Print Media Review For Oct. 28

THE DAILY GRAPHIC – TUESDAY, 28TH OCTOBER, 200

HIV/AIDS TREATMENT BEGINS IN DECEMBER – PG. 1

The paper reports that, Ghana is to start the full treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS with anti-retroviral drugs from December, this year. For a start, three medical centers, the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, the Atua Government Hospital and the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, will administer the treatment on pilot basis.

Dr. George Amofa, Director of the Public Health Division of the Ghana Health Service, disclosed this in an interview with the paper in Accra yesterday. According to him, the treatment, which will cost about $500 a year per patient would be subsidized by the government and Global Foundation, an international NGO, to cost ?50,000 a month.

MPs NEED SUPPORTING STAFF – S.K.B. ASANTE – PGS. 1 & 3

Nana Dr. S.K.B. Asante, a Constitutional Expert, has noted that for Parliament to effectively exercise its oversight responsibility on the Executive, individual members of Parliament must be equipped with technical experts and other supporting staff.

According to him, there can be no realistic discussion of an MP’s capacity to scrutinize executive acts without the benefits of such assistance and support. He was speaking on the empowerment of Parliament as an institution of democracy at the 16th Speaker’s Breakfast Forum in Accra yesterday. It was organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).

He said that lack of technical support and other resources had been serious and pervasive constraint on the effectiveness of MPs and their ability to scrutinize technical matters presented to them by the Executive. In contrast, he said the Executive was well equipped with a horde of experts, civil servants, consultants and international financial institutions.

ANGLOGOLD GETS SECOND NOD OF AGC BOARD – PG. 3

According to the paper, the Board of Director of AGC has again thrown its weight behind Anglogold’s revised merger offer of $1.5 billion even though Anglogold’s rival, Randgold upped its offer to $1.7 billion last week. After the board meeting yesterday, it said it had resolved unanimously to continue to recommend the revised merger proposal from Anglogold on October 14, this year.

Meanwhile the government is awaiting the findings of its financial adviser, Societe Generale, on the merger proposal.

MEDIA URGED TO BEHAVE PROFESSIONALLY – PG. 17

Mr. Justice G.K. Acquah, Chief Justice, has called on the media to exhibit a high sense of professionalism in the discharge of their duties to save people from needless grief and pain arising out of malicious publications.

He described recent revelations that, 80 per cent of cases settled by the National Media Commission (NMC) had gone against journalists due to their failure to cross-check facts as worrying and called on them to be circumspect in their reportage. He said this when he administered the oaths of office on 16 out of 18 new members of the NMC in Accra yesterday.

5. NUGS DELEGATION CALLS ON KUFUOR – PG. 16

A delegation of the NUGS yesterday informed President Kufuor and the government of the tragic death of Prince Abdul Hanan Adams, President of NUGS and Abu Anass, a second year Accounting Student of the University of Education, Kumasi Campus, in a motor accident last Saturday.

President Kufuor expressed his condolences and those of the government to the bereaved families and the student body, and advised them to stand firm and exhibit strength in this moment of grief.

THE GHANAIAN TIMES – TUESDAY, 28TH OCTOBER, 2003

GOVT SUED FOR ?30BN – PGS. 1 & 3

The paper reports that, Government is under intense pressure to secure about ?30 billion for the payment of salary arrears of 711 police personnel who were unconstitutionally retired over a decade ago.

The personnel will today obtain a final judgment from an Accra High Court to force the government to effect the payment with interest.

According to the paper, another High Court has already granted them an interlocutory judgment requesting the Police Administration to pay them. Today’s judgment is, therefore, only going to be in the form of a certificate of claim to be served on the IGP compelling him to effect the payment.

Mrs. Margaret Yaa Ntirewaah Achiampong, Counsel for the police personnel, disclosed this to the paper in an interview in Accra yesterday. According to her, the unlawful retirement of the personnel took place after the promulgation of the 1992 constitution.

She explained that before the constitution police personnel were legally retired at the age of 55. However, the 1992 constitution increased their retiring age to 60.

2. SIAMESE TWINS DIE – PG. 1

According to the paper, Siamese twins delivered at Saltpond Government Hospital last week have died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. They died on Friday night as a result of general infections. Dr. R.J. Nicholas, of the Department of Surgery Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, disclosed this to the paper in Accra yesterday.

He said they died just as the hospital authorities began investigations to determine their internal structures.

3. SOUTH AFRICAN ENVOY BIDS PRESIDENT FAREWELL – PG. 3

Dr. Magang Mineriki Phologane, out-going South African High Commissioner to Ghana, yesterday called on President Kufuor at the Castle, Osu to bid him farewell after four years duty tour in the country.

THE CRUSADING GUIDE – TUESDAY, 28TH OCTOBER, 2003

WORK OF NRC NOT VENDETTA-EXECUTIVE SECRETARY ASSURES GHANAIANS – PGS. 1 & 3

The paper says the fear being expressed by some Ghanaians that the NRC was set up by the Kufuor administration to seek vendetta has been allayed.

In an exclusive chat with Kweku Baako Jnr. Editor-in-Chief of the paper, the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Kan Attafuah said, “this is a process that has political implications but it is not a partisan political process.”

According to the paper, using himself as an example, Dr Attafuah said he does not belong to any scheme, “and I don’t believe that the Commission is part of any scheme.

He also pointed out that he is a technocrat who has been asked by his country to do a job that he personally believes is one of the most important developmental issues in the history of this country.

THE ACCRA DAILY MAIL – TUESDAY, 28TH OCTOBER, 2003

KUFUOR SCORES A FIRST 2000 PROMOTED IN FIRE SERVICE…BUT JUNIOR OFFICERS STILL PEEVED – PGS. 1 & 3

The paper reports that, President Kufuor’s government has scored a First in the history of the Ghana National Fire Service where it has okayed the promotion of some 2,000 personnel throughout the country and given approval for a wide range of allowances.

According to the paper, the service recently had its substantive chief transferred to the Ministry of Interior leaving the hot-seat for Mr. Atenga, a career Fire officer who rose through the ranks to his present position.

The paper states further that, even before his appointment is confirmed as Ghana’s Chief Fire Officer, Mr. Atenga, the man who is managing the Fire tenders and their crew is already receiving his initiation rites of anonymous letters from junior officers to the press over a catalogue of problems over which they are pointing fingers at the service’s management.

DAILY GUIDE – TUESDAY, 28TH OCTOBER, 2003

WHERE THERE’S A WITCH THERE’S A HUNT MILLS KNOWS NOTHING ….CHARGES DUA-AGYEMAN – PG. & BK. PG.

Mr. Edward Dua Agyemang, Auditor-General, has noted that the issue of submitting an annual Auditor-General’s Report to Parliament is not automatic.

According to him, until the Ministries, Agencies and Department’s (MDAs) submit their annual accounts, the Auditor-General, cannot pore over or cause an audit into such accounts to enable the Audit Service, to examine the accounts and /or make due recommendations to government.

He said apart from the MDAs delaying in submitting their accounts, some ministries do not even have accountants, adding that until his advent, the Auditor-General’s Office even lacked qualified accountants.

He was speaking in an interview with the paper in reaction to a news Conference held by Prof. John Atta Mills, flagbearer of the NDC. He challenged Prof. Mills to tell Ghanaians whether the former Auditor-General under the NDC Administration did ever submit his annual Auditor-General’s Report to Parliament, on time.

He noted tha, Prof. Mills was Vice-President in the NDC regime and Chairman of that Government’s Economic Think Tank, and yet sat there, like a “lame duck” when there were reports that the Government’s payroll was bloated. Mr. Dua Agyeman adverted to the fact that since his ascension to office as Auditor-General on April 21, 2001, he has been able to detect so many ghost names on Government payroll that had saved the state an amount of ?5 billion and an additional ?2.8 billion.

He claimed that under the NDC regime, there were arrears of Auditor-General’s Reports to Parliament in addition to serious frauds and financial malpractices now being discovered by him.

THE STATESMAN – TUESDAY, 28TH OCTOBER, 2003

CABINET MEETS ON MERGER TODAY AS ASHANTI REJECTS RANDGOLD AGAIN – PG. 1 & BK PG.

According to the paper, Cabinet is holding a special session today to deliberate on the merger proposal between Ashanti Goldfields and AngloGold presented to it by the Ashanti board.

AngloGold has given a deadline of October 31, 2003 for Ashanti to take a decision or risk paying a penalty fee of $15m as break fee.

GHANA PALAVER – TUESDAY, 28TH OCTOBER, 2003

TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE ECONOMY – PGS. 1 & 4

The paper says it has laid hands on a document which tells certain fundamental truths about the economy but which unfortunately are being kept secret from the people of Ghana.

The paper states that, it is a letter to the IMF Managing Director, Mr. Kohler, jointly signed by Mr. Yaw Osafo-Maafo, Minister of Finance, and Dr. Paul Acquah, Governor of the Bank of Ghana.

According to the paper, the letter seeks to amend the earlier “Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policy” dated March 31, 2003, from the two gentlemen to the IMF Managing Director.

The paper says in the letter, the NPP Government explains that the amendment is to account for the sharp increase in prices in early 2003, resulting from the positive shock of a 90% increase in domestic petroleum product prices and further adjustment in utility tariffs towards full cost recovery.

THE INDEPENDENT – TUESDAY, 28TH OCTOBER, 2003

COMMENT – WHY WE MAINTAIN PREZ KUFUOR HAS FAILED GHANAIR – PGS. 1 & 2

The paper reports that, over the last couple of weeks, events at Ghana Airways have demonstrated, why now more than ever, the Kufuor administration cannot continue to behave like the proverbial ostrich, where the affairs of that organization are concerned. The paper says it is appalled at this situation and no matter what Government Spokespersons say; “we maintain that the Kufuor administration has failed Ghana Airways”.

According to the paper, for almost three years since the government of President Kufuor took office, it has been the expectation and anticipation of many well-meaning Ghanaians, that in spite of the fact that it had inherited the hydra-headed Ghana Airways problem, the “fever” of positive change that propelled the moves at the GNPC, SSNIT, SIC and Several other state owned enterprises, would also be directed at Ghana Airways.