GNA retracts story on fraud Report
Burkina Faso Farmers invite Rawlings
New
Patriotic Party government lauded
Accra (Greater Accra0
13 December 2002 - Dr Paa Kwasi Nduom, Minister for Economic Planning and
Regional Cooperation has said that he would now think twice if asked to join
another government.
"Being a
Minister is not as pleasant as some may see it, it is a difficult task. If I
were asked to be part of another government, I would think twice about it. I do
not think I was going to be part of government to go through all these
difficult problems, being a minister is not exciting," he said.
Dr Nduom was
addressing representatives of registered political parties on Wednesday at a
workshop organised by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC)
intended to solicit parties inputs in the process of building a consensus on a
Ghana's next development plan.
Representatives of
all political parties with the exception of the United Ghana Movement (UGM) and
the National Reform Party (NRP) attended the workshop, which began with a video
clip on the regional consultations that has been carried out on the vision.
Dr Nduom, a member of
the Convention's Peoples Party (CPP) was appointed Minister for Economic
Planning and Regional Cooperation in 2001 when the New Patriotic Party (NPP)
came to power under the leadership of President John Agyekum Kufuor.
He is currently the
Chairman of the NDPC, which would soon come out with the national vision that
would seek to achieve a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita income of $1000
by 2010.
Explaining much
further, Dr. Nduom said, "sometimes when I look at the President and the
nature and heaviness of the work, I only tell myself that I now have a better
view of what it takes to be this or that."
He said every new
government that came to power would definitely come to meet a debt problem,
which it would have to service, hence the genesis of the problems and
frustrations.
Dr Nduom who made
these statements soon after delivering a welcome address for the workshop, said
it was possible for something different to be done by all parties within the
country that would cut across all political line or divide.
A very good example,
he said was the building of a national consensus for the country's vision. Dr Nduom
announced that the NDPC would present Ghana's next vision of the New Patriotic
Party (NPP) government to the President next week.
He gave an overview
of the drafted document and said the thrust was that the document should be
seen as a task for all and not just for the government in power. Dr Nduom said
analysis of previous development plans have indicated that Ghana missed all the
important targets because of the absence of linkages between the plan and the
budget implementation.
Besides, he said,
there was lack of funding to implement the plans vis-à-vis the huge consistent
debt burden of the country which constrained the good intention of the visions.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
13 December 2002 - The star witness in the Ghana Rubber Estates
Limited (GREL)
divestiture, case said on Thursday he did not strike a deal with neither the
prosecution nor the police so as not to be charged him with any criminal
offence.
Giving evidence under
cross-examination in the case, Dr Albert Owusu-Barnafo, consultant of Societe
Industrielle Plantation Hevea (SIPH), the French company that won the bid for
GREL told an Accra Fast Track Court that "the question as to who to
charge, is the sole prerogative of the security agencies."
Hanny Sherry Ayittey,
treasurer of the 31st December Women's Movement, Emmanuel Amuzu Agbodo, former
Executive Secretary of the Divestiture Implementation Committee, Ralph
Casely-Hayford, businessman and Sati Dorcas Ocran, housewife are being tried
for their alleged involvement in bribery and corrupt practices in connection
with GREL's privatisation.
They have all pleaded
not guilty to their various charges, and the court has admitted each of them to
bail in his or her own recognisance.
Continuing with his
evidence under further cross-examination by Rodney Heward-Mills, counsel for
Casely-Hayford, Dr Owusu-Barnafo, the third prosecution witness, told the court
that SIPH paid monies to influence some board members of the Divestiture
Implementation Committee (DIC).
For instance, he
said, SIPH paid some money to Dan Abodakpi, former Minister of Trade and
Industry, and a DIC board member.
Dr Owusu-Barnafo
stated that members of the GREL board were made to understand that the money
paid to Abodakpi and sent through Casely-Hayford, was meant "to clear all
bottlenecks in the divestiture process, in order to make it smooth."
Witness disagreed
with counsel that the monies, which were used to make payments were controlled
by Etienne Marie Arthur Popeler, former Managing Director of GREL, and the
second prosecution witness in the case.
Witness told the court
that even though he was involved in discussions and decisions arrived at, as to
what was to dish out at any point in time, and to whom, the monies were under
the control of SIPH, and that he and Popeler only acted upon instructions and
make the payments to individuals concerned.
Witness said at GREL
board meetings, he at times disagreed with some suggestions, and when this led
to the rejection of some of his advice and recommendations, he only agreed and
implemented decisions on principle. The case has been adjourned to Monday 13
December for counsel to continue with further cross-examination.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
13 December 2002 - The Government would establish a website soon to provide
access to services by various public agencies, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister
for Information and Presidential Affairs (MIPA), said on Thursday.
This was contained in
a speech read on his behalf at the launching of the website of the British High
Commission: www.britishhighcommission.gov.uk/ghana
Obetsebi-Lamptey said
the institutions include the Ministries, Custom Excise and Prevention Service
(CEPS), Ghana Export Promotion Council (GEPC), Ghana Trade Fair Authority
(GTFA) and the Ghana Investment Promotion Council (GIPC).
He said the online
service would include applications for driver's licenses, visas, passports, payment
of fees and fines and the submission of tenders. Obetsebi-Lamptey said the
Ministry of Communication and Technology would ensure the service nationwide.
He said MIPA was
ascertaining the requirements of a typical District for inclusion in the project
with the support of a Dutch NGO.
Dr Rud Pullen,
British High Commissioner, said the British government was committed to
openness and transparency by providing as much information as possible to the
widest number of people. He said all British Ministries and Departments had
their websites, adding that, the one for the High Commission was a further step
forward in that process.
The High Commissioner
said the website would provide information and enable Ghanaians to download
Visa applications forms and guidance notes. He said, "This will save many
people the chore of coming to either the High Commission or British Council
offices to collect forms".
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Accra (Greater Accra)
13 December 2002 - The Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Thursday retracted its story
on a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) report on investigations into two contracts awarded
by the Tema Municipal Assembly valued at 1.2bn cedis.
A statement signed by
the General Manager of GNA, Robert Kafui Johnson in Accra said the Management
had noted that since the story was published last week, there have been various
reactions to it. "We became concerned particularly about the statements of
both the Attorney General and the Ag. Executive Director of the SFO to the
effect that no such
Report had been
issued."
The statement said
GNA on 11 December 2002, instituted an administrative enquiry, among other
things, to establish the veracity of the source of the story and also to
determine whether in publishing the story, GNA's due editorial processes had
been followed.
"Preliminary
findings revealed that our Tema Representative, who filed the story, said he
was shown a copy of the said Report by an officer at the Tema SFO office who
briefed him on what he termed "highlights" of the Report.
"These were the
findings which informed the statement issued by our Supervising Chief Editor,
Nana Appau Duah on 11 December to justify the publication. However Management
has found out that we do not have a copy of the Report and therefore, cannot
produce it. We therefore, retract the story and apologize for all
inconveniences and hurts that our story may have caused."
The statement assured
the public that GNA did not set out to pursue any hidden agenda.
"We also appeal
to officials who disclose information to journalists to endeavour to provide
truthful information to help educate the populace. "As an institution, GNA
has also learned valuable lessons from this unfortunate incident. These lessons would guide us to render
better service for the development of our dear nation," the statement
said.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
13 December 2002- The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on Thursday said it was
suspending its exercise to retrieve monies owed it by companies because of a
court action brought against it by five Telecom operators.
Parker Allotey, the
Public Relations Officer told the GNA in an interview that, "for now the
AMA has to suspend this action until the court determines the outcome of the
issue." The Assembly, which started the exercise on Tuesday with the
temporary closure of the head offices of the Barclays and Standard Charted
banks, continued on Wednesday and closed down Millicom Ghana Limited and
Scancom Ghana Limited, operators of Mobitel and Spacefon respectively.
Both companies owed
the assembly a business operating permit fee totaling 2.5 billion cedis.
Allotey noted on Wednesday that the AMA task force would on Thursday descend on
Ghana Telecom for a similar exercise.
However, a statement
signed by five telecom operators in the country soon after the Wednesday
exercise said the companies, Millicom Ghana limited, Scancom Limited, Capital
Telecom Limited, Celltel Limited and Western Telesystems Ghana Limited have
filed a writ challenging the legality of AMA's new tax regime and asked that it
should be restrained from interfering with their operations.
It described the
action by the AMA to shut down Mobitel and Spacefon as without notice or due
process of the law. The statement said the AMA has illegally levied a huge tax
on every telecom user in Ghana through the network operators and also
discriminated against telecom operators by seeking to charge on a per customer
basis when almost all other such fees were set on a flat basis depending on the
type of business set up.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
13 December 2002- The Court of Appeal has unanimously, dismissed an application
filed on behalf of Daniel Kwasi Abodakpi, former Minister for Trade and
Industry on whether he should be tried summarily or by indictment.
The Court, which
comprised Justice Omari Sasu, presiding, Justice Bawa Akamba and Justice S.K.
Asiamah described the application as unnecessary and uncalled for.
On 4 November Kwabla
Senanu, representing Abodakpi asked an Accra Fast Track Court to try his client
by indictment, since he might not have fair trial when tried summarily.
Justice Stephen T.
Farkye, an Appeal Court Judge, who sat on the case as an additional High Court
Judge, dismissed the application and ruled that the court was not empowered to
try the offenders by indictment.
Abodakpi and Victor
Selormey, former Deputy Finance Minister, are being tried on seven counts of
conspiracy to commit crime, defrauding by false pretences and wilfully causing
a total loss of 2.73bn cedis to the State.
They have denied all
the charges and are currently on self-recognisance bail in the sum of 3bn cedis
each. In dismissing the application, the judges were of the view that a case
could be tried on indictment if the offence was punishable by death or life
imprisonment or when the offence fell under a first degree felony.
"Offences which
do not fall under the trial on indictment shall be tried summarily." They
said in the case where the statute was silent on the mode of trial the
Attorney-General (AG) has the right to choose the mode of trial but whereas the
statute defined the mode of trial then the AG was bound to go by it.
The offences under
which the appellant has been charged with fell on second degree felony which
stipulated that accused could be fined five 3m cedis or go to jail for a term
not exceeding 10 years or to both.
The judges said the
fact that there has been an enhancement of punishment that did not change the
category of offence. Arguing his points at the Court of Appeal earlier, Senanu
said the trial judge at the Fast Track Court erred in law when he ruled that
his client should be tried summarily.
Counsel said that
since the trial would involve calling several witnesses, it would take a long
time to complete. He stated that offences under which his client has been
charged are complicated and there is a maximum sentence of 25 years
imprisonment on the charge of defrauding by false pretences.
Senanu further argued
that when his client is tried summarily documents and other related material
would not be made available to his client, but under trial of indictment the
appellant could be given documents in advance.
"If my client is
tried summarily the respondent could spring surprises on us" he added.
Replying, Anthony Gyambiby, a Principal State Attorney, said the decision of
the Fast Track Court was right saying the punishment for the offence of causing
financial loss and defrauding by false pretences would run concurrently.
Gyambiby said to
ensure a fair trial, facts have been read in court, appellant has been given
the opportunity to select counsel and has access to documents in respect of the
case, adding he can subpoena any of the prosecution witnesses when the need
arose.
He further stated
that the Attorney-General has the right to exercise the power of choice as to
try the appellant summarily or not. The case for the prosecution is that
between May and December 2000, the accused persons allegedly transferred 4,000
dollars into the local bank account of Dr Fred Owusu-Boadu, a consultant, through
ECOBANK (Ghana) Limited.
The money's transfer
were authorized by Selormey, was to be used as fees for feasibility studies
towards the establishment of the project.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
13 December 2002- Ghana's Ambassador to the United States of America, Alan
Kyeremanten, has urged all Ghanaians in leadership positions to ensure that
their leadership leads to the socio-economic development of the country.
He said this
leadership should transcend political affiliation and be a crusade that would
be the driving force towards a definite positive goal. "Talents should be
used irrespective of politics," he said. "That is the only way to
succeed; this should not be with people at home only but must be a global
mobilisation," Kyeremanten added.
A statement from the
Embassy said he was speaking at a reception in Washington when he hosted
members of the Ghana Studies Council (GSC), an association of Ghanaians,
Europeans and American scholars whose research interests are on Ghana.
The Ambassador said
as scholars and intellectuals, they should provide guidance to help solve some
of the many problems facing the country. Kyeremanten thanked the Council who
donated books to the Library of the Embassy and urged other members and the
international community who write on Ghana to donate reference books to the
library.
So far, some 200
books on Ghana have been donated towards the library, which was re-opened when
the members of the Council visited the Chancellery. The Library could be
accessed at www.ghanalibrary.org.
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Sunyani (Eastern
Region) 13 December 2002- The Sunyani High Court on Thursday ordered the
Inspector General of Police (IGP), the Director of Bureau of National Investigations
(BNI) and the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander to furnish it with a
certified true copy of proceedings in respect of a criminal case involving the
Republic versus Yidana Sugri and Iddrisu Jahinfo Pachi, at the Accra Community
Centre District Magistrate Court.
This followed a
report sent by the IGP to the Sunyani High Court that Yidana and Jahinfo were
properly remanded in custody by the Community Centre court, presided over by
Mrs Elizabeth Edusei on 11 November 2002 to re-appear before it on Monday 16
December 2002.
They were charged
with conspiracy and murder in connection with the death of the late Ya-Na
Yakubu Andani II on Wednesday 27 March this year during a communal violence at
Yendi between the Andanis and the Abudu royal gates.
Nana Obiri Boahen, a
Sunyani-based lawyer and Counsel for Yidana and Jahinfo, however, rejected the
report submitted by the IGP in connection with the remand of his clients by the
Community Centre District Court in Accra.
The Court, presided
by Justice K. Kusi-Appiah therefore adjourned the case to Wednesday December
18, 2002 for the IGP, BNI Director and the Greater Accra Regional Police
commander to furnish it with the certified true copy of the proceedings of the
District court.
Yidana and Jahinfo
who were brought to the court under a heavy police guard were returned to
custody in Accra following the adjournment. The presence of police personnel
deployed within the entire premises of the court attracted a lot of people from
the public.
The Sunyani High
Court on Thursday 28 November ordered the IGP, the BNI director and the Greater
Accra Regional Police Commander to produce Yidana and Jahinfo, following the
granting of an order of habeas corpus filed by Nana Boahen, their solicitor.
The two had been
arrested about three weeks earlier in Tamale and flown to Accra and placed in
police custody for their alleged involvement in the murder of the Ya-Na. The
solicitor contended in the suit that the continued detention and incarceration
of the two persons "is a serious breach and violation of their fundamental
human rights enshrined under the 1992 Constitution".
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Accra (Greater Accra)
13 December 2002- The Ministry of Information and Presidential Affairs has
dismissed speculations that the government intends to buy a new Presidential
Jet.
"There is no
truth to speculations that the Government intends to buy a new Presidential
Jet," K. Amponsah Bediako, Assistant Government Spokesperson, said. The
issue of the presidential jet re-surfaced again this week when an Accra private
newspaper said the government intends to buy a new jet with sitting capacity of
between 30-40 seats.
Kwabena Agyepong,
Press Secretary of the President, denied the report saying that the letter the
newspaper referred to as the source of the story from HSBC, which was involved
in the purchase of the Gulfstream III, was an old one. Even then the offer of
HSBC was rejected by the government.
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Kumasi (Ashanti
Region) 13 December 2002- A Research Scientist of the Forestry Research
Institute of Ghana (FORIG) in Kumasi, has expressed grave concern about the
"chasing out, molestation and killing of strawberry coloured fruit
bats," or 'Eidolon Helvum', from trees around the 37 Military Hospital.
He said the mammals
should rather be protected due to their immense importance in forest ecosystems
and their role in maintaining biological diversity. He said the bats, which
accounts for about 98 percent of seed dispersion under forest clearing in
modern era when forestation has become a global phenomenon should not be seen
as a nuisance to the persecuted but ecologically pivoted species needing dire protection.
Bright Obeng-Kankam,
the research scientist, made the call in an interview with the GNA in Kumasi on
Thursday. He maintained that the bats played an integral role in tropical
forest succession, distribution and community composition by dispersing,
pollinating seeds of many tropical tree species such as Odum, Shea Butter,
Kapok, Baobab and Okisibiri.
Besides, herbalists
believe that the bats, which served as important protein sources for some
people in the country, could cure infertility in women. Obeng-Kankam said the
species are also important in medical research when studying such problems as
experimental hypothermia, survival in extreme environments and different topics
of comparative anatomy, embryology histology and cytology among others.
Relating his own
research on the bats at the 37 Military Hospital in 1997, which brought out
some interesting revelations, the research scientist said the colonisation of
the bats at the hospital could be traced as far back as 13 September 1973 when
the then Okyenhene, the late Nana Ofori Atta II died at the Korle Bu Teaching
Hospital and was sent to the 37 Military Hospital mortuary.
"Mystically, a
few hundreds of the fruit bats were seen squabbling and shrieking on two
matured mahogany trees at Ward Six and Bandoh Ward, which were very close to
the mortuary."
The bats were
believed to have migrated from the Kibi palace, a place called 'Baamu' where a
fruit bat colony roost was found the next morning, and it was said that the
bats colony at the palace decreased considerably about the same time and this
has led to the 37 Military Hospital becoming a permanent dwelling place for the
animals, he held.
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Ho (Volta Region) 13
December 2002- The government has secured a $29m facility as part of its
Poverty Alleviation Strategy to widen the scope of technology of rural
industries under the Rural Enterprise Project (REP) - Phase Two.
Fifty-two districts
would be introduced to the technology that is capable of transforming their
storage, transport and food processing capacities beginning next year. The
project would be undertaken in collaboration with the International Fund for
Agricultural Development and the African Development Bank.
Prof. Dominic Fobih,
Minister of Environment and Science, said this at a two-day Policy Seminar for
the Working Group on Rural Micro and Small-Scale Enterprises Promotion and
Development on Thursday.
The Minister at the
same ceremony inaugurated a 14-member Project Steering Committee for the Rural
Enterprise Project - Phase Two. Prof. Fobih said the government was aware that
rural development targets could not be attained by agricultural production
alone because activity in that sector was primary and seasonal.
He said the
government would, therefore, promote the development of science and technology
at all levels for an integrated economic growth of the rural areas. Prof. Fobih
said the REP One that started in 1995 and ends this year had been very successful
in reducing rural poverty, generated employment and increased incomes in the 13
target districts in Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions.
He said the immediate
objective of REP - Two would be to promote a competitive rural micro and
small-scale enterprise sector to replicate the success story of the REP - One.
Prof. Fobih said independent studies of REP had indicated that there were
opportunities to increase incomes in rural areas from investing in small-scale
processing and adding value to products.
Organisations
represented on the Committee include the Ministries of Food and Agriculture,
Finance, Trade and Industry, Local Government, Women and Children's Affairs,
National Development Planning Commission, Bank of Ghana, GRATIS and a
representative of District Chief Executives of implementing districts.
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Accra (Greater Accra)
13 December 2002- Former President Jerry John Rawlings is expected to travel on
a special flight to Burkina Faso on Friday to participate in a national
farmers' day celebration to be held in Niena-Djonkele, a village located in the
Hauts-Bassins Agricultural Region.
A statement signed by
Victor Smith, Director of Public Affairs to the former president in Accra on
Thursday said the invitation came from the Burkina Faso Farmers Confederation.
The statement quoted
the invitation as saying, "as the Chairman of the Faso's Farmers' Confederation,
we have followed with great interest and admiration, the many actions that you
have developed in favour of Ghana's Agricultural producers."
The statement said
Former President Rawlings was expected to return to Ghana on Sunday, 15
December. Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings would also leave Accra
on Thursday (today) for Brussels to attend the Euro Market Forum 2002.
"She will be away for four days," the statement added.
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Marrakech (Morocco)
13 December 2002- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, at the opening
of the Fourth Global Forum on Reinventing Government, on Wednesday, called for
a more serious attention to ensure democracy, public administration and sound
systems of governance to improve well-being of humanity.
"If we as a
single human community are to make better progress in building a world in which
people are free from want, from fear and from the threat of living on a planet
irredeemably spoilt by human activities, we need to pay much more attention to
democracy, public administration and sound systems of governance," Annan
said in an address read for him.
UN under Secretary
Mervat Tallawy, delivered the address to more than 100 delegates, including
Vice Presidents, Ministers of States, political leaders, private sector
operators and representatives of Civil Society, at a ceremony in the Moroccan
City of Marrakech.
Vice President, Aliu
Mahama, who is leading Ghana's delegation, would represent Africa at the
closing ceremony on Friday. The three-day Forum, which seeks to achieve
dialogue and partnerships that could identify common values and concrete
initiatives to facilitate governance, democracy and development is organised by
King Mohammed the VI of Morocco with support from the United Nations and the
World Bank.
It is under the
theme, "Citizens, Businesses and Government: Dialogue and Partnerships for
the Promotion of Democracy and Development." Annan stressed that the
agenda of the Forum was crucial to the world body's Millennium Declaration and
urged leaders and policy makers to develop the requisite tools and institutions
of good governance to translate the broad goals of the Declaration into
nationally owned strategies and actions.
He said:
"Citizens need transparent, responsive mechanisms through which they can
voice their demands and participate in all stages of policy-making,
implementation and evaluation.
"Other actors -
most notably the private sector and civil society organisations need avenues
that will promote their involvement in activities, such as the delivery of
public services that have traditionally been incumbent solely on the
State."
Annan stressed that
the State had a crucial role to play in development, but it could not do it
alone. On the role of the UN in promoting good governance, Annan said it was
particularly helping developing countries and countries in transition to
re-invent government.
Policy research and
analysis, training programmes and advisory services were being provided to
them, he said, adding that the UN Online Network in Public Administration and
Finance facilitate access to information, disseminated knowledge about good
practices and provided the platform for the exchange of ideas.
Mrs Tallawy, who is
the Executive Director of the UN Economic and Social Commission for West Asia,
said building sound partnerships between the government, civil society and the
private sector should be the new paradigm for achieving sustainable
development.
She said the capacity
of the public sector should be improved with adequate skills, while employees
are well-motivated to ensure quality and efficient service delivery.
Without reforms to
improve governance, she said the goals of the UN Declaration, aimed at reducing
poverty, promoting equity tolerance and eliminating conflicts would be
difficult to achieve.
World Bank President
James Wolfenson, who said good governance was key feature tied to its
partnership programmes, reminded nations to cater for the interests of the
vulnerable who were unable to take advantage of socio-economic reforms to
better their lot.
In a message read for
him, Wolfenson said quality health care, education and food security should be
provided to these people, who he said, could be found in every society. King
Mohammed, whose message was also read for him, called for the bridging of the
economic and technological divide between nations through partnerships at the
international and regional levels.
The Chairman of the
Scientific Committee, which organised the Forum, Rachid Benmoktar, said new
forms of governance, particularly at the local government level should be
devised to confront health issues, food insecurity, inadequate water over
population, which he said would be compounded when the world's population
doubles to 12bn in 2030.
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New
Patriotic Party government lauded
Accra (Greater Accra)
13 December 2002- Dr. Nii Noi Dowouna, General Secretary of the Conventions
People's Party (CPP), on Thursday lauded government for initiating a national
consensus on Ghana's next vision but said this must be genuine and sincere.
"It is an aspect
of good governance and consensus building, but it must indeed be genuine and
sincere.” “Moreover, if only it is what we have seen in the past when
Development Plans were abandoned or they failed because of politicization, then
I'm afraid that the call for consensus won't work and should be considered as
one of those that have failed," Dr Dowouna said.
"However, I
wonder what input NPP wants us to make, since the National Development
Commission would present the document to the President next week, presupposing
that it had already been completed," he said.
The CPP General
Secretary told the Ghana News Agency in an interview during a day's workshop
organised by the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) for registered
political parties to solicit their inputs in the process of building a national
consensus for the next vision.
Representatives of
all political parties with the exception of the United Ghana Movement (UGM) and
the National Reform Party attended the workshop, which began with a video clip
on the regional consultations that has been carried out on the vision.
The NPP government's
vision sought to achieve a Gross Domestic Product per capita income of $1000 by
2010. The 1992 Constitution requires every new government to present a
co-ordinated programme of economic and social development policies within the
first two years in office to parliament and which meant that the government has
only 25 days for the exercise.
Dr Dowouna said the
CPP believed Ghana needs a common threshold on the concern for Ghana's
development and thus attended the workshop with no pre-conceived intentions. He
said, "it is equally important to reckon that every political party in
government has its own aspirations and ideologies that it needed to
pursue."
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