GRi Press Review 02 - 09
- 2003
More troubles for Ghana Journalist Association
"My stance on Atiwa forest is not anti-government" -
Okyenhen
Minority warns Defence Ministry
About 50% of children in Volta Region have sight defects
Thousands of NDC supporters join "demo" in Kumasi
Exhumed bodies handed over to families
Apraku in Cotonou
GNA pay scandal confirmed
Revenues up by 42%
GJA divided - Graphic, Times maintains stand
NDC will crack after 2004 - Dr. Nyaho
Beninois Ambassador assault electricity staff
More troubles for Ghana Journalist Association
Accra (Greater Accra) 2 September 2003 - The New Times Corporation chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has resolved not to recognize Yaw Owusu Addo as GJA President and called for fresh elections within 30 days to select a new President. The chapter also rejected the verdict of the three-man committee that was set up to look into the electoral dispute and condemned the conduct and utterances of the committee's Chairman, Yonny Kulendi about journalists.
It called on the current GJA Executive to summon an emergency National Consultative meeting to discuss and resolve the dispute once and for all. Members criticized the GJA Executive for allowing the three-member Kulendi Committee to usurp its powers and pronouncing a verdict that had no precedent and no foundation under the GJA constitution.
The chapter members also doubted the integrity of Kulendi. "We are appalled at the utterances and conduct of Kulendi. We do not recognize him as the person to pass judgement on the dispute. We expected the executive to bring the committee's report to the entire membership; who are the only people who can pass judgement. The chapter called for the committee's verdict to "be thrown out of the window".
"We are not going to condone an illegality, or play the ostrich at this point to allow the perpetuation of an illegal decision by a committee, the head of which to all intents and purposes, cannot be trusted to mean well for the association", the Times GJA members said.
The Chapter resolved that if by the end of the 30 days, nothing was done to resolve the dispute over the Presidency, it will advise itself on the next line of action it will take".
The Kulendi committee was set up by the GJA after Owusu Addo challenged the eligibility of Yaw Boadu Ayeboafoh who won elections two weeks ago to be President of the Association. Yaw Owusu Addo lost to Ayeboafoh and conceded defeat but later argued that Ayeboafoh was not a member in good standing and therefore called for the nullification of the results. - Joy FM
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"My stance on Atiwa forest is not anti-government" - Okyenhen
Accra (Greater Accra) 2 September 2003 - The Okyenhen, Osagye Amoatia Ofori-Panin II has said that his stance on the Atiwa Forest to be made an eco-tourism centre is not anti-government or anti-development but an alternative that would sustain the development of the country as against mining.
Addressing the annual seminar of the Ghana Institute of Surveyors in Accra, he said the fact that the country has been tagged a highly indebted country (HIPC) is not a license for it to dispose its lands.
He said eco-tourism generates $230bn annually worldwide but Ghana has failed to realize her share in the sector. This is because the whole forest is under siege. He suggested that the trees in the forest both medicinal and economic spices could be used as collateral to secure loans to educate the youth to manage the land.
"There are so many things that we can do without being churned on by mining activities which turn to degrade the environment", Okyenhen said. He cited a trip he is to make to Kruga Park and other places in South Africa next week and said he and his entourage are required to pay $500 per head. Ghana, he said can do a similar thing to more hard currency if 8.4 million hectares of forest, which has been reduced to 1.8 million hectares, is properly managed.
To this end, the Okyenhen has proposed a massive commercialization of tree planting and agro forestry that would cut across the country and managed by companies equipped with requisite experience to run a holding with subsidiary in every district. This project would provide employment, enhance good agricultural practices and prevent land erosion which mining cannot offer.
Recalling the effects mining has caused to his kingdom, the Okyenhen emphasized that in 1926, an agreement was signed with the Consolidated African Selection Trust in Akwatia to mine diamond in the town. The company then agreed to reclaim the land but failed to fulfill the promise and till now no sanction has been brought against them. The people of Akwatia are prone to diseases and their future is jeopardized.
The Deputy Minister of Lands and Forestry, Mrs Theresa Tagoe said the Land Administration Project (LAP), which is expected to solve the complexity of land matters within the next 15 years, is estimated to cost $54.19m. The project is to be financed jointly by the government and its development partners. The World Bank is also providing $20.5m.
Under the LAP, she said, surveyors and other related institutions would be assisted by the government in order to enhance the smooth implementation of the project. - Chronicle
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Minority warns Defence Ministry
Accra (Greater Accra) 2 September 2003 - The minority NDC group in Parliament has warned government to ensure that the Ministry of Defence and the Ghana Armed Forces comply with a signed contract for the supply of four helicopters by a UK based company, Wellfind Limited. The group says the failure to comply with the terms of agreement valued at $19ms, would cause the government and the nation a great deal of embarrassment.
A statement signed by the Minority Chief Whip, Doe Adjaho said the minority's monitoring the use of a $50m loan for the UN Peace Keeping from the Barclays Bank by Defence Ministry has revealed that the Minister of Defence, Dr Addo Kufuor suspended the contract between his ministry and the UK based company for the procurement of the helicopters.
The statement accused the Defence Ministry of entering into negotiations with a Russian company, Rosoboron Export, for the supply of the helicopters.
The statement says the decision by the Defence Ministry to suspend the contract with Wellfind runs contrary to well known principles of transparency, accountability and due process and it makes nonsense of the NPP government's slogan of zero tolerance for corruption.
But the Defence Ministry has denied signing a contract or making any payment to a Russian company for the supply of four transport helicopters to the Ghana Armed Forces.
A statement signed by the Defence Ministry's Chief Director, F.O Mpare said the due process of the law was pursued by briefing the Armed Forces Council on the transactions concerning the procurement of the four helicopters. It says the Attorney General was consulted besides further due diligence to ensure that the Defence Ministry does not cause financial loss to the state.
According to the Defence Ministry, an agreement was entered into with M/S Wellfind with the understanding that it had concluded arrangements with Kazan Helicopters of the Russian Federation for the supply of the helicopters. However, Kazan informed the ministry that another Russian company Rosoboron Export is the exclusive state enterprise for the supply of products and services for helicopters produced by Kazan.
The ministry says it sought the advice of the Attorney General on the matter in order to resolve it without prejudice to its obligation to Wellfind. Wellfind was subsequently asked to produce written evidence from Kazan helicopters confirming that it had the authority to supply the helicopters, tools and training of Ghana Air Force personnel under the contract.
And in the pursuit of further due diligence, the statement says the contract with Wellfind Ltd was suspended to ascertain Kazan's authority in the transaction. The Ministry of Finance was also advised to freeze action on any payment due Wellfind Ltd.
The statement says Wellfind Ltd has been offered the opportunity to indicate
whether they can meet their obligations under the terms of the contract within a
specified time frame. But it insists that guided by the policy of transparency,
no contract has been signed with Rosoboron Export of Russia nor has any payment
been made for the four helicopters. - Joy FM
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About 50% of children in Volta Region have sight defects
Ho (Volta Region) 2 September 2003 - A study in connection with eye-related diseases in some part of the Volta Region has revealed that 50 per cent of the child population has problems leading to impaired vision or total blindness.
Predominant eye-related diseases include refractive error cataract, glaucoma and low vision. The study also revealed that parents of such children, even though may be aware, had been hampered by the lack of resources to send them for treatment.
Joseph Akussah, Executive Director of the Christian Optical Centre, Ho, made the revelation when he presented 200 sunglasses to the Volta Regional branch of the Ghana Association of the Blind (GAB) as part of the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the association.
Akussah who described the situation as alarming, pointed out that they had been totally neglected by the National Eye Help and Rehabilitation Programme which refused to visit such communities to ascertain the extent of their plight.
He cautioned that if the situation is allowed to persist it would adversely affect economic life of such communities, thereby compounding their level of poverty.
As a measure of complementing government efforts, Akussah said his organization had been providing simple and affordable eye care services to difficult-to-reached visually impaired persons at their doorsteps. He bemoaned the situation where personnel trained to treat common eye-related diseases were lacking at health centers. - Times
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Thousands of NDC supporters join "demo" in Kumasi
Kumasi (Ashanti Region) 2 September 2003 - Thousands of NDC supporters are
taking part in the NDC's "March for Survival" currently underway in
the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi. The demonstration dubbed "Kafo Didi"
(Debtors eat) is to protest the "harsh economic policies" by the NPP
government.
According to Saeed Ali Yakubu of LUV FM (JOY FM's sister station), demonstrators
started gathering at the Post Office Square as early as 7am. The demonstrators
numbering several thousands will be marching through the Prempeh Street, Fuller
Road, A-Life Traffic Light, Asafo market roundabout and the Roman Hill to the
Zongo police station and end with a rally at the Jackson's park.
Reports say the Kumasi demonstration has out staged the one that took place in Accra in terms of numbers.
The party's Founder, ex-President Rawlings; its Flagbearer, Prof Atta Mills and most of its leading members are taking part in the demonstration. It's Chairman, Dr Obed Asamoah, who was reportedly out of the country and was expected back on Monday evening has not been spotted at the March.
The march has so far been peaceful. - Joy FM
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Exhumed bodies handed over to families
Accra (Greater Accra) 2 September 2003 - The bodies of Kyeremeh-Djan, Mawuli Dra-Goka and six others were exhumed yesterday 1 of September 2003, instead of the scheduled date of 11 September 2003.
According to The Independent newspaper, the eight persons were executed in 1986, after being tried and found guilty of treason, by a Public Tribunal Chaired by George Agyekum.
The exhumation of the eight was brought forward, because of a request from a family member, of one of the deceased persons. This was because the family member concerned is apparently due to leave the country before the 11 September, 2003. - The Independent
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Accra (Greater Accra) 2 September 2003 - The Minister for Regional Co-operation and NEPAD, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, is in Cotonou, Benin, to attend the Extra-ordinary Session of ECOWAS Council of Ministers.
The minister, who is also the Chairman of ECOWAS Council of Ministers, would chair the plenary session of the meeting. Ministers from Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Cote d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, the Gambia and Senegal are attending the conference.
In a pre-departure discussion with the officials of his ministry, he said that the ECOWAS Council of Ministers was willing and determined to implement all protocols, programmes and policies that were human centred to the benefit of the people in the sub-region.
He was optimistic that the conference would come up with positive decision to the benefits of the sub-region. - Daily Graphic
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Accra (Greater Accra) 2 September 2003 - A payrolls audit of the Ghana News Agency (GNA) undertaken by the Auditor General has confirmed a monumental fraud perpetrated by management of the organization as reported by the statesman last year, only to end up being reprimanded by the National Media Commission (NMC)
Auditor-General investigations into GNA books have established multiple fraud and corruption, as workers never received salary increment. The paper first broke the story in 22 January 2002. Staffs of the Agency are relatively among the least paid in the country.
The story accused GNA Management of corrupt practices by deliberately slashing workers' salaries. The Statesman newspaper was forced to retract the story by NMC following GNA's General Manager Robert Kafui's complaint.
The Auditor-General has now confirmed the story and has ordered GNA management to pay over ¢92m illegally deducted from staff salaries to the affected workers, including many journalists, with Kafui Johnson officially accepting responsibility.
He nevertheless still remains at post in a typical Ghanaian fashion where resignations are near as difficult to expect like drawing blood from stone. - The Statesman
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Accra (Greater Accra) 2 September 2003 - The Revenue Agencies Governing Board has stated that revenue collected for the first half of the year exceeded the target set by the government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The government and the IMF set a target of 30-percent increase over the previous year's revenue collected. The target set by the board was, however, 50 percent.
It stated that in respect of the target set by the government and the IMF, the revenue agencies exceeded it by eight percent while they fell three percent below the board's target. They exceeded last year's revenue by 42 percent.
Harry Owusu, the Executive Secretary of the board, disclosed this in an interview in Accra yesterday in reaction to the fact that the economic tempo in the country was slowing down because of a slight decline in the collection of taxes.
He said direct taxes collected from January to July amounted to ¢2,165.44bn as against a target of ¢2,131.75bn. This represented 21.56 percent of the target set by the government and the IMF, and 1.56 percent above that set by the board.
Owusu said indirect taxes collected from January to May were recorded as ¢2178.5bn as against the ¢2,061.10bn, target. This represented 5.70 percent above the government and IMF target.
He mentioned some specifics of the direct taxes, based on the board's target, as follows: Pay As You Earn (PAYE), ¢746.35bn as against a target of ¢766.61bn, a shortfall of -2.71 percent. Self-employed, ¢114.92bn against a target of ¢145.73bn and represented -26.81 percent; companies, ¢929.29bn against a target of ¢994.25bn, representing - 6.99 percent.
On the indirect taxes, he said the domestic VAT target for the half year had been ¢573.24bn as against ¢606.14bn realised, representing - 5.74 percent. Imports were ¢1,244.06bn against a target of ¢1,262.00bn, representing - 1.44 percent. - Graphic
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GJA divided - Graphic, Times maintains stand
Accra (Greater Accra) 2 September 2003 - The Graphic and New Times Corporation chapters of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) say they will not compromise their stand for a re-run of the presidential election of the association. They have resolved to boycott the scheduled GJA handing over ceremony on Wednesday, should the National Executive of the Association go ahead with it.
The two groups say they do not recognize Yaw Owusu Addo as president-elect and as such, will not compromise on their call for a re-run of the Presidential elections. The two chapters have petitioned the GJA to nullify the decision of the Kulendi committee set up to arbitrate the rumpus that arose after the elections.
The initial declared winner of the election, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Graphic, Yaw Boadu Ayeboafoh was disqualified on the grounds that he had not paid up his dues at the close of nominations.
The out-going GJA President, Gifty Affenyi Dadzie on Monday, visited the two media houses to impress upon them to rescind their decision. The Graphic meeting, which lasted over two hours, turned out to be a heated debate with each side holding to its stand.
While the Graphic chapter maintained its position, the GJA president insisted that she was going by the interpretation of the constitution by the committee, and that the handing over of the presidency will be done on Wednesday.
But Ransford Tetteh of the Graphic Chapter told JOY FM that they wouldn't accept the decision. "Majority of GJA members voted for the other candidate who has been disqualified. So all that we are saying is that let's call for a re-run. Anybody who is interested can contest and if at the end of the day Yaw Owusu Addo is declared a winner, we will go by it".
Yaw Owusu Addo has offered to step down after six months and later organize fresh elections to elect a new President. He has promised not to contest again.
But Tetteh is challenging the legitimacy of Owusu Addo's six-month stewardship. "Even Yaw Owusu himself recognizes that he has a problem with legitimacy. Why is he asking for a six-month tenure when his tenure in the constitution is two years".
The Secretary of the New Times Chapter, Dave Agbenu also told JOY FM that their position is not negotiable. "We are looking into the future and we are thinking about the fact that she (Gifty) is not going to leave a united GJA. This is because Owusu Addo did not get the majority vote to run the association", he added.
The two groups have given the GJA 30 days to change its decision, after which they will decide on the next line of action. - Joy FM
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NDC will crack after 2004 - Dr. Nyaho
Accra (Greater Accra) 2 September 2003 - With barely 15 months to go for Ghana's fourth general election under the 1992 constitution, a founding member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has predicted that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) from whom the NPP wrested power, will collapse under the weight of another defeat.
"The NDC as a political party would surely crack open at the end of the December 2004 elections. Never in my political life have I have come across a political party heavily infested with moles which multiplies like germs every minute," Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, the vociferous NPP functionary told "The Chronicle" in Accra.
Speaking in an interview over the weekend, Dr. Tamakloe said these moles in the NDC leak every plan or anything discussed at the highest level of the party to the government "within the twinkle of an eye."
Smiling to a question by The Chronicle as to whether the so-called moles were planted by the NPP in the NDC, Dr. Tamakloe said, "The NPP has not planted any moles in the NDC but I can tell you that on two occasions at our rendezvous, two of these moles from the top hierarchy of the NDC nearly collided because faith eluded them but after having discussions with both informants, they virtually came out with the same information."
He said the NPP is not only amazed about these moles but find them refreshing because some of them have been in government before.
Referring to Ekwow Spio Garbrah's exit from the NDC which The Chronicle reported has opened a Pandora's box in the NDC, he commented: "I can assure you that with the mudslinging, backbiting and attacks in the party that the paper reported, very shocking revelations would be coming out soon and that would shake the party to its very foundation."
The NPP stalwart expressed dismay about the failure of the rank and file of the NDC to recognize that the party is unsafe, saying the NDC is full of parasites and opportunists.
"They are people who have never been faithful. They only joined the party because of what they think they would gain. They aligned themselves with the wining party and maneuvered to gain attention from the hierarchy. They have never and would never believe in the party's philosophy."
Dr. Tamakloe said anyone who enters politics in the contemporary history of Ghana with the aim of achieving material gains may make the money but would eventually lose it terribly. He said any member or official of the NPP who might try to soil his hands with malfeasance would definitely be exposed and disgraced.
The NPP capo noted that there are many more questions than answers to what happened to the following personalities, Vincent Asiseh, former press secretary of the NDC, Owuraku Amofa, the Ahwoi brothers, Faustina Nelson, Nana Akuako Sarpong, Nuamah Donkor and Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu.
Others he mentioned were Kofi Awoonor, Owusu Acheampong, Sam Pee Yalley, Kofi Asante and Mike Gizo who have all remained mute for various reasons. He said he would not be surprised if Dr. Mustapha Ahmed, Member of Parliament for Ayawaso East deserts the NDC. - Chronicle
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Beninois Ambassador assault electricity staff
Accra (Greater Accra) 2 September 2003 - The Foreign Ministry has summoned the Beninois Ambassador to Ghana, Monsieur Fadeler for allegedly assaulting a worker of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Henry Ahiaku. The case is complicated and demands investigations for the necessary action to be taken, says the Foreign Ministry.
Last month, the victim, Ahiaku, went to the Ambassador's residence on official duty with a colleague to restore power supply to the residence, which was affected by a disconnection exercise embarked on by the ECG.
According to Ahiaku, while on the job to restore power to the house, he was confronted and assaulted by the diplomat and members of his household. He said he was later locked up in a room after his wrist and legs had been tied up.
His colleague, who was with him at the time managed to escape and reported the incident to the Cantonment police who came to his rescue.
The health condition of Ahiaku, who is on admission at the 37 Military Hospital, is said to be worsening. He had undergone surgery before the assault and it is not immediately clear whether his present condition was as a result of the attack. - Joy FM
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