Five charged over serial murders at Mataheko
Healing Catholic priest suspended
Pianim’s fall out is a tactical manoeuvre
No more stolen verdict by NPP
Awoonor must quit!
I will serve in any capacity – Nana Akufo Addo
Ghana to experience more thunderstorms.
Three drags COSGA to court prate
Safohene Djeni releases 'Hwe No Yie'
I am not guilty - NDC chairman.
CP congress at last
Five charged over serial murders at Mataheko
The Ghanaian Times reports in its banner headline story that the police have charged five persons, suspected to be involved in the latest of the serial murders at Mataheko, with suspected murder.
The report said the Deputy Commissioner of Police CID and the Public Relations Director of the police Service, Superintendent Andrew Awuni, disclosed this to Radio GAR in Accra.
It is recalled that the latest victim of the serial murders at Mataheko was found on Sunday, 12 March, on plot between house numbers B 888/15 and B 660/15. The plot is about 100 metres from a Presbyterian Church and the Odorkor Police Station.
The five young men who were found lurking around, were held hostage by the crowd that had gathered. It took the combined effort of the Assemblyman for the area and the police to save them from being lynched, the paper recalled.
The paper named the five as Samuel Baaron, a Liberian, Richard Owusu, Michael Kakra Atisogbui, Francis Atta Brown and Kwesi Owusu, all Ghanaians.
According to the paper, Superintendent Awuni also announced the arrest at Asutsuare in the Eastern Region of the assembly member of the area, Vadis Tei-Monu, and 68 others. They are facing charges of attempted murder, rioting and assaulting public officers.
The paper reports Mr Awuni as saying that the activities of the assemblyman and his supporters had created tension in the area, leading to a number of people being brutalised.
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Healing Catholic priest suspended
In a follow up to its report on the impasse at the Catholic Church in Accra, the Ghanaian Times reports that Reverend Father Henry Frimpong, the Catholic Priest at the centre of the controversy in the Archdiocese in Accra, has been suspended.
According to the report, he is to desist from exercising his priestly order in the church. The suspension “is to safeguard the harm that his character and actions are causing some members of the faithfuls.”
It say s a statement issued yesterday by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Most Reverend Dominic K. Andoh, after an emergency meeting in Accra, attended by 100 catholic priest and sisters, said the decision was taken “for the good of the entire Archdiocese.”
The paper quotes Most Rev. Andoh as saying that, “during the period of the censure, the archdiocese will be responsible for providing Fr Frimpong with ‘a reasonable support’.”
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Pianim’s fall out is a tactical manoeuvre
The evening news in a front-page story, quotes the National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Yaw Akrasi-Sarpong, as describing the fall out of Mr Pianim from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) “as a tactical manoeuvre of the highest political order.
The move is a deliberate attempt by Mr Pianim to take moral political authority from the NDC to a neutral ground where it can be manipulated to the NPP’s advantage. In view of this, NDC members should treat with caution and worry, the pronouncements and deeds of Mr Pianim in order not to be overcome by events, he added.
Mr Akrasi is said to have made these pronouncement at a delegate’s conference in Tema West constituency of the NDC last Sunday.
According to the paper, Mr Akrasi said one advantage the NDC has over its opponents is the reflection of the virtues of moral authority and credibility and this is what Mr Pianim wants to grab in the name of National reconciliation.
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No more stolen verdict by NPP
The Evening News also reports that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has stated that it has no intention of writing a stolen verdict this time because the party will win this year’s elections with landslide victory and form the next government.
“ With the current campaign strategies the party is pursuing, coupled with its polling station security programs, there would be no room for rigging, which characterised the 1992 elections.”
Mr Jake Obestebi-lamptey, national campaign manager of the NPP is said to have given this assurance when he opened the first in the series of training programs for polling agents of the party in the Greater Accra Region at the weekend.
The workshop attended by 60 participants from six constituencies in the Greater Accra region was under the theme “Agenda 2000: training 10,000 people for a landslide victory”.
Enumerating steps to ensure victory for the NPP, Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the first step is to ensure that the party does not lose votes through cheating by opponents in all the polling stations throughout the country. The second strategy, he said, is the inter-personal form of communication, adding that it is the best way of the getting people to understand what the party stands for and why they must vote for a change.
According to the paper Mr Obitsebi-Lamptey said the present government has run out of ideas, hence the need for a change.
The NDC has as its bedrock infrastructural development, which was easier for every government to do, but the party lacks the ideas to improve the economy and the living standards of Ghanaians, says the paper.
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Awoonor must quit!
In a screaming banner headline, the Crusading Guide reports that two Members of Parliament, Hon. Kojo Armah, Convention Party (CP) Parliamentary leader, and Mr Alex Adjei Acheampong, MP for Bekwai have called for the immediate resignation of Mr.Ekow Awoonor, one of the recently appointed non-executive Directors of Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC) over his arrest and conviction in America for possessing cannabis some 24 years back.
Speaking to The Crusading Guide in an exclusive interview, Hon. Alex Acheampong is said to have underscored that Mr Awoonor does not need any pardon from Ghanaians since AGC is a highly recognised corporate entity quoted on the New York and London Stock Exchanges. He went on to say that once Mr Awoonor’s integrity and credibility have been questioned, he must be disqualified.
“In any case, his credibility has been questioned and in that respect he is totally not qualified”, the paper quotes the MP as saying.
Hon. Alex Acheampong submitted that it does not do the image of Ghana any good to keep someone who has himself confessed to being busted over a drug offence, on the AGC board, adding that “ the Ghana government can not close its eyes to this seemingly very dangerous and embarrassing situation.
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I will serve in any capacity – Nana Akufo Addo
The Guide reports that following pleas from supporters of the NPP to Nana Akufo Addo to accept to be Mr J.A. Kuffour’s running mate in the 2000 elections, he has stated his readiness to serve the best interest of the party to the best of his abilities.
Nana Akufo Addo is reported to have explained that in his quest and desire to see the party in power in January 2000, he does not want to be portrayed as overly ambitious in the party.
He however emphasised that whatever capacity he finds himself in the party, he will work very hard to ensure total victory for the party, reports the paper.
According to the paper, its interaction with some of the supporters on the need for the party to ensure regional balance in positions in the party, a number of them were of the view that the party needs to win political power first before any other considerations can be made.
The paper said one constituency executive who pleaded anonymity drew attention to the fact that NPP’s congress in Sunyani brought out the best of its leaders in an order of elections.
“We are not like the NDC which selects its leaders without the involvement of its people they can afford to play to this kind of politics that sure portends danger for the nation,” he added.
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Ghana to experience more thunderstorms.
The Daily Graphic reports that the Meteorological Services Department {MSD} has disclosed that the country will experience more thunderstorms during this rainy season.
In his statement to the paper, Mr Kwa Wurodu, Principal Meteorologist explained that because of the intense heat experienced between January and March this year, some of the thunderstorms would be vigorous and severe.
He also said the frequency of the storms will increase within the month of April and May, and will cause a lot of damage to property especially old buildings.
According to the paper when the thunder ceases at the end of April, the Monsoon rains, which are not followed by winds, will begin in June along the coast and Ashanti Region.
Mr Wurodu assured the public that Ghana will not experience the kind of flood conditions recently experienced in Mozambique and Madagascar, because Ghana does not fall within the latitude where such cyclones are found.
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Three drags COSGA to court prate
Three leading Ghanaian musicians, Charles Amoah, Gyedu Blay Ambolley and Sympleman Cantey have filed an ex parte motion for an interim injunction at an Accra Circuit Court on 24 March restraining Copy Right Society of Ghana (COSGA) from organising any congress for a limited period of 14 days.
In an affidavit in support of their claim, the musicians stated in their writ of summons that COSGA represented by Messrs Ebow Hawkson, Faisal Helwani, Joe Mensah, Rex Boateng and Kwasi Agyepong without any mandate, are preparing to organise a congress for the membership of COSGA
According to the paper, the three among other things claimed that the defendants were asked by the Vice President of the republic to constitute themselves into an oversight committee to investigate the impasse between COSGA and MUSIGA and to submit a report within four months from March 1998.
The paper revealed that the defendants have since presented or submitted their report to the Vice President, and without any mandate have assumed the role of COSGA.
According to the aggrieved musicians, when MUSIGA got wind of the intended congress, the union petitioned the Vice-President on behalf of its members to stop the said congress to enable him address the issues raised in the petition.
The paper continues that, after waiting till 23 March without the Vice-President's address, the plaintiffs decided to seek redress in the law courts before the situation gets out of control.
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Safohene Djeni releases 'Hwe No Yie'
In another story, the paper reports that after keeping a low profile for some time, Safohene Djeni has released 'Hwe No Yie'. This title track is blessed with eight songs bearing the signature of Safohene Djeni.
The paper says in an interview with him, Safohene said it took him long to come out with the album because he had to organise to produce his own works adding that it was difficult getting producers.
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I am not guilty - NDC chairman.
The paper reports that Mr Alex Asamoah, Jomoro constituency chairman of the National Democratic Congress {NDC}has denied any involvement in the mob attack on Nana Danyi Quarm III, Chief of Jewi on 17 March.
The paper says, speaking at a press conference at Takoradi on the issue, Mr Asamoah described the allegation as ridiculous.
He is reported to have said it is not true that he told a unit committee meeting that Nana Quarm was instrumental in his (Asamoah's) recent arrest and disgrace and that he would retaliate.
According to the paper, Mr Asamoah stated that the reasons for his arrest were above Nana Quarm at the local Level.
Molestation, he said is not his method of seeking redress because it is crude.
Mr Asamoah also denied bailing the suspects arrested from the mob attack saying he only facilitated their bail in his capacity as their assemblyman because he wanted justice to be done.
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CP congress at last
The long awaited national congress of the Convention Party (CP) is slated for Accra from the19th to the 20th of May 2000, reports the Independent in another story.
The congress, postponed due to a court case, was finally settled out of court.
According to the paper, the Congress will among other things select a presidential candidate and a national chairman for the party.
It says Dr Gamal Nasser, of the University of Ghana and a Parliamentary candidate for the 2000 elections and Dr Adolf Lutterodt, Greater Accra Regional Chairman have been tasked with the planning of logistics for the 2000 delegates.
Professor Mawuse Dake, Eben Antwi and Yoa Dogbe have been charged with the review of proposals for amendment to the CP's constitution.
The paper concludes that CP sees this congress as a chance to put its house in order to increase its strength in parliament and make a pitch in the presidential elections as a major political force in the forth-coming general election.
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