Konadu Boys Hit ‘Stupid’ Ministers

Posted: Daily Guide |Monday, 12 July 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Friends of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings (FONKAR) are at it again; this time round, hurling insults at two young deputy Ministers, virtually describing them as stupid.

At the receiving end of these insults are the deputy Ministers of Information, James Agyenim-Boateng and that of Environment, Science and Technology, Edward Omane-Boamah, for ostensibly opening their mouths too wide against former First Lady Nana Konadu, who appears to be nursing a presidential ambition.

The two deputy ministers, who were said to be displaying “flowery stupidity, mental incompetence and unbridled arrogance,” by FONKAR, were said to have commented on the reason why the former first couple continued to stay apart after their official residence at Ridge gutted fire.

In a statement signed by Ransford Vanni-Amoah and Dela Coffie, founder and communications director respectively, on behalf of the group, they expressed reservation about comments made by the two deputy Ministers about the accommodation issue of the former first family which has become an issue for public discussion since Nana Konadu said she and her husband had been compelled by circumstances to look for a place to rent.

The group said it took exception to the reckless and cold-hearted comments by the Minister (s) that the Rawlingses had rejected all provisional accommodation offered them by government, since according to them, Agyenim-Boateng lied that Mr. Rawlings liked the facility but his wife and their idol rejected it.

That, they said, was because the fact on the ground did not support “such reckless assertion and we are unnerved by the Minister’s shallow-mindedness and his attempt to turn the Rawlingses against each other.”

“Just as we thought that Herbert Mensah, the man in the centre of the negotiation, has clarified the issue, Omane Boamah, deputy Minister of Science and Technology, reiterated the earlier position by James Agyenim-Boateng on Joy FM’s Newsfile programme on Saturday 10th July 2010,” the statement said .

FONKAR therefore wonders why “responsible Ministers of state will display such flowery stupidity, mental incompetence and unbridled arrogance in this sensitive issue”, saying, “To suggest that Mrs. Rawlings rejected the facility on the grounds of preference rather than security considerations is ridiculous, unfounded and deplorable stunt.”

The group has therefore asked the Chief of Staff, Henry Martey Newmann, to come clear on the issue to set the records straight since it is of the conviction that what has been put in public domain is nothing but a deliberate lie, because “we are amazed at the level of extreme obsession by people in government to run down the Rawlingses and will not sit by and allow ‘strangers’ in the NDC to destroy what has been built for well over 19 years.”

The leadership of FONKAR said it was compelled to issue this statement because it had the conviction that “the display of unmatched folly by James Agyenim-Boateng, Omane Boamah and their likes, by spewing out nonsense, is becoming unbecoming.”

Rather than tolerate plurality, they noted with emphasis that “the President and his advisors have continued to use their position as a platform to engage in behaviors that are untypical of the NDC.”

The group has therefore asked President Mills to show leadership and get rid of ‘political vultures agent-provocateurs’ whose sole aim was to destroy the party with their greedy and politics of attrition, whilst calling on the Rawlingses to remain calm in the face of undue provocation.

“Rather than engage these natters and rabble rousers and fall knee-deep into their maggot-filled cesspit, the Rawlingses must exercise maximum restraint to preserve their nobility and stature among their admirers,” the group said, adding “after all, there will be no NDC without the Rawlingses.”

The group has therefore vowed heaven and earth to deny those it calls ‘unscrupulous elements’ the unsavory reputation they are desperately seeking to earn.

Should they continue with their agenda to discredit the Rawlingses, FONKAR says “we will have no alternative but to declare them WANTED in the NDC.”

Konadu Rejected Houses

Posted: Daily Guide |Friday, 09 July 2010


By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Government has denied claims by former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings that it had virtually neglected former President Jerry Rawlings after fire destroyed his Ridge residence.

Information Minister John Tia, in a statement issued in Accra yesterday, countered claims by Nana Konadu that little had been done by government to look for an alternative accommodation for her family to live in since the fire incident.

The statement indicated that it was rather the Rawlingses who rejected offers made to them by government, adding “it (government) has done everything within its power to ensure that the former First Family is properly re-settled.”

Mr. Tia said government had been in constant touch with members of the ex-President’s team who had indicated a preference for the reconstruction of the burnt Ridge residence.

The ex-President’s team, led by Herbert Mensah, a close confidant, indicated the Rawlingses’ preference for a rented facility for the period of reconstruction of the gutted house when they rejected the initial offers.

Government, Mr Tia said, had been “awaiting indication of their preferred premises.”

He said “the rent for the said premises will be borne by government”.

In the light of this, government has stressed its commitment towards ex-Presidents of the country, though the issue of former President John Kufuor remains unresolved.

Far from what Nana Konadu was reported to have said on Joy FM, the Information Minister insisted “government has taken the necessary steps to ensure that this is done and is awaiting certain information from the ex-President’s team to be able to conclude arrangements to ensure that reconstruction work commences.”

The former First Lady had said she had been compelled by circumstances to “perch” with her mother whilst her sweetheart shuttles between Tefle in the Volta Region and Accra, a situation she said was not good for a couple.

But Mr. Herbert Mensah, who has been having discussions with the Office of the Chief of the Staff on behalf of the former first family, has denied that Nana Konadu had accused government of neglect, saying she was taken out of context.

He told DAILY GUIDE yesterday that it was not only inaccurate but also offensive and misleading for James Agyenim-Boateng, a deputy Minister of Information, to create the impression that the Rawlingses were offered an accommodation but turned it down.

Mr Agyenim-Boateng had said that the former first couple had rejected three places that had been shown to them, with the explanation that they wanted to rebuild the gutted house.

“Indeed we have tried to provide the former First Family with accommodation that is befitting, that can reasonably guarantee their safety and security pending renovation works on their Ridge residence which [got] burnt down.”

He said they were first offered a residence at the AU Village, which is “pretty close to their burnt residence” as a holding place for them but they “turned down” the offer.

The residence of the former National Security Co-ordinator, Francis Poku, was refurbished to befit their status but that was also rejected.

"We felt that it was reasonably safe and secure for holding a former president and his spouse. The place was prepared to befit their status in terms of their safety and their security.

Again, the former President did like the place but the former First Lady did not like the place, based on that, it was turned down," the Deputy Minister said.

According to Mr. Agyenim-Boateng, the Rawlingses said they wanted to select their own contractor, do their own design and supervise the project themselves even though the cost would be borne by the State.

Considering the fact that the AU Village has been a subject of a raging controversy, Mr. Mensah asked rhetorically, “Would it not be a bit stupid for President Rawlings to go and stay in that place when you say you want to go and charge the people?”

Aside that, he said “you see how open it is, if somebody even wants to shoot you from somewhere, they have no high walls in terms of security. So it is not like you are offering a sensible alternative.”

On Francis Poku’s house, Mr. Mensah indicated that it was the former President himself who said it was inappropriate since it raised a lot of security-minded issues, considering its location and the nature of the previous occupant.

“Not at any point in time did President Rawlings say that he was happy to stay there and she (Nana Konadu) was the one who said she was not happy to stay there,” he stated.

When Nana Konadu appeared on that Joy FM programme to tell Ghanaians and supporters of the ruling government as to whether or not the 2008 Presidential Candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would pose a threat to the chances of the NDC if he was elected to lead the party for the 2012 general elections, she declined to comment.

The former First Lady parried the question and said she preferred to focus on the 31st December Women’s Movement, an NGO she formed, the difficulty women and children go through and the negative effects of the Internet on children.

“Let’s talk about positive things,” she added.

That notwithstanding, she said the NDC had pretty good chances at the 2012 elections if it tackled the issues that went wrong during the eight years of the NPP in power.

For her, the future was bright, not necessarily because of what the NDC government had done or might be doing but by just looking at the supposed rot that engulfed the country during the NPP era.

Nana Konadu said the NPP totally impoverished Ghanaians.

“I believe the issues that we (31st December Women’s Movement) fought for are still relevant. We have to look at what went wrong and see what can be done right,” she said.

STX In Massive PR Gimmick

Posted: Daily Guide |Wednesday, 07 July 2010

By Charles Takyi-Boadu
IN THE face of the stiff opposition from industry players and civil society organisations against a US$10billion housing deal between it and the Government of Ghana (GoG), STX Corporation (Korea) has launched a massive public relations campaign to clear any doubts about the deal.

The documentary, which spans between10 and 15 minutes, is currently being aired on all major television stations in the country.

It outlines the achievements of the company since it was established some years ago, alongside some of its ongoing projects, including the deal it has signed with the GoG for the construction of 200, 000 housing units for the various security agencies.

In the said documentary, STX recounts its achievements in several countries in the areas of ship-building business, offshore business, diesel engine, business for ships & military, diesel power business, industrial plant business, construction, energy, shipping and electronic equipment (TASS, TACM, Radar..).

It also talks of how the company has helped in developing those countries.

In spite of this, some civil society organisations, including the Imani Centre for Policy and Education and the Danquah Institute, have raised concerns about the deal.

Imani believes that the Parliament of Ghana does not have sufficient information before it to make the right and necessary determinations relevant to the STX-Ghana contract, stressing “as things stand now, the conduct of the Parliament of Ghana has been the least commendable in this whole affair.”

The think-tank believes that by Parliament’s conduct and misconduct, it has betrayed the confidence of stakeholders across this country, regarding its capacity to act diligently and steadfastly in the supreme interest of the people of Ghana.

The Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) backtracked on their opposition to the STX deal, asking Parliament to pass the deal.

They however made a proposal for an alternative deal, which they want considered alongside STX, which would enable GREDA to provide 5,000 housing units for government per year at an estimated cost of $90,000.

STX Corporation is a South Korean holding company engaged in the provision of trading services. Headquartered in Gyeongsangnamdo, South Korea, the company operates its business through two divisions; trade and ship maintenance.

Its trade business division provides shipping and energy materials, coal, oil, steel and others. Its ship maintenance business offers cargo management, marine technical, insurance, crew management and other related services.

The company had four local subsidiaries including STX Offshore & Shipbuilding, STX Engine, STX Heavy Industries, STX PanOcean and STX Energy.

STX Offshore & Shipbuilding is the world's fourth largest shipbuilder, recently acquiring Norwegian Shipbuilder Aker Yards in order to diversify their product line.

Aker Yards, as Europe's largest shipbuilder, had technical background in Cruise ship building.

The STX Group, formerly Ssangyong Heavy Industries, recently had an Initial Public Offering (IPO) of STX PanOcean. The IPO gave the group a substantial amount of cash to acquire Aker Yards.