Weekly Digest: 10th - 14th November, 2003

DIEGEST - MONDAY, 10TH

1. DAILY GRAPHIC

WE WON’T BOW TO PRESSURES – TO UNDERMINE MODEST ECONOMIC GAINS - PGS. 1 & 3

President Kufuor has given the assurance that, Government will not succumb to pressures and temptations that will undermine the financial discipline and prudent management steps taken so far to build the country’s economy for the sake of next year’s elections.

GHS INVESTIGATES CAUSE OF DISEASE IN HO DISTRICT – PGS. 1 & 3

Ghana Health Service is working fervently to establish the cause of an outbreak of a contagious disease in the Ho District of the Volta Region.

2. THE GHANAIAN TIMES

UNIVERSE’S GREATEST – PG. 1

Miss Francy’s Barraza of Venezuela was adjudged winner of this year’s Model of the Universe competition held in Accra.

Maame Serwa Boakye of Ghana was the first runner-up.

ENFORCE FREE EDUCATION – DON – PGS. 1 & 3

Prof. D.K Agyeman, head of Sociology Department UCC, has urged the government to have the political will to enforce compulsory basic education in the country.

GROUP TO INVEST IN VARSITIES INFRASTRUCTURE – PGS. 1 & 3

Ministry of Education Youth and sports, is in touch with a group of Ghanaian investors in Amsterdam, for infrastructural l development on the nation university campuses.

3. FREE PRESS

MP TO REFUND ? 18.5M –PG. 1 & BK. PG.

Minister of State in charge of Fisheries and MP for Ledzokuku constituency, Eddie Akita, has been ordered by the Ghana Aids Commission (GAC) to refund 18,565,650m cedis within 14 days or face a possible prosecution.

4. NETWORK HERALD

PARLIAMENT WILL DECIDE ON ASHANTI … OSAFO-MAAFO - PGS. 1 & 3

Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Yaw Osafo-Maafo has reopened the debate on the Ashanti-Anglogold merger withthe contention that the merger arrangement is not yet over, explaining that government’s approval of the merger has not made the deal final.

TUESDAY, 11TH NOVEMBER, 2003

1. DAILY GRAPHIC

NO JUDGE IS ABOVE LAW … SAYS CHIEF JUSTICE – PGS. 1 & 3

Chief Justice, Mr. Justice George K. Acquah has described as erroneous, untenable and unconstitutional, the perception that judges and other officers responsible for the administration of justice are above the law and can manipulate the machinery of justice under the cloak of judicial immunity.

SPIO-GARBRAH COMMENDS GOVERNMENT’S ICT POLICY – PGS. 1 & 3

Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation (CEO), Mr. Ekow Spio-Garbrah, had commended the government for launching and ICT framework policy to use information based strategies to leapfrog Ghana’s development.

MILITARY LAUDED FOR SUSTAINING DEMOCRACY – PG. 21

Defence Minister, Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor, has stated that discipline and dedication among the military has contributed to sustainable democratic process in the country.

2. THE GHANAIAN TIMES

WENCHI TOMATO FACTORY BEGINS TRIAL PRODUCTION – PG. 8

The re-activated Tomato Factory at Wenchi in Brong Ahafo currently on trial production, processed 50 tons of tomatoes a day.

3. THE ACCRA DAILY MAIL

APRAKU IN FRANCE – PG. 1

Minister of NEPAD and Regional Integration, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku is in France to attend the G8 Enlarged Dialogue taking place in Paris.

4. THE STATESMAN

ALLEGED TOGOLESE ASSASSIN NICKED IN GHANA – PG. 5

A joint Ghanaian-Togolese Police Team in the early hours of Sunday arrested a Togolese national, who attempted to assassinate a top functionary of President Eyadema’s Government in Togo and took refuge in Ghana.

WEDNESDAY, 12TH NOVEMBER, 2003

1. DAILY GRAPHIC

GOVT CREATES 264,478 JOBS IN 3 YEARS – PGS. 1 & 3

A total of 264,478 jobs were created within the formal and informal sectors of the economy from January 2001 to September 2003.

TEXTBOOKS ABANDONED … MINISTER ORDERS IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION – PGS. 1 & 3

Thousands of textbooks for basic, secondary and tertiary institutions have been abandoned at the Tema Printing Press warehouse for almost a decade.

“CATHOLIC CHURCH WILL SUPPORT GOOD GOVERNANCE PROGRAMMES” – PG. 3

His Eminence Cardinal Kwodwo Appiah Turkson has said the Catholic Church of Ghana will continue to support good governance programmes to entrench democracy in the country.

2. GHANAIAN TIMES

CAN SPEAKER STAND IN FOR PRESIDENT ? SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE JAN. – PGS. 1 & 3

The Supreme Court will on January 28, 2004, rule on whether or not the Searing- in of the Speaker of Parliament to act in the absence of the President was legal.

CHAIN SAW OPERATIONS LEGALISED ACT 547 REVIEWED – PGS. 1 & 3

Government has reviewed the Timber Resourse Management Regulations, 1998 (L. I. 1649) to accommodate chainsaw operations in the country.

3. NETWORK HERALD

EDITORS TO BE JAILED? – PGS. 1 & 3

Minority Spokesman on Communications, has warned that, the new Right to Information Bill as presently crafted, would stifle free flow of information rather than enhance it.

4. THE STATESMAN

MPs REJECTS ? 2BN AIDS CASH – PG. 1 & BK. PG.

MPs have rejected a ?2bn cash offered by Ghana AIDS Commission to help in the HIV/AIDS Campaign in their various constituencies because it was too meagre.

5. THE ACCRA DAILY MAIL

MINISTRY OF ROADS AND HIGHWAYS SIGS MOU WITH TWO CHINESE FIRMS – PG. 4

Ministry of Roads and Highways, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with two Chinese Construction firms to undertake a feasibility and engineering design studies on improving some selected roads into trunk roads.

THURSDAY, 13TH NOVEMBER, 2003

1. DAILY GRAPHIC

718 RETIRED PREMATURELY … IN CONTRAVENTION OF ’92 CONSTITUTION -PGS. 1 & 3

the police Administration, has admitted that it wrongfully retired 718 police officers between 1993 and 1994.

AGRIFEX ‘03 OPEN IN ACCRA - PGS. 1 & 3

Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, has opened the second edition of the Ghana International Food and Agriculture Trade Fair (AGRIFEX ‘03) at the Trade Fair Center, Accra.

JOIN HANDS TO FIGHT CORRUPTION “PG. 3

President Kufuor has called on civil society, opinion leaders, political parties, families, schools, the public and private sectors to join hands in the fight against corruption in the country.

2. THE GHANAIAN TIMES

90% GOODS ON MARKET SMUGGLED …DEP. MINISTER – PGS. 1 & 3

Deputy Finance Minister Kweku Agyemang-Manu, has disclosed that about 90% of goods on the market are uncustomed.

GHANA EXPO ACHIEVED OBJECTIVE – OFFICIALS – PG. 1

Officials of Ghana Expo 2003, the Trade Investment Exhibition on Ghana, held recently in London, have said the event was a success, contrary to media speculations and commentary.

3. EVENING NEWS

ASAMOAH BOATENG CHALLENGES DCEs TO OPEN UP – PG. 5

Deputy Information Minister Asamoah Boatentg, has observed that most of the DCEs lack moral courage and confidence to enable them to meet the media on issues of development or otherwise.

4. THE HERITAGE

AMBASSADOR HOTEL FIASCO .. SSNIT ORDERED TO REFUND $3.25M – PGS. 1 & 3

A nine- member investigation committee set up under the chairmanship of a representative of the National Security Coordinator, has directed that the management team of the SSNIT should refund $ 3.25 million

5. THE CHRONICLE

NAVY PERSONNEL ON RAMPAGE … INJURING SEVERAL CIVILIANS IN THE PROCESS – PGS. 1 & 3

Twenty-five naval ratings from the Sekondi Naval base, has gone on the rampage in front of the Sekondi Police Station and inflicted several knife wounds on the civilian population without any tangible reason. FRIDAY, 14TH NOVEMBER, 2003

1. DAILY GRAPHIC

FINANCING POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE COUNTRY …. IT’LL BE A DRAIN ON TREASURY SAYS PROF. GYIMAH-BOADI – PGS. 1 & 3

Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) Executive Director, Prof. E. Gyimah-Boadi, has stated that public financing of political parties will be a drain on the national treasury.

“DON’T COMPROMISE NATION’S UNITY FOR PAROCHIAL INTEREST”’ – PGS. 1 & 3

Government has appealed to Ghanaians to ensure that the unity of the nation is not compromiseD for parochial interests.

GHANAIAN MADE DEPUTY POLICE CHIEF FOR UNIMIL – PG. 3

Deputy Police Commissioner responsible for Southern Command Operations, Mohammed Ahmed, has been appointed the Deputy Chief of Police of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNIMIL).

2. GHANAIAN TIMES

TEXTILE WORKERS OFFER TIPS FOR PSI’S SUCCESS – PG. 3

Textile, Garment and Leather Employees’ Union of Ghana Federation of Labour (TGLEU), has offered some tips on how PSI on textiles can succeed.

3. THE STATESMAN

PREZ KUFUOR IS EXEMPLARY LEADER – US AMBASSADOR – BK. PG.

US Ambassador to Ghana, Mary C. Yates, has described President Kufuor as an exemplary leader whose astuteness and influence have contributed tremendously in starting a more positive cause for the West African Sub-region, especially in the area of conflict management.

4. WEEKEND AGENDA

ISSER BOSS ADVOCATES FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT – PGS. 1 & 3

Prof. George Aryeetey, Head of the Institute for Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER), has called on the government to state its position on a new proposed form of financing development in Africa by the international community.

5. THE GHANAIAN CHRONICLE

GHANA AUSTRIA CEMENT TIES – PG. 5

Austria Honorary Consul to Ghana, Her Excellency Inceborg Smith, has stated that, she would do everything possible to promote trade and tourism between the two countries due to the healthy business atmosphere that exist in Ghana.

6. NETWORK HERALD

TUC VOWS TO TAKE FIGHT TO GOVT – PGS. 1 & 3

TUC Secretary-General, Kwasi Adu-Amankwa, has served notice that labour’s protests to government on the handling of funds from the SSNIT would no longer be limited to the “Boardroom”, “if people want to see us protesting vigorously now they would see it” he said.