Ohene Djan Stadium opens...As Ransford Osei Makes History

President J.A. Kufuor on Sunday commissioned the refurbished multifunctional Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra, venue for the opening and final games of the Ghana CAN 2008.Without mincing words, the President demanded high professionalism of managers and engineers of the facility and urged them to adopt the best management practices to keep the stadium in good shape at all times.He said the immediate use of the stadium will be the hosting of the Ghana 2008 tournament and reminded all of the immense cultural, economic, social and political opportunities that come with hosting the tournament.

“With the anticipated hundreds of thousands of guests who will visit Ghana for the tournament, the tourism sector will also receive the needed boost leading to further growth of our economy. Government is committed to providing such state of the art stadia in all the regions of Ghana to afford every citizen equal opportunity in taking part in sporting activities.”The President also took the opportunity to wish Premier League side, Accra Hearts of Oak a happy anniversary on the occasion of the 96th year celebrations.

Ghana’s goal scoring prodigy, Ransford Osei of the national Under 17 side, the Black Starlets, registered his name as the first player to score at the new Stadium in a memorial match against the Togolese Under 17 side.He converted a 12 minute penalty to give Ghana the lead and added two more in the second half before Togo pulled one back. Another Starlet, Richard Ampong sealed victory with Ghana's fourth.

Eschew influence in the selection process of chiefs-Kufuor

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday counseled kingmakers to resist all forms of influence in the selection of chiefs to vacant stools and skins to help end the spate of succession disputes. Otherwise, he said, the dignity, relevance and the place of the Chieftaincy Institution in the country could be endangered beyond repairs.

President Kufuor, who was addressing a colourful durbar of chiefs at the Centre of National Culture in Kumasi to round off the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFAC 2007), said it was the hope of the Government that findings of the current research into “succession to stools and skins” would provide insights that would help all stakeholders to make informed decisions on succession issues in the future.

“Meanwhile, I urge Nananom to take advantage of the structures created by the 1992 Constitution and the Chieftaincy Act of 1971, in the resolution of chieftaincy disputes that afflict this country and sometimes threaten to derail its development.” Additionally, he said, as custodians of culture, they must promote the eradication of cultural practices that were injurious to the dignity and rights of individuals, particularly, women and children. President Kufuor noted that good governance and the rule of law, in the traditional setting, were known in principle, to refer to fairness, justice and protection of the vulnerable including women, children, the aged and the physically challenged.

“Nowhere was the concern for sanitation and environment more keenly in evidence than the traditional setting. This is why all our Constitutions have recognized the Chieftaincy Institution.” He said it was however, sad, that in practice, with regard to human rights, especially rights of women, widows and the girl child, not all aspects of the nation’s culture reflected the spirit and letter of the Constitution. Touching of the exhibition of items from various cottage industries at the NAFAC, he said, it was a confirmation of the potential of the cultural sector, which must engage the chiefs and District Assemblies as they sought ways of generating employment and growing the national economy.

He also used the occasion to whip up support for the Ghana 2008 Football Tournament and said all should work to make it memorable. This should be one of the nation’s finest moments, he added. “This is a tournament that will attract thousands of football fans and tourists to the country.

It will also have over a billion TV viewers around the world.” President Kufuor called on all Ghanaians, irrespective of gender, ethnic, religious or political affiliation to pray for the success of the tournament and in particular for the national team, the Black Stars The 10-day event showcased the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the country and had, as its theme: “50 Years of Cultural Integration and National Development.” The celebration of the next edition of NAFAC in the year 2009 would be held in Tamale.GNA

Act firmly to stop drug and alcohol abuse – President Kufuor

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Saturday expressed concern about the increasing reports of drugs and alcohol abuse among students and called on school authorities to be more vigilant and act firmly to stop the menace. Narcotic drugs use, he said, was not only criminal but could be potentially injurious to health.

President Kufuor, was addressing the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the Kumasi Academy, a Senior High School, established by the Baptist Mission. He encouraged the country’s students to be wary of the onslaught of alien influences that contravened cherished values of the society.

To survive the complex world outside the walls of the school, he said they needed to individually reflect and prepare on how to lead responsible lives that would enable them to play significant roles in nation building. President Kufuor mentioned human resource development as one of the three-pronged priorities of the Government and said it was on the basis of this that it was doing everything to fully implement the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (FCUBE).

He also outlined measures it had put in place to promote quality education, focusing on the teaching of science and technology and the mastery of Information, Communication Technology (ICT). He said, he was impressed with the high number of professionals the School has turned out over the years, who were playing critical roles in the nation with some of them serving in the Government. He also congratulated the founders for their vision and all those whose contributions had brought the Institution to its present high level. President Kufuor announced a support package for the school, including the building of a girls dormitory block, bungalows for tutors, a bus and the provision of a security wall to ward off criminals.

Besides, the Aboabo-Parkoso road, running in front of the school, has also been awarded on contract and he directed the Regional Minister to ensure that the project was delivered on schedule. Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, in an address read for him said quality education was not just about academic excellence but also high levels of morality. The Education Fund he has set up would therefore, have achieved its objective, if education succeeded to mould the quality of life of the people. Nana Boakye Debra-Ansah, Asokore-Mamponghene, appealed to the Ghana Education Service (GES) to reserve a quota of high school admission to localities where the schools were sited.

The Headmaster, Mr. Alex K. Conduah, said there was an urgent need for the expansion of the facilities at the school to cope with the growing student population. He praised the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) for the immense support it was giving to the school and said the association had already provided it with an administration block, a 38-seater bus, a computer laboratory and a staff bungalow.GNA

"I don't throw away cash" - Alan "Cash"

Mr Alan Kyerematen, a presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party has said that contrary to the notion that he was "throwing away cash", he was rather addressing the concerns and welfare of the party's foot soldiers.

"It is a sign of appreciation to give a token as transport allowance to the party's foot soldiers, who have travelled long distances to hear my campaign message," he said.Mr Kyerematen was addressing polling station chairmen and constituency executives of the NPP at Kumbungu in the Tolon/Kumbungu District on Thursday as part of his tour to canvass for votes for his presidential bid.

He said it was unfortunate that some of his colleague aspirants were turning round to accuse him of "wasting money" instead of assisting the foot soldiers of the Party.Mr Kyerematen said he was one of the aspirants to have visited all 230 constituencies in the country and interacted with NPP foot soldiers, adding that he had fulfilled his promise of providing them with means of transport to enhance their campaign activities.He pledged to provide a pick-up vehicle each to all the constituencies and a bicycle each to all polling station chairmen to facilitate their campaigning, if he is elected presidential candidate at the Party's primaries to be held in December this year.

Mr. Kyerematen said the ability of the NPP to retain power in 2008 would depend on the work of the foot soldiers and polling station chairmen and urged them to embark on a house-to-house campaign to win more support for the party.He said the opposition National Democratic Congress was bent on regaining power and was spreading falsehood that the NPP government had done nothing since it came to power.

He urged them to educate the electorate on the achievements of the Party.He said the Kufuor administration had laid a solid foundation for the country and following with the discovery of oil, "we are poised for economic take off".On allegations that he was the preferred candidate of the President, Mr. Kyerematen said the President had cordial relations with all the aspirants. "Besides, he has come out publicly to deny that he was backing any of us".

He told his supporters to tell any aspirant who would come to talk about the President's backing for him to concentrate on their campaign and "leave Kyerematen alone".He said: "All credible opinion polls have put me ahead of my competitors and so I have become the target of envy".
Source:GNA

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