Two Nigerians jailed 36 years for robbery
* Source: GNA


Two Nigerians have been sentenced to 36 years imprisonment by a Kumasi Circuit Court for snatching an amount of GH¢5,000.00 from a cashier.

Gift Anyagbu, 25 and Morgan Nwaokike, 22, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy and stealing.

They are each going in for 18 years.

Police Inspector Oduro Boateng told the court presided over by Justice William Boampong that the complainant, Victoria Amihere is a cashier working with Unichem Ghana Limited.

She had gone to the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), Adum Branch, to withdraw the money belonging to the Company on July 6, 2010 at about 0930 hours, when the convicts riding on a motorbike snatched the money wrapped in a polythene bag from her.

A taxi driver who saw them commit the crime chased and run his car into the bike to prevent their escape.

They were arrested and handed over to the police.


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Police charged to prosecute corrupt state attorneys
* Source: Joy Online


A former state attorney has challenged the police to swiftly go after officials who may have colluded with African Automobile Limited in what appears to be an attempt to dupe the state of 14 million cedis in another judgment debt saga.

AAL is already embroiled in a 1.5 billion dollar judgment debt controversy. But fresh documents from the Supreme Court reveal what the court suspects could be possible collusion between state attorneys and officials of AAL.

The court had rejected a 14 million cedi claim on the state by AAL and was ready to award only 1,563 Ghana Cedis plus interest.

But the state attorney in charge of the case pleaded with the court to instead give AAL all the 14 million cedis it had earlier requested.

The trial judge however turned down the request saving Ghana that amount.

Augustine Obour who spent ten years at the AG’s department says the state attorneys who handled the case have questions to answer.

“This is incredible that state attorney came back and said give the 14 million. This is like a joke. Even though when the plaintiff has not established any evidence before the court to warrant a decision granting him 14 million, the state attorney said give it to him. We are all grateful to the judge for doing what is required of a judge.”

In a related development, Executive Director of policy think Centre for Policy Analysis, Dr. Joe Abbey, has expressed disgust at the many judgment debt cases plaguing the country.

He backs calls for a high powered commission to probe them.

Meanwhile, former Attorney-General Betty Mould-Iddrisu is due to appear before the Public Accounts Committee over the CP judgment debt matter. Also expected to appear is the current A-G Benjamin Kunbuor.

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Veep launches book - “My First Coup d’etat”
* Source: CitifmOnline


With the intriguing title of “My First Coup D’Etat”, Ghana’s current Vice President, John Dramani Mahama, has taken a plunge into the often turbulent waters of book authorship and publishing.

A number of years in the making, the book made its debut in New York this month to a generally favourable reception. On Tuesday, the Vice President, accompanied by family, friends and media, personally launched the book at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, in Harlem New York with readings from the book, a “Conversation” with Andrew Solomon (National Book Award winner), a Q&A session and book signing conclusion. The book was sold out from the Schomburg bookstore and extra copies had to be rushed in from another bookstore nearby.

The book, from a sitting Vice President would no doubt give a fillip to the struggling Ghanaian book writing sector. He has already had interactions with various Ghanaian literary groups and personalities, including the Ghana Association of Writers (GAW), of which he is now a member, on how to encourage reading, writing and publishing of books in Ghana.

It is common knowledge that reading and writing have seen a dramatic decline in Ghana as the educational system has not been very kind to the liberal arts. Combined with the new multi-media culture of the so-called social networking media, many young people hardly touch books these days and the result has been catastrophic, to be seen in the atrocious writing and comprehension skills of the current generation of school going youngsters, all the way from the primary to university levels.

The book may be a personal triumph to the Vice President, but its significance is wider as a vehicle to engender Ghana’s literary renaissance, as can be seen in the titles from Ghanaian writers in the last decade that are trickling back to the bookshelves. The Ghana Association of Writers and Ghanaian Centre of PEN International have reading and writing programmes targeted at Ghanaian schools, for in the end, it is Ghanaian schools that stand to benefit from any resurgence in Ghanaian writing.

In writing the book, the Vice President must have been mindful of that as he interacted with Ghanaian literary giants like Ama Ata-Aidoo, Atukwei Okai, Kofi Anyidoho and others whose writings are included in literature syllabuses for Ghanaian schools.

The sting in the tail of “My First Coup D’Etat” can be seen in the subtitle of “And Other Stories From The Lost Decades of Africa”.

It weaves a fascinating vignette of the author’s life and national and international events from the mid-sixties of the last century when Ghana experience d her first coup d’etat, to the present.

Sometimes playful, generally humorous, but mostly serious, it is an exercise in what Africa got wrong, what Africa could have done differently and certainly, what Africa must not do again! In his review, Chinua Achebe, the doyen of African writing had this to say: “With crisp, yet sweeping prose, John Mahama’s memoire, My first Coup D’Etat, provides insights into Ghana’s and by extension, Africa’s struggle to weather its historical burden and engage with a world much removed from her dilemma. Without sentimentality or condescension, he exposes homegrown African pathologies and helps us understand several contradictions of our postcolonial condition. His is a much welcome work of immense relevance to African studies and deserves serious critical attention.”

John Dramani Mahama’s relevance in the context above is to be seen in his intellectual capacity to distance partisan politics from the pages of the book. Politics did come up during the Q&A, which he skillfully parried with the answer that he is a social democrat and left of centre and nothing more! He had earlier explained his socialist antecedents, from an Nkrumahist father to a university exposure where he consumed left wing literature to his current “pragmatic” position on national and international realities. For example, on American bases on the African continent, it was not a straightforward yes or no. Ghana, he said, would join the world to fight terrorism, drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes. That would mean collaboration, for no one country can do it alone, and if that meant bases, “so be it”. That was a courageous and honest admission.

And what about Election 2012? Yes, he admitted, there was a lot of tension and some of the language inappropriate but Ghana would sail through and become an even shinier example for Africa. And the media: As a politician, if you survive from 6.00am to about 10am daily, then you would survive the whole day!

My First Coup D’Etat, would have its detractors, but as a first attempt, especially from the pen of an active politician, the Ghanaian literary scene can only be enriched by it. The literary consultant was Meri Nana Ama Danquah, a Ghanaian author and the book was published by Bloomsbury, an international publishing company. A Ghanaian launch has been planned before the end of year.

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Mills blows GH¢121,443 on Flagstaff House renovation
* Source: CitifmOnline


The current National Democratic Congress administration has spent a total of GH¢121,443.71 on renovation works on the Flagstaff House (Presidential Palace), despite President John Evans Atta Mills’ refusal to live or work from the plush edifice.

Since taking office as President of Ghana, Prof. Mills has refused to live in the Presidential Palace built by his predecessor, John Kufuor.

Despite a storm of public and opposition pressure, President Mills has consistently cited his personal safety as reason for his refusal to use the sprawling edifice.

Yet, his government found it convenient to spend a total of GH¢121,443.71 on renovation works on the property since taking office in January 2009.

For instance, the government blew GH¢ 48,956.99 on what it called “fumigation of the entire edifice” which was built by his predecessor in defiance of opposition criticism and public uproar.

The amount spent on fumigation alone translates into nearly 489, 560, 000 old Ghana cedis.

The Minister for Water Resources Works and Housing, Hon Enoch Teye Mensah, gave details of the government’s expenditure on the sprawling edifice in Parliament on Wednesday.

The Minister was responding to a question filed by the opposition Member of Parliament for Binduri, Hon Stephen Yakubu. The NPP MP wanted to know “what renovation works have been done at the Flagstaff House and how much from 2009 to date.”

In response, the Minister said, “The cost of renovation works that have been carried out on the Flagstaff House from 2009 to 2011 is GH¢121,443.71. The following is the breakdown of the works carried out and the amount involved:

“A: Fumigation of the entire edifice: GH¢48,956.99 “B: Maintenance and repair of Central air-condition systems (Water-Cooled Chillers): “GH¢41,554.57 “C: Maintenance and servicing of Generators and minor renovation works on Electrical Fittings: GH¢26,291.15 “D. Supply and Installation of Air-conditioners and “Rerouting of server rooms: GH¢ 4,641.00.”

When quizzed as to why the government found it wise to pump huge funds from the national kitty into an edifice the President has refused to use, the Minister responded that the move was to keep the structural integrity of the Flagstaff House intact.

Although President Mills holds occasional official meetings in the expansive edifice, he has resisted public pressure to move into the property, in keeping with his criticism of the Kufuor Administration’s decision to spend millions of tax cedis to put up the building after India provided initial funding for the structure through a $30 million grant.

Currently, the only full-time occupants of part of the structure are staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who relocated official business there after ferocious fire razed down the original offices of the Ministry some two years ago.

* By the way (comment from Ghanaweb-News.com) ;

Ghanaian mentality; Build a house and let it rot! (as yo may see all over Ghana)
If you maintain the building... you`ll be you are accused of "blowing money"!!
Cheap "sensational journalism" and contra-productive propaganda!
The money is being spent from 2009 - 2012, nearly 4 years, for a building like that it`s nothing more than usual cost!

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Africa feeling effect of climate Change –Professor Aryeetey
* Source: By Adu Koranteng

The vice president of the University of Ghana, Professor Ernest Aryeetey has observed that the impact of climate change in Africa is being felt than ever as the continent experience increasing water scarcity and flooding in various pats of the country and the continent.

Addressing dignitaries at the opening ceremony of the climate change and population conference in Accra this week, professor Aryeetey held that although Africa’s contribution to the greenhouse gas emissions is minimal, it will not escape the negative implications of climate change.

This, he noted is due to the failure of the people to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change .( Already many areas in Africa are recognized as having climates that are among the most variable in the world on seasonal and decadal time scale with same geographical environment experiencing extreme events within shorter time periods. These events are leading to famine and widespread disruption of socio economic wellbeing.

The event which brought together climate scientists weather forecasters economists politicians and policy makers together was under the theme “At the Cross Roads; climate change, population and Africa’s Development”.

Professor Aryeetey quoted a report by the United Nations Conference on climate change as stating that one third of African’s already live in drought prone areas with 220 million being exposed to drought each year.

According to professor Aryeetey , the situation is compelling some climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture and forestry that rely heavily on rainfall to be severely compromised ;thus undermining the social and economic sustainability of subsistence farming which is the bedrock of agriculture”.

According to World Health Organization, 2010 health data, Ghana’s climate sensitive disease burden has worsened.

The data indicate that Ghana now resides in the most vulnerable category for climate change and health globally, and that the main disease sensitive to climate parameters and malnutrition among young children include water and food borne diseases such as cholera and vector borne diseases such as malaria.

The most significant climate impact for Ghana by 2030 per year on health is estimated at 2,500 deaths with an additional 1.25-5 million people to be affected.

It would cost Government 500 million dollars to mitigate the effects of heating and cooling, 140 million dollars on fisheries, 165 million on agriculture, 15 million dollars on forestry, 10 million on flood and landslides, 100 million dollars on sea-level rise and 50 million on biodiversity.

Preliminary data analysis indicate that key challenges ahead of West Africa and for that matter Ghana was that African leaders were yet to fully grasp the phenomenon and its implications for the continent.

It also indicated the daunting task of coordinating dozens of different line Ministries actions as well as interfacing with international actors and regional, districts and community level authorities.

The data noted that other challenges include policy implementation, donor collaboration, smart strategies and policy and resource blending and reference scenarios cited in official document such as the 2011 second national communication, which was at odds with scenarios put forward by several leading climate references authorities.

Meanwhile, Matthew McKinnon, Head of Climate Change Vulnerability Initiative, in a contribution said Ghana has a lot of opportunities to tackle issues of climate change.

He mentioned finance, carbon markets, and technology transfer and poverty eradication. Mr McKinnon said though tapping these opportunities were a problem, models could be adopted from countries with early successes.

He was of the view that Ghana and West Africa had not gained meaningful access to international carbon market such as clean development mechanism, and noted that emission reduction and reforestation programmes in Ghana would be made more viable if access to income streams derived from international carbon market were made available.

Participants at the seminar argued that there was an urgent need for Ghana to develop a communication strategy that would make issues of climate change more meaningful to the ordinary Ghanaian.

They contended that there was the need to craft messages to suit people in formal and informal sector because climate change was a developmental issue and not an environmental one and should be understood as such..

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
* Read also: 
Bill Gates exposed for funding research, promotion of spraying geo-engineered 'chemtrails' across globe

A handful of misfits rule the ignorant masses deliberately kept dumbed down on tell-lie-vision and fluoride, vaccines and toxins and decide what is best for their profits, messing up the world, and attempting to patch it back together

(NaturalNews) The latest scam to enter the debate about so-called "global warming" involves spending billions of dollars to spray the atmosphere with tiny particulate matter for the alleged purpose of reflecting sunlight back into space....
at >>>  MATHABA >>> http://www.mathaba.net/news/?x=629977


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Ghana’s Parliament in danger
* Source: The Globe newspaper


Ghana’s Parliament may be more susceptible to a terrorist attack than any other arm of government in the country, a retired Military Officer and Member of the 230-member Legislature has said.

Major (rtd) Derek Oduro says it would be “very easy” for terrorists or trouble makers to enter Ghana’s Parliament with guns and grenades to carry out deadly attacks. His comments are a major indictment on the security personnel, including the police officers, who have been tasked with the job of keeping the Legislature secure.

In an age where neighboring countries are crawling with potential threats, Major Oduro is worried that Ghana’s Legislature has taken security in and around its premises loosely.

“Security in this House is a joke,” he said in an exclusive interview with The Globe. “If we are not very careful, one day somebody will roll a grenade or a bomb onto the chamber … and it will blast. We will lose the Right Honorable Speaker and …any of the members.”

Currently, Nigeria is under siege from Islamist insurgents, including an Al-Qaida-backed terror group, Boko Haram, and northern Mali – after the March coup – is under the firm control of Islamist and Tuareg rebels believed to have strong links to Al-Qaeda. Security experts fear that the growing number of terror groups operating in and around West Africa could give rise to deadly terror attacks that target civilian and government installations. For instance, over the weekend, Senator Gyang Dantong and the Majority Leader of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Mr. Gyang Fulani, were killed while attending the mass burial of the 50 victims of last Saturday's attack on villages in Barkin Ladi and Riyom.

Here in Ghana, Major Oduro said Ghanaians should not think that the institutions are immune to terror attacks. “Therefore there is an urgent need for us to keep the security of this place intact so that one day we will not be surprised or we will not get shocked. We should be very careful about our security situation in Parliament here,” he said.

The Nkoranza North MP added, “Parliament is one of the arms of government; we must protect our Parliamentarians; we must protect the staff who work here; we must protect our documents because they are there for the whole nation.”

The opposition MP, who was a member of an ad hoc committee set up to investigate previous security breaches in the House, said there was an instance “where people broke into the control room of this House at night to steal but until today they have not been punished. Our committee recommended that they be handed over to the Police but nothing came out of it.”

Independent investigations by The Globe corroborated Hon Oduro’s comments about lax security at Ghana’s Parliament.

Our investigations found a string of security lapses including broken body scanners, malfunctioning CCTV cameras and recorders, as well as a general lack of security presence in the lawmaking house. As a result, all kinds of people flock the Legislature daily to sell petty items such as clothes, panties, mobile phones, wrist watches, food products and herbal medicines, or to beg MPs for cash handouts. Others are burglars who break into offices and cars to steal valuable items belonging to workers, journalists and lawmakers.

The investigations were prompted by a day-time raid on this reporter’s private vehicle last month. The attack in June saw burglars breach lax security in the premises of the nation’s Parliament, stealing items worth thousands of cedis from this reporter’s private car, which had been tightly locked and parked just outside the Parliamentary Chamber block.

Although the legislative building has security cameras mounted all over it, the technical department of the House could not produce the video tape of the burglary because the CCTV recorders, according to one source, “are out of order.”

The broad day light attack, which has since been reported to the Ministries Police Station, did not surprise anyone in the nation’s legislature. Vehicles of Members of Parliament and staff are attacked every now and then and many valuables are stolen. A number of staff of the Legislature and MPs confirmed to The Globe that their cars were broken into and laptops, mobile phones, money and several valuables were stolen.

“I lost millions of cedis when my car was broken into here in Parliament,” said one MP who wished not to be named. “The threat to our lives and property is real and nobody seems to care. It is just by God’s grace that we come here and go back to our families safely each day,” the MP added.

Although there are tons of security guards the nation’s Parliament, our investigations found that most have no basic training. “Most of them came here as cronies and relations of MPs, Ministers and big men here. They have no real training in security management and we do not even know their backgrounds. That is part of the problem,” one Parliamentary source said.

Part of the problem, our investigations found, is also that there are no consequences for security officials with a devil-may-care attitude toward security in the House. Also, there are virtually no administration sanctions.

One other MP, who spoke to The Globe said security personnel in the Legislature are notorious for adopting “an absolutely passive approach to their work,” suggesting that “at best they mostly hassle Members for cash handouts.”

“The security situation here improves only when you have the President coming to the House,” one senior staff of Parliament said, adding that “security measures have to be implemented every day of the week and not from time to time. Only then will there be some sort of guaranteed security for people who work here.”

Top officials of Parliament who spoke to The Globe on condition of anonymity said they support handing over screening duties at the nation’s Parliament to the private sector. Reached for comment, Deputy Majority Leader, Hon Rashid Pelpuo, said “the issue of poor security is being seriously discussed and a new policy will soon be adopted to improve the situation.”

“The House Committee has been discussing the matter and will soon come out with new guidelines to protect members, staff, journalists and visitors to this place,” he added. His comments came weeks after United Kingdom Police closed off roads and carried out explosion of a car just a short distance from the Treasury and Palace of Westminster.

The noise of the explosion from the security alert in Storey’s Gate on June 13 caused a brief flurry on Twitter shortly before MPs crowded into the Commons to hear David Cameron and Ed Miliband clash during Prime Minister’s question time.

In 2001, twelve people died in an unprecedented suicide attack on the Indian parliament in Delhi. Witnesses said the attack began with an explosion and heavy gunfire as a group of men armed with AK47 rifles and grenades stormed the upper house at about 11.45 am, local time.

Again, in October 2012, six people perished and 17 others suffered debilitating injuries when a small group of militants stormed Parliament in the restive Russian republic of Chechnya.

Shouting Islamist slogans, three fighters launched a bomb and gun attack as deputies arrived for work, killing two guards and an official. All three attackers were later killed in a lengthy gun battle.


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Konadu’s NDP Secret Out
* Source: The Herald

*.....Her new party targeting defeted NDC MP’s and others*

Reports reaching The Herald from the Ridge office and the Adjiriganor residence reveals that the yet to be registered National Democratic Party (NDP) is planning to entice into its fold defeated parliamentary candidates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to contest the December parliamentary seats on its ticket.

The sole founder, owner and financier of the NDP, ex-First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, also known as mama Logo, according to The Herald’s information has already appropriated the presidential slot of the party, and is currently planning to wear her symbolic “Slit and Kaba” atop a big head gear, to talk with disgruntled NDC parliamentary hopefuls and sitting Members of Parliament (MP) who were defeated by, especially, government appointees.

This they hope will further worsen and cripple the NDC which was founded on the ideals and principles of her husband, Flt. Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings who led the NDC and ruled this country for uninterrupted 19 years.

Among the names emerging are that of suspended Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Kofi Adams for the Ajumako-Enyam-Esiam Constituency, in the Central Region, ex-NDC MP Berrick Namburr for Bunkpurugu-Yunyon Constituency.

Outgoing Albert Zigah, MP for Ketu South, and Kwami Alorvi of NAGRAT fame and North Tongu Constituency of the Volta Region, Mr. Rawlings’ home region where he is badly losing popularity are among some of the names being targeted to scuttle the fortunes of the NDC.

Mrs. Rawlings is said to be habouring an interesting conviction that she was cheated in Sunyani, and that the NDC delegates were bought by the Mills’ men with money and a promise of juicy appointments and contracts. Also, she would have won the slot had the electoral college of the NDC been expanded like that of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to allow all card-bearing members to vote.

In an interview with the man penciled for the North Tongu NDP ticket, former President of National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) Mr. Alorvi, who contested Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzoto Ablakwa, for the North Tongu seat, but lost, he is yet to be approached by the NDP.

Mr. Alorvi, told The Herald he did not know the people behind the new party, and what they stood for.

He said even though he was yet to be approached, he was not in any way ready to join that movement since he has principles as a professional teacher, which he want to impact into his children, adding “I can’t undermine my principles”.

Mr. Alorvi quizzed why he would want to go independent or want to leave NDC and join another party just because he had lost an election when there were more times ahead to contest and win.

He told The Herald, that he was neither a bad loser nor a political prostitute or a stomach politician to jump from one party to the other all in the name of satisfying his desire to win power.

But already, one of the defeated candidates, Mr. Michael Teye Nyaunu (MTN) who played a pivotal role in Mrs. Rawlings’ botched ambition to replace President John Mills, at the NDC’s Sunyani congress in Brong Ahafo, last year, has indicated that he would want to contest on the ticket of NDP the Lower Manya seat, where he was defeated by the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area.

Apparently, afraid he might be booted out from Parliament by the NDC, for crossing carpet, Mr. Nyaunu has indicated that he wanted to discuss his chances with his constituents in the Eastern Region before taking any decision on whether to join the NDP or go independent.

On a lighter side, Mr. Alorvi joked that if the party was contemplating on poaching him, then they must come with four Land Cruisers, four houses, one in the Ashanti Region, one in the Volta and the other two elsewhere in addition to a whopping four hundred thousand amidst laughter.

Meanwhile, Dr Josiah Ayeh, the interim NDP Chairman, was once the General Secretary of the NDC, who was suspended for flirting with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for a pittance of $3,000.00.

Dr. Ayeh was suspended from the NDC, barely a week to the 2004 polls, where he denied having disclosed to the NPP how the NDC was not forthcoming with its financial responsibilities to his office.

However, a secret recording of his meetings with Mr. Steven Ntim, Second Deputy National Chairman of the NPP, exposed him receiving the US$3000.00 for his so-called lamentations of neglect.


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Iranian President sends message to President Mills
* Source: GNA


Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday delivered a special message to President John Atta Mills at the Castle, Osu.

The message, believed to be an invitation to the President to attend the upcoming 16th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) summit in Teheran next month, was delivered by a Special Envoy, Dr. Mohammed Abbasi, Iran’s Minister of Sports and Youth.

Receiving the message, President Mills reaffirmed Ghana's commitment to the values of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) towards cooperating with other developing nations for socio-economic development.

He said Ghana still considered the Movement as very relevant and that the emerging national development challenges required nations to work together to overcome the common challenges.

President Mills said, Ghana as a founding member of the Movement, would continue to pursue the common objectives of the group and provide the necessary support to other nations.

He expressed appreciation to the Iranian President for the invitation and gave the assurance that Ghana would be fully represented.

On the relations between Accra and Iran, President Mills said he was happy for the progress made in the bilateral trade.

Dr Abbasi praised Ghana for its contribution to the progress of the Movement and told the President “We are looking forward to seeing you in Tehran.”

He commended Ghana for the impressive democratic and economic progress achieved and lauded the improved relations between the two nations.

He pledged Iran's continuous commitment to its relations and would assist Ghana in the health and education sectors.

The Non-Aligned Movement is a group of states that consider themselves not aligned formally with or against any major power bloc. As of 2012, the Movement had 120 members and 21 observer countries.

The organization was founded in Belgrade in 1961, and was largely the brainchild of Yugoslavia's President Josip Broz Tito, India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser, Ghana’s President Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Indonesia’s President Sukarno and Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie.

The movement was to fight against imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism, and all forms of foreign aggression, occupation, domination, interference or hegemony as well as against great power and bloc politics.

NAM encourages sustainable development among member countries, represent nearly two-thirds of the United Nations' members and contain 55%.


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Hanna Bissiw Hijacks SHEP Project
* Source: Daily Guide

A SELF-Help Electrification Programme, which is being embarked on by the people of Adaa, a village near Derma in the Tano South District has been hijacked by Madam Hanna Bissiw, the Deputy Minister of Works and Housing.

The project was started by the incumbent MP, Adjei Yeboah in 2007 and was almost completed until there was a change of government.

Before the change of government, the people of the area had contributed their quota in the form of communal labour, accommodation and food for the workers who were engaged in the project. The Member of Parliament (MP) bought electricity poles and the Volta River Authority (VRA) provided a transmitter and high tension wires for the project.

Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, the former assembly man of Adaa, Richard Ambeteryel who supervised the project, said Madam Hanna Bissiw, due to political expediency, had gone round the town telling people that she was the one bringing electricity to them. According to Mr. Ambeteryel, on Monday, July 2, 2012 the Deputy Minister stormed the village with twenty macho men to drive away all the workers at the site and collected the service wires, bolts and nuts as well as meters to her hometown, Techimantia.

The former assembly man, who sounded very angry, said Madam Bissiw was trying to reap what she did not sow simply because she wanted to become the MP of the area at all cost.

During an interaction with a cross section of the people, they noted that it was the incumbent MP who brought the project to Adaa in 2007.

The MP, Hon. Adjei Yeboah, in an interview told DAILY GUIDE that the behaviour of Madam Bissiw was very surprising because it was not proper for her to drive away workers at the site with the excuse that they were supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), adding if even they were members of the NPP, they were also Ghanaians and deserved to work for their daily bread. All efforts made by DAILY GUIDE to listen to Madam Bissiw’s side of the story proved futile.


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Mill’s three years beat Kufuor’s eight - NDC
* Source: JoyOnline


The ruling government is convinced the achievements chalked by President John Mills in three years far outweigh that of ex-president John Kufuor in eight years.

Addressing the forum for setting the records straight, the NDC said their achievements are palpable for all to see.

Touting some of the achievements, Deputy Local Government Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankra mentioned government’s record in health delivery in most rural areas and education as unprecedented.

“We have all been hearing our friends in the NPP making claims that the leadership of this nation should be entrusted in their hands again. Four years after losing power to the NDC.

“They boast that they are capable of developing the country better than Prof Mills has done over the last three and half years. NDC’s three years in office so completely dwarfs the NPP’s first four years but for this particular presentation we are comparing the NDC’s three years to the NPP’s eight years.

He said the NDC had to pay close to 40 trillion old cedis in arrears at the time government had to deal with an astronomical increase in public wage bill.

Elvis Ankra said the government within three years put up 1,326 six unit class room block across 170 districts of the country which represented an annual average of 442 schools, almost three schools in every district.

The record of the “perennial underachieving NPP” in eight long years built only 346 six unit class room blocks was, translating to 43 schools annually, he said.


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Land Grab...Chaos On George Bush Highway
* Source: The Insight

Land grabbing in Accra is now reaching dizzying heights. Two weeks ago about 50 muscled men menacingly stormed a large piece of land by the George Bush Highway - almost opposite Sam’s Cottage and asked squatters to leave.

They carried bags of money into which they dipped their hands to offer compensation to squatters, including hair dressers, mechanics and food vendors.

They claimed that they had bought the land from the Lands Commission and the squatters were paid between GH¢200.00 (two hundred Ghana cedis) to GH¢2000.00 (two thousand Ghana cedis) each to leave immediately.

The problem is that the land in question is under high tension wires carrying electricity and is meant for future extension works on the George Bush Highway.

Simply put, it is not to be sold.

Checks at the Greater Accra Secretarial of the Land Commission however indicate that it was leased to Brauinsfiled Limited on January 27, 2012.

The lease was signed by Oko Nikoi Dzani, Chairman of the Greater Accra Lands Commission in Clear violation of instructions from the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources.

There are many problems with the leasing of this land.

Its development blocks access to other lands which have been properly acquired and would be a major hindrance to future expansion of the George Bush Highway.

The big question is, who will stop the land grab and restore sanity to land administration in Ghana?


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China-Africa relations must be mutually beneficial - Kufuor
* Source: Daily Guide


Former President John Agyekum Kufuor said on Tuesday in Suzhou-China, that relations between China and Africa must be based on a win-win situation in which the aspirations of both Africans and Chinese are met.

He said Africa should seek partnerships that will open up the enormous wealth of their markets in a way that will benefit their people and not those that deprived them of their well-being even as their resources were being taken away.

Former President Kufuor was speaking at a banquet in honour of the 150 delegates attending the Second China-Africa People's Forum at the Taihu International Conference centre. It is under the theme:"People's Voice, People's Friendship and Cooperation of the People."

This was contained in a release signed by Mr. Frank Agyekum, Spokesperson and Special Aid to former President John Agyekum Kufuor and issued on Wednesday

It said five other former African heads of state and two current first ladies are attending. They are Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, Joaquim Chicano of Mozambique, Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania, Sylvestere Ntibantunganya of Burandi and Abdel Rahman Swar el-Dahab of Sudan.

The first ladies are Mrs Azeb Mefin of Ethiopia and Mrs Widad Babiker Orner Mudawi of Sudan.

Former President Kufuor said China's immense influence in the world must affect Africa positively to enable her to develop alongside other continents.

"Africa should benefit from the technical know-how of China and there should be equity in transactions. Chinese companies must take seriously the social responsibilities of the communities in which they work and the government must offer scholarships for studying and training to the youth," he said.

The two-day conference was opened by the Vice-President of China, Mr. Jiangping Xi.


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Police Command destroy Indian hemp plantation at Obosi
* Source: GNA

The Eastern Regional Police Command on Wednesday destroyed 45 acre Indian hemp plantation at Obosi in the Upper Manya Krobo District.

Two suspects Tetteh Narnor, 30, Moses Bualor, 26, who claimed ownership of the plantation have also been arrested.

Three others, who had been identified as co-owners of the plantation are on the run and are being pursued by the police who located the plantation based on a tip-off.

The combined team of police personnel led by Superintendent Richardson Kumeko, the Asesewa District Commander later set fire to the plantation which was located on a hill.

The suspects told the police that hitherto, they were cultivating cash crops but foraging cattle destroyed them hence their decision to switch to the cultivation of Indian hemp.

They said they started the Indian hemp cultivation about a year ago.


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Takoradi Court remands drug peddlers into prison custody
* Source: GNA


A Takoradi Circuit Court on Tuesday remanded three persons into prison custody for possessing narcotics without authority.

Their pleas were not taken and the court adjourned proceedings to July 31.

Chief Superintendent Felix Danku told the court presided over by Mr. Charles Bamford Nimako that on July 4, the personnel of the Drug Law Enforcement Unit of the Police Service undertook a dawn swoop at the Tarkwa Railway station.

He said the police arrested Nicolas Ntamah,19, with 68 wraps of dry leaves, James Obeng,23, with 31 wraps and three compressed parcels of leaves, Ekow Ankomah,24, with 15 wraps and quantities of dry leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

Chief Superintendent Danku said that before their arrest, the police received reports from Tarkwa that some “wee smokers” had created ghettoes at the Tarkwa railway station, harassing residents at night and snatching people’s mobile phones, bags and other valuables.

He said the police arrested five people while some escaped but after screening, the three accused had dry leaves on them suspected to be Indian hemp.

The prosecution said the substances had been forwarded to the police forensic laboratory for examination in Accra.


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Forty-six Tuberculosis cases detected in Sunyani Municipality in 2011
* Source: GNA

Dr Mrs. Paulina Appiah, Sunyani Municipal Director of Health Services at the weekend disclosed that 46 cases of Tuberculosis (TB) were detected in the Municipality in 2011.

She made this known at the launching of the Municipal celebration of the World TB Day at Abesim, near Sunyani.

The theme for this year’s TB Day is: “Call for a World Free of TB” with the slogan “Stop TB in my Lifetime”.

Dr. Appiah explained that the commemoration of the TB day held in March 24 every year was to create awareness on the prevention, detection and curability of the disease”.

She was not happy about the few cases detected during the year under review, saying the National TB Control Programme expected the Municipality to detect 152 cases.

Dr. Appiah expressed worry about the municipality’s TB treatment success rate of 82 percent last year, as compared to the national target of 85 percent and the death rate of eight percent, as against the national target of five percent.

She noted that the TB related death rate in the municipality “is unacceptable because TB is curable”.

The Municipal Health Director stated that Ghana recorded 15,842 TB cases, representing 4.6 percent last year, stressing that, women accounted for 5,778 of notified TB as against 64 percent of their male counterparts of 10,064.

Dr. Appiah said treatment success in the country was 85.3 percent while patients defaulting from treatment were three percent with death rate at 7.6 percent.

“We have not fared well this year either, after having gone half year we have detected only 15 new cases, with two deaths” she said adding that, five new cases had been detected at Abesim.

She emphasized the importance to intensify education on the causes and symptoms of the disease saying “TB is curable and the full cost of the treatment is free”.

Mr. Kwasi Oppong Ababio, the Sunyani Municipal Chief Executive advised the youth to shun unhealthy practices and channel their exuberance into productive ventures.

He said smoking of cigarette and excessive intake of alcohol were major causes of TB and entreated the general public to help in earlier detection as TB was an airborne disease.

Earlier, some selected school children held placards with the inscriptions “get a free TB test service at your nearest Government hospital”, “Fight TB”, “Talk TB”, “TB is curable”, and “Let us get rid of the stigma” and paraded through the main street of the town, to create public awareness about the disease.

Nana Kumi Acheaw, chief of Abesim, who presided, expressed concern about moral decadence among the youth in the area.


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Police crash with Apremdo artisans over demolition exercise
* Source: GNA


Confusion broke-out on Tuesday between artisans occupying a parcel of land at Apremdo near Takoradi and the Police over a demolition exercise ordered by the court.

It started when bulldozers stormed the area near the Galaxy Oil Filling Station at Apremdo, where the artisans and traders had erected temporal structures for their businesses.

According to the Chairman of Apremdo Garages Association, Mr. Peter Quazi, a court bailiff in the company of the Police was at the area at about 0530hours on Tuesday morning to carry out the demolition exercise.

This he said, did not go down well with the artisans who prevented the users of the bulldozers from carrying out the exercise.

Mr. Quazi said the Police tried to prevail upon the artisans to allow the exercise to continue but that resulted in the scuffle.

The situation however calmed later, when the Police softened their stance and stopped the demolition exercise.

Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Chief Executive for Sekondi-Takoradi, Captain (Retired) Anthony Cudjoe, said his outfit was not informed about the demolition exercise and therefore faulted the Police for the confusion.

He said since the demolition exercise would economically affect the artisans, it should have been properly communicated to them earlier for them to vacate voluntarily.

Captain Cudjoe said although the Assembly intended evacuating artisans in the Metropolis to Kokompe Large Industrial Enclave, the project had not been completed.