Information Minister challenges Minority NDC
Presiding Member denies allegation about Yendi
conflict
Government would support genuine business
enterprises-Kufuor
Ernest Chemists goes into manufacturing
Ghana Airways Pilots on strike
Four Senior Auditors arrested for embezzlement and bribery
Ministry to promote biogas technology
Ketu Assembly denies allegations of corruption
Ghana commits to teaching & learning of French in schools
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 June 2002 - Information Minister,
Jake Obetsebi Lamptey has challenged the Minority National Democratic Congress
(NDC) caucus in Parliament to prove allegations that he has failed to account
for an amount of 150 million cedis from funds meant for renovation works at the
Castle, the seat of government. The Minority NDC caucus in Parliament has
demanded the interdiction and prosecution of the Information Minister over the
said amount.
They also accused the Minister of failing to respond to enquiries by the acting
Chief Director of the Ministry of Works and Housing on the matter.
But Mr. Obetsebi Lamptey told JOY FM that he has never been contacted by the Chief
Director of the Ministry as being alleged by the Minority. Describing the
allegations as a lie, he noted that the only time he was contacted on the
renovation works at the Castle was when the Deputy Works and Housing Minister,
Theresa Tagoe called him to enquire about monies that had been transferred to
the Chief of Staff’s accounts for the works. “I referred her to the Chief of
Staff and cashier at that office. The necessary papers were issued and the
matter has been cleared up.”
“I don’t know of this particular matter, all I know is that they say I have
collected money but I say that is a lie. The second thing is that they say
payments were made to me as if I’m a contractor and I say that is a lie. The
third one is a statement by Chief Director of the Ministry that I’ve refused to
respond to his enquiries for a year and I say it is a lie. I’m not aware of any
audit report. If Bagbin has any evidence he should come forward and prove it.”
- JoyOnline
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Presiding Member denies allegation about
Yendi conflict
Sunyani (Brong Ahafo) 20 June 2002 - Mr Mahamadu Abdulai, alias Samansaman, Presiding Member of the Yendi District Assembly, on Wednesday vehemently denied that he dragged the late Ya-Na's body and set it ablaze during the Yendi conflict.
He said those who have claimed that they saw him dragging the Ya-Na's body "are just telling lies" as they were only out to discredit him because he belongs to the Abudu faction. Mr Abdulai was testifying as the 30th witness of the Wuaku Commission probing into the Yendi conflict in Sunyani.
He said he was away in Accra on official duty on Monday, 25 March when he had a telephone call from his brother Sulemana Imoro, informing him about disturbances in Yendi and that one of his workers had been wounded in the leg through a gunshot.
Mr Abdulai, who is also the District Environmental Health Officer, said he was also informed that the former Regional Minister, Prince Imoro Andani, had revoked a curfew that was imposed earlier. He said he, therefore, left Accra immediately and when he got to Yendi at about 5.30 pm. on Tuesday he saw residents going about their normal duties.
Mr Abdulai said he, however, saw some people standing and holding discussions in groups and when he inquired at home about what was happening he was told exactly what he had been told by his brother on the telephone.
Mr. Abdulai said he was relaxing at home between 7.00 and 7.30 in the evening during which gunshots were heard at the Gbewaa Palace area when four policemen came and requested that they needed some soft drinks as they were hungry.
Witness said he took the two policemen to a nearby house and got them some drinks after which he decided to look for members of the District Security Committee (DISEC) since he was a co-opted member in his capacity as the presiding member.
Mr. Abdulai said that when he was informed that the DISEC members were at the police station he asked the policemen to escort him to the place and sat there with his colleagues till 12.00 midnight before going home.
He said he was having serious waist pains and therefore, stayed indoors on Wednesday, 27 March, "but when I heard that there were two corpses lying behind the post office and a tailor's shop, I called the police to inform them.
The presiding member said he became disturbed when he heard that the Ya-Na had been killed since he thought the problem between the two gates could have been resolved amicably.
During cross- examination Mr Abdulai said he was nowhere near the palace on 27 March when the Ya-Na was killed, stating that he does not know Imoro Seidu and Alhassan Nantogmah Andani, who claimed they saw him dragging the Ya-Na's body and set it ablaze.
Asked by the Commission why he did not go out on 27 March, Abdulai said besides having serious waist pains, he was also scared because of the simultaneous firing of guns. "Although I am supposed to preserve bodies as an environmental officer, I feared dead bodies myself."
In a reply to a question as to whether he has a gun, Mr Abdulai said that he has a shotgun, which has not been used for some time now. Asked why he did not go out to assist his brothers, Mr Abdulai stated that he could not have done so because of his waist pains and the curfew that had been re-imposed on Yendi.
At this juncture counsel for the Abudu Gate, Mr E.O. Appiah, informed the Commission that he wanted to tender in evidence, a letter written to the Ya-Na by the Abudu Gate.
He said the letter, which was written in May 2000, was to show the Commission the sort of relationship that existed between the two Gates and the sort of approach the Abudu Gate adopted when they wanted to have discussions with the Ya-Na.
Abdulai said in an answer to Mr Appiah's question that the said letter was registered at the Yendi Post Office when efforts to have it delivered through the Registrar of the Yendi Traditional Council and a sub-chief failed.
When counsel for the Andanis, Mr Charles Haryibor, took the floor after Mr Appiah had tendered the letter, he questioned Abdulai why he had to stay at the police station on Tuesday, 26 March, till midnight.
Abdulai said he did so because all the other members of the DISEC were there, but told the Commission that they were not specifically doing anything because measures had already been put in place to curb the conflict.
Fusheini Alhassan (alias Ayoma), a farmer and the 31st witness, told the Commission that, based on a rumour that circulated among the youth of the Andani and Abudu gates prior to hostilities between them, he caused an announcement to be made on a GBC local radio programme on 22 Friday, March, to the effect that Yendi was unsafe.
It was a listeners' choice programme that I took advantage of, to inform the presenter through the telephone from Yendi about the volatile situation of the place, he said. When counsel for the Commission, Mr George Owoo, asked him about the rationale for relaying on that information to the presenter, Alhassan explained that he meant it to be an appeal to government authorities to beef up security in Yendi during the Fire Festival to avert any clash and to maintain peace and order.
Alhassan said on Saturday, 23 March, a friend from the Andani gate, one Abdulai Salifu, told him around 2.30 pm. that due to the radio announcement about the looming clash in Yendi, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani II had ordered that he should be killed. "Adam, therefore, cautioned me that whenever the Ya-Na invited me, I should not go," he added.
Alhassan said he reported the death threat on him by the Ya-Na to Mbadugu, an elder of the Abudu Gate, who took care of the Bolin-Lana. Witness said he slept in Mbadugu's house till 6.00 am on Monday when he heard a commotion within the vicinity of the Abudu Gate's palace.
He stated that upon enquiry he was told that a man called Zibrila from the Andani Gate had come to the area with a local made shotgun threatening that they, (Andani's) were going to use such weapons to eliminate them (Abudus), adding that the Abudu youth dispossessed Zibrila of the gun and destroyed his bicycle and he fled.
Witness said, on that day, he sought refuge in his brother's house, which was some distance away from the conflict area till Tuesday, 28 March, when he returned to his house due to the firing of guns between the two gates.
In a reply to a question by the leading counsel for the Andani Gate, Mr. Hayibor, that the Ya-Na had an elder with the title Mbadugu but was killed, Alhassan said the Bolin-Lana also had an elder with the title Mbadugu.
When Mr. Hayibor asked about the reaction of the Abudus when the ex-Regional Minister came to inform them that both the curfew imposed on Yendi and the ban on the Fire Festival had been lifted he said they were not happy.
To a further question as to whether the Ya-Na's Mbadugu is dead, witness replied, "I don't know". When the counsel asked again about the rationale behind the existence of two Nbadugus, Alhassan attributed that to the feud between the two gates.
In a reply to a question by the Commission about why he rather reported the Ya-na's death threat on him to Mbadugu instead of the Bolin-Lana, witness said it was because Nbadugu took care of the Bolin-Lana, and he knew that he (Mbadugu) would pass on the information to him (Bolin-Lana).
Adam Awudu, a Mason and the 32nd witness told the Commission that at the close of work around 3.00 pm on Tuesday, 26 March, he was on his way to look for his wife and children in his grand father's house when he was hit by a stray bullet on the knee.
He said due to the incident, he remained indoors for three days before his grandfather arranged for him to be taken for herbal treatment. Awudu said he refused to go to hospital for the removal of the bullets, because he is forbidden to take injection, hence he opted for the herbal treatment.
When counsel for the Commission asked Amadu to narrate the incidents that took place towards the end of March in Yendi, he said during that period, he was in-doors due to pains, and could not give any eyewitness account. The Commission adjourned sitting to Thursday 20 June
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Government would support genuine business
enterprises-Kufuor
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 June 2002- President John Agyekum Kufuor on Wednesday said government would allow only investors and companies, which were open and incorruptible to operate in Ghana. He said, "this government does not tend to be holier than anybody; we should not allow individual companies to mar the cordial relationship between Ghana and the United States (US)".
President Kufuor said this when Ms Dennise Mathieu, Deputy Chief of the US Mission in Ghana paid a farewell call on him at the Castle, Osu.
Ms Mathieu, who has been nominated for promotion to Chief of Mission, is leaving after three years duty tour in Ghana. President Kufuor said government had not and would not interfere in the operations of foreign companies and it was, therefore, unfortunate for some foreign investors and officials to attack the government's policy of Golden Age of Business, adding " that is not the way to strengthen friendship".
He said Ghana would count on her to be an advocate for Ghana in its national development efforts. President Kufuor said Ghana would count on Mr Charles Twining, the new US Ambassador, who accompanied Ms Mathieu to the Castle, to improve on the cordial relationship that existed between Ghana and the US.
Mr Twining began a six-week tour of duty in Ghana from Monday as the Charge D'Affairs ad Interim at the US Embassy. Ms Mathieu said she was privileged to be in the country to witness the new democratic and economic development being pursued by the government and pledged her continued support for Ghana.
She said there were few thorny issues to be tackled on the operations of companies within the private sector and the Mission would endeavour to assist to remove all the bottlenecks to move the relations between both countries forward. "It should take goodwill on both sides to co-operate," she said.
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World Disasters Report launched
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 June 2002 -More than two billion people were either injured or rendered homeless and hungry as result of natural disasters in the last ten years, an International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies report on World Disasters said on Wednesday.
Titled "World Disasters Report 2002", the report launched on Wednesday said over five thousand others were killed during the period, accounting for 86 per cent of all deaths from disasters. The loss of lives due to technological disasters, mostly industrial and transport averaged over 86,000 during the decade.
In Africa alone, technological disasters accounted for 55 per cent of all disaster deaths. The figures were derived through the total annual average from 1992-2001 of people reported as killed and affected by natural and technological disasters and expressed as a percentage of a country's total population.
According to the report the most disaster-affected nation during the period was Malawi, with over 1.6 million affected persons, due mainly to hunger. This year's report, which focused on ways to reduce the risk of disasters, traced the challenges and opportunities in fighting disasters, humanitarian accountability as well as to examine the success stories of disaster preparedness in Mozambique and some countries in Latin America.
Despite the large figures of death, the report said the last ten years had seen a reduction in the number of people killed by disasters than was the case 20 years ago. "The 1970's natural disasters alone claimed nearly two million lives -- by the 1990's this has fallen to under 800,000. But this is still a terrible and premature loss of lives," it noted.
Mr Kofi Akwaah, President of the Ghana Red Cross Society said the report in its tenth year had been of major significance to academics, researchers, community developers and businessmen. "It has also played a vital role in bridging the gap between the international and local levels and closed the academic and operational divide," he said. Mr Akwaah expressed the hope that people and institutions would work together in the future to reduce the risk and take pragmatic steps to avert disasters.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 June 2002- A mental health family support group to assist, support and educate family members on how to provide proper and sustainable care for mental health patients was on Wednesday launched in Accra.
The group, made up of relatives of psychiatric patients is to meet on the second Wednesday of each month at the In-Service Training Unit of the Accra Psychiatric Hospital to share views.
The Accra Psychiatric Hospital (APH) initiated the launch, which was under the theme: "Families working together for a better health", with technical support from Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO), a non-governmental organisation.
Dr Joseph B. Asare, Chief Psychiatrist of the APH, said with the establishment of the support group, history was being made since it was the very first time such a group was established in the country to serve as a watchdog to help change the quality of life for mental health patients.
He said the group was charged among other things to monitor the care given to patients by the psychiatrists and tell them how well they were performing their duties. Dr. Asare called on communities to accept the challenges in caring for psychiatric patients during and after their treatment to integrate them into the society.
"By so doing, the stigma, ignorance and fear attached to mental health would be reduced", he added. Dr Asare said very soon such health groups and psychiatric facilities would be provided in all the districts and regional hospitals to make them more accessible for patients to seek care and treatment.
Mrs Adelaide Addo-Fening, Country Director of VSO, who performed the launch, said she was happy about the Hospital's initiative and said with the right support of society the public's negative perception about mental health patients would die off.
Ms Anne Holding, a UK based volunteer of VSO, who trained the health group during a nine-month period expressed the hope that the group would grow to be strong and help to care for mentally ill patients. Seven-member executive officers of the group were inaugurated.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 June 2002- Ernest Chemists Limited, a leading Ghanaian drug dispenser, would on Friday outdoor its multi billion pharmaceutical manufacturing plant at Tema. The plant, which has already commenced production of various types of anti-biotic capsules, tablets, syrups and antiseptics, is expected to reach its capacity in the next two years.
Conducting journalists round on Wednesday, Mr Kasim Isaka, Pharmacist in charge of the plant, said the company aimed at being among the top indigenous African pharmaceutical companies by the year 2010 to help improve health care delivery through the production of quality and affordable drugs.
He said the plant, which has a staff of 110 would soon expand its current production from 70 different drugs to 140.Mr Isaka said the company was importing raw materials from Asia and Europe and has put in place appropriate measures to ensure that quality drugs were produced.
He said some of the measures include, a Quality Assurance Department that uses United States and British standards in drug production and that officials of the Food and Drugs Board often undertook unannounced inspection of their products.
Mr Isaka noted that one of the major challenges facing the company was the production of bottles, which the company had to import from India and
Portugal. He mentioned that one of the targets of the company was to access markets of neighbouring West African countries and redouble its production in the next two years.
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Ghana Airways Resumes Flights
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 June 2002 - Ghana Airways
flights, which were suspended as a result of a strike action by the Airline’s
Pilots have resumed. This follows an intervention by Roads and Transport
Minister, Richard Anane.
The pilots were demanding the removal of the airline’s Management Task Force headed by Captain Kwakwa as well as the Chief Pilot, Captain Foli. A statement issued by the airline said flights are to resume immediately.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 June 2002 - A strike action by pilots of Ghana Airways has worsened the difficulties of the beleaguered national carrier. Most of the airline’s flights, except those on the West Coast of Africa have been cancelled as a result of the strike. The pilot’s action has nothing to do with remuneration.
A source told JOY FM that the pilots are unhappy about the airline’s operations and are demanding the removal of the Management Task Force headed by Captain Kofi Kwakwa.
They also want the removal of the Chief Pilot, Captain Foli.
The pilots have served the Transport Minister with their strike notice warning
that the action will continue until their demands are met. But a management
task force source has explained that flights to Freetown, Bamako, Ouagadougou,
Abidjan and Monrovia, which are operated on behalf of the airline by a private
airline, will not be affected by the pilot’s action. Flights to these routes
will still operate. - JoyOnline
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 June 2002 - Four senior officers of the Audit Service were on Tuesday arrested for embezzling 37 million cedis, which they claimed, they used to bribe Public officials for salary increases in the service and Parliament to facilitate the passage of the Audit Service Bill in 2000.
They are, Mr John Lartey, Deputy-Auditor General; Mr Kwamena Ghansah, Assistant Director, Finance Section; Mr Samuel Amoako, Senior Auditor and Mr Appiah Kubi, Cashier. They are helping the Police in their investigations, a source at the Criminal Investigation Department is said to have confirmed on Wednesday.
The Ghana News Agency reported reliable sources at the Audit Service As saying that the four officers under the cloak of the local union of the Service deducted monies up to the sum of over 300 million cedis from the workers salaries ostensibly to speed up the payment of salary arrears of the workers from 1999 to 2001 and to facilitate the passage of the Audit Service Bill.
Investigations revealed that the 37 million cedis was cashed in two instalments on 4 January and 5 January 2001 long after the bill had been passed. Former President Jerry John Rawlings assented to the bill to replace the Audit Service Decree in October 2000. The law stipulates that the entire set-up of the service should be restructured.
Available document including a letter dated 5 June 2002 written by the Acting Auditor-General, Mr Edward Dua Agyeman to the Deputy Auditor General, Mr Lartey said; "I have observed that the Audit Service Act, 2000(Act 584) received Presidential assent in 10 October 2000; whereas the two cheques for 10,000,000 and 27,833,000 were cashed four months after on 4th and 5th January 2001, respectively.
"I cannot, therefore, see the relationship that you are trying to establish between the monies that were drawn in January 2001 and payment that was made four months earlier to accelerate the passage of the Audit Service Bill in 2000."
Another correspondence written by the Acting Auditor-General to the Deputy Auditor-General read: "I wish to remind you that paying monies to public officers to influence them to give unwarranted favour, or to a Member of Parliament (MP) to accelerate the passage of the Audit Service Bill is a criminal offence.
Your action appears to be anathema to the spirit and purpose of the Bill itself. Section 33(3) states that any member of the Audit Service, who demands or takes any bribe, gratuity, recompense or reward for the neglect of non-performance of his duty commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine or imprisonment or both.
"There is therefore no moral or ethical reason to pay monies to get the bill, which punishes bribery and corruption passed." Meanwhile a letter written by Mr Lartey to the Acting Auditor-General, Mr Agyeman read: "I wish to stress that the entire amount of 37,833,000 million cedis was not paid to Mr Samuel Amoako, Senior Auditor per se but to Divisional Chairman, Local Union, Mr Samuel Amoako who supervised the disbursement in the Supreme interest of the Service."
The letter said, "the Divisional Chairman, was deeply involved in the negotiations of the new salary level and the passing of the Audit Service Bill. "Finally, you may wish to know that no member of staff both management and union has complained against this levy which was conspicuously indicated on payment vouchers signed by all", the letter declared.
Mr Agyeman on Wednesday told the GNA in an interview that as State Auditors the Service had a responsibility to uphold the principles of probity and accountability and would work to ensure that the truth prevailed. In a related development, Mr Agyeman has directed that investigation be conducted into the circumstances that led to the under payment of salaries of nine members of staff between 1999 and 2000.
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Kukurantumi (Eastern Region) 20 June 2002 - The Minister of Energy, Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah says the Ministry would promote the use of biogas technology to help to solve the sanitation and energy problems facing communities and institutions.
He has, therefore, challenged the Energy Foundation, consulting institutions and the Ghana Standards Board to come with the necessary standards that would support the adoption of biogas technology to improve sanitation and energy supply in the country.
Mr Kan-Dapaah was commissioning a 57 million-cedi bio-sanitation facility for the Ofori Panin Secondary School at Kukurantumi on Tuesday. It was funded by DANIDA. He noted that the adoption of biogas technology could generate a substantial government savings from the huge expenditure on the health sector.
Mr Kan-Dapaah recalled that that Ministry constructed the first biogas plant at the Shai Hills Cattle ranch on a pilot basis and followed it up with the Apolonia Biogas plant in 1990 that generates 12.5 kilowatts of electricity from cow dung and human excreta for domestic use and street lighting.
To date, 20 bio-latrines had been constructed in different parts of the country including the Aburi Girls Secondary School, Abuadze, Amanokrom, Apirede, Jekodua, Kpong and Jisonayili. Mr Kan-Dapaah appealed to DANIDA to continue to support the construction of more bio-toilets in educational institutions and large communities as part of efforts to improve sanitation, education and health.
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Aflao (Volta Region) 20 June 2002 - The Ketu District Assembly has denied engaging in corruption through fraudulent procurement deals for government projects. A source close to the Member of Parliament (MP) of Ketu South, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Agbenazah (rtd) had complained about the alleged corruption to the Ghana News Agency.
The source said while materials including cement, iron rods and boards were procured locally the assembly obtained invoices from a dealer in Ho, who quoted higher prices to cover the purchases. It made reference to 20 million cedis the MP allocated to the Denu Roman Catholic Parish to construct a school block from his share of the District Assemblies' Common Fund.
The source said even though 300 bags of WACEM cement was bought at 28,710 cedis per bag an invoice numbered 0000189 dated April 9,2002 quoted 33,000 cedis and wawa boards bought at 31,000 cedis was said to have been bought at 33,000 cedis.
The source said the assembly had earlier presented an invoice to the MP quoting 36,000 cedis per bag of cement but withdrew it when he protested. "Diamond Cement Limited are dealers in WACEM cement at Aflao at 28,710 cedis per bag. How do you travel from Aflao to Ho to buy that material from a dealer at 33,000 cedis for a project in the Ketu District? The source asked.
The source said 80 pieces each of five-eighth-inch and half-inch and 50 pieces of quarter-inch iron rods bought at Denu for 42,000 cedis; 22,500 cedis and 7,500 cedis were quoted on invoice number 000148 dated 4 April 2002 at a cost of 50,000 cedis; 30,000 cedis and 12,000 cedis each in that order.
It said though the MP's letter dated 21 March authorising that the Assembly's works Superintendent should discuss the details of work with the parish Head, the assembly ignored it and went ahead to procure the materials to the tune of 20,100,000 cedis. Lt-Colonel Agbenazah confirmed the story but refused to comment further.
In response to the allegations the District Chief Executive, Mr Linus Koffie said it was true that cement was selling on the open market at Denu at 30,000 cedis per bag but it was exclusive of transportation cost, handling charges and seven and a half per cent Internal Revenue Service (IRS) withholding tax.
"The transportation cost of cement at the time was 400 cedis and the handling charges for a consignment of 300 bags was 50,000 cedis," he said. "Supply of materials for the Assembly is handled by a committee comprising staff of Public Works Department, District Development Planning Officer, District Co-ordinating Director and the District Chief Executive.
"In April 2002 the Member of Parliament for Ketu South, (Lt) Colonel Kofi Agbenazah (rtd) presented a memo to my office for the procurement of cement, iron rods and wawa boards to the tune of 20 million cedis in respect of a classroom block for Hedzranawo Basic Schools", Mr Koffie said.
"The local suppliers at Denu were approached for invoices, which they did not have. Besides they were not ready to pay for transportation, loading and off-loading and the IRS withholding tax, as the transaction will result in a loss to them.
"Under the circumstances the Assembly sought and obtained invoices from three sources: Sammapco Enterprise Limited, Ho, which quoted a supply price of 33,500 cedis; Numahum Limited, Hohoe quoted 34,000 cedis and Nelson Enterprise, Ho gave a price of 33,000 cedis", the District Chief Executive said.
"Since Nelson Enterprise quoted the lowest price it was given the order with L.P.O. number 470003 dated April 10, 2002 to supply the materials. "After the supply totalling 13,100,000 cedis was delivered, Nelson Enterprise paid a withholding tax of 982,500 cedis to the IRS." The DCE faxed a copy of the receipt to the GNA in Accra.
"Similarly a contract for the supply of 210 pieces of iron rods of various dimensions - five-eighth, half and quarter inch was awarded to Tate Enterprise, Ho at a cost of seven million cedis by virtue of the fact that Tate enterprise had quoted the lowest price.
"Tate Enterprise paid a withholding tax of 525,000 cedis to the State on the transaction," Mr Koffie said. He said it was not true that Lt. Col. Agbenezah was given an invoice, which quoted 36,000 cedis per bag of cement and later withdrawn by the assembly.
He said in an earlier encounter with the MP over these two transactions his attention was drawn to the fact that local suppliers did not pay IRS tax on their transactions and did not, therefore, like doing business with the Assembly.
"It was at this meeting that (Lt.) Col. Agbenazah knew for the first time that IRS tax was no longer five per cent but seven and a half per cent and he claimed that whether local suppliers paid tax or not was not his concern. He was rather concerned in buying at rock bottom prices."
Mr Koffie said Assembly was bent on servitude of probity and accountability and would not lend itself to blackmail and public ridicule because if the transactions were done on the local market the Assembly would have ended up paying more than what it paid to Nelson Enterprise.
"This is because the Assembly will also have paid for the transportation and handling charges. Furthermore, the withholding tax paid to IRS would have been lost to State," the District Chief Executive said.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 20 June 2002 - The NDC minority caucus in parliament is demanding the interdiction and prosecution of Information Minister, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey for failing to account for an amount of 150 million cedis from the funds meant for the Castle renovation works. A statement signed by the Minority Leader Alban Bagbin claimed that Mr. Obetsebi Lamptey by a Memorandum, collected the money in two installments of 100 and 50 million cedis when he was Chief of Staff.
The statement said the payment of the monies to Mr. Obetsebi- Lamptey was illegal under the financial administration regulations because he is not one of the contractors working on the renovation project.
Mr. Bagbin accused the Information Minister of failing to respond to queries from the acting Chief Director of the Works and Housing ministry to account for the money. The NDC minority group says it has evidence to support the allegations against Mr. Obetsebi Lamptey.
In demanding his prosecution for causing financial loss to the state, the minority said it would ensure the Kufuor government’s adherence to the policy of zero tolerance for corruption by deed and not paying lip service.
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I'm not an ethnocentric politician - Hawa
Yakubu
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 June 2002- Madam Hawa Yakubu, NPP-Bawku Central, on Wednesday said she had never been swayed by ethnic sentiments in her political career.
"If I were one I would not have followed Mr William Ofori Atta (Paa Willie) United National Convention (UNC) when entering politics. Whatever I have said or criticism made was done in the true spirit of democracy and national cohesion."
Madam Yakubu said in an interview that "criticism is part of the democratic culture and since I do not believe in using force to right a wrong, I believe that letting people to follow the rules set up in the political game when they are not is the best thing that can happen to us."
She told the Ghana News Agency: "I still hold on to the ideals of the NPP and just want to say that I just began my real political career." The Former Minister of Tourism said she had always criticised the process and procedure of considering matters in Parliament and the NPP because "we have to stick to the approved way of considering matters".
She said the ECOWAS Parliament was more fulfilling since that gave her the opportunity to do more research and be abreast with current sub-regional and global issues. "Money can never be a motivation for me to become a member of the ECOWAS Parliament. I had already committed myself just for the good of the sub-region. Apart from that, my dignity was on the line so I had to salvage it."
She said: "I have learnt the ropes. At least, I have seen a lot in life and in politics." She commended the other seven Ghanaian MPs for their nationalistic views and the will to co-operate with other members for the good of the sub-region.
Madam Yakubu said the sub-regional Parliament had commenced on the right note and could serve as the forum for the eventual integration of the Sub-region. Madam Yakubu and seven others whose, nomination attracted displeasure from some members of parliament, are to serve a five-year term at the sub-regional Parliament.
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Ghana commits to teaching & learning of
French in schools
Accra (Greater Accra) 20 June 2002- Professor Christopher Ameyaw-Akumfi, Minister of Education, on Wednesday signed an agreement with the French government on effective teaching and learning of the French language in all first cycle institutions in the country.
It is to encourage the speaking and learning of French as an additional language to English, the lingua franca and a way of promoting an effective integration of Ghana with neighbouring French speaking countries.
Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi, said government was committed to ensuring that every child, who passed through the first cycle institution would be able to communicate effectively in French. He said, at the moment, French was taught as optional subject in schools due to inadequate teaching staff.
The programme, which would be in two phases, would start with the training of additional French teachers and the concentration on the speaking of the language.
Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi said training programmes have already started at the Mount Mary's Training College in Somanya, Wesley College in Kumasi and the
Gambaga Training College in Tamale, to upgrade the knowledge of French teachers and further train new ones to ensure the success of the programme.
"We will need at about 4,500 teachers to start with, and at least one French teacher per a Junior Secondary School. "The University College of Education, Winneba, would soon be incorporated into the programme to ensure that the programme was carried further to the second cycle and tertiary institutions," he said.
Jean-Michel Berrit, French Ambassador to Ghana, said the French government was committed to the promotion of education in Ghana, adding that it had already provided 1.25 million dollars funding for the course. He however, re-emphasised the training of French teachers.
In another development, the Minister received a proposal from "Model School Technical Committee', a committee tasked with selecting endowed schools that would be upgraded to enable them to be at par with some of the best schools in the country. The 55-page proposal is to be studied and approved by government.
In all 110 endowed schools have been selected, taking into consideration land availability for expansion, security, infrastructure, location, enrolment and performance of the chosen schools.
Prof Ameyaw-Akumfi said out of the 110 selected schools, government would begin with 10 by the end of July this year and added that every region would be a beneficiary. Mr Henry Ofori-Awuah, Chairman of the 15-member committee, said the schools were selected with the help of District Assemblies, which nominated a school or two from the regions and districts.
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