Don’t fleece applicants —
HIPC fund managers warned
Pay back our ¢140bn - GCB
workers
Graphic, ECG face
imminent sale
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 June 2003 – The Convention People’s Party
(CPP) has condemned the work of the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC),
describing its work as biased.
According to the party, the work of the commission has confirmed that
the government is creating an unnecessary tension in the country, instead of
reconciling the broad masses of the people.
The Chairman of the Political Affairs Committee of the party, Dr Abdul
Gamel Nasser, said this when he and the National Chairman of the party, Dr
Alhassan Abubakar, met with the Eastern Regional members of the party at
Koforidua.
Dr Nasser pointed out that even though people have the right to know
the dark chapters of the country’s political history and the need to be reconciled;
the approach the commission is using is fraught with inconsistencies.
According to him, there are cases against the United Party tradition in
the 1960s, which should have been heard by now, but the commission has chosen
to hear only those of the revolutionary and the PNDC era.
“The main objective of the government, “according to him,” is to
destroy the NDC party,” adding that if this happens, the CPP may be the next
target. He, therefore, called on members of the party to be on their guard and
be ready to defend the cause of the CPP at all times.
According to him, the government has abandoned its policy of zero
tolerance for corruption which it promised Ghanaians two years ago. He said the
Kufuor administration is rather protecting its functionaries and prosecuting
others, which, according to him, is raising a lot of doubts about the integrity
of the government.
Dr Nasser said the country is facing crises of unimaginable proportion
owing to the inability of the government to fulfil its promises. He further
expressed concern about the government’s over-reliance on foreign financial
assistance, which he said, is rather crippling the country’s economic
development.
Explaining further, the National Chairman
of the CPP, Dr Abubakar Alhassan, pointed out that there are other effective
alternatives by which the country can solve its economic problems without
relying on foreign donors, adding that when given the chance, the CPP will make
this happen. – Graphic
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Don’t fleece applicants
— HIPC fund managers warned
West Akim (Eastern Region) 30 June 2003 - The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, has warned members of committees set up to approve monies from the Ghana Poverty Reduction Fund (GPRF) and the Social Investment Fund (SIF) not to worsen the plight of those who apply for the fund by demanding anything before processing their applications.
The minister said this at the Eastern Regional launch of the GPRP and SIF at Asukyerema, near Adeiso, in the West Akim District at the weekend during which the West Akim District Project Review and Approval Committee (DISPRAC) was also inaugurated.
He said the aim of the government is to reduce poverty by creating more jobs and providing credit facilities for people, especially those in deprived areas, to make them self-reliant economically.
He said without the development of small communities and rural areas, there can never be any meaningful development in the country, adding that both the rural and the metropolitan areas are equally being developed.
To accelerate the development of the country, Osafo-Maafo said the government will continue to maintain good ties with donor countries in order to get more funding for that purpose.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Dr Francis Osafo-Mensah, in an address, said through the SIF, an approval has been given for eight nurses quarters and clinics all of which with cost ¢10.3bn to be built after which 48 schools will also be built.
According to him, skills training is also being offered for the vulnerable groups under the fund so that they can set themselves up and help train others. He added that loans have also been given to individuals to establish 15 income generating activities.
The Executive Director of SIF, Ms Ama Serwaa Dapaah, in her address, said the fund was set up through the concerted effort of the government, the African Development Fund (ADF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a mechanism for channelling resources to the poor under the GPRP.
She disclosed that, 80 districts are benefiting from the fund and that plans are far advanced to extend its benefits to the remaining 30 districts. She said beneficiaries are expected to contribute 10 per cent of the total cost of a sub-project while the district contributes 15 per cent to instil a sense of ownership for the project.
The West Akim District Chief Executive, Omari
Amoah thanked the managers of the fund for extending its benefits to the
district. He gave the assurance that he will do everything possible so that the
assembly and various beneficiaries alike will contribute their quota to ensure
its success in the area. – Graphic
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Pay back our ¢140bn -
GCB workers
Workers of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) have asked for the refund of 140bn cedis it paid to government in 1996 as valuation of the Bank's assets before divestiture. The amount, according to the workers was more than enough to help modernize and computerize all the Banks' 130 branches at that time.
Addressing a press conference in Accra to express GCB workers' view on the GCB's divestiture, Daniel Antwi-Boasiako, Chairman of the Professional and Managerial Workers Union of the Bank, said they did not believe that the proceeds of the 1996 floatation exercise benefited the Bank.
"What we know is that it went into government coffers and we believe that if we get back that money we could turn things around, thus making GCB move up some more on the ladder."
Government intends to divest its 46.8 per cent holding in the Bank but the Union Chairman said GCB had performed creditably over the years and had been making profits consistently since it was established and "we continue to perform better every year with our eye on our responsibility towards our nation".
Antwi-Boasiako said GCB's profit before tax in 2002 was 281.908bn cedis ($33.7m), adding that after making a provision for national reconstruction levy and corporate tax it paid a dividend of 38.616bn cedis ($4.6m) to the government.
"It must be noted that such yearly dividend will be lost when government shares are sold to a strategic investor." Antwi-Boasiako said GCB was doing well having been recognized both locally and internationally and won the Chartered Institute of Marketing awards and the prestigious Euro-Market Award in 1994, 1997 and 2000.
He said it was rather ironic for
government to accuse GCB of creating bad debt for the nation when it stopped
the closing down of 20 branches in 2001 after careful analysis by GCB and the
Bank of Ghana proved that they were not profitable and must be closed down. – Myjoyonline
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Graphic, ECG face
imminent sale
Accra (Greater Accra) 30 June 2003 - Graphic Communications Group Limited, Electricity Company of Ghana and the State Insurance Company are three of the 18 State Owned Enterprises awaiting government’s directive for onward divestment this year. Also on the bill are New Times Corporation, State Housing Company Limited, Ghana Oil Company Limited, Tema Oil Refinery, Ghana National Petroleum Corporation, and Ghana National Petroleum Corporation.
The rest are Ghana Reinsurance Company, Volta Lake Transport Company, GIHOC Distilleries Company Limited, Western Veneer and Lumber Company, National Investment Bank, Atebubu Mechanical Workshop and Ejura Farms Limited.
According to an official at the DIC head office, ten SOE’s are currently listed on the on-going category and could be sold outright. Tender for the most after Ghana Consolidated Diamonds Limited which opened last week, was preceded by confusion.
Ghana Commercial Bank, GIHOC Meat Processing Company, Ghana Sanyo Company Limited, Bolga Catering Rest House, Ghana Food Distribution Corporation and Aboso Glass Factory are billed to go by the end of this year. The rest are Bonsa Tyre Factory in the Western Region, Subri Industrial Plantation Limited and Komenda Sugar Factory.
The Ghana Railways Company Limited, Ghana Publishing Corporation and GIHOC Cannery are among eight other companies available for divestment.
Close to 170 companies have been divested since the establishment of the Divestiture Implementation Committee in 1989. Investment analysts have raised concerns about the sale of these companies. According to them some of the companies are doing well but government intends to sell them despite public outcry. - Business and Financial Times
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Tema (Greater Accra) 30 June 2003 – The Tema Development Corporation (TDC) established almost 50 years ago by a Legislative Instrument (L.I) by acquisition of 63 square miles of land from three traditional areas, namely Tema, Kpone and Nungua, now finds itself between the devil and the deep blue sea.
Its primary objective was to put up residential buildings for the Tema Industrial City, but the corporation has completely deviated from this purpose and now resorted to sale of plots rather, mostly in dollars.
The Chronicle’s investigations revealed that top officials at the TDC, who after selling (leasing) a plot of land for 60 years to a Madam Afua Pokuaa, at ¢12m, paid ¢50,000 as ground fee and finally gave her the right of entry, have now decided to stop her from going onto her legally acquired property.
Enquiries have revealed that the TDC officials are now saying that the woman allegedly used the name of a much respected minister, claiming to be her boyfriend, and based on that, the TDC speedily facilitated the processing of documents of her plot.
After giving her the plot measuring 0.03 ha, 0.03 acre(s) on the Spintex Road at Community 15, the TDC now claimed that its investigations disclosed that, after all, the said woman is not a girlfriend of the respected minister, and that it is going to offer that particular plot to someone else.
The issue itself exposed favouritism in the allocation of land, which was acquired from the traditional owners for which objective was thrown away. In investigating the matter, police had collected written report from the managing director of TDC, Madam Mansa Banson.
Information available to the Chronicle has it that the TDC on the 1st of April 2003, RP/15/A/84B communicated to Madam Afia Pokuaa under the caption Application for Residential Plot No. RP/15/A/84A and was signed by Joe Abbey, Director of Estates for Acting Managing Director.
According to the letter, “we refer to your application dated 19th March 2002 in respect of the above-mentioned subject and are pleased to inform you that a plot has been reserved for you at Community 15, Tema, (size 0.08 ac).
You are requested to pay an amount of ¢12m as land management fee and ¢50,000 as the annual ground rent by 2nd June, 2003 before the formal offer and right of entry letters will be issued to you.”
On 7 April 2003 at 12:19pm, the TDC cashier No. 66 received cash of ¢12m and was issued an with official receipt of A-000194918 and the same day paid ¢50,000 cash, receipt number A.000194919 making him customer number 200515. Just as she began with groundwork, with blocks, sand and ready to commence with concrete (foundation), the TDC and police started harassing her.
Even though the site was cleared by a TDC task force, the same personnel went to seize her working tools, inducing her to quit from the land. Further information gathered has it that she was hauled before the Tema Regional Police Command once, but the police felt the case was civil and that was referred to the TDC for further action.
Sources at the TDC told the Chronicle that news that spread at the corporation’s compound was that she was alleged to be the girlfriend of a much respected minister and that compelled the officials to give her the plot.
One Madam Konadu happened to share the same plot with her and behind the plot is a house owned by Konadu, who allegedly said that she could not sit down for the plot to be sold to Afia Pokuaa. She immediately broke open part of the wall into the plot to claim her main entrance.
The source hinted that as tension built up, one Nana Fitz took it upon himself to settle the issue and was given the go-ahead by the TDC. He went to Coco Beach twice with Afia Pokuaa and her brother, one Esther, a government appointee at the Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA) and Pokuaa’s European husband. Also present were Nana Fitz and the son of Madam Konadu.
She was also to agree to take a new plot at Sakumono for what reason could not be explained, though she paid commercial value for the C15 plot.
She refused and that was when the problem began. Her solicitors, P. B. K. Agbettoh and Co., legal consultants, Accra, on 13 June, this year, wrote a threatening letter to the TDC. The lawyer says that the TDC has set in motion a wicked and clandestine machination to take the plot away from her and re-allocate it to an influential woman in the area who has started harassing her.
The TDC wants her to take an alternative plot and vacate her plot to be re-allocated to the woman. The letter further stated that title in the said plot has already been passed to the client, who is now the legal lessee, for a period of 60 years from the date of the grant.
In conclusion, the letter stated that “I have my client’s firm instructions therefore to warn you (TDC) to keep off that plot and desist from any further dealings with the said plot, and that the client is not prepared at this stage to consider any alternative plot elsewhere and that any attempt to forcibly take the land away from her and re-allocate it to another would be vigorously resisted by all legal means available to her, including the institution of legal action.
” The TDC boss, Mansa Bansa, was contacted but she refused to comment, saying that this is an administrative matter. Police in Accra region confirmed that they are collecting reports on an issue involving the woman. – Chronicle
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Accra (Greater Accra) 30 June 2003 - The founder and leader of the erstwhile Ghana Democratic Movement, which was headquartered in London, Alex Asabre, has urged journalists to avoid publications of sensational statements made by the former president, J.J. Rawlings, which undermines national confidence.
He said, Rawlings’ actions after his term of office expired are nothing to write home about but only deal a fatal blow to democracy. Asabre outlined some of the unfortunate tactics of Rawlings as coup plots insinuations, castigations, provocative utterances among others, noting that these are Rawlings’ trademarks.
Rawlings’ inability to make a break with his past indicates his failure to rise above suspicion that he is a potential threat to national security, Asabre argued. He added that most acts of crowd violence, instant justice, abuse, seizure of properties, torture, discriminations, persecutions and damages caused to ordinary Ghanaians were done under the (P)NDC regime formed and led by Rawlings.
Asabre regretted that Rawlings blatantly overlooks all the embarrassment and disgrace likely to follow his exposure and refuses to be who he really is by magnifying his appearances.
He lamented that despite Rawlings’ wicked deeds, known to Ghanaians locally and abroad, he still lives free in Ghana, something for which he and his party members must show appreciation to President J. A. Kufuor since what he said, no government in Africa or the Western world would have tolerated and harbour Rawlings and his attitude.
He therefore cautioned leaders of the NDC in the likes of former Vice President Atta Mills - former minister of Education - Harry Sawyer, former Defence minister - Iddrisu Mahama, and former general secretary - Huudu Yahaya to advise Rawlings to desist from what he called “Takashi” tactics and lead a life worthy of emulation as a statesman.
He stressed that Rawlings knows definitely he cannot taste power in Ghana through the ballot box, hence his agitation for a coup, which Ghanaians and the international community see as unattractive. He said, Rawlings should not blame anybody but be ready to face the consequences of his ordeals, if the government is compelled to act on him.
Alex Asabre advised J. J. Rawlings to be silent, confess his sins to Ghanaians and find means of repairing the damage caused by his revolution to the good people of Ghana. He also called on the president to build up the greatness and strength in Ghanaians.
He further questioned Rawlings whether during his term of dictatorial rule he was able to grant amnesty to Ghanaians abroad despite numerous letters addressed to his office from Amnesty International in the UK for considerations. “Or did he tolerate fair criticism? And viable opinions from other party functionaries aside the NDC?”
Asabre angrily asserted that whether democratic or undemocratic, constitutional or unconstitutional indemnity or no indemnity, no president will entertain such vain criticism and provocative utterances as those Rawlings has been engineering since President Kufuor came to power.
Asabre therefore advised Ghanaians to pray for President Kufuor and his government so that even if someone is administering evil rebellion against the NPP government the government can overcome. – Chronicle
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