Editorial News of Monday, 8 September 2003
Source: ISD
This means that Ghana can now borrow at cheaper rates from the international money market.
This is the first time Ghana has received a Sovereign Credit rating and it is S & P’s first rating under the UNDP to help sub-Saharan Africa and other developing countries to obtain credit ratings.
Explaining the rating further in an interview, Mr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Finance and Economic Planning Minister, said the current credit rating is contrary to the perception that the credit worthiness of Ghana would adversely be affected for having adopted the HIPC Initiative.
According to him the B+ category would assist lenders in Ghana to determine what interest rates should be applicable.
He said the international financial market, was happy Ghana had achieved the B+ rating during its first assessment.
He pointed out that Ghana’s rating compared favourably with those of Brazil (B+), Senegal (B+) and of Turkey (B).
2. CHIEFS WELCOME CONSTRUCTION OF TEMPORARY PALACE – PG.. 1
The paper reports that, the Committee of Eminent Chiefs on the Dagbon crisis has given its support to a decision that a temporary palace be constructed for the King of Dagbon, the Ya-Na.
A statement issued by the committee said the decision was taken because it was contrary to Dagbon tradition to rehabilitate and reoccupy the old Gbewa Palace, which had been damaged twice and blood-stained.
The temporary palace is to be built at a site where preparations will be made for the interment of the late Ya-Na Yakubu Andani
The statement signed by the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu ll, who is chairman of the Committee of Eminent Chiefs, Yagbon-Wura Bawa Doshie and Naa Professor John Nabila, Wulugu-Naba, said funds had already been made available for the construction of the temporary palace where widows of the late Ya-Na were expected to reside.
3. DON’T EXCEED LIMITS – KAN-DAPAAH TELLS RADIO OPERATORS – PG. 3
Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister of Communications and Technology, has urged operators of radio stations in the country not to exceed the limits assigned to them by the NCA, to guarantee their continued existence on the airwaves.
According to him, it was necessary that radio stations observed the principles of fairness towards business competitors and customers, to help protect the heavy investment made in the radio industry in Ghana.
He was speaking at the official launch of Happy FM, a private radio station in Accra.
He explained that it was Dr. Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana, who built the Airport and not General E.K. Kotoka.
He was speaking at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial lectures and Awards Night in Accra.
It was organised by the Kwame Nkrumah Foundation (KNF) and West Africa Magazine.
2. OKINE DENOUNCES GAY BISHOPS – PGS. 1 & 3
The Right-Reverend Robert G.A. Okine, Primate of the Province of West Africa of the Anglican Church, has said that the action of the Episcopal Anglican Church of USA in endorsing that election of a gay priest as Bishop, contravenes traditional Anglican norms and practice, which are based on scripture, tradition and reason.
In a pastoral letter, addressed to the Bishops, clergy and laity of the Anglican Church of the Province of West Africa, Archbishop Okine said, “ It is not the practice of the Anglican Church to allow the appointment and ordination of homosexuals/lesbians as clergymen or women.
The letter registered its sadness on the approval of homosexuals to the high office since “the action seems to have lowered the Gospel to the level of society instead of raising society to the level of the Gospel.”
The Church of the Province of West Africa, therefore, said it does not subscribe to the appointment and deems it most reprehensible.
According to the paper, a grand plan, remotely controlled from the regional capital and aimed at knocking out the minister in order to make the impending primaries a one-way traffic for her opponent, Mawutor Goh, the Ho district chief executive, has been exposed.
The paper’s investigative sorties in the Constituency revealed that as part of the first stage of the three-tier diabolical plan, the list of 202 polling station chairmen and secretaries, who constitute the delegates and are to vote at the primaries, are not only being compiled in secret, but also being kept close to the chest of the chairman, Mr. Theophilus Adzoho, who is seriously rooting for the DCE.
2. MPIANI BLAMED FOR JAK’S INACTION ON C’TTEE’S REPORT – PG. 4 & 5
According to the paper, the Chief of Staff, Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, has been blamed for the apparent delay by President Kufuor to act on a committee report that was submitted to him in Dec. last year on the wrongful dismissal of about 500 ex-workers of the National Oil Palm Limited (NOPL), which is based at Pretsea in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region.
Some sources that spoke to the paper said the Chief of Staff might have forgotten to inform the President of receiving the Committee’s report, hence the apparent silence by the President.
3. MIM THREATENS TO BOYCOTT FUTURE ELECTIONS – PG. 5
The paper reports that, Nana Kofi Boffah, acting President of Mim Traditional Council, has complained about the poor state of Mim in spite of its significant contributions, to the national economy.
According to the paper, he claimed that although Mim contributes largely to the country’s foreign exchange earnings, it remains the poorest in terms of infrastructure and cautioned that it should not be a surprise if the people refused to exercise their franchise in the next elections.
Nana Boffah, who is also Nifahene of Mim, was speaking at a durbar organised in honour of Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Regional Minister, who toured the town as part of a working visit to the Asunafo District.
2. TEMA FISHERMEN THREATEN TO BOYCOTT FARMERS’ DAY – PG. 3
The paper reports that members of the National Fisheries Association of Ghana (NAFAG) have threatened to boycott the Farmers’ Awards Day celebrations if fishermen were not recognized for their immense contribution to the economy.
According to the paper, they complained that ever since the day was instituted, fishermen and members of the NAFAG have never been considered for awards and that the situation was a disincentive to them.
“We will, therefore, institute our own fishermen’s day if fishermen will not be considered in the Farmer’s day celebration”, Mr. Peter Dadson of the Ocean Fisheries and a member of the NAFAG said during an open forum organised by Association to interact with Mr. Edward Martey Akita, Minister of State for Fisheries at Tema.