Print Press Review For October 13

THE DAILY GRAPHIC – MONDAY, 13TH OCTOBER, 2003

1. WE’LL QUIT HIPC BY MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR – PRESIDENT – PGS. 1 & 3
According to the paper, President Kufuor has stated that the country will attain the HIPC decision point by the middle of next year to enable it to exit from the initiative.

This, he said, would set the stage for a rapid socio-economic development.

He was addressing a colourful durbar of the Chiefs and people of Shai traditional area to climax their Ngmayem Festival at Dodowa in the Greater Accra Region on Saturday.

The government adopted the HIPC Initiative in 2001, to give the country some temporary relief from the payment of its external debts so that it would use the resulting financial savings to embark on poverty reduction schemes and development.

At the end of 2002, the government had committed ?235 billion to district assemblies, Ministries, Departments and Agencies for specific HIPC interventions.

2. GHANAIANS TO ASSESS GOVT’S PERFORMANCE - PGS. 1 & 3

The paper reports that, Cabinet has approved the setting up of an institutional framework to enable Ghanaians to assess the performance of government at the country level as part of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

To this end, the Ministry of Regional Co-operation and NEPAD is in the process of setting up a secretariat to implement the framework to facilitate the independent work of the panel of eminent persons appointed under the NEPAD to carry on the APRM.

Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, the Minister of Regional Co-operation and NEPAD, announced this at a workshop on “Good Governance through the NEPAD Initiative – the role of the APRM” at Akosombo.

According to him, Ghana would be the first country to be assessed and that the framework had been defined to make the APRM credible and dedicated to the cause of the national rather than party interest.

3. GOVT ORDERS 80 INFORMATION VANS – PG. 3

A total of 80 information vans to help ensure the effective delivery of information on government policies to the rural areas are expected in the country in December.

According to the paper, discussions with the Spanish Government on the purchase and delivery of the vans were advanced.

Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Deputy Minister of Information was speaking at a press soiree organised in Cape Coast to round-off his 5-day tour of the region.

The visit, which took him to all the 12 districts in the region, was to explain to the people pertinent national issues and government programmes such as the National Health Insurance Scheme, Poverty alleviation and educational programmes.

4. BOOST FOR PSI ON OIL PALM – PG. 17

The paper reports that, twelve private oil palm nursery operators have been contracted by the government to raise high yielding oil palm seedlings to boost the President’s Special Initiative on oil Palm.

The selected operators are Ayiem Oil Mills, B&M Farms, Norplam, WAOPP Ltd, Obooma Oil Mills and Akotosu Farms.

The rest are Agyepong Farms, Sorpooe Ltd, Juaben Oil Mills, Rohana, OPRI and Dizengoff Ltd.

Representatives of these farms at the weekend signed a performance contract with the PSI Secretariat and the Oil Palm Research Institute at Busua in the Ahanta West District in the Western Region.

THE GHANAIAN TIMES – MONDAY, 13TH OCTOBER, 2003

1. MINISTRY PROBES SSS HEADMASTERS…OVER EXTORTION ALLEGATION – PGS. 1 & 3

The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports is investigating allegations of extortion by some heads of SSS from parents before giving their wards admission.

The schools being investigated are located in the Central, Eastern, Ashanti and Greater Accra regions.

Those found guilty will be sanctioned by the Ministry.

Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu, the sector Minister, dropped the hint at the closing of the 10th National Conference of District Directors of Education in Cape Coast.

According to him, it was unacceptable for such heads to demand monies from unwilling parents before offering their wards admission.

2. PROSTITUTION CAUSES RISE IN HIV AT WA – PGS. 1 & 3

According to the paper, the practising of commercial sex activities by young girls in the Wa township, has become a major affront to efforts aimed at reducing the rate of spread of HIV/AIDS in the Upper West Region.

Out of 75 people who were tested for the disease at the Wa Regional Hospital between January and May, 45 of them were positive.

Similarly, out of 100 pregnant women who were tested for the disease in 2001 at Nandom Hospital, over 40 of them were positive, while during the same period, 102 pregnant women tested positive out of 204 at the Wa Regional Hospital.

Alhaji Zaidu Taminu, regional monitoring and evaluation focal person on the disease, announced this at a seminar at Wa.

He described the situation as alarming and called on traditional rulers, the clergy and health workers to collaborate with focal persons to fight the disease.

3. RETOOLING OF GHANA ARMED FORCES UNDERWAY – PG. 3

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) are to be retooled with modern weapons and equipment to enable them to perform their duties more efficiently.

To that end, various manufacturers of military equipment will visit them to showcase their wares for inspection and approval.

It forms part of the GAF’s five-year development plan.

Brigadier, J.B. Danquah, General Officer Commanding the Southern Command, gave the hint at a land combat power demonstration at the Bundase Military Training Centre in the Greater Accra Region at the weekend.

Aimed at providing a feel of the guns and other weapons in the arsenal of a battle group, the demonstration, supported by a British Military team was put up by elements comprising the 5 Infantry Battalion, 66 Arcillery Regiment, Airborne Forces, Ghanbatt 5 MONUC and Recce Regiment.

THE INDEPENDENT – MONDAY, 13TH OCTOBER, 2003

KUFUOR SIDELINES J. H. MENSAH …. ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT TEAM DISSOLVED – PG. 1 & BK. PG.

According to the paper, Senior Minister, Joseph Henry Mensah, has been sidelined from major decision making by President Kufuor and now parades the corridors of power as a ceremonial Senior Minister.

The paper stated that, the Senior Minister has even lost his job as head of the Government’s Economic Management Team.

According to the paper, checks at the presidency have revealed that the President has dissolved the Economic Management Team close to some months ago without a drop of hint to the Senior Minister.

Investigations by the paper confirmed that the President has not been happy with bouts of complaints made against the Senior Minister by some members of cabinet.

The paper gathered from some Minister’s that the Senior Minister, who was supposed to oversee the work of colleague Ministers, sometimes over scrutinised his charges and ended up embarrassing them.

THE GHANAIAN CHRONICLE – MONDAY, 13TH OCTOBER, 2003

MP’s CRIMINAL APOCALYPSE EXPOSED … LIES TO PARLIAMENT, EMBARRASSES HIS GOVERNMENT – PGS. 1 & 3

The paper reports that on the evening of July 24, this year, the NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Lower West Akim, Mr. Peter Kweku Amoabeng, made a snappy backtrack to Ghana, following a failed criminal boondoggle in Abidjan which caused great embarrassment to Parliament, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ghana Embassy in Abidjan and the government of Ghana.

The paper says it can report that the MP was involved in an orgy of fraud in which he made misrepresentations to Parliament, an Accra High Court, the Judicial Service, the Foreign Ministry and the Ghana Mission in Abidjan, resulting in the issuance of letters from these institutions to support his dubious application for a visa.

GYE NYAME CONCORD – MONDAY, 13TH OCTOBER, 2003

1. GBA PREZ FAULTS PRISONS, POLICE OVER JAILBREAKER – PG. 1 & BK. PG.

The President of the GBA, Mr. Paul Adu Gyamfi says it is disgusting that escaped convict Chris Asher is still walking in town going about his daily chores, whilst he has an alleged murder case also hanging on his neck.

The paper says, the President of the GBA, who said he did understand what was happening, has however cautioned the family of the suspected victim of Asher to exercise restraint in their attempted effort to effect a citizen’s arrest of him, saying they should rather fight for the law enforcement agencies and the Attorney General to do their work.

“This is a man who run away from lawful custody. Why must he be left as a normal Ghanaian?

2. MILLS DARES KUFUOR - *CHIDES PREZ FOR ATTITUDE TOWARDS CORRUPTION - *AWUNI, GABBY FIGHTS JOSIAH ARYEH OVER CHRIS ASHER – PG. 1 & BK. PG.

The paper says the flagbearer of the opposition NDC, Prof. Atta Mills, has dared President Kufuor to pick up the gauntlet and meet him for a face-to-face debate on current pressing national issues.

According to the paper, reminiscent of the same call turned down by President Kufuor on the eve of elections 2000, Mills said he is always “prepared to debate President Kufuor anytime, anywhere”.

Delivering a lecture on the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) at the fully crowded Observatory of the Commonwealth Hall of the University of Ghana, the NDC flagbearer chided the Kufuor administration for being leery in investigating corrupt administration officials on the basis of mere newspaper accounts, saying the same yardstick used against Alhaji Malam Yusuf Isa should be used against anyone.

DAILY GUIDE – MONDAY, 13TH OCTOBER, 2003

1. KUFUOR REACTS TO CORRUPTION SCARE – PG. 1 & BK. PG.

President Kufuor has re-affirmed his commitment to investigate and punish allegations of corruption against any public official, once such allegations have been substantiated.

He was reacting to the recent corruption survey report by the International anti-Corruption body, Transparency International.

According to the survey, Ghana has dropped 20 places down the table, compared to last year’s result. The result suggests that perception of corruption has deepened almost three years into the NPP Administration and cast slur on the Government’s declaration of zero tolerance for corruption.

2. NDC HIRE CROWD FOR RAWLINGS … ?5,000 PER PERSON TO AIRPORT – PG. 1 & BK. PG.

Ex-President Rawlings expected arrival from a foreign trip yesterday according to the paper, was punctuated with a subtle arrangement to re-enact some of the characteristics of the good old days of the NDC, of mobilizing crowds to receive the “old man” who loves such spectacles.

A hushed activities by some party functionaries in densely populated areas like Nima and Mamobi yesterday afternoon, to have many people as possible to go to welcome the founder on his arrival at the Kotoka International Airport in the evening, proved unsuccessful as the crowd never turned up as expected, the paper reports.

Only one of the two buses assigned at the Dunia Cinema location got full.

At another location where a bus had taken a position, only kids were seen enjoying the prospect of being treated to a jolly ride and five thousand cedi reward.

NATIONAL DEMOCRAT – MONDAY, 13TH OCTOBER, 2003

1. FA WO TU BEGYE BMW … ASAMOAH– BOATENG EXPOSED AGAIN – PGS. 1 & 3

The paper says the Deputy-Minister for Information, one of the proponents of the Vice President’s initiative on discipline lied when he said during a radio programme recently that he has not got a girlfriend.

The paper says, its investigations has finally got hold of the 19-year old girls name. She is Jennifer Lauria, a.k.a Zulaika.

According to the paper she is the beneficiary of the 200m BMW.

2. RAWLINGS AND PREZ. KUFUOR SHOULD MEET – CHRISTIAN COUNCIL URGES – PGS. 1 & 3

The paper says the Christian Council of Ghana on Thursday urged President Kufuor and former President Rawlings to spare the nation the political tremor, fear and agony that their differences create daily among the populace.

“The political antagonism between the two stalwarts have the potential of degenerating into anarchy and possibly destabilize the nation”, the Reverend Doctor Fred Deegbe, general Secretary of the Christian Council said this in an interview in Accra.

According to the paper, the General Secretary also appealed to their close confidant, political advisers and sympathizers to create conducive environment for dialogue.

THE INSIGHT – MONDAY, 13TH OCTOBER, 2003

VRA LOST ?14 BILLION IN A DEAL WITH SAHARA – PGS. 1 & 4

The paper reports that the payment of about ?14bn ($1.7m) in penalties for not lifting crude oil on schedule by the VRA is still shrouded in mystery.

Under an agreement between the VRA and Sahara, the Authority was obliged to pay penalties if it failed to facilitate the lifting of oil on schedule.

Sahara had a separate agreement with Arcadia Petroleum Limited of the United Kingdom for the supply of oil.

According to the paper, as a result of difficulties in the establishment of letters of credit and other administrative problems, the VRA notified Sahara that it could not facilitate the lifting of oil on schedule.

NETWORK HERALD – MONDAY, 13TH OCTOBER, 2003

ASHANTI DECIDES ON WEDNESDAY? – PGS. 1 & 3

Shareholders of Ashanti Goldfields Company Limited would by Wednesday this week, declare where to place the fate of the very rich Obuasi and some five or so other mines that come together as Ashanti, the paper reports.

That would effectively bring to an end, all the moves (profound and subtle), that the two bidders-AngloGold of South Africa and Randgold of United Kingdom.

Insiders say after the Board has decided, another round of meeting would be held with shareholders for a final decision to be made on their choice of company.

Move to capture Ashanti, which is conservatively priced at $1.4bn, has engendered a competitive offer of $1.4bn from Randgold with sole and most favoured competitor AngloGold bringing to the table, an offer of $1.1bn.