Ghana makes medical history:-Deep Brain Surgery

Medical history was made and a major breakthrough in brain surgery in Ghana recorded last week, when a team of brain surgeons at the Tema International Neuro-Center (TIN), which is housed in the Narh-Bita Hospital at Tema, successfully performed a seven-hour operation to treat a patient suffering from Parkinson's disease.

"For the first time in Ghana and indeed sub-Saharan Africa, a patient with Parkinson's disease had a brain pacemaker placed within the sensitive structure of the brain, in order to stop the disabling, abnormal movements in the patient", the leader of the team of surgeons, Dr Nii Bonney Andrews, explained.

Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the nervous system characterised by violent trembling of the hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face as well as stiffness of the limbs and trunk. Victims of Parkinson's disease have great difficulty walking and only manage to shuffle along.

Other symptoms of the disease include difficulty in swallowing, chewing, speaking, urinary problems, constipation, skin problems, and sleep disruptions.

Dr Andrews said Parkinson's disease patients also had great difficulty getting up, after sitting for a while. "They literally get stuck in chairs after sitting for some time", he said.

The brain surgeon said the 63-year old patient who underwent DBS surgery last week made significant progress within hours of the operation. The patient was able to walk better, his tremors decreased considerably and 48 hours after the surgery, he was able to sit for more than an hour, playing an exciting game of chess which is his favourite pastime, Dr Andrews said.

There are currently no blood or laboratory tests that have been proven to help in diagnosing the Parkinson's disease, which tends to afflict people in their 50s and older, Dr Andrews said a diagnosis of the disease is therefore mainly based on the medical history and a neurological examination of persons suspected to be suffering from early stages of the disease.

Dr Andrews said Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), which is employed to correct these abnormalities, was performed for the first time ever in 1994, in Greno, France. Since then, numerous clinical reports from all over the world have confirmed major improvements for all Parkinson's disease symptoms in patients who have undergone DBS surgery", the Ghanaian brain surgeon said.

He told the Daily Graphic that the patient had been suffering from Parkinson's disease for 20 years and had not been able to walk steadily. He fell frequently and had multiple shoulder dislocations as a result. He also shook uncontrollably and had great difficulty rising from a chair.

The surgeon described DBS as "a very complex and delicate operation requiring highly specialised skills and technology" and said its successful performance in Ghana "is a fine example of Ghanaian expertise linking up with international know-how, to improve medical outcomes in patients and expand medical knowledge."

According to Dr Andrews, "there was an air of great excitement among the surgeons, as the first electrode was passed deep into the brain of the patient." He said this was because for the first time in surgical intervention in Ghana, "the electrical charge from living and functioning cells deep within the human brain could be heard by surgeons as specific rhythmic sounds."

Dr Andrews gave an account of the dramatic events which unfolded on that memorable day last week, culminating in the historic medical feat. He said the operation started in the Scan Suite of the Medlab Building at Roman Ridge in Accra at 8 a.m.

A specialised metal frame called a Leksell frame was first placed round the patient's head. A special scan of the patient's head was next performed in order to obtain a detailed map of the brain, to identify the location of the brain where an electrode/wire was to be placed.

All calculations were "triple checked using special computer software." With the metal frame still attached to the patient's head, the patient was transported by ambulance to the Narh-Bita Hospital in Tema, at 9 a.m., the surgeon recounted.

In the operating suite at Narh-Bita, the electrode was very delicately guided into the patient's brain directly. After its placement had been checked using x-ray control films, a second electrode/wire was placed in the second side of the patient's brain and also checked. Both wires were then attached to a battery-powered simulator. At 4pm the procedure was complet�ed, the surgeon explained.

The work of Tema Interna�tional NeuroCenter at the Narh�-Bita Hospital is funded by the medical NGO NeuroGHANA. Dr Andrews revealed that since its inception in 1996, the medical NGO has promoted and pio�neered the use of modern techniques in brain surgery, key-hole video surgery, as well as Gamma Knife (GK) or "incisionless" surgery in Ghana.

The surgeon told the Daily Graphic that NeuroGHANA which is an indigenous NGO, dependent on its resources, is willing to link up with medical professionals and institutions dedicated to helping people fight serious diseases such as brain tumors, strokes, neck pain, back pain and paralysis.

Following last week's successful DBS surgical operation, he told the Daily Graphic, a special center was being set up to manage Parkinson's disease in Ghana , Six Parkinson's disease patients from the United States, Europe and Asia have been lined up for DBS surgery at the Neuro-Center.

The brain surgeon told the Daily Graphic that many patients suffering from Parkinson's disease confuse their condition with stroke. "When we administer drugs to Parkinson's disease patients at the Neuro-Centre and their condition improves, they spread the news that there is a doctor at the Narh-Bita Hospital who cures stroke." Dr Andrews said.

Dr Andrews's team included Doctors Van den Mencken and Rick Shuurman of the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam and Dr Philip Batiade of Germany. The three foreign brain surgeons have been pursuing an advanced post-doctoral course in stereo tactic surgery at the International Neuro-Centre at the Narh-Bita Hospital.

They were assisted by neuro-surgical theatre technologist, Grace Fiagbe, radiology technologists,Theodore Ntiri and Thomas Kweku Aperko, Dr L. John, a specialist in deep brain surgery anaesthesia and Steve Bati, a nurse anesthetist of the Narh-Bita Hospital.

The brain surgeon attributed the success of the Neuro-Centre to the support it receives from the Narh-Bita Hospital administration. Dr Andrews said the Narh-Bita Hospital which is already famous for its "community friendly spirit", had made another significant contribution to medical progress in Ghana.

The brain surgeon said that Dr Edward Narh, the Medical Director of the hospital has been outlining productive medical service concepts and inviting suitable partners to develop them for an expansion in the range of specialised medical services at the facility.

"Dr Narh does not interfere in the work of specialists, but allows them to employ their creativity and skills to achieve results. That accounts for the numerous medical service innovations and successes chalked by the hospital", the brain surgeon said.

Dr Narh, who has won several local and international awards for his contribution to medical service and nursing education in Ghana, attributed the achievements of the hospital to "God's divine grace and guidance. He said the various Narh-Bita medical institutions in Tema had been founded on "Christian Principles."

Source: Daily Graphic

President Kufuor in Car Accident

President John Kufuor escaped unhurt when his convoy was involved in an accident on Wednesday while he was on his way to the Castle.

The accident occurred on the main road between the Kotoka International Airport and the 37 Military Hospital.

The president's vehicle was crossed - some eyewitnesses claim his vehicle was rammed into - by a red Mercedes coming from the opposite direction, at a major intersection on the Airport road.

No official version of how the accident happened has yet been released, however the Presidential Press Secretary Andrew Awuni said: "The picture is not very clear about the accident, It's a bit strange for the car to run into his car directly."

The vehicle, Kufuor was in, rolled over several times.

According to an eyewitness: "The car finally rested on the sidewalk and the people around helped his security men to pull him out. The president came out holding his head"

He was rushed to the hospital.

Later in the day, the Presidential Press Secretary said the president appeared to be unhurt and is back at Castle but was undergoing medical tests.

Some members of the president's entourage, who were seriously injured, have been moved to the 37 military hospital for medical attention.

"As I speak to you now the president is safe at the Castle at Osu," a reliable security chief told the Ghana News Agency in Accra later in the afternoon

He said preliminary investigations had begun to ascertain the circumstances of the accident to take precautionary measures. The security source said that "a suspect" had been detained pending further investigations.

Text Message to GHP Newsroom from "eyewitness"

• convoy crossed by car b/t Legon & 37 - Opeibea hse. K4's car overturned many times. Kufuor came out himself. hurt in the arm .. maybe
• Kufuor was hurt. they are hiding smthg..
• Thank God. He survive. i belive it was attempt on life
• Ghanaweb, hv u heard? Kufuor was shot when drivg on airport road

Joy FM:

• There are however conflicting reports on the accident. While the Information Minister Oboshie Sai-Cofie told Joy News that the President was unhurt and safe, eye witnesses Joy News spoke to said, the President�s car which was knocked from the left side was came out of his car holding his head and was lifted by onlookers to an unknown destination.

Source: GHP

Accra traders on strike

Traders in the capital Accra have shut their shops in protest of what they say is unfair competition from foreign investors in the sector.

Shop owners at Abbossey Okai where vehicle spare parts are sold, have closed their shops.

A number of foreign investors are reportedly operating in the retail sector which is reserved for Ghanaians, except for investors who are able to make investments above the amount of $300,000.

The action is being lead by the Ghana Union Traders Association (GUTA).

Speaking to Joy News, the National Organizer of GUTA, Mr. Joseph Obeng says they are determined to fight their cause and ensure their members remain in business.

The traders are meeting their leaders on Tuesday November 14, 2007 at the Opera Square in Accra to deliberate on the next line of action.

Rawlings descends heavily on NPP

Former President Jerry Rawlings has accused the NPP government of masterminding the enstoolment of Francis Nyonyo Agboada as Awoamefia of Anlo, a situation he says is illegal. The former president also accused the Kufuor-led administration of consistently corrupting the chieftaincy institution.

Speaking at fundraising rally of the National Democratic Congress in Akatsi in the Volta Region, Mr Rawlings said the government, in a desperate attempt to hold on to power, had dabbled in the Anlo chieftaincy crisis by supporting Torgbui Sri. He cited the Dagbon chieftaincy conflict as well as the Ga chieftaincy clashes as examples of the government’s complicity in protracted chieftaincy conflicts in the country. (Play the attached audio to listen to former President Rawlings).

The occasion was also used to launch an ID card for NDC party members. The former President said the government was preparing to rig the polls using the ROPAL and urged supporters to be resolute and stand against it.The New Patriotic Party had planned a similar rally in the same district on Sunday. More later.

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

Vetting Cmttee Stays Away From Aliu Mahama

The scheduled, highly anticipated vetting of Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama on Tuesday afternoon turned out to be a no show.The vetting committee had appointed 3:00pm to meet and subject Aliu Mahama through the NPP?s vetting process mandatory for all who aspire to be presidential candidate and lead the party to the 2008 presidential elections.He made it to the venue about five minutes ahead of time but to his surprise, no member of the committee was present. Not even the chairman of the Council of State, Prof. Adzei Bekoe was around, and there was also no communication from the party.

The Vice President who looked disappointed told journalists that the incident was one of a few challenges within the party which he hoped would be addressed.But he repeated expressed his love for the party and Ghanaians and said it would not break his resolve to go for the topmost post.A publication in the PUNCH newspaper on Tuesday suggested the Vice President may not have a valid party ID card, one of the key requirements for flagbearer aspirants.Coming after newspaper publications which suggest the Vice President?s nomination papers may have been leaked, his campaign team is suspicions.

Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, a special aide to the Vice President was of the view that whatever ill-intentions anyone harboured against Aliu Mahama, may not be established. He however, maintained that the party has to explain what caused the obvious embarassment before the next scheduled meeting.So far attempts to get explanation from the party leadership have proved futile.A member of the vetting committee told Joy News he had earlier been informed about the postponement but without further explanation.
Source:JOY ONLINE

Use of arms banned in Anloga and environs

The Ministry of Interior has placed a ban on the carrying of arms in and around Anloga in the Volta Region and an Executive Instrument issued to this effect.

Mr. Kwamena Bartels, Interior Minister, announced the measure when he addressed police personnel dispatched to maintain peace at Anloga, following chieftaincy clashes there on Thursday, in which four people including a police constable were killed.

The Minister of Interior was at Anloga together with Mr. Albert Kan Dapaah, Minister of Defence and Mr. Joe Ghartey, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to assess the situation on the ground. They were taken round the scenes of the clashes including where the body of the police constable was damped near a lagoon and also visited the injured at the Keta District Hospital.Mr. Bartels on Thursday announced an imposition of a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Anloga as part of measures to put the situation under control.

He commended the police for exercising maximum restraint and acting professionally even though they lost a colleague in the fray. Mr. Bartels reminded the police that the crisis was not over and that they would be required to do their very best to enforce law and order, peace and stability in the area while upholding the rights of peace loving people in the area.Addressing a contingent of soldiers, Mr. Dapaah expressed confidence that they would put their peacekeeping experiences both locally and internationally to good effect at Anloga. He asserted that about 99 percent or more of the people at Anloga and its environs were peaceful and that only a few people were responsible for the trouble there.

Mr. Dapaah assured the soldiers that all the logistics and materials required for their operations would be put at their disposal. Except for Anloga where an atmosphere of apprehension could be felt with most of the people keeping to their homes, life in the surrounding communities appeared undisturbed as people were seen on their vegetable farms along the lagoon on Saturday while others went about their businesses.
Source:GNA

Ghana Must Lead Africa's Change-Akuffo Addo

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, one of the aspiring candidates vying for the NPP presidential race, believes it is time the world saw a successful African State and Ghana must take the lead in that direction.He said the integration of the sub-region under the Economic Community of West African States should become a critical part of Ghana's national development.

"We must get involved in the construction of a new West African State in particular and an African State in general”, he pointed out.Nana Akufo-Addo was addressing the NPP chapter of the Tertiary Education Students Confederacy of the University for Development Studies, Wa campus, at Wa on Tuesday, as part of his one-day campaign tour of the region.

Earlier on Saturday in Lagos, Nana Akufo-Addo, who met a group of influential Nigerians, including Vice President Jonathan Goodluck, at a social event, spoke of the need for Ghana and Nigeria to take charge in leading the sub-region of some 240 million people onto a plateau of growth, prosperity and security.He told his Lagosian audience that Ghana and Nigeria can do for West Africa what France and Germany did for continental Europe after the Second World War.

The two opposing sides in that war turned around to work together to build what has now become the European Union, through deepening economic integration and allowing the free movement of people, goods and services among member states.Akufo-Addo, a strong believer in an integrated Africa feels Nigeria and Ghana have a great opportunity to make it happen by driving the process within ECOWAS and beyond.He was also delightfully moved and encouraged by the sense of pan-Africanist consciousness that he witnessed in Nigeria.Back in Ghana, he continued the second leg of his national campaign which took him to the three northern regions. At the UDS, he urged students of the universities to get involved in national development and participate actively in the decision-making process to ensure that the right things were done to enhance the overall development of the people.He said for the nation to move forward, it must utilise her raw materials instead of only exporting it and called for the transformation of the economy, especially the industrial sector to provide jobs for the youth. Earlier, Nana Akufo-Addo paid courtesy calls on the Upper West Regional Minister, George Hikah Benson, the Chief Imam, former NPP Regional Chairman, the Yeri-Naa, the Akan Chief and Elders of Jengbeyiri.
Source:Cynthia Uche Addae

Parliament passes Anti-Money Laundering Bill

Parliament on Friday passed the Anti-Money Laundering Bill.The object of the Bill is to prohibit money laundering, establish a Financial Intelligence Centre and provide for related matters. The House after much debate rejected a proposed amendment that stood in the name of Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, (NPP-Amenfi East) and Mr Freddie Blay, First Deputy Speaker that sought to summarily convict a person for giving false information against a person in relation to a money laundering transaction.Members indicated that such a clause would stifle the flow of information on the illegal activity.The clause had stated that:" A person who maliciously provides false information against any other person in relation to a money laundering transaction commits an offence and is liable on a summary conviction to a fine of not more that five hundred penalty units or a term of not more than three years or both. 02 Nov 07

Dusk to dawn curfew in Anloga and Keta

The Interior Minister, Mr Kwamena Bartels has by Executive Instrument immediately imposed a dusk to dawn curfew on Anloga and Keta to ensure peace, law and order in the area. The 0600 to 1800 hours curfew has been imposed following the explosion of violence in the Anlo Traditional Area over the nomination, confinement and installation of an Awoamefia, resulting in the death of six people, including a policeman."The police and the military will strictly enforce this curfew and anyone, who breaks the curfew, will face the full rigours of the law," Mr Bartels said this at an emergency press conference in Accra on Friday.Mr Bartels noted that in the wake of the violence, the Government, by Executive Instrument had decided to invoke the authority of the Public Order Law 491 to stop any further processes leading to the installation of an Awomefia for the people of Anlo.He said a team of investigators from Ho and the CID Headquarters in Accra were investigating the deaths and had so far arrested 92 people who were being screened to identify the culprits.He said the issue of who was the rightful heir to the Anlo Paramount Stool should be settled through the constitutionally recognized structures of the Regional or National Houses of Chiefs, or the courts and not on the streets of Anlo or Keta or in the media.Mr Bartels said by Executive Instrument, the Minister of Interior had with immediate effect, prohibited all persons in the Anloga and Keta areas from carrying arms or ammunitions.He said though the Government stood by its position of non-interference in chieftaincy affairs it had an over-riding responsibility to ensure peace, tranquillity, law and order. The Minister appealed to traditional and opinion leaders and to all citizens, residents and well-wishers of the Anlo Traditional Area to assist the Government to ensure that calm prevailed.Mrs Oboshie Sai Cofie, Minister of Information and National Orientation, called on the elders of Anlo and Keta to advise the youth and encourage them to use constitutional means to address their problems.Meanwhile, the Fast Track Division of the High Court in Accra on Friday stopped the installation of Francis Nyonyo Agboada, Regent Torgbui Sri III, as the death toll in the riots at Anloga in a protracted chieftaincy dispute rose to six.The court, granting an order for interim injunction, barred the kingmakers, the Anlo Traditional Council and any other persons or institutions involved in the preparation and installation of the Awoamefia of Anlo forthwith "from holding any event to install the person named Fracis Nyonyo Agboada, also known as Regent Torgbui Sri III, as the Awoamefia scheduled for Saturday 3rd November 2007". The court presided over by Justice Marful Sau, an Appeal Court judge sitting as an additional High Court Judge, restrained the same parties from holding any meeting or event concerning or connected to the installation of Regent Torgbui Sri until further notice.The Court further directed that the service of the order be effected by substitution through the electronic and print media. The Inspector-General of Police, Mr Patrick Acheampong, who instituted the action, was represented by Mr Joe Ghartey, Minister of Justice and the Attorney-General and the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms Gertrude Aikins.Mr Ghartey, in an Ex-Parte motion with supporting affidavit, prayed the Court to restrain the installation of the regent.He said the Anlo Traditional Council gave notice to the police about the installation and it was granted but violence broke out resulting in the death of four persons including a police officer. Mr Ghartey said two more people had been reported dead on Friday and that tension was still high adding that more confusion and bloodshed would happen if the event went ahead.He said unless the parties were restrained by the Court, the installation would go on.Mr Ghartey said the Government had the responsibility of restoring law and order by way of seeking the court order. He said although the IGP withdrew the permit, some people still wanted to go ahead with the installation."If the court should wait after 48 hours, it would be too late. The court should, therefore, grant an instant order since the nature of the case is volatile.He, therefore, prayed for a restraining order through a substituted service which should be published in the print and electronic media. Earlier on Friday, the Police Administration on Friday confirmed the murder of General Constable Moses Daba of the Volta Regional Police Task Force, who was kidnapped while on duty to maintain order in the chieftaincy conflict at Anloga on Thursday.A statement issued by the Police Administration said Crime Scene Management Teams and Detectives from the CID Headquarters had been dispatched to the scene to assist the Volta Regional Police in the investigations into the killing of the Police Constable and the others. The riots started when a faction in the raging chieftaincy dispute tried to prevent the performance of rites at a shrine to pave the way for the installation of Regent Torgbui Sri III as Awoamefia of the Anglo Traditional area.Eyewitnesses said the police clashed with the crowd that tried to stop the performance of the rites at the shrine resulting in three people being killed and several others sustaining injuries. The statement said furthermore, a joint team of police and military personnel had been deployed in Angola to restore order. Police said 94 people had been arrested and screened and 74 of them had been sent to Ho for further investigations."The police are, therefore, appealing to the factions in the conflict to exercise restraint and use all legitimate means to resolve their differences."Furthermore, we also appeal to the residents of the area to volunteer information that might lead to the arrest of those who murdered the Constable and the three civilians." Civilians confirmed dead on Friday are Israel Ahagzi, 28, Mana Senyo, 48, and Menco Tugba, 47.
Source:GNA

Asantehene Will Attend Head of State's Forum

Otumfuo Osei-Tutu II, Asantehene would leave the country on Thursday November 1, for the Federal Republic of Germany to participate in the third African Forum for Heads of State.

He would be accompanied by Nana Otuo Serebour, Juabenghene for the forum, which takes place between 2nd and 4th November at Kloster Eberbach Monastery Conference Centre, in the State of Hesse in Germany.

In a press release issued on Monday from the Manhyia Palace and signed by Mr G.B. Osei-Antwi, Media Relations Manager, Otumfuo would address the forum on Traditions and Modernity. The forum, which would bring together top politicians, businessmen and members of civil society organisations has the theme "Pushing Forward into the 21st Century, The World State of Flux: Answers from Africa and Germany."
Source:GNA

Ghana-Fuel Prices Shoot Up

Prices of fuel in Ghana have shot up after recent upsurge in the prices of crude oil on the world market.The indicative maximum price of premium petrol is now up by 4.11% to 97.78 pesewas per litre from 93.92 pesewas per litter quoted last month.Kerosene also shot up by 8.76% from 79.38 pesewas per litre to 86.25pesewas per litre.However, the indicative maximum price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) shot up significantly by 20.72% from 81.10 pesewas per GHp/Kg to 97.90 pesewas GHp/Kg which may be due to taxi drivers powering their engines with LPG.

The price of gasoline was not spared the shakeup as it also increased by 5.35% from 90.44 pesewas to 95.28 pesewas per litre.The indicative maximum price is a price beyond which an Oil Market Company (OMC) in Ghana is not allowed to sell petroleum products.It could be recalled that Oil prices, traded near a record high of US$93 a barrel and threatens an all time hit of US$100 if political tension and speculation continue in the Middle East, the hub of the oil industry.

Oil hit an all-time high of US$93.07 a barrel yesterday, because of the violence between Turkish soldiers and Kurdish guerrillas and a record low of the US dollar.According to officials from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), oil has risen for reason unrelated to supply and demand and that there is little the exporter group can do to lower price.OPEC is set to raise oil output by 500,000 barrels per day from November 11-18, 2007 in Riyadh for their third Heads of State Summit, an event that is usually a talking shop that makes no decision on supply policy.

Reasons adduced to the increases, according to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the NPA, Mr. Steve Larbi are not far fetched from the indicators on the futures market.The National Petroleum Authority ACT 691 was enacted by the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana to regulate, oversee and monitor activities in the petroleum downstream industry; to establish a Unified Petroleum Price Fund; and to provide for related purposes.
Source:Ghanaian Chronicle

Money can’t influence delegates---Frimpong-Boateng

A presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has stated that delegates to the congress to elect the party's flag bearer will not base their choice on monetary inducements. "The delegates are listening and comparing what we (the aspirants) say with what we have done and can do for the country and party," he said.

Speaking in an interview in Accra, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said anybody who claimed he was on top must be joking. According to him, from his interaction with members of the party throughout the country, it was evident that the members had been disappointed and therefore want someone they could trust, someone who would help them build their future. "They tell you no one can buy their conscience and they also know that it is God who establishes kings and will be using them to elect the flag bearer of the party," he added.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said he was happy with what was taking place on the ground, stressing that "I am doing very well. I am in to win and will win with God's help." When asked to comment on the results of opinion polls being conducted on supposed leading candidates, he said, the pollsters were "Whistling in the dark". "I believe they are scared and want to put up an appearance of being brave," he stated. According to him, opinion polls are very expensive to conduct and that if one knows the source of funding for the opinion polls, one could predict the outcome. As to why his campaign message has centred on science and technology, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng says everything in nature revolves around science and that until Ghana adopts science and technology, "We cannot survive."

He said science is the factor accounting for the difference between developing countries and the developed ones and that the poverty gap is essentially a technological gap. He added that during the recent devastating floods in the country, it took the assistance of French helicopters to reach inaccessible areas. Prof. Frimpong-Boateng adds that to do anything in education, health, agriculture, environmental sanitation, water resources, renewable energy, among others, technology is required. He says because the country does not have the technological know-how, its imports far outstrip its exports, adding that although the country is endowed with abundant natural resources, those resources are exported in their raw form for far less the value if the country were to refine them.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng vigorously asserts that science and technology is needed to teach history and archaeology also. "We pride ourselves as a football nation and yet we cannot even-manufacture a football,” he lamented. Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said it was because of the science and technological gap that he had decided to champion it when elected flag bearer and later as President of the Republic of Ghana. According to him, eight years as President of Ghana would be enough to do many things to chart a new path for Ghana's development."We can develop a machine tool centre within a year, start manufacturing small machine parts and develop the capacity to make implements," he added.

Prof. Frimpong-Boateng says it is regrettable that $2.5 million worth of bolts and nuts are imported into the country every year besides other machine parts. "I promise that within four years we should be building pick-ups. We should be able to produce spare parts for other countries," he pledged. "I just don't talk about it, I do it. Right now, I produce my own 'bio-diesel to fuel my vehicles and I have a machine tool centre at the Free Zones and my work as a heart surgeon, which is high-tech, will propel me on to do greater things for Ghana and Ghanaians," he declared, Source: Daily Graphic

GCPP is not a political party - IEA

"GCPP does not qualify as a party to be funded because it has no representative in Parliament and also all efforts by IEA to know where GCPP's offices are located in the country over the years had proved futile." The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has said.The IEA described as baseless the claims by the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) that the institute is using foreign funds to promote four leading political parties in the country.

The IEA said GCPP was crying foul out of frustration since its allegations against the institute held no water. The GCPP, in a statement issued last week and signed by the General Secretary, John Thompson, described the IEA as a think-tank that was running a parallel Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) with the four leading parties to decide for the rest of the political parties, adding that the act was undermining democracy.

"lEA is a neo-colonialist organization whose activities should be critically examined by the government," the statement maintained. The party claimed that the monies being used in assisting the parties were coming from a Dutch organization, the Netherlands Institute for Multi Party Democracy (NIMD). According to Mr. Thompson, this action of the IEA was making the political playing field in the country uneven, and also described the IEA as a body which used illegal means to fund four parties to the detriment of others.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE in reaction to the accusations, however, a source close to the IEA stressed that before a political party could qualify for funding by any entity, it had to have at least one or two representatives in the nation's House of Parliament. It said despite IEA's advice to the leaders of GCPP to fight for Parliamentary seats to enable it to get equal support from various funding bodies as other parties were getting, GCPP remained adamant.

The source stated that IEA did not see why parties' capacities should not be built to help enhance the nation's democracy, stressing that the laws of the land prohibited direct funding of political parties from foreign bodies but did not prevent indirect funding. It emphasized that the IEA, through various measures, had ensured over the years that political parties including the GCPP were educated in all their political endeavours to ensure political and democratic stability in the country.Source: Daily Guide

16 million cedis to be spent on each prisoner

It is estimated that the Government of Ghana would spend an mount of 16 million cedis on each prisoner in Ghana this year, having already spent 10.4 million on each prisoner last year. Mr. Kwamena Bartels, Minister for the Interior, said the calculation was based on the total expenditure of the Prisons Service to care for prisoners.Answering questions in Parliament, on Wednesday in Accra, on issues for which the Ministry is responsible, Mr. Bartels said there were 13,800 prisoners in Ghana.

Out of the number, 713 were prisoners who were foreign nationals from 25 countries from Africa, Europe, the Far East and North and South Africa.There were 4,218 prisoners on remand trial. The question stood in the name of Mr Charles Hodogbey (NDC-North Tongu).Mr Albert Kwasi Zigah (NDC-Ketu South) asked when accommodation facilities at the Aflao Police Station would be upgraded. The Station was said to have been established in the 1950's, but without any major rehabilitation.

Mr Bartels said Government was tackling the problem of accommodation of the Security Agencies, including the Police holistically.The Minister said the Ministry had come out with proposals to handle the situation, adding that attempts were being made to source the requisite resources both locally and internationally. He said more than $120 million would be needed for the housing and office accommodation project for the security agencies. Mr Bartels said the funding would be part of the 2008 supplementary budget proposals to be submitted to Parliament, and that the Security Services, including the Police had been asked to submit a list of all uncompleted projects with cost implications.

"A committee has been set up to assess the total budgetary implications for the completion of projects to enable the Ministry source funds to complete them", Mr Bartels said.The Minister accepted a suggestion from Mr Francis Aggrey Agbotse (NDC-Ho West) to establish an enquiry into reported cases of foreign registered motorcycles from the Republic of Togo, who operate along communities of the Ghana Togo border.Mr. Agbotse had asked why the Police allowed them to operate in such towns as Kpedze, Aflao, Shia, Kpetoe, Nyive and Dzodze, all in the Volta Region.Minister Bartels said the Volta Region had never identified any of such perpetrators and left them off the hook as alleged.

He said information gathered from the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service and the Ghana Immigration Service indicated that such motorcycle owners drop their "passengers" on the side of their border and return to Togo but do not return to Ghana for commercial purposes. The Interior Minister announced that the Ministry had entered into negotiation with the ECOWAS Bank for Development for a loan of $24.7million to procure new fire tenders for distribution to Fire Stations throughout the country.

The response, which was to answer a question by Mr Gershon Gbediame (NDC-Nkwanta South), which sought to know when a fire tender would be supplied to the Nkwanta District Fire Station. Mr Bartels said the Nkwanta Service Station would be considered under that programme.
Source:GNA

It's Not Been Easy

The President, Mr. J.A. Kufour has acknowledged that his leadership as the Chief Executive of the Republic of Ghana has been tough and challenging.He said for the past seven years, he has led a government that has ensured a holistic national development, thus making his experience as the President fulfilling as well as sobering.

President Kufuor was speaking at the inaugural lecture of the Association of Black Rhodes Scholars at the Oxford University in UK, last Monday.The Black Rhodes Scholars Association was formed primarily to encourage brilliant but Black needy students who are not privilege to be enrolled in universities and also to ensure effective representation of black student at Rhodes.Members of the association are drawn from the US and Canada as well as from all former British colonies.

Oxford University enrolled its first black student 900 years after its establishment and even today, as the oldest English University and in deed one of the oldest in the world, has only one percent of its entire student population as black.The inaugural address by President Kufour also marked this year’s black history month as well as Ghana’s 50 independence anniversary at the university.The Rhodes House, the venue of the lecture which is the first in the series of lectures planned by the association, was filled to capacity long before the schedule time but the blacks were very few.

President Kufour noted that in a month’s time he will be entering the final year of his rule and the legacy he will want to leave behind for the youth of Ghana and Africa in general will for them to seize the opportunities of global system to secure a dignified position for the continent.He said, as he left the walls of Oxford University some fifty years ago “there was no certainty of becoming the President of Ghana”, but by dint of hard work and unwavering focus he today finds himself as the President of Ghana, The Chairman of the African Union and two-term Chair of the ECOWAS.

In a very motivational disposition, President Kufour remarked “I have been careful with the choices I make and how I make them. I was also aware of the potentials of what I can do for my country” He noted that it has not been easy for the past forty years. “What has made the difference though has been the constant vision to make myself relevant to the development of my society and therefore I have sustained the spirit of perseverance in spite of the heavy odds.”

He said he has used a blended values of his family background, the culture of Ghana as well as the faithful application of educational precepts and influences of the various institutions he attended especially Oxford university. He also mentioned the traditions of the New Patriotic Party as very useful to him.He mentioned some of his government’s achievements as the turning around of the nation’s stagnant economy by attaining a record and steady GDP growth rate of 6.5 percent currently as against 3.2 per cent in the year 2002.

President Kufour predicted that all being equal Ghana’s GDP growth rate will be at 10 percent within the next four years especially at a time Ghana has discovered off-shore oil.He also touched on the improvement and expansion in the health, educational and agricultural sectors adding that production of the country’s main cash crop, cocoa, hit 700 thousand tones and expressed the optimism that cocoa production in Ghana will hit one million tones by 2010.
Source:Nana Sifa Twum & Isaac Amo-Kyereme

GHANA 08: 18 Players Already Known

Claude Le Roy, Coach of Ghana's Black Stars has only five places left to make up for his 23-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations next January.

The Frenchman is certain about his first 18 and intends to channel his focus on searching for the additional five to make up the mandated 23 for the biennial party with the January 20 commencement date rolling closer.
He told GNA Sports "It will be stupid if I didn't have an idea about a bulk of my team at this moment."I know who the first 18 are and my vision is to get the five as soon as possible to enable us to begin full scale preparations."

The Trainer told GNA Sports that a fair representation of experienced and young players with regard to selection have been taken into consideration ahead of the three-week tourney, which his employers have mandated him to win."I have plans of including some young players into the team for the sake of the maturity and exposure they need beyond Ghana 2008. "One cannot win a major competition with young players but one can always win if they are part of the team."What is always required is a good balance - experience, hunger to win and the maturity to keep going on big stage like the Nations Cup."

Le Roy told GNA Sports that it will be ensured that the team make great sacrifices aimed at winning the trophy on home soil to equal Egypt's fifth record."There will be no compromise with regards to making sacrifices to become champions on February 10."We will ensure that the boys do not feel caged but they must also appreciate that without sacrifices, one cannot triumph and be successful."Coach Le Roy envisages no challenge in assembling his team for the planned two weeks camping before the Stars tournament opener with Guinea on Sunday, January 20, in Accra.
Source:GNA

NPP Grills Aspirants Today

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) today, Tuesday October, 2007 begins the vetting of its aspiring presidential candidates to ensure that the aspirants qualify to contest the position of President of Ghana.

The nine-member vetting committee consists of five chairpersons of the standing committees of the National Council and three persons appointed by the council, one of whom shall be designated chairperson of the committee.Briefing the Daily Graphic in an inter¬view, the National Chairman of the NPP, Mr Peter Mac Manu, said the national council shall also ensure that at least two of the nine members were women.Although he did not give any specific date for the submission of its report, he said the committee would finish its job before the congress in December 22 to give room for the filing of appeals, if any.

The members of the committee include Major Courage Quashigah; the Minister of Health, who is also the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee; Brigadier Obeng, the Chairman of the Organising Committee; Mr Samuel Odoi-Sykes, the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee; Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, a former Speaker of Parliament and Chairman of the Constitutional Committee.It is chaired by Prof Daniel Adzei-Bekoe, the Chairman of the Council of State. The two women include Madam Ama Busia.Article 9 (C) (f) (iii) of the NPP constitution says, "The vetting committee shall disallow the candidature of any aspirant when it finds that such an aspirant does not qualify to be a presidential candidate.

It shall submit such a finding in writing to the National Executive Committee, with a copy to the aspirant."Sub-section (iv) also states, "An aspirant who is dissatisfied with such a finding, may appeal against it to the National Executive Committee within 48 hours of receipt of notice of the finding by filing an appeal in writing with the General Secretary.The National Executive Committee shall give its decision within seven days of receipt of the appeal. The decision of the National, Executive Committee on the appeal shall be final."
Source:Daily Graphic

Osafo Maafo--NPP not about blood relationship

Former Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo has stated that the contest for the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not about blood relationship and family issues, but basically about the future of the country and who is most suitable for the job.

The former minister, who is the MP for Akim Oda, said these when he formally launched his campaign to contest the flagbearership race of the party last Friday at Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region.He told the cheering crowd in Twi: ?Moma yenhwe no yie. Party asem na yeka no, enye anuasem, enye abusua asem. Eye oman neyie ho asem na yeka. Eye oman ne mpuntuo ho asem na yeka?. ("Let us be very careful.

This is a party matter and has nothing to do with family or blood relationship. It is about the country and its development").He claimed that amongst the 19 presidential aspirants of the ruling NPP, he was best placed and prepared to lead the party in the 2008 elections."I am not running for the presidency for the sake of being president. I want to move the nation to the next level, and that can only be done by a man of vision," he said.Describing the forthcoming general elections as a super final match between the two major political parties in the country, the ruling NPP and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Osafo-Maafo said in a contest like that only skilled and proven players were selected to play.

He therefore urged the delegates not to view the flagbearership race through family or ethnic lenses.The Electoral College of the party, he said, ought to be quick in listening to what the rest of the country was saying about the aspirants before making any ultimate choice at the party's National Delegates? Congress scheduled for December 22 at the University of Ghana, Legon.The former Finance Minister further told the delegates to bear in mind that the candidate they would elect on December 22 would not only serve the interest of the NPP but also that of the whole nation, adding that NPP supporters alone could not vote for the party's candidate to win the 2008 elections.

Hon. Osafo Maafo told delegates that the party?s flagbearer should be a person who would be accepted by a vast majority of the population so they should scrutinize the backgrounds and achievements of each of the 19 aspirants to establish who was best placed to lead the party to victory.To him, the eventual candidate must be able to attract the votes of the floating or undecided voters, whom he said usually voted based on the candidate's track record and capabilities.Mr. Osafo-Maafo recalled his achievements in the Finance Ministry, and how he took the nation to the completion point of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative within a record time of two and a half years.

He said through his efficient handling of the economy, some $4billion of the country?s foreign debt was cancelled by her creditors, saying funds ploughed back as a result of the HIPC initiative were going into the provision of schools, hospitals and feeder roads."It is about time Ghanaians began to think outside the box and develop a new economic paradigm for this country". He said Ghana at her present state should graduate from production of raw materials to provider of services in West Africa, stressing that but for his hardwork, the country would not have benefited from the Millennium Challenge Account.

The official launching of Hon. Osafo Maafo's campaign attracted hundreds of party activists, constituency executives and sympathizers from various parts of the country, with traditional rulers also in attendance. An unprecedented crowd of nearly half a kilometer long of human traffic greeted and escorted him on a march through the principal streets of the Ashanti Regional capital, amidst drumming and dancing. The retinue moved from Adum, through Kejetia, Central Market to the Prempeh Assembly Hall at Fante New Town.

Riding in an open Toyota Land Cruiser, the MP for Oda and his convoy responded to cheers from the thick crowd that thronged the streets, some of them climbing on rooftops.
Source:Daily Guide

995 million cedis down the drain...

THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday heard how 2,153 garments, worth ¢995 million, sewn to promote the “National Friday Wear Programme”, were distributed free of charge by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and Presidential Special Initiative to unknown people.

The distribution list could also not be produced for verification by the audit team, an audit report said.The PAC also heard how the Ghana Trade Fair Company Limited awarded 14 contracts worth ¢1.4 billion in 2004 through single sourcing, instead of through competitive bidding as provided by Section 43(1) of the Public Procurement Act, 2003.

“To enhance transparency, efficiency, and fair prices in the award of contracts, we recommended to management to apply competitive bidding to all contracts,” the audit report said.Other areas queried by the audit report is the double payment of ¢185.7 million the ministry made to Toyota Ghana Limited for the same repair service it offered the ministry in 2004.The payment of unlawful emolument of ¢122 million between September 2002 and May 2005 to Mr Victor Owusu, Brong-Ahafo and Ashanti Regional Co-ordinator of the Rural Enterprise Development Programme was also queried.

However, Mr Owusu, the report said also enjoyed monthly salary as a full-time employee of the Ghana Energy Commission, within the same period.The report said Mr Owusu enjoyed double salary from the Consolidated Fund, and recommended that his appointment should be terminated and the emolument paid to him recovered.An unexecuted consultancy fee of ¢221 million was paid by the ministry to five consultants it engaged between January and November 2004 to provide business plans for eight districts, within 35 days of their engagement.

The audit report, however, said no business plans had been submitted as at June, 2005 to the ministry by the consultants.The ministry was also queried for its failure to bond a sponsored employee, Mr Kojo Ofori-Safo, who was employed on April 1, 2005 as the Co-ordinator of the Ghana Investors Advisory Council on a monthly salary of 1,500 US Dollars.The audit report said, in June, 2005 barely three months after his appointment, Mr Ofori-Safo gained admission to the University of Ghana Business School.

The report said, the ministry sponsored him and paid his tuition fee of 2,000 US dollars per semester for the 2 years period of his course.It called on the ministry to bond him to serve the ministry on completion of his programme.The PAC was also told about an outstanding Business Assistant Fund Loan of ¢1.3 billion that had been outstanding in the name of five companies since 1996.The report said the ministry contracted M/S Global Consultants for the recovery of the loans but the companies could not be traced except M/S New Kool Bottling, which has since paid ¢20 million out of its outstanding debt of ¢308 million.

The Minister for Trade, Industry, Private Sector Development and Presidential Special Initiative Mr Joe Baidoo-Ansah, and his Deputy, Ms Gifty Ohene Konadu, appeared before the PAC to respond to some of the queries.The minister said he had given his accounts clerks one month to produce documents and receipts covering payment of ¢27 million as contingency to some contractors who did not issue receipts to the ministry.On all the queries raised, the minister said most of them have been resolved, and that the ministry will take steps to resolve the rest in due time.

Mr Samuel Sallas-Mensah, chairman of the PAC and most of the bi-partisan PAC members were not satisfied about almost all the explanations the minister and his technocrats gave on the queries raised.“Most of the explanations are not acceptable. By the 15th of November, your accounts officers should retrieve the money or be surcharged,” Mr Sallas-Mensah said.
Source:Times

Refund The Money...Police Told

Eighty-six policemen who, out of the ignorance of a judge, received a total of ¢3.1 billion as compensation from a circuit court, have been ordered to refund the money.

The directive from the Public Accounts Com¬mittee (PAC) of Parliament at its sitting in Accra Friday to consider the Auditor-General's Report, said the practice of paying such compen¬sation from fines imposed by the courts was improper.

The PAC further directed that should any portion of the amount become irrevocable, the judge and the registrar of the court concerned should be called upon to make good the shortfall.At the sitting, officials of the Judicial Service were queried over missing transcripts; cash shortage and the payment of compensation to policemen.According to the Chairman of the PAC, Mr. Sallas-Mensah, an audit of fines imposed by the Circuit Court B3 in Accra between August 2002 and August 2004 found that the court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Ankamah, had imposed a fine of ¢5.2 billion on motor traffic offenders.

He said out of the total amount of fines imposed on offenders, ¢3.1 billion or 59% was paid as compensation to 86 policemen who prosecuted the cases in the court.“Payments to individual policemen ranged between ¢200,000 and ¢1.4 million, while the Judicial Service legitimately retained 15% of the total fines for administrative expenses and the remaining 26% paid into the Consolidated Fund as revenue,” he said.

The report, the Chairman pointed out, attributed the irregularity to the ignorance of the judge of the repeal of the previous legislation which sanctioned such payments.He said the report further noted that the number of traffic offences referred to the court for prosecution was an average 668 per month from August 2002 to August 2004.Mr.

Sallas-Mensah explained that when the Auditor-General’s Department started the audit in 2004, it directed that the payment of compensation be discontinued, since it was improper.“The number of motor traffic offences sent to the Circuit Court B3 reduced from 668 per month to 84 cases per month from September 2004.This suggests that the policemen could be adjudicating the traffic offences themselves. We are liaising with the Police Administration to resolve this issue,” he said.He said the report also uncovered that at the Agona Swedru High Court in the Central Region, between April and October 2005, unearned salaries totaling ¢5 million were paid to two members of staff, namely Miss Emelia Forson and Mr. Haruna Iddrisu, because of the inability of management and the Controller and Accountant General’s (CAG’s) Office to promptly delete the names of the officers from the payroll.“We drew their bankers’ attention to the irregularity but noted that only ¢1.4 million was in Miss Forson’s bank account at the Awutu Beraku Rural Bank, while the unearned salary of ¢1.7 million had been withdrawn by Mr. Iddrisu,” he said.

The PAC Chairman said the report advised the Judicial Service to ensure that the remaining amount of ¢1.4 million in Miss Forson’s account was transferred into the CAG’s Suspense Account, while steps were taken to retrieve the ¢1.7 million withdrawn by Mr. Iddrisu.Responding to some of the queries, Judicial Secretary, Madam Regina Abotsi, said the service had taken notice of the development and had, therefore, put in place a number of interventions to forestall its recurrence.

Members of the committee expressed their displeasure over the delay in the establishment of the Financial Administration Tribunal as provided for in the Financial Administration Act, 2003, and questioned why the Judiciary had not made it a priority. In response, Madam Abotsi said efforts were being made to establish the tribunal, adding that at the moment, the issue was in the domain of the Attorney General. Source: Daily Graphic