Ghana Education Service confirms new school calendar
Nine Ghanaian stowaways saved from sharks
NDC sets barriers for its future MPs
Fatal attraction…Ezanetor's boyfriend detained at Castle
NPP congress in limbo
NPP dares Rawlings!
Red alert…census boycott if…
Ghana Education Service confirms new school calendar
The Ghana Education Service (GES) has confirmed that students who were admitted into senior secondary schools in 1999 and 2000, will use two and a half years to complete the course instead of the current three-year period,
the Daily Graphic reports in its top story.
The Graphic says that those to be admitted next year will also pursue the course in two and a half years. The paper says that in addition, those in junior secondary school (JSS) who were admitted in September, 1998 and 1999, as well as those to be admitted this year, will take the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in April, 2001, 2002 and 2003 respectively, instead of August. The Graphic reports Mrs Maris Stella Djentuah, Assistant Director of Secondary Education Division
of the GES, as saying that the new policy will lead to the synchronization of the academic calendar for all levels of education in Ghana to allow for a smooth transition from one level to the other in the same year.
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Nine Ghanaian stowaways saved from sharks
The Ghanaian Times reports in a front-page human-interest story that fisherman along the coast of Senegal have rescued from the high seas, nine Ghanaian youth who attempted to stow away on a ship to Europe.
According to the story, the crew of the ship, "MV Vedio", had dumped the stowaways into the shark-infested icy cold Senegalese waters. The ship was bound for Spain. The fishermen, who were said to have arrived at the spot soon after the incident, went to the rescue of the youth and brought them out to safety.
The paper says that the young fortune-seekers have returned home but are facing the law. The were put before an Accra Circuit Tribunal yesterday on a charge of stowing away.
The Times names them as Ebenezer Blue, 31, an artist, Kweku Saki, 21, sign-writer, Maximus Osei, 25, and Kwabena Boateng, 22, both traders, and Edward Kusi, 20, unemployed. The rest are, Victor Thompson, 19, Joseph Oppong, 28, and Joseph Seyi, 28, both welders, and Iddrisu Issaka, 25, bicycle repairer.
The story says that the nine, who pleaded guilty to the charge, were convicted on their own plea and sentenced to three month in hard labour each, by the tribunal, chaired by Mrs Elizabeth Anderson-Yeboah.
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NDC sets barriers for its future MPs
The Evening News reports that the NDC has reminded the party's aspiring parliamentary candidates that constituencies with sitting Members of Parliament are "no go areas" for them, at least, for the time being.
In a front-page story, the paper says that Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, general secretary of the NDC, announced this at a news conference in Accra, at which he made known the defection to the NDC of Mr Kwame Agyei-Sakyi, a member of the Convention Party (CP).
According to the Evening News, Alhaji Yayaha who was obviously referring to the Greater Accra Region where aspiring MPs have intensified their campaign in their respective constituencies, despite the fact that there are sitting MPs. The NDC general secretary is reported as saying that the party has decided 'not to open the gates for anyone desirous of unseating an incumbent MP'.
"We would like to ensure that incumbent MPs have the peace of mind to concentrate on the business of Parliament", he is quoted as saying.
He is reported as saying that it would not be wise for sitting MPs to be engaged in the House while prospective candidates are allowed to go behind to campaign. He said "if this situation is allowed, a time will come when there would be nobody in Parliament to carry on with the business of the legislature. They will all be campaigning".
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Fatal attraction…Ezanetor's boyfriend detained at Castle
The Independent says that a story is unfolding between the courts and the Osu Castle, the seat of democracy and power in Ghana, which poses grave danger to all who touch it as either witnesses or messengers.
The paper says there are, however, compelling reasons why it must be told since it is a great human rights story that casts doubts about Ghana's well-trumpeted reputation as an 'oasis of democracy', freedom and justice in Africa.
The Independent says it is a story of a 23-year-old young Ghanaian, Selassie Djentuh, a student in London, his former girlfriend, Ezanetor Rawlings, 21, and a daughter of President Jerry Rawlings, Head of State of Ghana, their parents and the courts.
The paper says that but for a court action brought against the parents of Selassie, Mr Anthony Kofi Mensah Djentuh and his wife, Maria O'Sulivan Djentuh, the press would not have been let into the 'bizarre drama'.
The story says that tomorrow, an Accra Circuit Court will begin hearing on the case against the Djentuhs in which the two are charged on three counts for offensive conduct, assault of a public officer and deceit of a public officer.
According to the story, when the case was last heard, the couple was remanded in custody, but by a strange twist, the two were freed not under a court order but following a letter from the authorities, which confirms possible manipulation of the courts.
The Independent recalls that last Saturday, the "Ghanaian Times" carried a story headlined: "Woman misuses President's name, which suggests that the Djentuhs are a mischievous couple, for in the Times story, it is the same Maria Djentuh who is facing the wrath of the authorities and is under investigations for invoking the President's name in a motor accident case…
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NPP congress in limbo
In a front-page story, the Ghana Palaver reports that the national congress of the NPP slated for Ho, the Volta Regional capital, has been thrown into limbo, following a High Court injunction restraining the regional delegates' congress of the party from taking place at Ho at the weekend.
The paper says that the injunction followed a writ filed by a patron and founding member of the NPP, Togbe Atta Kwaku III, who accused the regional executives of hijacking the party and operating it as their personal property.
Togbe Kwaku is also said to have contended that Messrs Emmanuel Vorkeh, James Dogbe and Kenwuud Nuworsu, regional chairman, first regional vice-chairman and secretary respectively, had managed the affairs of the party dishonourably and also fed the national headquarters with false information about activities of the party in the region.
The Palaver says that in the writ, the founding member stated that there is widespread indiscipline in the party in the region and explained that such abuses were the direct result of the inability of the regional executives to set up a disciplinary committee to stamp its authority on the party.
According to the story, Togbe Kwaku was of the view that the three men were responsible for the ineffectiveness of the party in the region and that despite glaring incompetence, the are bent on retaining their positions by manipulating the delegates' congress.
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NPP dares Rawlings!
The Crusading Guide says that the NPP has challenged President Jerry Rawlings to tell Ghanaians what State enterprises were sold y the Busia administration, and the persons to whom they were sold.
"The party expects the President to accept this challenge to substantiate his allegation with facts and figures", the party is quoted as saying.
The paper in a story on its back-page, said the NPP's sentiments were expressed in a statement signed y the national chairman, Mr S.A. Odoi-Sykes, in reaction to President Rawlings' Declaration at a rally in Bolgatanga, the Upper East Regional capital, that "the NPP is richer than the NDC because during Busia's 27 months of administration, the (NPP) were able to sell state enterprises to themselves and they grew richer".
According to Mr Odoi-Sykes, this statement is false and completely unfounded. "Every Ghanaian knows that it is rather the NDC, which is sitting on ever-rising mountain of money amassed from dubious and questionable sources", he is quoted as saying.
The NDC, Mr Odoi-Sykes maintained, "uses the money to form a multiplicity of political groups as allies of the NDC, and also uses its enormous wealth to influence and rig national elections"…
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Red alert…census boycott if…
In a front-page story, the Guide reports that many teachers being trained as enumerators for the forthcoming Population and Housing Census, have decided to boycott the entire exercise scheduled for March 26, if certain measures are not instituted by the authorities.
The teachers are said to have cited the fear of insecurity as the main problem. The Guide says that two groups of enumerators from the Ga District, who were reporting on a field exercise, said that they were chased out by some residents at Achimota and Taifa in Accra, thus preventing them from carrying out their duty.
The story says that the groups speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that "the people are bored with politics in Ghana". "People think it is political, they say they are hungry so they don't have time to answer questions", a female enumerator is quoted as saying.
According to the teachers, other sources of danger to the enumerators are the threat of rape and murder, as well as other forms of humiliation by the respondents. The paper says that fear has so much gripped the enumerators that they have vowed to boycott the exercise if they are not allowed to work in groups of two or three.
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