Financial rot at Health Ministry revealed

Proceedings at Wednesday's sitting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament have shown that some public institutions are, still embroiled in financial malpractice and malfeasance. This was made manifest when the committee found that payments running into billions of cedis made by the Ministry of Health (MOH) were not covered by the necessary documentation. On the second day of the sittings, it was discovered that the dollar account of the MOH was being operated without adequate documentation, since 13 payments, totalling ¢13.24 billion, had been made without supporting documents.In a desperate bid to defend and salvage the image of the ministry, its officials produced some documents which were yet to be assessed by the committee and authenticated by the Auditor-General.When the officials were questioned over the submission of the remaining documents, they replied that efforts were underway to produce such documents for the committee.That led the chairman of the committee to comment that answers given to questions by members of the committee were misleading and fraught with lots of inconsistencies. In its probe of the MOH, the PAC found, to its chagrin, unapproved expenditure, failure to tender the award of road construction works, indebtedness of health institutions, engagement of unapproved temporary staff, unaccounted for fuel, unearned salaries and non-payment of rent by occupants of government flats and bungalows. In a response, the Financial Controller of the ministry, Mr Simon Dosu, who claimed to have assumed that position a few months ago, pointed out that most of the documents that the committee had sought for were not available at the time of audit. Mr. E. T. Mensah, a member of the committee and Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, asked Mr. Dosu whether notes on the ministry's activities had been handed over to him by his predecessor? Replying, Mr Dosu said the handing over had been brief and had not included all the details of financial expenditure and payments effected by the ministry under the dol¬lar account. Commenting on activities at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Mr Sallas Mensah, the Chairman of the PAC; said the committee's review of the budget performance of the hospital for 2003 revealed that the sector minister's approval for ¢3.70 billion, representing excess capital expenditure, had not been approved by Parliament. He said the committee had, therefore, advised the management of the hospital to operate within its expenditure limit to curtail budget overruns and prevent avoidable strain on the finances of the ministry.Mr Mensah further explained that the hospital also failed to tender the award of a road contract, estimated at ¢289.3 million. "We noted that the construction of the Korle-Bu residential access road for doctors' bungalows, courts A, B, C and Zoti Bungalow were not put to tender, neither were alternative quotations obtained. The sum of ¢289.3 million was paid to Facol Roads Limited in respect of the access roads construction," he said. The PAC Chairman said the committee further noted that a reserve price was not obtained from either the Ghana Highway Authority or any other recognised body to serve as a yardstick for measuring the contract price. "We recommend that in future laid down regulations should be adhered to. Officers responsible for untendered contracts for which quotations are not obtained should be surcharged in future should any loss of funds arise," he added. In an answer to the query, the acting Chief Executive of the hospital, Dr Ben Annan, said the project was done under a certificate of urgency and that explained why it did not go through a tendering process. He said three contractors were shortlisted to bring quotations to the hospital, after which Facol Company Limited was endorsed to undertake the construction works. When the Minority Leader, Mr Alban Bagbin, asked Dr. Annan to tell the committee of the names of the two other companies, the acting chief executive could not remember them offhand. Source: Daily Graphic

Kufuor hails Equatorial Guinea's gas plant

Oil-rich Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday formally entered the global gas market as a major new player with the inauguration of a 1.5 billion-dollar Liquefied Natural Gas Plant.The plant has the capacity to deliver 3.7 million tonnes of the fuel annually for 17 years.President John Agyekum Kufuor, who was specially invited to join in the celebration of the occasion, alongside the leaders of Nigeria and Sao Tome, hailed the initiative by the country to expand and diversify its oil industry, as an important economic step. African countries, he said, needed to add value to natural resources to sustain their economies and take advantage of the global market system.He, however, cautioned that in so doing, care must be taken to protect and maintain the environment. The environment must never be neglected in the pursuit of social and economic advancement, he stated.President Kufuor therefore encouraged the government of Equatorial Guinea to make sure it involved all stakeholders in the management of the environment.Again, it should strive to use the new-found wealth to benefit and improve the lives of all the population.President Teodoro Obiang Ngueso Mbasogo, said the onshore project was a symbol of what could be achieved through economic partnership. He pledged his government's commitment to utilise the country's oil wealth to raise the living standards of the people.Mr Ken Woodworth, Managing Director of the EN LNG, operators of the plant, said their hope was that the project would serve as a catalyst for the establishment of the Gulf of Guinea as a world force in the industry.Equatorial Guinea, with a population of less than 800,000 has large oil and gas deposits. Their exploitation is driving spectacular economic growth.Now the third largest producer of crude oil in Sub-Sahara Africa, after Nigeria and Angola, it has a real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 18.6 per cent with inflation pegged at 5.2 per cent.
Source:GNA

Kufuor leaves for Equatorial Guinea

President John Agyekum Kufuor left Accra on Wednesday for Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, for a one-day visit during which he will participate in the commissioning of a multi-million dollar liquefied natural gas plant.

A statement signed by Mr Andrew Awuni, Press Secretary to the President, said Mr Kufuor would also hold consultations with President Theodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

President Kufuor, who was accompanied by senior government officials, is expected back home later on Wednesday.
Source:GNA

KATH performs first open heart surgeries

The Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has recorded a significant historical feat after successfully performing its maiden open-heart surgery at the weekend. Four children underwent successful open-heart surgery on Sunday while another batch of four are having their turn today.The patients, aged between 1 and 8 years, are all in good condition. The surgeries were performed by a team of cardio thoracic surgeons from KATH and the Boston Children's Hospital of the Harvard University in the USA.It was under the auspices of the Variety Children's Lifeline, a Boston based NGO that provided medical equipment and consumables worth one million dollars towards the programme.Dr Francis Fynn Thompson, a Ghanaian Cardiologist at the Boston Children's Hospital, led the team.Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Chief Executive of KATH, told journalists in Kumasi that the successful operations, which were conducted free of charge, were a step towards the eventual establishment of a paediatric heart centre and the second cardio thoracic centre in the country to cater for the northern sector.He said 45 children were screened but 8 were selected for the surgeries and the rest would be operated upon during the second visit of the team in March.Dr Nsiah-Asare said apart from the surgeries, the team was also training their local counterparts in modern cardio thoracic techniques to build their capacity and equip them so as to be able to manage the proposed centre. He said within the next two years KATH would be operating a full-fledged cardio thoracic centre and thanked the team for the assistance.Dr Nsiah-Asare said a Ghana Paediatric Heart Fund would be launched on Friday as part of a global drive to solicit for resources to establish the centre and the provision of free heart surgeries for children in Ghana.Dr George Ofori Amanfo, A Cardiac and Intensive Care Specialist and member of the team, said the goal was to help the patients and also train doctors and other health workers towards the establishment of the second cardio thoracic centre in Ghana 16 Oct 07
Source:GNA

Ghana researching into malaria resistance genes

The Navrongo Health Research Centre in the Upper East Region, is undertaking a study aimed at identifying the genes in individuals that protect them against malaria.The collaborative study, known as the Malaria Genome Epidemiology Network, is made up of a global consortium comprising 12 institutions in malaria endemic countries across the globe and is led by researchers from the Oxford University in the United Kingdom.Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, The Gambia, Papua New Guinea and Mali are among countries taking part in the research, which would assist in the development of malaria vaccines.About 180 families in the Kassena-Nankana district in the Upper East Region are to participate in the research. Mr Lucas Amengo-Etego, a Research Fellow at the Navrongo Health Research Centre told journalists from the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), who were on a tour of the centre, that genes have a lot to do with the control of malaria. He said some people were more susceptible to the disease than others because individuals respond differently to infections from the malaria parasite.The journalists were in the Upper East and Northern Regions to assess the health status of the population, with particular attention to malaria, following the floods, which hit the northern parts of the country.The Malaria Clinical Trials Alliance, (MCTA) an African-led institution established to build capacity in the fight against malaria sponsored the trip.MCTA is currently leading a research into the development of a malaria vaccine in nine African countries, including Ghana. They have targeted 2011 for the introduction of the vaccine.
Source:GNA

Kufuor Ambushed - Over NPP Race

New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential aspirants yesterday took time off from their electioneering campaign to attend a crisis meeting at the Osu Castle hosted by President John Agyekum Kufuor.The meeting, called at the instance of the party’s reconciliation committee, was to address certain nagging issues in the name of party unity.At the core of the complaints by most of the aspirants was the suspected presidential support for John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, a leading contender in the NPP presidential race.As at press time yesterday, the meeting was under way with all the aspirants in attendance except John Kwame Kodua, a Kumasi-based private legal practitioner, about who little has been heard in the race to elect a successor to President Kufuor.When Daily Guide caught up with him, Mr. Kodua said he was not aware of any meeting. According to him, he was just returning from a campaign trip to the Western Region and therefore the issue about a meeting was news to him. “You are now telling me. Nobody has told me about any meeting,” he said.Daily Guide learnt that a litany of issues was raised about the presidential race, including a strong accusation that the playing field was not level. The President was asked to stay out of the race. “Please stay out,” an aspirant was said to have fired. A similar meeting called by the committee last Wednesday was called off at the last minute, owing to what insiders described as “small lapses”.Some of the aspirants were said to have complained about the mode of the invitation, which was via an SMS text message, and the venue chosen. They contended that since it was a party matter, the meeting should be held outside the Castle, with some suggesting Australia House or the NPP headquarters. The reconciliation committee, comprising of elders of the party is chaired by the National Security Minister Francis Poku. Other members are Peter Mac Manu, National Chairman; Prof Daniel Adzei Bekoe and Madam Amma Busia, Chairman and Member of the Council of State respectively; Mr. Samuel Odoi-Sykes, former Chairman and immediate past High Commissioner to Canada; Nana Awuku of Sanaa Lodge, Tesano and Cape Coast and a retired Professor from the University of Ghana.The committee had met the aspirants one after the other at the Australia House, after which an account was reportedly submitted to the President leading to yesterday’s high profile meeting.The issue of the venue was finally resolved when the President made it clear that the meeting could not be held at any other place but the Castle.According to him, the aspirants could not be saying different things now, especially when they had been coming to him at the Castle location. The aspirants, DAILY GUIDE sources said, demanded a firm commitment from the President that he would not undermine their campaign in his bid to support a particular candidate.They had complained that the recent ministerial reshuffle carried out was skewed in favour of a particular aspirant. The issue of a directive to DCEs, asking them not to host certain aspirants, came up strongly. The meeting was still underway as at press time, with the President virtually ambushed.
Source:Daily Guide

I am not for Alan 'Cash' - President Kufuor

H.E. President, Mr J.A. Kufuor, yesterday held a crucial meeting with the presidential aspirants of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at the Castle, Osu. The meeting was held behind closed doors and attended by NPP national executive members, including the National Chairman, Mr Peter Mac-Manu, the General Secretary, Nana Ohene Ntow, and the National Organiser, Lord Commey. Although there was no official statement regarding what transpired at the meeting, snippets of information the Daily Graphic gathered pointed to the fact that the key issues centred on how the aspirants could carry out their campaigns based on issues and ensure that the ruling government handed over to itself. The President was said to have discussed the contentious issue of his support for Mr Alan Kyerematen with the aspirants, our sources said President Kufuor once again denied his support for any of the aspirants and explained that what was important to him was the election of a candidate who could build on his legacy and unify all members of the party for the major task of the 2008 electioneering so that power could be transferred from him to another NPP candidate. Other issues discussed included the thorny issue of the composition of delegates for the December 22 Special National Delegates Congress to choose a flag bearer from the contenders for the 2008 general election. Among the issues raised in that respect were suggestions to the effect that the nine constituency executives in the 230 constituencies across the country be taken as delegates, with one additional delegate elected and added to them to constitute the 10 delegates for each constituency. That argument was said to have been informed by the pressure of time in conducting fresh elections to choose delegates for the congress. The other view was that fresh constituency delegate congresses be conducted throughout the 230 constituencies, using polling station chairmen as the electoral college to select the 10 constituency delegates. The meeting was held in a free and frank atmosphere, although the candidates did not mince words in expressing their concerns about some developments during the campaign. It is believed by inside sources that that matter would eventually have to be resolved by the National Council of the party in the run-up to the congress. The presidential aspirants who were present included the Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama; the former Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Papa Owusu Ankomah; the former Foreign Minister, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo; the former Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang; the former Minister of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and President's Special Initiatives (PSIs), Mr Alan Kyerematen; the former Minister of Communications, Professor Mike Oquaye; the former Press Secretary to the President and Presidential Spokesman, Mr Kwabena Agyepong, and Mr Boakye K. Agyarko. Others were former Minister of Regional Integration and NEPAD, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku; the former Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, and a former Minister of Information and a former General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Dan Botwe. The rest were the former Minister of Defence, Dr Kwame Addo-Kufuor; a former Deputy Minister of the Interior, Captain Nkrabeah Effah-Darteh (retd); a former Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Felix Owusu-Adjapong; Dr Arthur Kennedy; a former Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo; Ghana's Ambassador to Japan, Dr Baffour Adjei Bawuah, and the former Chief Executive Officer of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng. At the time of filing this report, Mr Kwame Kodua was yet to attend the meeting. The National Executive was said to have assured all the candidates that it would endeavour to abide by the code governing the process of the election of a presidential candidate. Source: Daily Graphic