Review of PRINT MEDIA

DAILY GRAPHIC

STOP VILE CAMPAIGN….DEPUTY INFORMATION MINISTER WARNS POLITICIANS

According to the paper, the Government has made it clear that although it believes in freedom of speech and the rule of law, it will not sit down for people to pollute the minds of the populace with unsubstantiated claims.

It noted with concern that in recent times, some politicians and self-styled social commentators have been polluting the minds of the people with the view to gaining political advantage.

Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Deputy Minister of Information, disclosed this to the paper in Accra yesterday.

According to him, some politicians have mis-construed the government’s liberal handling of such issues as a leeway to carry out their swear campaign, especially in the rural areas.

“We have the mandate of the people to rule for four years and we know what is good for this country” he said.

2. FOCUS ON PROBLEMS OF THE BLIND – PREZ – PG. 3
President Kufuor has urged Ghanaians to focus on the social problems which prevent the blind and visually-challenged from participating actively in the activities of the society, rather than holding on to baseless prejudices and stereotype.

This way, investment in education of the blind will yield fruitful results. He was speaking at a Charity Ball organised by the Okyenhene Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panin Fund for the Blind, in Accra.

He said the government will create the environment for peace and security to enable the blind to work hard to create wealth for themselves and also to ensure their independence.

3. ANGLICAN HEAD ENDS TOUR – PG. 3
The Archbishop of Canterbury and Primate of all England, the Rt. Rev. and Most Honourable Dr. Rowan Douglas Williams, left Accra on Saturday for Sierra Leone after a three-day duty tour in Ghana.

4. ELIZABETH OHENE, 3 OTHERS TO VIE FOR HO WEST SEAT – PG. 13
The paper reports that, Ms Elizabeth Ohene, Minister of Tertiary Education, Mr. Mawutor Goh, Ho District Chief Executive, Ms Esther Edzeani, a Director of the GES in charge of private schools and Mr. Albert Amedzro, Senior lecturer at the University of Ghana, have filed papers to contest the primaries as parliamentary candidates on the ticket of the NPP in the Ho-West constituency.

The constituency chairman, Mr. T.A.Y. Adzoho, who disclosed this to the paper, said the four contestants were the only candidates who filed their papers by the deadline last Monday.

5. NEW BOARD FOR STATISCAL SERVICE – PG. 17
The Government has reconstituted the Statistical Board under the Statistical Service Law 1985, PNDC 135.

The board is made up of a chairman and five members and the Government Statistician, who is an ex-officio member.

Prof. Samuel I.K. Odoom, a former lecturer and Head of the Statistics Department of the University of Ghana is the Chairman.

THE GHANAIAN TIMES – MONDAY, 28TH JULY, 2003

1. THANKSGIVING SERVICE HELD FOR CHIEF JUSTICE – PG. 3
A special church service was held at the Ridge Church in Accra yesterday to induct Mr. Justice George Kingsley Acquah into office as Chief Justice of Ghana.

In attendance were President Kufuor, the Attorney-General, Papa Owusu Ankomah, Foreign Minister, Nana Akufo Addo and other top government officials.

Preaching the Sermon, Rt. Rev. Dr. Justice Ofei Akrofi, Anglican Bishop of Accra, urged Mr. Justice Acquah to be guided by the truth, fairness and justice.

2. GHANA EMBASSY STAFF IN MONROVIA EVACUATED – PG. 3

The paper reports that, staff of the Ghana Embassy in Monrovia have been evacuated to Accra following the worsening security situation in Monrovia.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs source however disclosed that the evacuation exercise was not a closure of the mission but a temporary measure, pending the normalization of the security situation in that country.

3. PEPRAH, OTHERS FILE FOR BAIL – PG. 1
The Court of Appeal will today hear applications for bail pending the appeal filed by the three jailed former government officials.

Ibrahim Adam, a former Minister of Agriculture, Kwame Peprah, former Minister of Finance and Dr. George Sipa-Yankey, former Director at the Finance Ministry, were last April sentenced to various terms of imprisonment by the Fast Track Court for causing financial loss to the state in connection with the Quality Grain Project at Aveyime in the Volta Region

4. COURT BOOK LOST….REGISTRAR SAYS NO HOPE OF FINDING IT – PGS. 1 & 3

According to the paper, a civil record book containing the ruling of a Cape Coast High Court in the chieftaincy dispute at Amosima, has mysteriously vanished from the registry of the court.

This comes barely three months after a similar book disappeared and later resurfaced at the Sunyani High Court following the paper’s publication on the loss of the book.

According to the paper, the book is urgently needed to facilitate the work of the court in a fresh dispute between two chieftaincy factions of Amosima.

The registrar of the court had made it clear in an affidavit that the Docket’s Clerk Cashier and some officers of the registry had made it known to him that they were not sure of getting hold of the said book.

THE ACCRA DAILY MAIL – MONDAY, 28TH JULY, 2003

1. CPP STILL AGAINST IMF/WORLD BANK – CHAIRMAN DECLARE THAT “LEFTIST POLICIES ARE MORE CONVENIENT FOR THE GHANAIAN SITUATION” – PGS. 1 & 7
According to the paper, Dr. Abubakar Alhassan, National Chairman of the CPP, has appealed to the government to pursue aggressive policies that would lead the country away from the apparent multilateral donor agencies’ control of the economy.

“Unless we as a nation come out with aggressive policies driven by self-confidence we will never break away from agencies like the IMF and World Bank whose conditionalities are making our people poorer.”

He made this comment when he addressed CPP functionaries at Wa during a brief visit to the Upper East Region.

Dr. Alhassan said countries that accepted the policies and conditions set by the two Bretton Woods institutions either lost economically or remained stagnant economically.

To emphasise his point he said “Leftist policies are more convenient for the Ghanaian situation.”

2. AFARI GYAN’S WINDMILLS! – PGS. 1 & 3
The paper report that, in 15 months time Ghanaians would go to the polls to elect a President and Parliament and the EC chairman, Dr. Afari Gyan is not campaigning for more funds to allow him conduct highly efficient and clean polls but rather on why the state must fund political parties.

The many seminars and workshops on the funding of political parties which should have been left to the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) as an academic exercise in democracy has seen the EC chairman doing more advocacy than the parties themselves.

According to the paper, in advocating for state funding for political parties, the chairman has not been able to enforce the existing laws requiring registered political parties to submit their audited account, an issue he has often publicly grossed about.

The paper, therefore, cautions the EC chairman, Dr. Afari, to stay clear of the issue of funding of political parties and must concern himself with the coming elections and burning political issues like how the electorate should stand up to coups and coup makers.

It added that if democracy is to be strengthened, a strong, vibrant and widely distributed independent media is what should be campaigned for, not state funding or any forced funding for political parties.

The Electoral Commissioner, it would seem, is chasing windmills, the paper noted.

THE INDEPENDENT – MONDAY 28TH JULY, 2003

CANCELLATION OF TU CONTRACTS – 30,000 WORKERS LOSE JOBS – PG. 1 & BACK PAGE
Investigations conducted by the paper in the Ashanti Region over the cancellation of Timber Utilisation Contract (TUC) by the government since it assumed office have proved that its image has taken a dive for the worst following the absence of raw materials for timber firms to work with. It also revealed that over 30,000 workers in that sector have lost their jobs following the cancellation of over 40 TUCs by former Lands and Forestry Minister, Prof. Kassim Kasanga.

The paper again found out that almost all the timber firms which are owned by Ghanaians are operating under capacity or have collapsed as a result of their inability to obtain raw materials for production.

Until the necessary steps are taken to provide the firms with conscessions many more workers in the timber sector will be laid off.

THE GYE NYAME CONCORD – MONDAY, 28TH JULY – AUGUST 3RD, 2003

1. UK DEPUTY CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF VISITS TODAY – PG. 4
The Deputy Chief of Defence Staff of the UK, Lt. General Richard Fry CBE, will pay his first visit to Ghana today.

Lt.-Gen Fry’s role as the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Commitments) enables him to provide advice for operations/commitments, provide direction to Operational Commanders, and direct and develop Defence aspects of British Crisis Management Machinery.

During his visit, he hopes to call on President Kufuor and will also meet the Defence Minister and Chief of Defence Staff.

NETWORK HERALD – MONDAY , 28TH JULY, 2003

NUGS ISSUES ANOTHER ULTIMATUM – PGS. 1 & 3
The Nation Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has threatened to embark on a massive demonstration at a date to be determined next month if government and the education authorities do not respond positively to their concerns.

The Union is to hold a news conference in Accra on Wednesday to outline their concerns and unveil a package of action it intends to pursue.

According to the paper, the students main bone of contention is on issues like the Ghana Education Trust Fund, GET-Fund, the controversial cost recovery policy at the universities and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

NUGS is also demanding government arrears of the GET-Fund which is said to be running into the region of 400bn cedis.

DAILY GUIDE – MONDAY, 28TH JULY, 2003

WE’VE NOT STOPPED RAWLINGS.FROM VISITING KETA – PG. 1 & BK. PG.
Works and Housing Ministry has refuted allegations in certain quarters that it has scuppered a planned visit to the Keta Sea Defence Project in the VR by the former President.

The Ministry indicated that preparations were afoot over a year ago, for the former President Rawlings, to pay a visit to the project site but he did not avail himself of the opportunity.

Hon. Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, sector Minister, stated this in reaction to a charge by the NDC that the Ministry has prevented former President Rawlings from visiting the Keta Sea Defence Project site, after the Keta district assembly, had approved the visit.

According to the Ministry, notice of former President Rawlings to visit the project site, came too short to the ministry hence its advice to the Keta DCE to ensure that the necessary health and safety measures had been put in place to facilitate Rawlings intended visit.

He therefore denied that the government had stopped the former President from visiting the project site adding that the Ministry’s decision is rather in the interest of the former President since he is a VIP whose health and safety needs have to be safeguarded.

THE GHANAIAN CHRONICLE – MONDAY, 28TH JLY, 2003

1. FIGHTING CORRUPTION – PLAN TO OVERHAUL JUDICIAL SERVICE UNDER WAY, SAYS CJ – PGS. 4 & 5
CJ, George Kingsley Acquah, has said “plans are far advanced to completely overhaul the judicial service in order to eliminate the corruption associated with the service by the end of October next year”.

From October this year all the courts situated at Cocoa Affairs would start functioning after undergoing effective renovation in order to cater for the numerous cases that are up the sleeves of the judicial service, he said.

The arrangements would enable all Appeal courts to commence sitting in two different sessions, mornings and evenings, to dispose off the 15,081 civil cases pending since 1985, while six fast track courts would be manned by high court judges, instead of appeal court judges.

The appeal court judges, the CJ noted would concentrate on the appeal court.

He also pledged to put in place other effective mechanisms that would make it difficult for corruption to succeed.

Among the mechanisms to be introduced are the establishment of a complaint units, an annual report as well as a newsletter to highlight all administrative issues of the judicial service.

CJ Acquah told the judicial press corps during a meeting held in Accra over the weekend that he was aware of all the problems confronting the service and would do all in his power to tackle them effectively.

2. RAPE OF FOREST RESOURCES – CHIEF CHALLENGES FORESTRY C’SSION’S INACTION OVER ILLEGAL EXPLOITATION – PGS. 1 & 3
The paper reports that, the Chief of Ayanfuri in the Central Region has threatened to take legal action against the Forestry Commission (FC) if it does not take steps to stop the destruction of forest resources by timber firms operating illegally in the area.

Odeneho Kwasi Peprah has also called on the President to direct the SFO to investigate the illegal harvesting of timber by firms without the Timber Utilization Contract (TUC) in contravention of section 19 of the Timber Resources Management Act 547 of 1997.

The chief want all logs which have not been conveyed or transported to be confiscated to the state and forestry officials found to have connived with these timber firms to be sanctioned and their equipment seized.

He made the call through the paper, alleging that the Western Industrial Farms and Company (WIFC) and Samartex Timber Company jointly harvested 650 standing trees, which come up to 1,300 logs with no evidence of payment of stumpage fees.