| 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 | | | | * 12.05.2010 | EU police warns Ghana over cocaine men * Source: Daily Graphic | The European Police have warned Ghana to be on the alert for the influx of drug moguls from Latin American States under the guise of bringing investments into the country.
They said the drug barons were exploiting the conducive business climate and political stability to establish bases in Ghana and other West African countries to conduct their illicit business in drugs.
The Deputy Director of the British Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) responsible for Cocaine, Mr. Neil Giles; Deputy Director-General of the French National Anti-Narcotics Bureau (OCTRIS), Mr. Jean-Jacques Colombi, and Mr. Andrea Rossi of the Italian Police gave the warning in an interview with the Daily Graphic in Accra on Tuesday, May 11.
The team, which also included Antonia Mena Lopez, the Head of the National Drugs Intelligence Unit of Spain, is in the country as part of a three-nation West African tour to raise issues over the influx of drugs in and out of West Africa by Latin American barons into Europe and North America.
The team will seek to strengthen relationships with the countries visited and seek to address the operational challenges facing drug enforcement agencies in West Africa to enable the sub-region to deal with the drug problem.
Mr. Giles said there was strong evidence of the drug barons using money to buy influence at the political, law enforcement and judicial levels, adding that it was important that West African countries and their citizens understood the threats posed by those barons and how to deal with them.
West Africa was the target because of the strong trade relations between it and Europe, which the barons had capitalized on in their attempt to ship large consignments of cocaine to Europe under the guise of exporting various food items and other commodities, he said.
“the threat to West Africa is real and unless we continues to operate and collaborate effectively, West Africa will be in serious trouble,” he said, and referred to the recent interception of an aircraft loaded with cocaine on the tarmac in Freetown, Sierra Leone, as a signal that with the right systems in place, West Africa could stand up to the menace.
“Ghana must be more alert, you will deter by the barons being more alert; it is simple as that,” he advised. Mr. Giles emphasized international collaboration and said it was because of it that the team was visiting Ghana, Senegal and the Gambia to develop a system of sharing information and working in partnership to achieve positive results.
He, however, said that would require having partners with integrity, saying that “in the face of the resourcefulness of the traffickers, they will interfere with the political, judicial and law enforcement systems to have their way.
Mr. Giles commended Ghana for being at the forefront in the fight against drugs.
Mr. Colombi said there had been a dramatic decline in the courir3e traffic from Ghana to Europe, noting that what that meant was that “what we are doing here is bearing fruits”.
He said Ghana had been able to find the right response to dealing with courier traffickers but was quick to add that it could also mean the drug barons had changed their way, hence the need to collaborate and look elsewhere. | | . | | . | | . | | . | | . | | ______________________ |
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| Latest Ghana News Wednesday,12 May 2010 WEEK 19 - 2010 | * Wednesday, 12th May 2010 | Tema workers demonstrate in support of TOR, Shipyard, Stevedore operators * Source: GNA | | Tema, May 12, GNA - About 1,000 members of the Tema District Council of Labour (TDCL), on Tuesday morning embarked on a peaceful demonstration in Tema to express their misgivings on events at the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), PSC Tema Shipyard and Stevedore operations at the Tema Port. Workers of the three establishments, who were the main participants of the demonstration, wore their companies' t-shirts, and tied red bands on their heads, hands and necks.
The demonstrators, mainly men, sang war songs and carried placards as well as danced to brass band music.
Some of the placards read: "Father for all, give us our license", "Tsatsu must go back to jail", "$9m is better than $3m", "Mr President when are you taking over shipyard completely," and "Save TOR from tolling now". Others were: "Use debt recovering to bail TOR now", "Ghana's oil find, PSC Tema Shipyard is the base so save us now", "TOR is not a depot for others," and "Let our own crude oil flow, free TOR from GNPC now". The two-hour demonstration started at about 0815 hours and ended at about 1040 hours.
A red banner with the inscription "TOR, we need crude of our own" was carried in front of the procession, while a reachstaker, vehicle used for lifting containers, followed.
A large number of police personnel led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Augustine Gyening, Tema Regional Police Commander, accompanied the demonstrators, to ensure that it was peaceful.
Mr Wilson Agana, Chairman of the TDCL, the Council's executive members and leadership of the unions of the companies led the demonstrators from the forecourt of the Tema Metropolitan Assembly (TMA), through the Community One casino road, Tema Polyclinic road, Adom FM, Community Five and back to the TMA.
Presenting the Council's resolutions to Mr Robert Kempes Ofosuware, Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Agana stated that TOR needed the free hand to operate, since it was running at a loss due to the tolling system. He explained that under the tolling system, the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) would import the crude oil, give it to TOR to refine, after which it decides the amount to pay the Refinery. He pointed out that the act could lead to the collapse of the Refinery, since paying only the processing fee, did not meet its operational expenses, which included maintenance of the plant.
Mr Agana refuted claims in certain circles that TOR owed Ghana Commercial Bank, explaining that the debt was due to the fact that state and other institutions, which often purchased TOR products, refused to pay on time, thus leaving the debt on TOR.
The TDCL Chairman noted that the Council did not want TOR to collapse, just as most of the companies established by Dr Kwame Nkrumah had folded up. He said it was unfortunate that even as Ghana was celebrating Dr Nkrumah's centenary anniversary, all his establishments with the exception of TOR and Volta River Authority (VRA) had collapsed. He called on the government to put in place proper arrangements to help solve TOR's issues.
On the PSC Tema Shipyard issue, Mr Agana commended the government for establishing a committee to look at a possible way of getting the 60 per cent shares.
He, however, appealed to government to expedite action to promptly take-over the 60 per cent shares it sold to the Malaysians to consolidate the legacies of Dr Nkrumah. Mr Agana also asked the government to re-structure the operations of the Shipyard in order to seal of f all loopholes that hindered its profitability and viability. Touching on the licensing of Stevedore operators, he said the Council was not happy about the inability of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority to renew the licenses of Odart, CTS Co. Ltd, Dashwood and Fountain View. The TDCL Chairman said the act could lead to the laying off of about 5,000 workers, a situation, which would increase the unemployment problem facing the country.
Mr Agana further stated that the public not politicize the demonstration, as the workers were only exercising their right to save the operations of their companies.
Mr Ofosuware received the resolutions on behalf of President John Evans Atta Mills and commended the participants for demonstrating peacefully. He promised to forward the petitions to the President through the Regional Minister and gave the assurance that their grievances would be addressed. | > BACK to TOP < | My dismissal was orchestrated by NDC executives - Khalid * Source: Citifmonline.com | The dismissed Upper West Regional Minister, Mahmoud Khalid, says he believes his dismissal stems probably from pressure mounted on the Presidency by Party Executives from the Upper West Region.
Mr. Mahmud Khalid was on Tuesday, May 11, dismissed as the Upper West Regional Minister by the president after NDC foot soldiers had earlier called for his dismissal.
The irate NDC foot soldiers on Monday May 10 vandalized some property belonging to the party to register their displeasure over the award of contracts to members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) by the Regional Minister.
The foot soldiers also invaded the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) and destroyed some properties which resulted in some clashes between the youth group and some NDC fans sympathetic to the Regional Minister, Mahmoud Khalid.
The Regional Chairman of the NDC and some executives of the party were fingered of instigating the dismissal the behavior of Mr. Mahmud Khalid and being behind his dismissal.
The foot soldiers accused the Minister of awarding contracts to some of his cronies of the opposition NPP.
But in an interview with Mr Khalid on Citi Eyewitness News, moments after his dismissal, he said he is not bitter about his dismissal since according to him he did nothing wrong.
According to him all contracts awarded were through the due process and not based on friendship. He added that the allegations levelled against him do not hold since contracts are not meant for party people but for people who have gone through the due process and are qualified.
He said those accusing him of awarding contracts to his cronies in the NPP “are party people acting out of ignorance”.
Mr Khalid, who said he received the news of his dismissal via a phone call, said he will still remain an active member of the NDC and play his role to ensure unity. He also hinted that he will be going back to farming since he was already a farmer before coming into politics.
Asked if he suspected that his removal was orchestrated by the agitations of party executives in his region, Mahmoud Khalid answered in the affirmative.
“…Yes it’s a possibility that they played an active part in my dismissal” he said. | > BACK to TOP < | Asaprochona Railway Project will improve railway network -Hammah * Source: GNA | Tema, May 12, GNA - Mr Mike Hammah, Minister of Transport, on Tuesday stated that the Asaprochona Railway Project at Sakumono was in line with government's plans to improve the country's railway network. Making the remark during an inspection of on-going work on the 16.5 million-dollar project, Mr Hammah said when completed, it would go a long way ease congestion on roads in the area.
The Minister who was accompanied by his deputy, Mrs Dzifa Aku Attivor, disclosed that a modern railway network would soon be introduced in the country to facilitate trade.
Mr Hammah gave the assurance that existing lines would be rehabilitated, adding that the lines would be extended to places like Chokor, Kasoa and Dodowa.
Mr Enyo Matrevi, Resident Engineer at the project site, said work on the project would be completed by the end of July. Mr Matrevi indicated that two modern trains with a sitting capacity of more than 600 passengers had been acquired, to transport passengers from Tema to Accra on completion of the 17-kilometre stretch project from the Sakumono Village to the Tema Railway Station at the Tema Port. At the Tema Harbour, Mr Richard Amamoo, Director of the Port, told the Minister and his entourage that plans were underway to auction all over-aged vehicles at the Terminal.
At the Fishing Harbour, Mr Amamoo told the Minister about plans to undertake rehabilitation works.
Mr Hammah charged authorities of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority to provide his ministry with a road map, time table, together with cost estimates, to facilitate the smooth take off of the rehabilitation. He advised the fisher folks to keep the beaches clean at all times in order to promote good sanitation. | | | | | | | > BACK to TOP < |
_____________________________________________________ ----- | | | Wednesday, 12th May 2010 | | Tema workers demonstrate in support of TOR, Shipyard, Stevedore operators My dismissal was orchestrated by NDC executives - Khalid Asaprochona Railway Project will improve railway network -Hammah Vote for who can unite the NPP - Allan Kyeremanten EU police warns Ghana over cocaine men | Your Opinions | Have Your Say!
| Archived News for 2010 | Go to 11.05.2010 | News Page was last modified on Wednesday, 12 May 2010 19:20:08 | 
| All about the Ghana Election 2008 | | | | * Wednesday, 12th May 2010 | Vote for who can unite the NPP - Allan Kyeremanten * Source: GNA | Assin Fosu, May 12, GNA - Mr Allan Kwadwo Kyeremanten, an aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearership, on Monday appealed to party members to vote for someone who can unite the party and ensure victory for it in the 2012 elections.
He made the call when he met party delegates and polling station executives of the Assin North and South constituencies at Assin Fosu in the Central Region as part of his six-day tour of the region.
Mr Kyeremanten said it was about time all joined hands to promote unity among the rank and file of the party since disunity could be a hindrance in the NPP's quest to wrestle back power.
He asked party delegates and the polling station executives to vote for a competent, honest, affable, energetic and above all God-fearing man, who could return the party to power in 2012
He pointed out that Mills' Government had failed Ghanaians and has brought untold hardship to the masses especially the youth resulting in the rampant cases of armed robbery and other social vices. He pledged to re-structure the party's campaign strategies if given the mandate explaining that he would use polling agents to campaign because they could carry the message far and wide.
Mr Kyeremanten noted that the days when big rallies were held and monies given to people, who used them for their personal interests were over and stressed the need for polling agents to be recognized and well utilized for the party's good. Mr Kyeremanten appealed to supporters of the party to ignore the false propaganda and the fabricated stories being peddled against him to tarnish his reputation and stressed that his agenda has always been to ensure "job and cash for the people". He added that he would, therefore, work to achieve his priorities of creating job opportunities to make people self reliant. | | . | | . | | . | | . | | . |
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