...To Hell With Your Fake Polls...

Former Press Secretary to President Kufuor and New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential aspirant, Kwabena Agyei Agyapong, has rubbished all opinion polls including the recent one purportedly carried out by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) on who is likely to win the party’s presidential slot.From the very early months of this year, there have been several polls carried out by so many agencies, which different polls claims this or that aspirant is leading the pack of presidential hopefuls as the party prepares for its congress starting December 22, 2007 to pick a candidate to lead it to ‘war’ in the 2008 general elections. And not in any or all of those polls is Kwabena Agyapong mentioned as a serious contender let alone leading the pack of eighteen aspirants.He has thus branded all those polls as the works of lazy people. According to the tough-talking aspirant, he would not waste his time mulling over the countless opinion polls on the chances of the various aspirants, since the so-called pollsters of all those reports only sit in Accra, and conduct surveys that are not representative of the population of party delegates across the length and breadth of the country.Speaking to the Independent newspaper yesterday on the purported BNI report, which put him nowhere among the leading contenders, and even went on to suggest that, “he is a young politician full of ambition, but has a small bony chest,” Mr. Agyepong stated categorically that, he does not care about any BNI report. Speaking in a way that clearly portrayed his disregard for the so-called BNI report, Mr. Agyepong was forthright in pointing out that, rather than waste his time on meaningless polls, he prefers to focus on his campaign, which he knows is going on successfully.Speaking in the affirmative, Mr. Agyapong pointed out that he is not the least perturbed by the BNI report, since that cannot replace the views and preferences of the numerous NPP delegates, who will make the life-changing decision on the D-Day. The party delegates, not the BNI, will decide on the floor of the congress, he stated confidently. Casting further doubts on all opinion polls conducted so far, the former presidential spokesperson dared all pollsters to produce even three items on the questionnaires they claim they distribute to potential delegates to fill in all the 230 constituencies.That is the material they used to collect data, upon which they are making those claims, isn’t it, he queried, so let them publish that too for all to see, he dared them. He suggested that a good number of the potential aspirants get annoyed anytime they hear of these supposed opinion polls, because it is not a true reflection of what is on the ground. According to him, his is confident of winning because he has worked very hard in the constituencies, and that the delegates are buying his message. He added that, he is not going to indulge in any lazy politics based on lazy polls conducted by lazy pollsters.The supposed BNI report, which is being serialized by the Ghanaian Observer newspaper, puts former Foreign Minister, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo in the lead. The survey further stated about Kwabena Agyapong: Even though the party faithful and most especially the leadership of the party know him, he is seen as politically immature”. It adds, his detractors describe him as arrogant and someone who would make an insignificant impact come the party’s presidential primary.
Source:The Independent

HIV/Aids Increases in Ghana

There has been an increase in HIV/Aids in Ghana this year, in spite of increased education on preventive measures to curb the prevalence of the disease.Speaking to the ADM yesterday, the Public Relations Officer for the Ghana Aids Commission, Eric Padwura said the Commission's statistics for the 2007 Sentinel Survey show that the rate of HIV infection among pregnant women has increased from 2.7% to 3.2%. The national prevalence rate has also gone up from 2.1% to 2.2%.The Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Awuku-Amoah, said the Commission is aware of the challenges involved in reducing the infection.He said an amount of ¢30 billion will further be disbursed in the fight against the spread of the disease.He however, expressed worry about the fact that most young people are not listening to the education campaigns for safe sex. He said most young people have not been using condoms and the cause of the increase can be attributed to refusal among young people, mostly to change their behaviour.Despite the increase, he said the Commission will not relent in its efforts in educating the public to adopt behaviour change to curtail the spread of the disease in the country.
Source:Accra Mail

Media should make NPP flag bearer campaign civil - Botwe

Mr Daniel Kwaku Botwe, an aspiring presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), on Tuesday appealed to media houses, particularly those affiliated to the party, to be circumspect about their comments on the aspirants to maintain unity within the party after the December 22 Congress. The use of the media to scandalize presidential aspirants, he said was an unhealthy democratic practice, as it had the potential of undermining the Danquah/Busia political philosophy and create a difficult task for the party to manage after the Congress in the event of one such personality wining the flag bearership slot."The party will hold media houses and presidential aspirants whose conduct and comments overtly create tension and mar the cordial and peaceful relationships that have existed within the party responsible," Mr Botwe, a former NPP General Secretary and Minister of Information, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Accra.Mr Botwe, who is also a former Minister of Information, lauded the efforts and contributions of journalists towards the democratic development of the country, but noted that recent unguarded publications and comments on the airwaves posed a big threat to our democracy. He urged the media to adhere to the ethics of the profession, champion the cause of the vulnerable, create a level playing field for all contestants and ensure that the public were objectively informed on issues to make the right choices.Mr Botwe also expressed concern about the poor working conditions of most journalists, especially those in the public sector and called on the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the National Media Commission (NMC) to champion a crusade for a review of the salaries and service conditions of journalists in relationship with the salary structure of other workers in the country.On his presidential ambitions, he declared that he was on course. "I have a very competent team working tirelessly across the country and am confident that our efforts would result in massive vote (for me) at the Congress."Mr Botwe dismissed rumours that he would step down to support another candidate as "wicked" and called on delegates and sympathisers to lend him the needed support.He said there was no iota of truth in the rumour that he was only "testing the waters" and would later support one of the nearly two-dozen candidates in the race."I am still in the race and will never withdraw," Mr Botwe stressed. "I am not stepping out of the contest. I will give Ghanaians my time-measured plans aimed at developing the country for social and economic development."Mr Botwe noted further that no one went to war in anticipation of being killed or being vanquished and said adequate measures were in place to ensure he won the primaries convincingly. He said as former General Secretary and organizer he knew how to galvanize support for votes, adding that he placed these abilities at the party's disposal, which culminated in the 2000 and 2004 electoral victories.Mr Botwe said the 2008 elections would be keenly contested hence the party needed someone who had been with the people through difficult times to retain power.He said if he had the mandate he would continue to offer selfless leadership to the party, adding that if he became president, he would offer dedicated leadership to the nation and the world. "That's why I continue to appeal to delegates to translate their support into votes on December 22 at the Congress," he stated. Mr Botwe explained that he would continue to pursue a campaign, which would ensure decency in the party, stressing that the rank and file demanded nothing but a clean campaign in the primaries because "we cannot afford to disappoint our members".He said he had a lot of passion for the nation and would ensure that Ghanaians experienced accelerated development after 2008, since the Kufuor Administration had laid a solid foundation for economic take-off. "But this calls for a leader who has the capacity to lead effectively and I rightly fit into that," he said.Mr Botwe said, however, that in spite of the economic gains achieved, there was still a high degree of poverty in the rural areas. "As I went round the villages, I saw the vast difference between the rich and the poor and I think an NPP government under Dan Botwe will seriously look at that," he stated. 4 Sept. 07
Source:GNA

Bush Woos Ghana against Iran

AS TEHRAN CONTINUES to resist UN/US intensive pressure to stop its nuclear programmes, Washington has intensified its efforts at encouraging the international community to join it to halt Tehran from pursuing its nuclear activities, which the Bush administration claims is a major threat to the globe.Even though Tehran has come out to declare that its nuclear programmes are for “peaceful” purposes, the US continues to insist that the Islamic republic is seeking to build nuclear weapons and have demanded it suspend its uranium enrichment activities.Last week, the Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations Office in Vienna, Ambassador Gregory Schulte, on the orders of President Bush visited Accra as part of his global campaign, to meet with government officials on how to deal with Tehran and its possible threat to the world.At a roundtable discussion with Ghanaian journalists at the new US Multi Purpose Room Embassy complex in Accra, Ambassador Schulte expressed US’ major fears about Tehran’s nuclear programmes, claiming that series of reports emanating from a number of critical studies suggests Iran has ulterior motives concerning its uranium enrichment activities.He said the United States has evidence that Iran has secretly been building large nuclear facilities at sites that could possibly be used to make nuclear weapons.He indicated the sites as near the town of Natanz and another one near Arak, all in Iran.Asked by the GYE NYAME CONCORD as to what exactly makes the US believe that Iran has intentions of acquiring nuclear weapons, Ambassador Schulte said Tehran has rejected modern technologies from Russia as well as the West for an out-of-date AQ Khan technology, which meant that something might be fishy.Ambassador Schulte also claims Tehran has been supporting terrorism in the Middle East and revealed that there is a link between the Iranian army and its nuclear programme, which according to him, makes the US’ fears real.Even though he could not tell whether Tehran possesses nuclear weapons at the moment, he said Washington estimates that Iran could possess nuclear power between 2010 and 2015. As a result, Ambassador Schulte expressed the urgent need for the international community to act swiftly in unison to halt what he termed the looming danger posed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.He also indicated that Iran had admitted working on long-range missiles after its Shahab-3 and 4 missiles with a range of 2000 km and wondered who Tehran could possibly be targeting.He noted that the threat posed by Iran’s current nuclear intentions was indeed global, stressing that in view of the volatile and the sensitive situation prevailing in the Middle-East, there was cause for concern about Iran’s possible nuclear capabilities.However, Ambassador Schulte insist Washington believe diplomacy is the best option to deal with Tehran to ensure that the Islamic Republic back down on its nuclear mission or possibly co-operate with the West on the best way forward for Iran’s nuclear programmes other than the uranium enrichment activities.According to him, Washington is looking at a third sanction to be imposed on the Islamic republic by the UN Security Council but insisted that such sanctions should not be targeted at the ordinary Iranian people but targeted at the government and its agencies and personalities in order to make it difficult for them to pursue their ‘evil’ agenda of acquiring weapons of mass destruction.Iran has always claimed that the purpose of its nuclear programme is the generation of power and that any other use would be a violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, of which it is a signatory. Such a programme would also be against Iranian religious principles, it says.According to Iran, nuclear power is necessary for its booming population and rapidly-industrialising nation.Presently, Iran is not known to possess weapons of mass destruction and has signed treaties repudiating possession of them, including the Biological Weapons Convention, the Chemical Weapons Convention, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).However, Iran is believed to have a current inventory of 25 to 100 Shahab-3 missiles which have a range of 2100 km and are capable of being armed with conventional high explosives, submunition, chemical, biological, radiological dispersion and potentially nuclear warheads.A Shahab-4 with a range of 2000 km and a payload of 1000 kg is believed to be under development.Iran has also stated the Shahab-3 is the last of its war missiles and the Shahab-4 is being developed to give the country the capability of launching communications and surveillance satellites.A Shahab-5, an intercontinental ballistic missile with a 10,000km range, is also believed to be under development.But a number of western countries, including the U.S., United Kingdom, and France, have accused Iran of a clandestine intentions behind its nuclear programme.On 31 July 2006, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution demanding Iran suspends its nuclear activities.On December 23, 2006, the UN Security Council approved imposing sanctions against Iran, UNSC Resolutions 1737 and 1747.Meanwhile, in his “OUR HIDDEN WMD PROGRAM-Why Bush is spending so much on nuclear weapons” in April 23, 2004, Fred Kaplan wrote, “The budget is busted; American soldiers need more armour; they’re running out of supplies.Yet the Department of Energy is spending an astonishing $6.5 billion on nuclear weapons this year, and President Bush is requesting $6.8 billion more for next year and a total of $30 billion over the following four years.This does not include his much-cherished missile-defence programme, by the way. This is simply for the maintenance, modernization, development, and production of nuclear bombs and warheads”
Source:Frank Fordjour for GYE NYAME CONCORD

Aliu-Mahama Rallies Church Support for His Prsidential Bid.

Vice President Aliu Mahama on Sunday, made his maiden public declaration about his political aspiration to lead the ruling New Patriotic Party NPP) in Election 2008. Vice President Mahama made the affirmation at Gomoa Mozano in the Central Region, where he was the special guest of honour to the Musama Disco Christo Church (MDCC).

"I stand here before you as a Ghanaian of Northern Extraction and Muslim, deeply humbled by the opportunity to offer myself to Ghanaians to serve as leader," he said.This attracted prolonged cheers from the large congregation at the Jubilee Temple of the Church, who are in Mozano to mark the annual Peace Festival of the religious organisation, on the theme: "Ghana @ 50 Be Reconciled to God.""I am proud of Ghana. God willing, together, we can make democracy thrive, united in the purpose of meeting the challenges of affordable and accessible social services and youth unemployment."Vice President Mahama observed that the forefathers of Ghana fought for freedom and protected minority rights, which had resulted in a Constitution, which aims at making Ghanaians a big family.He said as a developing nation, Ghana was challenged by poverty, ignorance and disease hence the need for all hands on deck to confront the development setbacks."Wherever we are, we must see ourselves as one people. Together, we can have one aim and reach a common destiny of prosperity and security for all."National unity is the bedrock of peace and stability. Leadership thrives on stability. With stability, we can groom leaders. Vice President Mahama said Ghana needed leadership to solve the real problems of the contemporary times."We need leadership to improve housing delivery. We need leadership to provide law and order, fight corruption and reduce indiscipline. "We need leadership at all levels, in the Church, in schools, in the markets and in public institutions. Together, we can provide that leadership if we rid ourselves of prejudice and pettiness. Together, we can provide quality leadership based on consensus and team building if we focus on what unites us instead of what could divide us." Touching on the dispute over the leadership of the Church that had bedevilled the peace festival, Vice President Mahama expressed the hope that his visit would mark the end of the period of the seeming instability that nearly destroyed the achievements of the religious organisation."Now the challenge is reconciliation. I urge you to work hard at bringing all sides together. Effective reconciliation will mean peace. With peace, new opportunities will open up."Brothers and sisters in Christ, I stand for unity. I believe in national reconciliation. Above all, I believe in the forgiveness of God," he noted.The MDCC was founded by Prophet Jemisimiham Jehu-Appiah, who started the Pentecostal organisation in 1917 as a prayer group. When he died in 1948, he handed over the mantle of authority to his son, Prophet Dr. Mathapoly Moses Jehu-Appiah who passed away on August 28, 1972.Prophet Miritaiah Jonah Jehu-Appiah became the next spiritual head but was taken to court by some leaders of the Church five years ago, over allegations of misconduct and was subsequently asked by the court to step aside.The Church is currently manned by a five-member Interim Management Committee headed by Rev. Kinakosa Addai. 02 Sept. 05
Source:GNA

Stephen Appiah win SWAG's Top Award

Stephen Tornado Appiah is the Sports Writers Association of Ghana (SWAG) Sports Personality of the Year

...And Peru Went Down 2-0 U:17....KOREA