trust and aspirations that our people (from whom we derive our power and social influence) have reposed in us.”

He reminded Ghanaians that as they celebrated the Yuletide the good Lord would give them wisdom and courage to demand from their leaders that Ghana deserved real equality of opportunity for progress.

Former President Rawlings said, “In this season of peace and goodwill we are also reminded of our obligations to one another and to our nation.

“The joy of sharing a time of celebration cannot be meaningful unless we are mindful of the disadvantaged, the weak and the distressed and unless we are committed to the work of establishing a country in which social justice prevails.”GNA

Methodist Church congratulates Mills

The Methodist Church, Ghana on Friday congratulated Professor Atta Mills on receiving an overwhelming acknowledgement from the National Democratic Party (NDC) to continue to lead the Party for Election 2008.

A statement signed by the Presiding Bishop the Reverend Dr Robert Aboagye-Mensah in Accra said: "We thank God for a peaceful congress...Polling 81.4 per cent of the votes from the delegates indicates strong confidence that your Party has in your leadership."

The Methodist Church wished Prof Mills and the NDC a Merry Christmas and fruitful New Year.

Mills thanks all

Professor John Evans Atta Mills, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Flagbearer and Leader on Friday extended thanks to all those who made the party's congress at Legon on Thursday a successful and a momentous one.

He said in a statement: "As Flagbearer and Leader of the Great NDC family, I take this opportunity to thank the delegates and the teeming supporters who made yesterday's congress a momentous one".Prof. Mills said, he was grateful to the delegates for once again reposing their trust and confidence in him, confident of the fact that, "I would lead you to victory in 2008.

" He wished delegates, who travelled from their home regions would reach home safely.Prof. Mills also extended thanks to the executives of the party for the innovative and professional manner in which the congress was conducted which brought glory and good name to the NDC.

"To Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, Dr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah and Mr. Eddie Annan, I say a special thank you for being part of the process that has deepened internal democracy within the party and also for pledging your total and unalloyed support to the process that would lead the NDC to victory in 2008."He commended the media "for the very professional manner in which they reported proceedings."

Prof. Mills said, "For those media houses that covered the event live and thus allowed a larger audience to be part of the congress, a special thanks to them for doing the NDC the honours."He said he was grateful to 93all the invited guests from within and outside the country as well as our friends in the other political parties, who added their presence to make the congress what it was."

"In this festive time, I hope that as a country, we would all take time to reflect on the year which is passing us by and resolve to enter the coming year with a renewed sense of purpose. "I assure the rank and file of the party that once the calendar reads 2nd January, 2007, the walk to the Castle begins in earnest and there would be no turning back", he added.

Prof Mills said, "Victory beckons for the NDC and I pledge that John Evans Atta Mills would not deny the NDC that victory." He wished all Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Source:GNA

Stranded Hajj pilgrims protest

Hundreds of pilgrims attending this year's Hajj as well as their relatives on Friday besieged the main road of the Aviance Cargo Village near the Kotoka International Airport in Accra in protest against the delayed departure of pilgrims to Mecca. On two separate occasions they blocked the road with sticks, boulders and other objects.

The police cleared the obstacles almost immediately after which the crowd blocked another part of the road. The action resulted in traffic jam and the police presence was reinforced.

None of the Hajj Board members was available to clarify the situation.Ghana News Agency (GNA) investigations revealed that most Hajj members as well as their relatives grew impatient and blamed the Hajj Board for their continued delayed flights.

They said after paying 20 million cedis per a person for the trip they had ended up being given excuses that flight to send them on the pilgrimage was not available. The pilgrims, who were being housed at the premises of the Aviance Cargo Village complained that the conditions they found themselves in was horrible.

A man, who gave his name as Salia said he has been waiting for almost a week, during which he took his bath only once. All efforts to contact the members of the Hajj Board proved futile, as their mobile phones would not ring.

Meanwhile the pilgrims have threatened to hold a protest march to the offices of the Hajj Board if flight was not made available for them on Saturday to embark on the journey to Mecca.
Source:GNA

Foreign Affairs alerts public about Omni Canada

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and NEPAD on Friday urged the public to disregard adverts by a Canadian firm known as Canada Hotel Omni or Omni Canada, on internet seeking to employ workers to be employed in Hotels in Quebec and Montreal.

"The Ministry wishes to state that it cannot confirm the veracity of this information provided by the above named company and will accordingly advise the general public to disregard the advertisement,"These were contained in a statement issued and signed by Mr Sayuti Yahaya-Iddi, Acting Director, Information and Linguistic Bureau of the Ministry in Accra.

The Ministry noted that in the said advertisement, Canada Hotel Omni or Omni Hotel Canada had indicated that it would be responsible for accommodation and airfare of suitable candidates with salaries ranging from 2,800- 7,500 dollars.