Story: Michael Donkor
The chiefs, elders and youth of Lerwem, a farming community in Ningo near Accra, have protested against the acquisition of large tracts of their land by the Queens Atlantic Resort, a private estate developer, for development into residential and tourist facilities.
They, therefore, vowed to resist any attempt by the private developer to develop 171 acres acquired from Nene Kanor Atiapah III, the Mankralo of Ningo Traditional Area and acting president of the area.
However, the company insists that it genuinely acquired the land for the purpose intended.
According to the chief of Lerwem, Nene Agortey Teffah II, the people inherited the farmland from their forefathers and they had been farming on it to earn a living.
He said their farms and the only cemetery where they bury their relatives, were being destroyed by the developer.
Briefing the Daily Graphic about their predicament, the spokesman for the Lerwem Stool, Mr Tafa Ahadie, said about a year ago they saw pillars being erected on their farmlands and they reported the development to the chief.
He said the chief said he knew nothing about the move and ordered that the pillars be removed, which they did.
Mr Ahadie said later Nene Atiapah came to them and said he had allocated the land to a private developer for development.
Although they kicked against the idea, they saw bulldozers on their land destroying their farms.
Mr Ahadie said they subsequently petitioned the Ningo-Prampram police to intervene to forestall any bloodshed but that did not yield any results only for the developer to deploy land guards at the site to terrorise them anytime they went to farm.
But when Nene Atiapah was contacted, he denied that he clandestinely sold the land. Rather, he said, the land was sold based on the consent of the 14 family heads making up the clan and showed documents bearing the signatures of all the 14 family heads to the Daily Graphic.
He claimed that some people from Lerwem sold portions of the land to a developer for GH¢17,000, a move he kicked against because the due process of land acquisition was not followed.
In view of his position on the sale of the portion of the land, Nene Atiapah said some of the people also decided to create problems for the Queens Atlantic Resort who had acquired large portions of the land for investment.
He said those whose farms were destroyed had been compensated and when the issue of the cemetery came to him, he quickly resolved the problem by ensuring that that portion of the land was not affected by the development initiated by the Queens Atlantic Resort .
He, therefore, expressed surprise at the behaviour of the people of Lerwem.
When the private developer, Queen Irene Cole, was contacted, she showed video footings of all the transactions she had with the 14 family heads in connection with the land.
She produced documents which gave her title to the land in dispute and added that she had paid the owners of the land.
She said what was left for her to pay to Nene Atiapah would be effected after she had developed the land in accordance with the sales agreement.
Queen Cole said she would resist any attempt by anybody to take the land from her, since she went through the right procedure to acquire it.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Japan supports Ghana with US$16.5m grant (August 15, 2009)
Story: Michael Donkor
THE Japanese government has made available a grant of $16.5 million to support the government’s development projects.
Six million dollars of the grant is to be used to support basic education in deprived areas while the remaining will be used to open a lending facility on very soft terms for small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to import production equipment, individual goods and raw materials.
Consequently, a memorandum of understanding to that effect has been signed by the two governments.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, signed on behalf of Ghana, while the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Keiichi Katakami, signed on behalf of his government.
In a brief statement after signing the document, Mr Katakami noted that private sector development was one of the key challenging issues facing Ghana’s social and economic development.
He said though there had been progress on improving the business environment for the private sector in the country, the difficulties still remained for the SMEs to acquire the necessary inputs for their growth and competitiveness.
It was in view of this, he said, that the Japanese government had decided to channel more resources to support the government.
Mr Katakami expressed the hope that the grant would contribute to the strengthening of industrial development from the grass-roots level in the country.
He said the grant to support the rural educational sector would be used to provide classroom buildings, teachers’ accommodation, toilet facilities and furniture in 21 schools in the Northern Region and 16 schools in the Central Region.
Alhaji Mumuni thanked the Japanese government for the support and gave the assurance that the money would be used for its intended purpose.
He said the gesture was a demonstration of the Government of Japan’s commitment to partner Ghana to make the private sector the engine of growth of the economy.
The minister indicated that the machinery, equipment and other materials to be purchased under this facility would be procured on hire purchase basis upon request from the SMEs and all re-imbursements made would be deposited into an account with the Bank of Ghana.
THE Japanese government has made available a grant of $16.5 million to support the government’s development projects.
Six million dollars of the grant is to be used to support basic education in deprived areas while the remaining will be used to open a lending facility on very soft terms for small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) to import production equipment, individual goods and raw materials.
Consequently, a memorandum of understanding to that effect has been signed by the two governments.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, signed on behalf of Ghana, while the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Keiichi Katakami, signed on behalf of his government.
In a brief statement after signing the document, Mr Katakami noted that private sector development was one of the key challenging issues facing Ghana’s social and economic development.
He said though there had been progress on improving the business environment for the private sector in the country, the difficulties still remained for the SMEs to acquire the necessary inputs for their growth and competitiveness.
It was in view of this, he said, that the Japanese government had decided to channel more resources to support the government.
Mr Katakami expressed the hope that the grant would contribute to the strengthening of industrial development from the grass-roots level in the country.
He said the grant to support the rural educational sector would be used to provide classroom buildings, teachers’ accommodation, toilet facilities and furniture in 21 schools in the Northern Region and 16 schools in the Central Region.
Alhaji Mumuni thanked the Japanese government for the support and gave the assurance that the money would be used for its intended purpose.
He said the gesture was a demonstration of the Government of Japan’s commitment to partner Ghana to make the private sector the engine of growth of the economy.
The minister indicated that the machinery, equipment and other materials to be purchased under this facility would be procured on hire purchase basis upon request from the SMEs and all re-imbursements made would be deposited into an account with the Bank of Ghana.
"Demonstrate High Ethical Standards" Veep urges Ghana Armed Forces August 15, 2009
Story Michael Donkor
THE Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has called on the personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to demonstrate high ethical standards and act with greater restraint even in the face of provocation.
He said the growing popularity of democracy as a preferred model of governance was a challenge to the Armed Forces of many developing nations, including Ghana, hence the need to act responsibly.
The Vice-President made the call at a graduation ceremony of some senior officers at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFSC) in Accra yesterday.
Fifty nine officers from the Armed Forces of 16 African countries graduated.
The countries are Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Togo.
The others are Botswana, Congo Brazzaville, La Cote d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.
The course is aimed at developing the analytical and communication skills of officers.
Mr Mahama said democracy carried with it the responsibility of openness, transparency, accountability, respect for human rights and the rule of law.
In this connection, he said, the conduct of military operations, including training, became increasingly challenging and subject to universal and domestic rules of engagement, human rights and the rule of law.
Mr Mahama, therefore, urged the military to keep abreast of the challenges of the time and seek to justify its existence by proactively evolving strategies to professionally meet these challenges.
He urged the Military High Command to endeavour to pre-empt undesirable situations and come up with appropriate strategies to tackle them.
Mr Mahama assured the GAF of the government’s commitment to mitigate the effects of the withdrawal of the British Military Assistance Training Team (BMATT).
He said the government was working towards more permanent solutions to the challenges arising as a result of the withdrawal.
Mr Mahama said as a short-term solution, being a tertiary institution, the government intended to fill the funding gap by allowing the GETFund to make provision for some logistical requirements of the college.
He said as a start the GETFund was to provide the college with a new bus to cater for the transport requirements of the students who had to shuttle to other campuses for lessons.
The Commandant of the college, Major-General K. Yankson, appealed to the government to adequately equip and improve upon the facilities of the college.
He said admission to the college continued to increase year after year with many countries in Africa seeking for a place for their armed forces.
He appealed to philanthropists and corporate institutions to also come to the aid of the college.
Major W.A. Kwabiah of the GAF was adjudged the overall best student followed by Squadron Leader Ni Ilo of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
For their prizes Major Kwabiah took away a laptop, a book and a trophy while Squadron Leader Ilo had a book, a trophy and GH¢400.00.
THE Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, has called on the personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to demonstrate high ethical standards and act with greater restraint even in the face of provocation.
He said the growing popularity of democracy as a preferred model of governance was a challenge to the Armed Forces of many developing nations, including Ghana, hence the need to act responsibly.
The Vice-President made the call at a graduation ceremony of some senior officers at the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College (GAFSC) in Accra yesterday.
Fifty nine officers from the Armed Forces of 16 African countries graduated.
The countries are Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Togo.
The others are Botswana, Congo Brazzaville, La Cote d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Mozambique, Malawi, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.
The course is aimed at developing the analytical and communication skills of officers.
Mr Mahama said democracy carried with it the responsibility of openness, transparency, accountability, respect for human rights and the rule of law.
In this connection, he said, the conduct of military operations, including training, became increasingly challenging and subject to universal and domestic rules of engagement, human rights and the rule of law.
Mr Mahama, therefore, urged the military to keep abreast of the challenges of the time and seek to justify its existence by proactively evolving strategies to professionally meet these challenges.
He urged the Military High Command to endeavour to pre-empt undesirable situations and come up with appropriate strategies to tackle them.
Mr Mahama assured the GAF of the government’s commitment to mitigate the effects of the withdrawal of the British Military Assistance Training Team (BMATT).
He said the government was working towards more permanent solutions to the challenges arising as a result of the withdrawal.
Mr Mahama said as a short-term solution, being a tertiary institution, the government intended to fill the funding gap by allowing the GETFund to make provision for some logistical requirements of the college.
He said as a start the GETFund was to provide the college with a new bus to cater for the transport requirements of the students who had to shuttle to other campuses for lessons.
The Commandant of the college, Major-General K. Yankson, appealed to the government to adequately equip and improve upon the facilities of the college.
He said admission to the college continued to increase year after year with many countries in Africa seeking for a place for their armed forces.
He appealed to philanthropists and corporate institutions to also come to the aid of the college.
Major W.A. Kwabiah of the GAF was adjudged the overall best student followed by Squadron Leader Ni Ilo of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
For their prizes Major Kwabiah took away a laptop, a book and a trophy while Squadron Leader Ilo had a book, a trophy and GH¢400.00.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
New task force to check illegal mining, logging (July 4, 2009)
Story: Michael Donkor
AN inter-agency security committee has been set up by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to check illegal chainsaw and mining operations in the country.
The 10-member committee is chaired by the Deputy Director-General in charge of Joint Operations of the Ghana Armed Forces, Col. D.K. Mitsio.
Other members of the committee include the Director-General in charge of Police Operations, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr John Kudalor; Lt. Col. Kodjo Awity of the GAF; Lt. Col. J. Hagan, Army Headquarters; Mr C.N.A. Akrong, Bureau of National Investigations; Mr D.K. Glover, National Security Council; Mr Benjamin Aryee, Chief Executive Officer of the Lands Commission; Mr Alex A. Boadu, Forestry Commission, and Mr G. Omane-Brimpong, National Security Council.
Inaugurating the committee, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, said the move had become necessary in order to address the alarming rate at which the country’s forests were being depleted by illegal chainsaw operators.
He said since the Forestry Task Force was suspended in December, last year, the country’s forests had been depleted and illegal mining operations had assumed a sophisticated level.
He appealed to saw millers to put 20 per cent of their products on the domestic market, as required by law.
Col. Mitsio, on behalf of the committee, gave the assurance that they would work to achieve the set objectives as well as justify the confidence reposed in them.
AN inter-agency security committee has been set up by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to check illegal chainsaw and mining operations in the country.
The 10-member committee is chaired by the Deputy Director-General in charge of Joint Operations of the Ghana Armed Forces, Col. D.K. Mitsio.
Other members of the committee include the Director-General in charge of Police Operations, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr John Kudalor; Lt. Col. Kodjo Awity of the GAF; Lt. Col. J. Hagan, Army Headquarters; Mr C.N.A. Akrong, Bureau of National Investigations; Mr D.K. Glover, National Security Council; Mr Benjamin Aryee, Chief Executive Officer of the Lands Commission; Mr Alex A. Boadu, Forestry Commission, and Mr G. Omane-Brimpong, National Security Council.
Inaugurating the committee, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, said the move had become necessary in order to address the alarming rate at which the country’s forests were being depleted by illegal chainsaw operators.
He said since the Forestry Task Force was suspended in December, last year, the country’s forests had been depleted and illegal mining operations had assumed a sophisticated level.
He appealed to saw millers to put 20 per cent of their products on the domestic market, as required by law.
Col. Mitsio, on behalf of the committee, gave the assurance that they would work to achieve the set objectives as well as justify the confidence reposed in them.
Fuel Shortage Hits Accra(July 9, 2009)
Story: Michael Donkor
THERE has been a shortage of fuel in the Accra Metropolitan Area since last Monday.
This has resulted in some commercial drivers parking their vehicles, since they cannot get petrol or diesel to operate.
A visit to a number of filling stations in Accra yesterday by this reporter saw fuel attendants hanging around and only informing motorists who called at their stations that there was a shortage of fuel.
Among the stations visited were the Goil filling station near the Ghana Commercial Bank at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, So Fresh Station near the Glenns Nite Club at Adabraka, Goil station near the Trust Bank at Adabraka, the Total station near Avenue Club at the Farrar Avenue, the Mobil station near the Cedi House at Accra, and the Goil station near the Nima Roundabout.
Speaking to the Graphic in an interview at the various filling stations, the fuel attendants said they did not receive any supplies since last Saturday.
They said the little that they received had been exhausted since last Monday and they were waiting for more supply of the products.
They, however, could not give any concrete reason why there was that much shortage on the market.
At the Goil filling station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, a fuel attendant, Olivia Azuma, said they had been idling since last Saturday.
At So Fresh filling station, Ernest Gyamfi said they also had run out of fuel since Monday and were thus waiting patiently for the next supply to sell to the public.
Asked whether the station was among those that took supplies from oil marketing companies that were indebted to the Tema Oil Refinery, he responded in the affirmative.
The situation was not different at the other stations which had the inscription “No Petrol” boldly written on their small boards placed on the pumping machines.
The Public Relations Officer of TOR, Mrs Aba Lokko, earlier told the Daily Graphic that TOR had cut off fuel supplies to 11 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for their indebtedness to the organisation since 2008.
She said the OMCs bought fuel from TOR for onward supply to petrol filling stations and the withdrawal of the supply to the 11 out of 56 OMCs operating in the country, resulting in a brief fuel shortage in some parts of the country.
She said the cutting down of the fuel supply was part of efforts to retrieve the moneys from the defaulting OMCs.
Mrs Lokko said TOR would not restore fuel supply to the affected companies, if they did not settle their debts.
THERE has been a shortage of fuel in the Accra Metropolitan Area since last Monday.
This has resulted in some commercial drivers parking their vehicles, since they cannot get petrol or diesel to operate.
A visit to a number of filling stations in Accra yesterday by this reporter saw fuel attendants hanging around and only informing motorists who called at their stations that there was a shortage of fuel.
Among the stations visited were the Goil filling station near the Ghana Commercial Bank at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, So Fresh Station near the Glenns Nite Club at Adabraka, Goil station near the Trust Bank at Adabraka, the Total station near Avenue Club at the Farrar Avenue, the Mobil station near the Cedi House at Accra, and the Goil station near the Nima Roundabout.
Speaking to the Graphic in an interview at the various filling stations, the fuel attendants said they did not receive any supplies since last Saturday.
They said the little that they received had been exhausted since last Monday and they were waiting for more supply of the products.
They, however, could not give any concrete reason why there was that much shortage on the market.
At the Goil filling station at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, a fuel attendant, Olivia Azuma, said they had been idling since last Saturday.
At So Fresh filling station, Ernest Gyamfi said they also had run out of fuel since Monday and were thus waiting patiently for the next supply to sell to the public.
Asked whether the station was among those that took supplies from oil marketing companies that were indebted to the Tema Oil Refinery, he responded in the affirmative.
The situation was not different at the other stations which had the inscription “No Petrol” boldly written on their small boards placed on the pumping machines.
The Public Relations Officer of TOR, Mrs Aba Lokko, earlier told the Daily Graphic that TOR had cut off fuel supplies to 11 Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for their indebtedness to the organisation since 2008.
She said the OMCs bought fuel from TOR for onward supply to petrol filling stations and the withdrawal of the supply to the 11 out of 56 OMCs operating in the country, resulting in a brief fuel shortage in some parts of the country.
She said the cutting down of the fuel supply was part of efforts to retrieve the moneys from the defaulting OMCs.
Mrs Lokko said TOR would not restore fuel supply to the affected companies, if they did not settle their debts.
Businesses within Airport City to be closed down(Front Page) July 8, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
ALL businesses and offices located within the Airport City in Accra will be closed to the public from Friday evening, when US President Barack Obama arrives in the country, till Saturday, when he departs.
Additionally, flights to the Kotoka International Airport would be temporarily suspended on Friday evening and just before President Obama’s departure on Saturday.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the National Security Co-ordinator, Lt. Col. Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (retd), said the moves formed part of security measures that had been put in place for the visit of President Obama.
He, however, assured the general public that adequate measures were in place to ensure their convenience during the US President’s stay in Ghana.
Part of the Vision 2020 plan of the government, the Airport City forms part of the gateway programme, with a number of hotels built there to accommodate businessmen and investors who visit the country.
The Airport City project is also one of the many projects that the government wants to embark on to enhance the development of the Accra-Tema area.
The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) as the landowners are supposed to execute the 'Airport City' Complex and develop hospitality facilities including hotels, shopping malls, offices, parking areas and recreational areas on the 40-acre space.
Lt. Col. Gbevlo-Lartey explained that the closeness of the Airport City to the aviation wing of the KIA made it a security zone and that it was important to temporarily halt commercial activities there till President Obama comes and leaves the country.
ALL businesses and offices located within the Airport City in Accra will be closed to the public from Friday evening, when US President Barack Obama arrives in the country, till Saturday, when he departs.
Additionally, flights to the Kotoka International Airport would be temporarily suspended on Friday evening and just before President Obama’s departure on Saturday.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the National Security Co-ordinator, Lt. Col. Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (retd), said the moves formed part of security measures that had been put in place for the visit of President Obama.
He, however, assured the general public that adequate measures were in place to ensure their convenience during the US President’s stay in Ghana.
Part of the Vision 2020 plan of the government, the Airport City forms part of the gateway programme, with a number of hotels built there to accommodate businessmen and investors who visit the country.
The Airport City project is also one of the many projects that the government wants to embark on to enhance the development of the Accra-Tema area.
The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) as the landowners are supposed to execute the 'Airport City' Complex and develop hospitality facilities including hotels, shopping malls, offices, parking areas and recreational areas on the 40-acre space.
Lt. Col. Gbevlo-Lartey explained that the closeness of the Airport City to the aviation wing of the KIA made it a security zone and that it was important to temporarily halt commercial activities there till President Obama comes and leaves the country.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Armed robbers ambush patrol team(June 27, 2009)
Story:Michael Donkor
A GANG of heavily armed robbers yesterday escaped with a military vehicle after they had ambushed some soldiers on an administrative duties between Takoradi and Obuasi.
The robbers later abandoned the vehicle on the outskirts of Obuasi.
Military sources said the soldiers on board the vehicle were on administrative check of armouries in the Central Western and Ashanti Regions when they were ambushed by the armed robbers.
The soldiers had concluded the inspection of the armouries in the Central and Western Regions and were on their way to the Ashanti Region when they were ambushed by the heavily armed robbers.
When the Director of the Ghana Armed Forces Public Relations, Col. E.W.K. Nibo, was contacted, he confirmed the story.
Other sources at the Military Police told the Daily Graphic that there were no arms on the vehicle that was seized by the armed robbers. The sources said that as soon as the news of the robbery got to them at dawn yesterday, personnel from the Military Police joined some infantry men from Accra to cordon off the crime scene and search other areas for the vehicle.
The sources said the robbers, who numbered about 10, wore masks and were armed with heavy offensive weapons and as the vehicle approached, they crossed the road, bringing the military vehicle to a stop, after which they attacked the soldiers in the vehicle, held them hostage and took the vehicle away.
None of the military personnel sustained any injury.
The source said investigations had been instituted into the circumstances of the robbery.
A GANG of heavily armed robbers yesterday escaped with a military vehicle after they had ambushed some soldiers on an administrative duties between Takoradi and Obuasi.
The robbers later abandoned the vehicle on the outskirts of Obuasi.
Military sources said the soldiers on board the vehicle were on administrative check of armouries in the Central Western and Ashanti Regions when they were ambushed by the armed robbers.
The soldiers had concluded the inspection of the armouries in the Central and Western Regions and were on their way to the Ashanti Region when they were ambushed by the heavily armed robbers.
When the Director of the Ghana Armed Forces Public Relations, Col. E.W.K. Nibo, was contacted, he confirmed the story.
Other sources at the Military Police told the Daily Graphic that there were no arms on the vehicle that was seized by the armed robbers. The sources said that as soon as the news of the robbery got to them at dawn yesterday, personnel from the Military Police joined some infantry men from Accra to cordon off the crime scene and search other areas for the vehicle.
The sources said the robbers, who numbered about 10, wore masks and were armed with heavy offensive weapons and as the vehicle approached, they crossed the road, bringing the military vehicle to a stop, after which they attacked the soldiers in the vehicle, held them hostage and took the vehicle away.
None of the military personnel sustained any injury.
The source said investigations had been instituted into the circumstances of the robbery.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Prez revokes ban on Nunoo-Mensah, others(June 25, 2009)
Story; Michael Donkor.
PRESIDENT John Evans Atta Mills yesterday revoked the ban imposed on certain retired service commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) which barred them from visiting military installations and facilities throughout the country.
He also announced an increment in the allowance of Ghanaian peacekeepers from $27 to $30 a day.
According to him, the ban smacked of high handedness and vindictiveness, which he emphasised would not be tolerated during his term of office.
Indeed, some of the officers, such as General Arnold Quainoo and Brigadier-General Nunoo-Mensah, who were affected by the ban were present at a durbar of the GAF at Burma Camp where the President made the announcement.
It would be recalled that the government of former President Kufuor issued the ban on Generals Quainoo, Nunoo-Mensah, the late Rear-Admiral Kwadwo Owusu-Ansah and others from visiting any military installation or facility in the country.
President Mills said it was preposterous for the former regime to ban persons of such integrity who had devoted their entire lives to safeguard the country’s territorial integrity from visiting their friends and relations at the various barracks dotted across the country.
Again, the President said, it was also inhumane to restrain such high-ranking retired officers who posed no threat to the country’s security from seeking medical attention from the military hospitals.
He said the retired service commanders of the various sectors of the GAF had paid their dues to the building of the nation and should be treated with respect and not humiliation and contempt.
President Mills donated six buses to the GAF to be used to support the training of personnel in the service.
The buses will be distributed to the Ghana Military Academy, the Ghana Army, the Air Force, the Navy Recruit Training School, as well as the Army Combat and Armed Forces Training School.
PRESIDENT John Evans Atta Mills yesterday revoked the ban imposed on certain retired service commanders of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) which barred them from visiting military installations and facilities throughout the country.
He also announced an increment in the allowance of Ghanaian peacekeepers from $27 to $30 a day.
According to him, the ban smacked of high handedness and vindictiveness, which he emphasised would not be tolerated during his term of office.
Indeed, some of the officers, such as General Arnold Quainoo and Brigadier-General Nunoo-Mensah, who were affected by the ban were present at a durbar of the GAF at Burma Camp where the President made the announcement.
It would be recalled that the government of former President Kufuor issued the ban on Generals Quainoo, Nunoo-Mensah, the late Rear-Admiral Kwadwo Owusu-Ansah and others from visiting any military installation or facility in the country.
President Mills said it was preposterous for the former regime to ban persons of such integrity who had devoted their entire lives to safeguard the country’s territorial integrity from visiting their friends and relations at the various barracks dotted across the country.
Again, the President said, it was also inhumane to restrain such high-ranking retired officers who posed no threat to the country’s security from seeking medical attention from the military hospitals.
He said the retired service commanders of the various sectors of the GAF had paid their dues to the building of the nation and should be treated with respect and not humiliation and contempt.
President Mills donated six buses to the GAF to be used to support the training of personnel in the service.
The buses will be distributed to the Ghana Military Academy, the Ghana Army, the Air Force, the Navy Recruit Training School, as well as the Army Combat and Armed Forces Training School.
Gov't won't interfere with Force's professional integrity, Prez Assures (Front Page) June 25 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
THE President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, yesterday paid his first official visit to the headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) at Burma Camp and assured the soldiers that the government would not undertake any covert or overt actions that would tamper with their professional integrity.
He noted that considerable political interference and tempering with the GAF’s activities in the past created factions and deep-seated animosity between the officers and the other ranks which, in the long run, compromised professional integrity and threatened the country’s democracy.
Addressing a durbar of the GAF held in his honour, President Mills explained that the government would always accord officers, men and women of the respective security agencies in the country respect and dignity and not arrogance and contempt.
The durbar also attracted retired service commanders, including General Arnold Quainoo, General Joshua Hamidu and General Erskine.
“I have never doubted the professional integrity of the GAF and I will strive within the constraints of the national economy to enhance their pedigree,” he said.
According to him, the government had initiated a number of measures intended to provide logistical support and basic social and economic facilities for the various units of the GAF.
Those, President Mills explained, included potable water, accommodation, rehabilitation of clinics at the various barracks and improvement in their wages and salaries.
“The government has to implement far-reaching policies to boost the morale of personnel of the GAF and we have taken measures in that direction,” he said.
He said it was important for the government to equip personnel of the GAF to discharge their obligations and responsibilities of safeguarding the country against aggression and upholding and protecting the Fourth Republican Constitution.
President Mills paid glowing tribute to the GAF for the impartial role they played during the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections.
He said their steadfastness went a long way to prevent the polls from degenerating into confusion and plunging the country into conflict.
“We are proud of our Armed Forces. You remain the life insurance of our nation,” the President emphasised.
He reminded the gathering that the oil find in the country would bring in its wake a lot of challenges and the GAF would be prevailed upon to play a monitoring role to avoid plunder and abuse of the resource.
In his opening remarks, the Minister of Defence, General Henry Smith (retd), said the GAF had a unique role to play in the country’s social and economic development.
“ It is the resolve of the GAF to pursue this agenda with all the urgency and professionalism at their disposal,” the minister said.
He said in view of the enormous challenges facing the GAF in the present century, especially with the oil find and the need to protect the country’s marine resources, the institution was embarking on a major review to redirect its scope of activities.
That, General Smith pointed out, included restructuring in order to deal holistically with the complex defence and security issues that existed today.
THE President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, yesterday paid his first official visit to the headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) at Burma Camp and assured the soldiers that the government would not undertake any covert or overt actions that would tamper with their professional integrity.
He noted that considerable political interference and tempering with the GAF’s activities in the past created factions and deep-seated animosity between the officers and the other ranks which, in the long run, compromised professional integrity and threatened the country’s democracy.
Addressing a durbar of the GAF held in his honour, President Mills explained that the government would always accord officers, men and women of the respective security agencies in the country respect and dignity and not arrogance and contempt.
The durbar also attracted retired service commanders, including General Arnold Quainoo, General Joshua Hamidu and General Erskine.
“I have never doubted the professional integrity of the GAF and I will strive within the constraints of the national economy to enhance their pedigree,” he said.
According to him, the government had initiated a number of measures intended to provide logistical support and basic social and economic facilities for the various units of the GAF.
Those, President Mills explained, included potable water, accommodation, rehabilitation of clinics at the various barracks and improvement in their wages and salaries.
“The government has to implement far-reaching policies to boost the morale of personnel of the GAF and we have taken measures in that direction,” he said.
He said it was important for the government to equip personnel of the GAF to discharge their obligations and responsibilities of safeguarding the country against aggression and upholding and protecting the Fourth Republican Constitution.
President Mills paid glowing tribute to the GAF for the impartial role they played during the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections.
He said their steadfastness went a long way to prevent the polls from degenerating into confusion and plunging the country into conflict.
“We are proud of our Armed Forces. You remain the life insurance of our nation,” the President emphasised.
He reminded the gathering that the oil find in the country would bring in its wake a lot of challenges and the GAF would be prevailed upon to play a monitoring role to avoid plunder and abuse of the resource.
In his opening remarks, the Minister of Defence, General Henry Smith (retd), said the GAF had a unique role to play in the country’s social and economic development.
“ It is the resolve of the GAF to pursue this agenda with all the urgency and professionalism at their disposal,” the minister said.
He said in view of the enormous challenges facing the GAF in the present century, especially with the oil find and the need to protect the country’s marine resources, the institution was embarking on a major review to redirect its scope of activities.
That, General Smith pointed out, included restructuring in order to deal holistically with the complex defence and security issues that existed today.
PURC committed to ensuring quality service’(June 25, 2009)
Story: Michael Donkor
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) says it will continue to ensure that utility providers offer quality services to the public.
In view of that, it will continue to intensify its monitoring role for the delivery of effective and quality services to the public, Mr Stephen Adu, the Executive Secretary of the commission, has disclosed.
Addressing a workshop organised by the PURC for stakeholders at Akosombo in the Eastern Region at the weekend, Mr Adu said although the utility providers were faced with some constraints and challenges, that did not constitute a ground for them to provide services below standard.
He gave the assurance that as part of its objectives, the commission would assist the utility providers to overcome their challenges and be able to deliver up to standard.
The Director of Legal Affairs of the PURC, Mr Emmanuel Sekor, said the commission would soon come up with guidelines to regulate the operations of water tankers.
He said that was to ensure that water tankers provided quality services for the public.
He explained that the guidelines would include monitoring and inspecting the water tankers before they delivered water to their prospective customers.
The Chief Manager in charge of Operations at the Ghana Water Company Limited, Mr E. K. Garbah, said the Accra Tema Metropolitan Area (ATMA) rural projects to supply water to Somanya, the Akwapim Ridge, Atimpoku, Frankadua, Dawhenya, Dawa, Kpone, Michel Camp and Dodowa would begin this year.
He said the projects were expected to be completed in the middle of 2011 at the a cost of $71 million.
An official of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Mr Abdul Noor Wahab, said the construction of the second transmission line between Kumasi and Obuasi would be completed in September this year.
He said the VRA would also construct its third bulk supply point for Accra at Agyirigano and it would be completed in 2011.
The Operations Manager of the Ghana Grid Company, Mr Mark Baah, gave the assurance that the company would continue to improve on its services of supplying power to the Electricity Company of Ghana for distribution.
A media consultant, Mr Berifi Apenteng, called on the media to endeavour to be accurate in their reportage, particularly what concerned utilities in the country.
He said utilities were the lifeline of the general public and any inaccurate or alarming reportage on them could create problems for the entire nation.
He said the role of the media was to educate, inform and entertain and added that those roles should not be undermined or underestimated by the people.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) says it will continue to ensure that utility providers offer quality services to the public.
In view of that, it will continue to intensify its monitoring role for the delivery of effective and quality services to the public, Mr Stephen Adu, the Executive Secretary of the commission, has disclosed.
Addressing a workshop organised by the PURC for stakeholders at Akosombo in the Eastern Region at the weekend, Mr Adu said although the utility providers were faced with some constraints and challenges, that did not constitute a ground for them to provide services below standard.
He gave the assurance that as part of its objectives, the commission would assist the utility providers to overcome their challenges and be able to deliver up to standard.
The Director of Legal Affairs of the PURC, Mr Emmanuel Sekor, said the commission would soon come up with guidelines to regulate the operations of water tankers.
He said that was to ensure that water tankers provided quality services for the public.
He explained that the guidelines would include monitoring and inspecting the water tankers before they delivered water to their prospective customers.
The Chief Manager in charge of Operations at the Ghana Water Company Limited, Mr E. K. Garbah, said the Accra Tema Metropolitan Area (ATMA) rural projects to supply water to Somanya, the Akwapim Ridge, Atimpoku, Frankadua, Dawhenya, Dawa, Kpone, Michel Camp and Dodowa would begin this year.
He said the projects were expected to be completed in the middle of 2011 at the a cost of $71 million.
An official of the Volta River Authority (VRA), Mr Abdul Noor Wahab, said the construction of the second transmission line between Kumasi and Obuasi would be completed in September this year.
He said the VRA would also construct its third bulk supply point for Accra at Agyirigano and it would be completed in 2011.
The Operations Manager of the Ghana Grid Company, Mr Mark Baah, gave the assurance that the company would continue to improve on its services of supplying power to the Electricity Company of Ghana for distribution.
A media consultant, Mr Berifi Apenteng, called on the media to endeavour to be accurate in their reportage, particularly what concerned utilities in the country.
He said utilities were the lifeline of the general public and any inaccurate or alarming reportage on them could create problems for the entire nation.
He said the role of the media was to educate, inform and entertain and added that those roles should not be undermined or underestimated by the people.
Gov't gives support to 50 assemblies(June 24, 2009) Centre Spread
Story: Michael Donkor
The government has allocated $31.9 million to be disbursed to 50 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) for the development of their respective areas.
The MMDAs were selected to benefit from the district development facility because they met the minimum conditions of a performance assessment which was conducted in 2006.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Joseph Yileh Chireh, announced this when he took his turn at the Meet-the-Press Series held in Accra yesterday.
Mr Chireh explained that the first tranche of the facility would be disbursed next month while the second would be in the last quarter of the year.
He said the assessment for 2007 had been compiled and distributed to MMDAs while the next assessment would be conducted in September this year and represent the assessment for 2008.
Mr Chireh hinted that the revised Environmental Health and Sanitation Policy would soon be approved by cabinet to pave the way for its implementation.
He said when approved, some of the key challenges such as capacity development, information, education and communication, legislation and regulation, sustainable financing and cost recovery would be addressed.
Mr Chireh said the government had identified deepening local-level democracy, accelerating decentralisation and local-level development and empowerment as three main areas to promote in order to achieve good governance at the local level.
He said the ministry would also introduce a concept to be known as “ Town Hall Meetings” which would aim at creating a platform for continuous interaction between the government and communities in the districts.
He explained that the concept was to enable municipal, metropolitan and district chief executives (MMDCEs) to hold periodic meetings with people in their communities to educate them on the government’s developmental programmes and policies, and also listen to their concerns.
He said it was also to enable people at the grass roots demand accountability from those at the helm of affairs in the districts.
Mr Chireh said a broad national stakeholders conference on decentralisation would soon be held to review the 20 years of decentralisation implementation and make proposals for the way forward.
The government has allocated $31.9 million to be disbursed to 50 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) for the development of their respective areas.
The MMDAs were selected to benefit from the district development facility because they met the minimum conditions of a performance assessment which was conducted in 2006.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Joseph Yileh Chireh, announced this when he took his turn at the Meet-the-Press Series held in Accra yesterday.
Mr Chireh explained that the first tranche of the facility would be disbursed next month while the second would be in the last quarter of the year.
He said the assessment for 2007 had been compiled and distributed to MMDAs while the next assessment would be conducted in September this year and represent the assessment for 2008.
Mr Chireh hinted that the revised Environmental Health and Sanitation Policy would soon be approved by cabinet to pave the way for its implementation.
He said when approved, some of the key challenges such as capacity development, information, education and communication, legislation and regulation, sustainable financing and cost recovery would be addressed.
Mr Chireh said the government had identified deepening local-level democracy, accelerating decentralisation and local-level development and empowerment as three main areas to promote in order to achieve good governance at the local level.
He said the ministry would also introduce a concept to be known as “ Town Hall Meetings” which would aim at creating a platform for continuous interaction between the government and communities in the districts.
He explained that the concept was to enable municipal, metropolitan and district chief executives (MMDCEs) to hold periodic meetings with people in their communities to educate them on the government’s developmental programmes and policies, and also listen to their concerns.
He said it was also to enable people at the grass roots demand accountability from those at the helm of affairs in the districts.
Mr Chireh said a broad national stakeholders conference on decentralisation would soon be held to review the 20 years of decentralisation implementation and make proposals for the way forward.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Board members should stick to their roles (Page 32) June 11, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
THE Minister of Transport, Mr Mike Hammah, has charged board chairmen of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to stick to their roles and not to take over the day-to-day running of the institutions.
He said the situation where board chairpersons and members virtually took over management and the day-to-day running of such institutions should be avoided.
Mr Hammah made the call when he inaugurated three reconstituted boards under the Ministry of Transport in Accra at the weekend.
They were the board of directors of the Airport Company Limited, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA).
He noted that the boards served as chaperons of management but cautioned that care should be taken so that as of a ship, the boards would stick to their roles as captains whiles the steering of the ship was left to the rest of the crew.
He said the realisation of the mission and vision of the ministry for the benefit of the people and the country could be possible only by a co-operative spirit.
Mr Hammah urged the GCAA board to ensure that the aviation sector was restored to the “FAA category one status”, seek title to all aviation lands and adopt strategies to effectively operationalise the hub concept, as well as ensure the implementation of the Kotoka International Airport phase III rehabilitation project.
For the Maritime sector, he urged the board of directors of GPHA to dredge the ports of Tema and Takoradi to cater for modern generation cargo vessels and review the port master plan.
Mr Hammah also urged the board to develop Boankra near Kumasi to serve as a distribution and consolidation centre for cargo for the northern part of the country and their landlocked neighbours.
He said it had come to his notice that a lot of misprocurement had taken place in some of these establishment and urged them to critically look at these issues and address them as quickly as possible.
He said a critical point worthy of note was that of the social democratic nature of the current administration.
He urged them to be guided by this in the formulation of their programmes, plans and policies, always bearing in mind that the government’s development plan was informed by the welfare of the people.
The acting Executive Chairman of the State Enterprises Commission, Mr Yao Klinogo, appealed to the board of directors to be guided by the Companies Code, 1963, act 179; Companies Act, Act 461, 1993 and Subvented Agencies Act, Act 706, 2006 in their operations.
He urged the board members to bring their individual expertise to bear on all their leadership and direction during their tenure.
The Board Chairman of GCAA, Wing Commander Andy Mensah, on behalf of his colleagues pledged their commitment and readiness to work assiduously to turn their various establishments around.
THE Minister of Transport, Mr Mike Hammah, has charged board chairmen of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) to stick to their roles and not to take over the day-to-day running of the institutions.
He said the situation where board chairpersons and members virtually took over management and the day-to-day running of such institutions should be avoided.
Mr Hammah made the call when he inaugurated three reconstituted boards under the Ministry of Transport in Accra at the weekend.
They were the board of directors of the Airport Company Limited, Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA).
He noted that the boards served as chaperons of management but cautioned that care should be taken so that as of a ship, the boards would stick to their roles as captains whiles the steering of the ship was left to the rest of the crew.
He said the realisation of the mission and vision of the ministry for the benefit of the people and the country could be possible only by a co-operative spirit.
Mr Hammah urged the GCAA board to ensure that the aviation sector was restored to the “FAA category one status”, seek title to all aviation lands and adopt strategies to effectively operationalise the hub concept, as well as ensure the implementation of the Kotoka International Airport phase III rehabilitation project.
For the Maritime sector, he urged the board of directors of GPHA to dredge the ports of Tema and Takoradi to cater for modern generation cargo vessels and review the port master plan.
Mr Hammah also urged the board to develop Boankra near Kumasi to serve as a distribution and consolidation centre for cargo for the northern part of the country and their landlocked neighbours.
He said it had come to his notice that a lot of misprocurement had taken place in some of these establishment and urged them to critically look at these issues and address them as quickly as possible.
He said a critical point worthy of note was that of the social democratic nature of the current administration.
He urged them to be guided by this in the formulation of their programmes, plans and policies, always bearing in mind that the government’s development plan was informed by the welfare of the people.
The acting Executive Chairman of the State Enterprises Commission, Mr Yao Klinogo, appealed to the board of directors to be guided by the Companies Code, 1963, act 179; Companies Act, Act 461, 1993 and Subvented Agencies Act, Act 706, 2006 in their operations.
He urged the board members to bring their individual expertise to bear on all their leadership and direction during their tenure.
The Board Chairman of GCAA, Wing Commander Andy Mensah, on behalf of his colleagues pledged their commitment and readiness to work assiduously to turn their various establishments around.
Develop framework for use of ICT-Health experts urged
Story: Michael Donkor
Vice-President John Dramani Mahama has called on health experts in Africa to develop a framework that will enhance the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to make health service accessible to the people, particularly those in the rural areas.
With the advent of mobile telephony, he said simple health messages could be devised and communicated to the people on daily basis.
He said Africa needed such a framework to review its policies and strategies for achieving its major health goals beyond the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Mr Mahama made the call at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Annual Ministerial Review Conference in Accra yesterday.
The two-day conference is being attended by members of the Economic Commission for Africa, African Ministers of Health, and representatives of United Nations (UN) bodies.
Mr Mahama, therefore, called on all the members of ECOSOC to consider the meeting as one that would define how they in Africa would deploy electronic health solution for the sake of their people.
He said there was the need for an African position on the way and manner ICT must be deployed on the continent.
The Vice-President charged them to avoid a situation where solutions were not based on African problems and challenges but rather on other systems which did not have identical challenges.
Mr Mahama said he had seen proposals that aimed at high-end telemedicine technology but which did not take into account the existing human and technical resource at both ends of the set-up, the cost involved, and whether they addressed their priorities.
He said most African countries had regrettably made slow processes in the application of electronic health solutions probably because investments in this area had been misdirected by hard talking technology-oriented vendors who did not understand their circumstances and yet claimed to hold the solutions to their problems.
The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Madam-Sherry Ayittey, stressed the need for ICT to be used to improve the healthcare needs of women and children.
She said such technology should also be cost-effective and affordable and urged the government to collaborate with ICT experts to explore the power of the technology for the benefit of all.
The Minister of Health, Dr George Yankey, appealed to health experts to make ehealth a necessary facilitator in healthcare delivery.
The President of ECOSOC, Madam Sylvie Lucas, said the objective of ehealth was to improve primary healthcare delivery.
She urged African governments to seek the opportunity of ICT to advance health care in their countries.
The Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Mr Thomas Stelzer, observed that ehealth could be used to address challenges such as lack of infrastructure, heavy disease burden and brain drain, in a comprehensive manner.
It could help scale health care appropriately to each economy and also enable a transformation from disease management to a focus on proactive wellness, he added.
Vice-President John Dramani Mahama has called on health experts in Africa to develop a framework that will enhance the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to make health service accessible to the people, particularly those in the rural areas.
With the advent of mobile telephony, he said simple health messages could be devised and communicated to the people on daily basis.
He said Africa needed such a framework to review its policies and strategies for achieving its major health goals beyond the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Mr Mahama made the call at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Annual Ministerial Review Conference in Accra yesterday.
The two-day conference is being attended by members of the Economic Commission for Africa, African Ministers of Health, and representatives of United Nations (UN) bodies.
Mr Mahama, therefore, called on all the members of ECOSOC to consider the meeting as one that would define how they in Africa would deploy electronic health solution for the sake of their people.
He said there was the need for an African position on the way and manner ICT must be deployed on the continent.
The Vice-President charged them to avoid a situation where solutions were not based on African problems and challenges but rather on other systems which did not have identical challenges.
Mr Mahama said he had seen proposals that aimed at high-end telemedicine technology but which did not take into account the existing human and technical resource at both ends of the set-up, the cost involved, and whether they addressed their priorities.
He said most African countries had regrettably made slow processes in the application of electronic health solutions probably because investments in this area had been misdirected by hard talking technology-oriented vendors who did not understand their circumstances and yet claimed to hold the solutions to their problems.
The Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Madam-Sherry Ayittey, stressed the need for ICT to be used to improve the healthcare needs of women and children.
She said such technology should also be cost-effective and affordable and urged the government to collaborate with ICT experts to explore the power of the technology for the benefit of all.
The Minister of Health, Dr George Yankey, appealed to health experts to make ehealth a necessary facilitator in healthcare delivery.
The President of ECOSOC, Madam Sylvie Lucas, said the objective of ehealth was to improve primary healthcare delivery.
She urged African governments to seek the opportunity of ICT to advance health care in their countries.
The Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Mr Thomas Stelzer, observed that ehealth could be used to address challenges such as lack of infrastructure, heavy disease burden and brain drain, in a comprehensive manner.
It could help scale health care appropriately to each economy and also enable a transformation from disease management to a focus on proactive wellness, he added.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Siege at BNI as Security officials quiz Kwadwo Mpiani(June 3, 2009) Front Page
Michael Donkor
WHAT began as an invitation of former Chief of Staff, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) yesterday turned into a political stand-off at the office of the BNI.
Scores of former New Patriotic Party (NPP) ministers and Members of Parliament, as well as hundreds of their supporters, thronged the BNI headquarters to express solidarity with the former Chief of Staff who was being questioned on what was described by the Information Ministry as “wide range of issues”.
By press time yesterday, the vigil was on with the defiant party faithful ignoring all pleas to vacate the scene.
The former ministers and the loyalists blocked the main road chanting and singing war songs and demanded the whereabouts of the former Chief of Staff.
As the interrogation went on, scores more of the party loyalists arrived in buses creating a scene at the entrance of the BNI.
At the Ministry of Information, a deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwah, obliged Graphic with some explanation indicating that the agitation of the former ministers and party loyalists was unnecessary and that the questioning of the former Chief of Staff was being carried in a friendly atmosphere.
He said what was being done was in line with the government’s policy to ensure that certain matters that bordered on national security were properly clarified.
According to him, Mr Mpiani was invited somewhere last week by the BNI to answer questions on a variety of issues.
He said he failed to honour the invitation but told the BNI that he would instead report on Monday but failed again.
He said the former Chief of Staff reported at about 11 a.m. in the company of 20 former ministers and his counsels, Mr Yoni Kulendi and Mr Egbert Faibille Junior, and were later joined by a female lawyer whose name was given as Ms Hamida Nuhu.
He said minutes after, the 20 former ministers left the former Chief of Staff in the company of his counsels
According to the deputy minister, Mr Mpiani rejected the food offered him by the BNI but accepted that which was brought later by the female lawyer, Ms Nuhu.
Asked why Mr Mpiani was being held by the BNI for that length of time, he said Mr “Mpiani was answering questions on wide range of issues and that there were intermittent breaks in the interrogation of the former Chief of Staff.
Other security sources, however, hinted that Mr Mpiani was being interrogated on his tenure as the Chief of Staff in the Kufuor administration and his role in the handling of Ghana@50 funds.
The Greater Accra Police Regional Commander, ACP Rose Atinga, later joined the security at the place and addressed the gathering and appealed for calm, assuring them of the security of Mr Mpiani.
However, her appeal for them to leave the security to do their work, made little impression.
WHAT began as an invitation of former Chief of Staff, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) yesterday turned into a political stand-off at the office of the BNI.
Scores of former New Patriotic Party (NPP) ministers and Members of Parliament, as well as hundreds of their supporters, thronged the BNI headquarters to express solidarity with the former Chief of Staff who was being questioned on what was described by the Information Ministry as “wide range of issues”.
By press time yesterday, the vigil was on with the defiant party faithful ignoring all pleas to vacate the scene.
The former ministers and the loyalists blocked the main road chanting and singing war songs and demanded the whereabouts of the former Chief of Staff.
As the interrogation went on, scores more of the party loyalists arrived in buses creating a scene at the entrance of the BNI.
At the Ministry of Information, a deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwah, obliged Graphic with some explanation indicating that the agitation of the former ministers and party loyalists was unnecessary and that the questioning of the former Chief of Staff was being carried in a friendly atmosphere.
He said what was being done was in line with the government’s policy to ensure that certain matters that bordered on national security were properly clarified.
According to him, Mr Mpiani was invited somewhere last week by the BNI to answer questions on a variety of issues.
He said he failed to honour the invitation but told the BNI that he would instead report on Monday but failed again.
He said the former Chief of Staff reported at about 11 a.m. in the company of 20 former ministers and his counsels, Mr Yoni Kulendi and Mr Egbert Faibille Junior, and were later joined by a female lawyer whose name was given as Ms Hamida Nuhu.
He said minutes after, the 20 former ministers left the former Chief of Staff in the company of his counsels
According to the deputy minister, Mr Mpiani rejected the food offered him by the BNI but accepted that which was brought later by the female lawyer, Ms Nuhu.
Asked why Mr Mpiani was being held by the BNI for that length of time, he said Mr “Mpiani was answering questions on wide range of issues and that there were intermittent breaks in the interrogation of the former Chief of Staff.
Other security sources, however, hinted that Mr Mpiani was being interrogated on his tenure as the Chief of Staff in the Kufuor administration and his role in the handling of Ghana@50 funds.
The Greater Accra Police Regional Commander, ACP Rose Atinga, later joined the security at the place and addressed the gathering and appealed for calm, assuring them of the security of Mr Mpiani.
However, her appeal for them to leave the security to do their work, made little impression.
Rawlings witnesses June 4 wreath-laying ceremony(June 5, 2009) Political Page
Story: Michael Donkor
FORMER President J.J. Rawlings yesterday joined scores of dignitaries at a wreath-laying ceremony held at the revolutionary square to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the June 4, 1979 uprising.
Other dignitaries who witnessed the event were the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, former Minister of State and leading member of the NDC, Mr Vallis Achianu, the former Chief Fire Officer, Lt Col. Tagoe (retd), the Secretary of the Greater Accra Market Women Association, Madam Mercy Needjan, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey.
The rest were Lt. Gen. Arnold Quainoo, former General Officer Commanding the Ghana Armed Forces, and Madam Roberta Hoppenba.
A number of cadres and some retired soldiers as well as functionaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were also present at the ceremony.
As early as 7 a.m., people from all walks of life started gathering at the revolutionary square, opposite the Flagstaff House, to witness the ceremony.
The grounds for the ceremony were also decorated with ribbons, while the national flag and four flags, bearing the colours of the June 4 were hoisted at the venue to give more meaning to the event. Wreaths were laid at the Revolutionary Square.
Mr Vallis Achianu, a leading member of the NDC, laid one of the wreaths on behalf of the security agencies, Lt Col. Tagoe (retd) laid one on behalf of the fallen heroes, the Secretary of the Greater Accra Market Women Association, Madam Mercy Needjan, laid one while the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Ashietey, laid the last one on behalf of the people of Ghana.
Lt Gen Quainoo and Madam Roberta Hoppenba jointly lighted the perpetual flame.
The cadres then embarked on a route march while the other members continued to Kasoa in the Central Region for a public lecture on the occasion.
Thirty years ago, former President Rawlings, then a junior officer of the Ghana Air Force, led a group of soldiers to overthrow the Supreme Military Council led by Lt General F.W.K. Akuffo.
The June 4 uprising ushered into the country’s history a revolution which lasted for 11 years.
FORMER President J.J. Rawlings yesterday joined scores of dignitaries at a wreath-laying ceremony held at the revolutionary square to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the June 4, 1979 uprising.
Other dignitaries who witnessed the event were the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya, former Minister of State and leading member of the NDC, Mr Vallis Achianu, the former Chief Fire Officer, Lt Col. Tagoe (retd), the Secretary of the Greater Accra Market Women Association, Madam Mercy Needjan, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Armah Ashietey.
The rest were Lt. Gen. Arnold Quainoo, former General Officer Commanding the Ghana Armed Forces, and Madam Roberta Hoppenba.
A number of cadres and some retired soldiers as well as functionaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were also present at the ceremony.
As early as 7 a.m., people from all walks of life started gathering at the revolutionary square, opposite the Flagstaff House, to witness the ceremony.
The grounds for the ceremony were also decorated with ribbons, while the national flag and four flags, bearing the colours of the June 4 were hoisted at the venue to give more meaning to the event. Wreaths were laid at the Revolutionary Square.
Mr Vallis Achianu, a leading member of the NDC, laid one of the wreaths on behalf of the security agencies, Lt Col. Tagoe (retd) laid one on behalf of the fallen heroes, the Secretary of the Greater Accra Market Women Association, Madam Mercy Needjan, laid one while the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Nii Ashietey, laid the last one on behalf of the people of Ghana.
Lt Gen Quainoo and Madam Roberta Hoppenba jointly lighted the perpetual flame.
The cadres then embarked on a route march while the other members continued to Kasoa in the Central Region for a public lecture on the occasion.
Thirty years ago, former President Rawlings, then a junior officer of the Ghana Air Force, led a group of soldiers to overthrow the Supreme Military Council led by Lt General F.W.K. Akuffo.
The June 4 uprising ushered into the country’s history a revolution which lasted for 11 years.
Industrial Activities in CBD to be relocated(June 9, 2009) Centre Spread
Story:Michael Donkor
SOME commercial and industrial activities in part of the central business district (CBD) of Accra are to be relocated to Adjen Kotoku to facilitate the completion of work on the Korle Lagoon Ecological Restoration Project (KLERP).
Places to be affected include the Agbogbloshie Market, parts of the Timber Market and squatters around the KLERP.
The Chief Technical Adviser at the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Sam Baidoo, who disclosed this, explained that the exercise was to halt the dumping of waste into the upstream canals and the catchment areas of the Korle Lagoon.
He said the main work on the KLERP had been completed and would be handed over to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) in June next year after the redevelopment of 800 acres of the land at Adjen Kotoku for the resettlement exercise.
Previously a clean stretch of water that flowed into the Atlantic, the Korle Lagoon was, at a point, described by environmentalists as one of the most polluted places on earth as the natural depression was converted into a cesspool for most of the city's industrial and human waste.
Owing to the pollution, no living thing, animal or plant, has been able to grow in it for years and its stench has enveloped adjoining suburbs whose inhabitants, because they have no sanitation facilities, have turned the lagoon into a giant latrine.
Speaking during a working visit to the project site by the sector Minister, Mr Albert Abongo, yesterday, Mr Baidoo said what the contractors were doing was just a maintenance of the lagoon.
He said a unit would be established by the ministry by June next year which would be placed under the AMA to maintain and manage the lagoon.
He said as part of the overall project master plan, the ministry, in collaboration with the Ministries of Tourism and Local Government, acquired about 800 acres of land at Adjen Kotoku, about 25 km from the CBD on the Accra-Nsawam road to develop a new commercial and industrial area to facilitate the relocation of commercial activities from Old Fadama.
He explained that the location was chosen for the project because of its proximity to both the Accra-Nsawam road and the railway line, as well as the availability and fairly level nature of land.
He said when completed, bulk food transported from the northern part of the country would be intercepted at Adjen Kotoku to help ease the traffic situation in the centre of the capital.
Briefing the minister, the Project Engineer, Mr Ewan Techblanche, said the redevelopment of Adjen Kotoku, which was the fourth stage of the project, was being tackled in earnest.
He said the main components of the fourth stage of the project were the construction of roads, the provision of potable water and the extension of electricity and underground sewerage infrastructure.
He said currently the construction of roads was near completion and the entire project was expected to be completed in June next year.
Mr Abongo commended the contractors for good work done so far and urged them to speed up work for the early completion of the entire project.
He gave the assurance that the government would assist in any to ensure that the project went on smoothly.
The project is being undertaken with funds from Kuwait, BADEA and the government.
The original objective, as captured in the terms of reference for consultancy services in 1994, was to address the main cause of extensive and widespread flooding which had affected the entire drainage network in Accra, resulting in serious perennial flooding for the past 20 years, leading to loss of lives and property.
SOME commercial and industrial activities in part of the central business district (CBD) of Accra are to be relocated to Adjen Kotoku to facilitate the completion of work on the Korle Lagoon Ecological Restoration Project (KLERP).
Places to be affected include the Agbogbloshie Market, parts of the Timber Market and squatters around the KLERP.
The Chief Technical Adviser at the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Sam Baidoo, who disclosed this, explained that the exercise was to halt the dumping of waste into the upstream canals and the catchment areas of the Korle Lagoon.
He said the main work on the KLERP had been completed and would be handed over to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) in June next year after the redevelopment of 800 acres of the land at Adjen Kotoku for the resettlement exercise.
Previously a clean stretch of water that flowed into the Atlantic, the Korle Lagoon was, at a point, described by environmentalists as one of the most polluted places on earth as the natural depression was converted into a cesspool for most of the city's industrial and human waste.
Owing to the pollution, no living thing, animal or plant, has been able to grow in it for years and its stench has enveloped adjoining suburbs whose inhabitants, because they have no sanitation facilities, have turned the lagoon into a giant latrine.
Speaking during a working visit to the project site by the sector Minister, Mr Albert Abongo, yesterday, Mr Baidoo said what the contractors were doing was just a maintenance of the lagoon.
He said a unit would be established by the ministry by June next year which would be placed under the AMA to maintain and manage the lagoon.
He said as part of the overall project master plan, the ministry, in collaboration with the Ministries of Tourism and Local Government, acquired about 800 acres of land at Adjen Kotoku, about 25 km from the CBD on the Accra-Nsawam road to develop a new commercial and industrial area to facilitate the relocation of commercial activities from Old Fadama.
He explained that the location was chosen for the project because of its proximity to both the Accra-Nsawam road and the railway line, as well as the availability and fairly level nature of land.
He said when completed, bulk food transported from the northern part of the country would be intercepted at Adjen Kotoku to help ease the traffic situation in the centre of the capital.
Briefing the minister, the Project Engineer, Mr Ewan Techblanche, said the redevelopment of Adjen Kotoku, which was the fourth stage of the project, was being tackled in earnest.
He said the main components of the fourth stage of the project were the construction of roads, the provision of potable water and the extension of electricity and underground sewerage infrastructure.
He said currently the construction of roads was near completion and the entire project was expected to be completed in June next year.
Mr Abongo commended the contractors for good work done so far and urged them to speed up work for the early completion of the entire project.
He gave the assurance that the government would assist in any to ensure that the project went on smoothly.
The project is being undertaken with funds from Kuwait, BADEA and the government.
The original objective, as captured in the terms of reference for consultancy services in 1994, was to address the main cause of extensive and widespread flooding which had affected the entire drainage network in Accra, resulting in serious perennial flooding for the past 20 years, leading to loss of lives and property.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Ghanaian Peacekeepers for Chad(Page 43) March 16, 2009
Story:Michael Donkor
THE Ghana Armed Forces will deploy its first battalion of peacekeepers to Chad next month to maintain peace and security there.
Consequently 70 personnel, made up of three officers and 67 other ranks, were expected in Chad last Saturday to prepare the grounds for the advance party to arrive.
The Commanding officer of the Ghanbatt, Lt. Col. Barima Brako Owusu, announced this last Wednesday when the Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. J.H. Smith, toured the Bundase Camp where the battalion is undergoing training exercises for the trip.
He said the deployment would form part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission (MUNICRAT) undertaking peace support operations in Chad.
Lt Col. Owusu said 800 soldiers made up of 43 officers and 757 other ranks would be deployed to Chad.
He said the advance party of 130 all ranks would be deployed on April 15 and would be followed by the rest of the troops.
Lt Col Owusu said among the duties that the soldiers would be tasked to undertake were patrols, escort of very important personalities, force protection and building of civil military relations.
He said prior to their preparations, a six man team visited Chad to recce the area of operation.
Lt Col. Brako said the reports brought by the team indicated that the general situation was calm but that of Eastern Chad tended to be precarious and unpredictable.
He said there were allegations of both Chadian and Sudanese governments sponsoring rebels in neighbouring countries.
Earlier during the tour, Lt Col. Owusu said the firing range and the grenade/small arms training grounds at Bundase were being elevated to the status of a modern hi-tech shooting range for the Ghana Armed Forces.
Lt. Gen. Smith assured the Ghanbatt that they would be provided with the necessary logistics for the team to perform well.
In another development, the German Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Marius Haas, called on the Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Smith, in his office at Burma Camp in Accra.
During the visit, the minister recalled the relations between the two countries which he said dated back to the 1960’s.
He said the past few years had however been fruitful, and called for the relations to be deepened.
The ambassador pledged the continuous support of Germany to Ghana.
He said German Development Co-operation was based on the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy, adding that the focal areas of assistance were in good governance, employment-oriented private sector development, food security and agriculture.
THE Ghana Armed Forces will deploy its first battalion of peacekeepers to Chad next month to maintain peace and security there.
Consequently 70 personnel, made up of three officers and 67 other ranks, were expected in Chad last Saturday to prepare the grounds for the advance party to arrive.
The Commanding officer of the Ghanbatt, Lt. Col. Barima Brako Owusu, announced this last Wednesday when the Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. J.H. Smith, toured the Bundase Camp where the battalion is undergoing training exercises for the trip.
He said the deployment would form part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission (MUNICRAT) undertaking peace support operations in Chad.
Lt Col. Owusu said 800 soldiers made up of 43 officers and 757 other ranks would be deployed to Chad.
He said the advance party of 130 all ranks would be deployed on April 15 and would be followed by the rest of the troops.
Lt Col Owusu said among the duties that the soldiers would be tasked to undertake were patrols, escort of very important personalities, force protection and building of civil military relations.
He said prior to their preparations, a six man team visited Chad to recce the area of operation.
Lt Col. Brako said the reports brought by the team indicated that the general situation was calm but that of Eastern Chad tended to be precarious and unpredictable.
He said there were allegations of both Chadian and Sudanese governments sponsoring rebels in neighbouring countries.
Earlier during the tour, Lt Col. Owusu said the firing range and the grenade/small arms training grounds at Bundase were being elevated to the status of a modern hi-tech shooting range for the Ghana Armed Forces.
Lt. Gen. Smith assured the Ghanbatt that they would be provided with the necessary logistics for the team to perform well.
In another development, the German Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Marius Haas, called on the Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Smith, in his office at Burma Camp in Accra.
During the visit, the minister recalled the relations between the two countries which he said dated back to the 1960’s.
He said the past few years had however been fruitful, and called for the relations to be deepened.
The ambassador pledged the continuous support of Germany to Ghana.
He said German Development Co-operation was based on the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy, adding that the focal areas of assistance were in good governance, employment-oriented private sector development, food security and agriculture.
GJA goes to the polls on July 9 (Page three) March 14, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
THE Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has fixed July 9, 2009 for the election of a new President and other executives for the association.
This has become necessary because the tenure of office of the current president of the association has come to an end.
Consequently, it has appointed an Election Committee, which will organise the election, and an Election Dispute Adjudication Committee, which will sit on appeals against the decisions of the Election Committee and adjudicate on post-election disputes, should there be any.
The committee is chaired by a member of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) Board, Mr Benedict Assorrow, while the members are Mrs Betty Apau-Oppong of GTV News and Mr Mawusi Afele of the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
The Election Dispute Adjudication Committee is made up of Mrs Jeanette Quarcoopome as Chairperson, Alhaji Razak El-Alawa, a veteran journalist and media consultant, and Mr M. Addoquaye, the Greater Accra Director of Elections of the Electoral Commission.
The President of the GJA, Mr Ransford Tetteh, announced this at an emergency general meeting of the association at the Ghana International Press Centre (GIPC) yesterday.
He said the meeting was organised in fulfilment of the constitutional requirement to hold an annual general meeting and elections in the first quarter of the year, which could not be done because of the national general election.
The framers of the GJA constitution, when they shifted the tenure of office of the executive from two to three years and ruled for elections to be held in the first quarter, obviously did not envisage that it would from time to time clash with national elections, he added.
He said last year was a tedious year for the media, saying that had even started a year earlier with the coverage of the primaries of the political parties, through the electioneering, the elections and the run-off.
Mr Tetteh said they were hampered by the fact that the GJA Secretariat and the GIPC had to play roles in the successful coverage of election programmes to promote peaceful and credible elections.
He said that was why the emergency meeting was called to enable the members, as the highest decision making body, to chose a date for the election.
The GJA President expressed the hope that there would be a smooth transition after the election and a hand over of power, which was being planned to coincide with the 14th GJA Awards ceremony scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2009.
He said the event would climax the 60th anniversary celebrations of the association.
He said the GJA was encouraged by the declaration of President John Evans Atta Mills in his State of the Nation Address to Parliament that his government was very committed to transparency and accountability and his commitment to work towards the enactment of the Freedom of Information Law.
He expressed the hope that President Mills, who, by his presidency, automatically becomes the GJA’S Chief Patron of Press Freedom, would help to ensure that the law was formulated to enhance the free flow of information and satisfy best practices in democracies as they pertained elsewhere in the world.
The General-Secretary of the GJA, Mr Bright Blewu, said the association, in collaboration with the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), would, in April 2009, launch the “Ghana Media Standard Improvement Project”.
The two-year project, which will be jointly managed by the MFWA and the GJA, is being funded by DANIDA.
He said the GJA, in collaboration with the National Media Commission and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), would organise a roundtable forum to evaluate the performance of the media in the coverage of the 2008 general election.
THE Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) has fixed July 9, 2009 for the election of a new President and other executives for the association.
This has become necessary because the tenure of office of the current president of the association has come to an end.
Consequently, it has appointed an Election Committee, which will organise the election, and an Election Dispute Adjudication Committee, which will sit on appeals against the decisions of the Election Committee and adjudicate on post-election disputes, should there be any.
The committee is chaired by a member of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) Board, Mr Benedict Assorrow, while the members are Mrs Betty Apau-Oppong of GTV News and Mr Mawusi Afele of the Ghana News Agency (GNA).
The Election Dispute Adjudication Committee is made up of Mrs Jeanette Quarcoopome as Chairperson, Alhaji Razak El-Alawa, a veteran journalist and media consultant, and Mr M. Addoquaye, the Greater Accra Director of Elections of the Electoral Commission.
The President of the GJA, Mr Ransford Tetteh, announced this at an emergency general meeting of the association at the Ghana International Press Centre (GIPC) yesterday.
He said the meeting was organised in fulfilment of the constitutional requirement to hold an annual general meeting and elections in the first quarter of the year, which could not be done because of the national general election.
The framers of the GJA constitution, when they shifted the tenure of office of the executive from two to three years and ruled for elections to be held in the first quarter, obviously did not envisage that it would from time to time clash with national elections, he added.
He said last year was a tedious year for the media, saying that had even started a year earlier with the coverage of the primaries of the political parties, through the electioneering, the elections and the run-off.
Mr Tetteh said they were hampered by the fact that the GJA Secretariat and the GIPC had to play roles in the successful coverage of election programmes to promote peaceful and credible elections.
He said that was why the emergency meeting was called to enable the members, as the highest decision making body, to chose a date for the election.
The GJA President expressed the hope that there would be a smooth transition after the election and a hand over of power, which was being planned to coincide with the 14th GJA Awards ceremony scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2009.
He said the event would climax the 60th anniversary celebrations of the association.
He said the GJA was encouraged by the declaration of President John Evans Atta Mills in his State of the Nation Address to Parliament that his government was very committed to transparency and accountability and his commitment to work towards the enactment of the Freedom of Information Law.
He expressed the hope that President Mills, who, by his presidency, automatically becomes the GJA’S Chief Patron of Press Freedom, would help to ensure that the law was formulated to enhance the free flow of information and satisfy best practices in democracies as they pertained elsewhere in the world.
The General-Secretary of the GJA, Mr Bright Blewu, said the association, in collaboration with the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), would, in April 2009, launch the “Ghana Media Standard Improvement Project”.
The two-year project, which will be jointly managed by the MFWA and the GJA, is being funded by DANIDA.
He said the GJA, in collaboration with the National Media Commission and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), would organise a roundtable forum to evaluate the performance of the media in the coverage of the 2008 general election.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Soldier in Fraud Case(Front Page) March 4, 2009
Story:Michael Donkor
THE military officer in charge of payments to the Ghana Battalion on peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Capt Daniel Nikyi, has been arrested in Morocco and brought down to Accra to answer charges of misappropriating $300,000 belonging to the peacekeepers.
Capt Nikyi, who had been sent on another mission in Morocco upon his return from Congo on United Nations observer duties, was repatriated to Ghana to face the charges immediately the issue was raised.
Military sources said upon his repatriation, Capt Nikyi was put under close arrest at the 37 Military Hospital Army Mess in Accra.
According to the source, Capt Nikyi had also been arraigned before a Court Martial empanelled by the Military High Command.
The source said he had gone on a spending spree and acquired a lot of properties with the stolen money.
The military authorities also moved to locate some of the assets bearing Capt Nikyi’s name which it believed were acquired with the money.
It gave the breakdown as a three-bedroom self-contained house on the Spintex Road estimated at $70,000; another at Kasoa, estimated at $35,000, and a store at Kasoa, estimated at $32,000.
Other properties are two Kia trucks valued at $20,000; a water tank which is mounted on a Kia truck, costing $1,000; a canopy for a Kia truck at $400; two sets of spinning equipment valued at $14,000; canopies for hiring, $8,000; mattresses for hiring, $7,000; a store at Mallam Atta Market in Accra, $10,000; a building materials store at Kasoa, $15,000; one plot of land at Kasoa, $5,000; a 42-inch plasma TV, $2,500; a home theatre, $1,000; three water pumping machines, $1,500; a generating set, $600; water hose for tanker, $400; poly tank, $300; two split airconditioners, $1,300; a set of furniture, $600, and commission to agent for search of building at Spintex, $3,500.
THE military officer in charge of payments to the Ghana Battalion on peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Capt Daniel Nikyi, has been arrested in Morocco and brought down to Accra to answer charges of misappropriating $300,000 belonging to the peacekeepers.
Capt Nikyi, who had been sent on another mission in Morocco upon his return from Congo on United Nations observer duties, was repatriated to Ghana to face the charges immediately the issue was raised.
Military sources said upon his repatriation, Capt Nikyi was put under close arrest at the 37 Military Hospital Army Mess in Accra.
According to the source, Capt Nikyi had also been arraigned before a Court Martial empanelled by the Military High Command.
The source said he had gone on a spending spree and acquired a lot of properties with the stolen money.
The military authorities also moved to locate some of the assets bearing Capt Nikyi’s name which it believed were acquired with the money.
It gave the breakdown as a three-bedroom self-contained house on the Spintex Road estimated at $70,000; another at Kasoa, estimated at $35,000, and a store at Kasoa, estimated at $32,000.
Other properties are two Kia trucks valued at $20,000; a water tank which is mounted on a Kia truck, costing $1,000; a canopy for a Kia truck at $400; two sets of spinning equipment valued at $14,000; canopies for hiring, $8,000; mattresses for hiring, $7,000; a store at Mallam Atta Market in Accra, $10,000; a building materials store at Kasoa, $15,000; one plot of land at Kasoa, $5,000; a 42-inch plasma TV, $2,500; a home theatre, $1,000; three water pumping machines, $1,500; a generating set, $600; water hose for tanker, $400; poly tank, $300; two split airconditioners, $1,300; a set of furniture, $600, and commission to agent for search of building at Spintex, $3,500.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Japan assists road construction, SMEs(February 2, 2009) page 21
Story: Michael Donkor
THE Japanese government has provided a grant of $12.2 million for the government to rehabilitate some trunk roads and support small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
The Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mr John E. Aggrey, and the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Keiichi Katakami, signed an agreement to that effect at a ceremony in Accra last Friday.
Mr Katakami said $1.2 million of the amount was to be used to rehabilitate the Anwiankwanta-Yamoransa road, as well as the Assin-Praso Bridge, while $11 million was to be used to support SMEs in the country.
He said the gesture was in line with the objective of the Japanese government to support Ghana in its developmental efforts.
He said the Japanese government also wanted to help improve infrastructure in West Africa, hence the grant for the rehabilitation of the Anwiankwanta-Yamoransa road and the Assin-Praso Bridge which served other landlocked countries.
Mr Aggrey thanked the government of Japan for the support and gave the assurance that the grant would be used for its intended purpose.
He said part of the $1.2 million would be used for detailed designs of the project, noting that it was expected that rehabilitation works could start as soon as the detailed designs had been completed in November 2009.
He said the $11 million grant, which was a sector-non-project grant aid for the support of SMEs, was, indeed, a great boost to the private sector.
Known as the ‘Japanese grant’ by the public, it was said to be one of the most popular of government’s on-lending financial facilities to the private sector, he said.
Mr Aggrey said the funds accruing from reimbursement from beneficiary firms were to be utilised to provide public goods and services in the country.
He said to that end, various ministries, departments and agencies, including the Electoral Commission of Ghana, the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Cocoa Board, had benefited from the funds over the years.
He said the signing of the agreements was a testimony of Japan’s commitment to assist Ghana to alleviate poverty and enhance the lives of its people.
THE Japanese government has provided a grant of $12.2 million for the government to rehabilitate some trunk roads and support small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in the country.
The Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Mr John E. Aggrey, and the Japanese Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Keiichi Katakami, signed an agreement to that effect at a ceremony in Accra last Friday.
Mr Katakami said $1.2 million of the amount was to be used to rehabilitate the Anwiankwanta-Yamoransa road, as well as the Assin-Praso Bridge, while $11 million was to be used to support SMEs in the country.
He said the gesture was in line with the objective of the Japanese government to support Ghana in its developmental efforts.
He said the Japanese government also wanted to help improve infrastructure in West Africa, hence the grant for the rehabilitation of the Anwiankwanta-Yamoransa road and the Assin-Praso Bridge which served other landlocked countries.
Mr Aggrey thanked the government of Japan for the support and gave the assurance that the grant would be used for its intended purpose.
He said part of the $1.2 million would be used for detailed designs of the project, noting that it was expected that rehabilitation works could start as soon as the detailed designs had been completed in November 2009.
He said the $11 million grant, which was a sector-non-project grant aid for the support of SMEs, was, indeed, a great boost to the private sector.
Known as the ‘Japanese grant’ by the public, it was said to be one of the most popular of government’s on-lending financial facilities to the private sector, he said.
Mr Aggrey said the funds accruing from reimbursement from beneficiary firms were to be utilised to provide public goods and services in the country.
He said to that end, various ministries, departments and agencies, including the Electoral Commission of Ghana, the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Cocoa Board, had benefited from the funds over the years.
He said the signing of the agreements was a testimony of Japan’s commitment to assist Ghana to alleviate poverty and enhance the lives of its people.
Surveyors mark 40th Anniversary
Story: Michael Donkor
Surveyors in the country have urged the government to let the advice of professionals be its guide in removing the chaos that has characterised development in the cities.
Stating the case for surveyors at a banquet in Accra, the President of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors, Mr Kwadwo Osei-Asante, said the role of professionals was key to the re-structuring of cities in the country.
He said the instructions and advice by surveyors, engineers, architects and planners were often ignored with impunity, noting that hardly did clients, including the government, pay for services rendered, resulting in the rot that the cities were in today.
Mr Osei-Asante made the call at the 40th anniversary and induction into office of new executive members of the institution in Accra on Saturday night.
He expressed regret that only a handful of professionals were of relevance in the country today and identified them as politicians, journalists, lawyers or judges, doctors and pastors.
He identified another emerging group which he said was coming out of the politicians and journalists called "social commentators", adding, “Ironically, most of them are uninformed.”
He said many professionals were currently not allowed to work in accordance with their professional abilities and judgement but to political whims, caprices and expediency.
Mr Osei-Asante said Ghana was one of the few countries in the world that carried both its dry and liquid cargo, including gas, by road.
He said the Ghana Institution of Surveyors had the technical skills to assist should the policy of rail transport come up for implementation.
He said some of them had observed the recent transition with extreme depredation, noting that the predominant and contentious issues were purely assets and properties and added that the country had men who would professionally manage those resources which would make the call for the rather expensive extension of the constitutional transition period unnecessary.
In a solidarity message, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, said pragmatic policies would be put in place to propel the country to the anticipated middle-income status.
He said achieving that objective would require massive infrastructural improvement, efficient land administration in terms of ownership and titling, agricultural development, a fair justice system and efficient urban management.
Alhaji Dauda said the practice of surveying was unique and demanding and called for the exhibition of high professional standards.
Consequently, he said, no opportunity should exist for non-professionals to carry out surveying practice, as such people were incompetent to do so.
He, therefore, challenged the surveyors to ensure that the activities of non-professionals were weeded out.
He said those non-professionals were creating a negative image for surveyors and that should not be allowed to continue.
The occasion was used to launch a jacket for the surveyors that would distinguish them from the non-professionals.
Surveyors in the country have urged the government to let the advice of professionals be its guide in removing the chaos that has characterised development in the cities.
Stating the case for surveyors at a banquet in Accra, the President of the Ghana Institution of Surveyors, Mr Kwadwo Osei-Asante, said the role of professionals was key to the re-structuring of cities in the country.
He said the instructions and advice by surveyors, engineers, architects and planners were often ignored with impunity, noting that hardly did clients, including the government, pay for services rendered, resulting in the rot that the cities were in today.
Mr Osei-Asante made the call at the 40th anniversary and induction into office of new executive members of the institution in Accra on Saturday night.
He expressed regret that only a handful of professionals were of relevance in the country today and identified them as politicians, journalists, lawyers or judges, doctors and pastors.
He identified another emerging group which he said was coming out of the politicians and journalists called "social commentators", adding, “Ironically, most of them are uninformed.”
He said many professionals were currently not allowed to work in accordance with their professional abilities and judgement but to political whims, caprices and expediency.
Mr Osei-Asante said Ghana was one of the few countries in the world that carried both its dry and liquid cargo, including gas, by road.
He said the Ghana Institution of Surveyors had the technical skills to assist should the policy of rail transport come up for implementation.
He said some of them had observed the recent transition with extreme depredation, noting that the predominant and contentious issues were purely assets and properties and added that the country had men who would professionally manage those resources which would make the call for the rather expensive extension of the constitutional transition period unnecessary.
In a solidarity message, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Alhaji Collins Dauda, said pragmatic policies would be put in place to propel the country to the anticipated middle-income status.
He said achieving that objective would require massive infrastructural improvement, efficient land administration in terms of ownership and titling, agricultural development, a fair justice system and efficient urban management.
Alhaji Dauda said the practice of surveying was unique and demanding and called for the exhibition of high professional standards.
Consequently, he said, no opportunity should exist for non-professionals to carry out surveying practice, as such people were incompetent to do so.
He, therefore, challenged the surveyors to ensure that the activities of non-professionals were weeded out.
He said those non-professionals were creating a negative image for surveyors and that should not be allowed to continue.
The occasion was used to launch a jacket for the surveyors that would distinguish them from the non-professionals.
Brig-Gen Winful cant constitute Board of Inquiry - Effah-Dartey(Feb 2, 2009) Page 55
Story: Michael Donkor
CAPTAIN Nkrabea Effah-Dartey (retd), the lead counsel for Col Kwadwo Damoah, the former Director of Manpower and Personnel Administration of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), has objected to the convening authority of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) set up to investigate the alleged malfeasance characterising the recruitment of the first batch of 420 would-be soldiers in March 2008.
Capt Effah-Dartey, who led Col Damoah, one of the witnesses in the case, in evidence, raised the objection at the sitting of the board at the weekend.
He made references to the Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105), the Armed Forces Regulations (Administration) Volume One, the 1992 Constitution, as well as the Evidence Decree, 1975, (NRCD 323) and said it was only the President, the Chief of the Defence Staff and the formation commander who had the authority to convene a BOI.
He, therefore, objected to the authority of Brig-Gen Robert Winful to convene a BOI in the GAF.
That, consequently, forced the board to suspend sitting.
Capt Effah-Dartey said Section 10 of the Armed Forces Act provided that "The President or any person authorised in that behalf by him or any prescribed person may, where he or such person thinks it expedient that information on any matter connected with the government, discipline, administration or functions of the Armed Forces or affecting any officer or men of the said forces is necessary, convene a Board of Inquiry for investigating and reporting on such matter. That Board of Inquiry shall be constituted, and its procedure shall be governed, in accordance with regulations made under this act."
He said Chapter 21 of the Armed Forces Regulations (Volume One) covered summary investigations and BOIs .
Capt Effah-Dartey said Article 21.07(2) of the Armed Forces Regulations stipulated persons or authorities that could convene a BOI in the GAF as follows: The President, the Chief of the Defence Staff, an officer commanding a command, an officer commanding a formation, a commanding officer.
He said Chapter One of the Armed Forces Regulations which covered introduction and interpretation defines a formation under Article 1.02 as follows, "Formation means a number of stations or units, including a headquarters, grouped under a single commander."
Capt Effah-Dartey said clearly Brig-Gen Winful was purporting to be a Formation Commander, since he is not the President, the Chief of the Defence Staff, an officer commanding a command nor a commanding officer.
He submitted that on the totality of the provisions of Section 10 of the Armed Forces Act and articles 21.07 and 1.02 of the Armed Forces Regulations, Brig-Gen Winful did not qualify to convene a BOI in the GAF unless there were other legislation, regulations, orders and rules that he might wish to see to advise himself appropriately.
He expressed the hope that his humble action would be seen as one of his duties as a lawyer to see to the development of the law for the establishment of a just and free society required of a democracy and not an attempt to delay an inquiry.
CAPTAIN Nkrabea Effah-Dartey (retd), the lead counsel for Col Kwadwo Damoah, the former Director of Manpower and Personnel Administration of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), has objected to the convening authority of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) set up to investigate the alleged malfeasance characterising the recruitment of the first batch of 420 would-be soldiers in March 2008.
Capt Effah-Dartey, who led Col Damoah, one of the witnesses in the case, in evidence, raised the objection at the sitting of the board at the weekend.
He made references to the Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105), the Armed Forces Regulations (Administration) Volume One, the 1992 Constitution, as well as the Evidence Decree, 1975, (NRCD 323) and said it was only the President, the Chief of the Defence Staff and the formation commander who had the authority to convene a BOI.
He, therefore, objected to the authority of Brig-Gen Robert Winful to convene a BOI in the GAF.
That, consequently, forced the board to suspend sitting.
Capt Effah-Dartey said Section 10 of the Armed Forces Act provided that "The President or any person authorised in that behalf by him or any prescribed person may, where he or such person thinks it expedient that information on any matter connected with the government, discipline, administration or functions of the Armed Forces or affecting any officer or men of the said forces is necessary, convene a Board of Inquiry for investigating and reporting on such matter. That Board of Inquiry shall be constituted, and its procedure shall be governed, in accordance with regulations made under this act."
He said Chapter 21 of the Armed Forces Regulations (Volume One) covered summary investigations and BOIs .
Capt Effah-Dartey said Article 21.07(2) of the Armed Forces Regulations stipulated persons or authorities that could convene a BOI in the GAF as follows: The President, the Chief of the Defence Staff, an officer commanding a command, an officer commanding a formation, a commanding officer.
He said Chapter One of the Armed Forces Regulations which covered introduction and interpretation defines a formation under Article 1.02 as follows, "Formation means a number of stations or units, including a headquarters, grouped under a single commander."
Capt Effah-Dartey said clearly Brig-Gen Winful was purporting to be a Formation Commander, since he is not the President, the Chief of the Defence Staff, an officer commanding a command nor a commanding officer.
He submitted that on the totality of the provisions of Section 10 of the Armed Forces Act and articles 21.07 and 1.02 of the Armed Forces Regulations, Brig-Gen Winful did not qualify to convene a BOI in the GAF unless there were other legislation, regulations, orders and rules that he might wish to see to advise himself appropriately.
He expressed the hope that his humble action would be seen as one of his duties as a lawyer to see to the development of the law for the establishment of a just and free society required of a democracy and not an attempt to delay an inquiry.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Military High command prososes special unit for oil fields (page 28) February 28, 2009
Story:Michael Donkor
THE Military High Command has proposed the establishment of a special unit for soldiers who will be well equipped and permanently positioned to protect the country’s oil fields.
It has also presented to the government its proposals to acquire new ships for the Navy and increase the fleet of aircraft for the Airforce ; a long term measure to address the country’s security needs.
The proposals are contained in a report prepared by the Ghana Armed Forces and presented to the government through the Minister of Defence.
The high command identified some security threats to the country as the drug menace, the traffic in arms, smuggling, pair trawling and pilferage of the country’s natural resources and outlined the means to address them.
The Director-General in-charge of Joint Operations of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Brig-Gen. Richard Debrah told the Daily Graphic that the document was to provide a comprehensive guide for the new government to ensure maximum security for the country, particularly in its territorial waters and oil fields.
He talked about medium, short and long term measures to protect the country's natural resources and maintain internal and external security.
Brig-Gen Debrah noted that the country's approach to the challenges faced by the country’s fishermen against foreign vessels on the country’s seas and also in its oil discovery was not the best.
He mentioned the medium term plan as rehabilitating the ships of the Navy to continue to patrol the coastal line of the country and proposed for the Battalion to be supported with vehicles to enhance their mobility in the oil producing areas.
For a long term plan he proposed that new ships be acquired for the Navy while the fleet of aircraft was increased for the Airforce.
On pair trawling, which he said posed a serious threat to the country’s fishing industry, Brig-Gen. Debrah said not much had changed since news about the state of logistics of the Navy was put in the public domain last year.
He said the United States of America came to their aid with four speed boats to be used in the interim to patrol the seas and were yet to brief the new Defence Minister, Lt Gen Smith on that and the urgent need for adequate logistics to be provided for the Navy to address the situation.
Brig-Gen. Debrah said the patrol exercise embarked upon by the Military at the country's borders were still going on.
He explained that they undertook the exercise in collaboration with other sister security agencies.
Brig-Gen Debrah said for instance that "operation hunter" which was being conducted by the two battalions along the Western borders of the country was to check the smuggling of cocoa while three Battalions was also in-charge of patrols in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He said the way the country's borders were created ,created some problems but quickly said that had been taken care of by the security agencies.
Brig-Gen Debrah said most of the borders were only lines that had been drawn through the houses of people and could not be barricaded because of the international implications it would generate.
He said the only way to make these borders secure was to frequently have foot soldiers and other security agencies patrol there.
Brig-Gen Debrah explained that what they were doing at the moment was to concentrate on full -proof borders and depended on tips to clamp down on criminal activities associated with cross border trades.
He explained that policing borders were the duties of the immigration but they only came in to support them whenever the situation was getting out of hand.
THE Military High Command has proposed the establishment of a special unit for soldiers who will be well equipped and permanently positioned to protect the country’s oil fields.
It has also presented to the government its proposals to acquire new ships for the Navy and increase the fleet of aircraft for the Airforce ; a long term measure to address the country’s security needs.
The proposals are contained in a report prepared by the Ghana Armed Forces and presented to the government through the Minister of Defence.
The high command identified some security threats to the country as the drug menace, the traffic in arms, smuggling, pair trawling and pilferage of the country’s natural resources and outlined the means to address them.
The Director-General in-charge of Joint Operations of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Brig-Gen. Richard Debrah told the Daily Graphic that the document was to provide a comprehensive guide for the new government to ensure maximum security for the country, particularly in its territorial waters and oil fields.
He talked about medium, short and long term measures to protect the country's natural resources and maintain internal and external security.
Brig-Gen Debrah noted that the country's approach to the challenges faced by the country’s fishermen against foreign vessels on the country’s seas and also in its oil discovery was not the best.
He mentioned the medium term plan as rehabilitating the ships of the Navy to continue to patrol the coastal line of the country and proposed for the Battalion to be supported with vehicles to enhance their mobility in the oil producing areas.
For a long term plan he proposed that new ships be acquired for the Navy while the fleet of aircraft was increased for the Airforce.
On pair trawling, which he said posed a serious threat to the country’s fishing industry, Brig-Gen. Debrah said not much had changed since news about the state of logistics of the Navy was put in the public domain last year.
He said the United States of America came to their aid with four speed boats to be used in the interim to patrol the seas and were yet to brief the new Defence Minister, Lt Gen Smith on that and the urgent need for adequate logistics to be provided for the Navy to address the situation.
Brig-Gen. Debrah said the patrol exercise embarked upon by the Military at the country's borders were still going on.
He explained that they undertook the exercise in collaboration with other sister security agencies.
Brig-Gen Debrah said for instance that "operation hunter" which was being conducted by the two battalions along the Western borders of the country was to check the smuggling of cocoa while three Battalions was also in-charge of patrols in the Brong Ahafo Region.
He said the way the country's borders were created ,created some problems but quickly said that had been taken care of by the security agencies.
Brig-Gen Debrah said most of the borders were only lines that had been drawn through the houses of people and could not be barricaded because of the international implications it would generate.
He said the only way to make these borders secure was to frequently have foot soldiers and other security agencies patrol there.
Brig-Gen Debrah explained that what they were doing at the moment was to concentrate on full -proof borders and depended on tips to clamp down on criminal activities associated with cross border trades.
He explained that policing borders were the duties of the immigration but they only came in to support them whenever the situation was getting out of hand.
Moves to make NACOB independent(Page 12) February 28, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
THE government has intensified moves to restructure the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) to become an independent commission with the appropriate structures to enhance the execution of its mandate.
Among the moves are the amendment of Legislative Instrument 1507 of 1990 which established NACOB and the review of the conditions of service for its personnel to the standard befitting NACOB’s new status.
The Minister of the Interior, Mr Cletus Avoka, announced this at the launch of the 2008 International Narcotics Control Report in Accra last Thursday.
He said the move formed part of the government's efforts to fight the drug trade in the country.
He said it had been realised that the board under its current status was handicapped in carrying out its mandate to the fullest.
Mr Avoka said some portions of the Narcotics Control Sanctions and Prevention Law, PNDC Law 236 of 1990 were also being considered for amendment.
He said this was to ensure that drug dealers were hit from the angle where it hurts most, by confiscating the wealth they acquired from drug trafficking.
Mr Avoka said the decision was being informed by the difficulties currently being experienced when it came to the confiscation of property illegally acquired by convicted drug dealers.
He observed that the war on illicit drug trafficking had assumed a sophisticated dimension aided by technological advancement, adding that in view of that, drug law enforcement officers also needed to be properly equipped to enable them to counteract the clandestine activities of perpetrators of drug-related crimes.
Mr Avoka said the ministry would source funding for the procurement of user-friendly equipment and gadgets that could facilitate the detection of concealed narcotic drugs at the entry and exit points of the country.
He said as a ministry, they were more than committed to putting in place co-ordinated structures among the various law enforcement agencies to avoid the existing loopholes that were being exploited by drug dealers.
He said they were determined to eliminate all forms of antagonism among enforcement agencies to combat the hydra-headed drug menace.
A member of the International Narcotics Control Board, Dr Joseph B. Asare, said the report suggested that to ensure a more effective implementation of the international drug control conventions, the board invited governments to consider how best to ensure the efficient functioning of the 1961, 1971 and the 1988 conventions.
He said it also suggested that governments should make greater investments in prevention, especially with regard to youth and vulnerable groups, and to utilise the experiences and best practices tested in a variety of settings.
Dr Asare said the report also invited governments to study the discrepancies between international and domestic law with a view to fulfilling their obligations under the international drug control conventions and in that context, to consider their good faith in pursuing the aims of the conventions.
The Executive Secretary of NACOB, ACP Robert Ayalingo, said the board was procuring a software that would have all shipments coming from South America to the country put on it for monitoring.
He said adequately trained personnel would also be stationed at all the ports to conduct proper checks and scanning of all containers that arrive there.
ACP Ayalingo said the country would soon send some personnel of the Ghana Navy to be trained in Europe on how to monitor and properly search ships suspected to be carrying drugs.
He said Ghana recorded the highest number of arrests of traffickers in 2005, adding that the fight against illicit drug trafficking and abuse was an uphill task that needed concerted and multi-sectoral approach.
The United Nations Country Representative in Ghana, Mr Dauda Toure, called on the government to intensify its steps to address the issue of illicit drug trade in the country.
THE government has intensified moves to restructure the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) to become an independent commission with the appropriate structures to enhance the execution of its mandate.
Among the moves are the amendment of Legislative Instrument 1507 of 1990 which established NACOB and the review of the conditions of service for its personnel to the standard befitting NACOB’s new status.
The Minister of the Interior, Mr Cletus Avoka, announced this at the launch of the 2008 International Narcotics Control Report in Accra last Thursday.
He said the move formed part of the government's efforts to fight the drug trade in the country.
He said it had been realised that the board under its current status was handicapped in carrying out its mandate to the fullest.
Mr Avoka said some portions of the Narcotics Control Sanctions and Prevention Law, PNDC Law 236 of 1990 were also being considered for amendment.
He said this was to ensure that drug dealers were hit from the angle where it hurts most, by confiscating the wealth they acquired from drug trafficking.
Mr Avoka said the decision was being informed by the difficulties currently being experienced when it came to the confiscation of property illegally acquired by convicted drug dealers.
He observed that the war on illicit drug trafficking had assumed a sophisticated dimension aided by technological advancement, adding that in view of that, drug law enforcement officers also needed to be properly equipped to enable them to counteract the clandestine activities of perpetrators of drug-related crimes.
Mr Avoka said the ministry would source funding for the procurement of user-friendly equipment and gadgets that could facilitate the detection of concealed narcotic drugs at the entry and exit points of the country.
He said as a ministry, they were more than committed to putting in place co-ordinated structures among the various law enforcement agencies to avoid the existing loopholes that were being exploited by drug dealers.
He said they were determined to eliminate all forms of antagonism among enforcement agencies to combat the hydra-headed drug menace.
A member of the International Narcotics Control Board, Dr Joseph B. Asare, said the report suggested that to ensure a more effective implementation of the international drug control conventions, the board invited governments to consider how best to ensure the efficient functioning of the 1961, 1971 and the 1988 conventions.
He said it also suggested that governments should make greater investments in prevention, especially with regard to youth and vulnerable groups, and to utilise the experiences and best practices tested in a variety of settings.
Dr Asare said the report also invited governments to study the discrepancies between international and domestic law with a view to fulfilling their obligations under the international drug control conventions and in that context, to consider their good faith in pursuing the aims of the conventions.
The Executive Secretary of NACOB, ACP Robert Ayalingo, said the board was procuring a software that would have all shipments coming from South America to the country put on it for monitoring.
He said adequately trained personnel would also be stationed at all the ports to conduct proper checks and scanning of all containers that arrive there.
ACP Ayalingo said the country would soon send some personnel of the Ghana Navy to be trained in Europe on how to monitor and properly search ships suspected to be carrying drugs.
He said Ghana recorded the highest number of arrests of traffickers in 2005, adding that the fight against illicit drug trafficking and abuse was an uphill task that needed concerted and multi-sectoral approach.
The United Nations Country Representative in Ghana, Mr Dauda Toure, called on the government to intensify its steps to address the issue of illicit drug trade in the country.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Facilities at Nsawam Prisons’ female ward over-stretched(Regional News) February 26, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor, Nsawam
FACILITIES at the female ward of the Nsawam medium security prisons are overstretched, exposing the inmates to health hazards, an Assistant Director of Prisons in charge of the ward, Araba Magnusen, has disclosed.
She said for instance that there were not enough mattresses for the inmates.
She said as a result of this situation some of the inmates were being compelled to sleep on the floor.
Madam Magnusen disclosed this to the Daily Graphic during a presentation of 30 bags of rice by TV 3 to the Female Ward at Nsawam last Friday.
She has, therefore, appealed to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other philanthropists to go to their aid.
Madam Magnusen said currently there were 132 inmates made up of 96 convicts, 25 remand prisoners, six who were serving life sentence and two who were on trial, while three were condemned prisoners being kept at the ward for various offences.
She said the remand prisoners were made to sleep on the floor due to lack of mattresses.
Madam Magnusen said the President’s Special Initiative on Distance Learning at the ward had also suffered a setback, since there were only two computers for the inmates to use.
The country’s prisons authority, during the last quarter of 2008, called on the government to rehabilitate the prisons and equip them with facilities that would enable them to achieve their objective of rehabilitation and reformation of inmates.
Presenting the items, the Public Relations Manager of TV3, Madam Janet Carboo-Danquah, said the donation was in line with the company’s objective to support needy institutions like the prisons.
She gave the assurance that the company would continue to support them.
Madam Carboo-Danquah said TV3 had now been listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange.
She said by the end of this year, TV3’s transmission would cover the entire country.
FACILITIES at the female ward of the Nsawam medium security prisons are overstretched, exposing the inmates to health hazards, an Assistant Director of Prisons in charge of the ward, Araba Magnusen, has disclosed.
She said for instance that there were not enough mattresses for the inmates.
She said as a result of this situation some of the inmates were being compelled to sleep on the floor.
Madam Magnusen disclosed this to the Daily Graphic during a presentation of 30 bags of rice by TV 3 to the Female Ward at Nsawam last Friday.
She has, therefore, appealed to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other philanthropists to go to their aid.
Madam Magnusen said currently there were 132 inmates made up of 96 convicts, 25 remand prisoners, six who were serving life sentence and two who were on trial, while three were condemned prisoners being kept at the ward for various offences.
She said the remand prisoners were made to sleep on the floor due to lack of mattresses.
Madam Magnusen said the President’s Special Initiative on Distance Learning at the ward had also suffered a setback, since there were only two computers for the inmates to use.
The country’s prisons authority, during the last quarter of 2008, called on the government to rehabilitate the prisons and equip them with facilities that would enable them to achieve their objective of rehabilitation and reformation of inmates.
Presenting the items, the Public Relations Manager of TV3, Madam Janet Carboo-Danquah, said the donation was in line with the company’s objective to support needy institutions like the prisons.
She gave the assurance that the company would continue to support them.
Madam Carboo-Danquah said TV3 had now been listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange.
She said by the end of this year, TV3’s transmission would cover the entire country.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Military reconstitute investigative team(Page 3) February 16, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
THE Military High Command has reconstituted the Board of Inquiry (BOI) set up to investigate alleged irregularities that characterised the recruitment of 420 would-be soldiers in March 2008.
Consequently, the command has issued a new Convening Order signed by the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Brig-Gen R. Winful, with reference number GHQ/1002/13/COS.
The new order excludes Lt Col R.S. Nyaka, whose membership caused a stir at the first sitting of the board, forcing it to suspend proceedings.
That was after Capt Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd), lead counsel for Col Kojo Damoah, one of the witnesses in the case, had challenged the composition of the board and raised objection to the membership of Lt Col Nyaka during the sitting.
Col Damoah was the Director of Manpower and Personnel Administration (DMP) of the GAF but he was relieved of his position at the weekend and re-posted to the Army Headquarters without any portfolio.
The letter transferring Col Damoah was signed by the Military Secretary, Commodore T.S. Appiah, and issued to all the Service, Formation and Unit Commanders of the GAF.
No reason was assigned for his removal.
The letter named Col T.N. Ba-Taa-Banah as the new DMP of the GAF.
The recomposed BOI now has Col B. Musah as its President, while Col S. Odoi-Gyampo of the General Headquarters of the GAF; Lt Col J. Hagan of the Army Headquarters and Lt Col T. Ampofo-Gyekye, a Defence Intelligence Officer at the General Headquarters, as its members.
It has Lt Col R. Adwini of the General Headquarters of the GAF as its Secretary.
The order said the board might co-opt any other person(s) it might consider necessary for its work.
It said its terms of reference were to determine whether the proper procedures were followed in the selection of the potential recruits, whether the bids for the various services, corps and units were met and whether the requirement of regional balance as prescribed by existing policy was satisfied.
It said the board would also determine whether the list of 420 potential recruits selected for training had been infiltrated by unqualified persons and if so the extent of infiltration, as well as any other matters of relevance to the whole recruitment exercise.
The letter said the board should record its findings and opinions and make specific recommendations, while all evidence would be taken on oath and recorded.
The witnesses to appear before the board are Air Commodore C.E.K. Dovlo, the Director-General of Personnel Administration of the GAF; Col Damoah, Lt Col R.A. Gyane of the Army Headquarters; Lt Commander E.O. Nyarko and Dr P.G. Agbenohevi, both of the 37 Military Hospital, and Major J. Vander-Pallen of the Records Department at the General Headquarters of the GAF.
THE Military High Command has reconstituted the Board of Inquiry (BOI) set up to investigate alleged irregularities that characterised the recruitment of 420 would-be soldiers in March 2008.
Consequently, the command has issued a new Convening Order signed by the Chief of Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Brig-Gen R. Winful, with reference number GHQ/1002/13/COS.
The new order excludes Lt Col R.S. Nyaka, whose membership caused a stir at the first sitting of the board, forcing it to suspend proceedings.
That was after Capt Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd), lead counsel for Col Kojo Damoah, one of the witnesses in the case, had challenged the composition of the board and raised objection to the membership of Lt Col Nyaka during the sitting.
Col Damoah was the Director of Manpower and Personnel Administration (DMP) of the GAF but he was relieved of his position at the weekend and re-posted to the Army Headquarters without any portfolio.
The letter transferring Col Damoah was signed by the Military Secretary, Commodore T.S. Appiah, and issued to all the Service, Formation and Unit Commanders of the GAF.
No reason was assigned for his removal.
The letter named Col T.N. Ba-Taa-Banah as the new DMP of the GAF.
The recomposed BOI now has Col B. Musah as its President, while Col S. Odoi-Gyampo of the General Headquarters of the GAF; Lt Col J. Hagan of the Army Headquarters and Lt Col T. Ampofo-Gyekye, a Defence Intelligence Officer at the General Headquarters, as its members.
It has Lt Col R. Adwini of the General Headquarters of the GAF as its Secretary.
The order said the board might co-opt any other person(s) it might consider necessary for its work.
It said its terms of reference were to determine whether the proper procedures were followed in the selection of the potential recruits, whether the bids for the various services, corps and units were met and whether the requirement of regional balance as prescribed by existing policy was satisfied.
It said the board would also determine whether the list of 420 potential recruits selected for training had been infiltrated by unqualified persons and if so the extent of infiltration, as well as any other matters of relevance to the whole recruitment exercise.
The letter said the board should record its findings and opinions and make specific recommendations, while all evidence would be taken on oath and recorded.
The witnesses to appear before the board are Air Commodore C.E.K. Dovlo, the Director-General of Personnel Administration of the GAF; Col Damoah, Lt Col R.A. Gyane of the Army Headquarters; Lt Commander E.O. Nyarko and Dr P.G. Agbenohevi, both of the 37 Military Hospital, and Major J. Vander-Pallen of the Records Department at the General Headquarters of the GAF.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Illegal chain saw operators destroying forest resources(centre spread) February 9, 2009
Story:Michael Donkor
ACTIVITIES of illegal chain -saw operators are destroying the country’s forest at an alarming rate causing the government to lose millions of Ghana cedis.
The Forestry Commission (FC), has therefore appealed to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), to provide them with soldiers to check illegal lumbering.
A letter written and signed by the Head of Operations of the Forestry Commission, Mr A.A Boadu, to the Ghana Armed Forces, which was sighted by the Daily Graphic said “following the suspension of the National Task Force Team, which undertook an exercise code named; ‘Operation Halt”, to check illegal lumbering, the chain saw operators have had a field day and were plundering the country’s forests”.
Among the areas that illegal lumbering was being done included the natural high forest zones in the south-western and southern regions of the country.
The letter said these operators were normally armed to the teeth and carried out most of their activities in the night.
It also said their officers were helpless without the presence of the military.
It, therefore, appealed to the military to provide the Forestry Commission with security to effectively check illegal lumbering.
The military and officials of the Forestry Commission formed a task force somewhere last year, known as “Operation Halt”, to check illegal lumbering but the soldiers were called for other duties on December 24, 2008, during the general election which resulted in its collapse.
When the General Officer Commanding the Southern Command, Brig-Gen. Emmanuel Okyere, was contacted, he confirmed that the operation had been suspended because the personnel were needed to beef up security and peace during the December general elections.
Brig-Gen. Okyere said now that the elections were over and the Forestry Commission was requesting for the operation to be started, their request would be forwarded to the army headquarters for action.
He explained that the Forestry Commission was responsible for the cost of operations and that once they were prepared to start the operations the military would work that.
ACTIVITIES of illegal chain -saw operators are destroying the country’s forest at an alarming rate causing the government to lose millions of Ghana cedis.
The Forestry Commission (FC), has therefore appealed to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), to provide them with soldiers to check illegal lumbering.
A letter written and signed by the Head of Operations of the Forestry Commission, Mr A.A Boadu, to the Ghana Armed Forces, which was sighted by the Daily Graphic said “following the suspension of the National Task Force Team, which undertook an exercise code named; ‘Operation Halt”, to check illegal lumbering, the chain saw operators have had a field day and were plundering the country’s forests”.
Among the areas that illegal lumbering was being done included the natural high forest zones in the south-western and southern regions of the country.
The letter said these operators were normally armed to the teeth and carried out most of their activities in the night.
It also said their officers were helpless without the presence of the military.
It, therefore, appealed to the military to provide the Forestry Commission with security to effectively check illegal lumbering.
The military and officials of the Forestry Commission formed a task force somewhere last year, known as “Operation Halt”, to check illegal lumbering but the soldiers were called for other duties on December 24, 2008, during the general election which resulted in its collapse.
When the General Officer Commanding the Southern Command, Brig-Gen. Emmanuel Okyere, was contacted, he confirmed that the operation had been suspended because the personnel were needed to beef up security and peace during the December general elections.
Brig-Gen. Okyere said now that the elections were over and the Forestry Commission was requesting for the operation to be started, their request would be forwarded to the army headquarters for action.
He explained that the Forestry Commission was responsible for the cost of operations and that once they were prepared to start the operations the military would work that.
Capt Effah-Dartey challenges composition of board(Centre Spread) February 13, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
CAPTAIN Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd) has raised objections to the composition of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) set up to investigate the alleged malfeasance characterising the recruitment of the first batch of 420 would-be soldiers in March 2008.
Capt Effah-Dartey, who is the lead counsel for the Director of Manpower and Personnel Administration (DMP) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Col Kojo Damoah, one of the witnesses in the case, raised the objection at the first sitting of the board at Burma Camp in Accra yesterday.
Consequently, he tendered in a 17-point petition on behalf of his client to the Chief of Staff of the GAF, Brig-Gen R. Winful, who set up the BOI, through the president of the board and called for the board’s recomposition.
Sitting was, therefore, suspended for the petition to be carefully studied.
The objection centred on the membership of Lt Col R. S. Nyaka of the Army Headquarters on the grounds that he was a member of the subcommittee charged with the recruitment of Army sports personnel.
Col Damoah, in his submission to the board, said Lt Col Nyaka had demonstrated special interest in his (Damoah’s) appointment as DMP and shown malicious bias against him in advance before the convening of the board.
He said Lt Col Nyaka was a member of the subcommittee set up by the Director-General of Training at the General Headquarters to co-ordinate the recruitment of quality sportsmen and women for the GAF.
Col Damoah said by that position, Lt Col Nyaka became part of the recruitment process and had been deeply involved in the 2008 recruitment exercise.
He explained that it was the subcommittee on sports that had been charged with the responsibility of recruiting the best 30 sports persons for each of the three arms of the GAF, which comprised the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
He said Lt Col Nyaka was reported to have told Lt Col J. H. K. Buntuguh of the GAF some time in January, 2009 to stop forwarding the names of recommended sportsmen and women to the DMP for consideration in the selection of the 2008 first batch of potential recruits for training at the Armed Forces Recruits Training School (AFRTS).
He told the board that Lt Col Nyaka was alleged to have intimated to Lt Col Buntuguh that the training of the 2008 first batch of potential Army recruits would be suspended, as a BOI would be instituted against Col Damoah for recruitment malpractice to pave the way for his eventual removal from the appointment.
He said the fact that Lt Col Nyaka made those statements to Lt Col Buntuguh and predicted that there would be a BOI as a prelude to his (Col Damoah’s) removal to pave the way for his (Lt Col Nyaka’s) appointment as DMP made him an interested party in the case.
On the other related matters, Col Damoah stated that Paragraph 1 (B) of the convening order of the BOI contained very serious factual errors which would be of material relevance to some of the proceedings and findings of the board.
He said that paragraph contained an erroneous impression that the 2008 general recruitment exercise had been conducted in July 2008 when the general screening had actually been conducted in March 2008.
He said 2008 was the only year that the general recruitment exercise had not been conducted in July.
Col Damoah said additionally, paragraph one of the convening order indicated that 420 potential Army recruits were to commence training at the AFRTS, instead of the Army Recruits Training School (ARTS).
He added that the same paragraph stated that the training of the potential Army recruits was to commence on January 15, 2009 when in fact the letter was dated January 23, 2009, eight clear days after the purported training had commenced.
He said it was not for nothing that January 15, 2009 was featured in the Convening Order of the BOI and added that it held one of the keys to the conspiracy to use a BOI, whose outcome was already predetermined, to achieve political and ethnic objectives.
He said the date for the commencement of the training on the letters given to the potential Army recruits was January 31, 2009 and not January 15, 2009.
Col Damoah quoted Article 33(5) of the 1992 Constitution which provided that the rights, duties, declarations and guarantees relating to the fundamental human rights and freedoms specifically mentioned in Chapter Five shall not be regarded as excluding others not specifically mentioned which are considered inherent in a democracy and intended to secure the freedom and dignity of man.
He said consequently, the composition of a BOI could adversely affect the fundamental human rights of a witness or a person under investigation if, on the balance of probabilities, a reasonable mind could conclude that there was the likelihood of prejudice or bias against or in favour of a witness or a person under investigation.
CAPTAIN Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (retd) has raised objections to the composition of the Board of Inquiry (BOI) set up to investigate the alleged malfeasance characterising the recruitment of the first batch of 420 would-be soldiers in March 2008.
Capt Effah-Dartey, who is the lead counsel for the Director of Manpower and Personnel Administration (DMP) of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), Col Kojo Damoah, one of the witnesses in the case, raised the objection at the first sitting of the board at Burma Camp in Accra yesterday.
Consequently, he tendered in a 17-point petition on behalf of his client to the Chief of Staff of the GAF, Brig-Gen R. Winful, who set up the BOI, through the president of the board and called for the board’s recomposition.
Sitting was, therefore, suspended for the petition to be carefully studied.
The objection centred on the membership of Lt Col R. S. Nyaka of the Army Headquarters on the grounds that he was a member of the subcommittee charged with the recruitment of Army sports personnel.
Col Damoah, in his submission to the board, said Lt Col Nyaka had demonstrated special interest in his (Damoah’s) appointment as DMP and shown malicious bias against him in advance before the convening of the board.
He said Lt Col Nyaka was a member of the subcommittee set up by the Director-General of Training at the General Headquarters to co-ordinate the recruitment of quality sportsmen and women for the GAF.
Col Damoah said by that position, Lt Col Nyaka became part of the recruitment process and had been deeply involved in the 2008 recruitment exercise.
He explained that it was the subcommittee on sports that had been charged with the responsibility of recruiting the best 30 sports persons for each of the three arms of the GAF, which comprised the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
He said Lt Col Nyaka was reported to have told Lt Col J. H. K. Buntuguh of the GAF some time in January, 2009 to stop forwarding the names of recommended sportsmen and women to the DMP for consideration in the selection of the 2008 first batch of potential recruits for training at the Armed Forces Recruits Training School (AFRTS).
He told the board that Lt Col Nyaka was alleged to have intimated to Lt Col Buntuguh that the training of the 2008 first batch of potential Army recruits would be suspended, as a BOI would be instituted against Col Damoah for recruitment malpractice to pave the way for his eventual removal from the appointment.
He said the fact that Lt Col Nyaka made those statements to Lt Col Buntuguh and predicted that there would be a BOI as a prelude to his (Col Damoah’s) removal to pave the way for his (Lt Col Nyaka’s) appointment as DMP made him an interested party in the case.
On the other related matters, Col Damoah stated that Paragraph 1 (B) of the convening order of the BOI contained very serious factual errors which would be of material relevance to some of the proceedings and findings of the board.
He said that paragraph contained an erroneous impression that the 2008 general recruitment exercise had been conducted in July 2008 when the general screening had actually been conducted in March 2008.
He said 2008 was the only year that the general recruitment exercise had not been conducted in July.
Col Damoah said additionally, paragraph one of the convening order indicated that 420 potential Army recruits were to commence training at the AFRTS, instead of the Army Recruits Training School (ARTS).
He added that the same paragraph stated that the training of the potential Army recruits was to commence on January 15, 2009 when in fact the letter was dated January 23, 2009, eight clear days after the purported training had commenced.
He said it was not for nothing that January 15, 2009 was featured in the Convening Order of the BOI and added that it held one of the keys to the conspiracy to use a BOI, whose outcome was already predetermined, to achieve political and ethnic objectives.
He said the date for the commencement of the training on the letters given to the potential Army recruits was January 31, 2009 and not January 15, 2009.
Col Damoah quoted Article 33(5) of the 1992 Constitution which provided that the rights, duties, declarations and guarantees relating to the fundamental human rights and freedoms specifically mentioned in Chapter Five shall not be regarded as excluding others not specifically mentioned which are considered inherent in a democracy and intended to secure the freedom and dignity of man.
He said consequently, the composition of a BOI could adversely affect the fundamental human rights of a witness or a person under investigation if, on the balance of probabilities, a reasonable mind could conclude that there was the likelihood of prejudice or bias against or in favour of a witness or a person under investigation.
Freeze on Land Transfer(front page) February 12, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
THE process of transferring government lands which have been reallocated by the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing to private developers has been suspended with immediate effect.
Letters to that effect, signed on behalf of the Chief of Staff by the Chief Director at the Office of the President, Mr L. B. Tusoe, have been dispatched to the relevant agencies which deal with government lands.
The heads of the relevant agencies which have been served with copies of the letter include the Chief Registrar, Land Title Registry; the Executive Secretary, Land Valuation Board; the Director of Surveys, the Survey Department; the Director, the Geological Survey Department; the Executive Director, the Wildlife Division, and the Director of Mines.
The letter, with reference number SCR/A.26/38, said any violation of the directive would attract severe sanctions.
The Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Alhaji H. I. Baryeh, confirmed to the Daily Graphic that the commission had received a copy of the letter and explained that by the directive, issuance of allocations and execution of leases relating to specific government land holdings had been frozen.
He said some of the lands, which he said were strategic, were at Cantonments, Ridge and Roman Ridge, all in Accra.
He said the directive also applied to strategic government lands in all the regions.
The directive followed revelations at the sittings of the Government Transitional Team on the transfer of executive assets during which it was realised that some government lands, as well as houses, some of which were under construction, had been allocated to former ministers of state and other private individuals.
The letter to the relevant state agencies indicated that the transfer of public lands to private individuals defeated the purpose for which those properties were acquired in the first place.
It said on the part of the lands, they were government lands which were not meant to be shared among ministers of state and other individuals.
It said all the allocations would be reviewed after a new board for the Lands Commission had been put in place.
Other government sources explained that currently there was no Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing to re-examine and review the allocation of such lands.
It said most of those lands, particularly those in Accra, had generated a lot of controversy, with the original owners calling for the lands to be returned to them.
THE process of transferring government lands which have been reallocated by the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing to private developers has been suspended with immediate effect.
Letters to that effect, signed on behalf of the Chief of Staff by the Chief Director at the Office of the President, Mr L. B. Tusoe, have been dispatched to the relevant agencies which deal with government lands.
The heads of the relevant agencies which have been served with copies of the letter include the Chief Registrar, Land Title Registry; the Executive Secretary, Land Valuation Board; the Director of Surveys, the Survey Department; the Director, the Geological Survey Department; the Executive Director, the Wildlife Division, and the Director of Mines.
The letter, with reference number SCR/A.26/38, said any violation of the directive would attract severe sanctions.
The Executive Secretary of the Lands Commission, Alhaji H. I. Baryeh, confirmed to the Daily Graphic that the commission had received a copy of the letter and explained that by the directive, issuance of allocations and execution of leases relating to specific government land holdings had been frozen.
He said some of the lands, which he said were strategic, were at Cantonments, Ridge and Roman Ridge, all in Accra.
He said the directive also applied to strategic government lands in all the regions.
The directive followed revelations at the sittings of the Government Transitional Team on the transfer of executive assets during which it was realised that some government lands, as well as houses, some of which were under construction, had been allocated to former ministers of state and other private individuals.
The letter to the relevant state agencies indicated that the transfer of public lands to private individuals defeated the purpose for which those properties were acquired in the first place.
It said on the part of the lands, they were government lands which were not meant to be shared among ministers of state and other individuals.
It said all the allocations would be reviewed after a new board for the Lands Commission had been put in place.
Other government sources explained that currently there was no Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing to re-examine and review the allocation of such lands.
It said most of those lands, particularly those in Accra, had generated a lot of controversy, with the original owners calling for the lands to be returned to them.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Network to harmonise election standards(Political page 14) January 31, 2009
Story:Michael Donkor
A REGIONAL network of electoral commissions has been established in the West Africa sub region to harmonise election standards among ECOWAS countries.
Known as ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions, it is made up of heads of institutions responsible for managing elections in ECOWAS member states.
A director at the African Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr William A. Awinador-Kanyirige, who confirmed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the body would ensure the promotion of transparent and credible elections in the region and help entrench the culture of democracy.
He said the establishment of the network, which was agreed at the end of a two-day meeting of the heads of electoral management bodies in the region, would also contribute to the emergence of independent and impartial electoral management bodies in member states.
He explained that the proposal for the creation of the network, emanated from a joint workshop held in September 2005 by ECOWAS and the Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG).
Mr Awinador-Kanyirige said the body was mandated to also promote public confidence in the electoral process through transparent and credible electoral procedures, as well as the employment of electoral officials with integrity, probity and a strong sense of public service.
He said according to its eight-page statute, the network would also serve as a platform for cooperation in improving electoral laws and practices, the exchange of experiences and best practices, as well as pooling and sharing of electoral resources to ensure cost-effectiveness.
Mr Awinador-Kanyirige said the operations of the network, which had three organs including a General Assembly and a Coordinating Committee, would be coordinated from a Secretariat located at the ECOWAS Electoral Unit.
He said the meeting endorsed two documents, one of which was the 34-page ECOWAS handbook on election observation that would serve as a guide for the proper assessment of genuine democratic elections in member states.
He said the first section of the handbook placed election observation within the mandate of ECOWAS, while the other sections comprised practical guidelines for observation missions and sampled observation forms.
Mr Awinador-Kanyirige said about 60 participants, including academics, electoral experts and civil society representatives, attended the meeting which was organised in collaboration with the European Union and Open Society Initiatives for West Africa (OSIWA).
A REGIONAL network of electoral commissions has been established in the West Africa sub region to harmonise election standards among ECOWAS countries.
Known as ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions, it is made up of heads of institutions responsible for managing elections in ECOWAS member states.
A director at the African Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr William A. Awinador-Kanyirige, who confirmed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the body would ensure the promotion of transparent and credible elections in the region and help entrench the culture of democracy.
He said the establishment of the network, which was agreed at the end of a two-day meeting of the heads of electoral management bodies in the region, would also contribute to the emergence of independent and impartial electoral management bodies in member states.
He explained that the proposal for the creation of the network, emanated from a joint workshop held in September 2005 by ECOWAS and the Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG).
Mr Awinador-Kanyirige said the body was mandated to also promote public confidence in the electoral process through transparent and credible electoral procedures, as well as the employment of electoral officials with integrity, probity and a strong sense of public service.
He said according to its eight-page statute, the network would also serve as a platform for cooperation in improving electoral laws and practices, the exchange of experiences and best practices, as well as pooling and sharing of electoral resources to ensure cost-effectiveness.
Mr Awinador-Kanyirige said the operations of the network, which had three organs including a General Assembly and a Coordinating Committee, would be coordinated from a Secretariat located at the ECOWAS Electoral Unit.
He said the meeting endorsed two documents, one of which was the 34-page ECOWAS handbook on election observation that would serve as a guide for the proper assessment of genuine democratic elections in member states.
He said the first section of the handbook placed election observation within the mandate of ECOWAS, while the other sections comprised practical guidelines for observation missions and sampled observation forms.
Mr Awinador-Kanyirige said about 60 participants, including academics, electoral experts and civil society representatives, attended the meeting which was organised in collaboration with the European Union and Open Society Initiatives for West Africa (OSIWA).
Friday, January 30, 2009
Chief Director Takes Temporary Charge of Defence(Centre Spread) January 28, 2009
Story:Michael Donkor
THE Chief Director of the Ministry of Defence, Mr Ofosu Appeah, has been directed to take responsibility of the Ministry until the appointment of a substantive Minister.
A source close to the Transition Team of President Mills said this had become necessary following the death of Vice Admiral E.O. Owusu-Ansah who had earlier been appointed by President John Atta Mills to represent him at the ministry.
Vice Admiral Owusu-Ansah died on January 17, 2009.
Meanwhile some officers and men at the General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have welcomed the news of the retirement of Lt.Gen. J.B Danquah and the appointment of Rear Admiral A.R.S Nuno as a refreshing one.
They described Rear Admiral Nuno as a professional naval officer dedicated to his duty.
The officers and men, who pleaded anonymity, expressed the hope that Rear Admiral Nuno, having gone through all the military rudiments, would bring his rich experience to bear on the GAF.
They were of the belief that although he was only in an acting position, he would improve upon discipline in the GAF.
THE Chief Director of the Ministry of Defence, Mr Ofosu Appeah, has been directed to take responsibility of the Ministry until the appointment of a substantive Minister.
A source close to the Transition Team of President Mills said this had become necessary following the death of Vice Admiral E.O. Owusu-Ansah who had earlier been appointed by President John Atta Mills to represent him at the ministry.
Vice Admiral Owusu-Ansah died on January 17, 2009.
Meanwhile some officers and men at the General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have welcomed the news of the retirement of Lt.Gen. J.B Danquah and the appointment of Rear Admiral A.R.S Nuno as a refreshing one.
They described Rear Admiral Nuno as a professional naval officer dedicated to his duty.
The officers and men, who pleaded anonymity, expressed the hope that Rear Admiral Nuno, having gone through all the military rudiments, would bring his rich experience to bear on the GAF.
They were of the belief that although he was only in an acting position, he would improve upon discipline in the GAF.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Armed Forces Investigate Shooting of Cyclist(Page 31) January 16, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
THE Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) yesterday confirmed that it had launched a full-scale investigation into the shooting incident at Ekumfi Dunkwa in the Central Region on January 2, 2009 which claimed the life of 33-year-old Samuel Tetteh.
In a release signed by the Director of the Public Relations Unit of the GAF, Col E.W.K. Nibo, the GAF confirmed that investigations were underway to establish the circumstances that led to the death of the motor rider and the extent to which the military was involved.
The release said the military enquiry was in addition to the investigations being conducted by the police and advised the media to exercise restraint in their publications and commentaries while they awaited the results of the investigations.
A military source said the GAF received information that on January 2, 2009, Tetteh, who was riding a motor bike in the company of some friends, was allegedly shot dead by some soldiers from the 64 Infantry Regiment.
It said some of the soldiers involved in the incident had been asked to assist in the investigations.
It said the vehicles which were used, with registration numbers 39 GA 74 and 38 GA 32, were also being checked to establish their movement on that day.
The source said the investigative team was expected to invite those friends in whose company the deceased was to help in the investigations.
Meanwhile, Lt Col Thomas Oppong Peprah, the Commanding Officer of the 64 Infantry Regiment, has been assigned to the Defence Intelligence Unit as a Deputy Director and his place at the 64 Infantry Regiment taken over by Lt Col F.D. Arthur.
A short ceremony was held at the General Headquarters at Burma Camp last Wednesday to effect the change.
When Lt Col Peprah was contacted, he confirmed the change but said it was in line with routine military changes that had nothing to do with the ongoing investigations into the shooting incident.
The source advised all officers and men of the GAF to offer their support to the government of Prof John Atta Mills for it to undertake its programme of building a robust Army of a modern standard.
THE Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) yesterday confirmed that it had launched a full-scale investigation into the shooting incident at Ekumfi Dunkwa in the Central Region on January 2, 2009 which claimed the life of 33-year-old Samuel Tetteh.
In a release signed by the Director of the Public Relations Unit of the GAF, Col E.W.K. Nibo, the GAF confirmed that investigations were underway to establish the circumstances that led to the death of the motor rider and the extent to which the military was involved.
The release said the military enquiry was in addition to the investigations being conducted by the police and advised the media to exercise restraint in their publications and commentaries while they awaited the results of the investigations.
A military source said the GAF received information that on January 2, 2009, Tetteh, who was riding a motor bike in the company of some friends, was allegedly shot dead by some soldiers from the 64 Infantry Regiment.
It said some of the soldiers involved in the incident had been asked to assist in the investigations.
It said the vehicles which were used, with registration numbers 39 GA 74 and 38 GA 32, were also being checked to establish their movement on that day.
The source said the investigative team was expected to invite those friends in whose company the deceased was to help in the investigations.
Meanwhile, Lt Col Thomas Oppong Peprah, the Commanding Officer of the 64 Infantry Regiment, has been assigned to the Defence Intelligence Unit as a Deputy Director and his place at the 64 Infantry Regiment taken over by Lt Col F.D. Arthur.
A short ceremony was held at the General Headquarters at Burma Camp last Wednesday to effect the change.
When Lt Col Peprah was contacted, he confirmed the change but said it was in line with routine military changes that had nothing to do with the ongoing investigations into the shooting incident.
The source advised all officers and men of the GAF to offer their support to the government of Prof John Atta Mills for it to undertake its programme of building a robust Army of a modern standard.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Changes imminent in GAF. Maj-Gen Odotei, 2 others to be considered for CDS(Front page) January 15, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
A CHANGE within the top brass of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) which will see the appointment and retirement of some senior officers is expected to be announced soon.
Daily Graphic sources indicate that three of the four service chiefs of the Military High Command will be affected.
Those being considered for higher appointment include Major-General Carl Modey, Major-General Samuel Odotei and Major-General A.K. Abdulai, one of whom would be considered for the position of Chief of the Defence Staff.
According to highly placed sources in the transition team of the new government, the names had already been submitted to the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the GAF, for consideration and approval.
Others are Brigadier-General Emmanuel Okyere, Brig-Gen T.K. Opoku and Brig-Gen R.O Sackey, one of whom is to be considered as the Chief of Army Staff.
Commodore G.M. Biekro, the Chief Staff Officer at the Navy Headquarters; Commodore F. Daley, the Navy Commander in Takoradi; Commodore Michael Quarshie of the Eastern Naval Command and Commodore Muniru Tahiru are being considered for the position of Chief of Naval Staff, while Air Commodore Michael Sampson-Oje, the Air Force Base Commander in Takoradi; Air Commodore E.R. Krakue, the Air Force Base Commander in Accra, and Air Commodore I.S. Kadiri are being considered for the position of Chief of Air Staff.
The sources said Brig-Gen K. Oppong Kyekye and Brigadier-Gen R. Debrah are being considered for the position of General Officer Commanding the Northern Command, while Brig-Gen John Fokuo and Brig-Gen H.W Agbenuza are being considered for the position of General Officer Commanding the Southern Command.
Major-General Modey is currently the Deputy Force Commander serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia, while Major-General Odotei is the current Chief of Army Staff.
The sources disclosed that the most favoured for the position is Major-General Odotei, who has demonstrated a high sense of professionalism, competence and loyalty to the Constitution of the country.
They said apart from that he had had several training programmes and courses, both in the United States and the United Kingdom, and served on numerous United Nations Peacekeeping Missions, the latest of which was as a Sector Commander with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone.
He was also appointed the Chief Staff Officer at the General Headquarters of the GAF.
Brig-Gen Okyere is the General Officer Commanding the Southern Command, while Brig-Gen Opoku is the Commandant of the Support Services Brigade.
Commodore Tahiru is currently the Chief Defence Adviser in Cairo, Egypt, while Brig-Gen Sackey is the Commandant of the Military Academy and Training School.
The sources said the change in the command structure was being quickened in conformity with the regulations of the GAF and in fulfilment of the 1992 Constitution.
They said presently the service commanders had finished preparing their handing-over notes and were waiting to hand them over.
A CHANGE within the top brass of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) which will see the appointment and retirement of some senior officers is expected to be announced soon.
Daily Graphic sources indicate that three of the four service chiefs of the Military High Command will be affected.
Those being considered for higher appointment include Major-General Carl Modey, Major-General Samuel Odotei and Major-General A.K. Abdulai, one of whom would be considered for the position of Chief of the Defence Staff.
According to highly placed sources in the transition team of the new government, the names had already been submitted to the President, who is the Commander-in-Chief of the GAF, for consideration and approval.
Others are Brigadier-General Emmanuel Okyere, Brig-Gen T.K. Opoku and Brig-Gen R.O Sackey, one of whom is to be considered as the Chief of Army Staff.
Commodore G.M. Biekro, the Chief Staff Officer at the Navy Headquarters; Commodore F. Daley, the Navy Commander in Takoradi; Commodore Michael Quarshie of the Eastern Naval Command and Commodore Muniru Tahiru are being considered for the position of Chief of Naval Staff, while Air Commodore Michael Sampson-Oje, the Air Force Base Commander in Takoradi; Air Commodore E.R. Krakue, the Air Force Base Commander in Accra, and Air Commodore I.S. Kadiri are being considered for the position of Chief of Air Staff.
The sources said Brig-Gen K. Oppong Kyekye and Brigadier-Gen R. Debrah are being considered for the position of General Officer Commanding the Northern Command, while Brig-Gen John Fokuo and Brig-Gen H.W Agbenuza are being considered for the position of General Officer Commanding the Southern Command.
Major-General Modey is currently the Deputy Force Commander serving with the United Nations Mission in Liberia, while Major-General Odotei is the current Chief of Army Staff.
The sources disclosed that the most favoured for the position is Major-General Odotei, who has demonstrated a high sense of professionalism, competence and loyalty to the Constitution of the country.
They said apart from that he had had several training programmes and courses, both in the United States and the United Kingdom, and served on numerous United Nations Peacekeeping Missions, the latest of which was as a Sector Commander with the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone.
He was also appointed the Chief Staff Officer at the General Headquarters of the GAF.
Brig-Gen Okyere is the General Officer Commanding the Southern Command, while Brig-Gen Opoku is the Commandant of the Support Services Brigade.
Commodore Tahiru is currently the Chief Defence Adviser in Cairo, Egypt, while Brig-Gen Sackey is the Commandant of the Military Academy and Training School.
The sources said the change in the command structure was being quickened in conformity with the regulations of the GAF and in fulfilment of the 1992 Constitution.
They said presently the service commanders had finished preparing their handing-over notes and were waiting to hand them over.
WITHHOLD PROMOTIONS AND RECENT DEFENCE POSTINGS TRANSITION TEAM RECOMMENDS(FRONT PAGE) January 14, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
Recent promotions made in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), as well as defence attaché postings made to foreign missions, are likely to be put on hold as a result of complaints of irregularities.
Sources close to the transition team on National Security disclosed to the Daily Graphic that this and other recommendations were to be made to President John Atta Mills, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the GAF, after the transition team had reviewed the new promotions and postings and received complaints of irregularities about some of the postings and the manner in which the exercise was undertaken.
The postings and promotions were made on December 22, 2008, two weeks before President Mills was sworn into office, and that of the promotions took effect on December 31, 2008 while the postings takes effect on January 31, 2009.
The promotions and the postings had already been published by the GAF in their restricted letters and copies given to all the service chiefs, according to service regulations.
Consequently, National Security has requested for all the documents pertaining to the processes of the postings for further scrutiny.
At the time of filing this report, National Security had received most of the documents covering the postings and promotions from the Military High Command and had held discussions with the military leadership to discuss the irregularities found.
The source said the meeting affirmed that as a disciplined entity, it was important for the GAF to maintain such discipline within the rank and file of the officers and men of the service, for which reason acts that were likely to break down that discipline and create disenchantment among the personnel were not supposed to be entertained.
It said President Mills’s administration was poised to maintain a high level of discipline and fairness and meet the needs of the Armed Forces to enable them to perform creditably and hold the flag of Ghana very high among the comity of nations.
It said, for instance, that some of the officers being posted as defence attaches were junior to those who were going to serve under them.
Another source close to the Military High Command, however, told the Daily Graphic that the due processes were followed in making those promotions and postings and that there was no cause for alarm.
It said all the service chiefs signed the lists for the promotions and postings, after which the then Commander-in-Chief of the GAF, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, gave his assent to it on December 29, 2008.
The source said the postings and promotions were also in order and in accordance with GAF regulations, adding that they met all the constitutional requirements of the GAF and that the announcement of the appointments and promotions had been delayed because of presidential run-off which had diverted the attention of the whole country.
The source explained that promotions and postings within the GAF were a routine and that every year two of such moves were undertaken.
It stated that this was not the first time that the announcement of such moves had been delayed, citing the year 2000 when the National Democratic Congress was about to hand over power to the New Patriotic Party and said similar postings and promotions were announced a day before the handing-over ceremony.
Recent promotions made in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), as well as defence attaché postings made to foreign missions, are likely to be put on hold as a result of complaints of irregularities.
Sources close to the transition team on National Security disclosed to the Daily Graphic that this and other recommendations were to be made to President John Atta Mills, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the GAF, after the transition team had reviewed the new promotions and postings and received complaints of irregularities about some of the postings and the manner in which the exercise was undertaken.
The postings and promotions were made on December 22, 2008, two weeks before President Mills was sworn into office, and that of the promotions took effect on December 31, 2008 while the postings takes effect on January 31, 2009.
The promotions and the postings had already been published by the GAF in their restricted letters and copies given to all the service chiefs, according to service regulations.
Consequently, National Security has requested for all the documents pertaining to the processes of the postings for further scrutiny.
At the time of filing this report, National Security had received most of the documents covering the postings and promotions from the Military High Command and had held discussions with the military leadership to discuss the irregularities found.
The source said the meeting affirmed that as a disciplined entity, it was important for the GAF to maintain such discipline within the rank and file of the officers and men of the service, for which reason acts that were likely to break down that discipline and create disenchantment among the personnel were not supposed to be entertained.
It said President Mills’s administration was poised to maintain a high level of discipline and fairness and meet the needs of the Armed Forces to enable them to perform creditably and hold the flag of Ghana very high among the comity of nations.
It said, for instance, that some of the officers being posted as defence attaches were junior to those who were going to serve under them.
Another source close to the Military High Command, however, told the Daily Graphic that the due processes were followed in making those promotions and postings and that there was no cause for alarm.
It said all the service chiefs signed the lists for the promotions and postings, after which the then Commander-in-Chief of the GAF, former President John Agyekum Kufuor, gave his assent to it on December 29, 2008.
The source said the postings and promotions were also in order and in accordance with GAF regulations, adding that they met all the constitutional requirements of the GAF and that the announcement of the appointments and promotions had been delayed because of presidential run-off which had diverted the attention of the whole country.
The source explained that promotions and postings within the GAF were a routine and that every year two of such moves were undertaken.
It stated that this was not the first time that the announcement of such moves had been delayed, citing the year 2000 when the National Democratic Congress was about to hand over power to the New Patriotic Party and said similar postings and promotions were announced a day before the handing-over ceremony.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
More debates on Kufuor's proposal( centre spread), January 9, 2009
Story: Michael Donkor
THE proposal by the Immediate Past President, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, for the extension of the tenure of office of future presidents and the regulation of the term of members of the Electoral Commission (EC) has engendered debate among civil society organisations, academicians and some participants at this year’s New Year School.
Reacting to the proposal in an interview in Accra, Mr Laary Bimi, the Chairman of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), and two senior accademicians of the university of Ghana, Prof Kwame Boafo-Arthur, the Head of the Political Science Department, and Dr Raymond Atugubah, a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, disagreed with the suggestions.
Mr Bimi argued that it was too early to start tampering with the Constitution and explained that since the Constitution came into being, the country had had only two former Presidents so it was too early to start talking about amending it.
Mr Bimi argued that the country needed to test the Constitution against the experiences of more presidents, a situation which called for patience and tolerance, and suggested that more governments should be allowed to practise the Constitution for at least a generation and that the present generation should pass it on to the next generation for it to decide whether they would want to amend it or not.
He noted that the country had more pressing issues, such as poverty reduction and other social challenges, which should be tackled with its meagre resources, instead of spending those resources on constitutional amendments for the extension of the tenure of office of the President or fixing a tenure for the EC.
On the suggestion to elect the chairmen of the EC with fixed tenures through an electoral college, Mr Bimi said it should be considered against the country’s history and made reference to a period during the era of Gen Kutu Acheampong when the Electoral Commissioner, Mr Justice Abban, came under intense pressure from the power brokers and had to escape.
He said that, coupled with other pressures that came to bear on subsequent ECs, might have informed the Constituent Assembly to structure the EC in its current form.
Mr Bimi said if the current EC and Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan had not been so insulated by the Constitution, they could not have exhibited the resolve they displayed and Ghana would not have had peaceful elections.
He said Dr Afari-Gyan’s work and pronouncements before the Tain election were what saved the country from a catastrophe because, according to him, until then there was mutual suspicion that the election results were being massaged in favour of one party and if the results had been declared in full then, the reactions would have been uncontrollable.
He said Dr Afari-Gyan was able to manage the situation successfully not only because of his intellectual capacity but also his secured tenure of office.
He recalled that as Chairman of the NCCE, he himself had served two years under former President Rawlings and eight years under former President Kufuor but neither of them ever tried to influence him.
Mr Bimi said that was the beauty of the democracy the country was endeavouring to build.
He said one did not need to be on a job for six years to win public trust and that one could be in a job for a day or a week and still win public trust.
Prof Boafo-Arthur said the four-year term of office had worked very well for the country since democracy was re-introduced in Ghana in 1992 and should be maintained.
He noted that presidents were human beings and fatigue, as well as shortage of ideas, could set in during their tenure and so the four-year, two-term arrangement was enough.
He said Ghana was imitating other democracies, such as that of the US, which also had four-year terms for their presidents and it had worked very well for them, explaining that if Ghana was imitating the US, then there was no need to extend it.
Prof Boafo-Arthur said personally he felt that the four-year, two-term tenure was enough to ensure that no President stayed in office too long to begin to think that the seat was his personal property.
He said once the country’s democracy had been institutionalised, there would be continuity.
He, however, commended former President Kufuor for making those suggestions but said if they were desirable, they should not come from one person.
He said although the proposal was coming from someone who had been the President of the country and served his two terms, with his party losing the 2008 presidential election, it was necessary for it to be looked at from a very dispassionate angle.
On chairmen of the EC, Prof Boafo-Arthur said there might be a reason President Kufuor called for a fixed term of office for them and also be elected by an electoral college.
He said the current Chairman of the EC, Dr Afari-Gyan, was doing his work to the best of his ability.
He said that could be justified from the way he had conducted elections in the country which had seen one government handing over power to the opposition on two occasions.
He said if there was no security and independence of members of the EC, their neutrality would have been compromised by politicians by now.
For his part, Dr Atugubah said one should not be a President if he did not have an agenda.
He said that agenda should be known to Ghanaians and once it was good and followed by a sitting President, he would be successful and his mandate would surely be renewed by the electorate when it ended for him to complete the two terms.
He said it was only when a country had a bad President that he would be voted out of office after his first term and argued that the four-year two-term tenure was enough.
Dr Atugubah noted that if the term office of a President was extended unduly, considering the country’s recent history, one might be inviting other means to change an unpopular government other than constitutional means.
He referred to the US and said the tenure of office of the President there was four years and that it was doing very well.
He said on members of the EC, their independence and security of office were very important for the development of the country’s democracy.
He said electing them and giving them a fixed term of office would only produce a lean commission and commissioners, adding that when that happened, there would always be pressure from the Executive on the EC to toe its line.
A Deputy General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Mr John Nyoagbe, said the extension of the term of the presidency from four to five years was a good idea, reports Emmanuel Bonney from the New Year School.
He said with a five-year renewable term, a new government could use the first year of its administration to settle down and use the rest of the period to do the actual work.
He said most often when a government assumed power, it had little time to settle down and had to rush to do things.
Another officer of GNAT, Mr Jacob Anderson, shared a similar view and was of the belief that with a five-year term a government should be able to deliver on most of its promises.
They both, however, kicked against the former President’s suggestion to have a fixed term of office for the commissioners of the Electoral Commission (EC).
Such an idea, they said, was not good, as it would make the commissioners serve the interests of the governments that appointed them.
Mr Theophilus Kojo Hagan, who described himself as a chief citizen, said the Constituent Assembly that fixed the term for the presidency at four years knew what it was about and, therefore, the four years should be maintained.
“The members of the assembly were intelligent people and had good intentions to make the term for the presidency four years renewable,” he said.
Mr Paul Nyarko, a teacher, also disagreed with the idea of a five-year term, adding that “some politicians can take advantage of the situation to amass wealth at the expense of the poor”.
He said the four-year renewable term should be maintained so that politicians would not become power drunk.
For Mr Raymond Ayroe, a retired teacher, the four-year term was good, as it would put politicians on their toes to start delivering as soon as they assumed office so that they could get another mandate from the people.
Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Spokesperson for President John Evans Atta Mills, for his part, said although the NDC administration had a different view of the constitutional reviews suggested by former President Kufuor, it would not dismiss them outright, reports Donald Ato Dapatem.
He said President Kufuor made those suggestions from his observations and experience gathered over the years as President for eight years and 40 years of active political life, as well as an elderly statesman, adding that suggestions from such a personality should not be dismissed entirely.
Mr Ayariga said Prof Mills campaigned on the basis of winning power and fulfilling the promises made within the four-year mandate prescribed by the Constitution and so based on those promises and the constitutional arrangements the NDC would not hesitate to make any such review.
However, he said as was promised during the NDC campaign, the Mills government would institute measures for some constitutional reviews during the early stages of its term and that during discussions if the NPP found it feasible to raise such issues, in addition to what the NDC would bring up,, they would be welcomed.
According to Mr Ayariga, there was nothing wrong with the members of the EC that warranted a specific tenure of office for them.
He argued that the issue with the electoral process was purely acts of lawlessness on the part of some electorate and candidates, which had nothing to do with the behaviour and tenure of any of the EC members.
He said some of the problems associated with election malpractice include under-age voting, double registration, double voting, as well as chaotic behaviour at the polling stations.
He said all those acts were criminal offences which EC officials had little authority to stop.
He said it was the security agencies that had the power and authority to cause arrests in such instances because they were criminal offences.
THE proposal by the Immediate Past President, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, for the extension of the tenure of office of future presidents and the regulation of the term of members of the Electoral Commission (EC) has engendered debate among civil society organisations, academicians and some participants at this year’s New Year School.
Reacting to the proposal in an interview in Accra, Mr Laary Bimi, the Chairman of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), and two senior accademicians of the university of Ghana, Prof Kwame Boafo-Arthur, the Head of the Political Science Department, and Dr Raymond Atugubah, a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, disagreed with the suggestions.
Mr Bimi argued that it was too early to start tampering with the Constitution and explained that since the Constitution came into being, the country had had only two former Presidents so it was too early to start talking about amending it.
Mr Bimi argued that the country needed to test the Constitution against the experiences of more presidents, a situation which called for patience and tolerance, and suggested that more governments should be allowed to practise the Constitution for at least a generation and that the present generation should pass it on to the next generation for it to decide whether they would want to amend it or not.
He noted that the country had more pressing issues, such as poverty reduction and other social challenges, which should be tackled with its meagre resources, instead of spending those resources on constitutional amendments for the extension of the tenure of office of the President or fixing a tenure for the EC.
On the suggestion to elect the chairmen of the EC with fixed tenures through an electoral college, Mr Bimi said it should be considered against the country’s history and made reference to a period during the era of Gen Kutu Acheampong when the Electoral Commissioner, Mr Justice Abban, came under intense pressure from the power brokers and had to escape.
He said that, coupled with other pressures that came to bear on subsequent ECs, might have informed the Constituent Assembly to structure the EC in its current form.
Mr Bimi said if the current EC and Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan had not been so insulated by the Constitution, they could not have exhibited the resolve they displayed and Ghana would not have had peaceful elections.
He said Dr Afari-Gyan’s work and pronouncements before the Tain election were what saved the country from a catastrophe because, according to him, until then there was mutual suspicion that the election results were being massaged in favour of one party and if the results had been declared in full then, the reactions would have been uncontrollable.
He said Dr Afari-Gyan was able to manage the situation successfully not only because of his intellectual capacity but also his secured tenure of office.
He recalled that as Chairman of the NCCE, he himself had served two years under former President Rawlings and eight years under former President Kufuor but neither of them ever tried to influence him.
Mr Bimi said that was the beauty of the democracy the country was endeavouring to build.
He said one did not need to be on a job for six years to win public trust and that one could be in a job for a day or a week and still win public trust.
Prof Boafo-Arthur said the four-year term of office had worked very well for the country since democracy was re-introduced in Ghana in 1992 and should be maintained.
He noted that presidents were human beings and fatigue, as well as shortage of ideas, could set in during their tenure and so the four-year, two-term arrangement was enough.
He said Ghana was imitating other democracies, such as that of the US, which also had four-year terms for their presidents and it had worked very well for them, explaining that if Ghana was imitating the US, then there was no need to extend it.
Prof Boafo-Arthur said personally he felt that the four-year, two-term tenure was enough to ensure that no President stayed in office too long to begin to think that the seat was his personal property.
He said once the country’s democracy had been institutionalised, there would be continuity.
He, however, commended former President Kufuor for making those suggestions but said if they were desirable, they should not come from one person.
He said although the proposal was coming from someone who had been the President of the country and served his two terms, with his party losing the 2008 presidential election, it was necessary for it to be looked at from a very dispassionate angle.
On chairmen of the EC, Prof Boafo-Arthur said there might be a reason President Kufuor called for a fixed term of office for them and also be elected by an electoral college.
He said the current Chairman of the EC, Dr Afari-Gyan, was doing his work to the best of his ability.
He said that could be justified from the way he had conducted elections in the country which had seen one government handing over power to the opposition on two occasions.
He said if there was no security and independence of members of the EC, their neutrality would have been compromised by politicians by now.
For his part, Dr Atugubah said one should not be a President if he did not have an agenda.
He said that agenda should be known to Ghanaians and once it was good and followed by a sitting President, he would be successful and his mandate would surely be renewed by the electorate when it ended for him to complete the two terms.
He said it was only when a country had a bad President that he would be voted out of office after his first term and argued that the four-year two-term tenure was enough.
Dr Atugubah noted that if the term office of a President was extended unduly, considering the country’s recent history, one might be inviting other means to change an unpopular government other than constitutional means.
He referred to the US and said the tenure of office of the President there was four years and that it was doing very well.
He said on members of the EC, their independence and security of office were very important for the development of the country’s democracy.
He said electing them and giving them a fixed term of office would only produce a lean commission and commissioners, adding that when that happened, there would always be pressure from the Executive on the EC to toe its line.
A Deputy General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), Mr John Nyoagbe, said the extension of the term of the presidency from four to five years was a good idea, reports Emmanuel Bonney from the New Year School.
He said with a five-year renewable term, a new government could use the first year of its administration to settle down and use the rest of the period to do the actual work.
He said most often when a government assumed power, it had little time to settle down and had to rush to do things.
Another officer of GNAT, Mr Jacob Anderson, shared a similar view and was of the belief that with a five-year term a government should be able to deliver on most of its promises.
They both, however, kicked against the former President’s suggestion to have a fixed term of office for the commissioners of the Electoral Commission (EC).
Such an idea, they said, was not good, as it would make the commissioners serve the interests of the governments that appointed them.
Mr Theophilus Kojo Hagan, who described himself as a chief citizen, said the Constituent Assembly that fixed the term for the presidency at four years knew what it was about and, therefore, the four years should be maintained.
“The members of the assembly were intelligent people and had good intentions to make the term for the presidency four years renewable,” he said.
Mr Paul Nyarko, a teacher, also disagreed with the idea of a five-year term, adding that “some politicians can take advantage of the situation to amass wealth at the expense of the poor”.
He said the four-year renewable term should be maintained so that politicians would not become power drunk.
For Mr Raymond Ayroe, a retired teacher, the four-year term was good, as it would put politicians on their toes to start delivering as soon as they assumed office so that they could get another mandate from the people.
Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Spokesperson for President John Evans Atta Mills, for his part, said although the NDC administration had a different view of the constitutional reviews suggested by former President Kufuor, it would not dismiss them outright, reports Donald Ato Dapatem.
He said President Kufuor made those suggestions from his observations and experience gathered over the years as President for eight years and 40 years of active political life, as well as an elderly statesman, adding that suggestions from such a personality should not be dismissed entirely.
Mr Ayariga said Prof Mills campaigned on the basis of winning power and fulfilling the promises made within the four-year mandate prescribed by the Constitution and so based on those promises and the constitutional arrangements the NDC would not hesitate to make any such review.
However, he said as was promised during the NDC campaign, the Mills government would institute measures for some constitutional reviews during the early stages of its term and that during discussions if the NPP found it feasible to raise such issues, in addition to what the NDC would bring up,, they would be welcomed.
According to Mr Ayariga, there was nothing wrong with the members of the EC that warranted a specific tenure of office for them.
He argued that the issue with the electoral process was purely acts of lawlessness on the part of some electorate and candidates, which had nothing to do with the behaviour and tenure of any of the EC members.
He said some of the problems associated with election malpractice include under-age voting, double registration, double voting, as well as chaotic behaviour at the polling stations.
He said all those acts were criminal offences which EC officials had little authority to stop.
He said it was the security agencies that had the power and authority to cause arrests in such instances because they were criminal offences.
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