War on ghost names…on GES payroll
More women to stand for NDC
NPP show-down with DCEs
Jerry and Nana face questions…on murder of judges and soldier
War on ghost names…on GES payroll
The Daily Graphic reports in its top story that the Ministry of
Education has adopted measures aimed at "exorcising" all ghost names
from the payroll of the Ghana Education Service (GES). As part of the measures,
teachers in the various districts will be requested to call at the district
offices for a roll-call and their names cross-checked on the payroll.
This is to enable the Ministry to determine those who are really
working at their various posts. The Graphic says that Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah,
Minister of Education, made this known at the first in the series of this
year's re-packaged "Meet the Press" encounter in Accra yesterday.
Mr Spio-Garbrah is said to have appealed to all salary administrators
in the districts to ensure that all anomalies on their payrolls are rectified.
The Minister is reported as saying that efforts are also under way to
decentralise the payment of salaries to forestall the problems associated with
salary arrears for teaching staff.
He attributed the constant delays in the payment of salary differences
and allowances to the widespread nature of schools and the large number of
staff that the GES has to deal with. On the education reforms, the Minister
called on Ghanaians to adopt a collaborative approach toward solving the
problems confronting the educational sector. He is said to have explained that
such collaboration will ensure that
this generation bequeaths a better educational system to posterity than they
came to meet.
GRi../
More women to stand for NDC
In its lead story, the Evening News reports Mr Vincent Asiseh, Press
Secretary of the NDC as giving the
assurance that the party will sponsor
more women to contest this year's parliamentary elections. Currently, 15 out of
the 19 women parliamentarians belong to the NDC.
The Evening News says that Mr Asiseh was speaking in an interview on
speculations that the party intends to field more women MPs this year. He is
quoted as saying that it is the policy of the party to continue to promote,
uphold and defend the rights of women
and pursue "affirmative action" until men and women can stand
side-by-side as equal partners for national development.
He is reported as saying that women who show the desire to contest this
year's polls and have the pedigree to win, would be featured in the impending
parliamentary elections.
"We will not force or impose it on women to contest but rather,
those who are willing and determined to stand, can come forward", he is
quoted as saying. Mr Asiseh said that the NDC government had taken measures to
increase the number of women in government positions, committees, boards and
other public offices and "we are also trying to promote women as partners
for national development".
GRi../
NPP show-down with DCEs
The Free Press writes in a front-page story that the NPP has warned all
district chief executives (DCEs) in Ghana not to use state vehicles to campaign
for the NDC. The paper quotes the NPP as saying that it would fiercely resist
any attempt by any DCE to use state logistics to campaign for the NDC because
such practice is in contravention of the Constitution.
According to the Free Press, Mr Dan Botwe, General Secretary of the
NPP, sounded the warning at the first review meeting of the Ashanti Regional
executive of the party in Kumasi, at the weekend.
He is reported as saying that the NPP will soon make its position clear
to Ghanaians on the role of the DCEs in this year's elections. The paper says
that the meeting, which was attended by all the 33 constituency chairmen and
secretaries, was to discuss situation reports of the activities of the party in
the region.
The General Secretary is reported as saying that the party will
instruct NPP supporters to fiercely resist any attempt by DCEs to use state
machinery to campaign for the NDC. He, therefore, urged constituency chairmen
to monitor the activities of the DCEs in the various districts.
"We are dealing with some shameless people in the country, and we
would not sit down unconcerned for anybody to abuse the constitution", Mr
Botwe is quoted as stressing. The Free Press says that he called on polling
station chairmen to be vigilant and to meet regularly to ensure a free flow of
information among members.
GRi../
Jerry and Nana face questions…on murder of judges and soldier
In a front-page splash, the Weekly Insight says that 18 years after the
gruesome murder of three High Court Judges and a retired army officer, the
First Couple is still taking punches over the abomination, and indications are
that the two could even by dragged to court in future.
The paper explains that the problem is that the Special Investigations
Board (SIB), which investigated the murders and the tribunal, which tried the
suspects, failed to ask important questions.
According to the Weekly Insight, Mr Zaya Yeebo, former PNDC Secretary
for Youth and Sports, was the first person to raise some relevant issues in the
work of the SIB, which may have devalued its conclusions.
The paper says in his book on the Rawlings Revolution, published in
London, Mr Yeebo said he could not accept the claim that Captain Kojo Tsikata
(rtd) was the mastermind of the crime.
The paper says that Mr Yeebo insisted that Captain Tsikata was involved
in the attempt to cover up the crime but he was convinced that the real
mastermind was far bigger than the Captain. Mr Yeebo is said to wondered why
the SIB made no effort to find out why the keys to the vehicle used in the
murder were picked from the table of the first Lady…
GRi../