Press Review

Graphic Showbiz

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The front-page banner headline of the Showbiz says ?Esi Kom fights back to life.? The story says: Esi Kom , one of the most talented actresses who has endeared herself tomany theatre goers and TV audiences is fighting a paralysis that has threatened her career for the past three years. The 60-year old actress has been absent from the stage and TV for sometime now and many of her fans believed that she had travelled aborad. Rather Esi has been battling stiffness of the waist, legs, neck and half of her body.

In a inside page story, Showbiz reports that: ?Osibisa gears for final jam?. According to the story, the celebrated Afro-rock Ghanaian musical group which made the headlines across the World in the ?70s is finally drawing the curtain on its unbeaten track record with a show to end all shows at the National Theatre in Accra, Sports stadiums in Accra and Kumasi between April and May. According to the paper, the show is in response to persistent public demand for the music of the Osibisa group. The paper added that, Teddy Osei, the leader of the group confirmed this saying the show will mark the final home-coming of the group. The paper concluded that, Mc Tonto a leading member of the group disclosed that the show will feature all living members of the group scattered all over the World.

The Crusading Guide

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The Crusading Guide stories focuses on African affairs with a special placement on Nigeria?s elections slated for Saturday. The paper, in a front-page story says retired army General, Olusegun Obasanjo told the BBC that he is not representing the Military in Saturday?s elections as is being rumoured in the country. General Obasanjo is reported as saying representing the military, as a Presidential candidate was impossible since the ruling government had ruled out any such representation. When the former military leader was quizzed about speculations that he will oversee the military?s interest when elected, he replied that he will seek everybody?s interest, including the military. In a separate front page story, the Crusading Guide reports that the Nigerian media has described the former leader as being anti-Press, citing, many instances where he had been ?extremely? rude? to journalists. The story says General Obasanjo?s previous term in office saw him shunning local and black journalists while he granted interviews to their foreign counterparts. The mediamen sited an occasion when General Obasanjo snatched a microphone from a Nigerian Journalist during an interview.

The Guide

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The Guide has as its lead story ?Never, No sex with Mrs. Barnor? According to the story Reverend Dr. Annor Yeboah, General Secretary of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) on Tuesday Feb. 23 told Justice Ogoe?s court in Accra that he had never admitted having sexual relations with Mrs. Banor. According to the paper, Rev. Yeboah was defending himself in a case brought against him by some former church members that he had sexual relations with Mrs. Doris Banor and Cecilia Esuon. The paper added that Rev. Yeboah told the court that the sex allegation was concocted and the stories in the ?Ghanaian Chronicle,? a private paper, were untrue. The paper went on to say that Rev. Kusi Tabiri who was then one of the executives of the church in his evidence, told the court that when Rev. Annor Yeboah was confronted on the issue, he wept and pleaded for mercy. The story stated that, Rev. Tabiri who has since left the church over differences with Rev Yeboah, said when the church executives questioned Annor Yeboah on the issue and he admitted he had sex with Mrs Banor. The paper concluded that, Mrs. Banor also told the court last year in her evidence that Rev. Yeboah had sexual intercourse with her, emphasizing it in twi. The also reports in another front page headline : ?Ghana, Nigeria,Main Cannabis Producers.? The story quotes a International Narcotic Control Board (INBC) report released in Accra which sites Ghana and Nigeria as the main producers of cannabis in West Africa. The report cites Morocco as being the leader in Africa as far as cannabis production is concerned but Ghana and Nigeria are increasingly becoming major producers as well as transit ports for the drug. GRi

Daily Graphic

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The paper carries on its front page a banner headline ?WE?RE THERE?, Dazzling Satellites make nation proud? According to the story, the dazzling performance of the Black Satellites, the nation?s under-20 soccer side, saw them riding on chariots of fire into the semi-finals of the ongoing African Youth Championship tournament in with five sparkling unanswered gols against Angola at the Accra Sports Stadium yesterday. The paper says, their victory in yesterday?s game also trumpeted their majestic qualification for Nigeria ?99, the world cup edition of the tournament. The paper added that, the manner the satellites wrote history, as the first to qualify for the World cup edition, was simply marvelous and infectious. According to the story, history repeated itself when shortish but quick-silver schemer Owusu Afriyie was brought down by an Angolan defender at the same spot the Malian goalkeeper brought him down in their opening match. The Ethiopian referee Tessema Hailemalach awarded a penalty to the Ghanaians and was it expertly converted by Issa Rahman to open the floodgates of goals. The paper said in the 39th minute the referee showed red-card to Andre Matens of Angola for striking defender Kofi Amoako and reduced the numerical strength of the Angolans to 10. The paper concluded that this numerical disadvantage opened the way for the goals when Skelly Adu Tutu, skillfully dribbled the Angolan goalkeeper Mamona, to score the second goal. Substitute Awuley Quaye Jnr made it three after a series of passes among the Satellite players. Amuzu make it four in the 83rd minute by finishing a well rehearsed move deep from the satellites half. Issah Mohammed cheekily tapped home the fifth goal, two minutes to the full time to set in motion, wild celebration from the Ghanaians.

Ghanaian Times

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The lead story on the front page of the paper reads ?K?si MAYANKA GOES DOWN ?. As butchers run after executives?. According to the story the old slaughterhouse (Mayanka) at Ahinsan in Kumasi was pulled down yesterday on the orders of the Ashanti Regional Co-ordinating Council (ARCC) to induce the butchers to move to the new abattoir commissioned last year. According to the paper, some of the butchers looked on helplessly as the old slaughter house was being pulled down, and all efforts by the paper to contact the executives of the Co- operative and Progressive butchers Association for comments proved futile. It was believed that some of the executives of the Association had agreed with the Regional Coordinating Council to demolish the old slaughter house and had to run away for their lives from some angry butchers who had set ablaze the office of the cooperative Butchers Association that morning. The paper concluded that, later when its reporters the new Kumasi Abattoir Company Limited which was next to the old slaughter house to know the level of patronage, Mr. Agyenim Boateng, the Managing Director, said butchers were now turning to the Abattoir. He added that before the demolition of the old slaughterhouse, the new Abattoir was slaughtering an average of 70 cows daily between 5am to 1pm daily, but as at 10am of yesterday over 100 cows had been slaughtered. GRi

The Independent

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?Death on Ropes? is one of the headlines of the Independents. Underneath the headline is a picture of a lifeless body of a boy hanging head down on an electricity pole. The story says 19 year old Kwesi Ata of Kumasi Atonsu, was electrocuted by high tension electricity wires when he attempted effecting an electrical connection. According to AMA, his sister, Kwesi decided to connect the family house to an electrical pole near Georgia Telecom, at the time he believed all the lights in the Atonsu area were off. Unfortunately, the lights came on when he was about to

descend from the pole. Whereupon he was electrocuted by the tremendous rush of power and died on the spot.

ABLEKUMA CENTRAL BY ELECTIONS: NPP?s SEAT IN DANGER - Another front page story of the Indpendent gives a detailed account of attempts by the Ruling NDC to win the Ablemuma seat. The story states that the Ablekuma Central parliamentary seat, which belongs to the NPP presently, if won by the NDC will mean that they have a two thirds (2/3) majority. Something which the paper says has been a long cherished dream of the NDC becuase it will allow them to amend the constitution if they so wish. The paper reports that the NDC is leaving nothing to chance. Various meetings and strategies to prepare the grounds for what was called on ?effective victory? are said to have been held by the party. Meanwhile the NPP, the major opposition, are also reportedly doing everything within their power to retain the seat they won in the 1996 election. The story continues, that the NPP has narrowed to two from five the choice of possible candidate for the election. Aside of having to contend with each other, the Ruling NDC and opposing NPP are reported to be bothered by the prospects of having to fight minor parties such as the Convention Party (CP) and People?s National Convention (PNC), the Party of the late President Hilla Limman. Political Pundits believe that the choice of candidates will be largely based on ethno-religious factors. The Ablekuma Central seat became vacant following the death of the incumbent NPP member, C.S. Crabbe earlier in the month. The election on March 26 nearly a month away is predicted as being a deciding factor in the NPP ? NDC struggle for power in Ghana

P & P

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The front page of this local tabloid ?People and Places? carries the story of an ?angry woman who stormed their office? to declare, ?I had miscarriage after taking Pastor Joshua?s Koko? The story has it that a Pastor Joshua Adjei of the ?Bread of Life Evangelistic Ministry? held a revival at Achimota sometime last week. He is said to have among other things prayed over bowls of porridge (koko) claiming that it will the wishes of whoever drank it. He sold koko at varying prices. The woman in the story named Madam Abla complained that she bought ?10,000 worth of the porridge and a miscarriage the day after drinking it. Pastor Adjei when confronted had this to say for himself: ?What spirit was it that was in the woman when she came here? Many confessed that they were possessed and got delivered. She should have come back. The pregnancy was of the devil. God will never destroy what is good?. Madam Abla is reported to have gone to the church for prayers for the success of her marriage.