Sir John Exposed Over Wee & Cocaine

Source: The Herald

Attempts by the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie to play politics with the £4.3 million cocaine and cannabis bust at Heathrow Airport in London, has exploded badly in his face as the exporter has turned out to be his party member.

Francis Kwame Asante, the exporter of the 1.5 tonnes of cannabis and 7.5 kilogrammes cocaine exported to the United Kingdom (UK) from Ghana, is a card-bearing member of NPP, connected to Ursula Owusu and Joe Appiah, Ablekuma West and North NPP Parliamentary candidates, respectively.

Mr. Asante, nicknamed Wofa aged, 64, was busted in an operation by officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

Wofa, holds an NPP membership card numbered GR 1171001ALNA3, issued him by none other than its General Secretary, Mr. Owusu Afriyie, who recently claimed that he has information that members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) were behind the drug export.

Mr. Asante’s membership card found in his room was issued to him and signed by the NPP General Secretary on November 28, 2011.

He belongs to Ablekuma North of the NPP and is a registered voter in the Blue Lagoon Hotel Sakaman – South Odorkor area in the Greater Accra Region.

A reliable source close to Mr. Asante has confirmed to THE HERALD, that he made the export in his capacity as a shipping agent, however, there is no evidence to link him to the drugs as the parcels were physically inspected thoroughly by the security officials including NACOB officers stationed at the airport before it was allowed onboard the aircraft.

Long after the bust in UK, Mr. Asante, THE HERALD gathered, kept going to work until 15 days later, when he was arrested at the the Aviance Cargo Village at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra,while processing another parcel for export.

It was revealed, to THE HERALD, that Mr. Asante regularly got a phone call from a man in UK, who told him to pick and parcel the stuff from a certain destination and send it to him through an address.

The telephone numbers, the names and other details of the callers and the consignee have been handed over to the Ghanaian security authorities by Mr. Asante, THE HERALD has gathered.

The source questioned whether Mr. Asante would not have fled the country just like the others did if, indeed, he knew the contents of the parcel as something illegal.

THE HERALD’S source, questioned the whereabout of the NACOB officers who inspected the parcels, and described Mr. Asante, as a poor man struggling to keep body and soul together.

The suspect is presently in the custody of the BNI, THE HERALD learnt.

THE HERALD’S attempt to speak to Ursula Owusu and Joe Appiah, Ablekuma West and North NPP Parliamentary candidates, respectively, did not yield any result.

While, Ursula Owusu did not answer calls and text messages to her phone, Mr. Joe Appiah who answered and demanded to be called back as he was in Parliament, also failed to answer his phone subsequently.

Mr. Owusu Afriyie, popular called Sir John, in September, claimed that the cannabis busted at the Heathrow Airport in London, earlier this week on board a plane from Ghana, was being exported by a member of the ruling NDC. Readers will recall that Border Force officials at the Heathrow Airport last month busted 1.5 tonnes of cannabis in tape-wrapped compressed packages within boxes on a flight from Accra.

The drugs, which weighed around 1.5 tonnes and had a street value of £4.3 million, were found in three separate freight containers filled with fresh fruit and vegetables and reported as the biggest cannabis seizure in three years.

Five officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Kamaldeen Awudu, Wolanyo Fiano, Ibrahim Badoo, Marvin Amon-kotei and Ben Kusi Asante have been picked up by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) in connection with the latest seizure of cannabis in the UK.

However, commenting on the cocaine bust in the UK on Asempa FM’s “Kukurantumi” programme aired on Saturdays, the General secretary of the NPP noted that his party was aware that the owner of that cannabis is an “NDC man”. Though he was unable to name the said owner of the busted cannabis, Sir John said the NPP will soon release detailed information to back their claim.

”We are aware the drugs were carried to the UK by an NDC man and in the coming days we shall bring the details out. We are reliably informed and will make everybody aware of what the NDC is doing to the country. They lied in the past and tagged NPP with narcotics which they are now paying the ultimate price for it.

“The NDC in the past told us that cocaine, wee and other drugs have become a thing of the past and have now become a scarce commodity. Now what are they saying about this. It is shameful to the NDC and its government,” Sir John maintained.

He said the NDC is paying the price for branding NPP as a narcotic peddler’s party in the past and wondered whether the NDC can politicize drug issues in Ghana again.

*****

‘Kayayei’Politics: Mahama is unforgivably ignorant- NPP

Source: Joy Online

The New Patriotic Party says President John Mahama’s critique of its policy initiative to house head porters popularly known as kayayei smacks of a president who is "unforgivably ignorant" about housing needs of the poor and vulnerable in the country.

The New Patriotic Party as part of its campaign manifesto is promising to build hostels which will be rented at low cost to the vulnerable in the society, especially the kayayei.

But President John Mahama has rubbished the proposal.

In a mini rally in Tamale, President John Mahama told the gathering the NPP is desperate for power and is making unrealistic promises to buy votes.

He singled out the kayayei hostel campaign promise for criticism, describing it as an insult to the people.

He argued the NDC would not tackle the symptoms of the problem as the NPP was doing and would rather tackle the roots of the problem.

But the NPP is not impressed with the President’s remarks.

At a press conference in Accra on Thursday, the campaign manager of the NPP, Boakye Agyarko said the president was out of touch with reality and does not appear to see or even care about the thousands of the vulnerable who sleep outside, at the mercy of the weather because there is no shelter for them.

“In John Mahama, Ghana has a president who believes social housing is traveling to Korea to sign a bad deal for the construction of expensive 200, 000 houses at an average price of $50,000 which did not even happen.

“There has been nothing social about any housing policy directly promoted by John Mahama under the NDC3 regime, misdirecting his attacks on every visionary, social policy by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

“It is obvious that the president is either not well informed about Nana Addo’s policy on social housing or has deliberately chosen to ignore the details for political expedience and in doing so has only succeeded in exposing his unforgivable ignorance on the subject matter,” he stated.

Providing details on the kayayei housing policy, Boakye Agyarko stated the policy will be replicated in all the ten regions of the country at a cost of 140 million cedis over a four year period.

He said the hostels will be built in partnership with the private sector and the hostels rented out at cheap and affordable rates.

“…Shops will be provided on the ground floor which will be rented out at commercial rates to enable private sector partners to recoup part of their investments in the hostel," he added.

"Political Gimmick"

But the NDC still remains resolute in their conviction that the policy is a political gimmick to win votes.

Deputy Local Government Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah who spoke to Joy News’ Evans Mensah said merely providing cost to the policy does not make the policy feasible or that the NPP has shown commitment to pursuing it.

In an analogy, the NDC firebrand said knowing the cost of paracetamol does not mean one has cure for headache.

He said the NPP has no track record of delivering on affordable housing and their eight year stay in office was a living testimony to that fact.

Ankra said the NDC is committed to solving the root cause of the problem, rather than its symptoms.

Currently, he said the SADA initiative and other policies are solving the socio-economic challenges which are forcing the porters to come down south to work as head porters.

When he was reminded that the NDC head of Monitoring and Evaluation at the Presidency Tony Aidoo said that housing kayayei was an original idea put into the NDC 2004 manifesto and which the NPP was copying, Elvis Ankrah stated that is “inconsequential.”

He stated the NDC has the better option to solving the housing problem of poor and vulnerable in the country.

*****

Akufo-Addo's proposals on NDPC makes sense – Dr Lloyd Amoah

Source: Joy Online

Policy Analyst at Ashesi University, Dr. Lloyd Amoah says the National Development Planning Commission must be resourced with the requisite “brain power” if it is to achieve the objective for which the Constitution established it.

He says the Commission in its current state was incapable of engineering any significant policy propositions that will fast-track the country's development.

Dr. Amoah’s submissions follow a suggestion by Policy Think Tank, IMANI Ghana, that the NDPC be stripped of its planning responsibilities and reduced to an advisory body.

The Commission’s role in national development planning came under came under intense scrutiny in Tuesday’s presidential debate where the various candidates articulated their positions on how to make the commission more effective.

Founding President of IMANI, Franklyn Cudjoe told Joy News that the emphasis on the NDPC as a vehicle for a binding national development plan was unfortunate.

Speaking on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM Thursday, Dr. Lloyd Amoah supported New Patriotic Party flagbearer’s idea of making his Vice president chair the Commission, if the party is elected to govern in December.

“The NDPC needs to be far more resourced and provided with greater presidential clout; and so for me, Nana Addo’s position that he will put the Vice president as the key government personality on that Commission to ensure that it has presidential bite, is timely and important.

“…I think that other institutions such as the NDPC which are mandated by our supreme law to perform that role, ought to be backed up with as I said, resources, with brain power; young people from the universities, policy analysts, intellectuals who have proved their worth in their fields ought to be sent in there so that the NDPC provides us with the intellectual fire power on a consistent level,” Dr. Amoah stated.

Similarly, Development Policy Advisor at the Office of the President, Dr. Sulley Gariba has described IMANI’s position as “thoughtfully analysed “and “dead on”.

Dr. Gariba noted that even though the Commission had been offering some advice but they lack the authority to demand that their advice is followed.

Dr. Gariba said the nation still needs the Commission to focus on developing the development planning framework to ensure the long term planning of the country, while the Finance Ministry puts resources to it.

*****

Boy 9 kills sister 4 with a gun

Source: Daily Guide

A usual siblings’ play at Asuoyeboah, a suburb of Kumasi, turned bloody yesterday afternoon, when the brother shot his younger sister dead.

A four-year-old girl was allegedly shot in the forehead by his nine-year-old brother in a room around 2pm when the siblings were playing together.

A police source told DAILY GUIDE on condition of anonymity that the little girl died as soon as she was shot.

Reports emerging as at press time yesterday indicated that the two siblings were playing with a pistol belonging to a resident of their house when disaster struck.

The police source said residents of the house heard a deafening noise of a gunshot so they rushed to the room to verify, only to find the girl in a pool of blood with her visibly-shaken brother standing by her side, panting and not knowing what to do.

The young girl was immediately rushed to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.

The whereabouts of the boy are not known.

The owner of the gun was also yet to be found as at press time yesterday.

The source noted that no arrest had been made as at press time as the police were still thoroughly investigating the matter.

*****

2 perish in accident

Source: Daily Guide

An accident that occurred on the Sunyani-Berekum highway has claimed two lives, leaving 29 others seriously injured.

The dead have been identified as Elizabeth Gyamfi aka Afia Manu, 60, and Emmanuel Kankam, 54, both from Kumasi. Their bodies have since been deposited at the Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital at Sunyani.

The Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, Teddy Damptey Brown, who confirmed the incident to DAILY GUIDE, said the Tuesday accident occurred at Twumasikrom near Nsoatre at about 7pm when two vehicles collided head-on after one of the drivers tried to overtake another vehicle.

The driver of the Sprinter Mercedes Benz bus, Kwasi Oppong, who was travelling from Berekum to Sunyani, was reported to have run his car into the on-coming Ford Transit bus with registration number BA 33 Z, driven by Yaw Owusu, when the former was overtaking another car.

The two vehicles collided in the process.

The two casualties were pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

At the time of filing this report yesterday, six out of the 29 injured persons had been treated and discharged.

*****

"Presidential debate was a torture session"

Source: GNA

A public servant, Mr. Raphael Boadu, said on Thursday that the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) was unscientific when it kept the four presidential candidates on their feet for almost four hours when it held a debate for them at Tamale last Tuesday.

President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Abu Sakara of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr. Hassan Ayariga of People’s National Convention (PNC) and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (NPP) took part in the marathon debate.

The event was for presidential candidates whose political parties have representation in parliament and drew to the Northern Regional capital the top brass of the NDC, CPP, PNC and the NPP.

Mr. Boadu was among a cross section of people the GNA interviewed on their reaction to the debate as far as its duration was concerned.

The 55-year-old public servant said he was surprised the IEA, made up of top class professionals, kept the presidential candidates, the President and three potential presidents, on their feet for such a long time when those who were throwing questions at them were comfortably seated.

He said the youngest presidential candidate is 40 years old and the oldest is 68 and they have been running round the country campaigning for a very long time.

“It is absolutely wrong to keep them standing, rooted to one spot, for almost four hours when they could have been made to sit down comfortably. I am sure some of them went home with swollen feet,” Mr. Boadu said.

Mr. Mohamed Gariba, a businessman, said he was surprised the debate lasted more than three hours and he did not understand why the IEA, made up of seasoned professionals, could keep elderly people on their feet for such a long time.

“The IEA has a retired senior officer of the Ghana Armed Forces as a member and he is aware of highly trained soldiers collapsing on parade grounds. May be, the IEA wanted some of the candidates to collapse,” he said.

A journalist said he regarded the debate as a torture session for the candidates and wondered how President Mahama, Dr. Sakara, Mr. Ayariga and Nana Akufo-Addo kept their focus for almost four hours, answering questions from “archeology to zoology.”

The journalist, who wants to remain anonymous, said he went to bed before the debate ended and added “If I, a journalist, could not sit through a programme related to my profession, then there was something wrong with the programme.”

He said the debate would have no effect on the December 7 election and walked down memory lane to the 2008 debate.

In that debate, he went on, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, then presidential candidate of the CPP, was outstanding but his performance at the poll and that of the party the late President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah founded is now history.

A medical officer told the GNA that if he were a presidential candidate he would withdraw from the rest of the debate because it would not serve any purpose.

“Those cracking their tired brains to answer questions should be comfortable and not the lady and the gentleman asking the questions,” he said.

He said the lady Professor was too hard on the audience, almost treating them like school boys and girls in a classroom.

He said it was a political event and the candidates were there with their supporters and the top brass of their parties.

Therefore, the audience would sometimes clap to encourage them and as a reminder that they were there for them.

“There was nothing wrong with the clapping and I do not believe the clapping distracted the candidates. They are politicians and politicians love noise, they are used to noise,” he said.

*****

CLOGSAG strike is a betrayal of trust - Moses Asaga

Source: Radio XYZ Online

The Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, Moses Asaga, has described the strike by the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, (CLOGSAG) as a "betrayal of trust".

CLOSAG’s Ashanti regional branch on Wednesday directed its representatives across the country to close their offices for a sit-down strike until further notice.

The labour union is protesting delays in the payment of some top up allowances following their migration onto the Single Spine Salary Structure.

Reacting to the strike Moses Asaga said CLOSAG’s action makes it unnecessary for negotiations, which were ongoing prior to the strike, to continue.

“Now that they have betrayed us it means there is nothing for negotiations because I thought all along we were working with trust and respect but if they can decide to go on a sit down strike without meeting me or the Minister for Finance then it is unfortunate”.

Meanwhile, CLOGSAG has defended its reasons for the strike action.

Greater Accra Regional Secretary Sam Collison says no good has resulted from all the meetings held with the ministries engaged in the negotiations.

“All the meetings that we have had with the Finance Minister, no good thing has come out from it and if you read between the lines it doesn’t look like something good is coming from them”.

*****

NDPC needs intellectual fire power – Dr Lloyd Amoah

Source: Joy Online

Policy Analyst at Ashesi University, Dr. Lloyd Amoah has stressed the need to resource the National Development Planning Commission with the required “brain power” it desired.

Dr. Amoah’s call comes on the heels of a suggestion by Policy Think Tank, IMANI Ghana, which is pushing for the NDPC to be stripped of its planning responsibilities and reduced to an advisory body.

The commission’s role has recently come under some intense scrutiny following Tuesday’s presidential debate where the various candidates articulated their positions on how to make the commission more effective.

Founding President of IMANI, Franklyn Cudjoe told JOY NEWS that the emphasis on the NDPC as a vehicle for a binding national development plan was unfortunate.

Speaking on the Super Morning Show on Joy FM Thursday, Dr. Lloyd Amoah supported New Patriotic Party flagbearer’s idea of making his Vice president chair the Commission, if the party is elected into government in the coming December elections.

“The NDPC needs to be far more resourced and provided with greater presidential clout; and so for me, Nana Addo’s position that he will put the Vice president as the key government personality on that Commission to ensure that it has presidential bite, is timely and important.

“…I think that other institutions such as the NDPC which are mandated by our supreme law to perform that role, ought to be backed up with as I said, with resources, with brain power; young people from the universities, policy analysts, intellectuals who have proved their worth in their fields ought to be sent in there so that the NDPC provides us with the intellectual fire power on a consistent level,” Dr. Amoah stated.

Similarly, Development Policy Advisor at the Office of the President, Dr. Sulley Gariba has described IMANI’s position as “thoughtfully analysed “and “dead on”.

Dr. Gariba noted that even though the Commission had being doing "a bit" of think tank, it has not been doing so explicitly.

Dr. Gariba however said the nation still needs the Commission to focus on developing the development planning framework to ensure the long term planning of the country, while the Finance Ministry puts resources to it.

*****

NDC Guru: Mahama's appearance at IEA was too casual

Source: Peace FM Online

A member of the communication team of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed his displeasure with the dress code of two of the Presidential aspirants at the IEA debate in Tamale on Tuesday.

At the just ended Presidential debate organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), President John Dramani Mahama of the NDC and Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were in African fabrics, Hassan Ayariga, of the People’s National Convention (PNC) was in a black suit with a black tie and a white shirt and Dr. Abu Sakara of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) was in a smock.

Expressing his view on Peace FM’s morning show programme "kokrokoo", Benjamin Akyena Brentuo said he was not happy with the dressing of President John Dramani Mahama, flagbearer of the NDC and Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo, flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

He however, applauded Hassan Ayariga, flagbearer of the People’s National Convention (PNC) for being the "well dressed" candidate at the debate.

"The President was too casual and Nana Addo was even worse...Ayariga carried himself like a President and he dressed to suit the occasion" he posited.

*****

President Mahama, NDC cited for abuse of incumbency

Source: Joy Online

President John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress have been sighted for abuse of incumbency in the latest report by anti-corruption body Ghana Integrity Initiative and the Centre for Democratic Development as well as the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition.

Since May 1, 2012, GII, CDD-Ghana and GACC assisted by trained observers have been monitoring abuse of incumbency in the period leading to Ghana’s up-coming 2012 elections.

The report cites the president for using his recent thank you tour after the death of President Atta Mills for electoral campaign.

The aim of the exercise is to monitor and expose the extent of both the occurrence and variety, of abuse of incumbency and pre-election political party corruption in Ghana, as a tool for promoting clean and fair elections in the upcoming 2012 elections.

Specifically, the project tracks the abuse of institutional resources, budget resources and state media resources by the ruling party, sitting members of parliament and other government appointees; as well as monitor electoral corruption.

Below is the press release on the report

Second Report on the Monitoring of Abuse of Incumbency Project in Ghana’s 2012 Elections By GII, CDD-Ghana and GACC

Friends of the media, the Coalition of civil society organizations “Monitoring the Abuse of Incumbency in the 2012 Elections”, comprising the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) is happy to release its second report for your information and public discourse.

Introduction

Since May 1, 2012, GII, CDD-Ghana and GACC assisted by trained observers have been monitoring abuse of incumbency in the period leading to Ghana’s up-coming 2012 elections. The aim of the exercise is to monitor and expose the extent of both the occurrence and variety, of abuse of incumbency and pre-election political party corruption in Ghana, as a tool for promoting clean and fair elections in the upcoming 2012 elections. Specifically, the project tracks the abuse of institutional resources, budget resources and state media resources by the ruling party, sitting members of parliament and other government appointees; as well as monitor electoral corruption.

Methodology and Scope

The thirty-five (35) trained observers work in three constituencies in each of the 10 regions of Ghana and five media observers observe state media in Accra. The observers send weekly reports to the coalition and a draft report is produced by the Steering Committee of the Coalition and reviewed by the Project’s Review Committee.

Main Findings:

The coalition presents in this second report various incidents of abuse of incumbency and electoral corruption. These incidents fall under three categories; the use of official public/state-supported or state-organized events for campaigning by the incumbent party; engagement of public office employees in campaign activities during business hours in favor of incumbent party and vote buying.

These incidents were observed in the following regions and constituencies: Central Region, Cape Coast Constituency, Greater Accra Region, Odododiodio Constituencies, Western Region, Ellembele Constituency and in the Eastern Region, Abuakwa North Constituency.

Abuse of incumbency:

Use of official public/state-supported or state-organized events for campaigning by the incumbent party:

On 17th July, 2012, our observer in Cape Coast in the Central region reported that, H.E President John Dramani Mahama during the state sponsored “Thank You Tour” of Cape Coast following the death and burial of the late President used the platform to urge the people of Cape Coast to elect him to continue the “better Ghana agenda”. This occurred when he visited the Mosque at Kotokoraba at 1.00 pm that day.

Engagement of public office employees in campaign activities during business hours in favor of incumbent party

Our observer in Western region reported that, on the 11th of July, 2012 in Ellembelle, one Mr. Clearance Morkeh Abizi who is an NDC activist and also a member of Ellembelle Constituency NDC communication team participated as a panelist on Ankobra News paper review on Ankobra FM. Mr. Clearance Morkeh Abizi works at the Ellembelle District Education Office, a public office. The program was aired as is always done between the hours of 7:30 am - 10:00am and is hosted by Mr. Kwabina Amofa. The issue of abuse of incumbency is arising from the fact that, Mr. Clearance Morkeh Abizi, who is a public officer, used office hours for the business of his political party on Wednesday, 11th of July, 2012.

Electoral Corruption

Vote buying:
1. Our observer reported that, in the Tema West Constituency, the major streets of the Lashibi community area have been fixed with high powered street lights. The project was reported to be an initiative of Hon. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and has been commissioned. The commissioning ceremony was attended by the NDC constituency executive members. The Minister appealed to the electorates to vote for him in the December elections during the commissioning ceremony. The timing of the project and the attendance of the commissioning ceremony by party executives as well as the appeal for votes are the issues of concern.

2. Our observer in the Upper West region reported that, when the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo, was on his six day tour of the region, anybody who had either a motor bike or a car and was interested could freely draw fuel from the “Ramubus” Goil filling station at the T-Junction on the Wa- Hamile road, to welcome Nana and follow him round the region on the tour. This is seen as indirectly buying votes as some of the beneficiaries were not necessarily party of his entourage,

3. Our observers in the Upper West region also reported that, during the “Thank You Tour” by President John Dramani Mahama to the region, following the death and burial of the late President, some motor bike riders were allowed to collect fuel for free at some filling stations including the “Ramubus” Goil Filling station located at T-Junction on the Wa-Hamile road. The president also promised that the regional hospital was going to be constructed with loans that have been secured from Barclays Bank. This was state-sponsored event and the Coalition wonders why fuel was accessed for free. The question is: who is going to pay for the fuel?

Fair and Equal Access to State Media Resources

The findings from the media observations cover the period July and September 2012:

News Distribution
• In July 2012, news distribution in terms of stories aired and published on the political parties revealed that, the Ghanaian Times, the Daily Graphic, the Spectator, and the GTV allotted to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) an equal share of 17% each in July. While the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) had 7% news coverage, the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), had 6%. The Peoples National Convention (PNC) also had a total news share of 6% in July, 2012. In September, Uniiq FM, GTV, Ghanaian Times, and Spectator overall gave the NPP the highest share of 13% followed by the NDC with 12%; PPP received 8% coverage while the CPP and PNC received 5% each.

• In July, the Spectatornewspaper allotted to the NDC the biggest news share of 40%, while the NPP was allotted 27%. The CPP and PNC had an equal share of 13% each while the PPP had 7%.

• In September, however, the NPP secured the highest share of 36% whiles the NDC’s coverage dropped to 7%.

• In July the Daily Graphic newspaper allotted to the NPP the highest coverage of 36% followed by the NDC with 30%, PPP 12% while the CPP and PNC had an equal share of 11% each.

• The Ghanaian Times in September allocated to the NDC the highest share of 45% coverage and while it gave the NPP, 23% news coverage share, showing a drop of 22% in attention as compared to what it gave the ruling party in July, 2012. The CPP and PPP equally secured a 14% share with the PNC securing 5%.

• In July, GTV allotted the highest news share of 30% to NDC. However, in September, the NPP secured coverage of 32% and the NDC 23%.

• Space Allocation and News Air Time

•
The monitoring also measured fairness and equal access of space given to all political parties and length of airtime to their stories.

• In July, the Spectator newspaper allotted to the NDC the highest space share of 36% and the NPP 33%. In September, the newspaper allotted the highest news space share to NPP with a total of 36%, followed by the NDC with 30%. It gave the CPP 15% space in July and 23% in September while it allotted to the PPP 13% in July and 11% in September. The PNC also had 13% in July, 2012.

• In July, the Daily Graphic allotted the largest space of 33% to the NPP followed by 31% to the NDC and PNC 14%. The PPP and CPP recorded 13% and 9% respectively in the same month.

• In September, the Ghanaian Times newspaper gave the CPP the highest space. It allotted a total of 36% to the CPP followed by NDC with 32% while the NPP had 10%.

• In July, the GTV allotted the highest airtime to PNC with a total of 1 hour, 32 minutes and 35 seconds. The NDC and NPP were allotted equal share of 5 minutes and 5 seconds each. The CPP and the PPP also were given an equal share of 1 minute and 50 seconds each. It is instructive to note that campaigns had been suspended due to the death of President Attah-Mills dung the month of July.

• In September, the state TV gave the highest air time to the NPP, as the party recorded 4 hours and 16 minutes, followed by the NDC with 21 minutes, PPP with 4 minutes whereas the CPP and PNC received equal share of 2 minutes each.

• In September, the Uniiq FM gave the highest air slot to the NPP with a total of 6 hours, 7 minutes and 15 seconds. The NDC was given 5 hours and 9 minutes by the state–owned radio followed by the CPP with 3 hours, 15 minutes and 35 seconds. The PNC had 2 hours and 15 minutes while the PPP was given 2 hours and 1 minute air time in the same month. The station also gave the NDP a total of 1 hour and 36 minutes. The Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) and New Vision Party (NVP) had an equal share of 12 minutes each whereas the Independent People’s Party (IPP) and the United Renaissance Party (URP) had 9 minutes and 5 minutes respectively. Other parties like the GCPP, UFP, YPP, and RPD had 2 minutes and 45 seconds, 2 minutes, 2 minutes and 1 minute, respectively.

Media Coverage of Presidential Candidates

• In July, the Spectator newspaper allotted to the NDC Presidential candidate the highest slot of 40% and the NPP’s Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo 27%. The PPP Dr. Paa Kwasi Nduom and Dr. Abu Sakara of CPP had equal share of 13% each and PNC’s Hassan Ayariga had 7%.

• In September, however, the Spectator allotted the highest coverage to Dr. Paa Kwasi Nduom with a total of 43% followed by Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo 29% and an equal share of 14% to President John Mahama and Dr. Abu Sakkara.

• The Daily Graphic gave the highest news share of 33% to the NPP Flag bearer in July, 2012 followed by PNC’s Hassan Ayariga with 30% news share. The NDC candidate was not featured as a flag bearer during the month of July following the death of President Attah-Mills.

• The Ghanaian Times allotted the highest news share to NDC’s Presidential Candidate John Mahama with a total of 50% in September. The NPP’s Nana Addo had 30% while the CPP’s Dr. Abu Sakara had 13% only.

• GTV The NPP’s flagbearer secured 36% followed by NDC’s John Mahama and Dr. Paa Kwasi Nduom with 19% each.

• Dr. Abu Sakara of CPP and Madam Akua Donkor of GFP had equal share of 6% each while Mr. Hassan Ayariga had 4%. Mr. Kofi Akpalo of the Independent Peoples Party (IPP), Prophet Dan Nkansah of NVP, Kwabena Agyei of RPD, Kofi Wayo of URP had 1% each for the month of September.

• Uniiq FM also during the month of September allotted the highest news coverage to the NPP Presidential candidate, Nana Addo with 29% followed by the NDC’s Presidential candidate with 25%, PPP’s Dr. Paa Kwasi Nduom with 11%, CPP’s Dr. Sakara and PNC’s Hassan Ayariga had equal share of 8% each while GFP’s Akua Donkor had 7%, URP’s Kofi Wayo had 4% and NDP’s Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings had 3% and GCPP’s Henry Herbert Lartey also had 3%.

Airtime allocation

• In the month of September, Uniiq FM gave the largest airtime to the ruling NDC’s candidate, John Mahama with a total of 7 hours, 6 minutes and 9 seconds, followed by the Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo with 6 hours, 22 minutes and 9 seconds time slot. CPP’s Dr. Abu Sakara had 3 hours and 55 seconds while PNC’s Hassan Ayariga had 1 hour and 51 minutes.

• The state radio also allotted Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom a total of 9 minutes and 30 seconds , GFP’s Akua Donkor a total of 4 minutes , NDP’s Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings a total of 3 minutes air slot and GCPP’s - Henry Herbert Lartey a total of 1 minute and 45 seconds in September 2012

• In July, GTV allotted the highest slot to the PNC’s Hassan Ayariga with 1 hour, 30 minutes and 30 seconds air time and NPP’s Nana Addo with 1 minute and 30 seconds.

• However, in September, GTV allotted the highest air time share to the NPP’s, Nana Addo with a total of 4 hours, 1 minutes and 22 seconds and gave the NDC’s Presidential candidate a total of 3 hours and 33 minutes, CPP’s Abu Sakara had 1hour and 34 minutes, GFP’s Akua Donkor was allotted 1 hour and 24 minutes. URP’s Kofi Wayo was allotted 1 hour and 20 minutes, PPP’s Kwasi Nduom 10 minutes, PNC’s Hassan Ayariga 4 minutes, and IPP’s Kofi Akpaloo 3 minutes. However, RPD’s Kwabena Agyei was allotted only 2 minutes and NVP’s Prophet Dan Nkansah 1 minute air time.

• The Daily Graphic in July allotted the NPP’s Nana Addo the highest news space of 40% followed by the CPP’s Dr. Sakara with 31%. Dr. Ndoum was allotted 15% and NDC’s Mahama 14%.

• The Ghanaian Times in September allotted the NDC’s John Mahama the highest news space of 44% and the NPP’s Nana Addo 32%. CPP’s Dr. Abu Sakara had 16% and the PPP’s Dr. Kwesi Nduom had 8%.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. It has been the practice in the past that close to elections; politicians give gifts to influence both old and young people to vote for them. Through this monitoring exercise, our observers have observed the distribution of, valuable gifts such as motorcycles, searchlight dishes, money donations to and renovation works of churches. On certain occasions, distribution of fuel for motorbikes and distribution of bicycles have been observed. The Coalition also wants to draw attention to this practice viewed as ‘vote buying’ that seems to have eaten deep into our electioneering process, which impacts negatively on the integrity of elections and the legitimacy of government. It is a practice that makes democracy very expensive and creates an unequal playing field for candidates contesting in the elections. The Coalition wants to advise politicians to put a stop to this practice of increasingly influencing voters with money and gifts as it is gradually creating a system where only the rich/affluent and sometimes the corrupt will be elected as the representatives of the people and this has the potential of sidelining the interest of the poor and the marginalized.

2. The Coalition will also want to draw attention to the practice of “last minute” promises and even introduction and implementation of new government policies and projects close to elections. Some projects are even launched while some communities are promised projects that are dear to the hearts of voters that never see the light of day. For example, during this monitoring period, our observers observed that the ruling NDC government indicated through its Deputy Minister of Energy, Hon. Alhaji Inusah Fuseini that, it was going to distribute gas cylinders to the rural folk - the criteria for the distribution has not been made known yet. It was also observed that during the President’s “Thank You Tour”, he promised the people of Upper West region, that the regional hospital was going to be constructed with loans government has secured from Barclays Bank. This is a project that was promised the people of the region by the NPP administration which never materialized. The NDC government also cut the sod for the same project in the first year of its administration but the project never took off except the clearing of the site. This practice must stop as it is viewed as subtly using government projects during campaigning period to solicit votes from the electorate and does not exhibit integrity in our electoral processes.

3. The Coalition is, however, happy with the coverage of political parties and their candidates by the state media as no clear bias has been demonstrated towards any particular political party. It is our hope that this will continue until the elections.

In conclusion, the Coalition wishes to appeal to the ruling National Democratic Congress to avoid any acts that are actually or are perceived by the electorate to be abuses of incumbency. In the same way, the Coalition appeals to all political parties and politicians to ensure that they display fairness in all their campaigns towards the elections. The Coalition notes with satisfaction that no instances of intimidation by the security agencies have been reported although quite recently a demonstration, for which permission was given, was stopped at short notice. We call on all people of influence, including the members of the Council of State, religious and traditional leaders, and other well-meaning Ghanaians to condemn abuse of incumbency and acts of electoral corruption so as to have a fair and level playing field from now to the elections.

*****

NDC will continue to provide skills for ‘Kayeyei” - President Mahama

Source: GNA

President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday said government would continue to build on the progress it had over the years made in the advancement of porters (kayeyei) in the cities.

He said in a bid to stem the drift of young girls from the northern sector to the southern sector to engage in the practice, government in collaboration with the Council for Technical and Vocational Enterprise Training had started training the porters in hairdressing and dressmaking.

The beneficiaries, he explained, would be made to return home to train others and dissuade them from moving to the urban areas for non-existent jobs.

President Mahama announced this at Nanton in the northern region, when he addressed a mini-rally as part of his five-day campaign tour of the northern region.

He also called on Gulkpegu Naa, Dakpemah Naa, Bug Lana, Lameshegu Lana, Sheik Bayan, sagnar Naa, Nyankpala Lana, Tolon Regent, Kumbugu Naa, Nanton Naa, Yoo Naa,visited Central Mosque,Ahmaddiyya and Afa Ajura mosques and addressed students of the Business Senior High (BISCO in Tamale).

The President condemned political opponents for advocating the construction of hostels as he said that action could perpetuate the movement of young girls from the North to the southern areas of the country.

He challenged the New Patriotic Party to come out to point to the people of Nanton what they did for them in their eight years of governance, adding “It is the NDC that has provided clinics, schools, electricity and will continue to support Nanton and other communities in the country to realize their social and economic potentials.

President mahama said apart from the programmes, adequate measures had been put in place to make education accessible, affordable and acceptable at all levels and locations.

On electricity, President Mahama said the perennial load-shedding would become a thing of the past by the end of 2012 as government was gearing up to add more power to the current facilities that would empower the country to be self-sufficient and a net exporter of energy.

The Chiefs and communities were unanimous in commending government for the provision of school, health and electricity facilities and appealed to government to continue to support them in the areas of roads, potable water and sanitation facilities.

*****

Soldiers arrested over robbery

Source: The Tide Newspaper

Two soldiers Cpl. Opoku Amankwa and L/cpl. Adu Owusu Prince with numbers 191855 and 193197 respectively are currently facing trial at a circuit court in Accra with one civilian military employee for their alleged involvement in robbing and kidnapping of a Nigerian trader resident in Ghana.

The court presided over by Mr. Francis Obiri, remanded the three suspects into prisons custody despite efforts by their lawyers praying the court to grant the suspects bail.

The prosecution, presenting the facts of the case told the court that, the complainants in the case are traders and are Nigerian nationals residing at Teshie in Accra.

The first and second suspects, the prosecutor, Deputy Superintendent of Policy (DSP) Morkeh, noted were serving soldiers stationed at the Recce Regiment at Burma Camp whilst the third suspect, George Dumanya, was a civilian employee attached to the unit.

He said on October 15, 2012, the victim, Promise Umukoro accompanied one Augustine Efe to cash money from the Spintex road branch of Global Acess Money Transfer.

After the transaction, they both boarded a taxi cab and headed towards the Spintex round about.

He said on reaching a spot, near Kotobabi Junction, the suspects on board an unregistered NISSAN AMERA and all dressed in military uniforms suddenly intercepted their vehicle and accused them of being cyber fraudsters.

DSP Morkeh revealed that the suspects at that point attacked them and attempted to lure them into their car.

He added that Augustine Efe managed to escape with his money but Umukoro who attempted to resist arrest was subjected to severe beatings.

According to DSP Morkeh, the suspects eventually lured the victim into their car and sent to an isolated bush road linking Teshie Tebibiano and Zeneth University.

The Deputy Superintendent of Police explained that when the suspects did not find any money on the victim, they made him call one Prince Nicholas Atanaga to bring them cash, the sum of GHC 700.00 before they would release him.

He mentioned that the said Nicholas as soon as he was called rushed to the Nungua police station and reported the case whilst one Lawrence Obine who was also informed by Nicholas proceeded to meet the suspects by the direction given to him with the money.

He said when Lawrence met the suspects, they introduced themselves to them as officials from the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI) and seized the victim's mobile phone and his Nigerian passport since his friend did not come with the money they demanded.

He said the suspects told the victim to come for the items seized whenever his friends were ready with the money.

DSP Morkeh observed that police investigations led to the arrest of the first and third suspects.

He said a search conducted on them revealed the mobile phone and Nigerian passport of the victim.

He said the second suspect was also arrested with the assistance of the Military Police.

They were charged with the offence after investigations. The case was adjourned to November 13, 2012. They pleaded not guilty to three charges of conspiracy, robbery and kidnapping.

*****

Rawlings Writes To Kweku Baako

Source: Peace FM Online

The Editor

New Crusading Guide

Accra


November 01, 2012



RE: DON’T BE ANY PARTY’S WORLD BANK – RAWLINGS TELLS VOLTARIANS


Dear Sir,


Our attention has been drawn to a publication in the November 1, 2012 edition of ‘The New Crusading Guide’ as captioned above.

We wish to state that it is not true that President Rawlings in his statement at the Nugoryiza festival of the people of Penyi in the Ketu North District cautioned them to avoid being the World Bank of any party.

It is also not true that he said there was no sincerity in the NDC government because it had wasted four years in office.

There is no doubt that President Rawlings does not hesitate to criticise matters of national and political importance, but we cannot accept a situation where some media people mischievously attribute statements to him. It is unethical.

We wonder if the author of the report was at the Nugoryiza festival, because President Rawlings read a short prepared script before speaking extempore for about ten minutes on the sacrifices some footsoldiers had made for their community and society.

This office has a copy of the unedited video coverage of the event and we will be glad to furnish you with a copy if required.

We will be grateful if you can correct as a matter of urgency the complete misrepresentation of facts by your reporter.


Thank you.


....Signed....


H. Afeku-Amenyo (rtd)

Captain, Ghana Navy

Director, Office of Former President Rawlings

*****

Prez Mahama exposed over Cuban deal

Source: Daily Guide

President John Mahama has sparked a serious controversy on the actual cost being borne by government in training 250 Ghanaian medical students in Cuba in a deal he brokered last year.

According to the president, the cost of training of each of the Ghanaians in Cuba is $5,000 (GHC10 million) instead of the GHC50, 000 per year being quoted by various sources including government documents.

Government has quoted GHC50,000 with cabinet memos putting the entire deal to GHC60 million.

The president's submission has drawn extreme discomfort from the Ghana Medical Association (GMA).

Dr. Kwabena Opoku Adu-sei, President of GMA, told Daily Guide in a telephone conversation on yesterday evening, “The figures don't tally, somebody is not telling the truth.

“There were figures before the debate and you look at those figures and you look at what His Excellency said then it means there is something wrong somewhere.”

The discrepancy emerged at the widely publicized Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Presidential Debate held in Tamale on Tuesday.

President Mahama was compelled to come clean with the actual figures involved in the Ghana-Cuban medical training deal.

Mid May this year, the Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), a pro NPP pressure group, blew the lid on the health care deal when government sources were cited as concluding plans to commit approximately GHC50,000 per annum to train each of the 250 medical students.

President Mahama, who was caught in a back and forth banter with the NPP candidate during the health care session of the debate, explained that the cost for training the medical personnel in Cuba was $5,000 (approximately GHC10,000), instead of the GHC50,000 a year that had been widely quoted.

“The cost of training one child under the Cuban arrangement is $5,000, far lower than the cost of training in our medical school here and so we had to take that opportunity,” President Mahama explained.

A “secret” cabinet memo from former Health Minister Joseph Yieleh Chireh, dated August 18, 2011, which was approved by Chief of Staff John Henry Martey Newman, gave evidence of government officials justifying an amount of Cuc30,750.00, or an equivalent of GHC50,660.12 to train Ghanaian High School graduates as medical students in Cuba.

In the arrangement elaborated by the former Minister of Health, it would cost the nation GHC 10,132, 024.00 to train 200 students to study medicine in Cuba each year and approximately GHC 60.80 million for the next six years (the total duration of the study).

Also in the arrangement, an amount of GHC48,189 would be spent on another 50 students per annum to receive specialist training in that country.

In total, the government of Ghana is expected to spend approximately GHC74.35million on the project.

Information gathered by Daily Guide indicates that for the first year, 2012, Ghana is expected to spend about GHC14. 50milion as the first tranche of payment.

*****

"Presidential debate was a torture session"

Source: GNA

A public servant, Mr. Raphael Boadu, said on Thursday that the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) was unscientific when it kept the four presidential candidates on their feet for almost four hours when it held a debate for them at Tamale last Tuesday.

President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Abu Sakara of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr. Hassan Ayariga of People’s National Convention (PNC) and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (NPP) took part in the marathon debate.

The event was for presidential candidates whose political parties have representation in parliament and drew to the Northern Regional capital the top brass of the NDC, CPP, PNC and the NPP.

Mr. Boadu was among a cross section of people the GNA interviewed on their reaction to the debate as far as its duration was concerned.

The 55-year-old public servant said he was surprised the IEA, made up of top class professionals, kept the presidential candidates, the President and three potential presidents, on their feet for such a long time when those who were throwing questions at them were comfortably seated.

He said the youngest presidential candidate is 40 years old and the oldest is 68 and they have been running round the country campaigning for a very long time.

“It is absolutely wrong to keep them standing, rooted to one spot, for almost four hours when they could have been made to sit down comfortably. I am sure some of them went home with swollen feet,” Mr. Boadu said.

Mr. Mohamed Gariba, a businessman, said he was surprised the debate lasted more than three hours and he did not understand why the IEA, made up of seasoned professionals, could keep elderly people on their feet for such a long time.

“The IEA has a retired senior officer of the Ghana Armed Forces as a member and he is aware of highly trained soldiers collapsing on parade grounds. May be, the IEA wanted some of the candidates to collapse,” he said.

A journalist said he regarded the debate as a torture session for the candidates and wondered how President Mahama, Dr. Sakara, Mr. Ayariga and Nana Akufo-Addo kept their focus for almost four hours, answering questions from “archeology to zoology.”

The journalist, who wants to remain anonymous, said he went to bed before the debate ended and added “If I, a journalist, could not sit through a programme related to my profession, then there was something wrong with the programme.”

He said the debate would have no effect on the December 7 election and walked down memory lane to the 2008 debate.

In that debate, he went on, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, then presidential candidate of the CPP, was outstanding but his performance at the poll and that of the party the late President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah founded is now history.

A medical officer told the GNA that if he were a presidential candidate he would withdraw from the rest of the debate because it would not serve any purpose.

“Those cracking their tired brains to answer questions should be comfortable and not the lady and the gentleman asking the questions,” he said.

He said the lady Professor was too hard on the audience, almost treating them like school boys and girls in a classroom.

He said it was a political event and the candidates were there with their supporters and the top brass of their parties.

Therefore, the audience would sometimes clap to encourage them and as a reminder that they were there for them.

“There was nothing wrong with the clapping and I do not believe the clapping distracted the candidates. They are politicians and politicians love noise, they are used to noise,” he said.

*****

CLOGSAG strike is a betrayal of trust - Moses Asaga

Source: Radio XYZ

The Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, Moses Asaga, has described the strike by the Civil and Local Government Staff Association, (CLOGSAG) as a "betrayal of trust".

CLOSAG’s Ashanti regional branch on Wednesday directed its representatives across the country to close their offices for a sit-down strike until further notice.

The labour union is protesting delays in the payment of some top up allowances following their migration onto the Single Spine Salary Structure.

Reacting to the strike Moses Asaga said CLOSAG’s action makes it unnecessary for negotiations, which were ongoing prior to the strike, to continue.

“Now that they have betrayed us it means there is nothing for negotiations because I thought all along we were working with trust and respect but if they can decide to go on a sit down strike without meeting me or the Minister for Finance then it is unfortunate”.

Meanwhile, CLOGSAG has defended its reasons for the strike action.

Greater Accra Regional Secretary Sam Collison says no good has resulted from all the meetings held with the ministries engaged in the negotiations.

“All the meetings that we have had with the Finance Minister, no good thing has come out from it and if you read between the lines it doesn’t look like something good is coming from them”.

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