THE STATESMAN

"Accra Poly in big mess", says the Statesman in its front page lead story. The paper says if the universities are crying for help, then the Polytechnics must be screaming for survival. It says the Accra Polytechnic, once the 'Mecca' for turning out the cream of the country's Higher National Diploma (HND) professionals, "is now on its knees, barely able to breathe". "Reflecting the general malaise of our educational system, Accra Poly's problems have been compounded by what insiders claim is the long of NDC/31st DWM politics," the Statesman says. According to the paper, senior and junior staff of this tertiary institution seem to be in mortal fear of Mrs. Juliana Akosua Dogbe, the Polytechnic Secretary/Registrar, who was appointed to the present position when the school was raised to a tertiary status in 1993. The Statesman says Mrs. Dogbe who is not even the Principal but perceived to wield immense political power because of what is considered her 31st DWM connections, is said to be the cause of the worsening conditions of the institution. GRI

In a back page story the Statesman reports the National Secretary of the Ghana Bar Association, Mr. W.O. Boafo as urging the Electoral Commission to muster enough courage to point out undemocratic practices in political parties since such defects have ultimate national implications. Mr. Boafo who was contributing to discussions at a workshop on "Parliamentary Lobbying" in Accra, referred to the practice of democratic centralism in certain political parties which gives the centre too much powers over the constituencies. In such cases, he said, Parliamentary candidates are usually more the choice of the centre than the people at the grassroots. Mr. Boafo said the danger inherent in this practice is the tendency for such candidates, if elected to Parliament, to seek to please those at the helm of affairs in his party more than the constituents whose interests he represents. GRI

The Statesman in a centre spread story says the Deputy British High Commissioner in Ghana, Mr. David Wyatt, has appealed to the media to play a vital role in exposing human rights abuses. He said "in playing this role, journalists should promote transparency and accountability that would expose human rights abuses so that the public could make informed choices. The papers says Mr. Wyatt made the remarks when he opened a five-day News Desk workshop for news editors at the British Council Hall in Accra on Friday. The workshop was organised by the Ghana section of the Commonwealth Press Union (CPU). GRI