No shut down of Akosombo dam, despite ...

The Volta River Authority (VRA) has dispelled media speculations that it will shut down its plants this week.The Director of Hydro at the VRA, Kirk Coffie, maintained that although the water level in the Akosombo dam was still critically low, it did not yet warrant a shutdown."We are presently running two out of the six turbines and although we wish we could run more, the water level at 235.16 feet, as of Friday, cannot support the extra four," he said.Since August last year, the country's major source of electrical power has suffered a severe set back as a result of the drastic drop in the water level of the dam, the main source of hydro power for the country.

Mr Coffie said the authority had had to rely heavily on the importation of crude oil to power the thermal plants at Aboadze, the cost of which was becoming increasingly unbearable.The situation has forced the VRA to reduce the power supplied to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG),hence the nation wide power rationing exercise to avert a total collapse.The government, on its part, is putting in place short-term measures, including the installation of power generating plants in Tema and Kumasi, to generate more than 500 megawatts of energy to make up for the shortfall of about 400 megawatts.

Mr Coffie said Ghana was not suffering from drought, adding that "once we are in the rainy season, there is much hope that the rains will come for the level of water in the dam to rise".Until last Friday, reports indicated that the water level had been reducing at an average of about 0.2 feet daily.When asked what the outcome would be in the event of no rains in the northern part of the country this week, Mr Coffie responded, "We pray it will not happen.
Source:Daily Graphic

French President to visit Ghana

French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives in Ghana on Thursday, July 26, 2007 for a two-day official visit. This would be his second outing to Africa since assuming office as President in May this year.

A press release signed by Mr. Andrew Awuni, Press Secretary to President John Agyekum Kufuor, said Mr. Sarkozy would hold discussions with President Kufuor on issues bordering on peace and stability in the sub-region.The two leaders would additionally, review the bilateral relations between Ghana and France.Mr. Sarkozy would also visit Senegal and South Africa.

Mills---Contract Killings Must Stop Now

The recent slaying of Mr. Rokko Frimpong, Deputy Managing Director of the Ghana Commercial Bank, has undoubtedly accentuated the belief that we are now in an era where people are engaging the services of Contract Killers, to either settle scores or for the pursuit of their very selfish interests.Before the cold blooded murder of Mr. Frimpong, a prominent Corporate Executive, Mr. Awuah Boateng, and an accomplished journalist, Mr. Samuel Ennin, were all murdered in cold blood by heartless assassins who killed not because they wanted to steal property or wealth, but killed because the mission was to wipe out their victims.

Apart from the very professional manner in which the assassins carryout their assignments, a very worrying trend that is being established, is, the hit men have exhibited brazen bravado which reeks of a “we fear nothing” attitude as they execute their jobs without masking themselves.It is this “we fear nothing” attitude that Ghanaians must be extremely worried about since the message that the assassins and their bosses are sending is that they either don’t care if they are caught, or know that they are so well connected and protected that they cannot be caught.

As scary as the current phenomenon of Contract Killing is, it is not difficult to draw a link between what is happening and Ghana having become a key hub and major transit point for the illicit drug trade.Ghana has become a principal corridor through which transnational drug trafficking groups operate and incontrovertible evidence abounds to that effect.The magnitude of ill-gotten wealth that the drug trade makes available to the barons, allows them to use money to buy almost anything – including buying the services of hit men.

It cannot be ruled out that contract killers also tend to be users of drugs hence the barefaced boldness we are witnessing as in the three cases in question, the hit men have operated without masks.Ghana is no longer the safe country and investment destination that it used to be and I am calling on President Kufuor, his Interior Minister, and the Inspector General of Police, to not only find the assassins and brains behind these heinous crimes, but also restore hope in Ghanaians that we can operate within a safe environment and not live in constant fear not knowing who would fall victim next to the bullets of the contract killers.
Source:OFFICE OF PROF. JOHN EVANS ATTA MILLS

NPP's Presidential Hopefulls Replaced

The Group of 8 cabinet ministers - a.k.a the G8 - in the Kufuor Administration, who have been pushed out of office to pursue their presidential aspirations/ambitions have finally been replaced.
The Chief of Staff and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Kwadwo Mpianim, presented a list of the first batch of their replacements to the Speaker of Parliament on Wednesday. They are:
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Akwasi Osei-Agyei (now Deputy)
Minister of Information and National Orientation: Ms Oboshie Sai-Coffie (pictured; now Deputy)
Minister of Communications: Dr Aggrey-Ntim
Minister of Manpower, Youth and Employment: Nana Akomea (ex-minister)
Minister of Public Sector Reforms: Samuel Owusu-Adjei (former deputy Minister of Health)
Minister of Trade, Industries and President’s Special Initiatives: Mr Joe Baidoo-Ansah (now Deputy Minister of Tourism)
Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance: Dr Akoto Osei
Minister of State at the Attorney Generals Dept.: Ambrose Dery (now Upper West Regional Minister)
Minister of State at the at the ministry of interior: Nana Obiri-Boahen
Minister for Housing & Water Resources: Madam Cecilia Dapaah
Upper West Regional Minister: Joe Benson
Eastern Regional Minister: Kwadwo Affram-Asiedu (now Deputy Minister of Trade)
Upper East Regional Minister: Alhassah Sumari Kwamena Bartels, current minister of information, is not on the list
Speculation (Yet to be CONFIRMED)
Parliamentary Affairs: Abraham Ossei Aidoo (MP for Tema West and deputy Majority Leader)
Interior: Hon. Kwamena Bartels
Information and National Orientation(Deputy): Frank Agyekum (now Spokesperson on Governance)
Tourism and Diasporan Relations: Hon. Stephen Asamoah-Boateng
Defence: Albert Kan-Dapaah
Education, Science and Sports: Prof Dominic Fobih
Source:GHP

Failure to convict Ghanaian "suicide bomber"

The jury in a major terrorism trial in Britain Tuesday failed to convict two men charged with an attempted bomb plot on London's transport network on July 21, 2005. The jury was discharged after members remained deadlocked over whether to convict Manfo Kwaku Asiedu, from Ghana, and Adel Yahya, originally from Ethiopia, who are now facing a re-trial.

On Monday, Woolwich Crown Court found four co-defendants guilty of having planned the attack, which would have come exactly two weeks after the suicide bombings on London's transport network that killed 52 passengers and injured more than 700.
Muktar Said Ibrahim, 29, Yassin Omar, 26, Ramzi Mohammed, 25, and Hussain Osman, 28, were found guilty of conspiracy to murder. They will be sentenced Wednesday, the court announced.

Asiedu, 32, had been accused of being the "fifth" bomber who lost his nerve and dumped his device. He has said he was "duped" into getting involved.
Yahya, 23, who is from Ethiopia but had British citizenship, had always denied any knowledge of the conspiracy.
The prosecution alleged he was part of the "inner circle" of the group who planned the attacks.
Source:GHP

Italian President to visit Ghana

The President of the Republic of Italy , His Excellency Giorgio Napolitano, will arrive in Ghana on Sunday, July 8, 2007 to begin a three-day official visit.Whilst in Ghana , President Napolitano and his delegation will hold bilateral talks with President Kufuor at the Castle, and later address the Ghanaian Parliament on Monday, July 9, 2007.

He will also visit the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and tour the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium to interact with the Italian workers at the construction site. On Tuesday, July 10, Mr. Napolitano will visit the Kofi AnnanInternational Peace-keeping Training Centre and interact with staff of the Centre before departing for his home country. On the heels of the Italian President's departure will be the arrival of the President of the Swiss Confederation, Mrs.

Micheline Calmey-Rey for a two-day official visit.She will also hold bilateral talks with President Kufuor and members of his government at the Castle, Osu. She returns on Wednesday, July 11, 2007. 07 July 07

Gahna---78 Receive State Honours