GRi Press Review-15-3-99

The Ghanaian Voice **************** Dr Yeboah, Prempeh now hot favourites in the race for next Asantehene, says the Ghanaian Voice in its lead headlinestory. The paper reports that one Prempeh, a London- based royal to the Golden Stool and Dr Osei Yeboah, a Kumasi medical practitioner, have emerged as the probable choices of Kingmakers to the Asanteman stool. Prempeh is however alleged to have declined the offer leaving Dr Yeboah with a greater edge.

The paper says that Dr Yeboah is perceived by many as having the charisma of the present Okyehene, Osagyefo Kuntunkununku and Omanhene of New Juaben, Daasebre (Dr.) Oti Boateng, which could bring customary and traditional transformation to Asanteman if the Kingmakers throw their support behind him. According to the Voice, the Kumasi Metropolitan Chief Executive, Nana Akwasi Agyeman, also a royal, is not being given even a dog=92s chance in the race.

In another front page story, The Ghanaian Voice says that the Reform Movement's faithful, Solomon Bayugo Sulemani, who is contesting the Ablekuma Central Constitutency Parliamentary bye-election, is set to shake the NDC confidence in winning the seat rendered vacant by the death of the former NPP Member of Parliament, Mr C.S. Crabbe. The bye- election which is expected to be keenly contested is slated for March 26.

The Dispatch

************ The Reform Movement (RM) has warned Mr Sam Garba, now of the NDC Reform Movement that he has "absolutely no mandate to represent the RM in discussions with the NDC or with any one else", reports the Dispatch. The paper says in a letter dated March 2nd, 1999, to Mr Garba and copied to the NDC the RM threatened that it was commencing action in accordance with its regulations, to formally remove him since he does not care to respond to letters or not attend meetings The paper says a letter to Mr Garba, carried the overwhelming view of RM members for a complete breakaway from the NDC as reached at an earlier meeting. It said it was only at one such meeting on January 23, that Mr Garba expressed reservations about the breakaway.

The letter which sought to give Mr Garba a free option to either remain in the Movement or quit said it recognised the need to have friends who can disagree. "If after such discussion, we still disagree fundamentally, then we can at least part company on a footing that enables us to remain friends and even hold out the possibility of future co-operation" the Dispatch quotes the letter as saying.

The Ghanaian Democrat

********************* The paper carries a banner headline "Loan Rawlings". According to the story, even though Nigerians have voted massively for General Olusegun Obasanjo, some of them are dreaming of a Rawlings to bail them out of their political problems.

The paper claims that a group of Customs and Immigration officers at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport at Ikeja, Lagos, said if Ghanaians don't need President J.J. Rawlings after his term of office then they should loan him to Nigeria so that he can apply the same magic he used to stablise Ghana. The paper added that, it is only in Ghana that a journalist can write negative things about their president and continue to walk freely in the streets of Accra without being troubled. According to the paper, the spokesman of the group at the airport, pointed to the way many Nigerians are leaving their counry for Ghana because of the peace and stability the =93Black Star=94 of Africa is enjoying now as a result of the capable leadership of President Rawlings.

The paper concludes that it believes sincerely that Ghana owes whatever she is today to President Rawlings, whom they believe, has offered the right type of leadership in making the country respectable throughout the world today.

Africa Sports

*********** The paper has on its back page a story headlined: "Scamble for certificates of Adam and Boateng". According to the paper, officials of Kotoko last Friday scurried into frantic moves to secure the International Transfer Certificate of Baba Adams and Robert Boateng. The paper says, even though the two have signed contracts with Al Shabab, their transfer certificates to validate their deals with Kotoko, have still not arrived in the country. The paper says that officials of Al Shabab, Adams last club, have still not responded to the fax messages sent by Jones Alhassan-Abu the manager of the former All-Blacks Star. The paper concluded that club officials say they also expect to have the international transfer certificate of Robert Boateng from his Norwegian team without any hussle.

Ghanaian Times

**************

The paper has on its front page =93Minister orders probe into the missing =A2120m=94. According to the story the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Kwamena Ahwoi, has ordered investigations into an alleged missing of =A2120m from the account of the Tamale Municipal Assembly=92s Common Fund. The paper says that the Minister, in a statement issued in Accra last Friday, has also ordered investigations into an alleged unauthorised award of contracts by the former Tamale Municipal Chief Executive, Alhaji A.Y.M.B. Ibrahim, and The East Mamprusi and East Gonja District Chief Executives, Mr. Issaka Bawa and Mr. Seidu Karimu respectively, whose tenure of office was not renewed when it ended on February 28, 1999. The paper says a three-member committee to be appointed by the Northern Regional Minister, will investigate the allegation and submit a report within six weeks, to the Regional Minister, who would in turn submit a report with his comments to Minister of Local Government and Rural Development within two weeks from the date of receipt of the report. Meanwhile the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development has suspended all contracts awarded by the three district assemblies during the period under investigation.

The paper says that a circular has been sent reminding District Chief Executives that assemblies are not permitted to do deficit budgeting and that guidelines on the ulilisation of the the Common Fund prohibit forward commitment beyond the medium-term three-year budget period.

GRi

The Ghanaian Chronicle

******************** Serial Deaths at CIBA in the wake of 76 billion cedis is the screaming headline on the front page of the Ghanaian Chronicle. The report has it that four top officials of the Council for Indigenous Busines Associations (CIBA), have died in a space of two years under mysterious circumstances. The paper names the four as Horatio Nelson, Executive Secretary, Peter Vaughan-Williams, Chairman, Beatrice Enoku, CIBA National Organiser and Emmanuel Kwame Ashiagbor, an executive member. The story of Ashiagbor=92s death in particular, and the death of the other three says that eyebrows have been raised over the deaths which are purported to have occurred shortly after a 76 billion-cedi (US$31m) grant had been given to CIBA. The grant issued in 1994 was to import gas stoves, hairpins and other goods for CIBA=92s 2.5 million members. The Chronicle says that CIBA, perceived as an appendage of the ruling NDC,

was given the 76 billion cedis of the taxpayers' money ostensibly to bolster support for the party in the 1996 elections and beyond. However, the paper continues, a greater part of the money went into private pockets. Mr. Ashiagbor is believed to have thrown himself out of a train carriage he was travelling on in London, in July, 1997. The report says, "as if the death of Ashiagbor was not enough to deal a blow to CIBA, the death of Horatio Nelson at SSNIT Hospital raised eyebrows". Horatio is cited as having collected a number of CIBA goods and guaranteed for others without documenting them. "Nelson had been extremely worried over events in CIBA and had been ruffled at one of the sittings of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) enquiries into association's activities. According to the paper, Ashiagbor developed a chronic ulcer and died on admission. The Chronicle report has it that the other three named executives all died through accidents at various times between 1997 and 1998. Meanwhile the family of Vaughan-Williams represented by her eldest child, said they did not want to believe that their father=92s death had anything to do with =94anyone pressing buttons=94. The report adds that Vaughan-Williams prior to his death on July 27th, had confessed attempting suicide.

The Graphic and The Chronicle both report on the choice of Miss Akuba Cudjoe as the winner of the "Miss Lux" Universe pageant. The competition which included 10 other ladies described "as bevy of intelligent and determined women", was held at the Accra International Conference Centre. The Chronicle story headlined "Beloved beauty wins anti-climatic Miss Lux Pageant" said Media Touch Productions pulled all the shops in putting together what is easily the best-ever pre-contest production for television promos with their incredible world class commercial teasers. But it all came unstuck. The paper says, on the D-day nothing seemed to work on cue and the audience, paying =A275,000 a head were kept waiting for two hours for poor sound, poor lightning show when it finally came on.

The Graphic, however, says in its story headlined =93Akuba crowned Miss Lux =9199=94 that the show started on an explosive note as the curtain went up to reveal a magnificent stage setting of African topography and beautiful lightning which, reportedly, heightened the audience's expectation for an exciting night. The two reports do however agree that the 19-year-old Akuba Cudjoe, a Building Technology major at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, was tall, beautiful and eloquent. The reports say she won a two-bedroom self contained Manet house, 3.5 million cedis, a first class return air ticket to the Miss Universe pageant in Trinidad and Tobago, a Miss Lux official signature ring, a trophy and personal appearance wardrobe valued at 10 million cedis.

Nana Aba Annobil-Akwa and Ivy Heward Mills of KNUST and GIJ respectively, were the first and second runners up.

The Daily Graphic

***************

Minister orders probe into alleged missing 2120m A front page story headline thus, maintains that as the controversy surrounding the alleged disappearance of 2120 million cedis set aside by the Tamale Municipal Assembly under its share of the Common Fund for poverty alleviation rages on, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Kwamena Ahwoi, has ordered a full scale investigation into the case.

A committee which is to begin its work on March 22, is expected to submit its report within six weeks to Mr Joshua Alabi, Northern Regional Minister. The final report will be submitted to Mr. Ahwoi