Let's
be patriotic…to enhance development, says Rawlings
Education
remains our priority…President assures
Soldiers
feed man on own blood…and bread
NPP
was not invited – Kufuor
Willowbrook
deals reveal…P(NDC) officials took bribe
Let's
be patriotic…to enhance development, says Rawlings
The
Daily Graphic reports in its top story that the President, Flt-Lt Jerry John
Rawlings has stressed the need for Ghanaians to maintain a national sense of purpose
to ensure enhanced development.
This,
he said, requires patriotism and constructive citizenship even as the people
give expression to their divergent opinions.
The
Graphic says President Rawlings made the call when he addressed a parade of
school children at the Independence Square in Accra to climax Ghana's 43rd
independence anniversary.
The
President is said to have indicated that there is a deep anxiety and concern
among a section of Ghanaians over attempts by some elements to manipulate parts
of the media to create a feeling of self-doubt and hatred among Ghanaians.
"They
have virtually declared war on our national sense of purpose and unity, as well
s our sense of decency", he is quoted as saying.
The
paper says that President Rawlings was unhappy that some of Ghana's foreign
partners use the outpouring of this section of the media for their feedback.
President
Rawlings, therefore, appealed for caution and circumspection, particularly in
this election year.
According
to the Graphic, the President said the government would continue to demonstrate
tolerance and patience and expressed the hope that the opposition will take up
their share of the responsibility to bring sanity to the electioneering
campaign.
GRi../
Education
remains our priority…President assures
In
its lead story, the Ghanaian Times reports that President Jerry John Rawlings
yesterday, outlined a number of measures the government is taking to ensure
that educational opportunities are made available to all the people.
Among
the opportunities are, adequate funding for the rapidly expanding system,
incentives for teachers, timely payment of teachers and effective management
and supervision.
The
Times says that President Rawlings was speaking at the 43rd independence
anniversary parade of schools and voluntary organizations at the Independence
Square in Accra.
President
Rawlings is reported as saying that education would remain a priority of the
government.
"That
is why throughout the decade, we have consistently devoted the greatest share
of our recurrent expenditures in our national budget to the education
sector", he is quoted as saying.
He
is reported to have referred to the new century and said that it promised to be
one of the unprecedented changes in the annals of world history, explaining
that the information, technology and communication revolution was set to
proceed at an even more rapid pace.
GRi../
Soldiers
feed man on own blood…and bread
The
Ghanaian Chronicle reports in a human-interest story that Mr Godfred Tiegah,
28, who outwitted caretakers of the Aburi Botanical Gardens, by posing as a
military officer attached to the Office of the President and was offered
presidential treatment for almost one week, received a brutal dose of military
treatment when soldiers arrested him.
Quoting
an eyewitness account, corroborated by officials of the Department of Parks and
Gardens, the Chronicle says after subjecting Tiegah to severe beating resulting
in blood oozing from his mouth and eyes, the soldiers dipped a loaf of bread
they had picked from his room, into a pool of his own blood and forced him to
eat it.
The
paper says that Tiegah ate the blood-soaked bread and was forced to thank the
soldiers for their “humane gesture”.
The
story says that after receiving a combination of slap from the soldiers, Tiegah
screamed, saying he was not a captain of the Ghana Armed Forces, but rather a
captain of a football team.
GRi../
NPP
was not invited – Kufuor
The
Evening News reports Mr J.A. Kufuor, presidential candidate of the NPP as
saying yesterday that is party was not given any official invitation to
participate in the 43rd anniversary of Ghana’s independence.
Mr
Kufuor is said to have explained, however, that as citizens of the land, he and
the national chairman of the NPP, Mr Samuel Odoi-Sykes, went to the
Independence Square in Accra, on their own volition to participate in the
programme.
Mr
Kufuor, who was speaking to the paper in an interview, is quoted as saying,
“because we were not given any seats we decided to join the crowd”.
He
said the celebration would have been one of the best in recent times but for
the dominance of the NDC activists and colours, which made the function appear
a partisan
Affair.
The
Evening News says that Mr Kufuor urged President Jerry Rawlings to learn to
tolerate the press, saying that without the media, the probity and
accountability ‘gospel’ the President has been preaching would be meaningless.
GRi../
Willowbrook
deals reveal…P(NDC) officials took bribe
In
a front-page screaming headline, the Guide says that a veritable source at the
Commonwealth Crime Unit in London, has expressed doubts about President Jerry
Rawlings’ commitment to the fight against corruption in Ghana.
According
to the paper, the source is angered by President Rawlings’ call on the Queen of
Britain last November, to get the Commonwealth to help Ghana combat corruption.
The
Guide says that intelligence reports from London indicate that the Commonwealth
Crime Secretariat is aware that as far back as 1982, in the heat of the
revolution, top PNDC officials were involved in acts of bribery in respect of
foreign exchange transfers from the Bank of Ghana.
The
paper says the source stated that in 1982, some leading members of the PNDC
were alleged to have colluded with the defunct Willowbrook Ghana Limited to
transfer £3.2 million to Barclays Bank Plc of London, on behalf of Willowbrook
International.
The
transaction is said to have been executed through the Bank of Ghana and the
PNDC functionaries (Secretaries of State at the time), took 15% of the £3.2
million that was transferred from Ghana.
GRi../