NDC flagbearer mobbed at
mass funeral
Too many scandals-Minister
laments
Education of 500 pupils under
threat
NDC flagbearer mobbed at
mass funeral
Accra (Greater Accra) 19 March 2003 – Prof John Evans Atta Mills, flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), may have failed to with the 2000 Presidential elections, but he still commands respect and a high following among a cross section of the Ghanaian populace.
This fact was amply demonstrated at the weekend, when the former Vice President led a six member NDC delegation to sympathise and mourn with the bereaved families of eight out of 13 members of the EP Church, Ghana at the Madina Trinity Parish.
The 13 people lost their lives in a motor accident at Akpafu-Jodzi in the Volta Region about a month ago. Virtually everybody wanted to catch a glimpse of the man who had become an idol to some people in his own right.
The delegation, mostly Members of Parliament (MPs), was made up of Steve Akorli, MP for Ho East, Joe Gidisu, MP for North Tongu, James Victor Gbeho, MP for Anlo, Kofi Attor, MP for Ho Central, Kwame Ampofo, MP for South Dayi and Mrs Edit Hazel, MP for Evalu-Ejira.
The government delegation was led by Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of State at the Office of the President. The ready charged atmosphere was thrown into a frenzy mood when the former Veep was asked by the leadership of the Church to offer a word of condolence.
The crowd spontaneously stood up amidst loud shouts of “Ehe edzo !!, Sankofa !, throwing their handkerchiefs in the air, as they reminisce the past. The speech delivered by the learned Prof could hardly be heard by the gathering as a result of the deafening shout of “Sankofa” by the morning crowd, turning the solemn atmosphere in a mini campaign durbar.
The situation even made some of the mourners to forget about their mourning state as they joined in the shouts. The former Veep managed somehow to console the bereaved families and the church with his usual “asomdwee” message, making some people wonder whether he might have had some studies in Theology.
He donated 5m cedis on behalf of the party to the Disaster Fund set up by the church to cater for the dependents of the deceased. Citizens of Akpafu-Todzi resident in Accra and the Madina Queen of Peace Catholic Church also donated 3m cedis and 6.3m cedis respectively to the Fund. The deceased were among other mourners returning from a funeral of a church member at Akpafu-Todzi. – The Evening News
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Too many scandals-Minister
laments
Accra (Greater Accra) 19 March 2003 – The Minister of Finance, Yaw Osafo Marfo has expressed dissatisfaction about the spates of scandals and professional misconduct in the administration of tax.
“Almost invariably a few unscrupulous officials, through greed and the quest for personal gains are determined to bring institutions into disrepute,” he stated. The Minister expressed the concern in s speech read on his behalf at the opening of a three-day seminar for the management of the IRS in Accra.
The seminar which is being attended by the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners, Chief Inspectors and District Heads of IRS nationwide, is to enable them to take stock of their performance of the past year and strategise for the current year.
Osafo Maafo noted that development such as those witnessed over the past year only served to tarnish the image of the profession and adversely affected public confidence in the administration of tax in this country.
He explained that the vital role of the IRS and other revenue collecting agencies in the economy could only be played with their personal exhibit a high level of professionalism and integrity. “The actions of tax collectors should be along professional lines based on dedication and excellence,” he said.
The Minister asked tax collectors to work together to serve the interests of the economy, taxpayers, profession and their own conscience and integrity. He said despite the better performance by all the major sources last year, total receipts fell short of the target of 16,359.7bn cedis by 912.6bn cedis.
That, Osafo Maafo said, was due to substantial shortfalls in expected foreign inflows. He said that given that a substantial portion of the country’s budgetary requirement was funded from donor sources, such shortfalls resulted in government borrowing from domestic sources. – The Ghanaian Times.
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Stop criticising President
– Chief Justice
Accra (Greater Accra) 19 March 2003 - Chief Justice Edward Wiredu has "ordered" a stop to all criticism of President John Kufuor. Justice Wiredu said the President has been accepted by God because the people voted him into power, and wondered why the people of Ghana only see the faults of the President and rain criticisms on him.
"The right thing Ghanaians should do is to advise him and not to criticise the President," he said in his remarks outside his prepared address at the 30th Law Week Celebration of the Faculty of Law, University of Ghana.
The theme of the celebration was "Curbing Indiscipline and Corruption in Ghana: The Role of the Lawyer." Justice Wiredu said indiscipline in a society cannot lead to its progress and corruption in a society is an aspect of indiscipline.
He said corruption is a crime, which is usually committed by public office holders, and any public officer who demands a favour before performing a duty is corrupt and "corrupt persons should be ashamed of themselves for engaging in such heinous acts."
"An indisciplined person is prone to commit any offence including corruption. There is the need for the elders in every house to train young persons to be disciplined, and all employers in the various establishments should bring the codes of discipline to the attention of their workers and enforce them.
If possible they should be revised to incorporate checks against corrupt behaviour," he said. Justice Wiredu asked both lawyers and students of law to maintain the level of nobility of the profession at a high standard so that they would be worthy of emulation by the society.
Additionally, he said, churches, schools, parliament, the judiciary, and the executive including political leaders, should make it a point of disciplining themselves and the society would naturally be disciplined.
He asked religious leaders not to preach on issues relating to morality, but should really practise the virtues of morality in their way of life strictly. The President of the Faculty of Law Students Union, Benjamin Osei-Tutu, asked the school administration to restructure the course and add new courses to meet international expectations. – The Heritage
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Accra (Greater Accra) 19 March 2003 - An Accra regional tribunal has ordered the confiscation of a house in Accra, popularly known as Timberland, to the state. The building, situated at Dansoman, belongs to Richard Attakora Gyimah, a convicted drug dealer, who returned from London recently after serving a three-year jail term for drug trafficking.
A Principal State Attorney, Anthony Gyambiby, and Miss Barbara Sackey, an Assistant State Attorney, represented the state while Owusu Fordjour, an Accra legal practitioner and immediate past Director of the Bureau of National Investigations, represented Gyimah.
In response to the application for the confiscation of the property, Fordjuor said Gyimah acquired the property from the sale of a house he and his wife acquired in London from proceeds he earned during the time he stayed in Germany and London.
He objected to arguments by Gyambiby that Gyimah was convicted by Croydon Court and, therefore, was convinced that he acquired the property with drug money.
He said the Dansoman house was acquired in 1997, while the Croydon trial took place in March 2001, and that to seize a property acquired in 1997, is only making the law take a retrospective effect.
Fordjuor said retrospective laws are frowned upon by the 1992 Constitution and pointed out that private ownership of property is enshrined in the Constitution.
On his part, Gyambiby referred to the respondent’s affidavit in opposition and said it did not show how the London house, part of whose proceeds was used to buy the Dansoman house, was acquired in the first place and, therefore, the respondent has not discharged the responsibility placed on him to prove that the house was bought with legitimate funds.
Gyambiby contended that he has reason to believe that the property is an illegal property under section 62 of PNDCL 236/90.
According to section 16(1) and (2) of PNDCL 236/90, in an application to the court for seizure of property, the Attorney-General must have reason to believe that the respondent is a liable person, that the person is a holder of some property and that the Attorney General has reason to believe that that property is an illegal one.
In his ruling, Justice K. Adu Gyamfi, who presided, said a liable person is defined as a person convicted of drug laws or has received what can be traced to drug money.
He said the Principal State Attorney tendered as exhibit the certificate of conviction of Gyimah, alias Nana Ansah, by the English Crown Court at Croydon, for possessing class ''A'' drug, with intent to supply, contrary to section 5(3) of the Misuse of Drug Act, 1971, and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.
Justice Adu Gyamfi said as long as the respondent had been jailed for drug offences, it can be stated that the Attorney-General’s belief that the house was improperly acquired from drug money is a reasonable belief.
Justice Adu Gyamfi, therefore, said since the house belonged to the respondent but could not be proved to have been bought from money from legitimate source, the house be confiscated to the state.
Richard Attakora Gyimah was jailed in London after his wife, Bernice, also known as Afiaw Takyiaw, implicated him in a drug deal. He was extradited to the United Kingdom in August, 2000, following a request by the UK Government to the Ghana Government in February, 2000, to enable him to stand trial in connection with the arrest of members of a drug trafficking syndicate, including Bernice.
Bernice told the British security officials upon her arrest that she was merely taking care of the drugs, which belonged to Gyimah, her husband. At the time of Gyimah’s conviction, Bernice was also serving a four-and-half-years’ jail term in connection with the same case. – The Daily Graphic
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Accra (Greater Accra) 19 March 2003 - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has denied that its candidate for the 25 March 2003 by-election for the Navrongo Central seat has been withdrawn from the race. ''We wish to make it categorically clear that the NDC will contest the elections in the candidature of Clement Bugase,'' the party said.
There have been reports that the NDC will withdraw its candidate and throw its support behind the PNC’s candidate since the party had not started campaigning in the area as at last Saturday.
But a statement issued in Accra and signed by the General Secretary of the NDC, Dr N. Josiah-Aryeh, said, ''the National Executive Committee wishes to refute the bogus propaganda going on in some sections of the media that the NDC will withdraw its candidate for the Navrongo Central by-elections and support PNC candidate.''
The statement went on to explain that, ''our campaign is already on course and call on our members, supporters and sympathisers to disregard this negative propaganda and continue to work hard to capture the seat.''
The seat became vacant following the death
of John Setuni Achuliwor in a motor accident on the Ejisu- Kumasi road. – Myjoyonline
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Accra (Greater Accra) 19 March 2003 - As the Ashanti Regional branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) goes to polls on Saturday, there are growing calls for a financial audit of the party before the elections. The agitation by a cross-section of members is premised on the fact that some members of the executive have decided to stand for positions in the party and it would be proper if the accounts were audited to ensure that those who are contesting are not tainted with any acts of fraud.
An amount of ¢3bn and other monies in foreign currencies are reported to be unaccounted for from the accounts of the party. It was not clear at press time whether the calls for the forensic audit forced the re-scheduling of the elections from 8 March to 22 March 2003.
Three candidates, Robert Owusu Amankwaa, Frederick Fredua Anto, the incumbent Chairman and Kwame Agyei, the First Vice Chairman are contesting for the chairmanship of the party. The three candidates have, over the months, been criss-crossing the region canvassing for support from members of the NPP.
There have been allegations of financial impropriety against some of the candidates, culminating in agitations from a section of the party for the institution of a probe into the party finances.
Article 3 of the NPP Constitution disqualifies a member from holding any office or contesting any election in the party on the grounds of dishonesty, fraud or moral turpitude unless a period of 10 years had elapsed.
In the midst of the calls for audit into the accounts, Kwame Agyei, has distanced himself from any acts of malfeasance. He claimed that although he is the 1st Vice Chairman of the party he was kept in the dark about the accounts and financial state of the party.
Kwame Agyei said most of the time he was in the countryside attending to party duties and was not privy to money that go in or out of the party's coffers.
He defended his decision to contest for the chairmanship of the party and said he wanted to be in the driving seat to implement the programmes he has in mind for the development of the party.
"Playing second fiddle has problems. It is not all that you say that are considered," he said. Kwame Agyei said that the fact that he is part of the executive that is being accused of fraud does not mean he is involved, adding that he was kept out of the mainstream of affairs.
The Ashanti Region is crucial to the retention of political power by the NPP and the party is eager to ensure smooth elections to maintain the unity of the party.
The Heritage has learnt that efforts are
being made to persuade some of the contestants to step down or to arrive at a
consensus candidate but initial indications are that the efforts have not been
very successful. In the last elections, the NPP won 31 out of the 33
parliamentary seats and about 90 per cent of the presidential votes. - Heritage
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Accra (Greater Accra) 19 March 2003 - The Supreme Court will on Wednesday 2 April, give its ruling in an appeal brought before it by Mallam Ali Yusif Isa, former Minister of Youth and Sports, against his conviction and sentence. The five-member panel presided over by Justice Edward Kwame Wiredu, Chief Justice, announced the date at the court's sitting on Tuesday.
Not satisfied with the Court of Appeal's ruling of 23 October 2001, upholding the judgement of a Fast Track, which jailed his client, Ambrose Dery, counsel for Mallam Isa late last year, brought the application before the Supreme Court.
His grounds for the appeal are that his client's conviction for stealing and fraudulently causing financial loss to the State cannot be supported in law, having regard to the evidence adduced by the trial court.
It is counsel's submission that the trial judge erred in law when he held that there was direct evidence that his client dishonestly appropriated the $46,000 and fraudulently caused financial loss to the state when in fact, there was no direct evidence whatsoever to that effect.
Counsel further submitted that the trial judge also erred when he decided that circumstantial evidence adduced by the prosecution, led irresistibly to his client's guilt, and that the said evidence was not compatible with any other rational inference, although there was copious evidence to support rational inferences.
According to counsel, it was also wrong for the trial judge to have held that his client's ex-body guard who is a serving police officer, and who was present at his client's office on 23 February 2001 when he left for Sudan, was not a vital witness in the case.
Dery also submitted that the trial judge further erred when he held that the evidence of two prosecution witnesses, namely, Alex Asante and Wolarnyo Agrah, protocol officer and former general secretary of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) respectively, were credible, when in actual fact, their evidence raised several doubts.
Counsel concluded that it was wrong on the part of the trial judge to have averred that the prosecution proved its case or discharged its burden of proof beyond all reasonable doubts, when there were several doubts raised in the prosecution's evidence.
The other members of the panel were Justice George Kingsley Acquah, Ms Justice Sophia Akuffo, Justice Dixon Kwame Afreh and Dr Justice Seth Twum.
On July 20, 2001, an Accra Fast Track Court presided over by Justice Julius Ansah, Appeal Court Judge with an additional responsibility as a High Court Judge, convicted Mallam Isa on two counts of stealing and fraudulently causing financial loss to the State.
He was found guilty of stealing $46,000 meant as an imprest and payment of bonuses of members of the Senior National Team, the Black Stars, during a World Cup qualifying match in Sudan on 25 February 2001.
Justice Ansah accordingly sentenced Mallam Isa to four years imprisonment on each of the two counts, adding that both sentences were to run concurrently. Additionally, he was fined 10m cedis or in default 12 months imprisonment. The court further ordered the dismissed Youth and Sports Minister to refund the $46,000 to the State within one month, or serve an additional two-year jail term.
When the case was called Tuesday, Mallam Isa was not in court, and Chief Officer Augustine Arthur, Court Warrant Officer (CWO) informed the panel that the appellant was indisposed. CWO Arthur said Mallam Isa reported at the Government Hospital at Nsawam for medical treatment where he was referred to the Police Hospital to see a specialist.
On Friday 18 August 2001, a Special Court of Appeal dismissed an application for bail for the jailed ex-Minister of Youth and Sports pending the determination of an appeal filed against his conviction and sentence by his counsel, Ambrose Dery.
Again, on Tuesday 23 October the same year, the Court of Appeal dismissed another petition against Mallam Isa's conviction and sentence filed on his behalf by his counsel.
The three-member panel presided over by Justice Omari Sasu with Mrs. Justice Sophia Adinyira and Justice Sule Gbadegbe as members, contended that the "convict's grounds of appeal failed and could not be entertained."
The court, however, quashed an order by the
Fast Track Court that compelled the former Youth and Sports Minister to serve
additional two years in prison if he failed to refund the 46,000 dollars he
stole. This order, in the court's view, contravened the provisions of Section
Seven (b) of the Criminal Code. - Newsinghana
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Accra (Greater Accra) 19 March 2003 - An unidentified passenger who defied warnings and hanged on to a moving train fell and died instantly.
A statement issued by the Ghana Railway Company Limited (GRCL) said the man fell off at about 5:30 pm on Monday 17 March from the moving Accra-Nsawam service train at the Agbobloshie level crossing in Accra.
The Company advised passengers who hang on to moving trains to desist from the practice. The statement signed by the Area Manager, Devine Ablerdu said "despite the several warnings made through the media to its cherished customers, the warnings have not been heeded to".
The statement said stencilled warnings have been pasted on all coaches of the shuttle Services and called on the general public to adhere to it to avoid accidents. – Ghanaweb
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Accra (Greater Accra) 19 March 2003 - In a bid to check the littering of our cities, Parliament will this week deliberate on a bill which - if passed - may force plastic manufacturers in this country to pack up and leave leading to a situation where all the plastic products Ghana needs would be imported.
This is due to the fact that the manufacturers are going to be required by law to solely fund the curbing of littering of plastics in our cities through their respective district assemblies.
But according to the local manufacturers, they produce less than 50% of the country's plastic needs. This was contained in minutes of series of meetings held between the government and local plastic manufacturers.
Government intends to impose ¢60.00 tax on each plastic bag produced in addition to the current ad valerum tax-average net selling price of ¢30.00, meaning a total cost of ¢90.00 would have to be borne by the consumer - should the manufacturers decide to push this cost to the consumer. "A bag of iced water is likely to hit between ¢450.00 to ¢500.00," said one water sachet manufacturer.
There are currently some 12 plastic manufacturing firms with thousands of employees in the country and this does not include sellers of iced water and other plastics products. Some may be compelled to fold up for the bill would definitely make it more lucrative to import than to manufacture in Ghana.
At the first meeting held on 21 January, this year, Kwadwo Baah Wiredu, Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), charged members to consider three issues- "a percentage of the common fund to be used by district assemblies to rid the environment of waste plastic bags, a complete ban on the manufacturing of plastic bags, and a mandatory recycling of waste bags by all plastic bag manufacturing firms."
Present at the meeting were Professor Dominic Fobih, Environment and Science minister, Akwasi Osei Adjei, deputy minister for Trade and Industries (MOTI), representatives from the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) and the Environmental Protection Agency (AGI).
Others were Messers Larry Attefuah, special assistant, MLGRD, Solomon Ofei Darku, Accra metropolitan chief executive, Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, Tema municipal chief executive, Samuel Nii Aryeetey Attah, Ga District chief executive, B.N. Laryea, Waste Management, AMA, Kwabena Sarpong, special assistant, MLGRD, two representatives from MOTI and representatives of the plastic manufacturers.
At the next meeting held on 12 February, this year, the manufacturers responded that it was "unfair to single out only Ghanaian manufacturers to fund the programme to control the menace, since almost everything imported into this country has plastic components and that the issue should be tackled holistically because it is a problem of littering and not that of production." They also talked about enforcing bye-laws on littering and sanitation.
Even though more than 50% of the plastic products are imported, such meetings to deal with the plastic menace did not invite the importers. A.K. Kwabla Adjei a representative of Poly Group at the meeting said "any action against producers of plastic bags must include importers of that commodity as well."
Also absent at the meetings were other stakeholders like the Customs Excise and Preventive Services (CEPS) and the traders who sell plastic products. The fact that more than 50% of plastics are imported shows that the already existing 30% net selling price is relatively better to import than to manufacture locally.
Indications are that plastic manufacturers are looking for a possibility to relocate their firms in other West African countries where the issue of littering is not tackled by pushing all the cost involved to the producer, especially when a bigger percentage of the product is imported.
On the issue of recycling, Chronicle learnt that most of the plastic manufacturing companies have acquired recycling machines and that they are waiting for the outcome of government's decision on littering.
"My machine had been acquired long ago. Our problem is electricity and water charges because this machine consumes a lot of energy. You need to clean the littered plastics thoroughly before recycling them, so not until something is done to balance these things we cannot recycle," said A.T. Budhrani, chairman of Mitsui Group, producers of Sintex tanks. - Ghanaian Chronicle
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Ahafo Ano (Ashanti Region) 19 March 2003 – The basic education of the over 500 pupils of the Kojobetiako D/ A primary school in the Ahafo Ano North District of Ashanti is under threat as the entire 14 teachers of the school have threatened to leave the school in the face of continuous defecation in the classrooms by a faceless criminal gang.
The unhealthy practice which started last year and was published by this paper has now assumed an alarming proportion leaving the leaders of Betiako, teachers and the District directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES) completely confused and worried.
All measures employed by the authorities of the town to catch the perpetrators have been unyielding. Verbal warnings from the chief and elders have not been scary enough to the perpetrators. A task force set up to help solve the problem has since not been able to find a solution to the problem.
With the continuing difficulty in unravelling the problem, opinions are now divided among the people of the town. While some people continue to blame some unscrupulous people for the act, others have given it a spiritual dimension, thus blaming some bad spirits for the act.
Those blaming the human factors as the cause argue that the perpetrators might not have been arrested because such persons might themselves claim to be vigilantes. Again they hold the view that no spirits will continue to commit such a heinous crime against the pupils of the town.
On the other hand, those giving a spiritual twist to the problem also sound convincing. Hear them: "For what reason will a group of persons continue to do this, despite the series of warnings and attempts being made to catch them?"
Chronicle investigations showed that the staff of the school is on good terms with the members of the community and no bad blood runs between the teachers and any group in the town. No ceasure of girlfriends or wives on the part of the teachers and no flagrant abuse of the pupil's rights.
When the reporter contacted the acting chief of the town, Nana Kwabena Tawiah, he explained that having failed to solve the problem with all possible human interventions; a divine answer is now being sought.
Though the chief did not elaborate on the nature of the divine intervention being sought, Chronicle gathered that the matter has been sent to the Nyamaa Shrine in Antoa in the Ashanti region for a solution to the mysterious defecation in the rooms of teaching and learning.
Teachers of the school had to embark on a one week sit down strike from 24 -28 February in protest against the act when the situation worsened.
Chronicle was told by Adjei Johnson, the deputy head-teacher of the school that the problem has adversely affected teaching and learning in the school for the past two years and particularly this term (second) term.
He explained that pupils have to wash the classrooms affected every morning and rearrange the dual-desks before the commencement of lessons. As a result, lessons are always delayed by almost two hours, a situation Johnson described as very detrimental to effective teaching and learning in the school.
The district director of Education, Mrs. Doris Dora Amaniampong, at a meting with the teachers, PTA, SMC and elders of the community, stated that a request by the teachers for a transfer will have to be heeded to, if the problem continued unabated.
Threatened by this disclosure by the director, the problem has become the talk of the town and all possible interventions and solutions are being sought to have the situation normalised.
Kojobetiako Primary school is one of the biggest primary schools in the district and has a pupil population of over 500. It was one of the three schools selected in the district for the Quality Improvement in Schools (QIPS) and the Community School Alliance programmes sponsored by the United States Assistance for International Development (USAID) about 3 years ago.
Under the programmes the school had the benefit of a three classroom block and an office and a store built for them. - Chronicle
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