… Audrey Gadzekpo kicks against practice, but some journalists justify it
Posted: Friday, September 25, 2009
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
Some call it transportation fee, others call it facilitation fee, while the larger majority who know of it, especially those in the media fraternity, call it solidarity, or simply ‘Soli’.
The issue of event organisers occasionally giving journalists’ money after covering programmes, became a topic for discussion during the launch of the Global Corruption Report (GCR) at the British Council Hall in Accra on Wednesday.
The event, which was organised by the local chapter of Transparency International (TI), Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), sparked deep-seated emotions from both sides of the divide.
This was after a man who identified himself as an anti-corruption supporter, Justice Frimpong, asked the question as to whether the act of giving journalists money after events did not amount to corruption, since according to him it had the tendency of influencing the way and manner in which journalists write stories.
This sparked a heated debate, which compelled some journalists around to respond to the issue raised.
While some agreed that giving or taking ‘soli’, as they prefer to call it, was not the best of practices, others sought to justify the act, with the belief that it was an act of showing appreciation to journalists for their time spent, and participation in any given programme.
Much as some agreed that taking ‘soli’ makes it susceptible for journalists’ to compromise their conscience, which tends to influence them in the discharge of their constitutionally mandated duty, they juxtaposed that with the existing and prevailing poor conditions under which they work.
Many of them spoke about the appalling conditions of service at the various media houses, stressing that this and others compelled most journalists to compromise their conscience for monetary benefits, since ‘man must survive’.
This justification obviously did not go down well with Dr. Audrey Gadzekpo, Acting Director and Senior Lecturer at the School of Communication Studies of the University of Ghana, Legon, who happens to be a Board Member of GII, who vehemently spoke out against the act.
Much as she appreciates the poor and appalling conditions under which most Ghanaian journalists’ live and work, she emphasised that it should not be a justification for either demanding or taking ‘soli’, since the ethics of the Ghana Journalists’ Association
(GJA) profession frowns on such practices.
No matter how one sees it, the Legon Don said, ‘soli’ is and will always be a inducement, since it in one way or the other goes to influence journalists in the discharge of their constitutionally mandated duty, which under normal circumstances they should discharge dispassionately.
Equally not happy with the trend, the Executive Secretary of GII, Vitus Azeem, also cautioned journalists to desist from such practices, since, in his candid opinion, it amounted to an act of corruption.
He asked journalists to live above reproach in the exercise of their duty, considering the fact that “all that glitters is not gold.”
This year’s GCR, titled ‘Corruption and the Private Sector,’ featured more than 75 experts examining the scale, scope, and devastating consequences of corporate corruption.
This was complemented by 45 indepth country reports, along with best practices and practical recommendations.
The report shows how corrupt practices constitute a destructive force that undermines fair competition, stifles economic growth, and ultimately undercuts business.
The Global Corruption Report 2009, documents many cases of managers, majority shareholders, and other actors inside corporations, who abuse their entrusted power for personal gain, to the detriment of owners, investors, employees, and society at large.
In developing and transition countries alone, companies colluding with corrupt politicians and government officials, have supplied bribes estimated at up to US $40 billion annually, according to the GCR.
The Report also presents evidence of persistently close linkages between businesses and governments in developing and industrialised countries alike, multiple conflicts of interest, and the growing risks of disproportionate influence on the part of corporate lobbying.
The Report reveals that in Africa, the informal sector amounts to more than 40 per cent of the economy in many countries, and the lack of legal protection, coupled with the desire to dodge regulations, makes the sector easy prey for extortion, and the solicitation of bribes by corrupt officials.
In Burundi, for example, 90 per cent of entrepreneurs think paying bribes is standard practice. In Morocco, integrity studies have found that only seven per cent of Moroccan companies have attempted to act when faced with corruption. In Angola and Uganda, the cost of starting a business, surpasses the average per capita income, putting formal status well beyond the means of many informal entrepreneurs. In Zimbabwe, high inflation and the introduction of price controls have contributed to a massive, parallel, informal economy that provides opportunities for middlemen and exploitation.
Here in Ghana, Mr. Azeem noted that politicians and public officials collude with private sector practitioners to enrich themselves.
According to him, the private sector pays bribes because they are either asked for it, or they believe that is the only way to get what they want, stressing that contracts, licenses, payments for work done, etc., especially, when there are unexplained delays in processing and red tapeism, complex regulations and procurement procedures, foster corruption.
“It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between private sector corruption and public sector corruption,” he said, asking rhetorically “when a Minister or a DCE (as reported in the GCR) establishes companies, awards contracts to them, and takes kickbacks for himself or the party, is it private sector or public sector corruption? When engineers in public institutions set up companies, using names of friends and family members, through which they channel contracts, which they then supervise, is it public or private sector corruption?”
Whatever the answer may be, the GII boss noted, it blemishes the image of the private and public sectors, as well as the government, especially, when nothing is done to address the problem.
According to him, fighting corruption at the nexus of private and public entities requires a radical change in the government’s commitment to addressing these problems, indicating that prompt investigations and prosecution of alleged corrupt acts, as well as strong sanctions for violators, constitute one solution.
However, he emphasised that this approach can be successful only when the political leadership adopts a strong anti-corruption stance, saying “political will to fight corruption has been the problem with our governments, especially, when it comes to cases affecting party faithfuls and funders.”
Whilst admitting that Ghana has put in place the enabling legal environment for key stakeholders to operate smoothly, including legislation to enable citizens report cases of corruption, and enable accountability institutions to investigate credible reports of alleged corruption cases and prosecute violators, Mr. Azeem however, noted that the Freedom of Information Bill had still not been enacted to enable citizens fully utilise the existing laws in fighting corruption.
Moreover, he indicated that the much talked-about Assets Declaration Law (Act 550) needs to be amended, and the proposed regulations approved by Parliament, to make the law an effective anti-corruption tool.
In furtherance of his speech, the anti-corruption crusader said recent revelations by the Audit Service that several audit reports have not been acted upon, are of grave concern, since in his opinion, “they demonstrate a waste of both human and financial resources, and the inability of Parliament to play its oversight role effectively.”
The findings from the GCR 2009, suggest a change in strategy and action, to ensure that corruption in the business sector is tackled effectively, and thus recommends the following:
* Corruption risks in business start with bribery and go beyond. It thus requires an integrated approach to corporate integrity and corporate citizenship.
* Governments need to use new generation innovative tools that put much more emphasis on regulatory capabilities, actual enforcement and international cooperation.
* Civil society needs to forge much broader and more effective partnerships to support corporate integrity because corruption in business is at the core of many other social, developmental and environmental challenges.
* Corporate integrity is a multi-stakeholder effort that requires collective action across sectors, borders and institutional boundaries. All stakeholders have a role to play.
Since 2001, the Global Corruption Report (GCR) has offered an annual assessment of the state of corruption around the world, usually focusing on a specific sector.
The flagship yearly publication, which is produced by Transparency International (TI), brings together leading experts and practitioners to analyze current issues, identify new challenges, and explore solutions with a thematic focus related to corruption.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Ecobank staff bolts with GH¢74,000
After being granted police enquiry bail
Posted: The Chronicle | Wednesday, September 16, 2009
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
Even though officials of Ecobank, one of the leading banks in the country, are not forthcoming with information on the whereabouts of one of their staff, Rosemary Okai, who allegedly embezzled GH ¢114,000 of the bank, The Chronicle investigations have revealed that she has bolted away with the money.
Sources close to the family and head of the Public Relations Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Inspector Joseph Benefo Darkwa, has confirmed to the The Chronicle that the 35-year old nursing mother has left the country for the United Kingdom (UK), somewhere last month, for fear of being arrested and prosecuted for her inability to refund the remaining GH¢74,000 out of the total of GH ¢114,000 that she allegedly stole from the bank.
However, Management of the bank remains tight lipped about the issue. Corporate Affairs Manager of the bank, Rami Baitie, declined to comment on the subject when this reporter contacted him for his comments. Though he confirmed the theft and the lady involved, he failed to comment on whether the bank was aware that she has absconded with the rest of the money.
According to him, it is the bank’s corporate policy not to discuss issues under investigations with the media. When she was first arrested and sent to the CID headquarters in Accra, Rosemary admitted having committed the crime within a period of three months, but Police investigations have revealed that she did so for close to one year.
Rosemary, who until the incident was a Teller at the Osu Oxford street branch of the bank, was granted bail by the Police because she was nursing a baby boy at the time of her arrest.
According to Chief Inspector Darkwa, when they first heard about the rumour, the suspect had already absconded. When the police contacted her husband, one Gabriel Johnson, he told them that his wife had traveled to Koforidua and he was given two weeks to produce her. But the Police said their investigations had proven that she had absconded to the UK, leaving behind her six-month old baby.
So far, her family has managed to pay GH ¢40,540.00 out of the total amount she stole. Her father and brother, who stood surety for her are currently being pursued by the Police to produce the suspect, since she has forfeited the terms of her bail bond. This reporter gathered that the two would be appearing in court on Friday September 25, 2009, to answer relevant questions about the whereabouts of the suspect. Preliminary investigations conducted by the Police indicate that she deposited only part of monies she received from customers into the bankís account, after crediting the accounts of the customers.
This was disclosed by the head of the Crime Unit at the police headquarters, Superintendent Maame Yaa Tiwaa Danso, when she spoke to The Ghanaian Times newspaper somewhere last month after the news broke.
Upon interrogation, Rosemary Okai was alleged to have admitted to the police that she sometimes took some money home, but did not admit embezzling GH¢114,000 - although she reportedly told the investigators that she was prepared to refund the amount.
Police said when they visited her home at Dansoman, they found that she owned two provision shops, but denied being part of a money stealing syndicate at the bank
She, however, paid GH¢20,000 to the police out of the total GH¢114,000 she stole from the bank on Tuesday August 4, 2009, and was subsequently granted police enquiry bail with two sureties.
The bail was also granted on the grounds that she was nursing a six-month old baby who was also not feeling well.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Eight months of Mills` administration
SO FAR, SO GOOD
… Says Okudzeto Ablakwa
Posted:The Chronicle | Friday, September 11, 2009
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
The Mills administration has assured Ghanaians that it is on course to fixing the broke economy left for them by the previous administration. A Deputy Minister of Information, Okudzeto Ablakwa told a news conference in Accra yesterday, that “the better Ghana we promised is on course to be delivered.”
Ablakwa, who was commenting on the achievements of the government, noted that they were proceeding slowly, but steadily. “We will fulfill our promises to the people of Ghana, despite the present economic difficulties,” he said.
The Deputy Minister indicated that the government had managed to engage a sizeable number of the country’s teeming youth in the Youth in Agriculture Programme (YAP) it promised in its manifesto.
According to him, over 300 of these organised youth, who are working on the Block Farm Concept (BFC) deployed at Damongo in the West Gonja District, have cultivated a total of 1,440 hectares of land.
1,200 hectares of the land is said to have been used to cultivate maize, whilst 200 hectares has been used to cultivate rice, with the remaining 40 hectares used for Soya bean cultivation.
In all this, he said, those involved did not have to put in a pesewa up till this stage, since the government provided them with tractors to plough the land, while seedlings, fertilisers and pesticides were also supplied.
In order to sustain the programme, he indicated that the various groups were required to pay the input costs after harvesting.
This, according to him, had created jobs for the inhabitants, including holiday jobs for school pupils who have been engaged to administer fertilisers, weed the farms, and provide other services.
Mr. Okudzato said a similar programme had also been rolled out in the Komenda, Potsin in Gomoa West, Gomoa East and Agona East areas of the Central Region, stressing that a total of 100 hectares had been ploughed in Komenda and ready for planting, 30 hectares in Gomoa West, 72 hectares in Gomoa East, and 40 hectares in Agona East.
When the programme becomes fully operational across the country, the Minister said a total of 14,000 hectares of land would have been cultivated, thereby creating more than 20,000 job opportunities periodically.
For this reason, the government is said to have made provision for an amount of GH¢10.7 million, looking forward to the programme offering tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs to not only the youth, but the general public.
The Northern, Upper East and West, Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Central and Volta regions have been slated to benefit from the programme when it finally becomes fully operational. To enable the Mills administration realise its objective of food security and reducing poverty drastically, as promised on page 51 of the NDC’s ‘Better Ghana’ manifesto, Mr. Ablakwa said the government had taken the issue of irrigation development very serious, since agric contributes 35% of the country’s GDP, and employs some 60% the people.
The government thus intends to complete the required feasibility study and detailed designs for the first phase of 5,000 hectares under the Accra Plains Irrigation Project, by the end of this end of this year, to enable it to undertake the project.
Furthermore, the government is said to be rehabilitating 70 breached dams in the three regions of the north.
When completed, these dams are expected to put 360 hectares of land under irrigation. These areas can engage in dry season farming, with its attendant economic and social benefits to the people and the country as a whole.
Meanwhile, the government is currently sourcing for funds for the construction of two fishing harbours and 12 landing sites, at a total cost of $200 million.
In addition to these interventions, which are aimed at addressing the challenges of safety and post harvest losses, the government intends to build six cold stores in selected fishing communities, with a €7million loan facility from the Spanish government.
In order to effectively patrol and protect the country’s marine domain, two out some six patrol boats, which are being acquired for the Ghana Navy, are expected in December 2009, to augment their fleet.
The two boats, which have been paid for already, are expected to help the Ghana Navy enforce the country’s fisheries laws, and also protect its fishermen who have suffered from heavy lights thrown at sea by big trawlers, and the activities of pair trawlers.
The government has also offered farmers a 50% subsidy on fertilisers, as a result of which GH¢10 million has been released to support the subsidy payment, with the hope that this would contribute to the expected expansion in agricultural production.
The Deputy Minister cautioned those he described as ‘nation-wreckers,’ who had started making plans to smuggle the fertilisers bought at subsidized rates across the borders, that the security agencies are on high alert at all entry and exit posts, and ready to arrest and prosecute anyone caught in the act.
On the issue of narcotics drugs, Mr. Ablakwa said, “I am happy to report to the people of Ghana, that President John Atta Mills is on course to redeeming his campaign pledge that he will not allow this country to be turned into a haven for the narcotics trade.”
In furtherance of the NDC’s pledge, and the President’s personal commitment to the fight against drugs, he emphasised that the NDC government had initiated very effective and practical steps towards dealing with the drug menace.
According to him, the government was not only demonstrating the required political will, but also implementing very key strategies and measures aimed at combating the very disturbing drug problems it inherited as a government.
These measures, he said, include skills training, exposure to modern techniques in fighting narcotic drugs, and steps to transform the Narcotics Control Board into an autonomous commission, are yielding very positive results that Ghanaians are generally very proud of.
… Says Okudzeto Ablakwa
Posted:The Chronicle | Friday, September 11, 2009
By Charles Takyi - Boadu
The Mills administration has assured Ghanaians that it is on course to fixing the broke economy left for them by the previous administration. A Deputy Minister of Information, Okudzeto Ablakwa told a news conference in Accra yesterday, that “the better Ghana we promised is on course to be delivered.”
Ablakwa, who was commenting on the achievements of the government, noted that they were proceeding slowly, but steadily. “We will fulfill our promises to the people of Ghana, despite the present economic difficulties,” he said.
The Deputy Minister indicated that the government had managed to engage a sizeable number of the country’s teeming youth in the Youth in Agriculture Programme (YAP) it promised in its manifesto.
According to him, over 300 of these organised youth, who are working on the Block Farm Concept (BFC) deployed at Damongo in the West Gonja District, have cultivated a total of 1,440 hectares of land.
1,200 hectares of the land is said to have been used to cultivate maize, whilst 200 hectares has been used to cultivate rice, with the remaining 40 hectares used for Soya bean cultivation.
In all this, he said, those involved did not have to put in a pesewa up till this stage, since the government provided them with tractors to plough the land, while seedlings, fertilisers and pesticides were also supplied.
In order to sustain the programme, he indicated that the various groups were required to pay the input costs after harvesting.
This, according to him, had created jobs for the inhabitants, including holiday jobs for school pupils who have been engaged to administer fertilisers, weed the farms, and provide other services.
Mr. Okudzato said a similar programme had also been rolled out in the Komenda, Potsin in Gomoa West, Gomoa East and Agona East areas of the Central Region, stressing that a total of 100 hectares had been ploughed in Komenda and ready for planting, 30 hectares in Gomoa West, 72 hectares in Gomoa East, and 40 hectares in Agona East.
When the programme becomes fully operational across the country, the Minister said a total of 14,000 hectares of land would have been cultivated, thereby creating more than 20,000 job opportunities periodically.
For this reason, the government is said to have made provision for an amount of GH¢10.7 million, looking forward to the programme offering tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs to not only the youth, but the general public.
The Northern, Upper East and West, Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Central and Volta regions have been slated to benefit from the programme when it finally becomes fully operational. To enable the Mills administration realise its objective of food security and reducing poverty drastically, as promised on page 51 of the NDC’s ‘Better Ghana’ manifesto, Mr. Ablakwa said the government had taken the issue of irrigation development very serious, since agric contributes 35% of the country’s GDP, and employs some 60% the people.
The government thus intends to complete the required feasibility study and detailed designs for the first phase of 5,000 hectares under the Accra Plains Irrigation Project, by the end of this end of this year, to enable it to undertake the project.
Furthermore, the government is said to be rehabilitating 70 breached dams in the three regions of the north.
When completed, these dams are expected to put 360 hectares of land under irrigation. These areas can engage in dry season farming, with its attendant economic and social benefits to the people and the country as a whole.
Meanwhile, the government is currently sourcing for funds for the construction of two fishing harbours and 12 landing sites, at a total cost of $200 million.
In addition to these interventions, which are aimed at addressing the challenges of safety and post harvest losses, the government intends to build six cold stores in selected fishing communities, with a €7million loan facility from the Spanish government.
In order to effectively patrol and protect the country’s marine domain, two out some six patrol boats, which are being acquired for the Ghana Navy, are expected in December 2009, to augment their fleet.
The two boats, which have been paid for already, are expected to help the Ghana Navy enforce the country’s fisheries laws, and also protect its fishermen who have suffered from heavy lights thrown at sea by big trawlers, and the activities of pair trawlers.
The government has also offered farmers a 50% subsidy on fertilisers, as a result of which GH¢10 million has been released to support the subsidy payment, with the hope that this would contribute to the expected expansion in agricultural production.
The Deputy Minister cautioned those he described as ‘nation-wreckers,’ who had started making plans to smuggle the fertilisers bought at subsidized rates across the borders, that the security agencies are on high alert at all entry and exit posts, and ready to arrest and prosecute anyone caught in the act.
On the issue of narcotics drugs, Mr. Ablakwa said, “I am happy to report to the people of Ghana, that President John Atta Mills is on course to redeeming his campaign pledge that he will not allow this country to be turned into a haven for the narcotics trade.”
In furtherance of the NDC’s pledge, and the President’s personal commitment to the fight against drugs, he emphasised that the NDC government had initiated very effective and practical steps towards dealing with the drug menace.
According to him, the government was not only demonstrating the required political will, but also implementing very key strategies and measures aimed at combating the very disturbing drug problems it inherited as a government.
These measures, he said, include skills training, exposure to modern techniques in fighting narcotic drugs, and steps to transform the Narcotics Control Board into an autonomous commission, are yielding very positive results that Ghanaians are generally very proud of.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Ghana@50 probe
MPIANI SOLD GOV'T CARS
… but Fairllop fails to pay government despite 20% discount offer
Posted: The Chronicle | Wednesday, September 9, 2009.
By Charles Takyi - Boadu & Kleran Canning
Details have started emerging about the ‘strange’ circumstance under which the Government of Ghana (GoG), through the Ghana@50 Secretariat sold back some of the cars used during the celebration of the country’s 50th independence to companies who made the initial purchase for the government.
Documents in the possession of The Chronicle show a clear case of discrimination against some of the companies involved. Out of the numerous companies contracted by Ghana@50 Secretariat, only Fairllop International limited, which was given the opportunity to supply the state with 40 Jaguar X-type vehicles for the celebration, at a unit cost of US$36,600.00 - totalling US$1,464,000.00 was giving the opportunity to buy back the cars at a 20% discount.
Fairllop is owned by Eric Agyemang, nephew of the former Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs, Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, who doubled as the Chairman of the Planning Committee of the Ghana@50 celebrations.
The government sold 35 slightly used cars at US $28,000.00 each to Fairllop, which had purchased the same cars for the Secretariat. The company was asked to make a 20% down payment of the amount involved. Payment for the remaining 80% was to be made by September 30, 2008.
One L.B Tusoe, the Chief Director at the office of the then Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs was ordered to take the necessary steps to change the ownership of the cars to Fairllop, at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
Despite these arrangements, Fairllop did not pay a pesewa for the purchase of the cars. It also did not pay the 20% down payment, yet the ownership of the 35 cars were changed into its (Fairlop) name.
Meanwhile, companies like Svani limited, which supplied 50 units of Mercedes Benz to the event organisers at a price of 66,900.00 Euros per unit, was made to purchase 45 of those cars back, without any discount, as in the case of Fairllop which was given a 20% discount, a clear case of discrimination. Svani limited, however, managed to pay the total of US$3.763.125.00 whilst the debt of Fairllop remains outstanding.
When he appeared before the Commission of Inquiry investigating the Ghana@50 celebrations last week, Chief Executive Officer of Fairllop, Eric Agyemang, explained that when they had the offer to purchase the cars, they wrote to government indicating their intention to use an amount of US$93,684.21 which government owed them to offset the 20% of the down payment.
He claimed the amount was the exchange rate differential for the payment of the cars which remains outstanding. Though he did not receive any response from government as to whether or not it agreed to his proposal to use the said amount owed him to defray the cost, Mr. Agyemang assumed that government had agreed to the proposal.
According to him, the company was expecting the payment of an amount of US$732,000.00 from the Secretariat, as the remainder of the outstanding arrears for the purchase of the 50 cars, but government ended up paying less.
Asked whether he notified the Secretariat about this exchange rate price differential, Mr. Agyemang responded in the negative, since according to him, at that time the Chief Executive, Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby was not available, a situation he himself admitted should not have prevented his company from putting it into writing, since in his absence the Secretariat was still running.
According to the CEO of Fairllop his company proposed to the Transitional team that they are ready and willing to return the cars to government upon reconciling their accounts, subject to government approval.
He however, noted that his company has not received any response from government to that effect, and therefore asked government, if possible, to come for the cars since they were not able to sell them, in order to settle their indebtedness of a whopping US $1,00800.00 to the state.
If deductions are made from the exchange rate differentials, Mr Agyemang said Fairllop owes government US$108,000.00. Taking into consideration the fact that one takes risks in any business venture, Chairman of the Commission, Justice Duoso asked the company to hold onto its risks, and further asked them to take steps to negotiate their liability.
Meanwhile, Kieran Canning reports that the administrator of the district assembly common funds was given a stern examination yesterday into his role in the Ghana@50 souvenir scandal.
Administrator of common fund
On a day when the Ghana@50 Secretariat’s lavish expenditure on luxury cars was again highlighted, it was Mr. Joshua Magnus Nicol, the common funds administrator, who received the harshest criticism from the commission panel.
Mr. Nicol announced that the staggering sum of GH¢5,160,000 had been spent o the production and transportation of plastic cups. He defended this inordinate figure by saying that a cup had been made for every school child registered in Ghana, with the intention that the cups would be kept as a commemorative souvenir of this critical date in Ghana’s history.
Mr. Nicol said that deductions had been made for the cost of the cups from the common fund given to every district assembly in the country. However, he admitted that he had neither gained consent from District Coordinators nor checked that all the assemblies had received the cups before deducting the cost from their fund.
Mrs. Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong led the condemnation of Mr. Nicol’s role in the debacle. She pointed out that many assemblies that have been called before the commission did not receive the correct number of cups or in extreme cases had received no cups at all.
Moreover, she said the unit price of 0.97GHp had not been communicated to the assemblies and that in many cases the cups had not even been distributed through the Ghana Education Service to the school children, but had been used at public functions instead.
Mrs. Appiah-Opong then questioned Mr. Nicol as to how he thought such a huge expense on plastic cups could be in the interest of the social & economic development of Ghana. A defiant Mr. Nicol claimed that the cups were useful in the social development of the school children as they were a symbol of a landmark time in Ghana’s history that they had lived through.
A clearly irked Mrs. Appiah-Oppong denounced Mr. Nicol’s reasoning as she responded:
“I do not agree with you that spending GH¢5,160,000 on cups, which districts tell us did not even reach the children, institutes development.”
Justice Isaac Duose also criticized Mr. Nicol for his complacency in refusing to ensure that all cups had been delivered to the assemblies. Mr. Osei Tutu Prempeh laid one final blow by slamming Mr. Nicol for allowing some GH¢1,600,000 to be spent on the transportation of the cups without looking for more affordable alternatives.
Mechanical Lloyd
The spotlight was also put on the Ghana@50 Secretariat for the expenses they incurred in buying luxury cars for the celebrations in 2007.
In a well composed presentation before the commission, Mr. Terence Ronald Darko, Managing Director of Mechanical Lloyd, said that the Secretariat entered into an agreement with his company to buy fifty BMW saloon cars for ?53,293(GH¢114,353) each, a total cost of ?2,664,650 (GH¢5,720,173).
Mr. Darko stated that 50% of the payment due was received by Mechanical Lloyd in February 2007. However, with the remaining 50% due to the company February 2008, the secretariat agreed a deal with Mechanical Lloyd to sell back twenty-five of the cars. In a complex deal the company surprisingly agreed to buy back the cars at the same price they had sold them for a year earlier.
Mr. Darko explained that this decision was taken only because the Secretariat, with the backing of the government, agreed that Mechanical Lloyd would pay no import duty or VAT on the vehicles.
Of the remaining twenty-five cars, ten have remained in the possession of the presidential office whilst Mechanical Lloyd was commissioned to sell the other fifteen. Mr. Darko confirmed that eleven of the fifteen cars have been sold at the unit price of ?45,000.
Mr. Darko then confirmed to the relief of the commission that no debts remain outstanding from either party, joking that the only thing his company owes the government is tax.
In two more shoddy submissions before the commission, representatives of Interplast Ltd and Bx4 Company Ltd. appeared confused at to how much money is still owed to them by the Ghana@50 Secretariat.
Mr. Sivnesh Kumar, District Manager of Interplast Ltd, claimed in his submission that the Secretariat still owed his company the sum of $49,687USD for windows supplied for a housing project in 2007.
However, upon inspection of the company’s records by the panel Mr. Kumar made an embarrassing u-turn, accepting that the debt owed flowed from a separate contract with the AUDCL project, who admitted last week before the commission that they still have debts outstanding to pay.
Mr. Steve Adika, Projects Director for Bx4 Co. Ltd, also made a major gaffe when he accepted that the Secretariat had never signed the contract he had been working from for the past three years.
In his submission before the panel, Mr. Adika claimed that his company was owed the sum of GH¢104,376. This sum comprised of an outstanding payment for work done of GH¢72,700 plus interest incurred on a bank loan and an interest rate outlined in terms of the unsigned contract.
The panel made it clear to Mr. Adika that the terms of the contract which he had referred to could not be relied upon as he had no evidence that the Secretariat had ever signed the contract.
Mr. Adika accepted his grave error but outlined his intention to recover the GH¢72,700 debt due him for work done.
… but Fairllop fails to pay government despite 20% discount offer
Posted: The Chronicle | Wednesday, September 9, 2009.
By Charles Takyi - Boadu & Kleran Canning
Details have started emerging about the ‘strange’ circumstance under which the Government of Ghana (GoG), through the Ghana@50 Secretariat sold back some of the cars used during the celebration of the country’s 50th independence to companies who made the initial purchase for the government.
Documents in the possession of The Chronicle show a clear case of discrimination against some of the companies involved. Out of the numerous companies contracted by Ghana@50 Secretariat, only Fairllop International limited, which was given the opportunity to supply the state with 40 Jaguar X-type vehicles for the celebration, at a unit cost of US$36,600.00 - totalling US$1,464,000.00 was giving the opportunity to buy back the cars at a 20% discount.
Fairllop is owned by Eric Agyemang, nephew of the former Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs, Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, who doubled as the Chairman of the Planning Committee of the Ghana@50 celebrations.
The government sold 35 slightly used cars at US $28,000.00 each to Fairllop, which had purchased the same cars for the Secretariat. The company was asked to make a 20% down payment of the amount involved. Payment for the remaining 80% was to be made by September 30, 2008.
One L.B Tusoe, the Chief Director at the office of the then Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs was ordered to take the necessary steps to change the ownership of the cars to Fairllop, at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
Despite these arrangements, Fairllop did not pay a pesewa for the purchase of the cars. It also did not pay the 20% down payment, yet the ownership of the 35 cars were changed into its (Fairlop) name.
Meanwhile, companies like Svani limited, which supplied 50 units of Mercedes Benz to the event organisers at a price of 66,900.00 Euros per unit, was made to purchase 45 of those cars back, without any discount, as in the case of Fairllop which was given a 20% discount, a clear case of discrimination. Svani limited, however, managed to pay the total of US$3.763.125.00 whilst the debt of Fairllop remains outstanding.
When he appeared before the Commission of Inquiry investigating the Ghana@50 celebrations last week, Chief Executive Officer of Fairllop, Eric Agyemang, explained that when they had the offer to purchase the cars, they wrote to government indicating their intention to use an amount of US$93,684.21 which government owed them to offset the 20% of the down payment.
He claimed the amount was the exchange rate differential for the payment of the cars which remains outstanding. Though he did not receive any response from government as to whether or not it agreed to his proposal to use the said amount owed him to defray the cost, Mr. Agyemang assumed that government had agreed to the proposal.
According to him, the company was expecting the payment of an amount of US$732,000.00 from the Secretariat, as the remainder of the outstanding arrears for the purchase of the 50 cars, but government ended up paying less.
Asked whether he notified the Secretariat about this exchange rate price differential, Mr. Agyemang responded in the negative, since according to him, at that time the Chief Executive, Dr Charles Wereko-Brobby was not available, a situation he himself admitted should not have prevented his company from putting it into writing, since in his absence the Secretariat was still running.
According to the CEO of Fairllop his company proposed to the Transitional team that they are ready and willing to return the cars to government upon reconciling their accounts, subject to government approval.
He however, noted that his company has not received any response from government to that effect, and therefore asked government, if possible, to come for the cars since they were not able to sell them, in order to settle their indebtedness of a whopping US $1,00800.00 to the state.
If deductions are made from the exchange rate differentials, Mr Agyemang said Fairllop owes government US$108,000.00. Taking into consideration the fact that one takes risks in any business venture, Chairman of the Commission, Justice Duoso asked the company to hold onto its risks, and further asked them to take steps to negotiate their liability.
Meanwhile, Kieran Canning reports that the administrator of the district assembly common funds was given a stern examination yesterday into his role in the Ghana@50 souvenir scandal.
Administrator of common fund
On a day when the Ghana@50 Secretariat’s lavish expenditure on luxury cars was again highlighted, it was Mr. Joshua Magnus Nicol, the common funds administrator, who received the harshest criticism from the commission panel.
Mr. Nicol announced that the staggering sum of GH¢5,160,000 had been spent o the production and transportation of plastic cups. He defended this inordinate figure by saying that a cup had been made for every school child registered in Ghana, with the intention that the cups would be kept as a commemorative souvenir of this critical date in Ghana’s history.
Mr. Nicol said that deductions had been made for the cost of the cups from the common fund given to every district assembly in the country. However, he admitted that he had neither gained consent from District Coordinators nor checked that all the assemblies had received the cups before deducting the cost from their fund.
Mrs. Marietta Brew Appiah-Opong led the condemnation of Mr. Nicol’s role in the debacle. She pointed out that many assemblies that have been called before the commission did not receive the correct number of cups or in extreme cases had received no cups at all.
Moreover, she said the unit price of 0.97GHp had not been communicated to the assemblies and that in many cases the cups had not even been distributed through the Ghana Education Service to the school children, but had been used at public functions instead.
Mrs. Appiah-Opong then questioned Mr. Nicol as to how he thought such a huge expense on plastic cups could be in the interest of the social & economic development of Ghana. A defiant Mr. Nicol claimed that the cups were useful in the social development of the school children as they were a symbol of a landmark time in Ghana’s history that they had lived through.
A clearly irked Mrs. Appiah-Oppong denounced Mr. Nicol’s reasoning as she responded:
“I do not agree with you that spending GH¢5,160,000 on cups, which districts tell us did not even reach the children, institutes development.”
Justice Isaac Duose also criticized Mr. Nicol for his complacency in refusing to ensure that all cups had been delivered to the assemblies. Mr. Osei Tutu Prempeh laid one final blow by slamming Mr. Nicol for allowing some GH¢1,600,000 to be spent on the transportation of the cups without looking for more affordable alternatives.
Mechanical Lloyd
The spotlight was also put on the Ghana@50 Secretariat for the expenses they incurred in buying luxury cars for the celebrations in 2007.
In a well composed presentation before the commission, Mr. Terence Ronald Darko, Managing Director of Mechanical Lloyd, said that the Secretariat entered into an agreement with his company to buy fifty BMW saloon cars for ?53,293(GH¢114,353) each, a total cost of ?2,664,650 (GH¢5,720,173).
Mr. Darko stated that 50% of the payment due was received by Mechanical Lloyd in February 2007. However, with the remaining 50% due to the company February 2008, the secretariat agreed a deal with Mechanical Lloyd to sell back twenty-five of the cars. In a complex deal the company surprisingly agreed to buy back the cars at the same price they had sold them for a year earlier.
Mr. Darko explained that this decision was taken only because the Secretariat, with the backing of the government, agreed that Mechanical Lloyd would pay no import duty or VAT on the vehicles.
Of the remaining twenty-five cars, ten have remained in the possession of the presidential office whilst Mechanical Lloyd was commissioned to sell the other fifteen. Mr. Darko confirmed that eleven of the fifteen cars have been sold at the unit price of ?45,000.
Mr. Darko then confirmed to the relief of the commission that no debts remain outstanding from either party, joking that the only thing his company owes the government is tax.
In two more shoddy submissions before the commission, representatives of Interplast Ltd and Bx4 Company Ltd. appeared confused at to how much money is still owed to them by the Ghana@50 Secretariat.
Mr. Sivnesh Kumar, District Manager of Interplast Ltd, claimed in his submission that the Secretariat still owed his company the sum of $49,687USD for windows supplied for a housing project in 2007.
However, upon inspection of the company’s records by the panel Mr. Kumar made an embarrassing u-turn, accepting that the debt owed flowed from a separate contract with the AUDCL project, who admitted last week before the commission that they still have debts outstanding to pay.
Mr. Steve Adika, Projects Director for Bx4 Co. Ltd, also made a major gaffe when he accepted that the Secretariat had never signed the contract he had been working from for the past three years.
In his submission before the panel, Mr. Adika claimed that his company was owed the sum of GH¢104,376. This sum comprised of an outstanding payment for work done of GH¢72,700 plus interest incurred on a bank loan and an interest rate outlined in terms of the unsigned contract.
The panel made it clear to Mr. Adika that the terms of the contract which he had referred to could not be relied upon as he had no evidence that the Secretariat had ever signed the contract.
Mr. Adika accepted his grave error but outlined his intention to recover the GH¢72,700 debt due him for work done.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Ghanaians must appreciate Mills' effort to stabilize economy
-Kakra Essamuah
Posted: The Chronicle | Thu, 03 Sep 2009
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Former Youth Activist of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and now a sympathiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Kakra Essamuah says Ghanaians must appreciate the prudent economic measures that President Mills and his government are putting in place to bring the economy back on track.
He has therefore asked all Ghanaians to give him ample time to fulfil the promises he made to Ghanaians, since according to him, it was too early for anyone to make a fair assessment of the regime.
Speaking in an interview with The Chronicle, Mr. Essamuah said the Mills administration must be given time to put the economy back on track, saying “it is too early to expect too many things from the government now.”
For him, some of these criticisms are unnecessary because they are not premised on empirical evidence, but mere speculations and hallucinations.
According to him, the impression was created that the economy was in good shape at the time the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was leaving power, when they rather left the economy in a bad shape.
For this reason, Mr. Essamuah noted that fixing the economy would take time and, therefore, urged all Ghanaians to rally behind the President and his government, since according to him, “patriotism dictates that we give Professor Mills a little more time to prove himself.”
Mr. Essamuah, who was expelled from the NPP for declaring an open support for then Candidate Mills, prior to the 2000 general elections, was however optimistic that President Mills and his government would be able to deliver, since they cannot afford to disappoint the hopes and aspirations of Ghanaians.
“I know he will”, he said, asking The former NPP kin pin assured all Ghanaians and Mills' critics to give him and his government between 18months to 2years to deliver.
When he appeared on Radio Gold's '60 minutes' programme somewhere last week, Mr. Essamuah noted that Professor Mills has been the most suitable man for the position of President of Ghana. He argued that the man is a thorough-bred politician who was a Vice President before becoming President, thereby preparing him well for the job.
Asked what made him declare an open support for Professor Mills' candidature prior to the 2000 general elections, Mr. Essamuah said “the very things that Ghanaians saw in him and voted for him in 2008, I saw those things as far back as 2000.”
He denied being influenced by tribal considerations to support the then Candidate Mills, stressing that it was not part of his intention.
Mr. Kakra Essamuah further noted that he is motivated by the love for his neighbours to make some of the decisions he makes in life, stressing that he concerned about those who think about others and not themselves.
Asked what he makes of Mr. Kufuor and the previous NPP administration, Mr. Esaamuah described Mr. Kufuor as an interesting person, and with a very nice and amiable character.
According to him, whilst former President Rawlings' grip on the NDC weakened considerably after he had left power, Kufuor's grip of the NPP started weakening when he was in power.
This, he said was evident in the fact that all the people Mr. Kufuor supported for various positions in the party lost, with the latest being his opposition to the expansion of the NPPs electoral college which suffered a major setback. “Within his own party, I don't know how they view him”, he said.
That notwithstanding, he said Mr. Kufuor has been a successful politician since he achieved the ultimate goal of becoming President. He also denied being a member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) or any other political party, but was certain that he would soon join the NDC.
According to him, he stopped being a member of the NPP since October 2000, a decision that he said was made for him by the party.
Posted: The Chronicle | Thu, 03 Sep 2009
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Former Youth Activist of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and now a sympathiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Kakra Essamuah says Ghanaians must appreciate the prudent economic measures that President Mills and his government are putting in place to bring the economy back on track.
He has therefore asked all Ghanaians to give him ample time to fulfil the promises he made to Ghanaians, since according to him, it was too early for anyone to make a fair assessment of the regime.
Speaking in an interview with The Chronicle, Mr. Essamuah said the Mills administration must be given time to put the economy back on track, saying “it is too early to expect too many things from the government now.”
For him, some of these criticisms are unnecessary because they are not premised on empirical evidence, but mere speculations and hallucinations.
According to him, the impression was created that the economy was in good shape at the time the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was leaving power, when they rather left the economy in a bad shape.
For this reason, Mr. Essamuah noted that fixing the economy would take time and, therefore, urged all Ghanaians to rally behind the President and his government, since according to him, “patriotism dictates that we give Professor Mills a little more time to prove himself.”
Mr. Essamuah, who was expelled from the NPP for declaring an open support for then Candidate Mills, prior to the 2000 general elections, was however optimistic that President Mills and his government would be able to deliver, since they cannot afford to disappoint the hopes and aspirations of Ghanaians.
“I know he will”, he said, asking The former NPP kin pin assured all Ghanaians and Mills' critics to give him and his government between 18months to 2years to deliver.
When he appeared on Radio Gold's '60 minutes' programme somewhere last week, Mr. Essamuah noted that Professor Mills has been the most suitable man for the position of President of Ghana. He argued that the man is a thorough-bred politician who was a Vice President before becoming President, thereby preparing him well for the job.
Asked what made him declare an open support for Professor Mills' candidature prior to the 2000 general elections, Mr. Essamuah said “the very things that Ghanaians saw in him and voted for him in 2008, I saw those things as far back as 2000.”
He denied being influenced by tribal considerations to support the then Candidate Mills, stressing that it was not part of his intention.
Mr. Kakra Essamuah further noted that he is motivated by the love for his neighbours to make some of the decisions he makes in life, stressing that he concerned about those who think about others and not themselves.
Asked what he makes of Mr. Kufuor and the previous NPP administration, Mr. Esaamuah described Mr. Kufuor as an interesting person, and with a very nice and amiable character.
According to him, whilst former President Rawlings' grip on the NDC weakened considerably after he had left power, Kufuor's grip of the NPP started weakening when he was in power.
This, he said was evident in the fact that all the people Mr. Kufuor supported for various positions in the party lost, with the latest being his opposition to the expansion of the NPPs electoral college which suffered a major setback. “Within his own party, I don't know how they view him”, he said.
That notwithstanding, he said Mr. Kufuor has been a successful politician since he achieved the ultimate goal of becoming President. He also denied being a member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) or any other political party, but was certain that he would soon join the NDC.
According to him, he stopped being a member of the NPP since October 2000, a decision that he said was made for him by the party.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Lepowura’s timely warning
KEEP THE KOKOMBA’S OUT OF THIS!
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Lepowura Alhaji MND Jawula has cautioned against attempts to link Kokomba’s to recent developments in Buipe.
He believes the ensuing misunderstanding in Buipe could have serious ramifications for the chiefs and people of these two tribes who have co-existed peacefully for sometime now.
The Lepowura made this known in an interview with The Chronicle over the weekend.
He thus sought to erase the erroneous perception being created in the minds of Ghanaians as though the two sides are gearing up for a war.
According to the Lepowura, who is himself a Gonja chief, what is happening in Buipe is a purely internal Gonja affair, which has nothing to do with the Kokomba’s who he described as their brothers and sisters, saying ‘the Kokomba’s are right, they are in no way involved in what is happening.
That notwithstanding, the Lepowura indicated that the two tribes have and continue to live peacefully together since the conflict in 1992 and hence wondered why anybody or group of persons would want to link the Kokomba’s to an issue which nothing to do with them.
He thus asked those involved in the entire affair to keep the Kokomba’s out of it, since it could strain the cordial relations between the two tribes, Kokomba’s and Gonja’s.
The Lepowura however declined to go into the nitty-gritty of the issue, expressing optimism that his people, the Gonja would make amends and resolve the misunderstanding in a careful way in order not to degenerate into something else.
His comments come in the wake of supposed tension mounting up north in the Buipe Traditional Area in which the sides involved were said to be arming themselves in readiness for war.
This was when leadership of the Lebupe Gate, one of the two chieftaincy divides in the Buipe Traditional Area of the Northern Region made a statement to the effect that they could no longer succumb to what they perceive to be the tyrannical, repressive and the dictatorial rule of the Paramount Chief of the area, Buipewura Jinapor I and declared their readiness to engage in any “bloody battle” anytime he tries their patience.
For this reason, Lepowura Alhaji Jawula has asked all stakeholders involved to take a queue from the advice given by the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Buipe, Mr. Sualisu Issifu Be-Awuribe, who have expressed grave concern about the raging feud between the two royal gates, and appealed to them to soften their stands.
The DCE has also asked the sides involved to use due processes to settle their differences, rather than resorting to arms or violence.
In his response to the issue when it broke, the DCE gave the assurance that the District Security Committee (DISEC) was on top of the situation, and would not countenance any person or group of persons who would disturb the peace in the area, or illegally possess arms.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Lepowura Alhaji MND Jawula has cautioned against attempts to link Kokomba’s to recent developments in Buipe.
He believes the ensuing misunderstanding in Buipe could have serious ramifications for the chiefs and people of these two tribes who have co-existed peacefully for sometime now.
The Lepowura made this known in an interview with The Chronicle over the weekend.
He thus sought to erase the erroneous perception being created in the minds of Ghanaians as though the two sides are gearing up for a war.
According to the Lepowura, who is himself a Gonja chief, what is happening in Buipe is a purely internal Gonja affair, which has nothing to do with the Kokomba’s who he described as their brothers and sisters, saying ‘the Kokomba’s are right, they are in no way involved in what is happening.
That notwithstanding, the Lepowura indicated that the two tribes have and continue to live peacefully together since the conflict in 1992 and hence wondered why anybody or group of persons would want to link the Kokomba’s to an issue which nothing to do with them.
He thus asked those involved in the entire affair to keep the Kokomba’s out of it, since it could strain the cordial relations between the two tribes, Kokomba’s and Gonja’s.
The Lepowura however declined to go into the nitty-gritty of the issue, expressing optimism that his people, the Gonja would make amends and resolve the misunderstanding in a careful way in order not to degenerate into something else.
His comments come in the wake of supposed tension mounting up north in the Buipe Traditional Area in which the sides involved were said to be arming themselves in readiness for war.
This was when leadership of the Lebupe Gate, one of the two chieftaincy divides in the Buipe Traditional Area of the Northern Region made a statement to the effect that they could no longer succumb to what they perceive to be the tyrannical, repressive and the dictatorial rule of the Paramount Chief of the area, Buipewura Jinapor I and declared their readiness to engage in any “bloody battle” anytime he tries their patience.
For this reason, Lepowura Alhaji Jawula has asked all stakeholders involved to take a queue from the advice given by the District Chief Executive (DCE) of Buipe, Mr. Sualisu Issifu Be-Awuribe, who have expressed grave concern about the raging feud between the two royal gates, and appealed to them to soften their stands.
The DCE has also asked the sides involved to use due processes to settle their differences, rather than resorting to arms or violence.
In his response to the issue when it broke, the DCE gave the assurance that the District Security Committee (DISEC) was on top of the situation, and would not countenance any person or group of persons who would disturb the peace in the area, or illegally possess arms.
ARTHUR KENNEDY STIRS CONTROVERSY
…By redefining Nkrumah as a great man who lacked compassion
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
A leading member of the main opposition political party, New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy has set the stage for a controversial discussion about the attributes and posture of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
He did this when he described him in a way that would obviously open up the floodgate for wild criticism.
Dr Kennedy claims “Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was defined, significantly, by how he permitted the old and sick J.B. Danquah to die in prison.”
Just to make sure that history would not miss that message, he said Nkrumah “did the same with Obetsebi-Lamptey too.”
Dr Kennedy made these obviously controversial comments in his piece; ‘The soul of President Mills’ dated August 13, 2009 in which he made a diagnosis of some things that has happened under the incumbent government President and his government.
Though he agrees to belief held by Historians that every President is defined by his or her response to a particular event or circumstance, he noted that the response to the event or challenge tells us about the person behind the public mask.
Sometimes, he noted that the picture is positive whilst in other instances it is negative, stressing that “indeed, for some there are both defining positive images as well as negative ones.”
For this reason, he noted that this defined the country’s first President as “a great man who lacked compassion.”
He went further to juxtapose the postures of successive leaders after Nkrumah and told of how he felt about how each and every one of them, including former President Kufuor and incumbent President Mills have comported themselves.
According to him, Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia’s willingness to dialogue with South Africa defined him as a principled man who was unreasonably committed to the principle of dialogue.
In that regard, he described him as a man who was too far ahead of his time, stressing “it would be nearly a quarter-century before Dr. Busia’s vision of a multi-racial South Africa would be realized.”
For him, General Kutu Acheampong was defined by his steadfast refusal to shed blood since he saw and considered him as a decent soldier who was out of his depth in the affairs of state.
When he got to the turn of Ft. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings who preferred to label Jeremiah, he noted that the former President “showed us his soul when he celebrated the death of the judges, including Cecilia Koranteng Addow in 1982.”
According to him, these judges were killed because they freed AFRC convicts hence their execution was punishment to them and a warning to others.
Dr Arthur Kennedy believes this revealed Rawlings as ‘a vengeful person.’
He however pitied Dr. Hilla Limann who said was naïve about the realities of politics since he emphasised that he revealed his soul when he asked the National Security Forces to “stop following Jato Rawlings because he is harmless.”
“The man who Dr. Limann thought was harmless ended up overthrowing him”, he said, stressing “Dr. Limann turned out to be a decent man who was rather naïve about the realities of politics and security.”
For former President John Agyekum Kufuor, his sin was to have awarded himself with the nation’s highest honour.
Though he admits he dully deserved the award, Arthur Kennedy indicated “to award it to himself showed that the man who had been celebrated so long for his propriety had lost his touch.”
Whilst admitting that all these leaders did good things; some more than others, he noted that these incidents lifted the veil and told Ghanaians who they were, not as Presidents, but as men.
Arthur Kennedy could not fathom that despite what he described as ‘bad things’ happening in the country since President Mills assumed the Presidency, people still brandish him as a good man.
For him, that argument, ‘is a curious one’, making reference to what a colleague Nigerian friend was told him “how can the leader of a band of armed Robbers claim that he is not an armed robber because he does not personally do robberies?”
He described as a disturbing portrait when the President revealed his ‘soul’ in an interview with the ‘Daily Guide’ newspaper somewhere last week in which President Mills made comments about the economy and Last week, the President finally revealed his soul and it was a disturbing portrait. In an interview with ‘DAILY GUIDE’, the President had a bit to say about our economy and the activities and operations of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), which has become a subject matter of raging controversy and debate.
His real concern had to do with comments by the President when he was asked about the operations of the BNI, when he said, “I think they have done very well. We have always insisted on the institution acting within the law. I have said publicly that so long as they operate within the law, they will have my full support. So far, I have no cause for regret. I think they are doing very well and they should be encouraged to do so.”
He wondered why the BNI has forcibly taken peoples’ vehicles from them on the streets and the President who also happens to be a law Professor thought they are doing “very well”.
Dr Arthur Kennedy thus asked rhetorically “The BNI has denied Ghanaians under interrogation their right to legal counsel and the President thinks they are doing very well”. The BNI has forcibly taken people who have not been charged who were travelling off planes without court orders and the President thinks they are doing ‘very well’. The BNI has seized the passports of Ghanaian citizens without cause and the President thinks they are doing ‘very well’.
In that regard, he said “the reason why the President’s praise of the BNI should worry all of us is that the fate of the rule of law is at stake under the Presidency of Professor Mills.”
“The key issue facing our country in the next four years is whether we can remain a nation of laws under the government of the NDC”, he said, stressing “make no mistake about it, the biggest threat to the rule of law today is the BNI and the President should be reining them in instead of heaping praise on them while they brazenly disregard the rights of our citizens.”
He thus predicted that the failure of President Mills to stand up for the rule of law would be the defining moment of his Presidency.
“While the President has been derelict, where has the Attorney General been? She has not found it fit to chastise the errant BNI and assert the primacy of the rule of law. While the executive branch, led by the President has been cheerleading for the BNI, where has Parliament been? Why have they not summoned the BNI to Parliament to demand an explanation for these excesses and to firmly set limits for the BNI?, he asked rhetorically.
Apart from the passage of laws, he noted that the most important responsibility of Parliament was oversight responsibility over the executive and therefore asked them to start doing their job and reigning in what he described as ‘the lawless BNI.”
He thus urged all civil society groups to stand with them, against oppression, saying “that is why it is sad that those who used to march for Tsatsu against the Castle now go to the Castle to drink tea while such gross violations are going on.”
To that end, he also urged Ghanaians to “stand up for the rights of former Information Minister, Stephen Asamoah Boateng and all the others whose rights he said are under assault regardless of whether we like them or not.”
“Whether we like them or not, their rights are our rights and restrictions on their freedom are precedents that will make possible restrictions on our freedom”, he said
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
A leading member of the main opposition political party, New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy has set the stage for a controversial discussion about the attributes and posture of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
He did this when he described him in a way that would obviously open up the floodgate for wild criticism.
Dr Kennedy claims “Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was defined, significantly, by how he permitted the old and sick J.B. Danquah to die in prison.”
Just to make sure that history would not miss that message, he said Nkrumah “did the same with Obetsebi-Lamptey too.”
Dr Kennedy made these obviously controversial comments in his piece; ‘The soul of President Mills’ dated August 13, 2009 in which he made a diagnosis of some things that has happened under the incumbent government President and his government.
Though he agrees to belief held by Historians that every President is defined by his or her response to a particular event or circumstance, he noted that the response to the event or challenge tells us about the person behind the public mask.
Sometimes, he noted that the picture is positive whilst in other instances it is negative, stressing that “indeed, for some there are both defining positive images as well as negative ones.”
For this reason, he noted that this defined the country’s first President as “a great man who lacked compassion.”
He went further to juxtapose the postures of successive leaders after Nkrumah and told of how he felt about how each and every one of them, including former President Kufuor and incumbent President Mills have comported themselves.
According to him, Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia’s willingness to dialogue with South Africa defined him as a principled man who was unreasonably committed to the principle of dialogue.
In that regard, he described him as a man who was too far ahead of his time, stressing “it would be nearly a quarter-century before Dr. Busia’s vision of a multi-racial South Africa would be realized.”
For him, General Kutu Acheampong was defined by his steadfast refusal to shed blood since he saw and considered him as a decent soldier who was out of his depth in the affairs of state.
When he got to the turn of Ft. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings who preferred to label Jeremiah, he noted that the former President “showed us his soul when he celebrated the death of the judges, including Cecilia Koranteng Addow in 1982.”
According to him, these judges were killed because they freed AFRC convicts hence their execution was punishment to them and a warning to others.
Dr Arthur Kennedy believes this revealed Rawlings as ‘a vengeful person.’
He however pitied Dr. Hilla Limann who said was naïve about the realities of politics since he emphasised that he revealed his soul when he asked the National Security Forces to “stop following Jato Rawlings because he is harmless.”
“The man who Dr. Limann thought was harmless ended up overthrowing him”, he said, stressing “Dr. Limann turned out to be a decent man who was rather naïve about the realities of politics and security.”
For former President John Agyekum Kufuor, his sin was to have awarded himself with the nation’s highest honour.
Though he admits he dully deserved the award, Arthur Kennedy indicated “to award it to himself showed that the man who had been celebrated so long for his propriety had lost his touch.”
Whilst admitting that all these leaders did good things; some more than others, he noted that these incidents lifted the veil and told Ghanaians who they were, not as Presidents, but as men.
Arthur Kennedy could not fathom that despite what he described as ‘bad things’ happening in the country since President Mills assumed the Presidency, people still brandish him as a good man.
For him, that argument, ‘is a curious one’, making reference to what a colleague Nigerian friend was told him “how can the leader of a band of armed Robbers claim that he is not an armed robber because he does not personally do robberies?”
He described as a disturbing portrait when the President revealed his ‘soul’ in an interview with the ‘Daily Guide’ newspaper somewhere last week in which President Mills made comments about the economy and Last week, the President finally revealed his soul and it was a disturbing portrait. In an interview with ‘DAILY GUIDE’, the President had a bit to say about our economy and the activities and operations of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), which has become a subject matter of raging controversy and debate.
His real concern had to do with comments by the President when he was asked about the operations of the BNI, when he said, “I think they have done very well. We have always insisted on the institution acting within the law. I have said publicly that so long as they operate within the law, they will have my full support. So far, I have no cause for regret. I think they are doing very well and they should be encouraged to do so.”
He wondered why the BNI has forcibly taken peoples’ vehicles from them on the streets and the President who also happens to be a law Professor thought they are doing “very well”.
Dr Arthur Kennedy thus asked rhetorically “The BNI has denied Ghanaians under interrogation their right to legal counsel and the President thinks they are doing very well”. The BNI has forcibly taken people who have not been charged who were travelling off planes without court orders and the President thinks they are doing ‘very well’. The BNI has seized the passports of Ghanaian citizens without cause and the President thinks they are doing ‘very well’.
In that regard, he said “the reason why the President’s praise of the BNI should worry all of us is that the fate of the rule of law is at stake under the Presidency of Professor Mills.”
“The key issue facing our country in the next four years is whether we can remain a nation of laws under the government of the NDC”, he said, stressing “make no mistake about it, the biggest threat to the rule of law today is the BNI and the President should be reining them in instead of heaping praise on them while they brazenly disregard the rights of our citizens.”
He thus predicted that the failure of President Mills to stand up for the rule of law would be the defining moment of his Presidency.
“While the President has been derelict, where has the Attorney General been? She has not found it fit to chastise the errant BNI and assert the primacy of the rule of law. While the executive branch, led by the President has been cheerleading for the BNI, where has Parliament been? Why have they not summoned the BNI to Parliament to demand an explanation for these excesses and to firmly set limits for the BNI?, he asked rhetorically.
Apart from the passage of laws, he noted that the most important responsibility of Parliament was oversight responsibility over the executive and therefore asked them to start doing their job and reigning in what he described as ‘the lawless BNI.”
He thus urged all civil society groups to stand with them, against oppression, saying “that is why it is sad that those who used to march for Tsatsu against the Castle now go to the Castle to drink tea while such gross violations are going on.”
To that end, he also urged Ghanaians to “stand up for the rights of former Information Minister, Stephen Asamoah Boateng and all the others whose rights he said are under assault regardless of whether we like them or not.”
“Whether we like them or not, their rights are our rights and restrictions on their freedom are precedents that will make possible restrictions on our freedom”, he said
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)