Review of PRINT MEDIA

DAILY GRAPHIC – TUESDAY, 29TH JULY, 2003

1. UPGRADE COUNCIL OF STATE. TO SERVE NATION BETTER – PRESIDENT – PGS. 1 & 3
President Kufuor has suggested that the Council of State will serve a better purpose if it is upgraded to a second chamber of Parliament.

According to him, such a second chamber will discuss views and issues in the best interest of the nation, instead of partisan consideration.

He expressed this view at the opening of his third quarterly meeting with the Council of State at the Castle yesterday.

The Council for the first time presented a report of its activities from June 2001 to July 2002 to the President.

After the initial opening remarks, the meeting went into a closed-door session.

2. NIGHT COURT IN THE OFFING – PGS. 1 & 3
According to the paper, the Justice Minister and the Chief Justice are holding discussions on the possibility of establishing night courts to help address the backlog of cases in the law courts.

The Minister for Justice, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, who gave the hint, also indicated that the two officers are also drawing up a programme to do away with assizes sessions for indictable offences such as armed robbery and murder in the high courts so that the trial of such cases will become an all-year round affair.

He made this known after he addressed a durbar for State Attorneys and legal practioners from the southern sector of the country in Koforidua.

3. GOVT PROCURES AIRCRAFT RECOVERY EQUIPMENT – PG. 3
The paper reports that, government has procured an aircraft recovery equipment capable of lifting a disabled Boeing 747 from the country’s airport during emergency.

The move is part of the government’s plan to improve the Rescue Fire Fighting Services (RFFS) at all regional airports as well as improve the emergency management system of the entire airport in Ghana.

Dr. Richard Anane, Minister for Roads and Highways, announced this in a speech read on his behalf at the opening of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) workshop and an exhibition on rescue and fire fighting in Accra yesterday.

The five-day workshop, which is under the auspices of the GCAA is to among other things increase awareness about the importance of rescue and fire fighting services, foster discussion and exchange of views and experience on the level of protection in case of fire.

4. CASSAVA FARMERS RESOLVE TO SHELVE DIFFERENCES – PG. 16

According to the paper, parties involved in the controversies surrounding the pricing of cassava for industrial starch have resolved to shelve their differences for the success of the project.

At a meeting at ASCO headquarters in Kasoa yesterday and attended by the farmers, it was agreed that discussions on pricing should continue.

A communiqu? issued, said the farmers shall benefit if the current price is revised upwards on the world market.

It said the aggrieved farmers have agreed to call off the intended demonstration in the interest of industrial harmony.

THE GHANAIAN TIMES – TUESDAY, 29TH JULY, 2003

1. AG: GOVT WON’T TOLERATE LAWLESSNESS – PG. 1

The paper reports that, Government will deal drastically with people who undermine effective administration of justice in the country.

According to the paper, “Ghana is not a lawless nation where some people can flout the laws with impunity.”

Papa Owusu Ankomah, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice was speaking at the opening of the southern sector durbar for State Attorneys at Koforidua.

He stated: “No judge, chief, lawyer or any ordinary persons would be spared should they flout the laws of this country with contempt.”

2. WORKSHOP ON FOOD SECURITY OPENS – PG. 3

A one-week workshop on the development of integrated agricultural statistics systems in support of food policies and programmes has been opened in Accra.

The workshop being organised by the FAO, aims to assist countries in formulating and utilizing a food security data system within the framework of an integrated system of agricultural statistics.

Twenty-five participants drawn from some countries in Africa are attending the workshop.

THE ACCRA DAILY MAIL – TUESDAY, 29TH JULY, 2003

1. GHS IN CRISIS OVER SHORTAGE OF STAFF – PGS. 1 & 4

The paper reports that, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Prof. Agyemang Badu Akorsah, has said shortage of medical personnel had reached a crisis stage and required radical measures to bring the situation under control.

He said the GHS would organize a forum on August 4 and 5 to bring all stakeholders out with proposals on how to increase training facilities to meet the staffing needs of the service.

Prof. Akorsah said this when he paid a four-day working visit to the Upper West Region.

2. AGC , WHY THE DELAY? – PGS. 1 & 6

The paper wonders why Ashanti has spent the best part of three months in merger talks with Anglo-Gold, the South African-based Aglo American subsidiary, that is the world’s second-biggest gold mining company without much being heard of the negotiations.

The “merger” looks in effect, like a takeover by Anglo-Gold, which is offering its shares as collateral, and giving Ghana’s government a say over the new company’s Ghanaian interests.

It says although the delays in the merger talks suggest the politicians in Accra may already have cold feet about selling one of the country’s biggest assets, the paper asked what the position of Sam Jonah, Boss of Ashanti, would be if the talks prove fruitful.

THE EVENING NEWS – MONDAY, 28TH JULY, 2003

1. THREATS OF STRIKE ARE UNHEALTHY FOR ECONOMY – AMPONSAH-BEDIAKO – PG. 1

According to the paper, regular threats of strike create a state of unnecessary tension in the country and generate insecurity in the minds of prospective investors.

Mr. Kofi Amponsah, Assistant Government Spokesman on Health and Education, said this in an interview with the paper in Accra yesterday.

He said, such situations do not augur well for a nation that is striving to improve its economy.

He indicated that strike by health professionals were unnecessary now because certain actions were being taken by government to improve the health sector.

According to him, the distribution of 63 vehicles to health professionals in deprived areas was an indication that government was committed to improving conditions in the health sector.

“The $5 million Vehicle Revolving Fund that has been set up to purchase 300 or more vehicles of different capacities before the end of the year, is also in fulfillment of the commitment” he said.

THE GHANAIAN CHRONICLE – TUESDAY, 29TH JULY, 2003

1. CANCELLATION OF CONTRACTS – TIMBER COYS THREATEN TO DRAG MINISTER BEFORE COURT – PGS. 1 & 3

The paper reports that, some leading timber firms have threatened to drag the Minister for Lands and Forestry to court for the unilateral cancellation of contracts they claimed to have legally acquired.

The firms, which during the NDC era were said to have been duly granted the Timber Utilization Contract (TUC), feel cheated after the Minister, Prof. Kassim Kasanga, declared the TUCs null and void, without any legal backing.

A spokesman for the company who spoke to the paper contended that the manner in which the government cancelled the TUCs is not proper.

1. DR. MAHAMA ACCUSES GOV’T OF RECKLESS SPENDING. …RUBBISHES OFFICE OF ACCOUNTABILITY – PGS. 1 & 3
Dr. Edward Mahama, leader of the PNC, has accused government of spending public funds unnecessarily.

One of such source of waste of funds is the establishment of the new office of accountability at the President’s office, which he said, does not add anything to the anti-corruption efforts. Speaking in an interview with the paper yesterday, he said setting up an accountability office would cover up rather than expose corruption adding that the SFO needs a legislative instrument to make it fully operational, yet after two and a half years in office, government has not given that legislative instrument.

“They are making things worse by creating new bureacracy to spend money” he said, reminding the government that the country is HIPC and therefore must stop spending money unnecessarily.

3. INADEQUATE ICE PRODUCTION FACILITIES – FISHERMEN DESTROYING CATCH … BLAME GOVT FOR NEGLECT – PGS. 1 & 3
The paper reports that, the fishermen in Tema, faced with storage problems have resorted to throwing away their landings following unexpected bumper cash, but their counterparts at Mumford, in the Central Region, have adopted an old method of keeping the fish in deep holes.

Mr. Joe Klamoh, the PRO of the Ghana Inshore Fisheries Association (GIFA) told the paper that over the weekends herrings and mackerel were so abundant that they could not find buyers. Some fishermen had to throw away the excess fish because there were no ice blocks to preserve them.

THE STATESMAN – TUESDAY, 29TH JULY, 2003

HOAX ALERT – PG. 1
According to the paper, some social misfits and miscreants bent on creating an environment of instability in the country are circulating fictitious information on the internet, marked “Security Report” of meetings supposedly held by the National Security Committee.

It stated that, two of such fables purported to be minutes of such meetings taking place on Tuesday, 13th August and 4th October, 2002 are in their custody.

According to the paper, Senior Security sources have categorically dismissed them as “totally fabricated to cause nothing but mischief”.

THE INDEPENDENT – TUESDAY, 29TH JULY, 2003

“WE WON’T VOTE IN 2004” SOME CHIEFS AND PEOPLE OF AJUMAKO-ENYAN-ESSIAM CONSTITUTENCY TELL GOV’T – PG. 1 & BK. PG.
Chiefs and people of the Ejumako-Enyan-Essiam District of the Central Region have vowed not to vote in the election 2004 if government does not heed their urgent cry to rectify a problem which should not have risen in the first place.

The people of the electoral area are complaining bitterly about the dual refusal of both government and the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District Assembly to assist them to plant a gari processing machine brought to the district by the Ministry for Women and Children’s Affairs.

According to the paper, the equipment which was provided one and a half years ago is still sitting in someone’s house who is getting impatient.

THE CRUSADING GUIDE – TUESDAY, 29TH JULY, 2003

1. MYSTERY OVER GOODS AT CEPS! - .. ITEMS WORTH $300,000 CANNOT BE TRACED – PGS. 1 & 3
According to the paper, six containers of assorted books worth three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) that were put on Uncleared Cargo List (UCL) and slated for auction by CEPS have suddenly vanished into thin air with no trace of them.

Mr. Comos, CEPS investigator, is yet to tell the paper the circumstances under which those goods were auctioned, if they had been auctioned at all.

The goods were initially gazetted in the Commercial and Industrial Bulletin of Friday 24th, January 2003.

Subsequently, an advert for public auction of the goods was placed in the “Ghanaian Times” of 31st July, 2003 but strangely, the auction never came on, on the specified date advertised.

Reports from CEPS officials including one Mr. William Apeatu and Mr. Totome (State Warehouse) indicated that some of the goods might have been auctioned under mysterious circumstances.

2. TROUBLE LOOMS AT GCAA … AS WORKERS DEMAND EXPLANATION OF THE TRANSFER OF $3.6M – PGS. 1 & 3
The paper reports that, tension is building up at Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) over the transfer of a colossal amount of US $3.6m by Management of the Authority to the ailing Ghana Airways.

A petition by the general workers of the Authority presented to the Minister of Roads and Highways which was intercepted by the paper revealed that “the US $3.6m facility granted to Ghana Airways Ltd. must be properly explained to staff to fully appreciate its relevance”.

It continued “staff are interested to know the source(s) of this facility to Ghana Airways Ltd., adding that the fact that Ghana Airways Ltd. provides 28% of our navigational revenue is insufficient for granting such a facility, taking into account the fact that the 28% revenue generated from Ghana Airways is often declared bad debt”.

In a related development, a source close to GCAA who spoke to the paper on condition of anonymity alleged that another US $900,000 was also transferred secretly last year to the Roads and Transport Ministry without authorization.