DAILY GRAPHIC

"Jones quits politics", is the catchy headline on the front page of the Graphic. The accompanying story says Dr Akwasi Jones Ofori-Atta, presidential aspirant of the NPP in the 1996 general elections and a leading member of the party, has announced his withdrawal from active politics. The paper says following this decision which Dr Ofori-Atta describes as non-negotiable and irrevocable, he also made it absolutely clear that he would neither offer himself for the party's presidential slot for the general election of the year 2000 nor seek any other elective political office at any level of the party and the state. The Graphic quotes Dr Ofori-Atta as saying his decision to quit active frontline politics implies he would from now onwards play no active in the politics of the NPP and would as well relinquish positions and roles he hitherto played as a leading member of the NPP. GRI

In another front page story, the Graphic reports that the government is to set up an Export Development and Investment Fund to ensure a continuous and sustainable source of preferential credit to local exporting companies. The paper says besides this, Cabinet has approved the Ghana Trade and Investment Gateway Programme aimed at making the country a major manufacturing and commercial centre in West Africa. The Vice-President, Prof J.E.A. Mills, announced this in a speech read for him by Nana Aboagye Agyei, a Member of the Council of State at the opening of the second Ashanti Regional Trade Fair (ASHFAIR '97) at the Centre for National Culture in Kumasi, last Friday. GRI

"Shamo Quaye is Dead", is a shocker of a headline on the front page of the Graphic. The accompanying story says the Ghanaian international footballer, Shamo Quaye, is dead. According to the a family spokesman, the player who was on holidays in Ghana from his Swedish club, Umea F/C, was pronounced dead yesterday at the Ghana Ports and Harbours Cklinic at Tema where he had been rushed to after complaining of sore throat. The spokesman said Shamo played in a fun game earlier on Friday after which he suffered a slight swelling on the bridge of the nose. According to the spokesman, Shamo later dveloped a lump on the cheek and yesterday morning, he complained of sore throat based on which he was rushed to to the clinic but was pronounced dead on arrival. The Graphic says the body has since been deposited at the Tema General Hospital mortuary for autopsy. GRI