A-G uncovers rot in School Feeding Programme

…Accountant ordered to refund money

Posted: The Chronicle Thursday, April 30, 2009

ByCharles Takyi-Boadu
The Auditor General has uncovered what appears to be massive financial malpractices at the School Feeding programme, following the forensic audit it conducted into its operations. A final report signed by Mr. Augustine R. K. Boadu, the Deputy acting Auditor General (AG), on behalf of the AG, a copy of which has been intercepted by The Chronicle has implicated certain individuals at the Secretariat, including the Senior Accountant, one Ebenezer Kwesi Donkor for his negligence and poor record keeping which has resulted in the loss of huge sums of money to the state. The report, which is dated April 23, 2009, covered the period of April 1, 2006, to December 31, 2007.
The Senior Accountant, according to the report, could not provide for audit, payment vouchers covering GH ¢18, 094.08 (¢180.9 million) to support entries in the cash book due to weak management control and security over vital official documents. The Accountant only managed to present receipts totalling GH ¢10,585.53 (105,845,279.00), leaving a balance of GH ¢9,598.67 (¢95,986,721.00) which is yet to be accounted for. Mr. Kwesi Donkor, however, told the auditors that the head office operated a standing imprest of GH ¢500.00. Out of this amount, he said the Executive Chairman handled GH ¢400.00 while he administered the remaining GH ¢100.00.
The Senior Accountant added that the unaccounted for balance of GH ¢9,598.67 included an amount of GH ¢1,800.00 which was sent to the regions to enable the Monitoring Officers meet petty expenses.
Though he claimed he could provide documents for payment vouchers covering transactions totalling GH ¢18,094.08 (180.94 million) to support entries in the cash book, the Senior Accountant, Mr Kwesi Donkor could also not provide any such document for audit. In the absence of the disbursement records to support transactions, the auditors recommended that the Senior Accountant should immediately refund the amount of GH ¢18,094.08 to chest.
On his part, the Executive Chairman explained to the auditors that he used the imprest on protocol, press conferences, entertainment of foreign guests, fuel, transportation, etc., and provided the team with receipts to back his claims. However, the auditors recommended that Management should investigate the matter and ensure immediate accountability of the amount of GH ¢9,598.67.
During the period under review, the report noted “the National Secretariat of the GSFP withheld 5% of taxes totalling GH ¢117, 177.36 or GH ¢1.17 billion from payments to suppliers and failed to remit the amount collected to the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service as required by Section 87 (1) of Act 592.
Management however attributed the delay in remitting the tax collections to the IRS to the late release of funds from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and pressure from suppliers to be paid for goods supplied, urging management to “immediately remit the GH ¢177, 177.36 to the Commissioner of IRS and strictly adhere to the tax laws in future.
At the same time, payment vouchers covering GH ¢151,016.02 (¢1.51 billion) worth of goods and services contracted did not have documents supporting the transactions and, therefore, asked that the Senior Accountant produces the documents for subsequent review to avoid being surcharged.
It was also detected that management paid Messrs. Afrique Link limited GH ¢203, 303.75 for the supply of 10, 770 trays of tomato paste.
Though the amount included a VAT component of GH ¢23.424.75, the report indicated that management did not ensure that company accounted to the VAT Secretariat for the VAT amount collected. It therefore recommended that management follow up for the official VAT receipt from Afrique Link limited, whilst an imprest amounting to GH ¢20, 183.20 was not adequately accounted for, blaming the Senior Accountant of the Secretariat for not keeping an imprest cash book to transactions, neither was there a storekeeper to take charge of purchases made.
The object of the audit was to ascertain whether funds released and Store items received by the Secretariat were properly accounted for in the programme’s books of account and standard accounting and administrative procedures were followed in running the affairs.
It was also to ascertain whether internal and monitoring controls were effectively working at the Secretariat and whether its assets were in its name, secured and safeguarded.
This followed an earlier report commissioned by Messrs. Price Waterhouse Coopers in 2006 which raised questions of underhand dealings in the already-struggling School Feeding Programme.
The findings of that report smacked of fear of insecurity since it revealed acts of corruption, inappropriate award of contracts, forged signatures, inflated school enrolment figures and maladministration.
In the course of its investigations, the auditors evaluated the adequacy and effectiveness of internal control, management, procurement, payroll and programme activity as well as stores and inventory management.
It was, however, realized that for the 43 months (October 2004 to April 2008) that Dr. Amoako Tuffuor worked as head of the GSFP, he was not paid any salary, even though the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment fixed his salary at GH ¢3,834.00 per month, as was indicated in a letter dated.
It was came to light that the former Executive Secretary was advanced GH ¢1,000.00 every month, pending payment of his salary.
It will be recalled that on April 2, 2008, the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) went to town with the findings of the said report, describing its content as amounting to wanton corruption and stealing. The CJA’s concern was that funds amounting to ¢363,549, 000 that the Secretariat of the programme claimed to have transferred to ten districts were not received by those districts.
According to the pressure group, the extent of corruption, maladministration, nepotism and patronage was so excessive that the programme has not only become a complete shamble, but also part of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) project for the massive looting of the nation’s coffers. In order to save the programme from total collapse, the Committee called for the dismissal of Dr. Kwame Amoako Tuffuor.
It also asked government to set up an independent investigation public enquiry to investigate the activities and operations of the programme. In effect, the CJA said all those who are known to have committed fraud or other criminal offences should be prosecuted. This latest report, however, appears to have exonerated Dr. Amoako Tuffuor, as no specific adverse findings were made against him.

Bungling officialdom

``CARS WEREN`T IN MY DEEP FREEZER``

... Asmah, Asamoah, Aggrey, Jumah snort at Mills` boy`s threat

Posted: The Chronicle Wednesday, April 29, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) yesterday trotted out their 28year old Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzato to rub it in, but returned to base with a lot of eggs in his face, hours after the Deputy Minister issued a directive asking members of the Kufuor administration who had already paid for their cars to bring them to be revalued. The arrogance with which he spoke on the subject matter at a press conference yesterday, describing some of the former Ministers as gangsters and criminals, was what angered some of them to come out with threatening statements. Speaking on Joy FM yesterday, Former Minister of Fisheries, Mrs. Gladys Asmah could not comprehend why the NDC government was so much enthused with issues concerning vehicles, especially when there are serious matters confronting the nation. Speaking on Joy FM, she said some government officials came to her house, and accused her of having five cars belonging to the state, which they had come to pick. She described them funny, since according to her, she had documents covering all her personal cars. Mrs. Asmah wondered where the security operatives got their information from, saying “I asked, where are the cars? have I parked them in my deep freezers”, she questioned cheekily tressing that she does not have any government or state vehicle in her possession. The former Minister said the only cars she had in her possession were two, one from Parliament and another she bought on credit. She thus indicated her preparedness to see her lawyers to institute legal action against the government. Special Aide to former Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Mr.Yaw Buabeng Asamoah on his part dared anybody to attempt to take his car away from him. He threatened to shoot anybody who comes to seize the car he currently drives, which he said was for his father, saying “if somebody shows up and says it belongs to the state, I’ll shoot him.” “I have returned my car, the receipt is dated the 13th of January, 2009, I have a receipt for it, I sent a covering letter to the Chief Director at the Castle, saying the car has been returned and my driver sent and parked it there”, he said. He further noted that he has no state vehicle in his possession, neither does he reside in a state property. Though he was offered the opportunity to buy the car, he refused, knowing very well what could happen in the future. Whilst he admitted that governance cannot be conducted on propaganda lines, he noted that what the Deputy Minister said about him was a blatant lie, which is a continuation of what he described as the propaganda that has characterized the activities of the Mills administration for sometime now. The no-nonsense Member of Parliament for Asokwa and former Deputy Minister of Local Government, Maxwell Kofi Jumah, also told Joy FM that he was offered the opportunity to buy the vehicle in his possession and he appropriately paid for. “If they want to come and use the coercive powers of state to take over the car, I don’t have an army and I don’t have a police, but I have a court”, he said, threatening “I will take the Professor of law to court and teach him basic contract law, as simple as that.” He continued “if you are civilized and you have entered into a proper contract with a state Institution, you go to court.” Former Communications Minister, Aggrey Ntim expressed extreme surprise at the turn of events, but indicated his preparedness to return the car, if they so demand. He has accordingly written to the government and will soon take the car back to reclaim his money.

Manifesto war

NDC REBUFFS NPP's CLAIMS

Posted: The Chronicle Thursday, April 30, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has denied either doctoring or altering the content of the party’s manifesto to sway Ghanaians from the commitments and promises made on and before 2008 general elections, which brought them to power.
The party says it has no intention to do such a thing and, therefore, rubbished claims by the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), which sought to suggest that the party and NDC government was out there to deceive Ghanaians.
In an exclusive interview with The Chronicle, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party, Daniel Anang said there was no iota of truth in the claims being made by the NPP and, therefore, urged Ghanaians to treat it with the contempt that it deserves.”I can assure you that we haven’t changed any part of our manifesto”, he said.
He noted that just after the party outdoored its manifesto, somebody tried to make money out of it by producing an abridged version of the document, which contained the highlights of the main manifesto, to sell to people.
He noted that this was done without the due consent and approval of the party and it could not be described as the original document which still remains unchanged. He said “even I didn’t bother buying one, because people called and told me about the existence of an abridged form of the manifesto …and that is when I realized that somebody was making money out of our manifesto.”
To him, the NPP is only trying to do politics with the issue, since according to him, their claims have no merit.
Mr. Anang also questioned the moral right of the NPP as a party to question President Mills and his NDC government’s 100 days in office. Whilst he agrees that the President has not been able to achieve all the targets set, the Regional Chairman said they managed to reduce fuel prices among others.
“We are not chasing into the church rooms, we are not making a lot of noise, you know, we are not asking people to proceed on leave, we haven’t started putting people before the court, so we are not making a lot of noise”, he said.
To him, that is how the NPP sees the NDC. He stressed that “in their first hundred days, they used it to harass their opponents, so they were always in the news, they said NDC is corrupt, NDC is this and that is what they did in the first hundred days, you should tell me exactly what they did in their first hundred days that we are not doing today”.
He emphasised that they NDC as a party and government in power will not in anyway be swayed by the disturbances and detractions of the NPP, saying “we will not go the NPP way, that is why in our first hundred days, we haven’t done anything of the sort, but as our President continues to say, the law should take its course.”

Mills sets economic team

..Ismael Yamson, Togbe Afede, Cadman Atta Mills on board

Posted: The Chronicle Wednesday, April 29, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

Owing to the challenges presented by the global economic recession, coupled with Ghana’s ailing economy, President John Evans Atta Mills has set up an Economic Advisory Council (EAC).
The team, which has Dr. Gobind Nankani as its Chairperson, would be advising the President on key economic policy issues and policy options in managing the impact of the current global and domestic economic challenges, and maximizing the full potential of existing opportunities.
A release signed and issued by Presidential Spokesperson, Mahama Ayariga, said “the EAC in its work shall collaborate closely with existing institutions for economic policy formulation, development and implementation.”
Other members of the team include the controversial Chief of the Asogli state, in the Volta region, Togbe Afede XIV, Mr. Ishmael Yamson, Mr. Fred Ohene Kena and the President’s own brother, Dr. Cadman Atta Mills.
The rest include Prof. K. N. Afful, Dr. Emmanuel Ablo, Mr. Paa Kwesi Amissah– Arthur, Dr. K. Y. Amoako and Mr. Joel Hyde.
Dr. Gobind Nankani, a Ghanaian native, was recently appointed President of the Global Development Network (GDN) in 2007. Dr. Nankani is a Development Economist, and has had a distinguished 30 year career at the World Bank, holding management positions in various regions and sectors across the Bank. Prior to joining GDN, Dr. Nankani served as the Vice President for the Africa region between 2004 and 2006.
In this position, he was responsible for the overall strategy and management of the Bank’s program of financial knowledge and client relationships with all 47 Sub-Saharan African countries. He was also responsible for the overall design and implementation of the World Bank’s Africa Action Plan.
Since 1976, he has held various positions with the World Bank, excluding brief leaves of absence for economic duties in Ghana. Prior to holding the position of Vice President of the Africa region, Dr. Nankani was the Vice-President of the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management Network (PREM) from 2001 to 2004, in which he oversaw the Bank-wide work on poverty reduction, growth, governance, trade, gender and debt issues, including the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program.
He has also served as Country Director for Brazil from 1997 until 2001, and prior to which he served as Country Director for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay & Uruguay from 1994 to 1997.
Dr. Nankani has also been the Chief Economist for the South Asia region and has also served as economic advisor to the government of Ghana. He provided overall direction to the 2004 publication, titled Economic Growth in the 1990’s: Learning from a Decade of Reform. Dr. Nankani’s other recent publications include Acting Strategically and Building Trust: Reflections from Brazil and At the Forefront of Development: Reflections from the World Bank.
Dr. Nankani recieved a fellowship to Harvard University, where he earned a Master’s and Ph.D. degree in Economics in 1976. He also earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Ghana.

Political game-upmanship

Minority roast Finance Minister

...Gov`t fails to stem rising cost of living as rice, cement, interest rates soar

Posted: The Chronicle Wednesday, April 29, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) yesterday launched a blistering attack on the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and its Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, for putting the country in a ‘reverse gear’.
Four months after assuming the reins of power, the opposition party said the NDC government had given Ghanaians more than just enough indications that it was incapable of steering the affairs of the nation, as the economy is fast deteriorating.
At a press conference in Accra, yesterday, Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Suame constituency, Hon. Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, who spoke on behalf of his colleague NPP Members of Parliament, said interest rates at all the major banks in the nation, have moved up from an average of 27% in December 2008 to 31%.
According to him, the situation has made the cost of doing business more expensive, with consumers bearing the brunt of the harsh economic conditions.
The combined effect of these, he said, has led to a general increase in prices of goods and services which has made life unbearable for all Ghanaians. For instance, he said a bag of rice which used to sell at GH¢ 41 in December, even with pressure of the electioneering campaigns and Christmas festivities, is now selling at GH¢ 54, whilst the price of a bag of Portland cement has moved up from GH¢ 8.8 to GH¢ 9.7.
Though the NPP administration ended with an end of year inflation of 18.5%, the Minority Leader said within its first three months in government, the NDC administration has moved it up to 20.5%.
Meanwhile, the government Statistician is reported to have predicted that for April, the figure will go further up. For the Minority in Parliament, this does not only put their (NDC) target of end of year inflation of 12% and an average annual inflation of 15% off gear, but shows clearly that “the Ghanaian economy is fast deteriorating under the NDC administration.”
The Minority leader, who was flanked by party Chairman, Mr. Peter Mac-Manu and General Secretary, Nana Ohene Ntow among other party functionaries and colleague Members of Parliament, also noted “if we have Ministers of State declaring that the ‘economy is broke’, Deputy Ministers who have told the world that the gold reserves which are the spine of a country’s monetary regime have vanished into thin air and that a ruling government has stolen all the country’s gold reserves, these palpable untruths will conspire to negatively effect a country’s fiscal regime.”
Whilst accusing the NDC of peddling lies to win elections and helping to wreck the economy, the NPP said “they must now sit up and fix it, as simple as that.”
Hon. Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu could not fathom why the Minister of Finance, Dr. Duffuor, who used to be the Governor of the Central Bank, could make a statement to the effect that ‘provisional data available indicate that all the macroeconomic targets were missed’, when he presented the country’s budget statement to Parliament on March 5, 2009.
“It is even surprising that these statements will be coming from Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, during whose tenure at the Bank of Ghana, Government of Ghana cheques were bouncing left and right; 91 day treasury bills stood at over 40%; lending rates hovered around 50%; inflation reached 41%; the cedi depreciated by 50%; the Bank of Ghana refused to give licenses for retail banking except only for a few, including his own Unibank”, he said.
Under his very watch, the Minority Leader further stressed, “import cover was only two weeks; the Government of Ghana had to repay the IMF for lying about payments on our external debt, the infamous Pyram scheme materialized; Baby Ocansey walked away with US$ 1.5 million from the Bank of Ghana.”
With such a record under his sleeves as Governor, they warned him “not to be throwing any stones at all.” The Minority could comprehend a statement by Dr. Duffuor in which he attributed the increasing depreciation of the cedi in recent months to the redenomination exercise without any clear explanation.
They therefore could not but asked -“when did the redenomination exercise take place with the aftershocks being felt almost two years after the event. One may ask Dr Duffuor what accounted for the over 600% depreciation of the cedi when he served as the Governor of the Bank of Ghana?” Meanwhile, they noted that the pound sterling has been losing ground over the past 10 months against the dollar, asking whether the pound has been redenominated.
For this reason, they said “such economics should not have any portion in an era when we are supposed to be moving forward in the right direction.” “As for the Minister of Finance, we can only tell him that Ghanaians cannot afford a return to Dr. Duffuor’s performance between 1996 and 2000.
We expect Minister Duffuor to move forward in the right direction as has been promised by his government”, said the Minority Leader, stressing that “so far, his first four months as Minister of Finance have been bumpy and jerky.”

Rawlings descends on NPP

…Describes party as undemocratic

Posted: The Chronicle Tuesday, April 28, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has launched a scathing attack on the credibility of the erstwhile New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration. He finds it extremely difficult to understand why members of the NPP so much pride themselves as being democratic, since according to him, “contrary to the assertion that their tradition was truly democratic, the NPP government was an excellent example of an undemocratic regime.” According to him, “once you belonged to the party you did no wrong.” The former President made these remarks at a public lecture organised as part of activities marking the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, over the weekend. The lecture was under the theme -'Ghana's democracy; the way forward'. According to Rawlings, during the reign of the NPP government every effort was made to obliterate the legacy of the P/NDC regimes, which he superintended over, “the institutions of government were so politicised that even when they took decisions against government officials, such decisions were disregarded with impunity.” He therefore noted that under the reign of the NPP, Ghana once again sunk into what he described as a democracy of nepotism, non- accountability, power to the rich and a complete disregard for the feelings of the electorate. “More dangerous was the abuse of the security services structure, the hounding and persecution of some service personnel, refusal to follow laid down promotion procedure and a complete politicisation of the military”, he noted, stressing that the NPP could not co-exist with Institutions with integrity. Under the NPP, Mr. Rawlings said “the security services were not spared and the judiciary took a serious beating as well.” “Seeing shadows and recognising the fact that some of us were aware of the deepening crises in the barracks, a blanket ban was placed on respectable senior officers not to visit military installations, including the police and military hospitals”, he said. Fortunately, he said “Ghanaians knew better and did not hesitate to vote out the NPP when it mattered most, despite the clear doctoring of figures and tinkering that took place in a desperate bid to stay in power.” Whilst noting that many people were quick to point fingers at his party, the NDC, for being intolerant and threatening mayhem if it lost in the 2008 general elections, the former President noted that “the general populace was privy to the fraud that was taking place and a refusal to allow that to persist meant threats of a state of emergency and a culture of fear designed to compel the electoral commission to announce the NPP as the winner.” He therefore asked rhetorically -”what was a better recipe for chaos than this? Why did the NPP decline to go to Tain by citing security concerns when the Commander-in- Chief was the sitting (NPP) President?” In answering himself, he emphasised that “the soldiers and police were not discriminating in their search of persons entering Tain. Snipers who were entering the town with murderous plans were stopped and arrested. The fraud that had taken place elsewhere including Ashanti was arrested and NPP stared defeat in the face.” For him, therefore, “the NPP took us to the abyss as far as democracy was concerned and such methods do nothing to deepen or entrench democracy. It allows for chaos, lack of confidence in the electoral process and political apathy.”

Ex Prez mars Otumfuo`s 10th Anniversary

JJ DEFIES PROTOCOL

… To preach June 4th virtues at a symposium

Posted: The Chronicle Tuesday, April 28, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

FORMER PRESIDENT JERRY JOHN RAWLINGS once again threw diplomacy and statesmanship into the gutter when he nearly marred the beauty of a well attended international symposium organized at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology last Saturday, as part of activities marking the 10th Anniversary celebration of the enthronement of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.Mr. Rawlings, who appeared on the programme as a guest speaker alongside other international dignitaries and former Heads of State, was billed to address the topic -“Deepening Democracy in Africa”, failed to speak to the issue and instead spent the chunk of his time boring attendants with the essence of the June four uprising and other coup de etats that he staged in the late 70s and early 80s as a Military officer. Ex-President Rawlings as usual refused to stick to the well prepared speech in front of him and instead chose to speak extempore, by circumventing around the topic, much to the displeasure of the International Diplomats, invited guests and students who were present to grace the occasion. On three consecutive times, His Majesty the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who felt uncomfortable with the demeanor and posture of the former President, had to diplomatically bring him on track by signaling his bodyguard to tell him (Rawlings) to stick to his prepared speech. But the former President, who preferred to do his own thing kept hammering on the June 4 uprising and the fact that even against attempts by his political opponents to denigrate and downplay the significance of the mutiny , he believed that it brought the needed sanity and discipline into the society, the benefit of which the country was enjoying. “I remember right here on this campus, I had to spend two days trying to control students and I managed to convince them to back down on their call for blood to flow, all because the society was very much corrupted and people had lost faith in the system,” he recounted. According to him, the situation that Ghana found itself in, could be likened to a coma, where the people could not be salvaged, stressing that “there were many events that brought Ghana to her technical death (coma) in the years that followed Independence.” For him, therefore, events such as coups, military governments, four digit inflation, massive corruption, acute food shortages, smuggling and black marketeering (Kalabule) led to the uprising. Prior to June 4 1979, Rawlings said “Ghana's economy never existed. The rains stopped falling and the fishes vanished from our rivers and the sea. The forests were dry and waiting for the fires to consume them. Our abundant bush meat was nowhere to be found. Accra and other cities and towns were as miserable as an orphan, and the only thing visible were the long queues.” He noted that the country was heading in a direction where the Military top brass were playing what he described as 'Russian roulette' with Ghana's political leadership and taking over power at will, indicating that “the mutiny of May 15 was meant to pre-empt the likelihood of a very explosive situation.” According to him, it was meant to be a call for the re-institution of sanity and integrity within the armed forces by demanding the leadership to purge itself and the armed forces of the corrupt ones. For him, the situation was so dire, and many in the junior ranks had reached a point where they did not believe in the hierarchy anymore, because the values had sunk to an all time low, emphasising “there were clear signs that the economy of the country had collapsed, with the will of the people ignored, and corruption was a national pastime.” While such interventions are difficult to justify because of the baggage they carry, Mr Rawlings noted “when the elected ignore the tenets of probity, accountability, freedom and justice, they become unavoidable”, stressing “the events of the June 4 revolt was an expression of national rage at the abysmal failure of the leadership to stem the tide of corruption, which was eating away the very soul of Ghana.” That notwithstanding, he noted that the regime that took over following that revolt appeared oblivious to what had just taken place and almost immediately sunk into the status quo preceding June 4th, perceiving June 4th as a barracks issue and failed to recognise that the whole nation was in state of rage and were denied a right to give expression by the military, which bore the price. The former President, however, expressed grave regret at the excesses that characterised the June 4th revolution, saying “I will be the first to express regrets at the excesses of the AFRC and PNDC regimes of which I was the Chairman.” In the same breath, he insisted that “Ghana had to go through a phase where the people had to take control of their destiny through a popular uprising, even if it was manifested through the military.” “That latent energy from June 4th was transformed into productive energy during the PNDC era. The ten years of the PNDC was an era to end the rot through what we termed housecleaning and instilling a culture of accountability, discipline and economic resuscitation”, he emphasised. When the founder of the ruling party finally decided to heed to calls by participants at the symposium, particularly the students who shouted “Rawlings sit down”, “Rawlings sit down”, the former Head of State then turned the heat on the previous administration of the NPP, under Mr.Kufuor, describing it as an embodiment of undemocratic and autocratic regime. He was at his denigrating best when he condemned the past government of Mr.Kufuor for failing to respect the will of the people and for rendering all state apparatus including the judiciary, the legislature and the military as ineffective. He said the former government also condoned and legalized corruption by crippling state agencies like the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and other anti-corruption organizations in the country. Mr.Rawlings, however, observed that a true democracy should be the one which the government is answerable to the people and not the other way round.

He said democracy in Africa should be about what the people want and need and not what the government thinks the people want, adding that a democracy without integrity; probity and accountability always destroys the moral fibre of the society, the consequences which are sometimes very disastrous.Other guest speakers at the sympozium included the former Prime Minister of Spain, His Excellency Jose Manuel Aznar, His Excellency Festus Mogai, Former President of Botswana, His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo and His Excellency Ahmad Tejan Kabah, both former Heads of State of Nigeria and Sierra Leone, and MauricioToledano, the CEO of Eurofinsa, all stressed the need for African countries to deepen democracy through grassroots participation in order to accelerate the continent's development agenda. The Speakers were also full of praises for the country's electoral system and the way Ghanaians conducted themselves in the 2008 elections and said the rest of Africa needed to learn a lot from the experiences of Ghana. The former Prime Minister of Spain observed that even though Africa had witnessed relative improvement in economic developments within the past years, the general picture was still gloomy as poverty continues to plague citizens of many countries on the continent. He therefore commended the Asantehene for his laudable initiatives which have gone a long way to help reduce illiteracy and also enhance the development agenda of the country.

Mumuni's Woes Deepened

Posted: The Chronicle Monday, April 27, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

Foreign Affairs Minister, Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni is obviously not having things easy since occupying the Foreign Affairs Ministry as the nation's number one Diplomat, considering the pressure being brought to bear on him to resign his position.
After months of failed attempts to get him out of office, the pressure group, Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) has finally petitioned the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) to conduct investigations into the conduct of Alhaji Mumuni, which they alleged have resulted in huge losses to the state.

The issues border on allegations of financial improprieties, corruption, abuse of office and power, and improper conduct at the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare from 1999 to 2000, and as temporary head of the Ministry of Interior in January, 2009, and on his assumption of office at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
The petition, which was presented to CHRAJ, was signed on behalf of the group by Accra-based legal practitioner and member of AFAG, Mr. Godfred Dame.
The group noted that somewhere in the year 2004, in exercising the powers conferred on him under article 187 of the 1992 Constitution, the Auditor-General commissioned a group of auditors, Messrs. Baffour Awuah & Associates to conduct a forensic audit into the activities and operations of the National Vocational Training Institute (NVTI), an institute under the purview of Alhaji Mumuni, when he was the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare for the period January 1997 to December 2002.
In the final forensic audit report presented to the Auditor-General, they noted that specific findings of financial improprieties, corruption, fraud and abuse of office were made against Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, who is now the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The auditors established that through the gross negligence and misconduct of Alhaji Mumuni, the state had lost a colossal amount of Ë15 billion old cedis through his involvement in the purported disbursement of funds to the NVTI alone.
Further, the group alleged that Alhaji Mumuni was found to have authorized the fraudulent releases of money in excess of Ë19 billion old cedis from the Consolidated Fund (the nation's public fund reserves), into an undisclosed account, stressing that "the present Minister for Foreign Affairs had engaged in a "conspiratorial web of fraud tantamount to money laundering", and had failed to ensure compliance with financial administration regulations on budgetary control procedures pertaining to a Ministry he was head of between 1997 and 2000, i.e. the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare."
For this reason, they noted that "it was finally recommended by the auditors that Alhaji Mumuni should be made to ensure the refund of the money in question, into government chest", stressing that the said audit report as referred has been adopted by the Auditor-General and is now the official report of the Auditor-General of the Republic of Ghana.
They are, therefore, among others seeking a relief for the Commission to declare that the acts of omission of Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni spelt out above while serving as the Minister for Employment and Social Welfare in the year 1999/2000 amounted to corruption, and an abuse of office and state resources.
They are also asking the Commission to declare such acts as being prejudicial to the interest of the nation and an abuse of power, and to declare him unfit to occupy the position of Minister of State.
Below are the rest of the charges brought against the Minister as stated by AFAG; Alhaji Mumuni, purportedly acting on the strength of an illegal appointment by President Mills as a temporary head of the Ministry of Interior in January, 2009, at a time when he had not been properly nominated by His Excellency President J. E. A. Mills as a Minister for Interior, dismissed the lawfully appointed Head of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), ACP Douglas Akrofi.
Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni extended the reach of his tentacles to the Ministry of Roads and Transport to remove the acting Head of the Driver and Vehicle Examination and Licensing Authority (DVLA).
He purported to engage in further unlawful conduct by unconstitutionally imposing curfews on Bawku, a town in the Upper-East Region of the Republic of Ghana. This was a power exercisable by a Minister of State properly nominated, approved and appointed in accordance with the Constitution of Ghana, 1992.
Upon being approved by Parliament as the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni continued with his acts of impunity and unruly conduct.
On the 14th day of April, 2009, upon the instructions of Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, the Acting Director of the Legal and Consular Bureau purported to terminate a headquarters agreement between the Government of Ghana and Africa Legal Aid (AFLA), a pan-African international organization, with its headquarters in Accra, Ghana, and working
for the promotion and protection of human rights and the creation of a progressive human rights jurisprudence in Africa, without regard to the mandatory provisions of the said agreement and due process.
Without providing any reason, whatsoever, Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni ordered the immediate termination of the Headquarters agreement by the Government of Ghana. It is pertinent to note that no dispute had occurred between the Government of Ghana and AFLA to warrant the termination of the agreement. There had not been recourse to arbitration proceedings as directed by the mandatory provisions of the agreement. Further, Alhaji Mumuni elected to ignore the requirement of the agreement of a six (6) months' notice in writing to AFLA before the Government of Ghana could terminate the agreement.
It is also instructive to note that no reason was assigned by the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the withdrawal of the rights, immunities and privileges conferred on AFLA by this headquarters agreement, as is required by the rule of law.
This particular conduct of Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni evidences the gross impunity characteristic of the nature of the incumbent Foreign Minister of Ghana. The conduct of Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni while acting as a public officer as the Minister of Employment and Social Welfare, led to the loss of a colossal amount of money which could have been legitimately applied for the nation's developmental and investment drive. The actions and inactions of Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni grossly undermined the nation's development and efforts to curb corruption and abuse of office.
Further, the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, 1992 in its article 78(1) sets out the qualification of a person suitable to be appointed as a Minister of State as follows:
78(1) Ministers of State shall be appointed by the President with the prior approval of Parliament from among members of Parliament or persons qualified to be elected as members of Parliament, except that the majority of Ministers of State shall be appointed from among members of Parliament.
It goes without saying therefore that the qualification of a person for the position of a Minister of State hinges on his eligibility to be a member of Parliament. Article 94(2) of the Constitution, 1992 is as follows:
A person shall not be qualified to be a member of Parliament if he has been found by the report of a commission or a committee of inquiry to be incompetent to hold public office or is a person in respect of whom a commission or committee of inquiry has found that while being a public officer he acquired assets unlawfully or defrauded the State or misused or abused his office, or willfully acted in a manner prejudicial to the interest of the State, and the findings have not set aside on appeal or judicial review.
Relevant Links
It is noted that Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni is now a Minister of State. A finding of corruption, abuse of office or conduct in a manner prejudicial to the interest of the state by your esteemed commission after a due inquiry would render him unfit for the position he holds. With particular reference to the January 2009 actions of Alhaji Mumuni, same were hugely offensive and grossly sinned against the letter and spirit of the 1992 Constitution, as well as other relevant laws because at the time of the commission of the impugned acts, Alhaji Mumuni had not even been properly nominated as a Minister of State, in accordance with article 78 of the Constitution. He exercised the powers of a Minister when he had not appeared before Parliament for prior approval.
Again, in respect of the conduct of Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni in authorization of the unlawful termination of the Headquarters Agreement between the Government of Ghana and the Africa Legal Aid, gross impunity and abuse of due process were evident. Alhaji Mumuni's action has the tendency to send chilling signals to the nation's diplomatic partners and development agencies.

CJA Turns Heat On Mills

Posted: The Chronicle Wednesday, April 22, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

The Committee for Join Action (CJA) has turned the heat on President John Evans Atta Mills, and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, by kicking against the recent fuel price increases.
The pressure group is contending that the tendency of always passing the cost onto Ghanaians, whenever the price of crude oil shoots up on the world market, rather ends up aggravating the suffering of the average Ghanaian.
At a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Spokesman for the group, Bernard Mornah, said "we are totally dissatisfied with the recent increases in fuel prices, and believe that a continuation of that policy would not be in the interest of the masses."
Mornah, who was flanked by some key members of the CJA, including Dr. David Percy, Felix Kwakye and Kwesi Adu, therefore charged the government to find an alternative, but more creative way, to address the issue of fuel price increases, stressing, "We cannot, as a nation, continue to purchase crude oil at spot market prices."
They threatened to advice themselves, if the government did not meet their demands for a reduction in fuel prices, and subsequent reduction in transport fares.
It has suggested to the government to consider the option of hedging, to alleviate the plight of Ghanaians, especially the poor and vulnerable in society.
The CJA stressed that further reduction in taxes on petroleum products could be done, if alternative sources of revenue are pursued.
In this light, the group has asked the government to make full disclosure of its indebtedness to the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), urging it to thoroughly investigate the TOR debt recovery levy.
Pursuant to its objective of fighting economic hardships confronting the vast majority of Ghanaians, the CJA says it expects the NDC government to, as a matter of urgency, put in place pragmatic measures aimed at arresting the spiralling cost of living in the country, emphasising, "the conventional approach that Ghana has adopted over the years towards addressing our economic underdevelopment, has proved to be unreliable."
They have thus stressed the urgent need for Ghana, as a country, to undertake a complete overhaul of its economic paradigm.
Further, Mornah said it was the expectation of the CJA that the water crisis, that has bedevilled the people of Ghana for years on end, would be swiftly addressed by the Mills administration, saying, "not only should the phenomenon of carrying gallons and trekking long distances in search of water be brought to an end, but also clean, portable water should be made an affordable commodity for the generality of Ghanaians."
The pressure group also called on the government to review all agreements with foreign business concerns that have taken over the provision of water, but have proven unequal to the task.
It also urged the government to discontinue the policy of disposing strategic national assets any time the nation was in some financial difficulty, because the practice has not yielded many dividends to the nation, expressing its opposition to the surrender of Ghana Telecom to Vodafone.
"Although the surrender already took place under the NPP administration, we expect the government to review it with the aim of reclaiming the country's strategic assets and interests that were sold down the drain to Vodafone," they emphasised.
Though President Mills has indicated his preparedness to cut out, what he describes as the 'ostentatious and profligate' expenditure of former President Kufuor and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, Mr. Mornah was optimistic the commitment on the part of the incumbent President would be carried through, and not become a nine-day wonder.
"Furthermore, the culture of entitlements that has become so ingrained in the mindset of our politicians and public servants, leading to their taking home of fantastic retirement packages to the detriment of the national economy, must be done away with," he said, noting, "it is heartwarming to note therefore that the President has taken steps to ensure that the unacceptable recommendations of the Chinery-Hesse Committee are reviewed, in spite of the protestations of some powerful interest groups."
Dr. David Persy, on his part, said the CJA would advice itself it the government did not give due recognition to the issues they have raised.
Conspicuously absent at the meeting were Messrs. Kwesi Pratt, Ato Ahwoi and Madam Ama Benyiwa Doe, who are all leading members of the group.

AFAG Pounces On Mumuni Again

Posted: The Chronicle Wednesday, April 22, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

The Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), a pressure group, has alleged that the Foreign Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni, has ignored the tenets of international diplomacy, by terminating an agreement with an organisation which works for the promotion and protection of human rights, and the creation of a progressive human rights jurisprudence in Africa, without regard to the mandatory provisions of the said agreement.
Several phone calls made by this reporter, including a text message he sent to Alhaji Mumuni to get his side of the story, went unanswered.
At a press conference in Accra, the Spokesman for the group, Kwabena Bomfeh, said on the April 14, 2009, upon the instructions of Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni, the Acting Director of the Legal and Consular Bureau was purported to have terminated a headquarters agreement between the Government of Ghana and Africa Legal Aid.
According to the group, the headquarters agreement recognised the pre-eminent role of Africa Legal Aid, and its mission as an international organisation challenging impunity and lack of accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations, and affirmed the need for Africa Legal Aid to fearlessly discharge its functions, and execute strategies effectively, in an environment like Ghana's.
The Government of Ghana was said to have on the May 16, 2005, executed a headquarters agreement, by which Africa Legal Aid located its headquarters in Ghana, and the government of Ghana conferred certain rights, immunities and privileges on them.
The specific rights, immunities and privileges accorded to the organisation by the Government, as per the agreement, related to the general diplomatic immunities accorded the nation's diplomatic partners, and some international non-governmental organizations engaged in lofty activities like the advancement and protection of human rights.
It was an express provision of the agreement that any disputes between the parties, that is, the Government of Ghana and Africa Legal Aid, shall be settled by arbitration, in accordance with the Arbitration Act, 1961 (ACT 38).
Further, the agreement stipulated that either party to the agreement could terminate same, only upon the provision of six (6) months notice to the other.
However, AFAG noted that "in blatant disregard for these mandatory provisions of the agreement, and without providing any reason whatsoever, Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni, on the 14th day of April, 2009, ordered the immediate termination of the headquarters agreement by the Government of Ghana."
According to the group, this happened at a time when no dispute had occurred between the Government of Ghana and Africa Legal Aid to warrant the termination of the agreement, stressing that "there had not been the recourse to arbitration proceedings, as directed by the provisions of the agreement."
Further, Kabila, who was flanked by other members of AFAG, including Accra-based legal practitioner Abeiku Dickson, Sammy Awuku and Arnold Boateng, said Alhaji Mumuni ignored the requirement of the agreement of a six (6) months notice in writing to Africa Legal Aid before the Government of Ghana could terminate the agreement.
The group noted that no reason was assigned by Alhaji Mumuni, for the withdrawal of the rights, immunities and privileges conferred on the international human rights organisation by this headquarters agreement.
It is however not clear whether the Foreign Minister was not impressed by the human rights work of the organisation.
AFAG thus believes "certainly, the action of Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni demonstrates a disdain for the promotion of human rights," saying, "to the extent that no reason was advanced by Alhaji Mumuni for authorising the termination of the headquarters agreement of the Government of Ghana with the Africa Legal Aid, it is fair to say that perhaps the Honourable Minister for Foreign Affairs deemed the human rights activities of that organisation offensive."
This, they said, was evident in the fact that his conduct was also in palpable violation of due process and the rule of law, stressing "it is hugely appalling and deplorable of a person occupying the position of the Chief Diplomat of the nation."
To them, this was also evident in the fact that he had shown utter disregard for the tenets of diplomacy, and could therefore not be seen to be parading as the nation's Chief Diplomat.
Ultimately, AFAG says its concern is the effect of the Minister's action on the nation's diplomatic relations, and relationship with international human rights bodies and agencies, saying "Alhaji Mumuni's action, no doubt, exhibits contempt for international organisations engaged in the advancement and protection of universal human rights and the eradication of impunity."

Arthur Kennedy: Mills is weak

Posted: The Chronicle Thursday, April 23, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

A leading member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy, believes all is not well with President John Evans Atta Mills.
After observing the activities and operations of the Mills administration for the past three months, he noted that the President looks quite weak, tentative, and not completely in charge of his own government.
He made these comments in an interview with The Chronicle, as a follow up to his opinion piece titled ‘The implosion of the NDC’.
Dr. Kennedy said this may be an intended or unintended side effect of the frustrations the President has been going through from both members of his party, and at the hands of former President Jerry John Rawlings.
According to him, he had credible information from NDC insiders, to the effect that behind the scenes, members of particular factions barely speak to members of other factions created in the party, identifying them as the Rawlings, Mills and Mahama factions.
Though the government is barely in place, he noted that there was a scramble to succeed President Mills, by those who have calculated that he cannot, or will not ran again.
This, according to him, is what compelled the President to come out to state that there was only one President in the country, and that “when the people of Ghana voted, they voted for only one President. They did not vote for President number one and President number two.”
Given his party affiliation, most people would expect Arthur Kennedy to be happy that the NDC is having difficulties, considering the fact that it is a cardinal rule in politics that when one’s political opponent or enemy is in the process of destroying himself, he should not interfere.
The rationale for this rule is that when a party’s opponents are suffering from self-inflicted wounds, they stand to benefit. However, Arthur Kennedy emphasised, “we should all be concerned about the NDC, because their stability and cohesion are tied to that of our country.
When the NDC and hence its government implodes, it may take the country down with it. While I want the NPP to win the next election, there must be democracy for there to be a democratic transfer of power.”
To him, this is why the welfare of the NDC, as party and government, should be of concern to every Ghanaian, between now and January 2013.
“We have seen this before. Between September 1979 and December, 1981, the ruling People’s National Party (PNP) was engulfed by factionalism and infighting. Then, as now, members of the party attacked one another in public.
The President was openly defied in public and in Parliament. Even one of his budgets was rejected,” he recalled with nostalgic memory.
As the government at the time staggered from one crisis to the next, he emphasised, people lost confidence in it and in democracy, which led to the 31st December, 1981 coup, in which Ghanaians woke up to the sound of martial music, and the announcement of ‘so-called’ liberators who had come to rescue them from the PNP.
Dr Kennedy thus quoted Santayana who once said, “Those who ignore history are condemned to repeat its tragedies”. “I am not suggesting that those involved have any sinister motive. It is just that eventually, such disparate actions, coalesce and take on a life of their own, beyond anyone’s control, and lead to untoward consequences for the governing party and the country,” he stated.
With all candour, he said, “I am not making this foray into NDC’s divisions, because all is completely well on the NPP front.
But, while the nation can afford a divided NPP for a while, it cannot afford a divided NDC. Our national interest requires, for now, a united NDC,” asking, “how can we restore amity and comity to the NDC?”
First, he said, it was important to heed the reminder of President Mills that Ghanaians voted for only one President, saying “it is crucial that all of us do our very best to support the President as he discharges the mandate given to him by the people of Ghana.”
To him, this means that all institutions and individuals must give the President their support, and resist the usurpation of powers and functions, which is reserved only for the President.
He also had cause to advice the NDC to find ways of hearing dissenting voices from their party in private, thereby urging former President Rawlings to show more support for the man who he plucked from political obscurity, and worked so hard to make President.
“It is regrettable that after working so hard to get President Mills elected, the former President is undermining President Mills.
He must find more appropriate channels to voice his concerns. As one who has held the office of President before, President Rawlings is in a unique position to appreciate the pressures of the Presidency, and hence to show more understanding,” he stressed.
That notwithstanding, Arthur Kennedy stressed on the need for the President to also show more respect to his party, since, according to him, “he did not win elections as an independent candidate. He won on the ticket of his party.
Therefore, he must involve his party and its structures in making decisions in which they have legitimate interests and must have input.”

Advice gets Ayariga to lash out

... As Aning gets shirty

Posted: The Chronicle Tuesday, April 21, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

The head of Conflict Prevention and Resolution of the Kofi Annan Peace Keeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Dr. Emmanuel Kwesi Aning did not take it kindly when Presidential Spokesperson, Mahama Ayariga, yesterday, made some inferences to him and his other colleague panellist on a programme which sought to portray them in a negative light. This was when the latter made comments to the effect that he was in what looked like a lion’s den, at a symposium put together by the Danquah Institute, in collaboration with Accra-based radio station ‘Citi FM’. Ayariga took advantage of the opportunity to criticize President Kufuor and his New Patriotic Party (NPP) government. But in his advice to Ayariga, Dr. Aning noted that what had happened in the country within the last three months, especially concerning the ability and attitude of the security agencies, is not particularly good. He said he had personally received death threats on his life for being critical about the Northern regional Minister. He wondered why anyone would threaten him to retract his criticism of the Minister. Dr. Aning said, “I think it is beginning to look as if there is a problem about the discourse on security matters and that …” He therefore disagreed with Ayariga on his claim that the public does not expect the government to deliver on its promises within the 100 days it gave itself to achieve certain targets. He stressed that there was the urgent need for the Mills administration to take steps to make amends, since there are serious security lapses in the country. Again, Ayariga observed his presence at the forum, which was to assess the 100 days of the Mills administration, as evident in the President’s commitment to maintain an open door policy for what he termed an open and constructive dialogue, stressing “we have no reason to fear one another, we are one people, we are one country and we have one destiny.” These comments provoked Dr. Aning who said Ayariga’s comments did not promote national cohesion as he claimed to be doing, since according to him, he was doing the very things he had earlier accused the NPP administration of. He also had a problem with the way and manner in which Ayariga spoke, since he considered his comments to be contradictory of his own claim of a united Ghana. Obviously not happy with Ayariga’s comments, the emotionally charged Dr. Aning said “I do not recognise the Ghana that the government Spokesperson talked about.” “The way he did it does not speak to the issue of the spirit of tolerance, acceptance or constructive engagement”, he emphasized. For him, “what he did was improper…”, stressing “if not because of the respect that I have for the people in this room, my initial response would have been to pack my things and go.” Mahama Ayariga has been viewed by observers, such as the Publisher of this paper, as one of the cool heads of the administration, and a respectful gentleman.` Is he being infected by the hawks around him?’, Kofi Coomson rhetorically asked.

Assessing Mills` hundred days in office

Gov’t lacks policy initiative, focus

…experts declare

Posted: The Chronicle Tuesday, April 21, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

President John Evans Atta Mills may have given himself high marks in his own assessment of his 100 days in office as President of the Republic, but experts including the likes of Nana Ato Conduah, an Economic Consultant, Dr. Kwesi Aning, Head, Conflict Prevention Management and Resolution Department (CPMRD) of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) and Nana Asante Bediatuo, an Accra-based legal practitioner have challenged the President’s claims
They believe the Mills administration has not done enough to show its commitment towards the targets they set for themselves within their 100 days in office. At a symposium organised by the Danquah Institute, in partnership with Accra-based radio station, ‘Citi FM’, to reflect on the first 100 days of the Mills administration, Dr Ato Conduah pointed at the absence of policy, as one major problem facing the Mills administration.
Whilst emphasizing that he was not calling for new policies and programmes, he stressed the urgent need for the government to continue pursuing existing policies which are prudent. “I don’t want to mention what we need to do with the NHIS, the National Youth Employment Programme and the Health expansion programmes, which should have been continued, but it seems that they have all stagnated”, he emphasized, asking “why do we have a policy vacuum.”
Though he admits that it takes a while to formulate policies, Dr. Conduah noted that “as an in-coming government, one of its first priorities is to outdoor its policies, they could even speak to the wind that we want to do this or do that, before the main policies come out.” At the moment, “there are Ministries which have been scrapped, there are also civil servants sitting idle in the Ministries, and I don’t think this augurs well for our government.” This, he said, was evident in the fact that the civil service plays a role in linking the country’s governance system down to the people who are the ultimate beneficiaries of state policies.
Dr. Conduah said it looks as though the government was on a long holiday and, therefore, stressed the urgent need for the Mills administration to put its acts together to move the country forward. “We do not know whether we are moving or sitting at one place.”
On his part, Security expert at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) in Accra, Dr. Kwesi Aning, expressed hope in the composition of both the Armed Forces and Police Councils. He however, expressed shock and disappointment at the increasing rate of crime in the country, thereby raising questions about the response mechanisms that have been put in place.
“What are my general impressions, I think there is still fear in town, people are beginning to fear that when I talk, they will be arrested”, he said. He added that “you will notice a re-militarization of the oversight procedures”, making specific references to the appointment of former military officers to positions of Minister of Defense, National Security Coordinator and the Security Advisor to the President.
Though he appreciates the fact that they are educated, he said it goes to create the impression of re-militarization of oversight procedures. Generally, he thinks there is need to improve surveillance at the country’s borders, since according to him, the security there are terribly weak.
Nana Asante Bediatuo of Ampem Chambers raised very serious issues with constitutionalism and legalism in the country, saying that they are gradually getting out of hand. He still could not fathom why the President has not seen the need to retake the Presidential oath in spite of the fact that he fumbled in saying it during his inauguration.
For him, this constitutes a serious breach of the country’s constitution and, therefore, asked the President to take a lesson from his colleague U.S President Barack Obama.

Kweku Baako Jnr. warns Rawlings must be tamed now!

Posted: The Chronicle | Thu, 16 Apr 2009


By Charles Takyi-Boadu

The Editor-in-Chief of the 'New Crusading Guide' newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr. has asked President Mills and his administration to take immediate steps to stop former President Jerry John Rawlings in his tracks before he does the unthinkable.

By his recent utterances and actions, he believes that the former President, who has a record of staging coup d'etat' is undermining the authority of the sitting President and, therefore, he must be brought to order since his actions could have very serious implications for both the Mills administration and Ghana in entirety.

He was speaking in an exclusive interview with The Chronicle, in analyzing Rawlings' recent outburst in which he gave the sitting President six months to start prosecuting members of the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, coupled with his supposed unannounced visit to the Air force base.

Though Rawlings did not categorically say what he would do after the six months has elapsed, his comments are severally deemed to be treacherous.

To Kweku, “what he is doing could provoke all sorts of fanatical reactions from his supporters” emphasizing that “there are some who see him as a demigod and they can create conditions that could lead to social upheaval and a Coup d' etat.”

As a person who makes heavy claims of having studied Rawlings for several years and being part of the country's politics since 1974, Kweku Baako said- “we should look at it carefully and I think Rawlings must be tamed, and the only way he can be tamed is when the sitting President exercises the constitutional authority that he has.”

Touching on Rawlings' visit to the Air force base, Kweku said “It is actually a challenge to authority, if indeed what you are telling me is true and he went there without prior notice”, he said, stressing that “if the President and the established authority continue to allow these things to take place because it is Rawlings, gradually, people will begin to doubt whether the real centre of authority is at the Castle or Ridge.”

For him, Ghana can do without him since Rawlings is a nuisance, and asked rhetorically “what is Rawlings trying to prove?” As an international statesman and a former head of state who also worked hard for Professor Mills to come to power, Mr. Baako noted that if Rawlings has any input to make in the administration of the country, he should do it in a more civilized and proper manner to make an impact.

According to him, this was exactly what Rawlings did to overthrow former President Dr. Hilla Limann from office.

However, he said, “but now I don't think he can do something similar, I don't believe the classical Coup d'etat approach is going to be visible in the current Ghanaian situation, but something worse could happen.”

On the issue of Rawlings having given Mills a period of six months to start prosecuting members of the NPP administration, the ace investigative Journalist noted that it only goes to feed into the perception that what President Mills will be doing would not be based on the rule of law but mere witch-hunting exercise.

That for him, is in sharp contrast with what the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu told a certain radio station recently, when she was asked about pace of possible prosecution and investigations of members of the previous administration.

She was against rushing the process and asked that government be given time to do proper investigations, after which if it is convinced of a prima facie case, it would proceed to the court.

“So ex-President Rawlings appears to be advocating some form of jungle justice, rather than the rule of law, but we must thank God that perhaps the former President and his Attorney-General do not share the same sentiments or mindset”, he stressed.

He added that “ to that extent, I think ex-President Rawlings as I keep saying is virtually now a licensed irritant, so we just have to perhaps accommodate him.”

According to him, what Rawlings is doing is more or less a source distraction for the government of the day, sowing seeds for crisis of confidence in the Presidential authority and sending conflicting signals to the international community as to who is in charge of the nation.

NPP Will Split If… - Ben Ephson

Posted: The Chronicle Wednesday, 15 April 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

Mr. Ben Ephson, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Dispatch Political analyst and Editor-in-Chief of the ‘Daily Dispatch’ newspaper, Mr. Ben Ephson has advised the leadership and members of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) to bury their individual differences to enable the party make an impact, since any division could split the party.

He said those belonging to the three factions or blocs in the party, that is, John Agyekum Kufuor, Nana Akufo-Addo and Alan Kyerematen factions should close their ranks and work together.He believes that the activities and operations of these three factions in the party if not checked within the next couple of days could spell NPP’s doom, since it is creating a lot of disunity amongst members and leaders of the party.Ben Ephson, who made this known in an exclusive interview with The Chronicle, stressed that “if the party is not careful, there would be a break-up in the party.” He therefore, stressed the urgent need for the leadership of the party to bury their individual differences and resolve the impasse before it deepens their woes.In 1996, when then Candidate Kufuor lost to ex-President Rawlings, Mr. Ephson noted that there was no campaign within the party to endorse Kufuor for the next elections.Instead, he noted that it became an open contest between Kufuor and Nana Addo, with the former emerging as winner. He therefore, saw no reason why anybody or a group of persons should attempt to circumvent the constitution of the party to prevent an open contest in favour of one candidate.For him, this has the tendency of dividing the party since unfolding events could compel some of its leading members and their supporters to opt out and probably form their own political party.Though there are moves to settle the emerging impasse in the NPP, he emphasized that the cooperation of all sides would be crucial. and Alan Kyerematen blocs.

Rawlings is Frustrated - Ben Ephson

Posted: The Chronicle Thursday, April 9, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

Political analyst and Editor-in-Chief of the ‘Daily Dispatch’ newspaper, Ben Ephson has described the continuous attack on the character of President John Evans Atta Mills by his former boss, Jerry John Rawlings as an act of frustration.
He believes Jerry Rawlings, who is the founder of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), the party on whose back Mills rode to office is finding it extremely difficult to come to terms with the fact that the incumbent President is exhibiting some level of independence.
In an exclusive interview with the paper to share his thoughts on the raging issues of internal democracy that has hit both the ruling NDC and New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Ephson, who is also a renowned Pollster, underscored that though the perception might not necessarily be true, it cannot be ignored in politics, stressing that "it is now becoming clear that Rawlings is getting frustrated by Mills’ fair amount of independence."
Whilst he concedes that Rawlings is very popular, Mr. Ephson noted that his popularity is not enough to win power for the NDC.
According to him, the NDC won the 2008 election based on the character and personality of then candidate Mills, and not through the popularity or personality of Rawlings.
At any given time, he emphasised that both the NDC and NPP need floating voters to win power. "Clearly, Rawlings is not used to his ideas and ideals been neglected, so I think there is a honest frustration for not having his advise adhered to."
That notwithstanding, Ben Ephson believes that the NDC is better placed to come out of the challenges confronting it, with the belief that the situation would not get out of hand.
Tension is brewing in the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the continuous attack on the personality of President John Evans Atta Mills by Rawlings.
Credible but confidential sources close to both the seat of government, at the Castle and the party’s Kokomlemle headquarters told The Chronicle that the NDC was still grabbling with the rippling effect of Rawlings’ recent outburst in which he virtually sought to question the authority of the sitting President.
Rawlings is seen by some party members and other members of the public as trying strenuously to usurp the powers of President Mills.
They see Rawlings’ continuous attack on the President as part of a deliberate ploy and ‘hidden agenda’ been hatched to create confusion and also to undermine President Mills for not towing his line.
According to our sources, this is gradually affecting the party, since it is creating factions and power blocs in the party. Under the current circumstance, the party is said to be divided into two power blocs, constituting those who support Rawlings’ actions and those against him, for acting ultra vires, but also believe in Mills’ leadership style.

For those who support Rawlings, the paper’s sources have it that they appear to be unaware of his supposed ‘hidden agenda and are blindly following him because they believe that he is being sidelined from the party, whilst others who support President Mills think Rawlings is harboring the feeling that he can still ‘run the show’ from behind the scene, though he is not in power. The usually calm President is said to have been infuriated by Rawlings’ recent outburst in which he virtually sought to question his authority by raising doubts about his firm grasp on the nation’s administration.
The President is, however, said to have referred the issue to some elders and key stakeholders of the party since the on-going animosity could affect the chances of the party in future elections, considering the fact that Ghanaians are gradually getting fed up with the ex President’s tantrums.

FAMILY SUES CHINESE COMPANY

… Over chilling story of death of employee
Posted:The Chronicle / Friday, April 07, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
An Accra High Court is set to begin hearing a chilling story, in which a 26 year old Ghanaian, Bismark Adotey Mensah, was crushed to death by a concrete mixing machine, sometime in the year 2007.

The suit has been brought against the China Railway Wuju Corporation, by one Seth Victor Ofoe, for and on behalf of the Ada Bedeku family of Ada Foah, seeking an order from the court to declare that the death of the deceased was not accidental, and that it was intentionally caused by one Chan Jian of the defendant company, and that the defendant was liable for the deceased’s death.

Until his death on May 5, 2007, Bismark was an electrician of the company, which is undertaking certain construction projects in the country.

He was stationed at the company’s offices along the banks of the Korle Lagoon in Accra.

It is the case of lawyers of the plaintiff, Bright Akwetey of Akwetey and Associates, that it had credible information, which has been confirmed by some workers of the defendant company to the effect that the deceased was crushed in a concrete mixer, used and owned by the defendant company on the premises of the same company on May 5, 2007.

He averred that the deceased, who was an electrician, was invited by his Chinese boss, Chan Jian, to enter the concrete mixer with him.

While in the concrete mixer, Jian was said to have instructed the deceased to scrape off pieces of caked cement residue that had gathered along the inner walls of the concrete machine.

Plaintiff family said information it had, which some workers of the same company had equally confirmed, suggested that when the deceased began the assignment he had been given in the concrete mixer, Jian stepped out of the mixer, and immediately pressed the button to switch the machine on, while the deceased was still in the concrete mixer.

In the process, they noted that the machine began crushing the deceased as he yelled for help.

Plaintiff further narrated that that information available to him, indicated that when he Jian heard the deceased screaming in the concrete mixer, he was seen running away from the machine room, but was immediately apprehended by some of the workers, one of whom run to the machine room and switched the engine off.

After the machine was switched off, some workers of the company managed to enter the concrete mixer, and pulled the deceased out.

He was found in a state of shock with his limbs crushed.

The deceased was then rushed to the 37 Military Hospital in Accra, by a driver called Victor Foli, a colleague driver of the company, who was accompanied by others including Daniel Lamptey, Anthony Kumah and one Felix Yeboah.

One Gertrude Martey, Secretary of the company, and another Mrs. Jian, Project Manager, later followed them to the hospital.

On the way to the hospital, the deceased was said to have spoken with the workers, but not long after the doctor had examined him, he gave up the ghost.

A post-mortem report indicated that he died as a result of hemorrhage, abdominal pelvic injuries, and having been trapped inside a working concrete machine.

Plaintiff therefore asserts that by all accounts, the death of the deceased was not accidental, since at the time Jian switched the machine on, there was neither cement, sand nor stones in the concrete mixer for mixing. It is therefore the case of plaintiff that Jian knew very well that there was a human being, in the person of Bismark Adotey Mensah in the concrete mixer, who he himself had instructed to work in the machine.

Plaintiff family are therefore seeking an order of the High Court for the defendant company and Chan Jian, to pay the full cost of the mortuary fees from the day the body was deposited in the morgue, until the day of the burial.

They are also seeking a relief for the payment of a lump sum of GH¢200,000 for the loss of the deceased life, and compensation of GH¢50,000 for the upkeep of the deceased’s wife, child, and mother, and any such orders as the court may deem fit.

Arthur K. dons new cloak

…Throws away party colours

… To pursue national cohesion
Posted: The Chronicle Friday, April 03, 2009

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

A leading member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy has set the tone for a serious national debate, which could possibly linger on for the next couple of weeks as he tries to find a solution to the seeming victimisation of former leaders in the country.
Dr. Arthur Kennedy said he found it difficult to understand why Nelson Mandela could for instance walk out of prison after 27 years and still bear the then Apartheid regime no grudge. He therefore couldn’t understand why Ghanaian governments would not cherish the good deeds of their predecessors?
In looking for a lasting solution to the culture of victimisation that has often characterised Ghanaian politics in an extensive interview with The Chronicle, he said he could not fathom why Ghanaians should allow such a political canker to creep into their politics.
He also expressed his worry on why Ghanaians neglect and despise their former Presidents, citing the examples of Ghana’s first President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Prime Minister Busia and President Limann.
Despite the country enjoying democratic dispensation, he noted that Ghanaians still seem to be struggling with carving the proper roles for their former Presidents. To him, not only have we continued to demonise and disgrace the country’s former Presidents, we have also by our treatment of the ex Presidents been washing our dirty linen in public before the whole world.
“When we make it a habit of calling our leaders crooks, sooner or later the world will conclude that we elect rogues to the highest office of the land”, he emphasized, and asked rhetorically “are our leaders more interested in the pursuit of personal vendettas than in developing the nation’s business?”
In finding a solution to the problem, Dr. Kennedy stressed the urgent need for the government to extend basic respects and courtesies to their predecessors as a mark of their own decency, whilst embracing a spirit of conciliation amongst the major political parties.
He chastised those he described as ‘extremists’ in the major political parties and urged the “moderates to raise their voices for the betterment of our country.”
He posed a rhetorical question about why “our national leaders cannot resolve petty issues on the quiet, like how many vehicles a former President is entitled to or where his office should be, or the issues of Dagbon?”, stressing that “we have spent the first three months of the Mills, Presidency exacting revenge for real or imagined actions, while finding little time to engage ourselves across the broad political divide on the big issues of the day.”
Furthermore, the affable NPP kingpin, who has a penchant for speaking his mind freely without any form of fear or favour questioned why as a nation we dissipate our energies on trivial issues.
Dr. Kennedy advised the religious and traditional leaders in the country to publicly comment about state matters that go wrong.
In effect, he lauded the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for his well known diplomatic efforts concerning his visits to President Mills and his two predecessors, and urged other religious and traditional rulers to join the effort.
The former NUGS President also had cause to caution the media against their gladiatorial tendencies which is geared towards destruction of characters.
He also stressed the urgent need to condemn the increasing ethnic awareness into the country’s politic which can damage our national cohesion.
His word of advice to the former Presidents was that they must also refrain from public criticism of their successors. Furthermore, they must remember that Ghana is a poor nation and that some of these things could offend the sensibilities of the majority of the poor people in the country.
Dr. Kennedy said he looks forward to the inauguration of what he described as the ‘Association of Former Presidents’.
“The nation will benefit if President Mills uses the expertise of President Kufuor in dealing with the international communities while using President Rawlings’ knowledge in security. That will not only bring ‘Asomdwe but also Nkoso!” said Dr. Kennedy.
During the last eight years, Dr. Kennedy stressed that former President Rawlings had some of his privileges withdrawn.
Dr. Kennedy described what former President Kufuor appears to be going through as “a deliberate, long, carefully orchestrated, drawn-out exercise to publicly humiliate him.”
In the eyes of those who are orchestrating this public humiliation, the NPP kingpin said it is nothing but pay-back time and as former President Rawlings once said “Abaa a yede bo Takyi no, eda ho”.
Dr. Kennedy thus asked “how President Mills could openly confess his faith to religious leaders one day, and the next day watch the humiliation of his predecessor without any Christian compassion?” For him, therefore, President Kufuor actually deserves better from those Ghanaians who wish him ill.
He recalled that as a result of his good works, 11.7 million Ghanaians now enjoy health insurance, saying that it would be enough justification for any Presidency. He further emphasised that under Kufuor’s leadership the country’s road network was significantly improved whilst poverty dropped by a third, with the economy expanding more than at any comparable period in Ghana’s history.
On former President Rawlings, he noted that after a decade as a dictator, he was legitimized by all Ghanaians with two mandates which enabled him to do some good things, saying “that is why he too, deserves better treatment.”
Whilst appreciating the fact that Mr. Rawlings’ treatment was not appropriate, Dr. Kennedy stressed that he (JJ) has become indifferent to the visitation of humiliation on his successor (Kufuor), indicating that he (JJ) would do well to accept the wisdom in the saying that “an eye for an eye will leave everyone blind”.
Surprised by the turn of events in the country, he wondered why President Mills has been mute over the humiliation of his predecessor, saying, “He watched as President Kufuor’s cars were taken away. He has stayed silent as the controversy raged on over Mr. Kufuor’s office accommodation issue.
He (Mills) has rather established a committee to review the ex-gratia decisions of his predecessor when clearly he lacks the authority to do so”, wondering why this attitude to the country’s former Presidents has been extended to the former Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Ebenezer Begyina Sekyi Hughes.
Whilst admitting that he does not for a moment condone corruption by former or current office-holders, Dr. Kenndy stated that “if the due processes of investigation establishes that someone was corrupt or has broken any laws, he must face the full rigours of the law.”