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• 12.10.2008

Five KNUST students injured during clashes

 Kumasi, Oct. 12, GNA - The 40th hall week celebrations of the Unity Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and technology in Kumasi turned violent on Saturday morning when members of the hall clashed with their counterparts from the University Hall (Katanga).

Four students from Unity Hall and one from University Hall were injured and were treated and discharged at the University Hospital. Several vehicles belonging to students, lecturers and visitors were damaged during the clashes which lasted for about 20 minutes. The students also vandalized property belonging to the University Hall and women who sell food and other items in front of the hall. It was through the intervention of the police personnel who had been detailed to protect the processors and tutors from the two halls who helped to control the rampaging students. Mr Mark William Adoriwuni, Senior Tutor of the Unity Hall, was manhandled by the students from University Hall when he attempted to calm down tempers.

No arrest had been made and a source at the security section of the university said investigations were ongoing. An eyewitness told the Ghana News Agency that the clashes ensued when some students from the University Hall threw stones and other missiles at their counterparts from Unity Hall who were going on procession on the university campus as part of the week celebrations. The source said when the procession of the students of the Unity Hall reached Kantanga Hall some members of the hall had mounted a road block but was removed by six police from the Bufalo Unit in Kumasi who were detached to protect the processors.

He said students of Unity Hall armed themselves with sticks and stones and stormed University Hall but because the main door was locked they vandalized anything on sight before moving away to continue the procession. The source said the police personnel who were not carrying any riot control equipment looked on helpless while the students attacked each other.

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Vote NPP out to liberate Ghanaians - Rawlings

Accra, Oct. 12, GNA - Former President Jerry John Rawlings has appealed to supporters of the National Democratic Congress(NDC) to liberate Ghanaians from economic hardships by voting the government out of power.

"Ghana's economy has declined and December 7 is the liberation day and the opportunity to wipe out the evil that has been inflicted on Ghanaians by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government," he said at a rally to introduce the NDC parliamentary candidate for Central Ayawaso on Saturday.

He said the election in December was not a religious or ethnic fight but it was a battle between good and evil.

"They have damaged the economy of this country and now police officers, nurses and teachers cannot educate their children but before the NDC left office in 2000 that was not the situation," former President Rawlings said.

He said the NDC government faces a daunting task of putting the economy back in shape after assuming office and accused the NPP government of attempts to use fraud and violence to rig the election.

Former President Rawlings said the NPP government used negative propaganda to win the last election and that the electorate at the Central Ayawaso had become victims of such propaganda.

He urged supporters of the party to desist from selling their voter identity cards and use it to vote the NPP out of power. Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, General Secretary of the NDC urged the electorate to elect candidates who stand for truth, honesty and integrity.

Dr. Ofei Agyeman, NDC parliamentary candidate for Central Ayawaso, called for unity to ensure victory for the party. Mr. Sekou Nkrumah, son of Ghana's first President, said the NDC was the only party that could champion the cause of the ordinary Ghanaian. He urged all the Nkrumaist parties to join hands with the NDC and vote the NPP out in December.

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No deaths recorded at Essipong stadium

Sekondi, Oct. 12, GNA - Painstaking inquiries conducted at the Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital at Sekondi and the Essikado hospital on Sunday indicate that there were no deaths recorded during a stampede at the Essipong stadium when the national team, the Black Stars played their Lesotho counterparts in a World Cup and African Cup of Nations qualifier on Saturday.

"The hospitals are the nearest health facilities where victims of the incidents would be rushed", health officials of the hospitals told the have no knowledge of any such reported deaths as no such incident was recorded in their station diaries.

At the Effia-Nkwanta hospital, Mr. Christopher Dadzie, Officer on duty at the hospital's mortuary where reports said the body of victims were deposited denied that any dead body was deposited at the morgue on the day.

Madam Gifty Solomon on duty at the Accident and Emergency Ward of the Regional Hospital also denied that there were deaths recorded during the incident.

Dr. K. Lawson of the Essikado Hospital told GNA Sports that no such incident was reported at the hospital on Saturday. Police Chief Superintendent Francis Ebenezer Doku, Western Regional Police Operations Officer on Saturday told Newsmen that a man and a woman sustained injuries during the stampede and were rushed to the Effia-Nkwanta hospital where they were treated and discharged. Some soccer fans who were eager to enter the stadium were said to have forced their way thus causing the collapse of the West and East gates of the stadium resulting in the injury of the two.

Many radio stations reported that three or more soccer fans actually died during the incident at the stadium gates. The 20,000 capacity stadium was over filled many hours before the game actually got underway which the Black Stars won 3-0. Many fans stood at unapproved areas including the walkways and the entrance to the seats forcing officials and security personnel having a hectic time trying to stop more fans from entering the stadium for fear of disaster.

Areas designated for the media were taken over completely by soccer fans and many Sports Journalists had to stand on their feet till the end of the match.

12 October 2008

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• 11.10.2008

Stampede at Ghana qualifier

Serious overcrowding marred the build up to Ghana's vital 2010 World and Nations Cup qualifier against Lesotho in Sekondi, Ghana.

The 20,000-capacity stadium was already badly overcrowded when fans forced open the main gates, prompting a dangerous stampede.

At least two people have been taken away in an ambulance, and I saw medics taking a stretcher into the crowd.

The game kicked off on time despite the trouble.

It is the first time the Black Stars have played in Sekondi, prompting massive interest.

Security forces were badly outnumbered and were unable to do anything to stop the rush of fans into the ground.

They used the public address system to warn fans of the potential for a serious trouble.

Seating in the stadium was fully occupied well before kick-off with stairwells in the stands also full of supporters.

Later, once the game had kicked off, the military were called in to try and reinforce the police.

The match finished with a 3-0 win for the home team thanks to goals from Sulley Muntari, Junior Agogo and Matthew Amoah.

Ghana witnessed Africa's worst football disaster in May 2001 when 126 fans died during a football game between arch rivals Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko.

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"Flying Coffin" could not make it to Equatorial Guinea

Accra, Oct. 11, GNA - The Presidential Jet on Saturday returned to Accra 20 minutes after it took off for Equatorial Guinea, where President John Agyekum Kufuor was scheduled to participate in the 40th independence celebration of that country. The temperature within the cabin began to rise a few minutes into the flight, due to what the Pilot, Air Commodore Michael Sampson-Oje said was the failure of the pressure system. He said the only option under the circumstance was to return the plane to the ground. President Kufuor was accordingly informed and the journey was aborted.

Air Force part - of the Kotoka International Airport (Accra) - PICTURE (c) EventPicture.co.uk & ghana-net.com 2008

      IN FRONT 2 Ghana AIR FORCE JET FIGHTERS and a TRANSPORTER. RIGHT HAND THE PRESIDENTIAL JET(sold)

      (Money...money...money...)

 

The plane landed safely on the very tarmac from where it had lifted up into the air about 20 minutes earlier.

President Kufuor was invited by President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea to join him in the celebration of the country's independence.

He was expected to return to Accra on Sunday.

Senior Government officials and the Military Command had earlier seen him off at the airport.

General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong bought the "Flying Coffin" in 1974. President Rawlings bought another Jet in 1990s, which has now been sold off.

Source: GNA

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• 10.10.2008

Ghana First Peace Train Takes Off For Bolgatanga

Accra, Oct. 10, GNA - After several weeks of preparation the Ghana First Peace Train took off with a bang on Thursday carrying a batch of musicians and other performing artistes, heading to Bolgatanga and Bawku in the Upper East Region. A release from the Accra Office of the World Bank said; they would be met by another batch of local artistes, traditional ruler, religious bodies, the youth and the common goal is a simple one - peace and nothing else but peace.

Some of the popular names on the Train are Diana Hopeson; Amandzeba; Shasha Marley; Kwaw Kesse (Abodam); Adane Best and Ohemaa Mercy. Others are; Chemphe; 5 Five; Spirit; Wutah; Kitchen; Blaq Swede; Sherifatu Gunu; Rev Lenny Akpade; Grace Ashey and Ceasar. The rest are; Slow Gem; Philipa Berfi; Jane and Irene; Reggy Zippy; Isaac; Cee, Ampong; A.B. Crentsil; Patty; Okuraseni Samuel; Jerry Borketey and the indomitable King Ayisoba.

With just about two months left for Ghana's landmark presidential and parliamentary elections, many Ghanaians and friends of Ghana have had cause to worry about the country's ability to remain the oasis and beacon of peace in a hitherto stormy neighborhood, the release said. According to the release, "over the past few months, the electioneering process has been beset with many reports of violence, fighting and profound bickering. Even during intra-party primaries, some people were reported to have lost their lives. The good thing is that Ghanaians by their nature are very peaceful and peace loving, so it is not a surprise that many initiative have already sprung up with the aim of promoting peace".

With the slogan: "GHANA FIRST. WE LOVE PEACE," the United Ghanaian Artistes for Peace (UGAP), featuring all the winners of the prestigious MUSIGA 2007 Awards and other leading Ghanaian artistes first worked very hard to produce a Peace Song - We Love Peace, which is gradually becoming a hit, and a video to match, which will be making its debut this week. Mr S.K. Boafo, Minister of Chieftaincy and Culture, who played a leading role in bringing the Peace Train idea into fruition said, "Ghana is all we have, and we should stop at nothing to ensure that peace prevails during this election. We have done it before, and we should do it again".

Mr Ishac Diwan, World Bank Country Director for Ghana, in whose house the idea was conceived during a reception in honor of the Awardees, commended the voluntary spirit with which the artistes are pursuing this peace agenda. He said: "it was a good feeling to see these young musicians take up what was just a little discussion from its beginning to such a level, that we now have not just a nice song and a beautiful video, but a whole platform which is bringing many peace loving people together for a noble course."

Nana Adwoa Awindor, Chief Executive Officer of Premier Productions, called for support from all to enable the Train to travel across the country with the message of Peace. 1

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Tema General Hospital gets modern eye centre

Tema, Oct 10, GNA - The Tema Lions Club has unveiled a plaque to officially open a US$600,000 ultra modern eye care centre for the Tema General Hospital. The eye centre, which is 80 percent complete has two waiting areas, four consulting rooms, screening room, operating theatre, optometry, darkroom, admission wards and pharmacy among others. The existing eye clinic in the hospital was housed in an abandoned nursing facility which provides other services such as death and birth registry.

Due to limited space at the old facility, the clinic which attends to patients between 80 and 120 runs twice a week instead of daily. Mr Albert Brandel, International President of the Lions Clubs who unveiled the plaque said over 26 million people have received sight restoration through the activities of the club worldwide. Mr Brandel noted that providing eye care service was a challenge to the Lions clubs in being "knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness".

He further said the club has allocated 4.5 million dollars towards the improvement of eye care services in Africa. Mr Clement Torsutse, President of the Tema Lions Club in a welcome address said the eye care centre project was initiated by the club to raise funds to provide the hospital with the best facilities. Mr Torsutse added that companies and individuals in the Tema metropolis contributed towards the construction, stating however that an additional GH¢50,000 was needed to make the facility functional. He further said eye equipments such as visual acuity projector, slit lamp biomicroscope, operations microscope, cataract surgical instrument set and lens manipulation extraction hook among others, were needed for the effective running of the centre. He anticipated that the centre would cater for 1,500 patients in and around the metropolis weekly, adding that, the club often embarks on eye screening exercises in the villages near the Tema metropolis. Dr Solomon Otu-Tawia, Acting Medical Superintendent of the Hospital thanked the club for the initiative and called on other organizations and companies to emulate their gesture to provide the needed infrastructure for the hospital. Dr Otu-Tawia indicated that since its construction in 1954, the hospital has not seen any major dramatic facelift even though it is the referral point for all health facilities in and around the metropolis as well as one of the busiest in the country. Mr David Quaye-Annang, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive promised that the assembly would collaborate with the hospital to provide the needed facilities to enable the public to receive quality health care.

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Former Speaker Ala-Adjetey laid to rest

Accra, Oct. 10, GNA - The mortal remains of the late Peter Ala-Adjetey, a celebrated lawyer and former Speaker of Parliament, were on Friday laid to rest at La cemetery in Accra. This was preceded by a state funeral service at the forecourt of Parliament House.

President John Agyekum Kufuor and his wife, Theresa, Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama and his wife Rahmatu, Mr Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes, Speaker of Parliament, Chief Justice Georgina Theodore Wood, Ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs) and the Judiciary, were among the huge crowd of mourners who attended.

Also present were former President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu as well as the presidential candidates of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo and Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Numerous tributes were paid to his memory and the common theme, which ran through them was the acknowledgement of his exceptional academic brilliance, firmness, sense of courage, fairness and significant contribution to Ghana' democracy. President Kufuor, in a eulogy, read by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Joe Ghartey, said the late Speaker lived a life worth celebrating.

"A man of many parts, in his chosen profession - law, he achieved greatness. In his calling - politics, he achieved greatness. As a legislator, he achieved greatness and also as a statesman, he achieved greatness." He said his carefully thought out arguments, his clarity of thought, as well as speech, led him to stand out, undeniably tall among his peers.

President Kufuor noted the landmark cases he led in court at the return of the country to constitutional rule in 1992, which, he said, afforded the Supreme Court the opportunity to give meaning to various provisions of the Constitution and establish the underlying fundamental principles of democratic governance in the body politic. Among these were the case of the NPP versus the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC), in which the Supreme Court ruled that the Corporation as a state-owned institution was obliged to present political parties with equal opportunity to present their views on state sponsored television and the NPP versus the Inspector General of Police, where clarity was given on the right to freedom of assembly. "We as a nation owe a debt of gratitude to all the actors of this stage of the nation's development and for the recognition of and respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms that we enjoy today we take for granted, a stage upon which Peter Ala Adjetey once again stood tall."

On his part, Mr Sekyi Hughes said the late Speaker lived and demonstrated fairness, objectivity and impartiality in Parliament. Additionally, he introduced discipline, time-management and time-consciousness to the House. The discipline he sought in the House he imposed on himself first.

The Most Reverend Dr Justice Offei Akrofi, Anglican Archbishop who officiated, asked Ghanaians to be inspired by the life of the late Ala Adjetey to demonstrate love for one another. Aged 76, he left behind a wife and 10 children. 

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• 09.10.2008

Stop using Flag bearer's name in campaign

NDC Group warns independent candidates

Accra, Oct. 9, GNA-The Movement For A Better Ghana, a group within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has warned independent candidates in the Ayawaso East Constituency to stop using Professor John Evans Atta Mills' name in their campaign.

The Movement said they have noticed that certain individuals parading themselves as independent candidates aspiring for the parliamentary seat were using the party's flagbearer's name in their campaign in order to win the seat.

"We are warning those self-seeking independent candidates to desist from using the name of Professor Mills of our NDC on their campaign grounds", said the movement.

a press release signed by Mr Joseph Midey, Public Relations Officer of the Movement on Thursday, said as far as they were concerned, they did not recognise those self-seeking individuals coming from the party, adding that, they were campaigning for their personal gains and not for the party.

The Movement said they rather recogniseD the incumbent Member of Parliament for the constituency, Dr. Mustapha Ahmed, as party's only candidate for the constituency.

The Movement said party members and sympathizers, especially the newly registered voters who wanted to vote for the NDC, should not be deceived to vote for those self-seeking independent candidates. It said those independent candidates should also stop spewing falsehoods about Dr. Mustapha Ahmed but rather rally behind him and Professor Mills if they really meant well for the NDC. The Movement therefore reminded the people in the constituency of the numerous projects undertaken by the NDC Government from 1993-2000 and also the tremendous work done by the incumbent MP for the past eight years. They called upon the people in Ayawso East to vote for the NDC to win the December 7 elections to continue the developmental projects being undertaken by the MP and the party in the constituency.

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Why Is Kuwait Oil Suing Prez. Kufuor

Presidency Stonewalling Enquiries Into…

In what is being seen as a conspiracy of silence, Ghana’s Presidency and top Executives of Kuwait Oil are stonewalling efforts to investigate reports that Kuwait Oil has instituted action against the Ghanaian President, John Agyekum Kufuor at the International Court of Arbitration.

Kuwait Oil Company, one of the largest oil producing companies in the world, is said to have gone to the International Court of Arbitration to sue Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor, President of Ghana, and some Nigerian partners of his for debts owed Kuwait Oil by a company in which the respondents (Mr. Kufuor and the others) have interests.

Available information indicates that Kuwait Oil is suing for the recovery of a mind-boggling $5.5bn.

Information available indicates that Kuwait Oil has already obtained a court injunction on several personal properties belonging to President Kufuor, both in and outside Ghana, as a form of surety to get Mr Kufuor to pay the debt.

The Chairman of Kuwait Oil, Sami Al Rushaid, would not respond to several telephone calls and email enquiries sent to him. However, Sami Al Rushaid’s secretary told this paper in a follow up enquiry that our enquiries had been referred to the legal department of Kuwait Oil.

Ergo: Why would the Chairman of Kuwait Oil refer our enquiries to their legal department if they [Kuwait Oil] had not sued the Ghanaian President?

Our information is that Kuwait Oil entered into a business deal with a company in which Mr. Kufuor is said to have substantial interest. Indeed, information has it that the Ghanaian President is the largest shareholder in the said company, which is said to be based in Nigeria,.

According to our information, the company, entered into a deal with Kuwait Oil for lifting of oil to be sold in Africa.

A source close to Kuwait Oil told this paper that Kuwait Oil was initially unwilling to do business with the Nigerian-based company, “however, your President personally intervened and guaranteed the credibility of the company, and it was based on his personal guarantee that Kuwait Oil started doing business with the company, giving them sixty-day credit line.”

According to the source, “the Nigerian-based company has defaulted in its payment, and the principal plus interest due Kuwait Oil as at July of 2008 was in the region of $5.5billion.”

Unconfirmed but credible reports have it that by August 31, 2008, Mr. Kufuor had managed to settle nearly $4bn out of the debt of $5.5bn.

But the Secretary to the President, Ambassador D. K. Osei, pooh-poohed the matter when this paper contacted him for confirmation of the story.

“Do you believe that a foreign company can sue the President?” was his response.

Stay tuned.

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• 08.10.2008

Zimbabwe woos Ghanaian investors

Accra, Oct. 8, GNA - Zimbabwe on Wednesday appealed to Ghanaian entrepreneurs to explore investment opportunities in that country. Briefing members of the Accra Chamber of Commerce and Industry at their monthly meeting on investment opportunities in Zimbabwe, Mrs. Pavelyn Tendai Musaka, Zimbabwe Ambassador to Ghana, said the country's industrial sector was in dire need of injection of fresh capital to enable it to meet the competitive global environment. She said opportunities existed in the agriculture, manufacturing, horticulture and tourism sectors and urged Ghanaians to take advantage of them.

While admitting that investors are right to express fear and concern about safety of their investment because of the current political environment, Mrs Musaka gave the assurance that government had in place guarantee to secure investments of foreigners. She said this was the time that Ghanaian investors must make a move, saying any hesitation would be a missed opportunity. Dr. Julius Spatz, Programme Director GTZ, who also spoke on GTZ assistance to SMEs, lauded the economic strides made by Ghana in recent years but said much more needed to be done to make the growth sustainable. He said while the period had also witnessed expansion in industrial productivity, sectoral structures had remained the same and poorly linked.

Cocoa, timber and gold continue to be the dominant exports, contributing the highest to the country's export revenue. There is therefore the need for a shift in structure through export diversification. Dr Spatz said it was in this direction that GTZ launched its programme for sustainable economic development to support government to deliver on the Medium Term Private Sector Strategy, especially in the regions and districts of the country. Under the programme GTZ provides funds to rural banks to enable them to support small and medium scale enterprises.

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Fleeing Togolese murderer arrested in Ghana

Nkwanta, Oct. 8, GNA - Kudjo Jato, a 30-year-old farmer of Dekpelewu in the Republic of Togo, who allegedly killed his wife for jealousy and fled into Ghana, has been arrested by the Nkwanta Police. Mr Douglas Kumah, Nkwanta District Police Commander, briefing the Ghana News Agency said Jato stabbed his wife, Abena Jomu, 21, with whom he had an issue, three times, in back, rib and chest, killing her instantly, on suspicion of infidelity on September 23, this year.

He said persistent suspicion of infidelity by Jato and irresponsibility levelled by Jomu, resulted into frequent quarrels, fisticuffs and eventual separation, which was resolved in arbitration prior to the murder incident.

Mr Kumah said Jato, who had relocated to Ghana occasionally visited home with persistent allegation that his wife was having extra marital affair.

He said Jato once saw Jomu in the company of another man and picked up a quarrel with him resulting into a fight. Mr Kumah said in the ensuing confusion Jomu allegedly prevented Jato from stabbing his rival.

He said later, Jato lured his wife into their room and savagely stabbed her three times, killing her instantly. The Police Commander said Jato later abandoned the deceased in a different room and fled Togo to Ghana. He said Jato was arrested on a tip-off at Krontieng, a farming village near Nkwanta.

Mr Kumah said the Police administration was seeking advice from Interpol (International Police) on whether to release Jato to the Togolese or Ghanaian security officials for prosecution.

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Computers for all school children soon - Kufuor

Sunyani, Oct. 7 GNA - All schoolchildren aged between five and 12 years would be given personal computers, President John Agyekum Kufuor announced when he addressed the 14th National Best Teacher Award/World Teachers' Day ceremony at Sunyani on Tuesday.

He said the Government was in the process of equipping all schools with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) designed personal computers for all school children from age five to 12 years, adding that the first batch of 10,000 units of the computers, a sample of which he displayed, would be delivered in the country soon. President Kufuor explained that negotiations between the Government and the MIT for the supply of the computers; dubbed "wonder machine" started about two years ago and under the leadership of the late Finance Minister, Mr Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu.

"Logically government policy should aim also at equipping every teacher with a personal computer. It goes without saying that the teacher must master the magic machine to be able to guide pupils to make headway with it," he said.

President Kufuor said the Government's policies since 2001 had aimed at, among other things, enhancing access to quality education for children of school going-age and providing suitable and adequate facilities for teaching and learning.

"The educational reform, including the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education (F-CUBE) is to ensure equality of opportunity for all children, regardless of disparities in the financial circumstances of their families", he said.

He explained that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) launched by the UN in the year 2000 stipulated that all children of school-going-age around the globe should be in school by 2015 and that Ghanaians should feel proud that the country was looked on as one of the countries south of the Sahara likeliest to achieve the target by the deadline.

President Kufuor said the Government intended to sustain the progress made thus far by motivating teachers in different ways, noting that turning teacher training colleges into diploma awarding institutions has already happened.

He said subsequent to the diploma, the teacher "has to do only two more years of study in a university to obtain the Bachelors Degree in education by taking a study leave or alternatively he or she may also acquire the same qualification while remaining on the job by distance learning".

President Kufuor said progressive review of teacher's salaries continued to engage the Government's attention, announcing that preparations were underway to implement recommendations beginning next year for a single-spine of salary structure to ensure that all workers received equal pay for equal work.

He said other incentives including 130 units of accommodation of two; three or four bedrooms for teachers have been constructed nationwide, with more units under construction. "Distribution of bicycles at no cost to teachers in deprived districts has commenced. Motorcycles have also been provided to circuit supervisors on hire purchase on manageable terms", adding, to enhance management efficiency, 200 buses have been provided for district offices", President Kufuor said.

He mentioned that 100 Toyota 4 x 4 pickup trucks have been supplied to directorates of education and heads of selected secondary schools, while 40 Mahinta 4 x 4 jeeps were expected in the country for distribution to senior high schools.

President Kufuor noted that the teachers' award package had been made more attractive than ever before, saying this year in line with the policy initiated three years ago, 40 retired teachers in Brong Ahafo, the host Region, have also been recognized for their dedicated services. He said the teacher's calling had become the most challenging ever, "as the responsibility falls more and more on the teacher not only to educate the child but also to socialize him or her to the attitudinal traits that nurture tolerance and community feeling.

"It is in this sense that the teacher becomes the main institution and agency for shaping the personality and image of our communities and indeed humanity", he said, and noted that nobody could deny the critical relevance of the teacher to social development.

President Kufuor on behalf of the Government and the people of Ghana saluted "our gallant teachers and workers in the education sector on the occasion of the 14th Best Teachers' Award ceremony" and asked the award winners to return to their schools, classrooms and offices more committed than ever before to their profession.

He thanked the country's development partners, "who have also been contributing to Government's efforts in improving and modernizing education", saying; their continued assistance was proof that truly the international community was evolving into an interdependent world. President Kufuor announced that following appeals by the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and National Association of Graduate teachers (NAGRAT) he had directed that suspended salaries of some teachers, who embarked on a strike action two years ago, be restored.

Mr Joseph Kwaku Adjei, President of GNAT, called on Presidential aspirants in the December Elections to think of the teacher's status as one of their priority areas, saying "any group of people, who care about their future should give those men and women the credit; support, moral and material recognition they deserved for their challenging tasks in the classroom".

He appealed to the Police to continue to be very professional in their quest to ensure very peaceful elections and this should go beyond the assurances they have given.

"Those who violate the laws should be prosecuted irrespective of which political camp the suspect belongs to", he said, noting that this would assure the public that they were on top of the job and also earn them sufficient community support and co-operation. In a welcoming address, Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, urged teachers to aim at improving the performance in their various schools, stressing that their duty "must not be limited to teaching the students to memorize things just for the purpose of passing examinations".

"Your duty must transcend into helping the students to identify their innate talents so that in appreciation of such talents they can grow up knowing precisely what they are most suited for. Most importantly the children must be trained for service that will make them lead better lives after school", the Regional Minister said. 07 Oct. 08

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NDC stole our manifesto ideas -NPP

Accra, Oct. 8, GNA - Mr. Peter Mac Manu, National Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), on Wednesday accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of plagiarism for stealing the central ideas in the NPP manifesto without out acknowledging them.

He told journalists that even though the NDC had in the past kicked against and called for the abolition of NPP policies and programmes, the NDC had stolen those same policies and put them in their manifesto without admitting that those were NPP policy initiatives.

"Professor Mills implicitly suggested that the NPP deserved a failing grade for its performance in government, but I dare suggested that if a student did what the NDC has done with our manifesto, that student would be charged with plagiarism," he said.

Mr Mac Manu acknowledged that even though plagiarism was a second degree felony and actionable by law, the NPP was too busy with its campaign to take the NDC to court.

He noted that NDC had kicked against policies and programmes such as the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP), School Feeding Programme, Metro Mass Transit System, the Capitation Grant and recently the propose Northern Development Body.

"But in their manifesto they have committed to continuing those policies and programmes with a few irresponsible modifications which threaten to derail those programmes," he said. Mr Mac Manu said the NDC should have been forthright to admit that those were NPP policies instead of creating the impression that they were NDC initiatives.

He also debunked the claim by the NDC that under the NPP there had been marked social exclusion in the country, saying that with the millions of Ghanaians benefiting from all socially oriented programme listed above, that claim could not be the fact. "Under the NPP poverty level has reduced from 39.2 per cent to 28 per cent, national debt has reduced from 189 per cent of GDP under the NDC to 48 per cent of GDP and public workers are being chased by the banks with loans for he first time in the history of the country," he said.

Mr Mac Manu also described as a lie the claim that the economic growth rate in 2007 was 5.8 per cent saying that it was 6.3 per cent and that national debt was 7.8 billion cedis and not 91 trillion cedis as the NDC claimed.

He noted that while all the economic indicators pointed to Ghana reaching the middle income status by 2012, NDC insisted that under their administration Ghanaians would have to wait for eight more years before the middle income target was achieved.

"Obviously the NDC has demonstrated its timidity and lack of ideas to move the country forward in the manner that the NPP has done and we are confident that the people of Ghana will not give them the mandate to run down an economy which is already progressing under NPP," he said. He also chastised former President Jerry John Rawlings for accusing the NPP of glorifying corruption, saying that after 19 years of being head of state, the former president himself admitted that he could not win the fight against corruption.

8 October 2008

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NDC thanks media for "extensive" manifesto coverage

Accra, Oct. 8, GNA - The Office of the Leader and Flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Professor John Evans Atta Mills, on Wednesday thanked the media for the wide and extensive media coverage of the launch of the party's manifesto and pledged an open and principled relationship with the media.

A statement signed by Mr. Koku Anyidoho, Head of Communications of the Mills campaign, quoted the manifesto which said: "An NDC Government will also maintain a principled relationship with the media, constantly reminding each other that what is right under one government does not suddenly turn wrong when government changes hands.

"In this regard, an NDC Government will expect the media to be fair, objective and truthful in a true spirit of partnership with Government for promoting national cohesion and sustainable development." The NDC said its commitment to a progressive relationship with the media, was also captured in the manifesto which said: "Conscious efforts will be made to ensure that members of the NDC Government have regular interaction with the media to facilitate the flow of information. The NDC makes a pledge for greater openness, transparency and accessibility.

"The career progression and development of journalists will engage the serious attention of the NDC Government and a programme of sponsorship of journalists for further training and specialization will be instituted."

The statement said Professor Atta Mills was confident that the majority of Ghanaians will vote for a change, come December 7 and in building a better Ghana, the very crucial role of the media, would be used to further the cause of nation-building. "The media will not be used as guard dogs and gatekeepers for the Government. Together with a media that is given its place of pride and dignity, Professor Atta Mills shall build a 'Better Ghana'."

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Ghana Review Founder robbed in airport road traffic

Accra, Oct. 8, GNA - The publisher of the London-based Ghana Review, Nana Otuo Acheampong, has said he was robbed of cash and other valuable items last Saturday night in a swift action by three men as traffic inched along on the airport road in Accra.

In a statement issued in Accra on Thursday, he said the incident happened at approximately 1930 hours while he was driving around Opebea - Airport Road in Accra.

"Traffic was heavy so all vehicles including mine had slowed down and were moving at a snail's pace," Nana Otuo said.

"Then suddenly a decently-dressed gentle looking man emerged from the jammed up vehicles, opened the front passenger side door of my vehicle and sat in.

"Before I could shout at him, he pulled out a pistol and motioned to me to shut up. Two others, also decently dressed, concurrently opened the back doors and joined quietly while traffic was moving slowly."

Nana Otuo said one of the robbers asked how he was doing and he told him he was doing fairly well.

"Then the one wielding the gun told me to keep calm and cooperate with them or else I will be long gone.

"They searched my car and found an amount of GHc 1,620.00, two mobile phones and a brown envelop containing a passport and two pictures.

"Having collected these items, one of them said to me 'Thanks man, we shall meet again'. They jumped out of the vehicle while still in traffic and escaped through the jammed up vehicles."

Nana Otuo said he parked the vehicle in total dismay and for over 15 minutes "I remained thunderstruck".

He said a friend who accompanied him to the police station to lodge a complaint later drove him home.

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• 07.10.2008

Floating voters hate lies, insults and vain promises

 Accra, Oct. 7, GNA - The Network of Association of Registered NGOs in Ghana, on Tuesday challenged political parties that it was only a message of peace, reconciliation, tolerance, anti-tribalism that would attract floating votes in the December 7, election. "Any political party that mounts the platform and trade false accusation with crafted lies thinking that it will attract floating voters will be disappointed," it said.

A statement signed in Accra by the National President of the Network, Mr Kofi Lucas, said floating voters would support any political party that played clean campaigns devoid of acrimonies and supported its messages with facts.

It said, the Network with membership strength of 57 NGOs nationwide, believed floating voters would cast their votes based on issues. The statement added that floating voters would like to know what a party would do when it came to financial management of the economy, stability of the cedi, inflation, infrastructure development, human resource development, human rights and freedom of speech. It said it was important that political parties came out with implementation strategies for their manifestos saying: "their manifestos should come out clearly on what they would do". The statement noted also that the manifestos should state clearly the source of funds for the proposed projects and programmes, mentioned implementers of respective project, time frame, as well as put in place a monitoring and evaluation plan.

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Landslide killed three

Yensi(E/R), Oct. 7, GNA - Three hours of rain on Monday at the Akuapem North District led to a landslide, which killed two women and a child at Yensi , a village off the Koforidua to Adukrom road. The dead were Doris Yaa Asantewaa, 55, Yaa Oforiwaa, believed to be in her 50s and Kwesi Mantey, a three year old grandson of Asantewaa. Giving an eye witness account of the incident, Mr Kofi Mantey, 55, husband of Asantewaa said he was in their room when he heard a shout that the water was gashing out so everybody should get out of their rooms into their compounds.

He said when he came out of their room, he saw a large volume of flood water gashing out from the hillside towards their house and so he rushed to the kitchen, which was in front of the bed room and shouted out to his wife and the friend to come out before the water got to them. Mr Mantey said he tried to get hold of his grandchild to pull him out of the kitchen but the floods caught up with them at the kitchen and his hand went off the child and he had to struggle to find his way through the water and the rubble to safety.

When he got out of the flood water and turned to look back, the kitchen had collapsed and the flood had washed down large volume of mud and boulders about 150 centimeters high to cover the whole compound of their house.

He said the late Oforiwa came to check her name in the voter's register at the polling station behind their house and called to say hello and was trapped by the rains.

Meanwhile a rescue team of Fire Service personnel, policemen from both Koforidua and Akropong Police Divisional Headquarters and the members of the local community on Tuesday afternoon managed to retrieve the dead bodies from the mud.

The bodies have been deposited at the mortuary of the Teeth Quarshie Memorial Hospital at Mampong-Akuapem for autopsy. A second landslide occurred at Asenema, a marketing centre on the Koforidua -Adukrom highway where the boulders and sand washed down by the floods temporarily blocked the highway. The Akuapem North District Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Mr Seth Okyere led some of his staff to mobilize the youth around Aseneman and the surrounding villages to clear the boulders, to open up the road.

Mr Okyere said the 14 members of the compound house where the death occurred after the landslide had been evacuated and were living with relations in the village. He said his organization was accessing the situation to know the package that was needed to be given to support the affected people for them to restart their lives again.

Information gathered by the Ghana News Agency from residents of Yensi indicated that this is the third landslide that had been experienced in the village within the last 40 years, but in all cases nobody died or property was lost except the current one.

NPP’s Cup Of Lies Is Full -NDC

- It’s Time To Set The Records Straight

Produced By NDC Forum For Setting The Records Straight

NPP’s Lies About Capitation Grant

• The NPP and Akufo Addo are lying when they say education at the basic level is FREE today.

• NPP takes us for fools when they say that the capitation grant of 3 Gh cedis a year (1 Gh cedis a term or 25 pesewas a month), has made education free at the basic level

• The capitation grant of 25 pesewas a month cannot even buy one ball of kenkey for the school child today

• The personal fortunes of NPP officials have “Moved Forward” so much that NPP thinks that the total expenditure incurred by parents on a school child every term is only 1 Ghana cedi today.

• Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS 4) estimates that the average expenditure incurred by parents per child in primary school is 122,000 old cedis in the rural areas and between 157,000 and 370,000 old cedis in the urban areas.

• A survey by the Ghana Education Service (GES) has revealed that expenditure on pupils in primary 1 to 3 averages 123,000 old cedis and that of pupils between primary 4 to 6 averages 126,000. This cost does not include the huge cost parents incur feeding their children.

• Parents of children entering primary one in the average public school in Accra today have to spend about 170,000 old Cedis (17 gh cedis) to buy stationery and other materials. This expenditure alone is about six times more than the capitation grant the NPP government has been gloating about.

• Besides, every child entering primary one in the average public school in Accra today has to spend in the region of about 170,000 old Cedis on stationery and other materials. This expenditure alone is about six times more than the capitation grant.

• Apart from that, parents on average pay an examination fee (levy) of about 10,000 old cedis at the primary level and 15,000 old cedis at the JSS level every term. This translates into 30,000 old cedis and 45,000 old cedis a year

• Additionally, parents continue to pay other extra levies imposed on school pupils today. For example, at the Sakumono school Complex, an average public school in the Tema metropolis, each pupil at the basic level is levied 300,000 old cedis as PTA levies.

• To top it all the 30,000 cedis capitation grant is not even paid on time- sometimes it delays up to two terms

• We have not even mentioned the fact that parents continue to buy uniforms for their children which accounts for about 17% of total household expenditure according to the GLSS.

NPP’s Lies About School Feeding Program

• The NPP lies today that ALL children in public basic schools are being fed free under the school feeding programme. • They even try to hide the fact that the school feeding program is an initiative of NEPAD and the World Food Program, with heavy funding from foreign donors. • The NPP Government’s own Preliminary Education Sector Performance Report (2007/2008) emphatically states that only 9 percent of children in public primary schools are benefiting from the School feeding program. • The NPP must think all Ghanaians are fools to deceive us that 9 percent of children in public primary schools represent ALL children in Ghana.

NPP’s Lies About Free Bus Ride For School Children

• Where are the buses?

• How many of you fellow Ghanaians see your brothers, sisters or children join buses free to reach public schools every day?

• Even in cities such as Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Sekondi, the buses are virtually non-existent on the roads.

• Instead of giving our children free bus ride, the NPP is rather taking all of us Ghanaians for a ride

NPP’s Fake Educational Reform

• The NPP Educational Reform is a reform in name only

• The reform was done against the expert advice of the Committee of experts set up by the president himself- the Anamuah-Mensah Committee.

• One whole academic year after the introduction of the so called reform, neither the syllabus nor a single textbook was available to the students of this country

• Clearly, the change of name is more important to the NPP than the quality of education to be provided our children

Akufo Addo’s False Promises About Free Education At The Secondary & Tertiary Levels

• Akufo Addo is taking Ghanaians for another ride claiming that he will make education free at the secondary and even tertiary levels

• Akufo Addo’s NPP has not been able to make education free at the basic level after 8 long years

• Tuition fees in public schools has since independence been free from primary through the university level

• What Akufo Addo is claiming is that his government will completely absorb the boarding fees plus all other fees such as PTA dues, Textbook and stationery fees, Exams stationery etc

• In the 2007/2008 academic year, boarding fees plus all the additional fees in secondary schools stood at an average of 1.4 million old cedis.

• The total student population in our secondary schools as at the 2007/8 year stood at about 460,000

• Akufo Addo is therefore claiming that his government will cough up an astronomical amount 1.93 trillion old cedis every per academic year to cater for the boarding and other fees of students in secondary schools

• This is a man whose NPP government in the 2007/2008 academic year could not even provide feeding grants to the public secondary schools in the three northern regions alone. As a result, students in those three regions had to stay home for six long weeks.

• Even simple feeding grants, the NPP cannot pay, yet Akufo Addo claims he will cough up nearly 2 trillion old cedis a year on boarding and other fees of students in Ghana

• Even the Capitation Grant of 25 pesewas a month, which caters for sports and culture fees etc, the NPP government cannot even pay on time • The Ghana News Agency in its reports of May 8th and 11th this year covering the Upper West region stated the following:

1. 174 Basic schools in the Upper West region have their classes held under trees. 274 Primary schools, 207 junior high schools and 37 kindergarten institutions attend classes in dangerous dilapidated structures

2. 209 primary schools, 15 junior high schools and 72 kindergartens attend school under sheds. There were 1,060 teaching vacancies to be filled in the Upper West region alone. More than one half of the teachers in the region are not trained. The report also stressed that more than 27,024 school children in the Central region aged between 4-5 years, expected to be in kindergarten, were not in school.

• Is this the mark of a government that is committed to making education free at the secondary level?

• When a naked man promises you clothes, it means he thinks you are a Big Fool. Kufuor calls us Lazy and Akufo Addo thinks we are fools on top.

• Ghanaians, let us tell Kufuor and Akufo Addo that we are not lazy Fools

• Enough with the lies and empty promises

NPP Boasts Of Quantity When Quality Of Education Is Collapsing

• The NPP has been trumpeting all over the place that there has been unprecedented levels of enrolment over the last eight years

• Does the NPP think it has cause to gloat about quantitative increments when every evidence shows that the quality of education in Ghana today is worse than at any other time in recent memory?

• While NPP is boasting about unprecedented levels of enrolment in our schools, the shocking reality is that in the year 2006, an overwhelming 66% of all Senior Secondary School students in Ghana who sat the SSS-CE failed. In 2007 the failure rate again stood at 60%. At the basic level, the story is equally sad- massive failure rates all over the country

• Whilst cost of living has skyrocketed, amidst the affluent and lavish lifestyle of those in government, the condition of the teacher has grown worse. Yet NPP does not understand the reason for low quality of education in our schools today.

• Does the NPP care about this? No! They are busy singing triumphant songs of unprecedented improvement in our education to see how bad things are

• NPP boasts about unprecedented infrastructure provision in education- let us see what the facts are:

Schools Built Or Established NDC

(1993-2000) NPP

(2001-2008)

Pre-school 6,321 2,362

Primary 12,335 1,013 (GETFund-ed)

JSS 6,414 853 (GETFund-ed)

SSS 264 19

Science Resource Centres 110 0

Polytechnics 7 0

Public Universities 3 0

**Gleaned from the following sources: Anamua-Mensah cttee report, 2002, Djanmah cttee report, 2002, Ansu Kyereme cttee report 2003, Gbadamoshi report (2000) and the Preliminary Education Sector Performance Report (PESP) 2004 up to 2007/2008.

NPP’s Lies About Free Healthcare

• The NPP today claims that healthcare is free in Ghana today

• The truth is that healthcare in Ghana is not free at all.

• Ghanaians are directly financing the NHIS through the compulsory payment of premiums which have in some cases shot up from 75,000 old cedis to nearly 300,000 old cedis today.

• That is not all- it is also a fact that all Ghanaians are making regular contributions to the NHIS anytime they pay for goods and services that are levied with the 2.5 percent National Health Insurance Levy.

• Also, workers of Ghana make additional contribution to the funding of the scheme by virtue of the monthly deduction of 2.5% of their SSNIT contributions

• The NHIL of 2.5% was to last for only the first 6 months of the operation of the health scheme. 5 years on, it is being collected- so Ghanaians are making more than adequate contribution to the NHIS

• So NPP should stop insulting the intelligence of Ghanaians by claiming that healthcare is free

• Besides, those with the scheme cannot get healthcare outside of districts where they registered

• Another great lie of the NPP is that a great percentage of Ghanaians are enjoying the so called free healthcare- here is the truth:

• Whereas NPP claims that 9 million of the 22 million Ghanaians have registered with the scheme, UNDP Ghana Human Development Report 2007, emphatically states that only 6.8 percent of the total population of Ghana, that is less than 1.5 million Ghanaians, have the National Health Insurance ID cards- only these have access to the so called Free Healthcare

• Of course Akufo Addo and the rest of the top NPP gurus do not feel the pain of Ghanaians today, no wonder they are claiming everything is free when the people are paying so much for them

• Even though Ghanaians are paying so much to the health scheme, the NPP has removed all the previous exemptions that took care of the vulnerable in our society. Without paying premiums, infants under five years, breast feeding (lactating) mothers, pregnant women, the elderly and the destitute have no help today.

• This was not what the NDC had in mind when the NDC started the successful piloting of the NHIS with a view to phasing out the cash and carry system

• NPP shows so much insensitivity when they refuse the destitute and other vulnerable groups who cannot pay premium from accessing healthcare today

NHIS Would Have Been Better If NPP Had Listened To NDC

• The NPP and its candidate have deliberately hidden from the people of Ghana a number of very serious problems that have continued to bedevil the scheme since they rushed it through parliament against NDC’s caution just as they rushed ROPAB, the IFC and CNTCI loans

• In July this year, while on a visit to the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Nana Akufo-Addo was informed that as at July this year, National Health Insurance claims owed to the hospital from 2007 had accrued to nearly 20 billion cedis. Similar huge amounts are owed many health institutions all over the country, both public and private

• This situation has seriously affected the ability of our hospitals to procure vital drugs and other essentials and caused a significant reduction in the quality of healthcare delivery all over the country

• No wonder that many sick patients are frequently told that there are no drugs so they are prescribed drugs to buy outside

• And also there are so many illnesses not covered under the NHIS despite the huge contribution being made by the people to finance the scheme

• OPD numbers in our health institutions have gone up significantly and in certain instances reached as high as 150 percent- one of the causes of this is NPP’s deliberate falsehood that healthcare is free.

• Waiting time in our hospitals has gone up tremendously- some patients, including people scheduled for urgent surgeries, have to wait for many hours, sometimes days before seeing a doctor.

• NPP does not appreciate that the low motivation and the poor working condition of the health sector worker continues to undermine quality health delivery

• Amidst all this, Ghana has become dirtier and filthier- According to WHO, the 2nd dirtiest in West Africa which means even worse health conditions for our people

• Is it any a surprise that UNDP Ghana Human Development Report 2007 shows that infant mortality which in 1999 was 57 deaths per 1000 live births had gone up to about 70 deaths per 1000 live births.

• Maternal mortality from 240 deaths per every 100,000 deaths in 1999, now has reached 540 deaths

• Does the NPP care about all these? No. They are too busy singing free healthcare on platforms to even care.

When NPP Boasts About Free Healthcare Ask Them How Many Hospitals They Have Built

• NPP is busy boasting about free healthcare but they have completely forgotten that without the availability of adequate healthcare infrastructure and energy availability all over the nation, the whole quality healthcare talk can only remain a mirage.

• NPP has not constructed even one regional hospital in eight long long years yet they are boasting about providing free healthcare • The NDC, unlike the NPP, had a program of building modern, well equipped state of the art regional hospitals in every region of Ghana and similar district hospitals in all districts

• This, in NDC’s view, was critical before a successful take off of a national health insurance scheme.

• The NDC therefore built new regional hospitals in the Central Region, the Brong Ahafo Region, the Volta Region.

• The NDC made sure that the Effia Nkwanta hospital in Sekondi, in the Western Region was refurbished and elevated into a regional hospital • The NDC did not stop there- Korle-Bu, 37 Military, and Okomfo Anokye Teaching hospitals were comprehensively rehabilitated to better serve as national referral hospitals.

• The Tamale hospital was on course to be rehabilitated into a Regional and Teaching hospital when the NDC left office in the year 2000. Since 2001, the Tamale Hospital has been left to deteriorate by the NPP.

• We can also give examples of new modern district hospitals built or planned for construction all over the country when the NDC left office. • What has the NPP got to show? Yet they claim they care about the health of Ghanaians

How NDC Piloted The NHIS Against NPP’s Opposition

• One of NPP’s biggest lies is that the NDC was opposed to the NHIS

• The truth is that the NDC has never been opposed to the NHIS

• Indeed, it was NDC who prepared the ground for the take off of the scheme by building state of the art hospitals in regions, districts and making Korle Bu, 37 etc into first class national referral hospitals

• The NDC set up the Ghana Health Company, which oversaw the successful piloting of the NHIS • The NHIS pilot was carried out in the Dangme West, Manprussi East, parts of Koforidua

• The pilot also encouraged the full adoption of the Nkoranza pilot earlier started by the Catholic Church. • NDC did this by giving a national award to the Catholic priest who began the Nkoranza project

• The Ghana Health Company was located on the 6th floor of the SSNIT Pension House (Tower Block).

• To expedite the NHIS pilot, the NDC government at the time, flew down Dr Danso all the way from Zimbabwe to kick start the project. • In 2000, the NDC also appointed Mr Amoesi Andoh as the company's CEO. Incidentally, he became a parliamentary candidate of the NPP in 2004 and is contesting again in this upcoming election. • It is sad that he looks on today while his NPP government continues to deny that the NDC did not pilot the NHIS while in office.

• While this piloting was on, the NPP in opposition opposed it vehemently just as they opposed every good thing in our history • This is what the Minority said at the time- “the billions of cedis and energy wasted on the single National Health Insurance Scheme could have been saved if the government had not brushed aside the minority’s suggestion in 1997 that such a scheme was not viable.”- Addo Kufuor, said this on behalf of the NPP, in Kumasi- (GNA, April 26, 2000)

• The NPP has over the last eight years done very little to upgrade the working conditions of health workers. • Their boast about huge increases in staff numbers is also not true, given the huge responsibilities they face as a result of the great workload brought on by the NHIS

Why Does The NPP Lie So Much?

• The NPP family has always lied about its past. Those who cannot tell the truth about their past cannot do so about the present or the future

• Even Their various names reveal the fraudulent nature of their tradition

• The NPP family in the 50s killed and maimed to prevent the UNITY of Ghana yet they called themselves United Party in the 1st Republic

• They also opposed every progressive move in our history yet they called themselves Progress Party in the 2nd republic

• The NPP family is a party whose Founding Father, Danquah, was a shameless CIA agent- a traitor of our nation. Yet they fraudulently call themselves Patriotic party today.

• Virtually all the names they have borne show their fraudulent and inconsistent nature

• Are you therefore surprised that they lie so much about everything else?

• If the very name they bear represents a lie and a fraud, how can you expect them to tell the truth on anything else

• NPP- so, so lies. Amale Sonnnnnnn…..

NPP- The Genesis Of Evil In Ghana Politics

• In the beginning was the NLM, the father of all political evil, violence, bloodshed and tribalism

• And the NLM begat the UP

• And the UP begat the PP

• And the PP eventually begat the New PP also known as NPP

• The main character of this tradition was and remains- lies, double standards, violence and tribalism

• There has been no bloodier and more violent political grouping in the history of our country than the NPP family.

• The violence we see in NPP’s primaries in Bekwai, in Suhum and Ofinso South today, represents the very nature of the group’s tradition of violence • No other political tradition existi ng today apart from the NPP family was brought into being by tribal entities • Lest we forget, the NPP political family was founded in 1954 by Baffour Osei Akoto, chief linguist of the Asantehene.

• This tribal NPP political tradition was at the time mainly funded by the Kumasi City Council and the Akyem Abuakwa state council. • Are you surprised therefore that the party has essentially remained principally an Asante/Akyem entity? • They introduced tribal violence into our body politic. The wave of violence and mayhem they unleashed in Ashanti in particular was unbelievable • CPP sympathizers or persons suspected to have CPP loyalty all became targets of the NPP family’s bloody attacks and bomb explosions

• Not a single CPP flag could be seen in many parts of Ashanti in those days

• In the 1992 elections, the situation in NPP’s stronghold of Ashanti region remained virtually the same- it took courage to display NDC colours in large parts of Ashanti • And yet these people dare accuse others of tribalism today? Wonders will never end

J.B. Danquah, The CIA Agent Is Their Father

• CIA declassified files establish beyond doubt that J.B. Danquah, the Founding Father of the NPP, was a known paid agent of the CIA.

• The Founder of the NPP, the hero of their tradition had no hesitation selling this dear nation Ghana for a few American dollars.

• Yet today, the party birthed by this national traitor, this unpatriotic Ghanaian dares call itself a Patriotic Party • The NPP calls J.B. Danquah, the Doyen of Ghana politics. He is rather the Judas of Ghana politics • With a Founder who has no problem mortgaging our nation for a few dollars, are we surprised that the NPP family has always opposed every progressive thing in our history? • As NLM, they killed and maimed in an attempt to prevent us from being a unitary state. • They opposed our attainment of independence. They actually sent a delegation in 1956, led by Busia to plead with the British authorities not to grant us independence • On that trip, Busia said the following to the British: “We still need you in the Gold Coast. Your experiment there is not over. I wonder why you are in such a hurry to wash your hands off us.” • The NPP family opposed the construction of the Akosombo Dam • They also opposed the construction of the Tema Motorway • They opposed even the building by Nkrumah of the Bui Dam, they are making so much noise about today • No wonder that in recent years, their unpatriotic nature has led them to oppose the 1992 constitution, the VAT, the GetFund and the NDC piloting of the NHIS among others. • They even opposed NDC’s good advice and stubbornly went to hairdressing saloons chasing IFC and CNTCI loans and thus disgraced Ghana’s good name

Busia- The Father Of The Bomb Throwing Democrats

• Danquah was a CIA agent- Busia was the 1960s equivalent of Osama Bin Laden • In fact Osama Bin Laden is better than him- while Bin laden convinces young people to become suicide bombers, Busia financed bombs that were put in the hands of innocent little children to blow them apart • Busia at a press conference in Accra after the 66 coup openly admitted that he financed the purchase of most of the bombs used in the bombing campaign by the NPP family • Another man who played a key role in the bomb throwing project was Jake Obetsebi Lamptey’s father • After sending his son Jake out of the country, he hired a cottage in the then village of Bawaleshie, where he started distributing bombs to be exploded all over the country • Joseph Yaw Manu, another member of the NPP family who in the second republic became an MP, openly admitted at the Apaloo Comiitee of Enquiry that he personally was bringing the bombs into the country • On Aug 1, 1962, as Nkrumah was returning from then Upper Volta and was about to address school children, a bomb planted in a bouquet of flowers put in a hand of a 7 year old girl exploded. The little girl was blown into pieces • On Sep 9, 1962, another bomb exploded near the flagstaff where young pioneers were entertaining an audience to modern Ghanaian music. One person was killed and several injured • On Sept 18, 1962, two bombs exploded in Accra, killing and maiming several people. One of these blasts occurred in Lucas house in Accra where 9 children fell dead on the spot • On January 11, 1963, a bomb exploded at a CPP rally- over 20 people were killed and more than 400 people injured including children and members of young pioneer • In 1965, another bomb, exploded at the Accra Sports stadium meant to assassinate Nkrumah. Many sustained severe injuries including a little girl, Elizabeth Asantewa, who had one of her legs amputated while the other one rotted away. She still is alive and lives at Dansoman • They love bomb throwing that even among themselves, they settle disputes through bombs- in 2001, NPP members in Ho “petrol bombed” the house of their Volta Regional Organiser, Johnson Avulete

NPP’s Lies That They Are Against Military Dictatorship

• The NPP pretends to hate military coup d’etat. Yet, the NPP family was the first group to introduce coups into Sub Saharan Africa • The first ever coup attempt in Ghana occurred in 1958, just one year after independence- Mr R.R. Amponsah, currently a top guru and Chairman of the NPP Council of Elders was an architect of that coup • Indeed, earlier in 1958, J.B. Danquah was overheard assuring the ambassador of a western nation, hostile to the government of Nkrumah, that plans were far advanced to overthrow Nkrumah by the end of 58 • Busia, also is on record to have consulted and held several meetings with General Afrifa whilst the latter was studying at the Sandhurst Military academy in the UK. No wonder that on the 24th February 1966, Afrifa and others overthrew the CPP government • After the 66 coup, a report on the BBC clearly implicated Busia in the 1966 coup. • A.K. Deku, currently member of Council of State and prominent member of the NPP family was part of the military/police junta that did the 1966 coup. He was at the time a Police Commissioner • Following the 66 coup, the NPP family who had masterminded it, and whose members like AK Deku and Afrifa did it in cooperation with the CIA, took various key positions in the military junta. • The political committee of the NLC military junta was chaired by Edward Akufo Addo, (father of Nana Akufo Addo). • William Ofori Atta (another relative of Akufo Addo) was a key member of that group • The Committee, which later became the national advisory committee of the military junta, also had Busia as its Vice Chairman • The same Busia became the Chairman, when Akufo Addo’s father was rewarded by the military junta by being elevated to the position of Chief Justice. • Victor Owusu, President Kufuor’s political mentor, was also the Attorney General at the time. • These are the people who pretend to be against military rule • To date they continue to love military coups. President Kufuor’s first trip out of Ghana was to Togo to celebrate the bloody coup that saw the assassination of Togo’s first democratic president, Sylvanus Olympio. • The NPP family also had no qualms asking President Kufuor to take up a position in the military PNDC government- the same government they condemn so much

Violence Unleashed By NPP Sponsored NLC Junta

• The soldiers who were out on frolics and committed excesses in 1979 and 1982 did so purely as soldiers • However in the 1966 coup, the mayhem and violence that were unleashed were done with the full blessings of gurus of the NPP family • It had the full blessings of Nana Akufo Addo’s father, Dr Busia, Victor Owusu, President Kufuor’s mentor and of course the support of then young Kufuor and Akufo Addo • In the immediate aftermath of the NPP sponsored 66 coup, over 300 people were reported killed including a minister of state, Dowuona and his family. • The NPP family gleefully goaded on the military junta to the extent that Boye Moses, a member of the security detail of Nkrumah, was paraded in the streets of Accra chained and locked in a cage like a wild beast. • With their tacit counsel, Arthur and Yeboah were summarily executed for attempting to overthrow the Danquah-Busia/CIA sponsored military junta. • Even at that time, the Gbewaa palace in Yendi was attacked in 1969 and nearly 70 people were brutally exterminated • The human rights violations that occurred during that “Golden military era” of the NPP family, might easily surpass violations committed by some of the most brutal African military despots like Iddi Amin and Eyadema • Despite all this, these people dare attack the NDC because of the killing in 1982 of three judges and one military officer. Not even the fact that a Member of the PNDC and his accomplices were arrested, tried and executed at the time, would placate the “Holier than thou NPP”. • These people who have not arrested even one chicken for the Gbewa palace killings of over 100 people in 1969 and 2002, today dare call the NDC violent • The audacity of the Pot calling the kettle black!

NPP’s False Pretenses About Multi Party Democracy

• One of their best lies is that the NPP family has always believed in multi party democracy. • Apart from the NPP family setting into motion coups in black Africa, Akufo Addo’s father in particular played a unique role in dealing a blow against multi party democracy • In 1968, Akufo Addo’s father chaired the Constitutional Committee that recommended to the NLC that a long term ban be placed on the CPP to prevent the party and its functionaries from contesting elections in Ghana. • It is no wonder that 1969 elections won by them remains the most bogus election in the history of our country to date • It is simply history repeating itself when not long after the NPP came back in 2001, one of the first things they set into motion was how to use every means to destroy its main opponent the NDC. • What they did to the CPP in the past is exactly what they have tried so hard to do to the NDC. • J.H Mensah who was instrumental in 1969, revealed the agenda when he declared: “By the time the NPP government finishes with the fast track court trial and imprisonment of former NDC Ministers and functionaries, the NDC will be no more.” • And yet these people boast about being democrats and believers of multi party democracy • But given that even the name they bear is fraudulent, we should not be surprised about all their false claims

NPP’s False Claims About Good Governance

• The NPP family has time and again claimed that when it comes to good governance, it is second to none in Ghana’s history • Even if we pretend that they are not ‘bomb throwing democrats” and sponsors of military coups or haters of multi party democracy, their track record, then and now, is still absolutely horrible • What did they do in 1971, after students of the University of Ghana called for amnesty to be granted to the founder of the nation, Dr Nkrumah who was then in exile? • The NPP family responded by pushing through parliament, under a certificate of emergency, a bill that banned the holding of any photograph of Nkrumah, the mentioning of his name and the professing of his ideology. • Incidentally, President J.A. Kufuor was a member of that parliament and Akufo Addo’s father was the President at the time • In the second republic, Mr J.A. Kufuor, as Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, was part of the team that cruelly refused to allow an ailing Nkrumah to return to Ghana to die • Between 2001 to date, there are too many instances that show that the NPP family, despite loud proclamations to the contrary, has still not changed. • Ghanaians can still remember with shock how a former Auditor General, Mr Osei Prempeh, was arrested in church. • They did not stop there, they went further to attempt to arrest Mr Tsatsu Tsikata also in church and would have succeeded but for the intervention of church officials • On January 31, 2002, while Prof Mills was away in Canada, eight fully armed BNI officials stormed his house and menacingly threatened his wife, ordering her to surrender all the keys to the vehicles in the house. • Even vehicles which had been allocated to Prof Mills as part of transitional package arrangements, were forcibly seized and driven away • Not satisfied, Mrs Mills was summoned to the BNI regional office where she was detained for eight hours before being made to write a statement. • The trauma was so much, Mrs Mills ended up at the SSNIT hospital • Lord Commey, the National Organiser of the NPP is on tape, having confessed that he has under him a group of armed criminals, called Action Troopers, who snatch ballots boxes at gun points • Under the NPP, the situation is so terrible that drivers are even being arrested and forced to fondle the breasts of dead women and kiss dead bodies in mortuaries • The examples are too numerous to mention

NPP’s False Claims About Judiciary & Justice

• The NPP family preaches a lot about the virtues of Rule of Law. Unfortunately, when it comes to practice, they always do the opposite. • In the second republic, NPPs Co Founder, Busia, As Prime Minister defiantly declared following a court’s reversal of his dismissal of Sallah, that no court can force him to employ anyone the government did not want to employ • In the year 2001, Hodare Okai was unlawfully dismissed from his position as Deputy Immigration officer, upon the instigation of Asamoah Boateng on suspicion that he was an NDC sympathiser. • As if that was not bad enough, even after a court of competent jurisdiction had ruled that the dismissal was illegal and he should therefore be reinstated and outstanding entitlements due him paid- President Kufuor flatly refused to comply with the court order and to date nothing has been done • That’s not all- The NPP always accuses Rawlings of being a dictator, yet that “dictator” refrained from immorally packing the court to overturn a Supreme Court decision after the latter passed a 5-4 verdict declaring June 4 holidays non constitutional. • What did the NPP family when it was their turn after the Supreme Court by the same 5-4 majority declared the fast track court unconstitutional? • They swiftly and without any shame, ‘Packed the Supreme Court” and ensured that the decision was overturned- a practice that has evoked condemnation even at the level of NEPAD • They claim that there was injustice in Ghana before they came into power- however under the PNDC, Chairman Rawlings had no hesitation allowing his best friend Kojo Lee and his own nephew to face execution when both committed murders • Indeed in the case of his nephew, a court initially freed him but the PNDC saw to it that the case was revisited and Rawlings’ nephew was made to face the ultimate penalty • Let’s compare these cases with the several cases of killings that have gone on unpunished under the NPP today • Killers of Issa Mobila are still walking around free today four years on • Jahinfo and Sugri, who were seen in Yendi parading with parts of the body of the Ya Na are still walking free today after Akufo Addo, as Attorney General, superintended the preferring of wrongful charges against them • The cases of Bashiru Red and Baba Nkabo in Tamale are other cases in point. Do not be surprised when the NPP government does nothing about its members who were behind the mayhem in Gushiegu recently

NPP’s False Pretenses About Press Freedom & Freedom Of Speech

• Hearing the NPP boast about press freedom today, almost makes one think that journalists in the time of the NDC were operating from caves • These are the people who in 1971 jailed Kofi Badu, then editor of Spokesman newspaper. The offices of the newspaper were raided and the newspaper’s license withdrawn. • Victor Owusu, as AG in the 2nd Republic, got 28 lecturers, all of whom were board members of the Legon Observer newspaper, jailed because their newspaper was deemed to be critical of government. • The NPP cites the repeal of the criminal libel law as proof of its commitment to greater press freedom. • The truth however is that Prof Mills of the NDC, at his Meet the Press interaction in September 2000, had amply indicated that he was fully committed to starting a new chapter with the media by having more regular interactions with the press • The repeal of the criminal libel law, was therefore just a matter of months if he had won the election in the year 2000 since Prof believed that the time had arrived to launch a new co-operation between Govt and media • But examples abound to show that under the NPP things are not as rosy as the NPP wants the world to believe • GTV Breakfast show, during the time of the NDC, used to feature critical voices like Audrey Gadzekpo, Margaret Amoakohene, Nana Yaa Ofori Atta among others. Today, leading opposition voices such Dr Tony Aidoo, Kwesi Pratt, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah and Fifi Kwetey are not allowed to feature on that program funded by all tax payers • How free is the media when TV Africa crew are being detained and traumatised at the president’s private residence today? • When the editor of Insight newspaper, can be beaten up at the instruction of NPP Chairman Haruna Esseku at the NPP headquarters? • When bodyguards of Dr Richard Anane can pursue and threaten to brutalize journalists, Raymond Archer, David Tamakloe and Rowland Acquah Stephens, who had to run to a police station to save their lives • When Joe Baidoo Ansah, then Minister of Trade, can storm a live TV program and verbally abuse CPP’s Nii Moi Thompson? • In the arena of free speech which the NPP family boasts so much about, it will be recalled that during the second republic, Ebo Hutchful, then a student at the University of Ghana, who criticized Busia for living an ostentatious lifestyle was arrested and detained at the Legon police station • When poor Kwabena Kusi, a mechanic in Kumasi, is arrested for criticizing the frequent travels of President Kufuor

NPP’s Belief In Violence

• The NPP family has tried hard to label the NDC as violent and quickly cite the isolated incidents at NDC’s 2005 Koforidua Congress as proof • But how can the NPP even compare those cases to the uncountable cases of violence they have unleashed among themselves? • The manner in which Paul Afoko, was wickedly set up by Akufo Addo’s henchmen and was nearly lynched at the NPP presidential Congress but for the swift intervention of the police cannot be forgotten • The violent nature of the NPP has been amply shown in the confusion, mayhem and bloody exchanges that have characterized NPP’s primaries in places like Suhum, Bekwai, Ofinso South among others. • NDC, on the other hand has throughout this period enjoyed very peaceful primaries • At Krowor, the NPP Constituency Chairman narrowly escaped lynching but a police officer present was turned into a punching bag with blood gushing all over him • At Akropong-Akwapim, one NPP delegate was murdered in an incident which was linked to NPP General Secretary, Ohene Ntow. • With the level of violence the NPP loves to visit upon its own members, is it difficult to imagine the scale of the barbarity it is capable of meting out to its opponents? • The burning in 1992 of the NDC Effia Kwesimintim Chairman comes to mind. • The cold blooded killing of NDC’s Grukponi in Kumasi ahead of the 1996 election is another case • The recent killing and mayhem visited on NDC supporters in Gushiegu are just other tokens of the inordinately violent nature of the NPP • Their nature of violence flows through their bloodline- from the NLM, when they killed and maimed, through the UP when they blew little children through bombs up to today.

NPP & Akufo Addo’s Double Standards

• The NPP family, are the masters of double standards and political hypocrisy. They preach virtue and practice vice. Their double standards date back to the 60s. • The NPP family criticized Nkrumah for passing the PDA yet as soon they successfully got their NLC Junta to overthrow the CPP, they teleguided the passing of the Protective Custody Act • The NPP family criticized Nkrumah for taking a fat salary. But when Busia became Prime Minister he paid himself a significantly higher amount than Nkrumah. Besides, he immorally paid himself two years salary advance and not long after devalued the currency • Busia refused to live in the official presidential residence and used public funds to renovate his private property and lived there. Years later, in line with the tradition’s “Personal Property Owning philosophy”, president Kufuor also refused to live in the Castle and used public funds to complete works on his private residence. • In 1969, the NPP family made use of the votes of people in the Zongos and others they believed to be non Ghanaians to come to power. But as soon as they won power, the NPP family showed their xenophobic tendency by passing the wicked Aliens Compliance Order • This wicked law saw the driving out of Ghana, of hundreds of thousands of people who had been born and bred in Ghana for several generations. • The trauma, deaths, massive economic suffering and sheer dislocation of families cum loss of property cannot be detailed here • To date, the NPP family continues to brand our Zongo brothers as aliens anytime it is time for registration • One of the most fraudulent claims of Akufo Addo is the boast that he comes a family that is reputed for their beliefs in the values of rule of law, democracy and civil liberties etc • The double talk consists in the fact that J.B Danquah, one of the close relatives of Akufo Addo was a national traitor with no problem selling this country for a few american dollars • The critical role played by Nana Akufo Addo’s father in the NLC military junta, under which he gladly chaired the Constitutional Committee that recommended the banning of the CPP and its officials from contesting elections shows the hollowness of the democratic claims of his ancestry as well • We have not even mentioned the key role played by William Ofori Atta, another relative of Akufo Addo in that military junta • Is it any surprise that their son Akufo Addo, would swiftly strip the former president of his privileges for simply exercising his right of free speech? And also quickly resort to the “Packing of the Supreme Court to reverse a ruling of the Supreme Court? NPP’s Lies About Inheriting A Collapsed Economy

• One of the biggest lies of the NPP is that the economy of Ghana was in a state of ruin when they took power in 2001. • How can any truthful group describe an economy that has consistently registered positive growth rates from 1984 all the way to the year 2000, as a collapsed economy? • Indeed recent appraisals by the World Bank, the African Development Bank, Tony Blair’s Commission on Africa, ISSER etc have all established that Ghana has enjoyed 20 years of continuous economic growth since 1984 • The NPP virtually got away with this blatant lie all these years because many of the young generation today including many in the media do not fully remember what a real collapsed economy looks like • Anyone who wants to know what a collapsed economy looks like only needs to take a good look at what Ghana’s economy was like at the close of 1981 • The following represent the nature of the collapsed economy the PNDC met in 1982 • Growth rate prior to 1982 was continuously in the negative and stood at a massive minus 10 percent at the close of 1981 • There was massive collapse in infrastructure such as roads, bridges, railways, government buildings, hospitals etc • The cocoa sector was on its knees • The export sector in general was nothing to write home about • Electricity was limited to only urban centres and was available to less than 20 percent of the population of Ghana • Industries were operating at less than 20 percent of their capacity • The banking sector was on a brink of collapse because of a massive portfolio of bad debts • The least said about the telecommunication sector the better • Shops were empty all over Ghana and long queues were everywhere as Ghanaians struggled to obtain basic commodities • NPP’s political guru and former presidential candidate, Prof Albert Adu Boahen in his book Ghanaian Sphinx (page 35) confirmed that by the end of 1981, the economic situation had gone from bad to worse on all economic fronts with inflation hitting 121% • Does the situation above even remotely resemble the situation in Ghana in 2001? No! • What the NPP has done is to deliberately ignore all the remarkable economic progress chalked over a period of many years by the NDC family and point out a few isolated negative economic indicators at the close of the year 2000 to mislead our people that the 19 year economic management led to economic collapse NPP’s Lies About Inheriting Empty Coffers

• The NPP has constantly claimed that it met empty coffers in January 2001. That was another blatant lie by them • At the end of January 2001, less than a month after the NPP took the reins of power, all public and civil servants were duly paid in Ghana. Some contactors were also paid. • The NPP government found enough monies in those so called “empty coffers” to start the expensive renovations of the Castle, the State House, ministerial and other official bungalows • We have not even mentioned works done on the president’s private residence. • There was also enough money to start funding President Kufuor’s numerous trips that had already started in that first month of 2001. • Moreover, the NDC government gave Jake Obetsebi Lamptey sufficient money to organise the elaborate handing over ceremony on January 7th 2001. • So why has the NPP been lying that it inherited empty coffers?

NPP’s Loud Noises About Unprecedented Foreign Debts

• The NPP in 2001 went to the every extent to criminalise the NDC government because the nation’s total debt (foreign plus domestic) at the end of the year 2000 stood at 41 trillion old cedis. • While orchestrating the “opipii piim pii piiim..” catcalls against the NDC, the NPP had hidden from Ghanaians the truth that the 41 trillion old cedis (5.8 billion dollars) was the total debt outstanding from independence to the end of 2000. • After a whooping $4 billion had been written off from that $5.8 billion, the NPP has still taken the total debt of the nation to a staggering 89 trillion old cedis ($7.8 billion) and still “Moving Forward”. • The NPP had, in just 8 short years accumulated so much debt compared with 41 trillion in 43 long years. • Today, in order to run away from the astronomical debt they have accumulated in 8 years, they have resorted to using Debt per GDP ratio in order to more throw dust in the eyes of our people • The truth remains that in eight short years the NPP has saddled the next generation with a colossal debt of about $8 billions

NPP Has Not Faced The Scale Of The Crisis NDC Faced In Year 2000

• The NPP has not faced the scale of the crisis that confronted the NDC in the year 2000. Whereas the NDC faced four separate crises in one, the NPP at the moment is facing just one. • The NDC faced the following at the same time- i. Collapse in price of cocoa- ii. Collapse in the price of gold and other minerals- iii. Increase in the price of crude oil- iv. Failure of donors to release critical donor support. • We have not touched on the fact that in the midst of that “Super Crisis”, the NDC government was still faithfully and promptly servicing all the nation’s foreign debts to the tune of about $300 million dollars. • The price of cocoa fell by over 120 percent from $1,500 to $670 per tonne. Gold fell from $650 to $240 per ounce- representing 170 percent drop. As if that was not bad enough, the price of crude oil also went up from $15 to nearly $38 per barrel- a rise of 153 percent. • According to the World Bank, Ghana, from the Middle of 1999 to the end of 1999, Ghana had lost more than $500 million as a result of external shocks in cocoa and oil alone. (Daily Graphic of Wednesday, 3rd May, 2000). • If that huge loss was for just the second half of 1999, it is not difficult to imagine how much more monumental the loss was in the whole of the year 2000. • NPP’s problem today essentially consists of only the rise in the price of crude oil (from $60 as at June 2007, the price as at the last week of September stands about $104). This is just about 73% compared with the nearly 153% NDC faced • NPP has no excuse citing the recent increases in the global prices of rice and other food items as an excuse when they have had eight long years to ensure food sustainability in Ghana as has been done in some other African countries such as Botswana. • Indeed, the NPP promised in the year 2000, that it will significantly reduce the nation’s rice import, which at the time stood at $100 million. Today, the amount we spend on the import of rice alone stands at about $400 million.

NDC Held The Economy From Collapsing In 2000 Amidst The Super Crisis

• Despite the unprecedented crisis faced by the nation in the year 2000, the NDC managed to record an annual average inflation figure of 25%, which was lower than NPP’s 2003 average inflation figure of 26% • The deceit of the NPP has been to fraudulently bandy about the inflation figure of a single month in 2000- that is, the December figure of about 40% and make it appear as though that were the figure for the whole year 2000. • That is one of the kangaroo tricks NPP used to paint the deceitful picture of economic doom and collapse. • Meanwhile, anytime the NDC mentions that in 1999, inflation at the end of a particular month- May 1999 was a single digit, the NPP quickly counters that one month end inflation is nothing to boast about since apart from that month, inflation under the NDC was never again below 10 percent. • The difficult situation in the year 2000, was principally due to the harsh realities that confronted Ghana in the year 2000. • Prior to the onset of the Super Crisis which began in the middle of 1999, not only was inflation down to 9.4%, the cedi had shown significant stability. • The cedi was on course towards a second successive year of relative stability after the remarkable 4.1% depreciation it enjoyed in the whole of the year 1998. • Apart from that single digit inflation success, it must be recalled that the PNDC had met inflation at over 120% in 1982 and competently brought it down

Even With All The Favourable Conditions See How NPP Has Messed Things Up

• Whereas the NDC faced a super crisis in the year 2000, the NPP has had to deal with just a mini crisis by way of 73% rise in fuel price (as at last week in September) • The other favourable thing for the NPP is that, whilst the percentage change in the price of oil from 2001 to date (last week in September) stands at about 200 percent, the percentage change in the price of gold and cocoa over the same period stands at about 344 percent for cocoa alone ($670 to $2980) plus 240 percent for gold ($240 to $818). • We have not even made allusion to the fact that the NPP government has not, during this period, have to put up with the sudden drying up of much needed donor support. • Neither has the NPP have to use about 300 million dollars a year to service debts • We have also not mentioned the fact that the NPP has had unprecedented resources because of GetFund, additional taxes such as talk tax, taxes on petroleum, and increase in VAT in addition to lowering the VAT threshold among others. • In spite of all these relatively favourable conditions, the cedi which started the year 2008 at about 9,600 to the dollar is today trading at 11,500 to the dollar, a depreciation of about 17 percent- and we have four whole months to go. • Needless to say that the dollar itself, has over the last few years been in free fall vis a vis other major currencies of the world. • Despite all these relatively favourable conditions, the cedi this year has already lost 17 percent against the dollar. • Can you even begin to imagine the scale of the depreciation that would have occurred in the value of the cedi vis a vis the weak dollar, if the NPP had faced the “super crisis” the NDC faced in the year 2000? • The current level of inflation of nearly 20% at a time of these relatively favourable conditions, reveals the emptiness of the boasts of the NPP • In fact, some of the reasons for which inflation has not gone even higher are the fact that the NPP has, for political expediency, thrown its much vaunted full cost recovery policy in the petroleum sector out of the windows. • Additionally, they have also refused to pay contractors and suppliers, newly recruited nurses, teachers, doctors, immigration workers and NYEP workers. Workers of Ghana Railway Corporation and workers of the National Identification Exercise have all not been paid for months. • In spite of all these “kangaroo tricks to hold inflation down”, leading economic experts continue to predict that inflation will reach even higher levels by the close of December NPP’s Empty Boast About Economy Moving Forward

• The NPP boasts the Nation has moved forward in leaps and bounds over the last eight years • Among other things they beat their chest that Ghana’s recent successful borrowing of about 750 million dollars at 8.5% on the international bonds market shows the great strides the economy has made • The truth however is that Turkey, which has about the same rating as Ghana, managed to raise $1.25 billion at a much better rate of 6.85% around the same time last year. • Turkey’s own was also three times oversubscribed. So why is the NPP making so much noise? • By the way, how much forward has Ghana moved from 2001? • When Kwame Pianim, an economic/financial guru and former NPP presidential aspirant recently underscored the fragility of the economy when he declared that Ghana's economy badly needed about $130 million injection to stay healthy else inflation would go up, which will greatly affect the poor? (Graphic, July 29, 2008) • When Ghanaian students at the University of Nottingham and other Universities in UK and others (as at last week in Sept) are on the verge of being dismissed because of government’s failure to pay their fees? • When thesis grants of Ghanaian graduate students have not been paid for a year? • When Ghanaian modern language students are unable to embark upon their year abroad program because the government says there is no money? • When for six weeks all secondary schools in the three northern regions remained closed because of government’s failure to pay feeding grants? • When as stated earlier, so many newly recruited public sector workers have not been paid for several months • When Ghana@50 suppliers and contractors have not, for over a year, been paid? • When waste contractors are being owed several billions of cedis by government • When UNICEF and WHO have ranked Ghana the second dirtiest country in the whole of West Africa?

How NPP Has Collapsed Almost All Productive Sectors

• All the Presidential Special Initiatives (PSI) have all virtually failed under the NPP • The cotton, poultry, textile, timber, rice, local fishing industries have all virtually collapsed with huge negative consequences on unemployment and crime rate? • The Metro Mass Transport is on its knees and on the brink of collapse owing GOIL over 30 billion cedis • VRA’s indebtedness has reached an astronomical 1.2 billion dollars? • When despite instituting the TOR debt recovery levy, TOR today still owes GCB over $500 million (as at April this year) even though the TOR debt recovery levy had yielded about over $500) million. • Ghana Airways has completely collapsed and its successor, the GIA has become stillborn • An improved economy must translate into improved standards of living for the people. But the UNDP has found out about the standard of living of Ghanaians has dropped even as NPP claims things are better • UNDP 2007 Ghana Human Development Report shows the following: • Infant mortality which stood at 57 deaths per 1000 live births, now stands at 71 deaths per 1000 live births • Maternal mortality which in 1999 stood at 240 deaths per 100,000 live births now stands at 540 deaths per 100,000 births • In sum the report states that life under the NDC in 1995 and 1999 was better than life under the NPP.

What NPP Really Means By “We Are Moving Forward”

• We are moving Forward first means that the properties, bank accounts and private fortunes of the NPP gurus, their families and close friends have moved forward • The President and his NPP gurus have moved forward so much that they can afford to insult suffering Ghanaians as lazy when they complain about how life has become unbearable • How can the NPP claim to have improved the lives of the people over the last eight years? • When a gallon of kerosene HAS MOVED FORWARD from 4,500 to 57,000 cedis • When a bundle of roofing sheets HAS MOVED FORWARD from 350,000 to 2.5 million cedis • When a bag of cement has HAS MOVED FORWARD from 17,000 to 100,000 • When a single room has HAS MOVED FORWARD from 15,000 to 300,000 • When the electricity bill per the first 100 units paid by the average Ghanaian HAS MOVED FORWARD from 10,000 to 122,000 cedis a month • When a sachet of pure water HAS MOVED FORWARD from 100 to 500 cedis • When a loaf of bread HAS MOVED FORWARD from 1000 cedis to 20,000 cedis • When a tin of milo HAS MOVED FORWARD from 3,800 to 42,000 cedis • When a tin of milk HAS MOVED FORWARD from 800 to 8,500 cedis • When one olonka of gari HAS MOVED FORWARD from 2500 to 15,000 • When a bag of maize from HAS MOVED FORWARD 100,000 to 850,000 • When a bag of rice HAS MOVED FORWARD from 50,000 to 600,000 cedis • When a ball of kenkey (without mentioning fish) HAS MOVED FORWARD from 200 to 3000 cedis • When fresh coconut HAS MOVED FORWARD from 500 to 4000 cedis • When a bar of key soap HAS MOVED FORWARD from 3000 to 22,000 cedis • When a bottle of Coke (that is Coca Cola) HAS MOVED FORWARD from 600 to 4000 cedis • When even the price of nature’s call in a KVIP HAS MOVED FORWARD from 50 cedis to 2000 cedis?

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• 06.10.2008

NDC will punish corruption

The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) party has unveiled its vision for the people of Ghana if voted into power to form the next government in early January 2009.

The 97 paged manifesto, dubbed ‘A BETTER GHANA 2008’, focuses on four thematic areas that encompasses the pressing concerns that the NDC wants to address.

The four thematic areas include investing in people, investing in jobs, investing in the economy and maintaining a transparent and accountable government.

Addressing party faithful and supporters at the manifesto launch in Accra on Saturday, Hon. John Dramani Mahama, running mate to Prof. Mills, said the 2008 NDC manifesto is aimed at tackling poverty from all angles in the country.

He said there would be a major assault on poverty by the next NDC government so as to bring relief and joy to the suffering masses who have suffered under the eight years rule of the Kufour-led NPP administration.

Hon. Mahama said as a first step into eradicating poverty in the country, corruption which has been the bane of this country would be made a high risk activity for both public and political office holders.

He noted that the windfall that the country stands to gain as a result of numerous anti-corruption crusades that the NDC would embark upon would be invested into other areas of the economy to accelerate the growth and development of the country.

The NDC running mate, who described the party’s manifesto launch as beautiful and wonderful in the annals of the NDC, added that the party’s blueprint is achievable, promising Ghanaians that before the first term of the new NDC government expires in 2013, all the set out phases in the manifesto would have been implemented.

Hon. John Mahama, who is also the NDC Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi, explained that as corruption thrives in a system that is not transparent, accountable or unresponsive to the needs and concerns of the citizens of the country, an NDC government would not make any excuses for corrupt ministers, officials and other office holders, saying; “We shall promptly investigate and prosecute all corrupt public officials and allow the law to take its course”.

He urged the gathering not to pay heed to the vain promises of the ruling NPP, adding that the NDC is on the verge of making history with a peaceful transfer of power from President Kufour to Prof. Mills on January 7th 2009.

As early as 6am, NDC supporters and sympathisers were seen trooping to the Accra International Tradefair Centre, where the launch took place amidst singing and dancing, clad in NDC attires and other souvenirs.

Former President Rawlings and his wife Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings were there to grace the occasion.

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23 dead people deleted from voters registers

Elmina, Oct. 6, GNA - The names of 23 dead people have been deleted from voters registers in nine exhibition centres in Elmina and Coast townships since exhibition of voters registers began nation-wide on Sunday.

When GNA visited some of the centres on Tuesday, the exhibition assistant, at Akotobinsin Polling centre at Elmina, Ms Stella Andoh-Kessie said 14 out of the 864 registered voters have been reported dead by their relatives.

She said on Sunday, 73 people turned up to check their names, while an additional 21 had checked as at 13:10hrs on Monday, adding that the exercise was slow, but optimistic the turn out would increase before the exercise ends on Saturday.

At the Elmina CPB old Post office, Mr Henry Anowie, the exhibition official said 56 people checked their names on Sunday while 23 had checked as at 1100hrs on Monday.

In Cape Coast, at the Twi-Ndzi-Twi exhibition centre at Amanful, Mr Ebenezer Simpson, exhibition official said the names of seven dead people had been deleted from 800 voters and 85 people had so far checked their names.

Ms Grace Eshun, exhibition official at Amanful Catholic Primary School centre said the name of a dead person had been deleted from the register of 362 voters, while 28 people have checked their names, at the Catholic Primary JHS centre, the name of a dead person was deleted.

Mr Emmanuel Abiew, exhibition official at the Legion Hall 'A' exhibition centre near Cape Coast Castle, said of the 756 names on the register, 35 people had so far checked their names. He called on Ghanaians not to hesitate to check their names in the register early to avoid the usual last minute rush because that practice "does not help anybody".

Mr Abiew appealed to the Electoral Commission (EC) to intensify public education about the exercise, because almost everyone who checked their names complained of low publicity about the exercise. At the Legion Hall 'B' centre, Ms Elizabeth Baffoe, exhibition official said some people who came in to check on their names pointed out the names of some people they claimed to have died, but since they were not their relatives, they could not produce proof to enable her delete their names. Mr Thomas Amoo, exhibition official at the Municipal Council Centre said 15 of the 682 registered voters had turned up to check their names and appealed to people in the area to check their names early to avoid rush.

06 October  2008

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Ministry: Return Flagstaff House memorabilia

Accra, Oct. 6, GNA - All persons in possession of memorabilia taken from the former Flagstaff House should return them to be exhibited, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr. Stephen Asamoah-Boateng urged on Monday.

In an official statement in Accra, he said the old residency at the former Flagstaff House had been rehabilitated for use as a museum. "It is intended to display, as much as possible, the furniture, equipment, crockery and other items that were in use during the occupancy of the of the residency by the late ex-president Dr Kwame Nkrumah," Mr Asamoah-Boateng said.

He noted that unfortunately, all the items had ended up in individual homes.

"The Ministry of Information and National Orientation appeals to any person or group of persons in possession of any of such items to kindly return them to the Acting Chief Director of the Ministry to be exhibited in the old residency," the Minister said.

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Board Chairman advocates decentralization of the GNA

Kumasi, Oct 6, GNA - Nana Rex Owusu-Ansah, Board Chairman of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), has advocated the decentralization of the Agency as part of proactive measures to make the institution more viable.

He said any such move would require the reframing of the legislation establishing the GNA to enable the head office in Accra to devolve itself of some administrative responsibilities of the regional and district offices so that they could transact business directly with customers to generate more income. Nana Owusu-Ansah, who is also the Krontihene of the Wenchi Traditional Area, said these when he visited the Ashanti Regional office of the GNA in Kumasi at the weekend. It was part of his familiarisation tour of the Eastern, Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo Regions to acquaint himself with problems under which the Agency operated at the grassroots level. He said that with its increasing clientele as a result of the proliferation of radio stations in the country coupled with its traditional mandate of covering rural areas, the decentralization efforts will allow the regional and district offices increase its income generation.

He said "This will also engender competition among various regional offices to increase output whiles strenuous efforts are also being made to create a regional office in the Greater Accra Region which is hitherto non-existent." He commended GNA staff in Ashanti Region for working hard to sustain the Agency in spite of constraints. Mrs Elizabeth Kankam-Boadu, GNA Ashanti Regional Manager, on behalf of the staff, thanked Nana Owusu-Ansah for his visit and appealed for more computers and other inputs to enable the staff deliver to their optimum.

He had earlier visited the Juaso District office of the Agency where he interacted with Mr Abdul Karim Boakye-Yiadom, the Asante-Akim South District Chief Executive. Mr Boakye-Yiadom commended the GNA for its extensive coverage of the District.

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