Korean Deal Stinks

Posted: Daily Guide |Wednesday, 30 June 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) has formally registered its displeasure against the $10billion housing deal between the Government of Ghana (GoG) and STX Korea for the construction of some 200,000 housing units for the various security agencies.

Whilst it appreciates the intention of government to put up these buildings, the NPP says the terms and conditions of the deal smacks of insecurity, since according to the National Chairman of the party, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, the entire deal is not transparent.

At a press conference in Accra yesterday, he noted that for some strange reason, the financial and implementation details of the deal have been shrouded in secrecy, indicating that not even the agreement, which has been laid before Parliament, answers the most important questions about the transaction.

The NPP National Chairman also noted that the haste with which the Mills Administration wants to push this deal through, before the public is able to discuss its implications on the economy and the country, is most disturbing.

The NPP says it has done independent research into the transaction and that “this particular deal is bad, through and through.”

Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey said this was evident in the fact that it does not promote the local industry and the economy, since under the terms of the agreement, STX Korea is to borrow an amount of US$1.5 million to finance an initial 30,000 houses out of the 200,000, with government also offering sovereign guarantee to cover the company in the acquisition of that loan.

In the opinion of the NPP and its National Chairman, “what this means is that should STX default in the payment of that loan, Ghanaians would have to pay back the debt,” whilst the company and its expatriate contractors and staff will all enjoy duty exemptions on the things and equipment they import, VAT exemptions on the things they buy locally, and income tax exemptions on their incomes in Ghana.

This is aside the fact that government will be providing free land for the project and an ‘off-taker’ agreement that compels the government of Ghana to buy the houses from STX Korea.

“The New Patriotic Party is of the view that if Government provides guarantee to our local estate developers to secure funding, provides free land, and gives similar goodies and support to our local real estate developers, they can deliver 200,000 houses within the five years at lower unit cost than US$50,000”, Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey emphasized, noting that “indeed, Ghana Real Estate Developers Association has stated categorically that given the same support, they can deliver at half the cost.”

Furthermore, Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey said the money to be secured under the guarantee of the Ghanaian tax payer will not be disbursed by any Ghanaian bank because the NDC government has agreed to disburse the funds through the Woori Bank of London, asking rhetorically “why not Ghana Commercial Bank, the National Investment Bank, or any other Ghanaian Bank?”

In addition, the NPP says it is wrong for government to mortgage Ghana’s oil which is yet to be explored. Under the terms of the existing agreement, the entire amount could be converted into crude oil or other petroleum resource trading after the project.

As long as government commits to offering sovereign guarantee to help STX raise funding for the project, the party believes Ghana could still be compelled to use its crude oil resources to pay off the debt if STX fails to pay its lenders, insisting “this part of the deal is dangerous for a country that does not know the real quantities of its oil resources; Especially so when we are still in the process of crafting an oil revenue management policy to guide the use of our petroleum revenue.”
The NPP has asked government to suspend approval for the Supplier’s Credit Facility Agreement for government and Parliament to do due diligence and to explore other options that will ensure greater participation of local real estate industry and better value for money.

Minister Shot! By Unknown Gunmen

Posted: Daily Guide |Wednesday, 30 June 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Unknown gunmen opened fire on Health Minister Dr Benjamin Kunbuor around midnight on Monday, shattering his car’s windscreen.

A missile suspected to be a bullet ripped through the front passenger’s seat of Dr Kunbuor’s VW Passat with registration number GW 4959-10, near the Labone Secondary School.

The Minister, who was driving home, escaped unhurt but was visibly shaken by the incident.

Dr. Kunbuor told DAILY GUIDE yesterday that immediately he passed by the secondary school, he heard a bang on the windscreen of his vehicle but thought it was a stone or a falling object.

He was therefore compelled by circumstances to veer off the road to assess the situation when he realized there was an opening on the windscreen.

Dr. Kunbuor, who drove home at top speed while gasping for breath, has since reported the incident to the Cantonments Police and the National Security which have begun investigations into the case.

At the time of the incident, the Minister narrated that his police bodyguard had closed and left for his house.

He could not confidently rule out any foul play when asked whether he suspected anybody over the midnight attack.

Though, not too sure whether it was an assassination attempt on his life, the shock-stricken Minister told DAILY GUIDE that he was considering the option of reviewing his entire security set-up since he felt threatened by the incident which could have claimed his life. The Minister had previously been attacked some years back.

Experts and other eyewitnesses who saw the damage on the vehicle said only a bullet could have caused that massive damage.

They suspected it might still be lodged in the Minister’s vehicle or may have passed through the windscreen, escaping through an open window.

It could not be immediately ascertained if the missile was shot by an assailant attempting to kill the Minister or a stray bullet shot by unknown persons.

However, the trajectory of the missile gave strong indications that it might have been an assassination attempt as it was shot directly in front of his moving vehicle.

Meanwhile, National Security Coordinator Lt. Col. Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (Rtd) has received the gunshot report and his outfit has started investigations into the matter.

He has however refused to make any further comments on the issue until investigations are completed since it involves ballistics.

Coming close on the heels of publications that former President Rawlings was under surveillance because he was the target of a potential assassination attack, questions are being asked about why a close confidante in the person of Dr Kunbour may have narrowly missed a possible gunshot.

The Minister is close to the former President and was a confidante until he was appointed Deputy Minister and later the substantive Minister of Health.

It is however not clear where the Minister was coming from at that time of the night.

Ghanaian Detained In Belize Hospital

Posted: Daily Guide |Tuesday, 29 June 2010

A 47-year-old Ghanaian national, John Owusu, is currently being detained at the National Referral Hospital of the Central American Republic of Belize.

He was admitted at the hospital on April 26, 2010 when the condition of his left foot, which got swollen as a result of diabetes, was degenerating from bad to worse.

Since then, his medical bills, which he is unable to pay, keep rising as the days go by; and his benefactor, another Ghanaian, Freddy Mansu who happens to work at the same facility as a Senior Radiographer, is becoming frustrated by the cost he is incurring each day.

This is partly because the Ghana Mission in Washington, which has oversight responsibility over Ghanaian nationals Belize, has not responded to any of the correspondences Mansu sent to them so they come to the rescue of the patient, and if possible make arrangements for John Owusu, who is believed to be a native of Effian, a village in the Western region, to be brought back home to Ghana.

Though Owusu has been dully discharged from the hospital, Mr. Mansu narrated that he is still languishing at the hospital since he does not have a place to live as the apartment in which he used to live has been rented out due to his inability to pay.

Meanwhile, he is expected to pay an amount of US $25.00 each day that Owusu spends at the hospital.

He said he was considering the option of renting a place for Owusu to go and stay with some people but then he appears to be growing feeble as the Ghanaian authorities on whom he banked his hopes on to help him to fly the victim back home have developed cold feet.

As of the last week, Mr. Mansu said he had expended almost US $3,000 on Owusu’s medical bills, including the cost for the surgery, medication, stay and laboratory test.

Mr. Mansu narrated that he was in Ghana on holidays when he received a call that a Ghanaian had been brought to the hospital where he works and that though he was in a critical condition, he did not have the needed resources to cater for his bills.

Obviously touched by the plight of a fellow countryman, Mansu said he could not but order for him to be admitted and agreed to bear the cost on humanitarian grounds since “on arrival at the hospital, they realized that he had a gangrain left foot which had infested up to the knee and the best they could do was to amputate the left leg above the knee.”

Apart from that, he said, Owusu also had an abscess in the left hand which needed to be drained and an incision performed.

Initially, Mansu said he made several calls to the Ghanaian Mission in Washington, pleading for assistance on the victim’s behalf and was later asked to write and send a formal letter which he obliged and attached pictures of Owusu on his hospital bed to it, using an express mailing service with a tracking number to confirm receipt but said since then, “nothing more has been heard from them.”

Back home in Ghana, DAILY GUIDE has been following Foreign Affairs Minister Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni to see how best the issue can be resolved but two weeks down the line, nothing productive and encouraging seem to be coming out.

Initially, he asked for time to establish contact with his officials (Consular) at Washington but later said he could not get them and that he should be given ample time to follow up and see how best he can help the situation.

He has however refused to pick his calls ever since; and when he occasionally picks the calls, he claims to be in a meeting and promises to call back but to no avail, and sometimes, he fails to answer the phone.

It is therefore not clear whether the Ghanaian authorities are ready to go to the rescue of this single Ghanaian among a number of other unheard and unknown Ghanaians who may be going through similar ordeals elsewhere.

John Owusu is said to have left the shores of Ghana some 15years ago to neighbouring Nigeria and then to Libya.

He was later said to have left for Egypt, through to Lebanon and to Cuba and finally settled in Belize three years ago, all in search of greener pastures.

In Belize, he worked with a security company until he was diagnosed of diabetes which eventually led to the amputation of his left leg.

Konadu Boys Warn Mills Boys

Posted: Daily Guide |Monday, 21 June 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
SUPPORTERS OF the ‘Konadu for 2012 Campaign’ are mad at individuals and groups of persons who have sought to pour cold water on the intention of the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, to contest for the NDC 2012 presidential slot.

The group, known as Friends of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings (FONKAR), is particularly not happy with comments made by Communications Minister Haruna Iddrisu, whom they described as ‘a mere tramp.’

The group called Deputy Minister of Information Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa and Deputy Minister of Science and Environment Dr Omane Boamah hypocrites for criticisng Nana Konadu.

“We also do not understand why any individual or group of persons in the NDC would have any issue with Nana Konadu if she really had an intention to run for flagbearer in the 2012 elections since President Mills himself boldly came out to declare his intention to seek re-election in 2012 barely six months into his four-year mandate,” the group said.

A statement issued and signed by Ransford Vanni-Amoah, founder and leader of FONKAR, stated:

“We have silently watched for far too long the insolence and temerity with which the likes of Haruna, Ablakwa and Omane Boamah sought to play their politics.

The friends of Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings have noted with deep concern the revival of insults, treachery and hypocrisy in national politics”, with the most recent being a persistent onslaught by “certain nomadic minds within the NDC to discredit the character of the Rawlingses.”

They recalled how Haruna Iddrisu, for instance, entreated party members to disregard the former first family since in his opinion, the constant criticism of President Mills by Rawlings was a grand design to make Mills unpopular and pave way for Nana Konadu to take over as NDC candidate for 2012 elections.

In the light of that, Haruna was reported to have said that the last thing the NDC, as a party, would do is to substitute President Mills with Mrs. Rawlings because the latter would not only divide the party but also send it into opposition.

On Thursday, June 10 2010, Dr. Omane Boamah was said to have launched a scathing attack on the Rawlingses on Metro TV’s ‘Good Morning Ghana’ show, stating that the action of the Rawlingses was a calculated attempt to draw a wedge between his god-father (Prime Minister Ato Ahwoi) and President Mills.

On the same programme the previous day, Okudzeto-Ablakwah also questioned how the so-called poor NDC footsoldiers managed to get money to print banners and also pay for their transport to Tamale for the commemoration of the June 4 anniversary which they (Ablakwa and his other colleagues) boycotted.

He noted that he was disappointed in Nana Konadu for not coming out to disassociate herself from the movement.

Responding however, FONKAR said “such comments are reckless, irresponsible, very reprehensible and unbecoming of Ministers of State.

We find it unacceptable, the behavior of these Ministers and call on lovers of decency in our great party to come down very hard on the ‘filth’ associated with these Ministers.”

FONKAR has therefore sent a note of caution to President Mills to call his boys to order since “we, the entire FONKAR membership, will no longer allow these inexperienced chaps to cast aspersions at the former First Lady and her husband.”

They have vowed to forever protect and defend what they called the ‘good legacy’ of the Rawlingses.

“If there is anyone to insult the Rawlingses, it should not have been this reprobate called Haruna Iddrisu who benefited greatly from the Rawlingses.

Without the Rawlingses, you would have been nobody. They sacrificed their whole lives for you to become a minister,” Mr Vanni-Amoah noted.

If nothing at all, the group said they have seen the emergence of a similar group like theirs in Kumasi called ‘Atta Mills for 2012’ boldly inscribed on a saloon car.

He said there were other groups advertising ‘Atta Mills for 2012 and John Mahama for 2016’ on Facebook, asking “is Ablakwa telling us that he is not aware of that”.

In the light of this, the group queried: “Are our leadership hypocrites? Does it mean if you are the president you are definitely a candidate for the next election?”

This, FONKAR said, was the reason why “a mere tramp like him (Haruna Iddrisu) can today insult and slight them (Rawlingses)”, asking whether Haruna Iddrisu knew how the NDC was formed.

“He needs to be tutored that Nana Konadu was even more responsible for the formation of the NDC they now belong to than even her husband,” they said.

FONKAR has therefore called on the leadership of the party to halt the attacks on the Rawlingses or else “the repercussions will be heavy for the NDC to bear.”

NDC Vomits $1.5m For Stranded Footsoldiers

Posted:Daily Guide |Friday, 18 June 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu & William Yaw Owusu
The 345 stranded soccer fans may have been successfully flown to South Africa to cheer the Black Stars in their encounter with their Australian counterparts tomorrow, but there are still lingering questions about the names and identities of the individuals and groups of persons said to have sponsored the trip.

DAILY GUIDE sources said that instead of the usual El-Wak Stadium where pre-departure formalities were carried out, the supporters, mostly National Democratic Congress (NDC) foot-soldiers, were ferried to the Zenith College area at the back of the Trade Fair at La, where the supporters were screened by NDC officials including the party’s Women’s Organizer, Anita De Souza.

Deputy Minister of Local Government Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, who was the main architect behind the initiative, is not forthcoming with details about those who sponsored it since they do not want their names and identities to be made public.

In an interview with DAILY GUIDE yesterday, Mr. Afriyie Ankrah said they undertook the exercise from a humanitarian point of view since they were touched by the plight of the stranded supporters, some of whom had been staying at the El-Wak stadium for almost a week without food or water.

However, DAILY GUIDE sources said an individual who was at the Zenith College for the screening coughed out a staggering $1.5million to support the airlifting of the supporters.

According to DAILY GUIDE sources, Kobby Woyome, Member of Parliament for South Tongu and his brother, Alfred Woyome of the Office of the President, are said to have contributed to the funding of airlifting the fans to South Africa.

When contacted on his mobile phone yesterday, the MP confirmed to DAILY GUIDE that they were “supporting the government as private individuals” to airlift the stranded fans to South Africa.

“We came in as a private entity. We are using our own money to support the government to get the fans there,” he said.

Asked how much they were spending to airlift the fans, Mr. Woyome, who sounded busy, said “this is something we can talk about later.

We are under serious tension. You can hear from the background. Everybody wants to go to watch Ghana play.”

DAILY GUIDE learnt that his elder brother, Alfred, was mentioning the names of the supporters at the Zenith College, prior to their departure.

Even before the World Cup is over, a pressure group, Progressive Nationalist Forum (PNF), has already expressed concern about the manner in which the government was handling the airlifting of the fans and has called for investigations into the matter.

A statement issued in Accra yesterday and signed by Richard Nyamah, spokesperson of PNF, said “we are calling on the President to set up an investigative committee to look into the shambolic handling of the transportation of the fans to South Africa and the embarrassing treatment they underwent in both Ghana and South Africa.”

The group said government should also “do a full disclosure of the amount the state spent on sending the fans to South Africa.

To this effect, there should be a full publication of the list of the fans, the cost of transportation, feeding and lodging and entertainment.

“We also are requesting a publication of the supposed philanthropists who chose to bear the cost of the last 405 fans and their linkages to the government if any.

We also wish to hear the philanthropists indicate what motivated them to do what they did so we can determine if Ghanaians will be paying back at a later date in a different form.”

According to the PNF, the airlifting of the fans is estimated to cost not less than GH¢6 million to the state to transport, feed, house and entertain them in South Africa.

“An air ticket is between $1000 and 1,200. At $1000 per ticket, we the taxpayers will be paying some $1,405,000 or the cedi equivalent of some GH¢2,000,000. An average hotel bill at this moment in South Africa is $500,” it said.

“Granted that most of the fans will be housed in hostels at some $100 per day, this will amount to some $140,500 per day for all the fans. If the fans are to be in South Africa for the duration of the first round matches, they will be staying for a minimum of fourteen days at our expense.

This will cost us some $196,700 or the equivalent of GH¢3m. If the 1405 fans were even to be fed for only $1m, the total bill for their stay in South Africa will cost this state not less than GH¢6m,” PNF added.

Ras Mubarak, an NDC activist, also lambasted the government for flying “disgruntled” party foot-soldiers to South Africa under the pretext of sending soccer fans there.
In an article posted on the net, Mubarak thinks the purpose is to score political points.

“We should find out whether indeed it was a priority to sponsor over thousand people who are made up of largely party supporters, in a very weak attempt to assuage the base of the NDC, which is not impressed so far about what is happening.

“The critical issue for me as a Ghanaian is to find out whether it is a priority for a government that is complaining about a former administration [of] leaving mountains of debts and actually rolling out austere measures that are squeezing Ghanaians,” he queried.

He asked for the identity of the faces behind the so-called sponsorship. “A time has come for us to ask for full disclosure; who are the so-called sponsors who have associated themselves with this trip?

They cannot tell Ghanaians that these companies do not want to be mentioned.”

He said the gesture by the government was not only an attempt at silencing the members of NDC but to get good press, which unfortunately turned out to be a “bad attempt”.

He added that the “whole intention behind sending people to South Africa is not hinged on good faith”.

Though the government has denounced any involvement in organizing the last flight and accommodation for the stranded fans who were flown on late Wednesday evening via a chartered flight, the Deputy Minister’s failure to give details about the individual sponsors, in a way, seeks to give some sort of credence to the speculations of underhand dealings.

But Mr. Afriyie-Ankrah insists “we got ourselves together and then we got some public spirited people to support and that’s what we did”.

Asked about the names and identities of other individuals who contributed to the cost of the entire trip of the stranded fans, including their going and return ticket, food and accommodation, he said “in Ghana, people support many, many causes, sometimes they want it to be public; sometimes they want it to be quiet.

So, I think that in this case, people feel that they are just doing this in the public interest not for PR or publicity.”

For this reason, he said, “they just want to keep it quiet and I think that it is something we must also respect.”

He would not disclose the number of people who raised the money involved, neither would he tell how much it cost to put everything together, saying “for all you know, me too I contributed maybe some GH¢500 or GH¢1,000.”

“If I hire a bus to cart people from El-Wak to the airport, it’s a contribution, isn’t. If somebody brings 1,000 packs of take-away, it’s a contribution.

If somebody brings water to them, it’s a contribution, do you understand me?” he asked rhetorically, stressing “people contributed in diverse ways but everybody thinks it should be a quiet thing,” he added.

The 345 of the 400 or so football fans who were stranded at the El-Wak Sports stadium since last week were flown to South Africa on late Wednesday.

They were left stranded after government, through the Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Nii Nortey Duah, said it had finished airlifting all one thousand fans it budgeted for and for that matter could not make any further provision for the remaining fans.

This led to a misunderstanding between the Deputy Ministers of Youth and Sports, whose Ministry was in-charge of organizing the trip, and the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, who wanted to save the face of government in the heat of the disappointment.

Meanwhile, a Deputy Sports Minister under the Kufuor Administration and Member of Parliament for Aburi-Nsawam constituency, Osei Bonsu Amoah, has cautioned the NDC government of the consequences of sponsoring such a large number of people for the World Cup.

He fears that there is likely to be some difficulties in bringing the people back after the tournament.

Ministers Clash Over Stranded Footsoldiers

Posted: Daily Guide|Thursday, 17 June 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
It appears that there is shadow boxing in government with two deputy ministers slugging it out over the stranded Black Stars’ supporters at the El-Wak Stadium in Accra, as they continue to churn out conflicting reports over the fate of the stranded supporters who are mostly National Democratic Congress (NDC) foot-soldiers.

While Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development said the foot-soldiers could now heave a sigh of relief as the leadership of the NDC mobilized funds to airlift them to South Africa to cheer the Stars, in their next match against Australia on Saturday, the man in charge of ferrying the supporters to South Africa, Nii Nortey Dua, deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, said the exercise was over.

Even though Nii Nortey Dua said there was no way out for the stranded supporters, mostly NDC foot-soldiers, Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah stated it was not a hopeless case and that something was being done about their situation.

Nii Nortey Dua told the stranded supporters, who have virtually made El Wak their temporary home, to search for accommodation in Accra to rent, stay in there and pretend they also went to watch the World Cup in South Africa, if going back to their homes would be embarrassing to them.

Speaking to Joy News yesterday, Nii Nortey Dua stated, “Some people are saying that they have said farewell to their family relations and their friends that they are going to South Africa.

So if they go back, they will feel very ashamed that they are not able to go.

“Such people should go and hire proper place of accommodation and stay so that after the tournament, they can go back and give the impression that they were in South Africa.”

Government had earlier promised to send over 2000 people to South Africa for the tournament but later cut down the number to 1000.

Most of the supporters flew to South Africa over the weekend, and government had indicated that it could not send more people to that country due to inadequate funding.
The decision has incurred the wrath of the stranded party foot-soldiers.

As a result, the NDC leadership has decided to mobilize funds swiftly to ferry the supporters to watch Ghana play in her second successive world cup appearance.

The deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development and former Deputy General Secretary of the party, Elvis Afriyie-Ankrah, is a member of the fund raising team which seeing to the lifting of the stranded foot soldiers to South Africa.

Elvis told Citi FM that by the close of yesterday, the foot-soldiers would have landed in South Africa.

“My general secretary, Hon. Ofosu Ampofo, myself and others are seeing how best we can help resolve the problem.

And so we’ve been trying to put our heads together and I can say that thankfully, all things being equal tonight, we will be able to airlift about 340 people, and if there are some left, then we will see how to push them on individual flights tomorrow, Thursday, June 17,” he said.

“We have a list of 370 people but I must say that by end of the day, everything will be quite clear,” he added.

The deputy Minister said that the cost of sending the foot-soldiers was being borne by some philanthropists who he was not ready to name.

“We contacted some individuals who expressed their willingness to pay, once we are able to get an aircraft and put our stuff together.

One of the flight that left for South Africa on Monday June 14, almost all the people on that flight were paid for by some individuals, so people are showing a lot of interest and once they see that supporters are desirous of going and they are stranded, they are ready to support them”.

It was not clear whether the stranded supports were able to go last night.

However, President of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS), Wonder Madilo, has ridiculed Nii Nortey Dua’s statement, stressing that “asking them to rent rooms in Accra and stay is neither here nor there.”

Taking into consideration the fact that some of the stranded fans have travelled all the way from Tamale in the Northern region to Accra, the NUGS President said the deputy Minister’s advice is not only in bad taste but also uncalled for, and should rather look at ways to help solve the problem instead of making such uncomplimentary remarks.

He believes that the entire planning process for the trip was flawed since, according to him, “it seems to be the case that people who are made as representatives on committees do not have the right expertise to deliver on the reason for which they have been appointed.”

Nii Nortey Dua insists neither his Ministry nor the planning committee was aware of any such arrangement to airlift the fans to South Africa, as suggested by his colleague, Mr Afriyie-Ankrah.

“As far as my ministry is concerned, we sent the last batch of the supporters to South Africa on Sunday evening, June 13, and we have never discussed sending any more people,” he told Citi Fm.

Under the current circumstance, Nii Nortey Dua said government cannot bear the expenses of the remaining 400 or so stranded fans, having already airlifted 1,000 fans to South Africa, under the government funded initiative, to support the senior national football team, the Black Stars.

For this reason, he said, any individual or group of persons who have the intention of travelling to South Africa to watch the world cup should do so in their own capacity.

Mr. Afriyie-Ankrah however seemed surprised his colleague deputy Minister of Youth and Sports was unaware of the arrangement they were making to airlift the stranded fans to South Africa since, according to him, are arrangements are being made by private individuals to get the remaining supporters to watch the world cup.

“As far as I know, those who have to know are aware,” Elvis said.

Azeem Slams Pratt

Posted: Daily Guide |Thursday, 17 June 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
THE CREDIBILITY of the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) has been brought to question.

Executive Secretary of Transparency International’s (TI) local chapter, the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Vitus Azeem, cannot comprehend why the group, which is often led by Mr. Kwesi Pratt Jnr. and his cohorts, have suddenly become numb about protesting against the very issues they used to fight against with passion and enthusiasm a couple of years ago.

Speaking at a public forum put together by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) foundation in Accra on Tuesday, under the theme ‘The role of civil society and private institutions in fighting corruption’, Mr. Azeem said “this has reduced in the last two years, for obvious reasons.”

Whilst appreciating the role the CJA used to play in bringing pressure to bear on President Kufuor and his erstwhile New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to take appropriate action against individuals and group of persons perceived to have engaged in corrupt practices, Mr. Azeem wondered whether they would have the moral courage to do same to the present administration. This, he was not sure of.

When asked in a subsequent interview with DAILY GUIDE as to why he thought the CJA has virtually gone into hibernation, the GII boss said “it’s obvious, former President Rawlings and President Atta Mills used to join them.

They were largely supported by the opposition then and now that opposition is in power, so you don’t expect ex-President Rawlings or President Mills to go and join a demonstration.”

Though Mr. Pratt sought to justify the sudden silence of the usually vociferous CJA, Mr. Azeem’s comments affirm the belief that he (Mr. Pratt) and the CJA are now in bed with the incumbent government hence their inability to criticize them.

Some have also questioned why the CJA failed to organize and lead the demonstration against the recent astronomical increases in utility tariffs as it did during the previous administration.

That notwithstanding, the anti-corruption campaigner said Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have not been satisfactorily vigilant in looking out for individuals who engage in corrupt acts, blowing the whistle on them or taking joint action to bring pressure to bear on government to take action on the culprits.

Also appreciating the effort of the media in carrying out effective investigations and exposing some of these corrupt practices in society, Mr. Azeem indicated “unfortunately, action on many of these allegations, and or revelations has not been satisfactory for various reasons, including lack of commitment on the part of the executive and the judiciary to fighting corruption, sometimes frustrating these journalists.”

Considering the multi-faceted nature of corruption, he believes that no matter how much the private sector and the CSOs do in the fight against it, they cannot succeed without what he described as effective governance.

For that reason, he has stressed the need for the three arms of government, being the executive, legislature and the judiciary, to play their roles effectively and provide Ghanaians with transparent, accountable and participatory governance.

Mr. Azeem noted “We need an executive that will design and implement anti-corruption policies and bring before Parliament bills that will promote transparency and accountability”, emphasizing “we need a Parliament that will enact bold laws without fear of being caught by those laws themselves.”

In the final analysis, Mr. Azeem also spoke about the need for a judiciary that does not allow corruption, politics and personal interest to influence their decisions.

KNUST Don Endorses Konadu

Posted: Daily Guide |Tuesday, 15 June 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
There seems to be a massive endorsement for the candidature of former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings for the flag-bearership of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Latest to join the series of endorsements is a senior political science lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kwasi Amakye.

Mr. Amakye joins people like the Danquah Institute’s Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, who disagrees with those who argue that Konadu would be a disaster, since according to him, “she is arguably the most politically exposed and politically experienced Ghanaian female around.”

In an interview with DAILY GUIDE, Mr. Amakye said “generally speaking, there is nothing wrong with any Ghanaian who thinks that he or she is a Presidential material and for that matter has the capacity to help turn Ghana’s fortunes around.”

Although Mrs. Rawlings has so far not openly stated her intentions to run for the position, except for the speculations and people rooting for her, he said “it is commendable, there is nothing wrong with it at all.”
Mr. Amakye said he has every reason to believe that she has the capacity to play that role.

For him, the issue as to whether she would be an effective political leader is a different matter altogether, considering the fact that it’s a different ball game running an institution or organization, and administering a country of well over 23 million people with various political beliefs and ideologies.

According to the KNUST don, he has a problem with how the whole episode is being played out in public “because she is in a political organization which interestingly is in government.”

This, he said was because the NDC has a sitting President who has barely served half of his term of office.

Aside that, he said the party’s constitution does not allow individuals and group of persons to throw in their bid when it has not opened the process for people to file their nominations for vacant positions.

According to him, such an open declaration of intention would not be proper, stressing that it would undermine the sitting President and violate the party’s own constitution.

Mr. Amakye thus appreciates the fact that the former First Lady has not personally committed herself to any such thing, apart from the speculations about her intentions.

Other than that, the political science lecturer said it would not only have been undemocratic, but also inappropriate on her part, since that would be tantamount to undermining the very foundations of the institution she may be seeking to lead.

For this reason, he said such things should not be encouraged in any political party, emphasizing “it in a way represents lawlessness, and that is definitely not to be tolerated.”

He therefore noted that it is good that the NDC as a party has had cause to state its position on the subject, asking every member of the party who nurses the ambition to contest for any position to respect its constitution.

Having been an active First Lady for 19 years and running a women's movement (31st December Women's Movement), which at one time boasted of a two-million membership nationwide, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko described Mrs. Rawlings’ mobilisation prowess as legendary.

With these and other credentials, he is convinced that Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings is more than qualified to lead the NDC, and the country.

Pastor, 4 Others Found Guilty

Posted: Daily Guide |Friday, 11 June 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
THE SUPREME Court has found Reverend (Rev) Ransford Obeng, former head of the Calvary Charismatic Church (CCC), and others, including one Joseph Opoku, C.K Acolatse, R.K Owusu and C.O Kpodo, guilty for attempting to defraud the Assemblies of God Church, Ghana, of its right of ownership.

The CCC was a branch of the Assemblies of God Church.

On November 16, 1992, Rev. Obeng and his accomplices wrote a letter in their capacity as members of the Board of the CCC, to the Assemblies of God Church, in which they stated their decision to cease affiliation with the Assemblies of God, with effect from November 19, 1992.

They therefore sought to claim ownership of the church building and the office block, as well as its properties.

After a lengthy trial which spanned 1993 to December, 2001, a High Court in Kumasi, presided over by Justice Quaye, ruled in favour of the Assemblies of God Church, since according to him, evidence showed that even though the plot of land was acquired by Calvary Charismatic Ministry (CCM), CCC jointly invested in development of the church building with them, which creates joint ownership rights in both CCC and CCM.

Whilst Rev. Obeng and his accomplices were aggrieved by the said decision and appealed against it, the Assemblies of God Church asked for more reliefs by way of variation of judgement, and therefore proceeded to the Appeals Court, where Justices Coram Lartey, Tweneboa-Kodua and Asare-Korang, by a majority decision, ruled on April 22, 2005, dismissing the appeal and affirming the judgment of the lower court.

The Appeals Court therefore insisted that the church building and the office block, as well as movable properties acquired before November 16, 1992, should be held in trust for the Assemblies of God Church.

Dissatisfied with the decision of the Appeals Court, Rev. Obeng and his accomplices proceeded to the Supreme Court, where after going through various arguments, the five justices, who sat on the case on February 3, 2010, including Justices Dr. Date-Bah, Adinyira, Owusu, Dotse and Anin Yeboah, concluded that the circumstance under which Rev. Ransford Obeng purported to have changed the registration documents with respect to a plot of land situated at No 12, Atimpongya, upon which CCC, which was later changed to CCM, was built, smacks of fraud.

This, the court said, was evident in the fact that CCM was not in existence when the land was purchased in 1990, and that “the attempt by the 1st defendant, Rev. Ransford Obeng, to change the purchase date from 1990, when there was no division, to 1992, smells of fraud.”

In view of that, they said “it will be manifestly unjust to allow the defendants to enrich themselves by their own fraud.”

The suit emanated from a letter which was written by the defendants on November 16, 1992, in their capacity as Board of the CCC, and addressed to the Assemblies of God Church, in which they informed the church of their decision to cease affiliation with them.

The profound effect of this letter compelled the Assemblies of God Church to file a suit in the High Court, to make claims for its properties, since the defendants (CCC) were making desperate moves to take over both movable and immovable properties of the church, including the church building itself.

The Supreme Court sought to determine whether CCC was a local branch of the Assemblies of God upon its establishment in 1985, or became an affiliate only in 1990 when it acquired the ‘set in order’ status.

It also wanted to ascertain whether the decision of the CCC Board to cease affiliation with the Assemblies of God in November 1992, amounted to a division or secession from the church, whilst probing to determine whether the plaintiff (Assemblies of God) lacked the capacity to have instituted the suit against the defendants.

The Justices of the Supreme Court noted, “Our own in-depth analysis and study of all the evidence on record, coupled with the exhibits and the judgments of the trial and the Appellate Courts, is that, what happened in the Calvary Charismatic Centre was that the defendants used their position in the CCC at the material time, hijacked the church, declared their cessation agenda in order to satisfy their own spiritual and material advantages.”

From the scenario that had been given in the record of appeal, the Court said it was clear that the word ‘division’ and ‘secession’ could be used interchangeably, since they meant one and the same thing.

As far as the Court was concerned, the findings of the trial judge on this issue, which was concurred by the Court of Appeal, were sound, both in facts and the law, and found no reason to set it aside, emphasising the fact that “a party against whom two concurring findings have been made first, the trial Court and the Appellate Court must be slow to bring the appeal to the second Appellate Court such as this Supreme Court.”

In such an instance, the Supreme Court indicated that there should be cogent, strong, legal grounds of appeal that must be filed and argued to convince the second appellate Court to reverse the findings of fact.

On the whole, the Judges noted, “we endorse the finding that what happened in the CCC was a division, and that in the context of this case, secession and division mean the same thing.”

The Court thus upheld the judgment of the trial High Court dated December 11, 2001 as was varied per the majority judgment of the Court of Appeal per Justices Lartey and Tweneboa Kodua, dated April 22, 2005, in entirety, and accordingly dismissed the appeal by the rebellious priest.

NDC Boss Strikes

Posted: Daily Guide |Friday, 11 June 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu & A.R Gomda
Dr. Kwabena Adjei, Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has furiously lashed out at persons who, according to him, are trying to cause trouble in the party by bickering over its leadership towards the 2012 presidential race.

He particularly hit at Herbert Mensah, while avoiding Mr. Rawlings and his wife Nana Konadu, like a plague.

“Some people are trying to rock the boat, and it is time for us to tell them that we can’t continue to sit down and then see them rock the boat,” he huffed and puffed.

Kwabena Adjei’s anger came on the heels of a fierce encounter on Radio Gold last Wednesday between Herbert Mensah and Ato Ahwoi, over who said what about the health challenges of President John Evans Atta Mills prior to the 2008 presidential elections.

While the NDC capo avoided mentioning the names of the ex-First Couple, he was not charitable with the Rawlingses’ pal Herbert Mensah, saying, “And who is that Herbert? I don’t know him anywhere. When did he join the party?”

When pushed to get closer to the names he thought were behind the ongoing fracas in the NDC, he shouted: “You want to put words in my mouth. Don’t you yourself know what is happening?

Don’t you know what is happening? Why do you want me to say it? Don’t you know what is happening? I mean we are fed up with what is happening now.”

For those following recent developments, they could only relish a guess when the NDC National Chairman said:

“We don’t want to talk about it, but it has come to a point when we now want to tell those people that if Prof Mills doesn’t succeed, nobody will succeed, nobody! It should be clear to them. If people want to make sure that they undermine Prof Atta Mills so that they will come to power, they lie…”

About how the President was taking the unfolding events, he said the man was unshaken, adding that anyone who takes the First Gentleman for granted was underestimating him, given his record as a former Vice President and a sportsman.

“Some of you people take the man for granted. A professor of law who has been a vice president before and is the President of the Republic of Ghana: Why do you people think you can underestimate a man like that?

A sportsman like that? His demeanour is cool. He’s not worried about all this nonsense that is going on, he’s not!” he stressed.

The verbal clash between Herbert Mensah, a close associate of the Rawlingses’, and Ato Ahwoi, a leading member of the NDC and a pal of President Mills, alongside the flaunting of a Nana Konadu For 2012 bid, had come under a scathing attack from the party chairman.

He served notice that a group of NDC persons was busy rocking the boat of the party, warning that he and others would not allow them to have their way.

This latest response from the National Chairman of the ruling party had widened the scope of the internal wrangling, deepening the schism that now exists in the political grouping.

He expressed worry about what for him was an in-house machination from the highest echelon of the party- a conclusion informed by a careful watching of unfolding events, according to him.

President Mills, contrary to what had been peddled about his health status, he said, was well and not sick.

“There is nothing wrong with President Mills. President Mills is not ill. President Mills is doing what he can to promote the Better Ghana agenda. That’s it!” Dr. Adjei said.

“The likes of me have sat down; we have not talked about anything; we have watched events; we are worried. We are worried because this is coming from within our own ranks and from the highest echelon of our ranks,” he added.

On Tuesday, Herbert Mensah, a businessman and an associate of the Rawlingses, clashed with a man considered as a member of President Mills’ kitchen cabinet over alleged discussion about dumping Mills in the run-up to the last elections.

During the last June 4 celebration in Tamale, a group of party activists flew a ‘Nana Konadu for 2012’ kite and ended up opening a Pandora’s Box, whose fallouts were said to be causing disquiet in the ruling party.
While some had spoken openly about it, others preferred to keep mute.

Presidential Aide and National Youth Organiser, Ludwig Hlodze, when contacted yesterday by DAILY GUIDE for comment, declined the request.

Asked how the President felt about the raging issue, Ludwig said he had taken a personal decision not to comment on it, though he admitted it was part of his duty to respond to such issues.

The recent challenges facing the ruling party, which threaten its very foundation, had compelled leadership to issue a stern warning against what it described as mushroom organisations within the party.

Whilst it reaffirmed the rights of every member of the NDC to aspire to any position within the party and the country at large, the FEC maintained “these rights must be exercised within the confines of the NDC constitution and the constitution of the Republic of Ghana”.

At a press conference to commemorate the 18th anniversary of the formation of the party in Accra yesterday, General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu-Nketiah said, “The FEC also notes with concern, attempts to undermine the sitting President and leader of our party by certain individuals with the objective of furthering the presidential ambitions of some members of the party in 2012.”

He noted that the modus operandi of these potential aspirants had been the promotion and support of these supposed mushroom organisations within the party to begin and intensify agitations based on genuine challenges the leadership was trying to address.

Though he did not mention the name(s) of any individual or group of persons, it was obvious that Mr. Asiedu-Nketiah was referring to the recent promotional campaign for wife of former President Rawlings, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, to contest President Mills at the party’s next congress to become flagbearer.

The party’s General Secretary therefore stated emphatically: “The Functioning Executive Committee (FEC) takes a serious view of these developments and wishes to remind all concerned that the first commitment of an NDC member is to accept the constitution, aims, objectives, policies and programmes of the party.”

This, he said, was because Article 38 (a) of the party’s constitution provides for rules of conduct for party members which states inter alia “that every member of the party shall ensure the unity and cohesion of the party at all times”.

The FEC reminded those pursuing any such ‘hidden agendas’ of the decision the party took at its 2002 congress, not to approve or encourage the formation of such parallel structures within the party.

Meanwhile, a former pal of Mr. Jerry John Rawlings and Number Two man in the erstwhile AFRC junta, has stated that the ex-first couple has continued to irk Ghanaians by what he describes as their delusions.

Retired Captain Kwadwo Boakye-Gyan declared that as far he was concerned, the two persons were desperate for power because of the country’s imminent oil resources.

Rawlings, he said, was a person he knows very well and who had the capacity to manipulate and use pretences to achieve his selfish ends.

Konadu For President:

Herbert Mensah Speaks Out
Posted: Daily Guide| Tuesday, 08 June 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Close pal to the Rawlingses, Herbert Mensah does not understand why any individual or group of persons in the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) would take issue with Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings’ decision to run for the party’s flagbearership position, if she indeed wants to do so.

Though he claimed to be unaware of any such intention by the former First Lady, Mr. Mensah said there was nothing wrong if she indeed had the desire to be Ghana’s president.

In an exclusive interview with DAILY GUIDE, the sports enthusiast and businessman said, “I am not aware that Mrs. Rawlings wants to run against Professor Mills; but there is a supposition that she wants to”.

However, according to him, neither she nor her husband, Mr. Rawlings, had disclosed such intentions to him.

Herbert Mensah stressed the belief that the issue of whether or not the former First Lady would run for the position of NDC flagbearer would largely depend on how well the sitting President, Professor John Evans Atta Mills, performs between now and when the party goes to congress, based on the promises made to the electorate.

“So she hasn’t stated that she would run. If there is pressure on her, if Prof is not stepping up to the plate as being said, then a vacuum is created.

Mrs. Rawlings and others may also decide that this is the time to stand. Obviously because of her name, she will make more prominence than others,” he noted.

Mr. Mensah said he was at the recently-held June 4 celebration in Tamale and never heard either Mr. Rawlings or his wife, Nana Konadu, say anything that sought to create the impression that she was going to contest the NDC flagbearership for 2012.

According to him, even the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) appreciates the fact that there was a vacuum, which was why the opposition party believed it could win the 2012 general elections.

For this reason, he said, “I also believe that there is a vacuum and if indeed she is called, I don’t know but she is entitled to and she may well decide that under that pressure, she will contest.”

That notwithstanding, he said, it would be the prerogative of Mrs. Rawlings to take any such decision, stressing, “If Mrs. Rawlings really wanted to run, that is her prerogative to run.

I think the structure of democracy we are in, people are struggling between people having private opinions and people having intents. There are a lot of considerations here and if she wants to, she is entitled to it.

“The youth are agitating. The youth have a problem and her view was that too little, if nothing or not enough, was being done by government and that was her position.

But at no point did she say ‘I’m now running for government’, except for two or more of those posters advertising Konadu for 2012 which were being held by some students in the crowd,” he added.

Meanwhile, aide to former President Jerry Rawlings, Kofi Adams, has fended off criticisms that the former First Couple is power drunk, arguing that Nana Konadu is more than qualified to be Ghana's president.

According to him, for 28 years, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings had worked to better the lot of the underprivileged in the country and that made the former First Lady stand tall amongst all the people whose names had so far come up as possible successors to President J.E.A. Mills.

“We have presidents across the world, some of whom have not even half of the percentage of experience Nana Konadu has [accumulated] in the last 28 years that she has been actively involved in the political activities of this country,” he told Joy Fm.

Clearly, Nana Konadu seemed to have turned her eyes on the teeming youth in the country.

Speaking in Tamale on June 4 she said, “If you say you have a youth employment programme, what are they employing? Who are they employing? What employable skills do you want them to have?”

Touting her credentials, she added, “When some of us started as revolutionaries, we were just like you. We were idealistic, with passion; we wanted change by all means necessary.

And today we have a good crop of youthful people, youthful exuberant Ghanaians who are wondering, which way forward”.

Mrs Rawlings said the NDC won elections because the people believed in change.

“We believed in real change; not changing to go on with the old order. We believe there should be real change for the sake of change.
But you cannot change and remain in the same place and continue marking time. So for those of us who believe in the issue of change-¬ the real change-¬ know that we should move from where we are to another destination.”

Muntaka In Trouble

Posted:Daily Guide |Tuesday, 08 June 2010


By Charles Takyi-Boadu
AFTER FAILING to secure the position of National Youth Organizer of his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mohammed Abdulai Mubarak aka Ras Mubarak is considering the option of running for parliament.

He is currently torn between two constituencies, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak’s Asawasi seat and Justice Joe Appiah’s Ablekuma North seat.

“I am still in consultation with constituents and will have to decide on whether or not to contest Hon. Muntaka Mubarak for the Asawasi constituency or Hon. Justice Joe Appiah for the Ablekuma North constituency,” he told DAILY GUIDE exclusively.

Though he believes his extensive stay in both constituencies and his popularity would enable him to win the seat, Ras Mubarak is also contemplating whether to contest on the ticket of the NDC or run as an independent candidate.

He said at the “appropriate time” he will make an official announcement regarding which constituency he would run for at the primaries and whether it will be as an independent contender.

Should he win the primaries and subsequently either of the two parliamentary seats, the youth activist said “my priority would be to serve the interest of my constituents. Unlike many MPs who conveniently stay out of touch with their constituents, I would engage my constituency through a series of monthly town hall meetings to find solutions to issues affecting the constituency.”

For him, the issue of flooding in the Ablekuma North is a pressing one that needs quick attention.

Though the NPP has held the Ablekuma North seat for years, he said it has been unable to fight for the interest of constituents and hopes win the seat for the NDC.

Another thing on his mind is to fight for the total independence of the legislature. “It is in the interest of parliament to elect one of its members as a Speaker. MPs have a better understanding of how parliament works and bringing in an outsider smacks of an imposition by the executive.”

He believes it is high time people who live off the public purse make some sacrifices just as other Ghanaians do when they struggle to commute to and from work using a broken down transportation system.

“If MPs queued for vehicles to and from work like real Ghanaians do they might have a sense of what their constituents go through and would spend time focusing on real issues and less on the frills,” he noted.
In that regard, he stressed the urgent need to improve the country’s transportation system for politicians to also use it.

Ghana’s Oil Mortgaged

Posted:Daily Guide |Friday, 04 June 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
There are indications that all is not well with the deal between the Government of Ghana and South Korean construction firm, STX, in relation to the financing of some 30,000 housing units under the Security Services Housing Project.

At a stakeholders’ forum put together by the Danquah Institute and Imani Ghana in Accra yesterday, speaker after speaker questioned the prudence of the deal.

Chief among the critics was Policy Analyst Kofi Bentil who questioned the rationale behind the agreement which will see 20 years of Ghana’s oil proceeds mortgaged.

He was optimistic the deal would have serious ramifications for the nation since, according to him, “Ghana does not have $4.5 billion to spend.”

More so, he said, “even if we borrow that money and spent it, we will be financially bankrupt”.

Mr Bentil cannot fathom why a clause in the agreement stipulates that Ghana’s oil revenue will be mortgaged for 20 years to defray the cost of the construction, stressing “that is unacceptable.”
Per the terms of the agreement, it is envisaged that each house will cost $60,000.

Kofi Bentil and his colleague, Franklin Cudjoe, Executive Director of Imani, believe the amount involved would serve the country better if the contract was awarded to local contractors.

Franklin Cudjoe thus stressed the need to get local players to drive the project.

Though it welcomes government’s decision to undertake this huge project to deal significantly with the gross housing deficit in Ghana, estimated at one million houses, Imani believes the deal raises serious questions.

“It seems to be more of an agenda for a better Korea than a better Ghana,” was how Mr. Cudjoe put it.

On his part, Sammy Amegayibor, who represented the Ghana Real Estate Developers' Association (GREDA), also lamented how government has refused to sit down with them to explore the option of getting the GREDA to undertake the project since, according to him, local contractors are more than capable.

On May 4, 2010, the Government of Ghana sought to push through several loan agreements under a certificate of urgency when Parliament was on recess.

One was a Suppliers Credit Financing Agreement between the Government of Ghana and STX Engineering and Construction Limited (subsidiary of the STX Group, Korea) for an amount of US$1,525,443,468.00 to construct 30,000 housing units for the security services - with 20,000 units for the Police Service (including 10,240 units), and the remaining 10,000 to be spread among the other security agencies, including the Military and the Prison Service.

Vice President John Dramani Mahama led a government delegation to South Korea to complete agreement formalities on the housing project and sign another MOU on an infrastructure establishment project with STX, targeting Ghana's oil.

However, Frank Tackie, the President of the Ghana Institute of Planners, who represented the Ghana Institute of Architects, the Ghana Institute of Engineers and the Ghana Institute of Surveyors, said alternative local building materials, local expertise and better value for money can be achieved if Government had focused on Ghanaian firms, materials and expertise rather than Korea.

Also at the forum, Robert Ahomka Lindsey, the former CEO of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), made the point that foreign direct investment is to supplement local initiatives rather than as substitute.

He charged local industry players to come together and offer a viable option to both Parliament and Government so that they have a practical alternative to look at.

Under the terms of the agreement, the government will have to pay an amount of $4.5 billion upfront before the construction will begin and an amount of $12.5 million as management fee.

Meanwhile, the President of the Republic of Korea (or South Korea), Lee Myung-bak, is scheduled to visit Ghana somewhere in July 2010, as part of an investment-promotion tour to selected African countries.