| News Home (Main Page) |  | | LATEST WORLD NEWS | | | | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2009 | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2008 | | NEWS ARCHIVE 2007 | | PHOTO REPORTS | | VIDEO REPORTS | | ARTS in GHANA | | Food & Drinks in Ghana |  | | Africa Cup 2008 | | Ghana Hotels | | Links / Websites | | Ghana Districts | | Ghana Tourism | | Ghana Adinkra | Names in Ghana | | | | * 04.03.2010 | | Spio Garbrah Identifies Lapses In NDC Communication Strategy * Source: Myjoyonline.com | Spio Garbrah Identifies Lapses In NDC Communication Strategy
The Chairman of the newly-inaugurated Communications Committee of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), says the greatest challenge facing the government is how to effectively co-ordinate information on its policies and programmes.
Ekwow Spio-Garbrah tells Joy News that although some effort has been made to correct past blunders, a lot more work needs to be done. He was speaking at a ceremony where members of various committees of the ruling party were sworn into office in Accra on Wednesday.
Spio-Garbrah, who is also a vice chairman of the party, says the Communication Committee must formulate strategies to effectively disseminate the government's policy. According to him, while the party plans on developing a communications strategy, the NDC “has a responsibility to defend its own political interests.” Dr Spio-Garbrah said however that such a communication strategy requires a lot of planning to achieve.
He hinted that certain individuals in and outside the government have contributed substantially in ensuring effective communication by the NDC since the party came to power. Asked what the role of the Communication Committee will be, weeks after its establishment, Dr Spio-Garbrah said the committee will “provide the overall framework of policies, programmes, strategies and plans of a communications nature,” in the party.
The NDC in government has been streamlining communication; a situation analysts believe led to the scrapping of the presidential spokesperson portfolio. Former presidential spokesperson, Mahama Ayariga is Deputy Minister designate for the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Parliament has yet to approve his nomination after weeks of investigation into accusations that he wrongfully acquired tractors meant for farmers. Although the Appointments Committee has cleared him of any wrongdoing, NPP MP for Abuakwa South, Atta Akyea, says a report of his approval must go to Parliament for approval in the course of the week. | | . | | . | | . | | . | | . | | ______________________ |
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| Latest Ghana News Thursday, 04 March 2010 WEEK 09 - 2010 | * Thursday, 04 March 2010 | Rawlings’ Fans Were Irresponsible…Plan To Raid Again – Kwesi Pratt * Source: Alex Ofei/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana | The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has said that the behavior of the irate NDC youth at the Circuit Court in Accra on Wednesday was irresponsible and must be condemned with all the vehemence that could be found.
According to Kwesi Pratt, it was absolutely unnecessary for the supporters of the ex-President, Jerry Rawlings to have stormed the court to beat up the NPP activist, Nana Darkwah.
"It is wrong for anybody to go to the court or his house to attempt to beat him up. That is a clear violation of the law and they should not be tolerated, encouraged or allowed,” he stated.
He said he could not imagine what will happen next if Kwabena Agyei and Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the NDC National Chairman and General Secretary respectively, were attacked by NPP fanatics, as a result of unpleasant comments they might pass about the NPP.
"This level of impunity is unacceptable in any decent society and would only destroy the gains of the country’s democratic experiment...We are getting too many of these recklessness and irresponsibility,” he stated.
The member of the Socialist Forum of Ghana said, there was no way supporters of a political party should beat up, threaten or heckle suspects who are appearing before the courts of law.
"The Political leadership of the NPP, NDC and the others must stand up and ensure that their supporters behave properly and within the umbrage of the law,” he said.
Speaking on Vibe FM, an Accra-based radio station, he recalled circumstances where party supporters had involved themselves in various forms of mayhem during the appearance of their members before state authorities.
He recounted a similar instance when the former Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Mpiani, was invited by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to answer questions about his stewardship. He also cited the case of former Information Minister, Stephen Asamoah Boateng, when NPP members mobilized supporters to cause mayhem simply because the former Minister's passport had been seized by the BNI.
"About two weeks ago, supporters of ex-President Rawlings again stormed Asempa FM, an Accra-based radio station in an attempt, to beat up Alhaji Bature but unfortunately for them, he was not found in the studio," he added.
Mr. Pratt also stated that some highly placed sources have hinted to him that these same Rawlings supporters are planning to cause mayhem at Radio Gold, also an Accra-based radio station on Saturday, when “Alhaji and Alhaji, a political talk programme will be in session.
Some supporters and fanatics of the NDC and especially ex-President Rawlings, stormed the Cocoa Affairs court on Wednesday ostensibly to assault NPP activist, Nana Darkwah, who appeared in court for the first time since alleging that ex-President Rawlings deliberately set fire to his Ridge residence on 14th February this year.
Nana Darkwa was arrested and bailed a day after making that infamous statement. He is billed to re-appear in court on 15th March 2010. | | > BACK to TOP < | VRA launches stamps to honour Nkrumah * Source: GNA | The Volta River Authority (VRA) on Tuesday launched commemorative stamps to mark the centenary celebrations of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first President.
The stamps, which were printed and issued by Ghana Post on behalf of VRA, captured the Akosombo Dam, Akosombo Generating Station Retrofit, Kpong Dam and the Tema and Takoradi Thermal Plants. 
It would be sold at the various post offices countrywide for both local and international mailing.
At the launch in Accra Professor Akilagpa Sawyerr, the Chairman of both the VRA Board and Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Celebrations Committee, said the stamps should serve as a symbol to Ghanaians of "the unfinished business of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah."
The stamps, he said, should not only be used to post letters but serve as a confidence post for Ghanaians, especially the youth.
He said the origins and purposes of the establishment of the VRA project were to transform the lives and conditions of the people not only in Ghana but continentally.
However, President Nkrumah's overthrow "brought a break of that vision which has left our economy to remain untransformed since then".
Prof Sawyerr said it was good that Ghanaians went back to that vision and went beyond the issues of power outages, fluctuations and tariff increment.
He said the young ones should be told both the good and bad stories that led to Ghana's independence to help reshape their thinking and commitment towards nation building.
He also urged managements of all institutions set up by Dr Nkrumah to tell their stories to let people hear what that great visionary did for the country and the world in general.
Mr Kwaku Andoh Awortwi, Chief Executive Officer of VRA, reiterated that management decided to print out the stamps to immortalize the achievements of Ghana's first President who established the Akosombo Dam and the VRA some 50 years ago.
He said VRA currently employed over 3,000 Ghanaians while the Dam provided about 1,020MW of hydroelectric power for most of Ghana today.
Mr Nicholas Dery, Acting Managing Director, Ghana Post, said his company took pride in partnering the VRA to issue the four different designed commemorative stamps to celebrate the first President as the trail blazer in Ghana's development.
He explained that stamps depicted the history of any nation and "this very ones would not only do same but would add to the gallery of stamp collectors who could keep them for future exhibit and sell them for higher prices at later dates".
"Indeed, these stamps are now available for stamps collectors or philatelists and admirers of the first President at our philatelic bureau at the General Post Office, Accra-Central," he added.
| | > BACK to TOP < | Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) lays claim to Ghana's oil * Source: | A major crude oil-induced border dispute could break out between Ghana and neighbouring Ivory Coast, if immediate steps are not taken to enter into appropriate negotiations to redefine the international boundary between the two West African nations.
Ghana’s Western neighbor Ivory Coast is reportedly laying claims to portions of the huge oil wealth in the deep waters of the Western Region.
In a move to save the situation, Ghana has begun an urgent move to pass a new law that seeks to establish the Ghana Boundary Commission to undertake negotiations to determine and demarcate Ghana’s land boundaries and de-limit Ghana’s maritime boundaries.
Parliament has therefore been tasked to race against time to pass the Ghana Boundary Commission Bill under a certificate of urgency.
Speaking exclusively to CitiNews Parliamentary Correspondent Richard Sky, the Minister for Lands and Forestry, Hon Collins Dauda, who laid the bill before Parliament, said Government is doing everything possible to avoid a full-blown international dispute with the nation’s Western neighbour.
“There is a critical need for us to put in place a commission that would lead the negotiation for our maritime and land boundaries with our neighbours…there are international laws and United Nations conventions that need to be respected. It is as if of the claim you can take over the area like that…in these matters you begin with negotiations…as soon as we put our commission in place then we have the mandate to meet with our counterpart as to the de-limitations of our maritime boundary”.
The news of Ivory Coast’s claim to parts of Ghana’s oil fields comes just days after United States operator Vanco struck oil in the deep-water Dzata-1 well, off Ghana’s Cape Three Points near Ivory Coast, further boosting the oil wealth in Ghana’s booming offshore Tano basin.
However the Hon Collins Dauda said he is confident Ghana and Ivory Coast will be able to resolve the matter without any conflict due to the good relations between the two countries.
| | > BACK to TOP < | Auntie Oboshie Verbally Awarded C7Bil Contract * Source: Source: Enquirer | The 2008 Audit report on the Ministry of Information, has indicted former Information and National Orientation Minister, Oboshie Sai Cofie, on two counts of violating the Procurement Law by awarding contracts to the tune of over ¢7 billion by word of mouth
According to the report, aside from the fact that the huge contract did not go through the processes of tender, the values of the two contracts were also above the threshold for the Head of Entity to Award such a contract.
The former Minister was indicted on all two counts with the audit recommending in the case of the first contract that “Hon. Oboshie Sai Cofie, who single-handedly awarded the contracts without reference to the Entity Tender Committee, should be sanctioned in accordance with Section 92 of the Public Procurement Act. “
In the case of the second contract, which was worth over ¢4.07 billion, the audit again recommended that “Hon. Oboshie Sai Cofie, who unilaterally awarded the contract should be sanctioned in accordance with section 92 (1) of the Public Procurement Act. Additionally, Mr. A. A. Ampong who issued the SRA’s without inspecting the various services should also be held responsible.”
CONTRACT 1: GHANA OVERSEAS MARKETING COMPANY LTD
Located near the Tesano Sports Club on the foothills of a residential neighborhood, lies Ghana Overseas Marketing Company, a company which did a lot of contracts for the defunct Ghana@50 Secretariat.
According to the audit report, the company was awarded ¢3.14 billion contract in total violation of Section 92 of the Public Procurement Act.
The report said “Given the value of the contract, the national competitive tendering method should have been used. However, contrary to the legal requirement, apart from the Ministry’s advertisement , there was no indication that other bidders submitted their tenders and that an evaluation was carried out before the contract was awarded to Ghana Oversees Marketing Company Limited”
The audit report further noted that contract was also not awarded by the Entity Tender Committee of the Ministry as required by the Procurement Act.
“Indeed, we found no letter to the contractor. The Chief Executive Officer of the company, “Mr. Abraham Obeng Amoakohene told the audit team at a meeting that the contract was verbally awarded to his company by Hon. Oboshie Sai-Cofie because she was aware that his company is the only one which could deliver the service at low cost,” the report stated.
The report observed that apart from the fact that the size of the contract was above the threshold that the Minister could award, the company charged the Ministry of Information ¢1.20 billion for branding 20 Metro Mass Transit (MMT) buses, while the bus company was paid only ¢240 million leaving Ghana Overseas Marketing with a whopping profit margin of almost ¢1 billion.
In the case of the branding of Inter City STC buses the audit investigation said: “We were told that the bus operator was paid (¢200 million) GHC20,000.00 out of the (¢600 million) GHC60,000.00 that the advertising agency charged the Ministry for branding 10 buses leaving a margin of (¢400 million) GHC40,000.00”
The audit report noted that Ghana Overseas Marketing Company Ltd was “allowed to make a huge profit from the contract due to the absence of other competitors. We found that officials at the Ministry did not even verify whether the company had carried out the services contracted to it in accordance with specifications given by the Minister.”
The report said that in the absence of verifiable records, “we concluded that the Ministry did not receive Value for Money because other contractors did not tender, there was no evaluation by a properly constituted panel and the services delivered were not properly certified by officials of the Ministry”
The Audit report added that their conclusion is further “buttressed by the fact that there were no records at the Ministry, MMI and Inter City STC on the description and registration numbers of the buses which were branded, the bus routes involved and whether the buses were actually in service for the eight month period which, according to the contractor, was agreed upon”
The report said, Inter City STC and MMT could all not provide records of the Transaction. After three months, Intercity could still not produce documents whilst MMT said recent floods had destroyed all documentation on the project.
The report concluded that Ghana Overseas Marketing Company Limited should “produce evidence that it branded the rest of the 31 buses during the period and mounted all the 21 billboards or be made to refund ¢2.59 billion.”
CONTRACT 2: GHANA THEN AND NOW
Six media houses were awarded contracts to produce television advertisements and or documentaries on the previous Government’s achievements under the title “Ghana Then and Now”
The report said from interviews with some of the owners of the beneficiary media companies and Oboshie Sai Cofie, the price per each documentary was agreed at ¢50 million.
In total, Oboshie Sai Cofie awarded a total of ¢4. 75 billion contract to the six media houses without regard to the Public Procurement Law.
According to the findings, even though the media companies resp
onded to advertisements b
y the Ministry to produce documentaries on the past Government’s achievements:
“There was no evaluation by a properly constituted panel and therefore, the contracts were not awarded by the Ministry’s Tender Committee. Most importantly, there were no awards letters. We were informed that they were awarded verbally and unilaterally by the Former Deputy Minister even though their values were above the threshold for the Head of Entity Award.
The values, of these contracts, the report said, “were above the threshold for a Head of Entity to award. The values of these contracts required use of the national competitive tendering”
The report said most of the media entities who were paid monies, did not execute the contracts fully, because according to some of the owners who were interviewed, the contract was not profitable.
The report observed that no due diligence was carried out on the entities prior to their selection and award of contracts, adding that had “due diligence been carried out, on all the media entities which tendered for the jobs, it would have been realized that some of them had provided addresses and contact telephone numbers which were not genuine”
The report has recommended that Ghaledeb, MAks Publications & Media Services, Renaissance Media, Premier Productions Limited are to refund over ¢1.85 billion.
The other two companies who benefited from the award of the contracts included Farm House Productions and Media Touch Productions. Media Touch had the biggest chunk of the contract. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | > BACK to TOP < |
_____________________________________________________ ----- | | | Thursday, 04 March 2010 | Middle Rawlings’ Fans Were Irresponsible…Plan To Raid Again – Kwesi Pratt VRA launches stamps to honour Nkrumah Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) lays claim to Ghana's oil Auntie Oboshie Verbally Awarded C7Bil Contract | | Right ‘NDC Hooligans’ Invade Court Ga Mantse Is Delaying With His Apology – Victor Smith Left Spio Garbrah Identifies Lapses In NDC Communication Strategy | Your Opinions | Have Your Say!
| Archived News for 2010 | Go to 03.03.2010 | 
| All about the Ghana Election 2008 | | | | * 04.03.2010 | ‘NDC Hooligans’ Invade Court * Source: The New Crusading Guide/Ghana | The Cocoa Affairs Court was yesterday morning thrown into a state of confusion when a group of young men stormed the precincts in an apparent attempt to assault New Patriotic Party (NPP) radio commentator, Nana Darkwa Baafi, who is standing trial for making some ‘unguarded’ statements about former President Jerry John Rawlings.
The visibly irate group, who claimed to be supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), charged fiercely on Nana Darkwa as he walked out of the circuit court to take their pound of flesh but the timely intervention of the Police saved the situation as they (Police) immediately whisked him (Darkwa) into a Police van and sped off.
Nana Darkwa is on trial for “publishing false information with intent to cause fear and panic among the public” which is against Section 208 of the Criminal Code of Ghana.
Nana Darkwa was arrested and detained a fortnight ago for alleging that former President Rawlings deliberately torched his Ridge residence, which was reduced to ashes on the dawn of Valentine’s Day.
Interestingly, the case was adjourned to March 15, following the inability of the prosecution team to appear in court yesterday.
The members of the group fuming with rage, expressed their unhappiness about the manner the NDC government was handling the case. They threatened to take the law into their own hands if the Prosecution fails to handle the case to their satisfaction.
At the time The New Crusading Guide got to the scene, scores of the irate mob were still present shouting and insulting anybody on sight. One of them told The Crusading Guide that they were in court “to show the NPP that the NDC also has strong men who can fight.”
“We came here to face them (NPP) squarely…we are in power and we cannot tolerate that attitude from the opposition,” he said.
The NDC supporters also accused NPP Member of Parliament for Ayawaso East, Sheikh I.C. Quaye of organising people to intimidate and create fear at the court premises. | Ga Mantse Is Delaying With His Apology – Victor Smith Source: Myjoyonline.com | Ghana’s newly appointed Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Mr. Victor Smith, has said that the Ga Mantse, Nii Tackie Tawiah III, is allowing too much time to pass in rendering an apology to President John Evans Atta Mills.
“He should apologize. He should take the necessary actions. He shouldn’t sit there and make the thing look like NDC, NPP politics.”
Nii Tackie Tawiah, known in private life as Dr. Joe Blankson, is aggrieved at what he says is the government’s deliberate attempt to despise and refuse him official recognition as king of the Ga state, and chose the occasion of President Mills’ state of the nation address before Parliament on Thursday, February 25, to castigate the government.
The king was not invited to the programme as would be the norm, and the government says he needs to take steps to gazette his authority to merit recognition.
The angry king also had harsh words for the president, advising him not to be “fooled” by persons around the president he described as “standard 7” grades, a reference to what used to be a most respected educational qualification but which has long ceased to be even a basic requirement for a job opening or school admission.
Mr. Smith, who spoke on Asempa FM on Wednesday, said the king’s language was unbecoming of a traditional leader and too demeaning of the president of the republic elected by majority of Ghanaians and so he must apologize.
According to Victor Smith, who explained that his counsel to the king should not be seen as an ultimatum, King Tackie Tawiah, like any other citizen, had more convenient channels to seek redress if he felt aggrieved in any way, such as seek audience with the Chieftaincy Minister, the Council of State, Parliament or the National House of Chiefs and should not have taken the course of publicly abusing the president.
“He is wrong in addressing a grievance,” he maintained.
He told Nana Kwabena Bobie Ansah, host of the programme, that the government’s position was that what is lawful should be done, and that means that he must get his authority duly gazetted before he holds himself out as Ga Mantse. Again, Victor Smith said, he was aware the Ga Traditional Council was trying to resolve the matter of King Tackie Tawiah’s authority and there was no need for him to have jumped the gun. | | . | | . | | . |
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