Tuesday, May 10, 2011

NPP Activists Kick Against Disqualification, Daily Graphic, Tue April 12, 2011 (Political Page)

Story: Della Russel Ocloo, Tema

A group of New Patriotic Party (NPP) activists in the Tema West Constituency has described the disqualification of Dr Elis Ebenezer Donkor, an aspirant, as unjustifiable, an action that could spell doom for the party in the constituency.
According to the group, the action also sought to undermine the tenets of democracy which the party believed in and practised.
They are therefore appealing to the national executive of the party to ensure a free and fair conduct of polls in the party’s upcoming parliamentary primaries.
They indicated that attempts by the party leadership to impose the sitting Member of Parliament (MP), Ms Irene Naa Torshie Addo, as a sole candidate may go to deprive the constituency of the seat.
Members of the group displayed placards, some of which read, “Bottom Power go kill this party ooo,” “NPP national executive are valued at GH¢48,000 only,” “Gentle Jack, save our Party,” “Tema West is not for Jake and Naa Torshie, “NPP, We Are Not Learning;” “Nana Addo, Open Your Mouth And Say Something;” and “Nana, Your Effort To be President is under threat.”
Addressing a news conference dubbed: ‘The dark days are here,’ to register their displeasure with what they described as a grand ploy to disqualify other contenders, the spokesperson for the aggrieved polling station executives, Mr Ekow Sey, accused the national executive of colluding with the regional and constituency executives.
He indicated that the posture of all the executives gives credence to unsubstantiated allegations that huge sums of money exchanged hands after the vetting process.
He argued that a fairly contested primaries would be the only remedy towards addressing the numerous problems facing members and supporters resulting from fallouts from the last primaries between the former Majority Leader, Mr Abraham Ossei Aidoo and the current MP leading to the seeming divisions on the party’s front in the constituency.
Mr Sey also questioned the basis for which Dr Donkor was disqualified when executives recall that the two were cleared to go into the contest following successful vetting processes on March 27.
The also called on the constituency executive to desist from embarking on smear campaigns against contenders seeking to exercise their democratic rights.

Dr Akoto Osei Surprised About Payment Of TOR Debt, Thur April 7, 2011 (Daily Graphic, Political Page)

Story: Della Russel Ocloo

A former Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Minority Spokesperson on Finance, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, says he is surprised that the government paid the final part of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) debt to the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) without the involvement of Parliament.
He said any such payment without parliamentary approval was unconstitutional and contravened the law.
“Under the Constitution, only Parliament can approve a loan of that nature, as such moneys can only be raised through the issuance of a bond which ought to be approved by Parliament,” he stated.
His comments come against the backdrop of an announcement by GCB’s Board Chairman, Mr Pryce Kojo Thompson, that the government had paid the remaining GH¢572 million owed by TOR to the bank, after an earlier partial payment of GH¢445 million in March 2010. In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Dr Osei said the absence of documentation on the transaction in the House was a clear violation of the Constitution.
He said Parliament would be compelled to call the Finance Minister to answer questions on how it contracted money for the repayment.
According to him, the right procedure ought to be followed, more so when the issue of the TOR debt would not necessarily end with its settlement.
Dr Akoto said the first time the issue of the GH¢445 million was made known, the public was made to understand that the government had taken a loan from the people.
Dr Osei also expressed concern about what he described as the unco-operative posture of the Finance Minister, who he alleged, had failed to appear before the House to answer questions on the transaction, saying, “The minister will be made to respond appropriately when the House resumes sitting in May.”
He repeated the Minority’s earlier call on the government to make public the TOR debt as of December 2010.
“We gave our information from what we knew till 2008 and we expect the government to tell the people of Ghana how much debt has been incurred in the last two years. That is a matter the people should know,” Dr Osei said.
A Deputy Minister of Finance, Mr Seth Tekper, told this reporter that officials could only comment on the matter after they had reviewed the statements made by the Minority Spokesperson.

NHIA To Come Out With Two-Tier Scheme, Daily Graphic, Tue March 22, 2011 Front B

Story: Della Russel Ocloo

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) intends to merge the annual health insurance payment policy with the one-time payment to make the scheme a two-tier one under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The implementation of the combined scheme will see the two systems operate alongside each other.
According to NHIA officials, that arrangement would offer subscribers the opportunity to select a service that would best meet their financial strengths.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NHIA, Mr Sylvester Mensah, in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the decision to adopt the two-tier policy was taken after widespread consultations with stakeholders.
He said the NHIA had taken cognisance of the concerns being raised on the one-time policy and had come to the conclusion that the two-tier system would afford subscribers better options in accessing affordable health care.
He, however, declined for now to indicate how soon the new policy would take off, as well as the amounts payable by subscribers under both systems.
Mr Mensah, however, debunked suggestions that the government adopted the new approach as a result of its failure to make the one-time payment feasible, saying, “The social democratic status of the government led to the decision to combine both schemes after taking into consideration the varied opinions and concerns of stakeholders and the general public who are the recipients of these services.”

CJ Warns Public Against Fraudulent Characters ( DAILY GRAPHIC , Wed March 30th 2011) CENTER SPREAD

Story: Della Russel Ocloo

The Chief Justice (CJ), Mrs Justice Georgina Theodora Wood, has cautioned the public to be wary of fraudulent men and women who hang around court premises to prey on litigants.
She said the Judicial Service had put in place a well-functioning complaints unit to ward off illegitimate demands by people in justice administration, such as the demand for inducement fees which, apart from compromising the integrity of the service, also goes to defraud unsuspecting litigants of justice.
“Feel free to use this channel so your legitimate and evidence-based complaints can be addressed satisfactorily,” she advised litigants.
She also called for the enforcement of regulations on the wearing of identification tags and prescribed uniforms supplied at the cost of the service towards warding off all forms of indiscipline that had plagued the service.
Justice Wood sounded the caution at the inauguration of the Ethics and Integrity committees for the Judiciary and the Judicial Service.
The two committees, which have been set up as peer review and self-policing ones, are part of new measures intended to safeguard integrity to conform with new codes of conduct for the Judiciary and the Judicial Service.
The Ethics Committee’s work, which encompasses advocacy for strengthening judicial integrity and enforcing the code of conduct for judges to make them more accountable, is chaired by the CJ herself, with Justice Julius Baah, a representative of the Supreme Court, as its Executive Secretary. Other members are Justice J.B. Akamba, Justice Mariam Owusu, Justice Olivia Obeng-Owusu, Justice Ali Baba Bature and Justice Gifty Dekyem.
The committee will also work to entrench the principles of integrity to safeguard the highest ethical and professional standards in the service.
The Integrity Committee, on the other hand, which will establish a link between acceptable judicial conduct and the punishment that will be meted out to those who flout national laws and codes of conduct, is chaired by the CJ’s nominee, Justice Professor S.K. Date-Baah, with Justice Abdulai Iddrisu, Mrs Dorothy Kingsley-Nyinah, Gloria Ocansey and John Bannerman as members. The Judicial Secretary, Justice Alex Opoku Acheampong, is its Executive Secretary.
Justice Wood said corruption charges, although more of perception than reality, were still damaging to the public image of the service.
“It is in this light that we must bear responsibility in ensuring the reversal of the trend while working to secure trust and credibility among the justice seeking populace,” she stated.
A Supreme Court judge, Justice William Atuguba, who inaugurated the committees, urged the members to work assiduously, while maintaining their loyalty to God and the country, as its long-suffering people deserved a Judiciary that administered justice in a timely and efficient manner.
Earlier in his welcoming address, Justice Joseph Akamba, an Appeal Court judge, said a good Judiciary was one that the people could place their trust and confidence in.
He bemoaned a recent corruption/integrity survey by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) that placed the Judicial Service second and called for strategies that would go to reduce that public perception.

Australia Institutes Food Aid Programme For Sub-Region, Daily Graphic Fri 25th March 2011, Center Spread

Story: Della Russel Ocloo

Australia has instituted a $12-million food aid programme for the West African sub-region as part of efforts to support food security.
Under the programme, Australia would work with governments within the sub-region to improve human resource capacity and research skills and increase agricultural productivity.
The Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Billy Williams, announced this at a lecture on the topic: ‘Reflection on security series’, held at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping and Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra.
The lecture, on the theme “ Re-engagement of Africa, Options and Opportunities”, was attended by participants drawn from the security services and diplomatic missions.
Mr Williams said following current events in Cote d’Ivoire and Libya, his country, through the United Nation’s High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR), had provided humanitarian support to the tune of two million Australian dollars for emergency medical assistance and shelter for displaced people.
That, Mr Williams said, had resulted in the adoption of codes and guidelines for the protection of civilians.
He stated that Australia was keen to increase African participation in defence and security, hence the provision of civil-military training courses for personnel to cover areas of non-combat subjects in peacekeeping and civil-military relations.
He expressed worry over the scourge of terrorism prevalent on the continent although various countries and organisations had made considerable input into a trust fund to deal with the situation.
He was, however, optimistic that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by his country and the African Union in September 2010 would serve and strengthen co-operation in areas of mutual interest.
He gave assurance of Australia’s long-term commitment to peace-building efforts through the UN, particularly to consolidate peace and security in Sierra Leone.
“It is in this light that we are also supporting the country’s national electoral committee and non-governmental coalitions to educate citizens on their civic and political right in the run-up to their critical elections in 2012,” Mr Williams explained.
Mr Williams said Australia intended to build the capacity of Southern Sudan as it prepared to become an independent country, including curbing poverty, which remained a major challenge to global peace and security.
The Deputy Commandant of KAIPTC, Brigadier General George Adjei, who chaired the programme, commended Australia for its decision to renew engagement with African countries, particularly the building of technical and leadership skills of African governments.
He was optimistic the support would go a long way to provide essential services, strengthen law and justice and improve transparency across Africa.

Friday, March 11, 2011

ABLADE KUMAH IN POLICE GRIP OVER ASSAULT OF FEMALE FRIEND, GRAPHIC SPORTS, FRI MARCH 11, 2011 (BACK PAGE)

Story: Della Russel Ocloo, Tema

EX-BLACK star player and former captain of Accra Hearts of Oak, Ablade Kumah has been granted bail to the tune of GHC1,000 with a surety for an alledged case of assault by the Tema District Magistrate Court.
The accused, 38 and a resident of Tema Community 3 was alledged to have brutally assaulted his 48year old girlfriend, Theresa Quayson on December 28,2010.
He pleaded not guilty to the offence when he appeared before the court presided over by Mrs Johana Yankson and would re-appear on April 7th 2011.
Counsel for accused, Mr Yaw Awuku Asabre pleaded for bail arguing that, accuse was a modest person with a permanent place of abode and would avail himself accordingly.
Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Chief Inspector Emmanuel Addae told the court, the complainant, is a Tema based businesswoman who has been in a relationship with the accused- a married-man for the past 15years. He said Ablade on December 28 invited the complainant out on a dinner date set at 10pm.
He indicated that the accuse in an attempt to ensure the complainant was on time placed a telephone call to prompt her of which she failed to answer nor returns several calls placed to her phone.
Explaining further, Inspector Addae indicated that, the accuse person who became worried at the turn of events proceeded to the complainant’s residence at community, also in Tema.
“It was on his way to community two that he spotted the complainant engaged in a conversation with her ex-boyfriend close to a friend’s residence at Italian Flats”, the prosecution stated.
Accused who according to the prosecutor was using the services of a taxicab approached the complainant’s partner and dragged complaint into the vehicle after he had sought permission to take her away.
Ablade, the prosecutor assaulted the complainant when the taxicab took off towards his Community 3 residence, forcing the complainant to bite his stomach in self defence.
Inspector Addae said, the complainant upon arrival at Ablade’s residence held onto the vehicle and in the ensuing struggle with accuse, the driver of the taxicab drove off dragging her along thus injuring her in the process.
She subsequetly reported to the Tema Division of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) who effected his arrest and put him before court after medical reports revealed the complainant was assaulted.

EASTERN NAVAL COMMAND RECRUITS PASS OUT, DAILY GRAPHIC, THUR MARCH 10,2011 (PAGE 23)

Story: Della Russel Ocloo, Tema

RECRUITS of the Ghana Navy have been tasked to ensure adequate protection of the country’s oil resources as permanent explorative activities prolong along the offshore environment.
A retired officer, Commodore Christain Buertei Puplampu made the call at the passing out parade of 103 recruits at the Basic and Leadership Training School of the Eastern Naval Command at Tema.
The recruits made up of thirty two female and seventy one male underwent three months of standard military training and four months of basic naval training where they were rudiments in military law, ship husbandry, boat works, field craft, map reading, first aid among others.
According to Commodore Puplampu, commercial exploration of oil and gas in the country has made them major stakeholders with significant mandate towards ensuring total protection of the oil fields.
“As government strives to support the navy as an entity, a humbly appeal is that, you must complement this gesture by taking very good care of the capital-intensive logistics that may be provided to make your work efficient and effective,” he counsel.
The Commanding Officer of the basic leadership training school, Lt Kwasi Kyeremanteng Donkor who administered the oath of allegiance to the recruits charged them to endeavor to defend the nation at all times.
He admonished that, joining the navy was a calling that mandates individual officers and recruits to adhere to the rules and regulations governing the operations of the Ghana Armed Forces and caution the service would deal ruthlessly to persons that flouts its mandated set of laws.
The Flag Officer Commanding of the Command, Commodore Albert Bentil Addison charged recruits to go all out and make good impressions about the service, that he said would keep steadfast the oath of allegiance they make to mother Ghana.
Awards ranging from best in academics, weapon handling, drill, physical training were presented to recruits who excelled in the above mentioned areas.
Recruits Richard Abrocquah won the best in academics whilst Emmanuel Essel was adjudged the best all round recruit.