Print Press Review For Oct. 29

THE DAILY GRAPHIC – WEDNESDAY, 29TH OCTOBER, 2003

1. ANGLOGOLD WINS AGC BID – PGS. 1 & 3 The paper reports that, government has approved the merger between Anglogold and Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC).

The approval followed the government’s support for the decision of the board of Ashanti to recommend the revised proposal of Anglogold instead of Randgold’s revised proposal.

Official statement issued by the Ministry of Information, said that the government arrived at the decision based on Anglogold’s superior operational experience in deep-level mining, capital endowment and its record of highest dividend payout of all major gold mining companies in the last five years.

The statement noted that the new company-Anglogold Ashanti-will be the leading gold producing company in the world whose listing on the Ghana Stock Exchange will trade at levels comparable to Johannesburg, London and New York.

2. CALL FOR DEBATE ON TRANSITIONAL PROCESSES - PGS. 1 & 3

Prof. Fred T. Sai, immediate past president of Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS), has called for a public debate on how democratic transitional processes should be handled in the country.

He noted that because there were no legislations, laws and regulations for handing over power from the NDC to the NPP coupled with the short transitional period, the joint transitional team faced many challenges. He made the call at a three-day public colloquium in Accra on “smooth democratic regime transitions in Ghana”.

He said the constitution was detailed about timing of elections and dates for assuming office by various organs of state but the possibility of a re-run of presidential elections leaves the country with only days for a transition.

He, therefore, suggested an amendment to the constitution to empower the Electoral Commission to set dates while the commission consulted and made provisions such that there would always be at least, four weeks for the transitional process.

3. DEPUTIES CAN’T STAND IN FOR MINISTER, UNLESS ….. – PG. 3

Mr. Peter Ala Adjetey, Speaker of parliament, has ruled that unless a cabinet Minister is unavoidably disenabled to attend parliament to answer questions, a deputy minister would not be allowed to stand in for him.

According to him, it was important for the House to be treated with respect and, therefore, it is not permissible for a deputy minister to generally stand in for the substantive minister.

He made the ruling following a protestation from Mr. Alban Bagbin the Minority Leader, when the Deputy Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Mr. Joe Donkor, was to stand in for the Minister, Mr. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu to answer questions on the floor of the House.

4. WESTEL AGREES TO SETTLE $25M PENALTY – PG. 16

According to the paper, Western Telesystems Limited (WESTEL) has agreed to settle $25million in penalties to the National Communications Authority (NCA) for failing to roll out the number of lines expected of it in accordance with is licence agreement with the authority.

WESTEL, the second national network operator, which began operations in 1996, was expected to provide 50,000 telephone lines in five years but has, up to date, provided only 3,000 lines. Mr. Albert Kan-Dapaah, announced this in Accra yesterday, at the meet-the-press series.

He said the ministry had been in constant negotiations with the company to ensure that the issue of payment was resolved.

On Ghana Telecom, he said the new management of company had since April, this year, been able to extend its programmes to a number of cities.

5. KUFUOR TALKS TO VOA TODAY – PG. 17

The paper reports that, President Kufour will this evening grant an interview to the Voice of America (VOA) at the Castle, Osu. He is expected to answer a wide range of questions on issues affecting the economy, politics, social developments and Ghana’s role in resolving disputes in the West African Sub-region.

THE GHANAIAN TIMES – WEDNESDAY, 29TH OCTOBER, 2003

1. 10 ICT CENTRES SOON - PGS. 1 & 4

According to the paper, Ministry of Communications, in partnership with the Indian government, is setting up 10 community Information Centers (CIC), one in each region of the country.

The centers will provide Information Communication Technology (ICT) training, technology solutions and communications hub to link the Internet as part of efforts to open up the country.

Mr. Kan-Dapaah, Minister of Communication disclosed this at the weekly Meet-the-Press Series in Accra.

The project would be replicated in phases to cover the 200 constituencies in the long-run.

He explained that as part of efforts to provide first class training to aspiring computer professionals in the country, the Ministry had entered into an agreement with CISCO, the leading inter-networking company from the USA to award diplomats and degrees at the country’s Polytechnics.

2. MORE PREGNANT WOMEN DIE IN EASTERN REGION - PG. 1

The paper reports that, the rate at which pregnant women die in the Eastern Region is alarming.

For the first half of this year, 54 maternal deaths were recorded in the region, which to the health authorities are the tip of the lceberg.

Dr. Ebenezer-Appiah-Denkyirah, revealed this when heads of department met to brief students of the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College on activities in the region at Koforidua.

He said 954 pregnant women died in 2001 while 837 other deaths were recorded last year throughout the country, with 92 deaths (out of the 837) coming from the Eastern Region.

According to him, the number of women dying during pregnancy, childbirth or soon after childbirth continued to increase despite the efforts by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to reduce the figure.

3. PRESIDENT ASSURE SALT PRODUCERS OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT - PG. 3

President Kufour has assured local salt producers that government would do everything possible to protect their interests. As a first step towards demonstrating that commitment, he has ordered the inclusion of two executive members of the Ghana Salt producers Association on the board of directors of President’s Special Initiative (PSI) on salt.

He gave the assurance when members of the association called on him at the Castle Osu.

He implored members of association to invest more in the sector to meet the increasing demand for salt in the West African Sub-region.

He said he would not give upper hand to any outsider to exploit the enormous opportunities in the area.

4. ATANSAH HEADS NMC – PG.3

Mr. Wilson Kusi Atansah, the representative of the GNAT on the National Media Commission (NMC), has been elected chairman of the NMC.

He replaces Mr. Nutifafa Kuenyehia whose term has come to an end.

Mr. Atansah, an educationist and a lawyer, is a product of the University of Ghana.

He holds a BSC in administration and was called to Ghana Bar in 1994.

FREE PRESS – WEDNESDAY, 29TH OCTOBER, 2003

FREE PRESS RETRACTS DIVERSION STORY – PG. 1

The paper has retracted a story it published last Friday about alleged diversion of relief goods by the Minister of Works and Housing, Alhaji Idris Mustapha Ali.

According to the paper, it has been made aware that, the Hon. Minister personally solicited for the said relief items and that the items were actually distributed to the victims of the Tamale violence.

Meanwhile a group calling itself the NPP coalition for development in Tamale has described as highly wicked and dangerously malicious an alleged diversion of relief items leveled against Hon. Mustapha Idris Ali who is also the MP for Gukpegu-Sabongida constituency.

The group described the publication as a pure fabrication geared towards damaging the envious reputation of the Minister into the mind by his detractors.

THE ACCRA DAILY MAIL – WEDNESDAY, 29TH OCTOBER, 2003

NO – CONFIDENCE VOTE FOR ACCRA MAYOR … RCC MOVES TO TACKLE CITY’S FILTH – PGS. 1 & 3

The paper reports that the relationship between the Mayor of Accra, Mr. Solomon Darko and a large section of the people of Accra including the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council, the body he is supposed to be subservient to, is anything but smooth and cordial and the reason is not farfetched.

The paper says the recent flood to hit some parts of Accra was an eye-opener to the existing dangerous situation in a city were spent iced-water sachets have replaced ornamental green grass.

According to the paper, it was not surprising therefore when in the aftermath of the flood a buck-passing campaign ensued between the RCC and the Mayor in the airwaves.

However, the paper says in the end it stood and clearly that it was the latter who was not being efficient and the former soared victoriously.

THE HERITAGE – WEDNESDAY, 29TH OCTOBER, 2003

EDUMADZE CALLS MILLS CHAMBER – POT – PG. 1 & BK. PG.

The paper reports that the flagbearer of the NDC, Prof. Mills, has variously been described by his political opponents a poodle and a toothless bulldog, but his detractors are not done with him yet.

The paper says, he has a new tag, courtesy of the Central Regional Minister, Isaac Edumadze, who has described the former vice-President as “a Chamber pot, which came out of the factory already disgraced”.

According to the paper, Edumadze said, people like the former President Rawlings, who preceded Prof. Mills have shed blood and brought misfortunes to the party, he explained that a party that has bloodstains in politics is cursed.

“We all make mistakes but because of the curse that had been brought by the blood shed, no matter what the number of expertise or professors that go in there they can never succeed”, he stressed.

DAILY GUIDE – WEDNESDAY, 29TH OCTOBER, 2003

1. KOFI WAYO DUMPS NPP, BUT NDC OUT, PNC IN FOCUS – PG. 1 & BK. PG.

The paper says Mr. Charles “chunk” Kofi Wayo has indicated that he is in touch with his political advisers to decide whether he should remain a member of the NPP or dump it.

According to the paper, Kofi Wayo, alias “Nimaboy”, who has disagreed on various fora regarding the way and manner the government has been running the economy, has indicated that he had a lot of ideas up his sleeves to transform the Ghanaian economy within 90 days, but his own party henchmen had shunned him after helping them to win the 2000 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The paper states further that, Kofi Wayo has not made secret of his abhorrence to the NPP’s dealings with the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

2. LIBERIAN KILLER IN KASOA – PG. 1 & BK. PG.

The paper reports that, a former General in former Charles Taylor’s military has been spotted at Kasoa, West of Accra, where he and his family now reside after fleeing the war-torn country.

The paper says, Benjamin Yeaten, the former security chief in Liberia, and a known notorious killer whose exact location in Kasoa would not be disclosed is believed to have committed a lot of atrocities and caused mayhem, during his country’s civil war.

According to the paper, the former general has with him, his wife who is reported to be pregnant, in addition to five girls and three children and had paid a three-year rent advance for the accommodation.

THE GHANAIAN CHRONICLE – WEDNESDAY, 29TH OCTOBER, 2003

EMPLOY AND SACK DOCK WORKERS CRY FOUL …. OVER SLAVERY AND CHEATING – PGS. 1 & 3

The paper reports that, relations between the workers and management of Interbeton B. V., Ghana projects, Dutch Contractors of the Quay Two extension works at the Tema Harbour, are said to have gone sour following alleged cheating, intimidations, threat of dismissals and harassment of workers by the management.

According to the paper, development at Interbeton came in the wake of workers demand for wage increment from ?17,000 to ?21,490.00 a day of eight hours of work, implementation of the Collective Agreement and Complaints of alleged inhuman treatment by the expatriate supervisor, Mr. Bjorn Eilandery.

According to the paper, as a result of this over 50 workers have been dismissed without prior notice as stipulated in the collective agreement.

THE INSIGHT – WEDNESDAY, 29TH OCTOBER, 2003

PARLIAMENT TO PROBE VRA – PGS. 1 & 4

The paper reports that, there are very strong indications that a bi-partisan group in Parliament is pushing for a full scale enquiry into allegations of mismanagement and corruption at the VRA.

An insider to the paper over the last 10 days, there have been intense consultations amongst Members of Parliament over the state of affairs in the VRA.

Officials contacted however refused to confirm the story and MR. Doe Adjaho, Minority Chief Whip said “no comment” when asked to confirm or deny the allegation that Parliament may be looking into the affairs of the VRA.