FREE PRESS

In a front page banner headline the Free Press questions: Rawlings to rule for 25 years?. The accompanying story questions whether Ghanaians are doomed to have Rawlings hanging around their necks as President until the year 2005. The Free Press explains that this is what an amazing prediction made by a Guinean Mallam way back in 1964, seems to tell us. The paper says according to the prediction, Ghana would be ruled by a 'fair-coloured man' for 25 years, adding that counting Rawlings' stay in power from December 1981, the 25 years will come to an end in 2005, that is if this prediction is genuine and true. GRi

""It is horrifying but that is true about the Ghana Police...20 years service without promotion", this is the preamble of another front page story of the Free Press. The Free Press says it could be frustrating for one to work for 20 years without promotion, adding this is especially demoralising in an institution like the Ghana Police Service where rank is not only a symbol of authority but worn as part of the uniform. The Paper says that is the stark truth about the Police Service. It says for failing to pass their promotion examinations, a good number of police officers, many of them prosecutors, investigators and station officers who have excelled themselves in their duties, have been denied promotion, some for as long as 20 years. According to the Free Press, the dilemma of the affected policemen and women has touched the heart of a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr. Paul Apraku, who has taken upon himself to help them out of their plight. The paper says for five years, Mr. Apraku has been organising in-service courses for personnel from the CID, BNI and uniformed personnel to prepare them for the promotion examinations. GRI