Over 720 billion cedis allocated to enhance governance
Former GREL MD denies paying Financial
Controller to keep his mouth shut
Accra (Greater Accra) 21 February 2002 – The Government has allocated 349.9 billion cedis to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in the 2002 Budget to enable it to implement its programmes and policies.
The allocation represents 27.3 per cent of the total budgetary allocation for the economic and services sector.
The Minister of Finance, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, announcing this when he presented the 2002 budget to Parliament in Accra on Thursday, said the Agricultural Services Investment Programme, which Parliament approved in July last year, would receive a budget support totalling 121 billion cedis in the first year.
The Minister said of equal importance would be the support for smallholder rice farmers to help reduce rice importation. The government hopes to reduce rice imports by 30 per cent in 2004. Mr Osafo-Maafo said other key strategies were to increase production of selected food crops to ensure food security.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 February 2002 - The government would this year spend 720.6 billion cedis on various programmes in the Judiciary and the security services to promote public safety and good governance.
Finance Minister Yaw Osafo-Maafo, who announced this on Thursday when he presented the 2002 budget, said 100 new attorneys would be recruited for the Attorney- General's Office over the next three years while 1,000 new police personnel would be enlisted.
The Ghana Prisons Service would also get 300 new personnel. Mr Osafo-Maafo said the Police Service would get 400 vehicles and have its communication system upgraded.
More fast track courts would also be established to strengthen the Judicial Service. For the Ghana Armed Forces, its accommodation facilities for staff would be expanded, the Minister said.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 February 2002 – The Government would reconstruct three key trunk roads and construct one major road in every region of the country during the year, the Minister of Finance Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, said on Thursday.
Presenting the 2002 budget to Parliament, the Minister said the major trunk roads: Accra - Yamoransa, Accra - Kumasi and Accra - Aflao would be reconstructed as part of the government's policy to expand and upgrade infrastructure facilities to boost economic activities and create wealth.
He also announced the acquisition of 100 high capacity buses, which would be injected in the public transport system in pursuit of the government's desire to introduce a mass transportation system.
The budget comes in the first year of the implementation of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy, which identifies a comprehensive set of policies to support economic growth over a three-year period.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 February 2002- The Supreme Court (SC) would on Tuesday, February 26, hear a motion filed by Tsatsu Tsikata, former Chief Executive of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), seeking constitutional interpretation regarding the legality of the Fast Track Courts (FTC).
The Ghana News Agency reports a source at the SC as saying in Accra that Tsatsu filed his motion on Monday, February 11, a day before he was arraigned at the FTC, contending that the Constitution does not recognise the existence of the FTC.
When Tsatsu raised a preliminary objection at the FTC that the FTC had no jurisdiction to try him for allegedly causing financial loss to the State to the tune of 2.15 billion cedis, Mr Justice Julius Ansah, the Trial Judge, adjourned proceedings to Monday, February 18.
This was to enable Tsatsu to serve both the court and the Attorney -General's Department with copies of his motion at the Supreme Court. When both parties indicated at the Monday's sitting of the FTC that they had been served, Mr Justice Ansah stayed proceedings for two weeks to enable the SC to first determine the matter.
If the SC rules in Tsatsu's favour on February 26, then he would have to be arraigned at a more competent court of jurisdiction. Should the ruling go against him, his trial at the FTC would continue. Meanwhile, the Trial Judge has entered a plea of not guilty for Tsatsu and has granted him a self-recognisance bail in the sum of 500 million cedis.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 February 2002- Freddie Blay, First Deputy Speaker, on Wednesday warned that it was dangerous for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority in Parliament to politicise and read ill motives into the meeting between President John Agyekum Kufuor and a delegation from the Judiciary led by the Chief Justice Mr E. K. Wiredu last week.
Mr Blay said unless one was up to mischief or was a victim of internal diabolical political pressure, he or she could not object to the President's meeting with any citizen at any time anywhere.
The Ghana News Agency reports that in reaction to the NDC Caucus's criticism of the closed-door meeting, Mr Blay who is CPP Member of Parliament for Ellembele, expressed surprise and said the practice of watertight politics of separation of powers as Montesquieu propounded should not be swallowed hook, line and sinker.
He said in effect what the Caucus was calling would lead to subverting constitutional institution like the Parliament, Judiciary and Executive. "If that happens, there would be no cohesion, mutual trust and building of bridges of communication", he said.
He said there was nothing absolutely wrong for "the Head of the Executive to meet the Judiciary at any where at any time to hold discussions". Unless one could prove that such a meeting undermined the performance of the other's duties, then one could not impute indiscretion to such an assembly. Mr Blay said Parliament was aware of the budgetary and logistic deprivation of the Judicial Service and was moving to raise the image of the service.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 February 2002- The Electoral Commission (EC) announced on Wednesday that the Bimbilla bye-election would now take place on Thursday, March 14 thus bringing it forward by two days. A statement signed by Mr Kwadwo Sarfo-Kantanka, Deputy Chairman in charge of Operations, said the date set for the filing of nominations remained the same.
Nomination of candidates shall take place at the office of the District Electoral Officer, Bimbilla, on Wednesday, February 27th and Thursday, February 28th, 2002 between the hours of 0900 and 1200 and 1400 and 1700 hours.
The EC said nomination forms could be obtained from the Returning Officer at the Office of the District Electoral Officer, Bimbilla or the Regional Director, Office of the Electoral Commission, Tamale.
Mr Sarfo-Kantanka told the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday that EC issued a Writ of Election to the Returning Officer of the Bimbilla Constituency after it received a notification from the Clerk of Parliament informing it of a vacancy in the House following the resignation of Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, Member of Parliament for the area.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 February 2002- Dr Edward Mahama, leader of the People's National Convention (PNC), on Wednesday called on all "progressive parties" to support the party to win the Bimbilla by-election slated for March 14.
He said the electorate would be making a great mistake if they cast their votes for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which had failed to fulfil its campaign promises. Dr Mahama in an interview said he was sure the PNC would win the seat if the "progressive parties" threw their weight behind the party's candidate.
The Bimbilla seat became vacant when Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas resigned following his appointment as Executive Secretary of the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS).
Dr Mahama said the PNC was ready to repeat its victory in the constituency in the 1996 elections. "We lost the seat due to unforeseen circumstances during the 2000 elections.
"Dr Ibn Chambas' election to the high office of ECOWAS leaving the seat vacant is a clear chance for us to reclaim the seat during the by-election," he said.
Dr Mahama said the NPP was currently playing "politics of deception" at Bimbilla and called on the electorate to re-examine the situation on the ground and vote wisely to change their living conditions.
He said the government had started new projects at Bimbilla while uncompleted government projects including hospitals throughout the country were still unattended to. Dr Mahama also cited the Sunyani government hospital, which needed serious attention but attention was being focused on Bimbilla to win votes.
He said the commencement of new projects at the time of the by-election was an attempt to win the seat adding that he was afraid the projects would be halted after the by-election.
The PNC leader said even though he was disappointed with the performance of the government, he did not regret supporting it during the run-off since the whole country needed a change of government.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 February 2002- The Chartered Institute of Marketing, Ghana, (CIMG) on Wednesday launched its 13th National Marketing Performance Awards for 2001 to honour individuals and organisations that had distinguished themselves in efforts to improve the economy.
The ceremony, to be held at the State House on May 25, has the theme: "Marketing, An Effective Tool in Forging Public and Private Sector Partnership in the Golden Age of Business."
There would be 21 categories, including Marketing Man and Woman of the Year, Marketing Student of the Year, Marketing Oriented Organisation of the Year, Supermarket of the Year, Petroleum Company of the Year and Motor Firm of the Year.
Mr Harrison K. Abutiate, President of CIMG, said the criteria for selecting award winners would include marketing and technological innovativeness, level of sophistication, geographical coverage, societal impact and outstanding contribution of national development.
He said public image and marketing place success and structure, market share and growth and customer service schemes would also be considered.
Mr Abutiate said the Award Select Committee included members from the Association of Ghana Industries, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industries, National Insurance Commission and Ministry of Tourism.
He urged the public to make their nominations for each category by attaching a brief write-up on the justification of nominees using their criteria. Dr Nii Narku Quaynor, Chief Executive of Network Computer Services, who chaired the function, urged marketers to use Information Technology to promote industry.
Mr Theophilus O. Appah, Chairman of the Awards Planning Committee, said there would be five levels of sponsorship and those that would take up the first package would constitute the major sponsors of the awards.
He said every sponsor would be given a special package including a certificate of recognition and urged corporate bodies to take up the sponsorship package to make the ceremony a success.
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Koforidua (Eastern Region) 21 February 2002- The government's threat to prosecute 78 former District Chief Executives (DECs) is an abuse of rule of law, the Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo has said.
He said the auditors never invited most of the DCEs to answer any questions and even after the auditing none of the former DCEs had been served with the audited report.
"It is difficult for people to understand why the government has decided to flout simple auditing procedures and to apply its own rules if it is not for any sinister intentions."
Speaking at a meeting of the Regional Executive Committee of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at Koforidua on Monday, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said the Auditor General's Department audited the accounts of the District Assemblies and no wrongdoing was found against with most of them.
"If after the re-auditing by the government team some anomalies were detected and those who did the first auditing were not called for questioning, then Ghanaians have to question the intentions of the government on the issue." Mr Michael Nyawonu, MP for Lower Manya, called on party members to work hard for the NDC to win back power in the next general election.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 February 2002- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday said Ghana and Norway should explore the possibility of opening missions in their respective countries.
He said this would impact positively on Ghana's development efforts and enable her to benefit immensely from the communications technology, oil exploration, fisheries and other areas where Norway had the advantage.
President Kufuor said this when Mr Lars Tangeraas, Abidjan-based Norwegian Ambassador to Ghana paid a farewell call on him at the Castle, Osu. Mr Tangeraas accompanied by his wife Anne Lise is leaving after three years duty tour.
President Kufuor said although government had not work with Mr Tangeraas for a long time, efforts would be made to strengthen the relationships between the two countries when his successor arrived.
He commended the government of Norway for their hospitality during his visit to Oslo, Norway, when the Noble Peace Prize was awarded to the UN Secretary General, Mr Kofi Annan.
Mr Tangeraas, who had served in the diplomatic mission of Norway for the past 40 years, said Norway was now taking more active interest in countries within the West African Sub-region than in the past.
He said the Norwegian government currently assisted the private sector with the required inputs and support to provide social amenities for communities and it would be ideal when Ghana adopted such a scheme.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 February 2002- Dr (Mrs) Esther Afua Ocloo, a pioneer female Ghanaian industrialist and winner of the Hunger Project Award, is to be honoured with State burial in March.
President John Agyekum Kufuor announcing this on Wednesday at the Castle, Osu, when a delegation from the bereaved family officially informed the government of her death, said in spite of her natural size, the late Mrs Ocloo stood very tall in Ghanaian industrialisation as an excellent and distinguished person and in many endeavours that she pursued.
"She was a real pillar... worthy of emulation in our efforts to build our nation. Her good works in the promotion of development in Ghana cannot be measured. She cannot be replaced as a pioneer industrialist and founder of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), which are monuments in industry."
President Kufuor said it was good to honour her to encourage other citizens to copy her good works, adding "she was a creator and we need many people of her calibre to build our nation". Mr Joseph Henry Mensah, Senior Minister, described Mrs Ocloo as a sincere and dedicated woman, who got on well with anyone that came into contact with her.
Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Minister of Trade and Industry, said Mrs Ocloo was a real role model for young men and women, especially women entrepreneurs, in their efforts to develop the private sector.
Togbe Takor Tutu Brempong XII, Gyaasehene of Peki Traditional Area, who led the delegation, said Ghana and especially Peki-Dzake had lost a daughter difficult to be replaced.
He said the family had tentatively fixed either March 15 or 22 for the burial depending on the convenience of the government. Mrs Ocloo, who was born on April 18, 1919 at Peki-Dzake in the Volta Region, died at the 37 Military Hospital on Friday, February 8, this year. She was 83.
Mrs Ocloo, an active participant at forums on industry in Ghana, started the first food-processing factory in Ghana under her maiden name "Nkulenu", the Nkulenu Industries Limited, in 1942 with six shillings.
She attended Achimota School from 1936 to 1941 and took several Diploma courses, including large-scale cookery and food preservation in the UK. Her long list of credentials includes a Grand Medal by the government in 1969 and an honorary doctorate degree by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, (KNUST) Kumasi.
She was the founder and first president of the Federation of Ghana Industries, now Association of Ghana Industries and founding member and first chairman of the board of directors of Women's World Banking.
She was the first woman to be appointed executive chairman of the National Food and Nutrition Board of Ghana (1964-66), a member of the Synod Committee of the E.P. Church, Ghana (1974-88), Adviser to the Council on Women and Development on small scale and cottage industries (1976-1986).
Mrs Ocloo was also a consultant to UNIDO (1976), a member of the Task Force for Economic Commission for Africa (1976) and Director of the Ecumenical Development Cooperative Societies (1977-82). She won the Hunger Project Award in 1990 and in 1993 she was awarded the Gottlieb Duttweiber Prize for her commitment to training African women as well as the promotion of women's independence in Africa.
The 50,000 Swiss francs Gottlieb Duttweiber award instituted in 1958 is conferred on persons, who have made commendable contributions to general welfare through academic works or other remarkable services to society.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 February 2002- The former Director of the Legal Sector, Private and Institutions Division of the Ministry of Finance, George Sipa Agyare Yankey on Wednesday denied that he acted with some former ministers and government officials to wilfully cause financial loss of more than 3.8 billion cedis to the state.
Yankey, who was opening his defence at the Fast Track Court in Accra presided over by Mr Justice Kwame Afreh trying the Quality Grain Project case, said he did not disburse any money adding that he only took instructions from the Ministry of Finance.
Yankey said neither he nor the Ministry of Finance guaranteed any facility concerning the Quality Grain Project. He stated that this was an agreement between the Quality Grain Ghana Limited and Wilco Company Limited, providers of fertilizer.
He explained further that the 3.8 billion cedis included 60,000 dollars from ECOBANK given to the Quality Grain Company to pay salaries and to purchase sacks to bag the rice. He stressed that a copy of that agreement was copied to him because he introduced the company to the bank.
Yankey stated that sometime in December 1998, the Ministry of Finance provided 2.6 billion cedis to resettle the people at the site. He said in January 2000, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture provided 241 million cedis to install a transformer for electric power.
Yankey is charged with Ibrahim Adam, a former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Samuel Dapaah, former Chief Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Kwame Peprah, former Finance Minister and Nana Ato Dadzie, former Chief of Staff,
All the accused persons have denied the charges of conspiracy to commit crime and causing financial loss of over 20 million dollars to the state. The court has granted them self-recognisance bail. Proceedings continue on Thursday, February 21.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 21 February 2002- The former Managing Director of the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL), Mr Etienne Marie Arthur-Popler on Wednesday denied that he paid money to a former financial controller of the company to "keep his mouth shut".
He told the Fast Track Court trying Hanny Sherry Ayittey and three others for their alleged involvement in corrupt practices during the company's divestiture that he gave Mr Kwame Awuah Asante, Financial Controller some of the money that he withdrew from the bank to make some "political payments". However, Mr Arthur-Popler said the money given to Mr Asante was not intended to make him "shut his mouth".
Speaking during cross-examination by Mr Johnny Quarshie-Idun, he agreed with Mr Quarshie-Idun that he had said he could not say offhand how much he cashed from the bank. Witness could also not disclose how much he gave to Mr Asante, the first
Prosecution Witness.
Ayittey, former treasurer of the 31st December Women's Movement, together with Emmanuel Amuzu Agbodo, former Executive Secretary of the Divestiture Implementation Committee, Ralph Casely-Hayford, businessman and Satirieh Dorcas Ocran, housewife, have all pleaded not guilty to various charges of corruption.
The trial judge, Mr Justice J. C. Amonoo-Money, an Appeal Court Judge sitting as an additional High Court Judge, has granted each of them a self-recognisance bail. Hearing continues on Thursday.
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