How NALAG Prez `fooled` NPP
Posted: Friday, February 26, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
Extensive investigations conducted by The Chronicle have uncovered how the former President of the National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), George Kyei Baffour, ‘fooled’ the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) into believing that he was one of their kind, and subsequently gave him an appointment.
Documents in the possession of the paper indicate that at the time he was serving under the Kufuor-led NPP administration, Mr. Kyei Baffour was not just a card-bearing member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), but was indeed a paid-up member of the Ahenbronum branch in the Asante Akim South constituency of the party.
He was therefore funding the NDC as a party in diverse ways, through his special monetary contributions, for organising the party.
Though he is believed to have joined the NPP as a registered member in the year 2004, he was still holding on to his membership of the NDC, as of the year 2009, when he was serving in the NPP government.
This gives a clear indication that Mr. Kyei Baffour did not either resign or retire his membership of the NDC, and still owed allegiance to both parties. The situation compelled some members of the Asante Akim North constituency of the NPP, who realised his game plan, to send a petition to the national headquarters of the party.
This was the time he declared his intention to contest for the constituency secretary of the Asante Akim North constituency of the NPP.
The petition, which was signed by one Stephen Boampong, and sent to the national executives of the party through party Chairman, Peter Mac Manu, was meant to block Mr. Kyei Baffuor’s bid to contest for the position.
Mr. Boampong stated that he and his colleagues had gathered information from members of the NDC in Konongo, that Kyei Baffuor’s name still existed as a founding member of the NDC, and that he had never written any letter of resignation to the party.
For this reason, the petitioners said Kyei Baffuor was still a member of the NDC.
However, the leadership of the party did not pay heed to the petitioner, and Kyei Baffuor eventually became the Asante Akim North constituency secretary of the NPP.
Strenuous efforts to reach Kyei Baffuor on his cell phone to get his input into this story has proven futile, since the network operator kept saying the phone was either switched off, or out of coverage area.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Ahead of Saturday`s crucial conference
ANTO BREAKS OWN COVENANT
… Canvasses votes for Jake, execs mad over decision
Posted: The Chronicle |Thursday, February 25, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) may after all not be committed to his much-touted call for neutrality and equal treatment for aspirants contesting for various positions in the party, as he has sought to portray.
At a meeting with his own regional executives at the popular Royal Park Chinese Restaurant, near Ahodwo in Kumasi somewhere last week, Mr. Fredrick Fredua Anto was said to have canvassed for votes for Mr. Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, who is running for the national chairmanship position of the party, alongside others, including Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobbey, Steve Ntim, Felix Owusu Agyapong, and Sammy Crabbe.
This was when he introduced Jake to the executives, and told them that he has had the opportunity of working with Jake since the year 2000 to date, and that he could attest to his competence and abilities, and thus endorses his candidature.
Mr. Anto has confirmed to The Chronicle that he, together with the executives, met Jake at the said hotel when the latter was seeking to sell himself to them.
Though the Regional Chairman admitted telling the executives that Ntim was his long-standing friend, he said, he did not categorically ask them not to vote for him, and that he would also not vote for him.
According to him, the only thing he told them was, “they should vote for a very experienced person, and somebody who can do the job.”
“I told them the issue is not about friendship, because Ntim is also my friend, but my decision was based purely on competence,” he said, emphasising, “I’ve sat on the National Council with him before. When I was the chairman, he was also the first vice chairman, and I said I am going to vote, based on competence, not on friendship, that is what I told everybody to do.”
This virtual turn-around by Mr. Anto has made some of his own executives become jittery about his commitment to his acclaimed ‘principle’ of neutrality and unity among contestants to all positions in the party.
Some of them, who confided in the paper, have thus resolved to defy his instructions and campaign for their choice of candidates, since according to them, they were ‘fooled’ into believing his words.
On his part, Jake, who was said to have gone into the region in the company of his newly-employed interpreter, one Achamfuor, was said to have told the executives that he single-handedly fought for the Nasara Club to be given voting rights in the NPP, and also prided himself on bringing then candidate Kufuor to power in the year 2000.
With this, he was said to have expressed optimism that when given the mandate to assume the position of national chairman, he would be able to return the party to power come 2012, and therefore asked the executives to bless him with the opportunity.
Mr Anto promised to personally stay clear of campaigning for or against any of the individuals eying various positions in the party, and asked his regional and constituency executives to follow suit.
… Canvasses votes for Jake, execs mad over decision
Posted: The Chronicle |Thursday, February 25, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) may after all not be committed to his much-touted call for neutrality and equal treatment for aspirants contesting for various positions in the party, as he has sought to portray.
At a meeting with his own regional executives at the popular Royal Park Chinese Restaurant, near Ahodwo in Kumasi somewhere last week, Mr. Fredrick Fredua Anto was said to have canvassed for votes for Mr. Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, who is running for the national chairmanship position of the party, alongside others, including Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobbey, Steve Ntim, Felix Owusu Agyapong, and Sammy Crabbe.
This was when he introduced Jake to the executives, and told them that he has had the opportunity of working with Jake since the year 2000 to date, and that he could attest to his competence and abilities, and thus endorses his candidature.
Mr. Anto has confirmed to The Chronicle that he, together with the executives, met Jake at the said hotel when the latter was seeking to sell himself to them.
Though the Regional Chairman admitted telling the executives that Ntim was his long-standing friend, he said, he did not categorically ask them not to vote for him, and that he would also not vote for him.
According to him, the only thing he told them was, “they should vote for a very experienced person, and somebody who can do the job.”
“I told them the issue is not about friendship, because Ntim is also my friend, but my decision was based purely on competence,” he said, emphasising, “I’ve sat on the National Council with him before. When I was the chairman, he was also the first vice chairman, and I said I am going to vote, based on competence, not on friendship, that is what I told everybody to do.”
This virtual turn-around by Mr. Anto has made some of his own executives become jittery about his commitment to his acclaimed ‘principle’ of neutrality and unity among contestants to all positions in the party.
Some of them, who confided in the paper, have thus resolved to defy his instructions and campaign for their choice of candidates, since according to them, they were ‘fooled’ into believing his words.
On his part, Jake, who was said to have gone into the region in the company of his newly-employed interpreter, one Achamfuor, was said to have told the executives that he single-handedly fought for the Nasara Club to be given voting rights in the NPP, and also prided himself on bringing then candidate Kufuor to power in the year 2000.
With this, he was said to have expressed optimism that when given the mandate to assume the position of national chairman, he would be able to return the party to power come 2012, and therefore asked the executives to bless him with the opportunity.
Mr Anto promised to personally stay clear of campaigning for or against any of the individuals eying various positions in the party, and asked his regional and constituency executives to follow suit.
Former BNI Boss hints of possible revolution if…
Posted: The Chronicle |Thursday, February 25, 2010
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
A former Director of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), Kofi Bentum Quantson, has warned that the current socio-economic conditions in the country, could possibly lead to civil strife or revolution.
He has therefore warned the government, and the various security agencies in the country, to be up and doing before the unexpected happens.
Presenting a paper at a roundtable discussion, organised by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in Accra on Tuesday, under the theme, ‘Beyond the frontiers of National Security’, Mr. Quantson decried the extent to which Ghanaian politicians had become self-centered, and virtually shunned their responsibility of addressing the concerns of the very people whose interest they claim to represent.
He wondered whether politicians in the country fully understood the enourmity of their responsibility, since according to him, significant sections of society have rightly argued that many of them have not come to realise their responsibilities.
This, according to him, might translate into they (politicians) seeing themselves as categorised plastic professional politicians, out to hawk their political talents for maximum personal or parochial gains, in which case, they stand disconnected from the national interest, thereby becoming potential security risks, especially where the pursuit of their personal interest, collides with the national interest.
“The insensitive hankering for personal gains, can, if replicated across the broad socio-political spectrum, be a real dangerous trend that should be stopped with vigour,” he noted, emphasizing, “politics should not be the wide avenue for wealth and prominence.”
Until effective mechanisms are established to hold Ghanaian politicians at the levels of District Assemblies to Parliament, the security capo believes, “majority of our politicians would continue to gravitate towards selfishness, avarice, and self-aggrandizement and corruption, to the destruction of the national interest.”
He therefore stressed the need for Ghanaians and politicians to disabuse their minds that “politics should not be equated to the acquisition and accumulation of property and wealth at the expense of the people,” since according to him, “that is dangerous, especially when money comes to play a destabilising role in the political process.”
Mr. Quantsons believes that there can be the best of constitutions, and the best of security policies and structures, however, if the end product does not assure justice for all, inevitably, insecurity would spring up and thrive to the detriment of human security.
For this reason, he is optimistic that, “there can be no peace and stability when there is no manifest justice, especially, where there are suspicions, perceptions, or the reality that the injustice being inflicted has vindictive political colouration.”
He stressed the urgent need for politicians to recognise the fact that at the basic level, politics was not only about the acquisition of power, but even more importantly, how that power is exercised.
“If that power does not assure justice for all, because it is used capriciously or whimsically, there is bound to be reaction that generates security tensions, and the consequential actions and reactions in the interplay of power and politics,” he noted.
In all these, the former Director of the BNI, said, “our politicians remain the key actors for better or for worse,” insisting that “the honesty, integrity, sincerity and selflessness they manifest, can influence the national efforts towards peace and security.”
To him, it was high time Ghanaian politicians were tutored to graduate from being perceived as opportunistic, unpatriotic politicians, to matured statesmen with the national interest at heart. Quoting J. F. Clark, to distinguish the difference between a politician and a statesman, he said, “A politician thinks of the next elections, a statesman of the next generation.
A politician looks for the success of his party, a statesman for that of his country. The statesman wishes to steer, while the politician is satisfied to drift.”
He thinks the politician is satisfied to drift, mainly because a principled position on issues cannot feed into his opportunistic personal interest. For that matter, he noted that the politician would have no scruples drifting to where his bread would be abundantly buttered, and where the filling of his stomach can be guaranteed, and therefore described drifting politicians as apostles of ‘stomach politics’.
This, he said, should engage the serious attention of Ghanaians, since it undermines the key democratic pillars of accountability to the electorate, premising his argument on Prof. Kwame A. Ninsin of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG), who claimed that “the Parliament of Ghana has evolved to a point where the majoritarian principle is being applied in an instrumental manner, and without due regard for the interest of the nation as a whole.”
In his observation, there seems to be little or no regard for divergent views on the floor of the House, especially, when parliament is deliberating on contentious issues, stressing that the application of the majoritarian principle by a partisan majority – a parliamentary majority which is also the governing party – that applies ‘the whip’ ruthlessly to obtain conformity, even in secret voting, stifles independent expression by MPs, and therefore blocks the articulation of what could reflect the interest of the majority of the citizens in the decisions of parliament. A situation he described as incompatible with democratic expression.
“Whereas, in properly functioning democracies, members of parliament must consult their people, and sound their reaction on important national issues that affect their well-being, our situation appears pathetically different,” he said, continuing, “there is no doubt that many vital decisions were taken with the skimpiest of public education and knowledge.”
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
BISSIW THROWS OUT ABONGO
…Changes office key, furniture without his knowledge
Posted: The Chronicle |Wednesday, February 24, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
A former minister for Water Resources Works and Housing, Albert Abongo, was subjected to embarrassment yesterday, by no other person that his own deputy, Dr. Hana Bissiw.
Bisssiw reportedly led carpenters to change the keys to the office of the minister, whilst he was away, without informing him of what she had done.
Credible information gathered by The Chronicle indicates that Mr. Abongo left Accra to his hometown to bury one of his brothers last Friday. But when he returned to the office yesterday, to officially handover to the new Minister, Alban Bagbin, the keys to his office, and the furniture had been changed without his knowledge.
The development reportedly surprised Mr. Abongo, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Bongo constituency, since he could not fathom why his deputy could issue directives for the lock and furniture in his office to be changed without his consent.
Mr. Abongo refused to confirm or deny the story, but sources at the ministry narrated that he was on his way to Accra from his brother’s funeral on Monday, when he received a call from one of his office staff, that his deputy had brought some gentlemen to inspect the office, and later gone ahead to change the lock.
When Mr. Abongo finally went to the office yesterday to hand over, he was said to have raised the issue in the presence of the new Minister, Alban Bagbin, and the Chief Director, Alhaji Ziblim.
He reportedly told the new minister and his deputy how he felt insulted by the incident.
Sources close to the Ministry have hinted The Chronicle that relations between Mr. Abongo and Dr. Hannah Bissiw have not been the best for sometime now, because of the latter’s delight in doing things and taking decisions without the former’s consent, even when he was the substantive Minister.
This is believed to have been the reason behind Hannah Bissiw’s decision to change the office lock and furniture without Abongo’s consent, even though he had not handed over officially.
When this reporter called the deputy Minister for her comments, a lady with a perky voice, who identified herself as Joyce, and claimed to be her Secretary, answered the phone.
She claimed Dr. Bissiw was in a meeting, and that she had asked her to take whatever information for her, and that she would get back to this reporter after the meeting.
She took this reporter’s cell phone number, with the explanation of getting the deputy Minister to call him immediately after the meeting. Meanwhile, Dr. Bissiw failed to turn up at a programme at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), where she was billed as one of the special guests.
Several hours later, this reporter made frantic efforts to get the deputy Minister’s input into the story, but she would not answer her phone.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Ntim vows to rescue B/A for NPP
Posted: The Chronicle |Tuesday, February 23, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and national chairman aspirant, Steve Ayensu Ntim, has expressed concern about the way the National Democratic Congres (NDC) was making inroads in the Brong Ahafo Region, which is considered the stronghold of the party.
Speaking a press briefing in Accra yesterday to round up his nationwide campaign, Mr. Ntim, who has an insight into the region where he hails from, noted that though the NPP makes heavy claims that the region was one of its strongholds, eight out of the 12 constituencies in the northern part of the region are occupied by the NDC.
He named the constituencies as Jaman North, Tain, Wenchi, Techiman North and South, Kintampo North and South, Nkoranza North and South, Pru, Sene, and Atebubu.
Mr. Ntim considered the situation a gradual desertification of the northern part of the region by the ruling party, since according to him, “politically, Brong Ahafo is being turned into a desert by the NDC for the NPP.”
For this reason, he said, “if we are not careful, if we don’t take strategic measures, what will happen is that the NDC will eventually take over the region.”
Once the NDC has been able to achieve this, Steve Ntim believes they would focus their attention on the Ashanti Region, which is the lifeline of the NPP. “If this happens, NPP must forget about winning power in this country.”
He therefore advocated for what he described as ‘political tree planting’ to plant trees along the northern part of the Brong Ahafo Region to turn the area into a ‘political forest’ for the NPP.
Mr. Ntim believes the election of Asiedu Nketiah, Yaw Boateng Gyan, and Mrs. Adoma, as General Secretary, National Organiser and Deputy National Women Organiser respectively, who are all from the region, and other influential members of the party, could lead to a virtual political desertification of the region.
For this reason, Mr. Ntim said, “if as a party, we decide not to select some of our big shots from Brong Ahafo Region, then we risk falling into the trap that has been set.”
His only prayer is for the Almighty to help him deliver his party and Ghanaians from the hands and mercy of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.
According to him, whenever he goes on his knees to pray, the only thing he asks God is for him to “deny me the chairmanship, if he knows that I cannot, for any reason, take the party to power in 2012.”
This, according to him, was because he was not interested in becoming the party’s chairman for the mere sake of it, but wants to become who “with the help of the Almighty God will lead the party to power in 2012.”
The aspirant stressed the need for the NPP, as a party, to put its house in order, to ensure a resounding victory over the NDC in 2012.
He also urged delegates who would have the opportunity to vote in Saturday’s national conference, to give him the mandate to lead the party to victory.
Monday, February 22, 2010
SUPREME COURT EXPOSES CCM PASTOR, 4 OTHERS
… For attempting to take properties of Assemblies of God
Posted: The Chronicle |Monday, February 22, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
The Supreme Court has exposed the fraudulent activities of the former Head Pastor of the Calvary Charismatic Church (CCC) in Kumasi, Reverend Ransford Obeng, and four others including Joseph Opoku, C. K. Acolatse, R. K. Owusu and one C. O. Kpodo, for attempting to defraud the Assemblies of God Church, Ghana, of its right of ownership.
A ruling dated February 3, 2010, under the hands of Justices Dr. Date-Bah, Adinyira, Owusu, Dotse and Anin Yeboah, all of the Supreme Court, said the circumstance under which Rev. Ransford Obeng purported to have changed the registration documents in respect of a plot of land situated at No 12. Atimpongya, upon which the church building complex has been sited, from the Calvary Charismatic Centre into Calvary Charismatic Ministry (CCM) smacks of fraud.
According to the court, the CCM was not in existence at the time the land was purchased in 1990, and that for Rev. Ransford Obeng to change the purchase date from 1990, when there was no division, to 1992, smells of fraud.
The learned judges further noted, “it will be manifestly unjust to allow them to enrich themselves by their own fraud.”
The court’s ruling emanated from an appeal brought before it against the Assemblies of God Church, to overturn the ruling of the Court of Appeal on the same case.
The Assemblies of God Church sued Rev. Obeng and the CCM upon the receipt of letter from them dated November 16, 1992, in their capacity as Board of the CCC, where they informed the Assemblies of God Church of their decision to cease affiliation with them, with effect from November 19, 1992.
This compelled the Assemblies of God Church to file a suit at the High Court to make claims for its properties, since the defendants were making desperate moves to take over both movable and immovable properties of the church, including the church building itself.
The Assemblies of God Church won the case, but the defendants appealed against the ruling at the Court of Appeal, and still lost. They then proceeded to the Supreme Court for it to overturn the ruling of the Court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court therefore sought to determine whether CCC was a local branch of the Assemblies of God upon its establishment in 1985, or became an affiliate only in 1990, when it acquired the ‘set in order’ status.
It also wanted to ascertain whether the decision of the CCC Board to cease affiliation with the Assemblies of God in November 1992, amounted to a division or secession from the church, whilst probing to determine whether the plaintiff lacked the capacity to have instituted the suit against the defendants.
“Our own indepth analysis and study of all the evidence on record, coupled with the exhibits and the judgments of the trial and the appellate courts, is that, what happened in the Calvary Charismatic Centre was that the defendants used their position in the Calvary Charismatic Centre (CCC) at the material time, hijacked the Calvary Charismatic Centre, declared their cessation agenda, in order to satisfy their own spiritual and material advantages,” the ruling stated.
From the scenario given in the record of appeal, the court said it was clear that the word division and cessation could be used interchangeably, since they meant one and the same thing.
As far as the court was concerned, the findings of the trial judge on this issue, and concurred by the Court of Appeal, were sound both on facts, and the law and found no reason to set it aside, making emphasis on the fact that “a party against whom two concurring findings have been made, first the trial Court and the appellate Court, must be slow to bring appeal to the second appellate court, such as this Supreme Court.”
The Supreme Court indicated that there must be cogent, strong legal grounds of appeal that must be filed and argued to convince the second appellate court to reverse the findings of fact.
The court also noted that it found no such compelling reason to disturb the findings of fact so ably formed by the trial court, and concurred by the appellant court. “We endorse the finding that what happened in the CCC was a division, and in context of this case, cessation and division mean the same thing.”
The court therefore upheld the judgment of the High Court dated December 11, 2001, as was varied per the majority judgment of the Court of Appeal, per Justices Lartey and Tweneboa Kodua, dated April 22, 2005 in entirety, and accordingly dismissed the appeal.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Ghana Airways deal raises more questions
… Whistleblower demands answers
Posted: The Chronicle | Friday, February 19, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
An aviation expert, Duke Odiasempa, who has petitioned the Minister of Transport, Mike Hammah, to take a second look at the liquidation of the defunct Ghana Airways (Ghanair), is not surprised about the continuous silence of transaction advisers, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), on the deal.
From the onset, the Aviation expert says PriceWaterhouseCoopers had created the impression that its report was waterproof, and gave orders as to how it should be appropriated, stressing that it was ludicrous for PWC to direct that the report should only be used by the official liquidator; the Registrar General.
In its report, the PWC directed that the document should not be used by any other person or institution without its written instruction, and further stated that the report should not be distributed, discussed, or be disclosed, with any third party.
The PWC further stated in their report that they accept no duty, obligation, liability or responsibility for any party, than the official liquidator, concerning their work, a condition, Mr Odiasempa, describes as unfortunate, since “the disclaimer was an insult to the (country’s) Constitution, and a slap in the face of Ghanaians.”
For this reason, he stressed the urgent need for the sector Minister to summon the authors of the report to a meeting, to clarify certain technicalities of their work.
According to him, the claim by the PWC to the effect that they assisted the official liquidation to accomplish key liquidator objectives in the area of realisation in the administration was nothing but a hoax, meant to throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians.
Mr. Odiasempa raises doubts about the credibility of the PWC claim to have run a competitive bidding process in the liquidation of the airline, stressing that he was not the least convinced that the company did a good job, as far as that area was concerned.
This, according to him, was evident in the fact that the liquidation of Ghana Airways did expand into choice areas in the UK, such as Kingston-upon Thames, Heathrow Airport area, and other areas where the airline had movable assets.
He wondered why the PWC did not find any suitable value in Ghana, but went against what he described as their own Beaumont and Sons of the UK criteria for lawful liquidation, to form the basis upon which bids were to be evaluated.
According to him, it was earlier argued that Thameside, which offered to pay for the aircraft at US $820,000, was not the highest bidder, but for the different clauses put in the sales agreement, particularly that of CSDS Aviation, which bid further than US$900,000, stressing that the Official Liquidator’s letter of 2007, was disobeyed by the Ghana Airways Assets Disposal Committee.
After having the opportunity to study the said letter, Mr. Odiasempa said he was convinced that the government of the day, deliberately allowed the aircraft 9G-ANB to lie at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to accrue landing and parking fees for no justifiable reason, saying “this is a financial loss by any definition.”
He emphasised that Ghana Airways also sold two of its F28 Mark 2000 without any debacle, and therefore wondered how come the 9G-ANB aircraft had to remain at the airport to accumulate more debt.
He stressed the need for people to be made to answer for this dereliction of duty.
The aviation expert also raises questions about how the PWC realised only US$20 million from the sale of 43 properties of Ghana Airways, and with an annual turnover of between US$90 million and US$100 million, Mr Duke Odiasempa wonders what exactly might have informed the decision to liquidate the airline because of a US$150 million debt.
Mr. Odiasempa, who has had the privilege of studying and reviewing a report submitted to the Ministry of Transport, by accounting and auditing giants PriceWaterhouseCoopers about the sale of the then Ghana Airways, has raised questions about the credibility of the sale. According to him, the airline only needed a payable loan of US$2 million to survive, but the government of the day declined to give the money to lease two B767-300ER aircraft from Aviation Spares, and therefore wondered what informed that decision.
Mr. Odiasempa indicated that Ghana Airways indeed had a preference to lease an aircraft, since according to him, engineers of the airline, and other foreign engineers, had inspected a B767-300ER aircraft at Zaventum in Belgium, and Shannon in Ireland, in the year 2003. Though various reports were filed and submitted to the then Chief Executive, by the company’s creditor, Aviation Spares International, at an affordable price of US$2,600 a block hour, he wondered why Ghana Airways failed to lease the aircraft, stressing, “The Minister of Transport and his deputy, at various times, had certain preferences, and importuned Ghana Airways to accept Nationwide Airlines of South Africa’s fuel guzzling B747-200 Combi aircraft into service.”
The Deputy Minister of Transport at the time was said to have invited the management of Ghana Airways to his office, and asked why it was obstinate in not selecting K&G Corporation to supply the airline with two B767-300ERs.
This was said to have compelled the then Chief Executive to confront the Deputy Minister somewhere in the year 2003, to ask him “if I am taken to Nsawam Prison in future, would you come and visit me and feed my family?”
The CEO was said to have been compelled by circumstances, at the time, to resign shortly, since he could not bear the extent of ministerial and government interference in the activities and operations of the airline.
Posted: The Chronicle | Friday, February 19, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
An aviation expert, Duke Odiasempa, who has petitioned the Minister of Transport, Mike Hammah, to take a second look at the liquidation of the defunct Ghana Airways (Ghanair), is not surprised about the continuous silence of transaction advisers, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC), on the deal.
From the onset, the Aviation expert says PriceWaterhouseCoopers had created the impression that its report was waterproof, and gave orders as to how it should be appropriated, stressing that it was ludicrous for PWC to direct that the report should only be used by the official liquidator; the Registrar General.
In its report, the PWC directed that the document should not be used by any other person or institution without its written instruction, and further stated that the report should not be distributed, discussed, or be disclosed, with any third party.
The PWC further stated in their report that they accept no duty, obligation, liability or responsibility for any party, than the official liquidator, concerning their work, a condition, Mr Odiasempa, describes as unfortunate, since “the disclaimer was an insult to the (country’s) Constitution, and a slap in the face of Ghanaians.”
For this reason, he stressed the urgent need for the sector Minister to summon the authors of the report to a meeting, to clarify certain technicalities of their work.
According to him, the claim by the PWC to the effect that they assisted the official liquidation to accomplish key liquidator objectives in the area of realisation in the administration was nothing but a hoax, meant to throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians.
Mr. Odiasempa raises doubts about the credibility of the PWC claim to have run a competitive bidding process in the liquidation of the airline, stressing that he was not the least convinced that the company did a good job, as far as that area was concerned.
This, according to him, was evident in the fact that the liquidation of Ghana Airways did expand into choice areas in the UK, such as Kingston-upon Thames, Heathrow Airport area, and other areas where the airline had movable assets.
He wondered why the PWC did not find any suitable value in Ghana, but went against what he described as their own Beaumont and Sons of the UK criteria for lawful liquidation, to form the basis upon which bids were to be evaluated.
According to him, it was earlier argued that Thameside, which offered to pay for the aircraft at US $820,000, was not the highest bidder, but for the different clauses put in the sales agreement, particularly that of CSDS Aviation, which bid further than US$900,000, stressing that the Official Liquidator’s letter of 2007, was disobeyed by the Ghana Airways Assets Disposal Committee.
After having the opportunity to study the said letter, Mr. Odiasempa said he was convinced that the government of the day, deliberately allowed the aircraft 9G-ANB to lie at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) to accrue landing and parking fees for no justifiable reason, saying “this is a financial loss by any definition.”
He emphasised that Ghana Airways also sold two of its F28 Mark 2000 without any debacle, and therefore wondered how come the 9G-ANB aircraft had to remain at the airport to accumulate more debt.
He stressed the need for people to be made to answer for this dereliction of duty.
The aviation expert also raises questions about how the PWC realised only US$20 million from the sale of 43 properties of Ghana Airways, and with an annual turnover of between US$90 million and US$100 million, Mr Duke Odiasempa wonders what exactly might have informed the decision to liquidate the airline because of a US$150 million debt.
Mr. Odiasempa, who has had the privilege of studying and reviewing a report submitted to the Ministry of Transport, by accounting and auditing giants PriceWaterhouseCoopers about the sale of the then Ghana Airways, has raised questions about the credibility of the sale. According to him, the airline only needed a payable loan of US$2 million to survive, but the government of the day declined to give the money to lease two B767-300ER aircraft from Aviation Spares, and therefore wondered what informed that decision.
Mr. Odiasempa indicated that Ghana Airways indeed had a preference to lease an aircraft, since according to him, engineers of the airline, and other foreign engineers, had inspected a B767-300ER aircraft at Zaventum in Belgium, and Shannon in Ireland, in the year 2003. Though various reports were filed and submitted to the then Chief Executive, by the company’s creditor, Aviation Spares International, at an affordable price of US$2,600 a block hour, he wondered why Ghana Airways failed to lease the aircraft, stressing, “The Minister of Transport and his deputy, at various times, had certain preferences, and importuned Ghana Airways to accept Nationwide Airlines of South Africa’s fuel guzzling B747-200 Combi aircraft into service.”
The Deputy Minister of Transport at the time was said to have invited the management of Ghana Airways to his office, and asked why it was obstinate in not selecting K&G Corporation to supply the airline with two B767-300ERs.
This was said to have compelled the then Chief Executive to confront the Deputy Minister somewhere in the year 2003, to ask him “if I am taken to Nsawam Prison in future, would you come and visit me and feed my family?”
The CEO was said to have been compelled by circumstances, at the time, to resign shortly, since he could not bear the extent of ministerial and government interference in the activities and operations of the airline.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
NGO pushes for ban on packaged water
… Encourages Ghanaians to go back to the taps
Posted: The Chronicle |Thursday, February 18, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
The Ghana Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations in the Water and Sanitation Sector (CONIWAS) is advocating for a total ban on thin plastics used in the production of packaged water in the country.
It believes the production and consumption pattern of sachet water is not sustainable, since environmental pollution of thin plastics, and the associated economic costs to the nation, far outweighed the employment benefits it creates for those who engage in it.
It has therefore welcomed the government decision to place a 20% ad valerom tax on the product, since according to the group, abandoning tap water altogether, as a result of what it describes as marketing gimmicks and perceived poor quality, and resorting to packaged water as a main source of drinking water, constitutes development in the wrong direction.
Speaking at a news conference in Accra yesterday, Vice Chair of CONIWAS and Director of Public Policy Women and Development GrassRoots Africa, Hawa Nibi Amenga-Etego, stressed the urgent need for Ghanaians to shun packaged water, and to revert to the use of taps, since “the infiltration of bottled and sachet water into our market has become the biggest threat to the realisation of the right to water in Ghana.”
She argued that the decision had successfully diverted people’s attention away from more affordable sources, to more expensive and unsustainable bottled and sachet water, which costs 500 times (in the case of sachet water) and 1,600 times (in the case of bottled water) higher than other improved sources of water such as the taps, with little or no more improvement in the quality.
Meanwhile, General Comment 15 (GC15) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) sets out the tripartite responsibility of states to respect, protect, and fulfill the right to water.
It further states that a state (nation) protects the right by preventing third parties (including private companies) from interfering with the enjoyment of the right, including the imposition of appropriate regulatory measures (including taxes) on such parties.
However, the majority of Ghanaians still heavily rely on tap water, and other improved sources beside the bottled and sachet ones, as their sole source of drinking water.
Information gathered from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicates that only 8.2% of Ghanaians drink bottled and sachet water as a source of drinking water alongside other improved sources, with the urban being 15.2%, whilst the rural constitutes only 1.8%.
CONIWAS noted that the poor would constitute a small fraction of this percentage, hence the production of sachet and bottled water constitutes commodification of water and interference in the right of the people to water, which is a fundamental human right, insisting that “a service as essential as water, cannot be subject to market focus.”
Consequently, the group, in collaboration with the Foundation for Grassroots Initiatives in Africa (GrassRoots Africa), has urged Ghanaians to bring pressure to bear on the government, and demand sufficient water of acceptable quality through taps, as the only way to guarantee the enjoyment of the right to water by all.
It is also advocating for the government to focus the 20% ad valerom tax on water, rather than the packaging material, and asked for proceeds from the tax to be channeled to the relevant authorities to improve water supply.
CONIWAS is also pushing for a separate tax for plastics to be considered more broadly, beyond packaging material or bottled and sachet water, whilst calling on the government to appropriate 25% of the talk tax, and 5% of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) levy, to finance Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services (WASH), considering that these services are pivotal to the development of all other sectors of the economy.
Just like the rural water levy of 2% on all utility bills, which goes to support investment in the rural subsector, the group is also asking the government to consider an additional charge of 1%, dedicated to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), solely for infrastructure investment, instead of depending entirely on donors for this.
Posted: The Chronicle |Thursday, February 18, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
The Ghana Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations in the Water and Sanitation Sector (CONIWAS) is advocating for a total ban on thin plastics used in the production of packaged water in the country.
It believes the production and consumption pattern of sachet water is not sustainable, since environmental pollution of thin plastics, and the associated economic costs to the nation, far outweighed the employment benefits it creates for those who engage in it.
It has therefore welcomed the government decision to place a 20% ad valerom tax on the product, since according to the group, abandoning tap water altogether, as a result of what it describes as marketing gimmicks and perceived poor quality, and resorting to packaged water as a main source of drinking water, constitutes development in the wrong direction.
Speaking at a news conference in Accra yesterday, Vice Chair of CONIWAS and Director of Public Policy Women and Development GrassRoots Africa, Hawa Nibi Amenga-Etego, stressed the urgent need for Ghanaians to shun packaged water, and to revert to the use of taps, since “the infiltration of bottled and sachet water into our market has become the biggest threat to the realisation of the right to water in Ghana.”
She argued that the decision had successfully diverted people’s attention away from more affordable sources, to more expensive and unsustainable bottled and sachet water, which costs 500 times (in the case of sachet water) and 1,600 times (in the case of bottled water) higher than other improved sources of water such as the taps, with little or no more improvement in the quality.
Meanwhile, General Comment 15 (GC15) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) sets out the tripartite responsibility of states to respect, protect, and fulfill the right to water.
It further states that a state (nation) protects the right by preventing third parties (including private companies) from interfering with the enjoyment of the right, including the imposition of appropriate regulatory measures (including taxes) on such parties.
However, the majority of Ghanaians still heavily rely on tap water, and other improved sources beside the bottled and sachet ones, as their sole source of drinking water.
Information gathered from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicates that only 8.2% of Ghanaians drink bottled and sachet water as a source of drinking water alongside other improved sources, with the urban being 15.2%, whilst the rural constitutes only 1.8%.
CONIWAS noted that the poor would constitute a small fraction of this percentage, hence the production of sachet and bottled water constitutes commodification of water and interference in the right of the people to water, which is a fundamental human right, insisting that “a service as essential as water, cannot be subject to market focus.”
Consequently, the group, in collaboration with the Foundation for Grassroots Initiatives in Africa (GrassRoots Africa), has urged Ghanaians to bring pressure to bear on the government, and demand sufficient water of acceptable quality through taps, as the only way to guarantee the enjoyment of the right to water by all.
It is also advocating for the government to focus the 20% ad valerom tax on water, rather than the packaging material, and asked for proceeds from the tax to be channeled to the relevant authorities to improve water supply.
CONIWAS is also pushing for a separate tax for plastics to be considered more broadly, beyond packaging material or bottled and sachet water, whilst calling on the government to appropriate 25% of the talk tax, and 5% of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) levy, to finance Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Services (WASH), considering that these services are pivotal to the development of all other sectors of the economy.
Just like the rural water levy of 2% on all utility bills, which goes to support investment in the rural subsector, the group is also asking the government to consider an additional charge of 1%, dedicated to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), solely for infrastructure investment, instead of depending entirely on donors for this.
Private sector gets facelift
…as BUSAC gets a plus …as BUSAC gets a plus
Posted: The Chronicle |Thursday, February 18, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
Ms. Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade & Industry
Industry players are gradually gaining confidence in some private sector initiatives, and their ability to partner the public sector in the development of the nation.
Typical is the case of the Director of the Local Government Training Institute (LGTI), Dr. Esther Ofei-Aboagye, who is overwhelmed at the contribution of the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund (BUSAC-fund) to the development of the nation, since it became operational five years ago.
“Overall, the work of the BUSAC-fund has provided several initiatives and beginnings that could lead to real change in public sector responsiveness to private sector enablement,” was how she put it.
Beyond collaboration in investments, she said the BUSAC-fund’s interventions has fostered partnerships between the public sector and private sector groupings, by helping to break down walls of suspicion, and fostering cooperation and familiarisation.
Speaking at a BUSAC end-of-project event in Accra, Dr. Ofei-Aboagye stressed on the belief that public sector agencies’ suspicion of civil society groups and business associations and economic groupings, had reduced enough to respond to such invitations, and through the collaboration, gaining key contact points within the business community to work with.
That notwithstanding, she stated that considerable interest had been built amongst business associations to be pro-active in demanding engagement with public sector agencies.
She commended the management team of the project, and all stakeholders who helped in making the difference.
On her part, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Dr. Joyce Aryee, emphasised how useful the Fund has been to the Chamber.
This, according to her, was evident in the fact that the BUSAC-fund had enhanced the Chamber’s advocacy capacity.
Furthermore, she noted, it had also been able to make impacts on the activities of regulatory bodies, including the Minerals Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other civil society organisations.
BUSAC aims to make an impact by enabling the private sector, including business membership organisations, trades unions and media, to influence public policy formulation by undertaking appropriate research, developing evidence based policy positions, and advocating those positions with the government and other private sector institutions/organisations, which may be targeted by the action.
It was originally launched by DANIDA, as part of the broader Business Sector Programme Support, but now attracts support from the DFID (which is pooling its support through an arrangement with DANIDA) and the USAID (which is willing to support export related advocacy projects).
The arrangement to involve DFID and USAID is covered under a Memorandum of Understanding, agreed and signed in March 2005.
The fund management has been contracted by DANIDA to COWI, which has appointed Dr. Dale Rachmeler as Project Manager. He is assisted by a team recruited locally.
The Fund is accessible through a competitive demand-driven mechanism, and transparent selection of the best advocacy actions proposed by associations within the Private Sector.
The BUSAC-fund finances, through grants, up to 90% of the cost of the Advocacy Actions that are selected in each “Call for Application.”
The Actions are then implemented by the Grantees themselves, with the help of the Service Providers they may have chosen to complement theirs.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Rawlings` `Boy` tells it bluntly
NDC WILL LOSE 2012 ELECTIONS
… As `Better Ghana` agenda becomes a farce
Posted: Wednesday, February 17, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
Mohammed Abdulai Mubarakm alias Ras Mubarak, an activist of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) who contested the position of National Youth Organiser and lost, has told The Chronicle that it will be very difficult for his party to survive the 2012 general elections, if things do not change for the better.
According to him, the government’s much talked-about ‘Better Ghana’ agenda was gradually degenerating into a farce, and therefore stressed the urgent need to make amends before things get out of hand.
“It would be too difficult to go out and ask the suffering masses to re-elect a government that has conveniently frozen scholarships; has done little about providing opportunities for the more than sixty thousand graduates annually; not brought justice to families who were emasculated under Mr. Kufuor, and has spent its first year floundering,” he said.
This, according to him, were some of the reasons why former President Rawlings has been expressing reservations about the slow pace at which the Mills administration was handling the affairs of the country, saying, “obviously, former President Rawlings has plenty of reasons to be worried, because promises of a better Ghana are degenerating into a farce.”
Having campaigned in the various constituencies across the length and breadth of the country, as candidate for the position of National Youth Organiser, Mubarak said he was overwhelmed at the extent of discontentment at the grassroots level of the NDC.
He believed the level of discontentment among the rank and file of the party was a verdict on the government’s failures. The NDC activist said, “party members have justifiable anxieties over the direction of things in the country.
“They are worried because of the lack of opportunities, poor social services, justice for families who were emasculated under Mr. Kufuor, and the gradual and soft-touch approach to fulfilling the Better Ghana agenda,” he noted, adding, “the economy may be growing, but any unbiased observer knows life is so difficult for the working class.”
Though he admits that the Mills administration has done some good work in the areas of agriculture, with GDP growth in agric soaring up to 6.2 percent last year, against a target of 5.9, whilst 5,000 youths had begun training in mobile phone repairs and assembly, under the Natioanl Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) nationwide, with 1,800 from the three Northern regions, he indicated, “the extent of discontentment at the grassroot level of the NDC is serious.”
Whilst appreciating the fact that President Mills was not walking away from the challenges confronting the nation, he said, “if things do not turn around soon and fast, it would produce more internal and political recriminations.”
Mubarak also took on editors-in-chief of the New Crusading Guide, The Insight and The Enquirer newspapers respectively, Messrs. Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, Raymond Archer, together with Alhaji Bature, a media practitioner and a known supporter of the NDC, for their continuous criticisms of Mr. Rawlings.
According to him, the outpouring of grief and sympathy from all manner of persons across the country, especially those who traveled long distances to show solidarity with the Rawlings family when their house was gutted by fire over the weekend, should send a clear signal to the Alhaji Bature’s and Kweku Baako’s.
He accused Baako of over-stepping the line of civility, and resorting to what he describes as “journalism of personal vendetta against Jerry Rawlings.” “What Malik, Kwesi Pratt and now Raymond Archer don’t know is that the NDC is not like the main opposition party,” he said, emphasising that, “under the NPP, President Kufuor’s bribe-taking or source-greasing friends in the media over-praised him, and he became a roadblock, instead of a catalyst to positive change.”
At the time, he said people like Gabby Otchere-Darko, who gave constructive criticisms, were marginalised, while journalists like Malik Kweku Baako were praising Mr. Kufuor.
The failed National Youth Organiser futher said, “if Barack Obama were a Ghanaian and a member of the NDC, the Batures and Pratts would have used their appearances on radio and television to attack him for his courage to speak out against old politics.”
Years before he became president, he recalled how Obama had been critical of the Democratic Party and US politics in general, and the repeated attacks on the leadership of his party, even writing in page 38 of his book – The audacity of Hope - that “Democrats are, well, just confused.”
Mubarak stressed, “Rawlings is not the first, and would not be the last party member to express reservations over certain aspects of governance under Prof. Mills.”
This, he said, was evident in the fact that Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, did it and went as far as describing some elements in his party as traitors, without naming them.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Traumatised Rawlings turns to God
NAKED I CAME, NAKED I WILL GO
… As fire consumes all his belongings in a dawn disaster
Posted: The Chronicle |Monday, February 15, 2009
By Charles Takyi-Boadu & Bismark Bebli
Former President Jerry John Rawlings yesterday made one of the most touching and emotional statements in his life, after fire razed down his Ridge residence in Accra.
The dejected-looking former president, who had to travel at top speed from Sogakofe in the Volta Region to Accra, told newsmen in a brief interaction: “we came without… and we’ll leave without…”
Though he openly admitted it was a great and painful loss, the former president appreciated the fact that the fire did not claim life of his beloved wife, Nana Konadu, and daughter, Yaa Asantewaa, and other members of the household.
Mr. Rawlings told reporters that he was not at home when the incident happened, and that he was dealing with the “wee situation in the Sogakope area” when he received information about the fire outbreak, and had to rush down. It was however not clear the sort of ‘wee’ situation the former president was talking about.
The Spokesman for the former president, Kofi Adams, said when the fire broke out between the early hours of 4:00-4:20 a.m., the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, and one of their children, Yaa Asantewaa, were in the house.
Though the Assistant Public Relations Officer of the Ghana National Fire Service, Prince Billy Anaglate, was not sure what might have caused the fire, the outbreak is suspected to have been caused by an electrical problem.
The National Security Coordinator, Lt Col Gbevlo Lartey (Rtd), later told The Chronicle they were looking for an alternative house within the same locality to accommodate Mr. Rawlings and his family.
Scores of people from all walks of life, including party activists, ministers of state and the nation’s chief executive, President Mills, were at the house to express their heartfelt sympathies to Mr. Rawlings and his family.
After interacting with President Mills and other influential people in the country, Mr. Rawlings boarded his Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle, in the company of his wife, and drove away to a destination that was not made known to the press.
What surprised most of the people gathered at the house, was his decision to personally drive at a time when he was psychologically traumatised. President Mills, who arrived at the scene at around 8.58 a.m., was himself shocked at the incident, and could not comprehend the situation.
In his interaction with the fire officers, President Mills asked them to launch a full-scale investigation into the outbreak, and assess the extent of damage. President Mills was later conducted around the house by the former president, in the company of Sports Administrator Herbert Mensah, Mr. Eddie Annan, and a host of others. After inspecting the extent of damage, President Mills had a brief interaction with the National Security Coordinator and left.
The Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, Rose Bio Atinga, and her men were also there in their numbers.
Some party faithful have started pointing accusing fingers at critics of the former president as those behind his woes. These party faithful, who trooped to Mr. Rawlings’ residence in droves, threatened to deal with his critics.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) has denied that the fire that gutted the former president’s house was caused by power fluctuations, and called on the public to wait for the report that would be issued after investigations into the incident.
Below is the full statement.
The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo) and wishes to inform the public that there was a fire outbreak on one of the disconnect Switches at the Tema Switch yard during this morning’s rainstorm at 1:15 am on Sunday
February 14, 2010.This tripped a line between Tema and Akosombo. The feedback from thesetwo events led to the loss of two units each at the Akosombo and Kpong generating Plants leading to the Tema Terminal Plant going down completely. GRIDCo engineers had to take off all loads to Mallam, Kumasi and Cape Coast to stabilise the GRID system.
This led to loss of power supply to the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG).
The system was subsequently stabilized around 10:30 am this morning, Sunday, February 14, 2010, and ECG was requested to restore power to its customers.
GRIDCo and ECG are aware of the unfortunate incident which occurred at the former president’s residence early this morning, Sunday, February 14, 2010 and fully sympathize with the former president and his family.
GRIDCo and ECG however appeal to the public that no conclusions should be drawn until investigations are concluded by the appropriate authorities concerning this unfortunate incident.
Friday, February 12, 2010
As aviation expert petitions gov`t for probe
STORM OVER SALE OF G.A AIRCRAFT
Sale raises more questions than answers -Mike Hammah
Posted: The Chronicle |Friday, February 12, 2010
The report of the official liquidators of Ghana Airways (GA) to the Chairman of the Ghana Airways Assets Disposal Committee of 2007, rescinding its earlier decision to lease one of its aircraft 9G-ANB to the lowest bidder, has sparked a heated controversy in government circles.
This follows a petition sent to the Minister of Transport, Mr. Mike Hammah, by one Duke Odiasempa, an Aviation expert who has an insight into the activities and operations of the defunct national airline, Ghana Airways.
He is asking for a thorough investigation, and review into the circumstances that led to the virtual sale of the aircraft to Messrs. Thameside of the United Kingdom, rather than CSDS Aviation of the United States, which bid the highest.
The sector Minister, Mike Hammah, has duly acknowledged receipt of Mr. Odiasempa’s petition, a copy of which is in the possession of The Chronicle.
He has however declined to make any categorical statement on it, except to say that it was under serious consideration, since “it raises more questions than answers.”
In his petition, Mr. Odiasempa raises questions about the property valuers of the aircraft - Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) - and how such a consultant was selected among others to evaluate the bids/bidders.
Officials of Price Waterhouse Coopers are however tight-lipped about their role in the entire liquidation of the airline. An official of the company, Richard Hodasi, yesterday told The Chronicle that the company does not disclose its dealings with their clients to third parties, and for that matter they cannot make any substantive input to the paper’s enquiries.
In the sales agreement of both Thameside and CSDS Aviation, Mr Odiasempa noted that Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) deliberately put different clauses in the various agreements to frustrate the highest bidder - CSDS.
According to him, the sales agreement itself was drawn by one of the most expensive legal firms in the UK, Beaumont and Sons Limited, which incidentally were solicitors for Ghana Airways. To him, the contentious clause that was in the sales agreement for Thameside was the aspect which stated: “the buyer of the Ghanaian aircraft shall indemnify the Ghanaian government for 2 years in a sum of $50 million,” asking whether this was done to make it easy for a supposed friend of the seat of government, the Castle, to get purchase the aircraft.
Mr Odiasempa indicated that CSDS Aviation petitioned the then President on the bad business practice on the sale of the aircraft.
He therefore could not comprehend why Price Waterhouse Coopers advised the official liquidator (Registrar General) to cut and ship the aircraft in boxes as scrap metal, when it was bought.
Meanwhile, he said CSDS had arranged for a heavy maintenance programme of the subject aircraft at an engineering base in Belgium to the tune of $4 million.
When the negotiations stalled, he noted, the Minister of Aviation at the time told Parliament that it would be solved in a month, in favour of CSDS Aviation.
Though Ghana Airways was said to be owing Agence pour la Securite de la Navigation Arienne (ASECNA) and Esblissement National de la Navigation Arienna (ENNA) at the time of the liquidation, both companies were said to have not chased Ghana Airways out of business, since according to Mr. Odiasempa, “they only made a claim when they knew Ghana Airways was not going to be in existence anymore.”
He therefore accused Price Waterhouse Coopers, its network, and Ghana missions abroad, of aiding the official liquidator to close the 12 Ghana Airways overseas offices that were still open at the commencement of the liquidation.
“Staff were not notified before the closure of various offices, and any payments made to the staff would amount to deliberately causing financial loss to Ghana as a whole,” he stressed, insisting, “It requires looking into by competent professionals, to ascertain if Price Waterhouse Coopers handled that aspect of issues properly.”
According to the expert, there should not have been any legal suit by the leasing company against the Ghana government and Ghana Airways, noting: “The suit came about as a result of Ghana Airways’ improper husbanding of resources to pay the BCI aircraft.”
Furthermore, Mr. Odiasempa stated that the overall financial summary of Ghana Airways would have to be properly interpreted to get qualified accountants, with the support from some commissioned people by the Minister, to better understand the figures and sale of its assets, saying, “one does not understand why the Ghana Forex Bureau Limited and Ghana Distribution System Limited yielded zero amounts during the liquidation process.”
Also, he indicated: “Price Waterhouse Coopers continued to tell a pack of lies to Ghanaians, and to frighten them that the Italian government was after the blood of Ghana Airways at the time the two DC 10 and others were strangely scrapped, according to the PWC report.”
Up till date, he says, older DC 10s still fly across the globe, including a freighter that flies in and out of Ghana.
“PWC had in effect indicted Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), who are the regulatory authorities in Ghana representing ICAO, so to speak,” and that “Ghana Airways had a poor maintenance record, thus casting a heavy slur on the regulatory body.”
According him, this was ordinarily not true, stressing: “otherwise, GCAA inspectors would let any Ghana Airways aircraft fly.”
He noted that the scrapping of the equipment, especially the DC 10 aircraft, was doubtful, and was therefore calling for proper investigations to unravel the mystery surrounding the whole sale. More anon!
Sale raises more questions than answers -Mike Hammah
Posted: The Chronicle |Friday, February 12, 2010
The report of the official liquidators of Ghana Airways (GA) to the Chairman of the Ghana Airways Assets Disposal Committee of 2007, rescinding its earlier decision to lease one of its aircraft 9G-ANB to the lowest bidder, has sparked a heated controversy in government circles.
This follows a petition sent to the Minister of Transport, Mr. Mike Hammah, by one Duke Odiasempa, an Aviation expert who has an insight into the activities and operations of the defunct national airline, Ghana Airways.
He is asking for a thorough investigation, and review into the circumstances that led to the virtual sale of the aircraft to Messrs. Thameside of the United Kingdom, rather than CSDS Aviation of the United States, which bid the highest.
The sector Minister, Mike Hammah, has duly acknowledged receipt of Mr. Odiasempa’s petition, a copy of which is in the possession of The Chronicle.
He has however declined to make any categorical statement on it, except to say that it was under serious consideration, since “it raises more questions than answers.”
In his petition, Mr. Odiasempa raises questions about the property valuers of the aircraft - Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) - and how such a consultant was selected among others to evaluate the bids/bidders.
Officials of Price Waterhouse Coopers are however tight-lipped about their role in the entire liquidation of the airline. An official of the company, Richard Hodasi, yesterday told The Chronicle that the company does not disclose its dealings with their clients to third parties, and for that matter they cannot make any substantive input to the paper’s enquiries.
In the sales agreement of both Thameside and CSDS Aviation, Mr Odiasempa noted that Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) deliberately put different clauses in the various agreements to frustrate the highest bidder - CSDS.
According to him, the sales agreement itself was drawn by one of the most expensive legal firms in the UK, Beaumont and Sons Limited, which incidentally were solicitors for Ghana Airways. To him, the contentious clause that was in the sales agreement for Thameside was the aspect which stated: “the buyer of the Ghanaian aircraft shall indemnify the Ghanaian government for 2 years in a sum of $50 million,” asking whether this was done to make it easy for a supposed friend of the seat of government, the Castle, to get purchase the aircraft.
Mr Odiasempa indicated that CSDS Aviation petitioned the then President on the bad business practice on the sale of the aircraft.
He therefore could not comprehend why Price Waterhouse Coopers advised the official liquidator (Registrar General) to cut and ship the aircraft in boxes as scrap metal, when it was bought.
Meanwhile, he said CSDS had arranged for a heavy maintenance programme of the subject aircraft at an engineering base in Belgium to the tune of $4 million.
When the negotiations stalled, he noted, the Minister of Aviation at the time told Parliament that it would be solved in a month, in favour of CSDS Aviation.
Though Ghana Airways was said to be owing Agence pour la Securite de la Navigation Arienne (ASECNA) and Esblissement National de la Navigation Arienna (ENNA) at the time of the liquidation, both companies were said to have not chased Ghana Airways out of business, since according to Mr. Odiasempa, “they only made a claim when they knew Ghana Airways was not going to be in existence anymore.”
He therefore accused Price Waterhouse Coopers, its network, and Ghana missions abroad, of aiding the official liquidator to close the 12 Ghana Airways overseas offices that were still open at the commencement of the liquidation.
“Staff were not notified before the closure of various offices, and any payments made to the staff would amount to deliberately causing financial loss to Ghana as a whole,” he stressed, insisting, “It requires looking into by competent professionals, to ascertain if Price Waterhouse Coopers handled that aspect of issues properly.”
According to the expert, there should not have been any legal suit by the leasing company against the Ghana government and Ghana Airways, noting: “The suit came about as a result of Ghana Airways’ improper husbanding of resources to pay the BCI aircraft.”
Furthermore, Mr. Odiasempa stated that the overall financial summary of Ghana Airways would have to be properly interpreted to get qualified accountants, with the support from some commissioned people by the Minister, to better understand the figures and sale of its assets, saying, “one does not understand why the Ghana Forex Bureau Limited and Ghana Distribution System Limited yielded zero amounts during the liquidation process.”
Also, he indicated: “Price Waterhouse Coopers continued to tell a pack of lies to Ghanaians, and to frighten them that the Italian government was after the blood of Ghana Airways at the time the two DC 10 and others were strangely scrapped, according to the PWC report.”
Up till date, he says, older DC 10s still fly across the globe, including a freighter that flies in and out of Ghana.
“PWC had in effect indicted Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), who are the regulatory authorities in Ghana representing ICAO, so to speak,” and that “Ghana Airways had a poor maintenance record, thus casting a heavy slur on the regulatory body.”
According him, this was ordinarily not true, stressing: “otherwise, GCAA inspectors would let any Ghana Airways aircraft fly.”
He noted that the scrapping of the equipment, especially the DC 10 aircraft, was doubtful, and was therefore calling for proper investigations to unravel the mystery surrounding the whole sale. More anon!
Rawlings rants at Mills again
Posted: The Chronicle |Thursday, February 11, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
Former President Rawlings went ballistic on Tuesday when he brought the entire Mills administration to question. In his usual self, the former President could not fathom why after several criticisms, President Mills was still not firm in his decisions, and is allowing some of his men, including Ministers and appointees to have a field day.
Addressing a gathering of party foot soldiers and a number of parliamentarians during a reception held at his Ridge residence in Accra, Mr. Rawlings said - “I want Professor Mills to understand that, that seat at the Castle, that throne, I’ve had it before for 18 years. I want NPP (New Patriotic Party) to know, I want everybody to know, I’ve had it for 18 years.”
Furthermore, he said “I had no time to hold it – that you know, I’ve put my foot on it… and it’s like I’m grabbing it, don’t come and take it off me kind of thing. I had no time to even sit on it.”
He added “The way I consolidated my hold over the seat was actually to leave it alone and concentrate on the work that needed to be done…Nobody could touch it because the power was where productivity was – the power was where we were providing water, the power was where we were providing electricity, the power was where we were providing schools, etc, as we were empowering people.”
This was the reason why he said the other day that “the people he surrounded himself with, most of them have worked with me before”, saying “that’s when I said who born dog.”
Mr. Rawlings went bonkers when he said that during his days as President of the Republic, “none of them would dare do the foolish things (they are doing) around him”, asking rhetorically “I’m disciplined and I know Prof is a disciplined man, but why is he not putting his foot down to make sure the nonsense going on around him is brought to a halt? If I could do it why can’t he do it?”
“If he can do that, we will begin to see some change and if they are not changing, he should boot them out. If not, if not, he will go down with them. And if they want to take us with them, I’m afraid we will not go down with them”, he emphasized Mr. Rawlings complained about lots of developments in the party, warning that “ if we continued at this rate for another year, the third year would be difficult, and the fourth year would be very, very difficult.
We’ve lost one precious year; we’ve got one more year to prove that we can turn this thing round.”
One person who incurred the displeasure of Mr. Rawlings was one of Mills’ boys at the Castle, in the person of Ludwig Hlodze, who doubles as a Presidential Staffer and the National Youth Organiser. Mr. Rawlings accused the young and innocent-looking Ludwig of using the services of dispatch riders to go home.
“That Ludwig, who comes home using dispatch riders, look for somebody to film it and give it to Professor Mills and ask him what is Ludwig, that little twitch, what does he need dispatch riders to go home for?”, he asked rhetorically.
According to the former President, Ludwig goes home late in the night in the company of siren-blowing dispatch riders, disturbing and waking people up from their sleep. But the man described by Mr. Rawlings as a ‘little twitch’, Ludwig Hlodze is not the least happy about the former President’s reference to him.
This became glaring when The Chronicle contacted him yesterday for his comments about the allegation leveled against him by the former President. He vehemently denied ever using any motorcade or dispatch riders as Rawlings claimed. Ludwig, however, refused to comment on Rawlings’ reference to him as a ‘little twitch’, choosing to leave the man to his fate.
The former President did spare the sitting President either, asking Prof. Mills to put his house in order before matters get out of hand, before Ghanaians show NDC the exit, come 2012.
Contrary to public expectations
BAGBIN LEFT OFF THE HOOK
...treated with kid gloves by Minority
Posted: The Chronicle |Thursday, February 11, 2010
By Charles Takyi-Boadu, Linda Akrasi Kotey & Stephen Odoi Larbi
After subjecting Professor Dominic Fobih to a bout of tortuous questions which exposed his inability to recite the national pledge, many were those who thought the outgoing Majority Leader, Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, would also be subjected to the same treatment, but the minority, surprisingly, treated him with kid gloves when he appeared before the Appointments Committee yesterday.
After he swore the oath and took his seat, Edward Doe Adjaho, Chairman of the Committee, asked whether Bagbin could recite the national pledge, since many people including members of the committee themselves, wanted to be sure he could recite it.
Bagbin laughed it off without any categorical answer, and rather chose to tell the tale of a frog and a lizard, which he said, had a foundation in the old and new testaments of the bible, to dodge the substantive question. At the tail end of the story, he implied that people were up in arms to seek revenge against him, typical of the case of a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye.
Later, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Abuakwa-South Constituency, Atta Akyea, came in to ask Bagbin why he was not that much critical about the government on the issue of ex-gratia, unlike when he was criticising some ministers in the present administration.
But, Bagbin insisted that he and his other colleagues were vocal on the issue of ex-gratia when they appeared before the Yamson Committee, and added that he followed up in subsequent radio interviews. He could therefore not agree with Atta Akyea’s position.
At this point, the entire vetting process was virtually reduced to conversation.
What surprised most people was when the Minority Leader, Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, who is known for his hard-line questions, for once, lost his steam and engaged in friendly banter with Bagbin over the issue of who is older, since the Majority Leader had often created the impression that he was older than him (Mensah-Bonsu), and proceeded to ask him his date of birth.
Though Bagbin, clad in a white smock and a white hat to match, failed to openly say his date of birth, since it was on his curriculum vitae, a copy of which was before each member of the Committee, he admitted that the Minority Leader was his elder brother, in terms of age.
Knowing the challenges that Parliament, as an institution faces, the Minority Leader urged his colleague Majority Leader to help acquire more accommodation for members.
All this while, the Chairman sat in laxity and sometimes joined in the conversation.
Bagbin also declined to answer a question on whether he finds pleasure in the work of the Legislature (Parliament) or the Executive (Minister), asked him by Mensah-Bonsu.
Petty as it was, the issue dragged on for sometime, until the chairman intervened, probably when he thought the verbal exchanges were becoming too personal, only to appreciate the fact that the committee did not have any adverse findings about his tax declaration and police report.
Bagbin thanked members of the committee, and the entire House for their good working relation, stressing that long as he remains in Parliament, he would help to build and strengthen its imitative to develop the culture of the country’s democracy, which according to him, had not yet deepened.
Earlier, the incoming Interior Minister, Mr. Martin Amidu, told the hearing, presided over by the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho, that “crime should not be attached with any political coronation.”
“Crime is crime, no matter who is involved,” he told the Appointments Committee of Parliament yesterday, when he appeared before it for the public hearing.
His response was in connection to concerns raised by Mr. Ambrose Derry on why the government was being selective in pursuing justice in flashpoint conflict areas.
Calm-looking Amidu, dressed in a black political suit, demystified the perceived notion raised by Mr. Derry.
He told the Committee that highlighting on certain conflicts in the country does not mean the government had paid deaf ears to the others, and appealed to the members to be calm, as the government was equally up to the task in addressing the numerous conflicts that have hit some parts of the country.
According to him, there was the need to institutionalise conflict education, and let “the people know that each person in a conflict area is the result of that conflict.”
He stressed the need to adopt a multi-disciplinary approach towards solving conflicts in the country.
“Anybody who takes the law into his own hands, must be dealt with by the law,” he emphasised.
Of late, there have been conflicts in some parts of the country, including Agbogbloshie, Bawku, Swedru and Dagbon, among many others.
Dealing with the issues in these conflict areas has been a headache for the government of the day, especially the Dagbon conflict, because of political connotations attached to it.
Mr. Amidu, in response to the Dagbon crisis, said the problem was “intractable, and which builds layers along the road,” and therefore called for all hands on deck in solving the problem.
Mr. Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, MP for Suame, and a Ranking Member of the Appointments Committee, appealed to the incoming Interior Minister to critically examine all the incidents relating to conflict in the aforementioned areas, and let the law takes its course in dealing with anyone found guilty of having a hand in the conflict.
Mr. Martin Amidu promised to work hand-in-hand with the Police Council in addressing the issues raised. Touching on his plans in flushing out corrupt personnel in the Police Service, Mr. Martin Amidu said that would only be possible, if people were willing to report corrupt officials to the Police Council.
“None of us is prepared to report anybody who is perceived to be corrupt. If we get reports on corrupt officials within the service, we will act accordingly, since the Police Service is willing to flush out corrupt personnel in the service,” he noted. He believes that when personnel of the Police Service, together with other law enforcement agencies in sensitive areas, are paid very well, corrupt practices would be a thing of the past.
He made reference to the police personnel who were recently arrested in Accra for extorting money from drivers, and shared the belief that the Police Council did the right thing by interdicting them.
“Nobody should condone corruption in any institution, especially in government. If there is evidence to show that those police personnel arrested are corrupt, they must be prosecuted,” he added.
Stressing on the slack attitude on the part of the police in enforcing the law, the incoming Interior Minister attributed it to the insufficient number of police personnel in the country.
“The inability to enforce is also the problem of numbers. Because, if the police are overstretched, definitely, they would not be everywhere to enforce the law,” he noted.
He said that law and order were the context within which development can take place, and therefore promised to collaborate with the Inspector General of Police (IGP), who is responsible for the operation control and administration of the Police Service, to ensure that proper personnel who understand the importance of enforcement, are recruited into the service.
“Without peace, without tranquility, we cannot survive. Life and property are important. Detection of crime is also important. So, I will try at the Police Council level to ensure that we put in maximum efforts to increase the ability of the police in policing the law,” he added.
On insulating the Police Service from political interference, Mr. Amidu said he, together with the Police Council, would ensure that the legal framework of the country was respected.
According to him, there was nowhere in the Police Act that permits policemen to deal with citizens on the basis of political persuasion, adding, “ethically, it is reprehensible to treat a person just on the basis of where he belongs to.” He promised to deal with issues objectively, when giving the nod as Minister of the Interior, regardless of a person’s ethnic origin, gender, and sex.
At the initial stages of his hearing, Mr. Amidu had problems with his Curriculum Vitae (CV) and tax records, but the committee members decided to deal with those issues, especially that bordering on tax, behind closed doors.
Prior to Mr. Amidu’s appearance before the Committee, the Minister-designate for Employment and Social Welfare, Mr. Enoch Teye Mensah, dazzled his way through in answering questions relating to his new role, if given the nod.
His articulate nature, coupled with his in-depth knowledge about his new role was amazing, as he distinctively showcased the experience he has had in the public sector.
According to him, there should be a paradigm shift in the way things are run in the country by providing the right infrastructure and tools, coupled with good conditions of service to public servants in giving out their best.
On his part, the nominee to the Information Ministry and outgoing deputy Majority Leader, John Akologo Tia, said if he was given the nod, he would restrict himself to his task, spokesperson for the government.
According to him, his reassignment to another field was still a call to duty although the constant touch with Parliament may not be there, but to him it wa another experience, in another part of life as a politician.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
One week after acrimonious conference
NANA DISOBEYS CHAIR`s ORDER
… Campaigns with Ashanti execs contrary to ban
Posted:The Chronicle | Wednesday, February 10, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
The 2008 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, has defied the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party’s orders that no executive member should campaign with any of the presidential aspirants in the region. Nana Addo at the weekend, travelled with some of the constituency chairmen of the party to campaign at Kumawu, contrary to the ban imposed on them by the Regional Chairman.
During the campaign, he told the people to vote for specific candidates at the national conference of the party to elect new national officers, because they believe in his vision. Moments after being elected as the Regional Chairman of the party, Mr. F. F. Anto promised to personally stay clear of campaigning for or against any of the individuals eyeing the position of the party’s flagbearer, and asked his constituency chairmen and other executives to follow suit.
But, just about a week after he made this promise, some of his own men, Kwasi Owusu Kodua, the Nsuta-Kwamang Constituency Chairman, Bantama Constituency Chairman, Mr. Henry Kokofu and his counterpart from Bekwai and one Atta, went on a campaign trail with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to Kumawu in the Ashanti Region over the weekend.
Before they embarked on the campaign, they were said to have met at the private residence of Dr. Akoto Afriyie, Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, where they held a series of meetings. Mr. Owusu Kodua has personally admitted to The Chronicle of being part of Nana Addo’s delegation to Kumawu and Nsuta-Kwamang, where they went to meet the former constituency chairman, one Nana Adusei.
He however denied that Nana Addo asked the executives to vote for certain individuals as his choice of candidates for national positions, and against others because they were against the expansion of the electoral college of the party. Instead, he indicated that in order not to create enmity or show any sign of disregard for the executives there, Nana Addo and his team took the opportunity to meet and exchange pleasantries with the constituency executives.
But, Mr. F. F. Anto has denied knowledge of any such move, requesting that anybody who has evidence of any of his chairmen accompanying either Nana Addo or any other aspirant on a campaign trail, to make it available for him to take action.
According to him, he personally had to pull the Mampong Constituency Chairman, asking him to sit down when he attempted to go and stand behind Nana Addo at the get-together. He therefore promised to deal with anybody who flouts his instructions. Nana Addo was said to have participated in a get-together organised for both the old and new constituency executives of the area, to broker peace among the rival factions. Even that information, has it that representatives and supporters of both Alan Kyerematen and Isaac Osei, who are both eyeing the flagbearship position, were there to make donations for and behalf of the would-be aspirants.
Each of them was said to have been given an equal opportunity to make a statement, with Nana Addo promising to come back at the appropriate time. The Nsuta-Kwamang Constituency Chairman narrated that they then proceeded to Ejura Sekyedumasi, where they made a donation towards the construction of a constituency office.
According to him, Alan’s men also made a similar donation. Meanwhile, the Press Aide to Nana Addo, Herbert Krapa, has confirmed to The Chronicle that Nana Addo asked the executives to vote for people including Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, who is contesting for the chairmanship position of the party, Rita Asobayire, for first Vice Chairperson, Muctar Bamba, for national organiser and Lawyer Owusu Afriyie who is contesting for General Secretary, since according to him, they can do the job better.
He also confirmed the fact that the Nsuta-Kwamang Constituency Chairman was part of Nana’s team. A similar meeting between Nana Addo and 15 out of the 39 constituency chairmen in the Ashanti regional branch of the party recently, raised tensions and deep-seated emotions in the region.
The meeting, which was held at the Ahodwo residence of one of Nana Addo’s chief campaign strategists, Dr. Kwame Amoako Tuffuor, angered the remaining 24 constituency chairmen, who were not invited to the programme, since they were perceived to be supporters of Alan Kyerematen.
Mining coys at each others throat
…Over $42,900.00
Posted: The Chronicle |Wednesday, February 10, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
Two companies in the mining industry are slugging it out in court over the payment of an amount of $42,900.00, which has become a bone of contention between them.
Mining and Construction Services Limited (MCSL), located at Adjirigano in Accra, has sued Golden Star Wassa Limited (GSWL), a mining company and one Richard Gray as first and second defendants respectively for their inability to pay them the said amount.
The plaintiff, Messrs MCSL, a limited liability company, which is in the business of supplying crushing aggregates accuses GSWL, which is a mining company and Richard Gray of failing to pay it the said amount for work done.
In its statement of claim, solicitors for MCSL, Agyei Kodee Nuamah (AKN) and Associates stated that between May 2006 and June 2006, Richard Gray, acting on and on behalf of GSWL, requested it to supply and deliver crushing aggregates at a total value of $42,900.00 to GSWL. The said amount was to be paid after the defendants have inspected and accepted delivery of the said aggregates without rejection.
MCSL noted that as at July 15, 2008, the total outstanding amount for the aggregates supplied stood at $42,900.00 or its GHC equivalent. Though the period for payment for the invoice amount of the total value for the said aggregates has long elapsed, MCSL says the defendants have not only failed but also neglected and/or refused to pay the said total value to it despite several and repeated demands made thereof.
For this reason, MCSL stated that GSWL do not have a defence to its claim and will persist in default of their payment obligations unless otherwise compelled by an order of the court.
MSCL therefore claims against the defendants jointly and severally for the recovery of an amount of $42,900.00 or its GHC equivalent being total value for the supply and delivery of the crushing aggregates without rejection, which is due from GSWL to it and which remains unpaid despite several demands made for same.
It also asks for interest on the amount at the prevailing commercial bank rate from June 6, 2006 until the final date of payment with costs.
However, in its statement of defence, lawyers for Messrs GSWL, Takoradi-based Kendricks law firm denied every allegation of fact contained in MCSL statement of claim.
It denied entering an agreement with MCSL to the extent of requesting it to produce a minimum amount of 60,000 tonnes of crushed aggregates per month, stating that “after the execution of the agreement, the plaintiff was initially using a very small crushing machine which could not allow them to produce the said tonnage as contained in the agreement and consequently breached the said agreement.”
“This breach of the terms of the agreement was brought to the attention of the plaintiff and upon some representations and correspondences, the 1st defendant gave the plaintiff 3 months transitional period for the mobilisation of a bigger crushing plant to produce the aggregates as contained in the agreement specifically clause 5:2 (g)”, it noted.
According to the lawyers, this development was contained in a letter dated 6th September 2006 reiterating and drawing the plaintiff’s attention that the 3 months transitional period for mobilising a bigger crushing unit had lapsed.
It vehemently denied owing the plaintiff any money and further contended that if indeed wished to apply the penalty clause (5.6) of the agreement, stressing that it would rather have to pay a colossal amount of money to GSWL.
GSWL further contends that whatever aggregate that was produced by the plaintiff was in compliance to the agreement entered into with the MCSL and has nothing to claim therefrom.
GSWL also contends that as at 24th October 2006, when the letter of cessation of operations was sent to MSCL, they (GSWL) were not owing any monies.
“It is therefore a pure act of falsehood for the plaintiff to mount this action when it is almost 2years when the plaintiff’s activities came to and end and the plaintiff did not bring this claim against the defendants till sometime in June 2008 when a letter purporting to claim $42,900.00 was sent to the 1st defendant and which was dully replied to by the 1st defendant on 9th July 2008", it emphasised.
For this reasons Messrs GSWL says it has all the schedule aggregate requirement list and same shall be tendered during the trial to demonstrate the falsity of this claim by the plaintiff and averred that “this action is actuated by malice and is bad and therefore ought to be dismissed.”
In a reply to the amended statement of defence, MCSL insisted that the written contract to supply and deliver a minimum amount of 60,000 tonnes of crushed aggregates per month was never signed, insisting that at all material times it dealt with the 2nd defendant who happens to be Richard Gray.
Furthermore, MCSL said reiterated that Mr Gray entered into fresh negotiations with it and ordered it to supply and deliver the crushing aggregates with a smaller crusher to GSWL.
MCSL further denied GSWL’s claim that after the execution of the agreement, they (MCSL) were using a very small crushing machine which could not allow them to produce the said tonnage as contained in the agreement and consequently breached the said agreement.
It has therefore resolved to put the defendants to strict proof when trial begins.
Posted: The Chronicle |Wednesday, February 10, 2010
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
Two companies in the mining industry are slugging it out in court over the payment of an amount of $42,900.00, which has become a bone of contention between them.
Mining and Construction Services Limited (MCSL), located at Adjirigano in Accra, has sued Golden Star Wassa Limited (GSWL), a mining company and one Richard Gray as first and second defendants respectively for their inability to pay them the said amount.
The plaintiff, Messrs MCSL, a limited liability company, which is in the business of supplying crushing aggregates accuses GSWL, which is a mining company and Richard Gray of failing to pay it the said amount for work done.
In its statement of claim, solicitors for MCSL, Agyei Kodee Nuamah (AKN) and Associates stated that between May 2006 and June 2006, Richard Gray, acting on and on behalf of GSWL, requested it to supply and deliver crushing aggregates at a total value of $42,900.00 to GSWL. The said amount was to be paid after the defendants have inspected and accepted delivery of the said aggregates without rejection.
MCSL noted that as at July 15, 2008, the total outstanding amount for the aggregates supplied stood at $42,900.00 or its GHC equivalent. Though the period for payment for the invoice amount of the total value for the said aggregates has long elapsed, MCSL says the defendants have not only failed but also neglected and/or refused to pay the said total value to it despite several and repeated demands made thereof.
For this reason, MCSL stated that GSWL do not have a defence to its claim and will persist in default of their payment obligations unless otherwise compelled by an order of the court.
MSCL therefore claims against the defendants jointly and severally for the recovery of an amount of $42,900.00 or its GHC equivalent being total value for the supply and delivery of the crushing aggregates without rejection, which is due from GSWL to it and which remains unpaid despite several demands made for same.
It also asks for interest on the amount at the prevailing commercial bank rate from June 6, 2006 until the final date of payment with costs.
However, in its statement of defence, lawyers for Messrs GSWL, Takoradi-based Kendricks law firm denied every allegation of fact contained in MCSL statement of claim.
It denied entering an agreement with MCSL to the extent of requesting it to produce a minimum amount of 60,000 tonnes of crushed aggregates per month, stating that “after the execution of the agreement, the plaintiff was initially using a very small crushing machine which could not allow them to produce the said tonnage as contained in the agreement and consequently breached the said agreement.”
“This breach of the terms of the agreement was brought to the attention of the plaintiff and upon some representations and correspondences, the 1st defendant gave the plaintiff 3 months transitional period for the mobilisation of a bigger crushing plant to produce the aggregates as contained in the agreement specifically clause 5:2 (g)”, it noted.
According to the lawyers, this development was contained in a letter dated 6th September 2006 reiterating and drawing the plaintiff’s attention that the 3 months transitional period for mobilising a bigger crushing unit had lapsed.
It vehemently denied owing the plaintiff any money and further contended that if indeed wished to apply the penalty clause (5.6) of the agreement, stressing that it would rather have to pay a colossal amount of money to GSWL.
GSWL further contends that whatever aggregate that was produced by the plaintiff was in compliance to the agreement entered into with the MCSL and has nothing to claim therefrom.
GSWL also contends that as at 24th October 2006, when the letter of cessation of operations was sent to MSCL, they (GSWL) were not owing any monies.
“It is therefore a pure act of falsehood for the plaintiff to mount this action when it is almost 2years when the plaintiff’s activities came to and end and the plaintiff did not bring this claim against the defendants till sometime in June 2008 when a letter purporting to claim $42,900.00 was sent to the 1st defendant and which was dully replied to by the 1st defendant on 9th July 2008", it emphasised.
For this reasons Messrs GSWL says it has all the schedule aggregate requirement list and same shall be tendered during the trial to demonstrate the falsity of this claim by the plaintiff and averred that “this action is actuated by malice and is bad and therefore ought to be dismissed.”
In a reply to the amended statement of defence, MCSL insisted that the written contract to supply and deliver a minimum amount of 60,000 tonnes of crushed aggregates per month was never signed, insisting that at all material times it dealt with the 2nd defendant who happens to be Richard Gray.
Furthermore, MCSL said reiterated that Mr Gray entered into fresh negotiations with it and ordered it to supply and deliver the crushing aggregates with a smaller crusher to GSWL.
MCSL further denied GSWL’s claim that after the execution of the agreement, they (MCSL) were using a very small crushing machine which could not allow them to produce the said tonnage as contained in the agreement and consequently breached the said agreement.
It has therefore resolved to put the defendants to strict proof when trial begins.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
NHIA BLAMES KUFUOR`s GOV`T FOR CEO`s WOES
… Accuses administration of selling bungalows to cronies
Posted: The Chronicle |Thursday, February 04, 2010
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) yesterday accused the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration of causing the barrage of attacks on the credibility and personality of its current Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sylvester Mensah.
According to the authority, “but for this greedy sale of government properties by the previous NPP government, the incumbent NDC administration would not be renting residential premises for its appointees.”
Speaking at a news conference in Accra yesterday, in response to speculations about the activities and operations of the Authority, which has been in the spotlight for the last couple of days, the deputy Director of Corporate Affairs and Strategic Direction of the NHIA, Eric Ametor-Quarmyne, said, “if the former government was not driven by greed to sell government bungalows, the issue of official accommodation for CEOs like that of the NHIA, would not have been an issue today.”
This, he said, was evident in the fact that before the Kufuor administration took over the reigns of power in the year 2001, the government had over 100 bungalows within Accra.
He however noted that the “non-commonsensical sale of these bungalows to NPP functionaries, has left only 52 of them,” stressing, “Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey is still fighting in court to own a government bungalow, which is jut a two-munite drive away from the NHIA office premises.”
Since the inception of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2004, the Authority said there had not been any official residence for its chief executives.
They were thus compelled to write to the Ministry of Works and Housing for the allocation of one government bungalow for development into a duty post accommodation for its Chief Executive.
However, Ametor-Quarmyne said the Authority was told there was none, saying, “meanwhile the NPP government was busy selling those same bungalows to themselves, party executives, their friends and cronies.”
The matter of duty post accommodation for the CEO of the Authority was succinctly captured in an official memorandum sent by the Director of Administration to the Chairman of the NHIA Council on July 15, 2009, part of which read as follows, “the NHIA does not have an official accommodation to serve as duty post for its chief executives. Perhaps, the required urgency has not been attached to the matter of securing a duty post accommodation for chief executives of the NHIA, because two successive chief executives of the NHIA had been on secondment to the NHIA from other public institutions, which offered them official accommodation during their tenure at the NHIA.”
This, according to the Authority, was the reason why the NHIA Council decided to rent an official duty accommodation for the current CEO, since he was the first ‘independent’ CEO of the organisation.
The Authority said that the amount and figures being bandied around as monies used in securing accommodation for its CEO, cannot in anyway be compared to those offered to other chief executives of state institutions of similar standing in the country.
The Authority also dispelled rumours about the salary of its CEO, Mr. Sylvester Mensah, which it said was much lower than those of most other CEOs in analogous state institutions.
In comparison with the salary of the immediate past Chief Executive of the NHIA, Mr. Mensah is said to be currently receiving 65% of what Mr. Ras Boateng used to receive when he was the CEO of the Authority.
Under the current circumstance, the Authority says Mr. Mensah receives no other allowances currently, stressing, “the same Board which applied discretion in approving the rental of a duty post accommodation for the CEO, was the same Board that approved a cut of 35% in the salary of Mr. Sylvester Mensah, as compared with that of Mr. Ras Boateng.”
“Currently, Mr. Mensah does not enjoy any other allowance, aside of receiving a cut in salary, compared to the exorbitant salaries the Kufuor administration paid its staff,” stressed Ametor-Quarmyne.
Instead, he said that since he took over as CEO of the NHIA in June 2009, Mr. Sylvester Mensah has instituted far-reaching reforms, indicating that “during the past seven months of his being in office, the prudent management reforms and judicious use of the tax payers’ money have resulted in a mighty expenditure savings of 53% of the Authority’s budget for last year, translating into an amount of GH¢6,451,267 or ¢64,512,670,000.”
He therefore asked rhetorically, “how can such a person now be portrayed as a spendthrift, can only be the wildest imagination of someone on a mission of mischief and a smear campaign.”
Oquaye raises red flag
…Over Achimota school lands
Posted: The Chronicle |Thursday, February 04, 2010
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya constituency in the Greater Accra region, Professor Mike Oquaye has expressed grave concern about the level of encroachment on the Achimota school lands by private developers. This follows a directive by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), asking for the closure of the School, due to a collapse of its sewerage system.
Making a statement on the floor of Parliament yesterday, Prof. Oquaye said the problem has been caused by encroachers who are building at what he described as ‘satanic speed’ on the part of the School land called ‘the Folly’, where the entire sewerage system has been channeled, since the time of Guggisberg.
Though not a product of the school, Prof. Oquaye, who is also the second deputy Speaker of Parliament said he was struck by what he saw when he visited the school to have a first hand information about developments in the school.
“People are building unlawfully on the main channels, causing the system to collapse”, he said, stressing that “any serious Ghanaian who cares to visit the school will see the broken main sewage lines, leakage of human excreta and liquid waste, plus the foul stench which engulfs the atmosphere. As a result, the School poultry farm has since collapsed.”
For this reason, the veteran politician has called on President Mills to salvage his own alma mater, the Achimota School, since according to him “the school lands are vested in the President of Ghana.” He stressed the urgent need for government to compulsorily acquire all houses built on the school land and give it back to the school, asking government to set up a Commission to identify ‘bona fide’ purchasers and compensate them accordingly.
As representatives of the ‘people’, Prof. Oquaye also urged Parliament as an institution to set a Committee to look into the issue and act accordingly.
Even before any such Committee is set, the Dome-Kwabenya MP asked that the security agencies to be employed to save Achimota School, describing it as a national heritage. “The school is associated with Nkrumah, Busia, Akufo Addo, Rawlings, Atta Mills, Jawara of Gambia and Mugabe of Zimbabwe, the school is a national heritage and a tourist attraction, it is worthy of preservation, not destruction”, he noted.
The MP recalled how in the late 1980’s, the Board of the School attempted to sell portions of the school land to private individuals, though it had no legal right to sell Achimota School lands, which are by law vested in the Head of State of Ghana. At the time, he said people were asked to come for refund of their monies when this illegal act became public.
According to him, without documents of ownership and approved plans, began to build with indecent haste.
Sometime later, he said the Owoo family who sold the land to the then Governor, Gordon Guggisberg stepped in and started selling the land they had already sold, whilst other land contractors and macho men waded in.
The resultant chaos, he said “is too indecent to recount.”
Prof. Oquaye noted that another set of encroachers expanded the assault to ‘the Foyer’ area on the southern side of the school and went to the extent of building a disco, which the school had to demolish.
That notwithstanding, he emphasized that pilfering, drug usage, drunkenness, refuse dumping and sand winning activities, which have put the lives of young school children at risk on the schools campus, should be condemned by all well-meaning Ghanaians, since in his opinion “these acts of indiscipline causes the fires and road accidents all over our dear nation.”
Furthermore, he said “any purported attempt by any person, body or authority, other than the President of Ghana, to alienate Achimota School Lands is bogus, void, illegal and of no effect”, stressing that “no building permit – not one – has been approved by the authorities.”
In the final analysis, Prof. Oquaye said “if any serious Ghanaian sits unconcerned when Achimota is bleeding, then God indeed help us all.”
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
SSPP RAISES EYEBROWS AMONG GOV`T WORKERS
… As civil, local gov’t staff kick against provisions
Posted: The Chronicle |Wednesday, February 03, 2010
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) has raised issues over the government’s decision to implement the newly-introduced Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP).
They claim their concerns have not been dully addressed, and as such, have indicated their preparedness to kick against their inclusion in the policy.
Addressing a news conference in Accra yesterday, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Association, James Amissah, threatened to reject their inclusion on the new salary structure, since, “this time round, it is look before we leap. If we are pressed to the wall, the person who is pursuing us, we will turn and face him,” he said.
Though the Association claims it does not have any intention whatsoever to disrupt or frustrate the implementation of the SSPP, Mr. Amissah noted, “we would not accept any pay policy that would disadvantage our members during its implementation.”
This is because it has continued to draw attention to issues relating to internal and external inequities in Placements/Gradings, which tends to put members of the CLOGSAG at a disadvantage.
The Association finds it strange that the recommended placements for various grades of its constituents on the Single Spine Salary Structure (SSSS), which is a component of the Single Spine Pay Policy (SSPP), are lower than those on the Ghana Universal Salary Structure (GUSS).
According to the group, a closer examination of the placements also reveals that two grades haveg in some instancesg been put on the same level, with one high and the other low, implying that an officer could be promoted and still remain on the same level.
The Association argued, “such an arrangement was found to be problematic by a technical team constituted by the (then) Ministry of Public Sector Reforms in 2008.” The technical team was said to have recommended that the horizontal movement on a level should be used to reward performance, whilst promotion should involve a vertical movement.
The CLOGSAG also noted that out of the 1,306 jobs in the services, only 26 were placed on ‘high steps’ constituting 2%, whilst the remaining 1,280 jobs (98%) were placed on ‘low steps’, stressing: “in certain instances placements have been done without regard to job content, but rather to the place of work, thereby introducing inequity across service classifications.”
The Association said it cannot fathom why most of these concerns had not been dully addressed, but yet the ‘supposed’ Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) was pushing for the implementation of the SSSS without any comprehensive guidelines on the SSPP, though the latter is a component of the former.
The Acting Executive Secretary noted, “you cannot deal with the SSSS in isolation,” asking “is it not strange that the FWSC would want to negotiate with stakeholders the base pay on the SSSS, when it has not developed the relevant policy guidelines for implementation?”
Meanwhile, the CLOGSAG has persistently advised that any new salary regime, be it SSSS or whatever, should either retain or improve upon the prevailing annual increments.
When asked what would happen if their concerns were not duly addressed, the Acting Executive Secretary said: “the time will come,” and asked the government and the implementing agencies of the new salary policy, to do the proper thing before things get out of hand.
Later, Mr. Amissah told The Chronicle in an interview: “we are already on GUSS, so if I realise that it is going to disadvantage me, I will force and remain on the GUSS,” asking, “others opted out of the GUSS in 1999, what happened to them?”
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Mubarak faults Mills
…For imposing Avoka, Pelpuo on Parliament
Posted: The Chronicle |Monday, February 1, 2010
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
A leading activist of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mohammed Abdulai Mubarak, popularly referred to as Ras Mubarak has done what most Parliamentarians, especially those on the Majority side of the House have not been bold enough to do.
He has criticised President Atta Mills for attempting to impose Mr. Cletus Avoka and Rashid Pelpuo, out-going Interior and Sports ministers respectively, on the leadership of the Majority NDC in Parliament.
In an exclusive interview with The Chronicle over the weekend, Mubarak, who contested but lost the position of National Youth Organiser of the NDC, said “the move to impose leaders for the Majority in Parliament was a massive blunder”, stressing that “the authority of Parliament is supreme and Ghanaians must not countenance any maneuver to undermine the democratic structures of state.”
He said Leaders of the House should be voted for by Members of Parliament (MPs) themselves, and not be chosen or appointed at the behest of any individual, including the President, since the process has to meet every democratic principle.
“Those who are interested in becoming Leader of the Majority or Minority must put themselves up for election and the responsibility for who becomes leader of the House must rest with only members of the House” he noted with emphasis.
For this reason, Ras Mubarak noted that “the panoply of lawyers at the Presidency would have to do better”, since according to him, “the Executive must impose on itself a measure of restraint when dealing with the other arms of government.”
On the issue of management of the economy, he described the actions of the President in the first year of his four-year mandate as cautious rather than bold. He, however, noted that the year 2010 is key year for the President since in his own words -”time is very short.”
The NDC activist noted that “He (the President) has to do something new and wean himself off the accusation that he is being slow”, and added that “he has to win back support within the party if he wants to go unopposed as the Presidential candidate of the party in the 2012 election.”
Furthermore, he noted that President Mills ought to rebuild the coalition that took him to the Castle and regain the support he got from young voters, saying “the presence of leading figures like the NDC founder, JJ Rawlings, Dr. Ekwow Spio and Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings by the side of President Mills would give the President's second term bid a boost.” This, he said, is because the President needs the support of well-known faces in the party.
Mr. Mubarak believes the NDC is blessed with consummate politicians, and said President Mills must bring them on board, saying with emphasis that “the creeping attitude of 'we and them' mentality by some of his appointees would not get the party anywhere.”
Last year, many Ghanaians lost their passion because of the government's soft-touch approach to fixing a broken nation. There was complete erosion of responsibility under President Kufour where Ghanaians suffered a lot and now have an appetite for something fulfilling. For him, the government cannot dash the hope and aspirations of Ghanaians.
In spite of all the unpredictable problems President Mills inherited, Mubarak noted that has finished a difficult year on a good note. However, the case may be that “he needs to do more” since “social democracy is about helping improve people's lives. The problems we face are big and urgent.”
For him, it is high time President Mills dealt with the flash point issues of justice, poverty, illiteracy, crime, failing schools and energy.
That notwithstanding, he noted that the Mills administration has to answer critical questions like; “what guarantee does government have for school leavers? What guarantee does government have to ameliorate the plight of vehicle users who need fuel for their vehicles? What plans does his government have to tackle illiteracy?”
Under the current circumstance, Mubarak says Ghana as a country needs to make massive investment into education, since in his opinion “the state must be able to finance our development.”
Taking into consideration the fact that the Tema Harbour was not constructed by borrowing, but out of development revenue created through the ingenuity of Ghana's first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and his colleagues, he noted that “with the uncertainties in the global economy, we must be careful about our dependence on borrowing.”
He therefore stressed the need for President Mills to focus less on borrowing and more on technical assistance from donors, since “the people of Ghana, especially members of the ruling National Democratic Congress have justifiable anxieties.”
Cognisant of the fact that the task of building a broken nation is tough and requires a lot of sacrifices from all, the NDC party activist noted that since the President has laid a foundation for rapid development, there is need for every Ghanaian to support him in delivering the 'goods'.
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