May 15.05.2012 -Latest GhanaWeb-News

- Election 2012 will create a lot of stress -

JJ Rawlings
- NDC traitors worse than our ‘enemies’ -

Rawlings
- Vice President inaugurates Shea Butter

Factory at Buipe
- Ghana Telecom case against Kufour admin.

postponed
- Highway Robbers strike on Hohoe-Jasikan

Road
- Court sentences robber to 30 years

imprisonment
- Black Fly menace brought under control
- Two people killed in highway robbery
- Rapist kills two siblings, wounds mother
- Kufuor gov’t, Vodafone in court over

Ghana’s Fibre Optic Backbone

Former President Jerry John Rawlings has reiterated that this year’s election “will create a lot of stress in the country” looking at the “culture of political selfishness, greed, thievery and ingratitude” that has characterised the political terrain not excluding the NDC.

According to former President Rawlings, the entire country must ponder over which direction it is headed and should take into account the sacrifices made by the many who laid down their lives for which reason the country is currently enjoying peace and stability.

Former President Rawlings was speaking at the 30th anniversary celebration of the 31st December Women’s Movement which was under the theme “Our Walk into Women Empowerment.”

He also expressed his disappointment at the ruling government’s relegation of women into the background, especially the 31st DWM hich he said “served as a powerful avenue for propagating the government’s philosophy and ideals and an influential machinery that hoisted the party’s image from 1992 through to 2008.”

Below is the full statement:

The President of the 31st December Women’s Movement, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, Nananom, Niimei, Naamei, Dr. Mrs. Mary Grant, Rev. Christie Doe Tetteh, Dr Uma Sen, Madam Selena Taylor, members of the Diplomatic Corp, members of the 31st December Women’s Movement, members of the media, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:

Thirty years ago, as Ghana pursued the agenda of stopping the decay that had engulfed the country and brought it on its knees, we lived in a man’s world and many believed the journey of transformation was a job too challenging for our women.

However one young woman with the able support of like-minded friends and colleagues, decided the time had come for women to take active and significant part in the socio-economic development of Ghana – especially in the rural areas where women played an important role in the family unit but had little rights as far as decision-making was concerned.

The history of the achievements of the 31st December Women’s Movement, led by this tireless woman and political soul mate, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings has been told a thousand-fold. Today the transformation of women is felt across the country in so many spheres of endeavour.

Women’s rights have been boosted through the adoption of several laws protecting their rights and women have found themselves pursuing various roles that transcend managing the small family unit, to applying modern technology in farming, roles in industry and top management as well as varied positions in national politics. The list is endless.

The DWM stood up for the disadvantaged women of society and together they worked hard in creating modest economic opportunities for women, created awareness of women’s rights and inculcated a sense of self-confidence and self-worth that has today made the Ghanaian woman strong, assertive and equal to men in every sector of society.

Ladies and gentlemen: As we congratulate the DWM we have to appreciate the fact that without women we could not have achieved as much as we did in our political and electoral successes, as they served as the backbone of the campaign structure during the PNDC era, when they were largely instrumental in giving true meaning to the implementation of the economic policies that turned Ghana’s economy around.

When the NDC was established, the huge network created by the Movement served as a powerful avenue for propagating the government’s philosophy and ideals and an influential machinery that hoisted the party’s image from 1992 through to 2008.

The current leadership knows it very well but rather than build on the capacity that the Movement brought to the party, they have chosen to exclude them and do worse than our so-called ‘enemies’ were doing between 2000 and 2008.

How can the government in its desire to hold onto political power demean itself in such a crass manner? Can we sustain hope and strength in this depraved political atmosphere?

We have always had to fight against one ‘enemy’ or opposition. If they can behave in a civil way it will be fair to call them opposition but seeing how they rounded up and jailed innocent people and killed others can we be wrong to sometimes describe them as enemies?

This time, however, we are fighting against two enemies – one the perceived enemy and the other one the traitor. We cannot fight both at the same time and therefore one has to go.

How could an NDC government lose its enviable sense of political morality and moral high-ground? This is why some are justified in saying that those in office are not genuinely minded, NDC spirited, NDC-hearted people and want to destroy the party in favour of something else.

And so long as they hold onto power and with some of our supporters persistently refusing to see the truth and what should have been done, then it becomes difficult to take back our party.

Ladies and gentlemen: We hear promises of great developmental policies and achievements that will come our way if we vote in certain directions, but the question is which party can restore our values?

We have always won our elections on the power of integrity. Now that they have chosen to monetize everything, how much of a chance do they have, having departed from the weapon and values that sustained our political success?

May 15 is a watershed in more ways than one. 30 years ago the 31st December Women’s Movement was born to create an avenue for women’s emancipation.

Three years earlier on the same date, the pre-cursor to the June 4 took place. My arrest and court martial and the truthful statements I made at the trial made me the focal point of conscience and gave me the leverage to contain the rage and violence that had reached boiling point within the military, the security services and the public at large.

Ghana has come far since 1979 and 1982 and today as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the hard work of our women, let us ponder over the direction we are taking our country. Let us remember the huge sacrifices that many endured for our country.

The culture of political selfishness, greed, thievery and ingratitude has to be exorcised. I said before in 2011 that this year’s elections will create a lot of stress in the country and you are living witnesses to that reality.

Today men are parading and strutting the corridors of power, taking credit for your achievements, including the political and social security of the state when it was most needed. I hope one day when the truth is told this triumph of evil will be reversed.

As we ponder over these matters, allow me to express my heartfelt congratulations to the 31st December Women’s Movement and Ghanaian women for chalking three decades of development in Ghana. Ayekoo.

Ex-president Jerry Rawlings is incensed with what he describes as unprecedented monetization of the political space which is being perpetrated by members of his own party in government.

According to him, the monetization has eroded the principle of integrity on which the party has always won its elections.

Speaking at the 30th Anniversary ceremony of the 31st December Women’s Movement, the former president minced no words in describing the said government functionaries as traitors who have betrayed the ideals of the National Democratic Congress.

He said the Movement has not only been instrumental in empowering women but has been at the forefront of organising the NDC party.

Mr. Rawlings said instead of the NDC government supporting the Movement to achieve the principles on which it was formed, it is rather sabotaging it even more than what the so-called 'enemies' did between 2000-2008.

He said the government has enviably lost the sense of political morality and has demeaned itself in a “crass manner.”

The former president said the party is now faced with fighting two enemies - traitors and the perceived enemies.

We cannot fight these two enemies, he pointed out, adding "one must go."

Vice President Dr John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday announced that government has embarked on a number of programmes that would improve the shea nut industry and uplift women in the country from abject poverty.

He said, "Statistics indicate that more women in the northern parts of the country are the poorest and mostly engaged in shea nut picking and therefore improving on the industry would help improve on their livelihood and status.”

Vice President Mahama announced this when he inaugurated a GH¢30 million Ultra-modern Shea Butter factory at Buipe in the Central Gonja district of the Northern Region.

The facility which was established with a GH¢30-million loan facility, is not only an ultra-modern Shea-butter factory, but would also provide jobs for hundreds of Ghanaians in the coming years.

The Company has also constructed residential accommodation for all the workers who would not need to travel long journeys to and from work in the centre.

Vice President Mahama mentioned some of the measures as re-organising and re-vitalising all Shea nut societies and the collaboration of Savannah Accelerated Development Authority and PBC to provide tricycles, wellington boots and gloves to all Shea nut pickers.

He gave the assurance that Buipe would soon become the industrial hub of the North as a result of its location in the central part of the northern sector.

He appealed to the kingmakers and various chieftaincy factions, to settle their issues amicable and not to resort to litigation which would end up retarding the development process.

Mr Kojo Atta-Krah, Managing Director of Produce Buying Company (PBC) Limited, said apart from investing in the Shea factory, his outfit would also provide 120,000 litres of treated water to the Buipe community as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility.

He said PBC had already acquired a market for the factory in Brazil and would explore other market centres in other parts of the world in the coming years. He appealed to other stakeholders to play their roles for the company to achieve its estimated 30 years period and beyond.

Mr Atta-Krah said, PBC would also collaborate with the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority to provide tricycles and other logistics for the collection of Shea nuts from the farms to the factory and marketing centres.

He gave the assurance that his outfit would also collaborate with the Central Gonja District Assembly to upgrade the Health Post in Buipe to a clinic, and support them to secure the services of a permanent Medical doctor to be stationed at Buipe.

Mr Moses Bukari Mabengba, Northern Regional Minister, called on the PBC to institute a scholarship for wards of the workers and beneficiary communities, just like it had provided for wards of cocoa farmers over the years.

He gave the assurance that government would execute all the road projects in the Central Gonja District, adding that “The Fufulso-Damongo-Sawla road has already been awarded to three different contractors and Vice President Mahama would by June this year cut the sod for commencement of work."

Madam Irene Vida Gala, Brazilian Ambassador to Ghana, said the factory would further strengthen the relations between Ghana and Brazil and ensure food security in Ghana for the coming years.

She expressed satisfaction that women were major beneficiaries of the factory, and gave the assurance that her mission would step up its collaboration in agriculture for the mutual benefit of Ghana and Brazil.

Ghana Telecom case against Kufour admin. postponed

* Source Citifmonline

The law suit against the Kufour administration on the sale of Ghana Telecom 70% shares to the UK Telecom operator, Vodafone has been adjourned to May 22.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Gertrude Torkornoo took the decision following the Volta River Authority (VRA)’s failure to appear in court to tender its evidence on how much the country lost through the ceding of its fibre optic backbone during the sale of Ghana Telecom to Vodafone.

It will be recalled that six leading members of the Convention People’s Party, (CPP) led by their lawyer Bright Akwetey sued the erstwhile Kufuor administration over the handing over of the fibre optic backbone “free of charge” to Vodafone.

They instituted a civil action in 2008 against the government over the sale of its 70 per cent shares in Ghana Telecom to the UK telecom operator, Vodafone.

At the court sitting on Tuesday, a Communications Engineer, Mr. George Sasraku Nipa from the Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCO) was cross examined by Lawyer Bright Akwetey.

According to Mr. Sasraku who was then with VRA, eight out of the 18 fibre optic cables were transferred to GRIDCO while the remaining 10 were given to the National Communications Backbone.

He declined to comment when Lawyer Akwetey asked why such a decision was taken at the expense of the State. This informed Justice Torkornoo’s decision to adjourn the case to May 22 during which period the VRA is expected to appear in court.

The plaintiff’s are Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, Mr. Kosi Dedey, Naa Kordai Assimeh, Dr Nii Moi Thompson, Mr. Kwame Jantuah and Ms Rhodaline Imoru Ayarna.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has reacted to claims by the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) that it is being hypocritical about housing issues in the country describing the Works and Housing Minister as playing the ostrich.

Hon. E. T. Mensah on at a press conference on Monday hit hard at the Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) for claiming its proposal to the ministry to take over the botched STX deal was ignored.

The Ningo-Prampram MP also described the support the association has received from the opposition NPP in that regard as hypocritical.

But General Secretary of the NPP, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie in an interview with XYZ News said the NDC government must apologize to Ghanaians for sidelining local artisans in favour of a foreign company in the latest housing deal rather than trying to defend its position.

“Am amazed that E.T Mensah should behave like an ostrich and speak in the terms he did, Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie popularly known as Sir John said.

He added “when we put up this presidential mansion that is now housing the ministry of foreign affairs, over 80 percent of the work was done by Ghanaians and E.T Mensah could have done himself good by reading the notes that he came to meet but because of laziness he has not read the notes”.

“The difference is that GREDA has written to you that if Government assists them they will be able to deliver but they were refused the opportunity by a government that calls itself social democrats” He added.

A gang of nine highway robbers at about 0600 hours on Monday staged an operation on the Odomi-Bowiri stretch of the Hohoe-Jasikan road robbing travellers of cash and mobile phones.

There was no casualty but a KIA truck loaded with beams had its windscreen shattered from a gunshot.

Mr Kwabena Otuo Acheampong, Hohoe Divisional Crime Officer, told the Ghana News Agency that the robbers emerged from the bush at that section of the highway and flanked the driver of the KIA to stop but he ignored them resulting in the shot.

He said commuters on an Accra bound Metro Mass bus were however dispossessed of some personal valuables including money and mobile phones, when the robbers caught up with them.

Mr Joseph K. Akortia, Akpafu-Odomi Assemblyman, said the highway robbers brandishing sophisticated weapons shot the front side of the School bus of Lackham Preparatory, which the time was conveying about 50 pupils to School on a four-mile journey.

He said the robbers, some in marks, noticing it was a school bus fled into the adjoining bush.

Mr Akortia said an Asafo group from the Akpafu area was pursuing the robbers in a rainy morning as some farmers report of seeing some strangers on their farms.

Mr Acheampong appealed to members of the general public to be vigilant and volunteer information leading to the arrest of suspects.

He said the Police had activated its intelligence and patrols urging the people to cooperate.

...Copyright boss

The Copyright administrator, Yaa Atefuah is in hot soup after failing to establish tangible reasons for registering the National Democratic Congress (NDC) logo to wife of the party’s founder Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings without due diligence.

Yaa Atefuah disclosed in an interview with Gold Power drive host Alhassan Suhuyini on Tuesday, that she did not contact the NDC leadership about the move of Nana Konadu to register the logo as her intellectual property and also did not follow the laid down procedure at the copyright office due to her personal knowledge about the former first lady as an artist.

“With my little knowledge, Mrs. Konadu Rawlings is an artist and a prominent member of the NDC. So if she brings something to the office that she created it and that it is her work, we did not doubt her”.

Yaa Atefuah, the Copyright administrator, was however quick to add that although Mrs. Rawlings has registered the NDC logo in her name, she cannot claim sole ownership of the logo.

‘’In copyright there is a principle of a formality frame, it is not the registration which gives you the ownership, it does not confer ownership’’.

“Under the law, under section 69 of the copyright act, the registration is to enable one ascertain a record of work, publicize the work, just as people are finding out whether something has been registered forever. It is also evidence of one’s intellectual property’’, she added.

“It doesn’t confer the ownership, when you register you are presumed to be the owner”, she said.

Meanwhile, a Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa is wondering why the former copyright administrator, Nana Bosomprah who once contested on the ticket of the NPP as parliamentary candidature for the Ada constituency is still walking free after starting the registration process for Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings.

But Nana Bosomprah has also expressed disappointment about the deputy minister’s call, saying he did not commit any crime.

A 20-year old driver’s mate who together with three accomplices robbed a trader of his two mobile phones and GH¢170.00 at knife point, has been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment by a Kumasi Circuit Court.

Kwadwo Kwakye and his accomplices who also subjected the victim to severe beating, pleaded guilty to the charges of conspiracy and robbery.

Police Chief Inspector Isaac Mensah Appenteng, told the court presided over by Justice William Boampong that, the crime was committed on April 13, and that William Kofi Baffour, a trader, was returning home from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital when Kwakye and his accomplices attacked him near the hospital’s mortuary.

He said they drew knives, mercilessly beat him and removed his phones and cash.

A police patrol team in the area chanced upon the incident and went into his rescue and managed to arrest the convict, while his accomplices whose names were only given as Yaw, Kwabena and “Taller” escaped.

The prosecution said the victim’s two stolen phones were retrieved from Kwakye.

The court issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the fugitive robbers and ordered the return of the phones to the victim.

Two people were killed and six were injured when armed robbers attacked their vehicles on the Agona Swedru/Koforidua road on Monday.

Ohene Cudjoe, aged 40, a driver who was conveying fishmongers from Winneba on market day, was shot dead by the robbers.

Madam Efuah Badu, a fishmonger also from Winneba, died on the spot when a passenger vehicle ran over her in an attempt to escape the attack.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Joseph Kofi Ackah, Agona Nyakrom District Police Commander, made this known when Madam Ama Benyiwa Doe, the Central Regional Minister, visited the victims at Agona Swedru Government Hospital on Monday.

He said three out of the six injured people were treated and discharged.

DSP Ackah said, the Agona Nsaba and Duakwa police received a distress call at about 0200 hours that armed robbers had barricaded the road between Mensakrom and Agona Duakwa.

He said the first patrol team led by Detective Lance Corporal Lawson Aglagoh was dispatched to the scene.

DSP Ackah said the robbers numbering about 10 had ordered the occupants of eight vehicles from both Agona Swedru and Akim Oda to lie down and surrender all their monies and mobiles phones.

A passenger vehicle escaping the attack ran over Madam Badu who was among those on the ground.

According to DSP Ackah, the robbers engaged in a fierce gun battle with police the team and shot the windscreen of a private car belonging to Corporal Aglagoh before they fled into the bush.

Madam Benyiwa Doe said the robbery should serve as a wake-up call to the police to beef up security at barriers to protect life and property.

She expressed her condolences to the bereaved families and donated 1,000 Ghana Cedis to the Swedru Government Hospital for the upkeep of the victims.

Rapist kills two siblings, wounds mother

* Source: Daily Graphic

A suspected sex maniac has allegedly shot and killed two siblings and wounded their mother after raping their elder sister in the bush at Dukoto Junction in the Amenfi East District in the Western Region.

The dead have been identified as Maame Adwoa, 13, and her brother, Kwame Ohene, both students. The bodies have been deposited at the Wassa Akropong Government Hospital, while their mother, Maame Akua Ohene, 53, is in critical condition at the same hospital.

According to the Prestea-Huni Valley District Police Commander, DSP Ben Wonkyi, the suspect, whose name was given as Atta Panyin, 25, was requested by the traditional authorities to pay GH¢200 and provide other items to pacify the gods after he had been found guilty of raping Madam Ohene’s elder daughter, Affuah, in the bush.

Even though Panyin had not paid the fine, he constantly put pressure on Affuah for more sex.

According to DSP Wonkyi, Panyin claimed that because Affuah had disgraced him before the elders and the rest of the community, there was the need for her to compensate him with more sex.

Unable to stand the constant pressure for sex by the suspect, Affuah is said to have reported the harassment to her mother on Sunday evening.

In response, Madam Ohene promised to visit the suspect’s parents and elders to report the behaviour of their son and relative to them.

The police said upon hearing that Affuah’s mother would be visiting his parents to report his conduct to them, Panyin went for a shotgun, forced the bedroom of Madam Ohene opened and fired at her.

He then attempted to shoot Affuah, who was also in the room, but she managed to escape.

Apparently frustrated, Panyin, according to the police, then shot the two siblings of his supposed lover, killing them instantly.

While the mother was crying for help, the suspect bolted but he was later arrested by the police.

Kufuor gov’t, Vodafone in court over Ghana’s Fibre Optic Backbone

* Source: Daily Graphic

The Commercial Division of the Accra Fast Track High Court will today hear evidence from the Volta River Authority (VRA) on how much the country lost through the ceding of its fibre optic backbone during the sale of Ghana Telecom to Vodafone.

Mr Bright Akwetey, counsel for six members of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) who sued the Kufuor administration, told the court, presided over by Justice Gertrude Torkornoo, that handing over the fibre optic backbone “free of charge” to Vodafone was inimical to the interest of the people of Ghana.

The plaintiffs — Professor Agyeman Badu Akosa, Mr Kosi Dedey, Naa Kordai Assimeh, Dr Nii Moi Thompson, Mr Kwame Jantuah and Ms Rhodaline Imoru Ayarna — instituted a civil action in 2008 against the government over the sale of its 70 per cent shares in Ghana Telecom (GT) to the UK telecom operator, Vodafone.

At the heart of the evidence to be given by the VRA are why its subsidiary, Voltacom, was established, its value at the time it was handed over to Vodafone and how much the country lost as a result of the transfer of Voltacom’s assets to Vodafone.

By that, Mr Akwetey said his clients sought to establish why the then government could not just sell its 70 per cent stake in Vodafone but went ahead to add a whole company that was set up by public funds to provide, among other things, employment for the people.

Also expected at the court today is GRIDCo, which was established to distribute electricity, a task which involves the use of fibre optic cables.

Mr Akwetey prayed the court to allow GRIDCo to give evidence on how its operations were affected after 10 out of its 18 fibre optic cables owned by the VRA were ceded to Vodafone on the advice of the Kufuor administration.

Evidence has so far been taken from Mr Issah Yahya, a director at the Ministry of Communications and Secretary of the Inter-Ministerial Review Committee on the Vodafone Transaction, who also tendered the report of the committee as evidence.

The Ecobank Development Corporation, transaction advisers, also tendered its valuation report in which it had valued Ghana Telecom to be worth $1.075 billion.

A notice of civil action filed by the plaintiffs' solicitor, Akwetey & Associates, in Accra on July 30, 2008 is asking the court to revoke the deal and dissolve the 'Enlarged Ghana Telecom' that has been created, noting that the agreement had been entered into without due process.

The notice is also calling for the restoration of the fibre optic network to the VRA.

Additionally, the notice is asking for a true and faithful inventory and re-evaluation of GT's assets.

According to the notice, the decision of the group to sue the government was due to the unlawful disposal of the public property, describing the move as recklessly causing financial loss to the state.

The notice further stated that the contract, apart from being detrimental to public interest, had also under-valued public property for sale to a foreign company.

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