Page 25: April 29, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE British High Commissioner in Accra, Mr Nicholas Westcott, has urged journalists in the country to sustain the lively nature of the media landscape, saying that lively nature was good for democracy and development.
Mr Westcott was speaking during a courtesy call on the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Ibrahim Awal, in Accra yesterday.
The High Commissioner was accompanied by Ms Rosie Tapper, the Second Secretary, Political, Press and Public Affairs, at the British High Commission.
Mr Westcott said although there had been a decline in readership in most parts of the world, the media in Ghana were still growing and had not experienced much of the decline.
He said the media landscape was very lively in Ghana and that the use of online services and information would enrich the media in Ghana and propel them for the future.
For his part, Mr Awal noted that there had been a phenomenal growth and development of the media in Ghana and recalled that from the mere two newspapers and one television station in the not-too-distant past, the country now had over 36 newspapers, six television stations and more than 100 radio stations.
He said the company was determined to play its part in promoting democracy and development through its publications.
He said the GCGL had also instituted an annual governance dialogue as part of its contribution to sustaining democracy.
Responding to a question on the coverage of elections and political parties, the Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Ransford Tetteh, said the Constitution insisted on fair and objective coverage for all political parties.
He said the National Media Commission (NMC) also monitored the work of the state-owned media to insulate them against governmental control.
He said as part of its work, the NMC issued guidelines on the coverage of elections in every election year to ensure that the state-owned media provide fair and objective reportage on the parties.
Mr Tetteh said the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) also collaborated with the Electoral Commission during elections to ensure access to certified results.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Prosecute DSP Akagbo*Investigate conduct of Chief Supt. Adu-Amankwah
Front Page: April 26, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Kojo Armah Committee set up to investigate the missing cocaine at the Exhibits Store at the CID Headquarters has recommended the prosecution of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Patrick Akagbo.
It said although the committee could not pinpoint any single person or group of persons who had substituted the cocaine, DSP Akagbo, who kept the keys to the store, should be held responsible for dereliction of duty.
It also recommended further investigations into the conduct of Chief Superintendent Alphonse Adu-Amankwah, the former Head of the erstwhile Organised Crime Unit, in his administration of the unit, especially with the arrest, transportation and handling of the exhibits which were intercepted at Prampram in the Greater Accra Region.
Giving highlights of the committee’s report yesterday during its presentation to the Interior Minister, Mr Kwamena Bartels, the Chairman, Mr Kojo Armah, said the committee also recommended the re-organisation of the CID Headquarters, especially its records management.
He said the committee took both oral and written evidence from 43 people, including the Inspector-General of Police, Mr P. K. Acheampong; the former Director-General of the CID, Mr David Asante-Apeatu; his successor, Mr Frank Adu-Poku, Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah, DSP Akagbo and five civilians.
He said the committee established that there were personality clashes between Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah and DCOP Asante-Apeatu, at one level, and between DCOP Asante-Apeatu and the IGP at another level.
He said those clashes affected the management of the CID Headquarters, resulting in non-coordination of issues there.
According to the chairman, that made Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah do “his own thing” as Head of the Organised Crime Unit.
Mr Armah said the committee traced the source of the conflicts to the handling of the East Legon cocaine case in 2005, adding that it resulted in the keys to the Exhibits Store being given to DSP Akagbo, who had nothing to do with Organised Crime.
He said the committee detected that the doors to the store had neither been forced open nor had there been a break in.
Mr Armah, therefore, said there was little possibility of someone entering the Exhibits Store through the back window, hence the decision to hold DSP Akagbo liable.
According to him, three civilians — Isaac Tenkorang, Osman Anani and Nana Dokua — had led the committee into believing that DSP Akagbo had actually taken the cocaine and given it to Mr Kwame Frempong to sell but added that Tenkorang later confessed to the committee that they had actually conspired to implicate DSP Akagbo and Mr Frempong.
He explained that based on that, the committee had no option but release Mr Frempong.
He said record keeping at the CID Headquarters was very poor, as the officers did not keep details of all visitors and other details.
Mr Armah commended all the personalities and institutions that assisted the committee in its work, especially the IGP, the Bureau of National Investigations and the Narcotics Control Board.
Mr Bartels, for his part, expressed the government’s gratitude to members of the committee for accepting the responsibility.
He said the report would be forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Department for advice, after which the government would issue a statement on it.
He pledged that all those who had been recommended for prosecution would be dealt with.
Mr Bartels, who was flanked by the Minister of State at the ministry, Nana Obiri Boahen, said the government would use the report to streamline the weaknesses in the housing and custody of exhibits in future.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Kojo Armah Committee set up to investigate the missing cocaine at the Exhibits Store at the CID Headquarters has recommended the prosecution of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Patrick Akagbo.
It said although the committee could not pinpoint any single person or group of persons who had substituted the cocaine, DSP Akagbo, who kept the keys to the store, should be held responsible for dereliction of duty.
It also recommended further investigations into the conduct of Chief Superintendent Alphonse Adu-Amankwah, the former Head of the erstwhile Organised Crime Unit, in his administration of the unit, especially with the arrest, transportation and handling of the exhibits which were intercepted at Prampram in the Greater Accra Region.
Giving highlights of the committee’s report yesterday during its presentation to the Interior Minister, Mr Kwamena Bartels, the Chairman, Mr Kojo Armah, said the committee also recommended the re-organisation of the CID Headquarters, especially its records management.
He said the committee took both oral and written evidence from 43 people, including the Inspector-General of Police, Mr P. K. Acheampong; the former Director-General of the CID, Mr David Asante-Apeatu; his successor, Mr Frank Adu-Poku, Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah, DSP Akagbo and five civilians.
He said the committee established that there were personality clashes between Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah and DCOP Asante-Apeatu, at one level, and between DCOP Asante-Apeatu and the IGP at another level.
He said those clashes affected the management of the CID Headquarters, resulting in non-coordination of issues there.
According to the chairman, that made Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah do “his own thing” as Head of the Organised Crime Unit.
Mr Armah said the committee traced the source of the conflicts to the handling of the East Legon cocaine case in 2005, adding that it resulted in the keys to the Exhibits Store being given to DSP Akagbo, who had nothing to do with Organised Crime.
He said the committee detected that the doors to the store had neither been forced open nor had there been a break in.
Mr Armah, therefore, said there was little possibility of someone entering the Exhibits Store through the back window, hence the decision to hold DSP Akagbo liable.
According to him, three civilians — Isaac Tenkorang, Osman Anani and Nana Dokua — had led the committee into believing that DSP Akagbo had actually taken the cocaine and given it to Mr Kwame Frempong to sell but added that Tenkorang later confessed to the committee that they had actually conspired to implicate DSP Akagbo and Mr Frempong.
He explained that based on that, the committee had no option but release Mr Frempong.
He said record keeping at the CID Headquarters was very poor, as the officers did not keep details of all visitors and other details.
Mr Armah commended all the personalities and institutions that assisted the committee in its work, especially the IGP, the Bureau of National Investigations and the Narcotics Control Board.
Mr Bartels, for his part, expressed the government’s gratitude to members of the committee for accepting the responsibility.
He said the report would be forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Department for advice, after which the government would issue a statement on it.
He pledged that all those who had been recommended for prosecution would be dealt with.
Mr Bartels, who was flanked by the Minister of State at the ministry, Nana Obiri Boahen, said the government would use the report to streamline the weaknesses in the housing and custody of exhibits in future.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
'Goodies' arrested - over cocaine
Front Page: April 25, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Managing Director of Goodies Music Productions, Mr Isaac Abeidu Aidoo, has been arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle pellets of cocaine to London.
He was arrested while going through departure formalities at the Kotoka International Airport about 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday night.
He was said to have requested to be allowed to commit suicide, since he could not bear the humiliation associated with the exposition in the media relating to his arrest and prosecution.
He had allegedly swallowed 80 thumb-size pellets of cocaine, which he claimed had been given to him at East Legon by someone he identified only as Abdul.
At the time of filing this report, Aidoo had expelled 39 of the pellets.
Three others, said to be couriers — Mohammed Yakubu, Othniel Oppong Boansi and Philip Asiedu Kissi — are also in custody for attempting to smuggle various quantities of cocaine to Europe between April 21 and 22, 2008.
Confirming Aidoo’s arrest to the Daily Graphic, the Public Relations Officer of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Mr Francis Amoah, said operatives of NACOB had suspected Aidoo to be carrying drugs and subsequently isolated him for further questioning.
He said the suspect initially denied carrying drugs but an X-ray examination on him revealed that he had swallowed foreign materials.
According to him, it was at that stage that Aidoo allegedly admitted to swallowing the 80 pellets.
Mr Amoah said Aidoo had claimed that he was introduced to the courier business in London by someone he again identified only as William who promised to pay him £3,000 on successful delivery.
The PRO said when the operatives went to Abdul’s residence at East Legon, they were told that he had relocated from the house two weeks before.
With regard to Mohammed Yakubu, the PRO said the suspect, a Ghanaian based in Ireland, was arrested on April 21, 2008 for swallowing 10 pellets of cocaine.
He said the suspect had claimed the drugs were for his use and not for sale.
He said Oppong Boansi, a Ghanaian holding an American passport, expelled 53 pellets of cocaine he said he intended sending to a friend in Italy.
He said the suspect had claimed that the friend, Derrick Boateng, had left the previous day and promised to pay him 3,000 euros on successful delivery of the drugs to him in Italy.
Mr Amoah said Kissi expelled 74 pellets of cocaine after his arrest on April 22, 2008.
He said Kissi had been also arrested while going through departure formalities at the airport.
The PRO explained that all the suspects have been remanded in custody pending further investigations.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Managing Director of Goodies Music Productions, Mr Isaac Abeidu Aidoo, has been arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle pellets of cocaine to London.
He was arrested while going through departure formalities at the Kotoka International Airport about 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday night.
He was said to have requested to be allowed to commit suicide, since he could not bear the humiliation associated with the exposition in the media relating to his arrest and prosecution.
He had allegedly swallowed 80 thumb-size pellets of cocaine, which he claimed had been given to him at East Legon by someone he identified only as Abdul.
At the time of filing this report, Aidoo had expelled 39 of the pellets.
Three others, said to be couriers — Mohammed Yakubu, Othniel Oppong Boansi and Philip Asiedu Kissi — are also in custody for attempting to smuggle various quantities of cocaine to Europe between April 21 and 22, 2008.
Confirming Aidoo’s arrest to the Daily Graphic, the Public Relations Officer of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Mr Francis Amoah, said operatives of NACOB had suspected Aidoo to be carrying drugs and subsequently isolated him for further questioning.
He said the suspect initially denied carrying drugs but an X-ray examination on him revealed that he had swallowed foreign materials.
According to him, it was at that stage that Aidoo allegedly admitted to swallowing the 80 pellets.
Mr Amoah said Aidoo had claimed that he was introduced to the courier business in London by someone he again identified only as William who promised to pay him £3,000 on successful delivery.
The PRO said when the operatives went to Abdul’s residence at East Legon, they were told that he had relocated from the house two weeks before.
With regard to Mohammed Yakubu, the PRO said the suspect, a Ghanaian based in Ireland, was arrested on April 21, 2008 for swallowing 10 pellets of cocaine.
He said the suspect had claimed the drugs were for his use and not for sale.
He said Oppong Boansi, a Ghanaian holding an American passport, expelled 53 pellets of cocaine he said he intended sending to a friend in Italy.
He said the suspect had claimed that the friend, Derrick Boateng, had left the previous day and promised to pay him 3,000 euros on successful delivery of the drugs to him in Italy.
Mr Amoah said Kissi expelled 74 pellets of cocaine after his arrest on April 22, 2008.
He said Kissi had been also arrested while going through departure formalities at the airport.
The PRO explained that all the suspects have been remanded in custody pending further investigations.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
No Load Shedding * Despite fall in water level - VRA
Front Page: April 22, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Volta River Authority (VRA) has given the assurance that there will be no load-shedding this year in spite of the decline in the water level of Akosombo Dam.
The VRA says thefall in the water level is consistent with the depletion season and was expected to rise when the inflow period began in July.
The acting Director of Corporate Services of the VRA, Ms Abla Fiadjoe, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the inflow season started from July each year to the end of November or thereabout and was followed by the depletion season.
“What we get during the inflow season is what we manage during the depletion season till the next inflow season,” she added.
As of Saturday, April 19, 2008, the water level of the Akosombo Dam was 248.13ft as against 236.65ft the same period last year.
Ms Fiadjoe said there were a number of thermal plants scheduled to be operational by the close of the year to deal with any shortfall the country might experience.
She said currently, there were the Mines Reserve Plant, which is providing 80 megawatts, the Emergency Power Reserve Plant, 126 megawatts, and the Wood Group Plant, producing 25 megawatts power.
“Apart from these, in the course of the year, we are expecting to put in operation additional plants to augment the existing pants. These are Tema One Plant, which will provide 126 megawatts, Osagyefo Barge, 125 megawatts and 50 megawatts of power from the Siemens Plant,” she added.
Ms Fiadjoe said the Tema One Plant, which is owned by the VRA, was all set to be operational but explained that the Osagyefo Barge and the Siemens Plant were owned by private operators and , therefore, she could not put a finger on when exactly they would be operational in the course of the year.
Besides, she said, there were a number of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) such as Sunon-Asogli, Osonor and CenPower, which are all coming on board.
Ms Fiadjoe said although all these IPPs were coming on board, it was important for Ghanaians to make judicious use of power supply.
She said hydro had been the country’s main source of power generation but indicated that as many more thermal plants were coming on stream, “we are likely to see a shift in the hydro-thermal ratio”.
The country’s main source of energy had been the Akosombo Dam, which has the capacity to provide 1,020 MW, the Kpong dam, 160 MW and the Aboadze Thermal Plant 550 MW. These were augmented with power from the Mines Reserve Plant, Emergency Power Reserve Plant and the Wood Group.
Ms Fiadjoe explained that thermal energy was more expensive to produce in the country’s circumstances as the cost was driven by oil prices.
She explained that the cost also varied, depending on the prevailing oil market prices.
“If you have more thermal in the generation mix, it means the cost of generation will shoot up and we will have to find the money to pay for it,” she added.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Volta River Authority (VRA) has given the assurance that there will be no load-shedding this year in spite of the decline in the water level of Akosombo Dam.
The VRA says thefall in the water level is consistent with the depletion season and was expected to rise when the inflow period began in July.
The acting Director of Corporate Services of the VRA, Ms Abla Fiadjoe, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that the inflow season started from July each year to the end of November or thereabout and was followed by the depletion season.
“What we get during the inflow season is what we manage during the depletion season till the next inflow season,” she added.
As of Saturday, April 19, 2008, the water level of the Akosombo Dam was 248.13ft as against 236.65ft the same period last year.
Ms Fiadjoe said there were a number of thermal plants scheduled to be operational by the close of the year to deal with any shortfall the country might experience.
She said currently, there were the Mines Reserve Plant, which is providing 80 megawatts, the Emergency Power Reserve Plant, 126 megawatts, and the Wood Group Plant, producing 25 megawatts power.
“Apart from these, in the course of the year, we are expecting to put in operation additional plants to augment the existing pants. These are Tema One Plant, which will provide 126 megawatts, Osagyefo Barge, 125 megawatts and 50 megawatts of power from the Siemens Plant,” she added.
Ms Fiadjoe said the Tema One Plant, which is owned by the VRA, was all set to be operational but explained that the Osagyefo Barge and the Siemens Plant were owned by private operators and , therefore, she could not put a finger on when exactly they would be operational in the course of the year.
Besides, she said, there were a number of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) such as Sunon-Asogli, Osonor and CenPower, which are all coming on board.
Ms Fiadjoe said although all these IPPs were coming on board, it was important for Ghanaians to make judicious use of power supply.
She said hydro had been the country’s main source of power generation but indicated that as many more thermal plants were coming on stream, “we are likely to see a shift in the hydro-thermal ratio”.
The country’s main source of energy had been the Akosombo Dam, which has the capacity to provide 1,020 MW, the Kpong dam, 160 MW and the Aboadze Thermal Plant 550 MW. These were augmented with power from the Mines Reserve Plant, Emergency Power Reserve Plant and the Wood Group.
Ms Fiadjoe explained that thermal energy was more expensive to produce in the country’s circumstances as the cost was driven by oil prices.
She explained that the cost also varied, depending on the prevailing oil market prices.
“If you have more thermal in the generation mix, it means the cost of generation will shoot up and we will have to find the money to pay for it,” she added.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Woman wanted for fraud
Page 47: April 21, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Nima Divisional Police Command has mounted a search for a 37-year-old woman for allegedly defrauding business enterprises on the pretext of purchasing items from them.
Benedicta Gyamerah escaped arrest when she jumped the wall of her apartment at Sakaman in Accra when policemen swooped on her.
The police, however, retrieved 403 plastic chairs, 83 aluminium chairs and 31 rims of printing paper from her residence.
The modus operandi of the woman is to enter a shop and request to purchase some of the items being sold.
After negotiating the price, she requests that the owner of the shop or the sales person follow her to the bank to enable her to withdraw some money to effect payment.
Before going to the bank with her victim, she arranges for a vehicle to cart the items to a destination.
At the place, Benedicta makes arrangements with a new vehicle to cart the items to another place and thus succeeds in deceiving the first driver of the final destination of the goods he has carted.
On the way, however, she sneaks away, leaving the victim stranded.
The Nima Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent A. Awuni, told the Daily Graphic that Benedicta had a number of such cases pending before the courts.
He said in the most recent case, Benedicta approached the proprietor of a shop at Kokomlemle in Accra and requested to buy GH¢140,000 worth of printing paper.
He said after loading the items onto a vehicle, Benedicta asked the owner of the shop, Mr Michael Ekena, to go with her to the bank to withdraw money for payment.
Chief Supt Awuni said Benedicta often explained to the shop owners that she did not use cheque books, hence the need to go to the bank to pay them because the amounts involved were often huge.
He said Mr Ekena asked a brother of his to go with Benedicta to the bank to collect the money.
According to him, on the way, Benedicta allegedly informed her companion that she needed to settle a debt at the Mallam Atta Market and, therefore, asked him to wait for her at a nearby shop.
Chief Supt Awuni said that was the last time the young man saw her.
He said Mr Ekena, therefore, decided to lodge a complaint.
He explained that an informant led the police to Benedicta’s residence at Sakaman but she quickly jumped over the wall on seeing the police.
Posted by salia at 1:09 AM 0 comments
The plight of two teenagers
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Nima Divisional Police Command has mounted a search for a 37-year-old woman for allegedly defrauding business enterprises on the pretext of purchasing items from them.
Benedicta Gyamerah escaped arrest when she jumped the wall of her apartment at Sakaman in Accra when policemen swooped on her.
The police, however, retrieved 403 plastic chairs, 83 aluminium chairs and 31 rims of printing paper from her residence.
The modus operandi of the woman is to enter a shop and request to purchase some of the items being sold.
After negotiating the price, she requests that the owner of the shop or the sales person follow her to the bank to enable her to withdraw some money to effect payment.
Before going to the bank with her victim, she arranges for a vehicle to cart the items to a destination.
At the place, Benedicta makes arrangements with a new vehicle to cart the items to another place and thus succeeds in deceiving the first driver of the final destination of the goods he has carted.
On the way, however, she sneaks away, leaving the victim stranded.
The Nima Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent A. Awuni, told the Daily Graphic that Benedicta had a number of such cases pending before the courts.
He said in the most recent case, Benedicta approached the proprietor of a shop at Kokomlemle in Accra and requested to buy GH¢140,000 worth of printing paper.
He said after loading the items onto a vehicle, Benedicta asked the owner of the shop, Mr Michael Ekena, to go with her to the bank to withdraw money for payment.
Chief Supt Awuni said Benedicta often explained to the shop owners that she did not use cheque books, hence the need to go to the bank to pay them because the amounts involved were often huge.
He said Mr Ekena asked a brother of his to go with Benedicta to the bank to collect the money.
According to him, on the way, Benedicta allegedly informed her companion that she needed to settle a debt at the Mallam Atta Market and, therefore, asked him to wait for her at a nearby shop.
Chief Supt Awuni said that was the last time the young man saw her.
He said Mr Ekena, therefore, decided to lodge a complaint.
He explained that an informant led the police to Benedicta’s residence at Sakaman but she quickly jumped over the wall on seeing the police.
Posted by salia at 1:09 AM 0 comments
The plight of two teenagers
The plight of two teenagers
Page 17: April 19, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
The problems confronting young boys and girls who migrate from the rural areas to Accra and other urban centres in search of non-existent jobs are enormous.
Apart from the fact that they have nowhere to lay their heads and therefore sleep at lorry parks, under trees and in front of shops at night, they also do not have access to medical facilities and are exposed to all forms of social vices.
The story of two 13-year-old girls, who absconded from their homes in Kumasi and Ashaiman in search of greener pastures in Accra, and were taken to the Department of Social Welfare, further buttressed the issue. They were picked from the beach behind the Arts Centre, where they normally cook and loiter till night fall.
The two girls, Kadijah Razak and Zenab Azaglo, claimed they were not blood relations but only met in Accra and decided to stay close to make a headway in life through menial jobs.
They took their bath in the house of a man they identified only as Mustapha at Osu in the mornings and then went their ways after that.
Narrating the circumstances that brought them to Accra, Kadijah said a friend she identified only as Esi brought her to Accra from Kumasi to come and work and make more money.
She said while in Kumasi, she was assisting her aunt in selling banku.
She said Esi told her that she would make more money in Accra hence her decision to follow her to Accra without the knowledge of her aunt.
According to Kadijah, Esi paid her transport fare to Accra but abandoned her under a tree at the Railways station in Accra.
She explained that she later met Zenab at the same place and the two of them decided to stay close to each other.
She said they later met Mustapha who took them to his house at Osu for them to keep their belongings but later decided to sleep at the Arts Centre and only went to Mustapha’s house in the morning to bath.
For her part, Zenab said her mother, who she identified as Fati Ali, disowned her and chased her out of their Ashaiman residence about three months ago.
She said since then, she had been roaming the streets of Accra doing menial jobs for her upkeep.
Zenab said she did not want to be reunited with the mother because she would be sacked from the house after the officers had left.
According to Mr Dela Ashiagbor, the officer in-charge of the Social Welfare Unit attached to the Accra Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), there were many such children roaming the streets of Accra.
He said the difficulty the unit faced was how to take such children back to their families.
He said although Kadijah was willing to go back to her family in Kumasi, the unit did not have the resources to fund the cost of transportation.
Mr Ashiagbor said under normal circumstances, an officer should even accompanied her to Kumasi to be handed over to the Social Welfare Unit in Kumasi, which would in turn take the girl to her family.
That, he explained, was necessary to facilitate follow-ups and ensure that the girl was doing well.
Meanwhile, the two are back to their base doing business and their struggle for survival continues.
Posted by salia at 12:35 AM 0 comments
Story: Albert K. Salia
The problems confronting young boys and girls who migrate from the rural areas to Accra and other urban centres in search of non-existent jobs are enormous.
Apart from the fact that they have nowhere to lay their heads and therefore sleep at lorry parks, under trees and in front of shops at night, they also do not have access to medical facilities and are exposed to all forms of social vices.
The story of two 13-year-old girls, who absconded from their homes in Kumasi and Ashaiman in search of greener pastures in Accra, and were taken to the Department of Social Welfare, further buttressed the issue. They were picked from the beach behind the Arts Centre, where they normally cook and loiter till night fall.
The two girls, Kadijah Razak and Zenab Azaglo, claimed they were not blood relations but only met in Accra and decided to stay close to make a headway in life through menial jobs.
They took their bath in the house of a man they identified only as Mustapha at Osu in the mornings and then went their ways after that.
Narrating the circumstances that brought them to Accra, Kadijah said a friend she identified only as Esi brought her to Accra from Kumasi to come and work and make more money.
She said while in Kumasi, she was assisting her aunt in selling banku.
She said Esi told her that she would make more money in Accra hence her decision to follow her to Accra without the knowledge of her aunt.
According to Kadijah, Esi paid her transport fare to Accra but abandoned her under a tree at the Railways station in Accra.
She explained that she later met Zenab at the same place and the two of them decided to stay close to each other.
She said they later met Mustapha who took them to his house at Osu for them to keep their belongings but later decided to sleep at the Arts Centre and only went to Mustapha’s house in the morning to bath.
For her part, Zenab said her mother, who she identified as Fati Ali, disowned her and chased her out of their Ashaiman residence about three months ago.
She said since then, she had been roaming the streets of Accra doing menial jobs for her upkeep.
Zenab said she did not want to be reunited with the mother because she would be sacked from the house after the officers had left.
According to Mr Dela Ashiagbor, the officer in-charge of the Social Welfare Unit attached to the Accra Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU), there were many such children roaming the streets of Accra.
He said the difficulty the unit faced was how to take such children back to their families.
He said although Kadijah was willing to go back to her family in Kumasi, the unit did not have the resources to fund the cost of transportation.
Mr Ashiagbor said under normal circumstances, an officer should even accompanied her to Kumasi to be handed over to the Social Welfare Unit in Kumasi, which would in turn take the girl to her family.
That, he explained, was necessary to facilitate follow-ups and ensure that the girl was doing well.
Meanwhile, the two are back to their base doing business and their struggle for survival continues.
Posted by salia at 12:35 AM 0 comments
Three arrested for fraud
Page 40: April 19, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THREE persons have been arrested for allegedly defrauding two tourists of nearly 3,000 euros.
The three — Michael Agomavi, Godwin Listowell (who is Agomavi’s son) and Christian Agunor — are currently in custody pending investigations.
The modus operandi of the group is for Listowell to offer to act as a guide to potential tourists to Ghana.
While in the hotel room of the tourists, other members of the group, including two policemen, currently being sought after, would storm the room on the pretext of arresting them on allegations of being homosexuals.
In the heat of the ensuing melee, the suspects would extort money from the tourists, collect their cameras and cellphones and while purporting to be taking them to the police station, they would hire a taxi to take them back to their hotel.
Listowell was said to have acted as the go-between to all the tourists.
A source close to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) told the Daily Graphic yesterday that Listowell contacted one of the victims, a British national, to act as a tour guide when he visited Ghana in October, last year.
It said the victim, who came in the company of a friend to celebrate Ghana’s Golden Jubilee as that was also his 50th birthday, were robbed under those circumstances resulting in the victim petitioning the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice for investigations as it could tarnish the image of the country.
The source said the case was, therefore, referred to the BNI for investigations.
It indicated that the BNI contacted the victim through the Internet and accordingly asked him to use a different identity to contact Listowell.
According to the source, the victim sent a different picture of him under the name Greg to Listowell after he responded to an email sent earlier on.
It said the victim notified Listowell that he would be arriving on board a British Airways on April 9, 2008 and requested that Listowell wrote the name Greg and British Airways beneath a paper at the meeting point at the point for identification.
On the appointed day and time, the source said Listowell, in the company of his father, Agomavi, went to the airport to meet Greg.
The source said personnel of the BNI arrested Listowell and his father soon after passengers on board the airline started filing out with Listowell holding the paper as directed by the victim.
It said the two men led the BNI to arrest Christian Agunor after they had allegedly confessed to committing the offence.
The source said the BNI were still looking for the identities of the two policemen and a third person, who were part of the group terrorising tourists.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THREE persons have been arrested for allegedly defrauding two tourists of nearly 3,000 euros.
The three — Michael Agomavi, Godwin Listowell (who is Agomavi’s son) and Christian Agunor — are currently in custody pending investigations.
The modus operandi of the group is for Listowell to offer to act as a guide to potential tourists to Ghana.
While in the hotel room of the tourists, other members of the group, including two policemen, currently being sought after, would storm the room on the pretext of arresting them on allegations of being homosexuals.
In the heat of the ensuing melee, the suspects would extort money from the tourists, collect their cameras and cellphones and while purporting to be taking them to the police station, they would hire a taxi to take them back to their hotel.
Listowell was said to have acted as the go-between to all the tourists.
A source close to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) told the Daily Graphic yesterday that Listowell contacted one of the victims, a British national, to act as a tour guide when he visited Ghana in October, last year.
It said the victim, who came in the company of a friend to celebrate Ghana’s Golden Jubilee as that was also his 50th birthday, were robbed under those circumstances resulting in the victim petitioning the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice for investigations as it could tarnish the image of the country.
The source said the case was, therefore, referred to the BNI for investigations.
It indicated that the BNI contacted the victim through the Internet and accordingly asked him to use a different identity to contact Listowell.
According to the source, the victim sent a different picture of him under the name Greg to Listowell after he responded to an email sent earlier on.
It said the victim notified Listowell that he would be arriving on board a British Airways on April 9, 2008 and requested that Listowell wrote the name Greg and British Airways beneath a paper at the meeting point at the point for identification.
On the appointed day and time, the source said Listowell, in the company of his father, Agomavi, went to the airport to meet Greg.
The source said personnel of the BNI arrested Listowell and his father soon after passengers on board the airline started filing out with Listowell holding the paper as directed by the victim.
It said the two men led the BNI to arrest Christian Agunor after they had allegedly confessed to committing the offence.
The source said the BNI were still looking for the identities of the two policemen and a third person, who were part of the group terrorising tourists.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Cocaine Dispute-Car dealer indicts senior police officer
Front Page: April 16, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE man who was accused of selling the missing cocaine from the Police Exhibits Store at the CID Headquarters, Mr Kwame Frempong, who is a car dealer, has indicted a senior police officer for asking him to “confess” to receiving the drugs from DSP Patrick Akagbo to sell on his behalf.
He said Chief Superintendent Alphonse Adu-Amankwah, the former Head of the erstwhile Organised Crime Unit, warned him that he would be detained and later prosecuted if he failed to “confess” because the police had the facts to implicate him and DSP Akagbo.
Mr Frempong, who was released from detention on April 4, 2008, told the Daily Graphic that Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah indicated that the police were after DSP Akagbo and not him (Frempong). Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah, therefore, asked him to co-operate.
In a sharp rebuff, however, the Public Affairs Directorate of the Ghana Police Service disowned Mr Frempong’s claim, pointing out that the police were professional in their interrogations and never coerced Mr Frempong to implicate anyone.
The Director of the Police Public Affairs Unit, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kwesi Ofori, told the Daily Graphic, in reaction to the accusation, that the police did not encourage frame-ups, since they were aware that when people were put before the law courts, due processes were involved.
But Mr Frempong, in an interview, said he had told Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah to prosecute him if he had any information about his dealings in drugs because no amount of coercion could make him implicate anybody for something he (Frempong) knew nothing about.
“At that point, Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah became furious and asked that I should be sent back to the cells to teach me a lesson,” he added.
Mr Frempong was released from police detention following the reported retraction of the accusation by his accuser, Isaac Tenkorang, who subsequently apologised to Mr Frempong before the Kojo Armah Committee investigating the missing cocaine.
Narrating his ordeal to the Daily Graphic, Mr Frempong said he had reported himself at the CID Headquarters about 3:30 p.m. on February 25, 2008 on his return from Lome, Togo, when he was told that about 18 armed policemen and four plain-clothes men had stormed his residence the previous Thursday looking for him.
Mr Frempong said the police took away his passport, cheque books, statement of accounts and a KIA Pride taxi, with registration number GR 6071 Z.
He said he reported himself to the police in the company of a relative on February 25, 2008, since he did not know what they were looking for.
According to him, he was asked about his relationship with DSP Akagbo and he was later informed that the police had information that DSP Akagbo had given him the missing drugs to sell.
He said he was also told that he (Frempong) had given two slabs of cocaine to two persons to sell at $40,000, after which he had given each $500.
Mr Frempong said when he denied the allegations, he was told that he would be detained if he did not tell the police the truth.
“I told the CID boss that I dealt in cars and not cocaine and indicated that I reported myself because I thought there had been a problem with one of the cars I might have sold to someone,” he added.
He said after those exchanges, he was sent back to the cells.
According to him, about 8:05 a.m. on February 26, 2008, he was taken to meet Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah, during which Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah forced him to implicate DSP Akagbo or face the consequences.
Mr Frempong said he was taken back to the cells after denying knowledge of what he was being accused of and also failing to implicate someone wrongfully.
According to him, he made his first appearance before the Kojo Armah Committee on February 27, 2008, where he was asked about his relationship with DSP Akagbo.
In his reaction, DSP Ofori explained that Mr Frempong had been mentioned by informants as knowing something about the missing cocaine, hence his invitation to the CID Headquarters.
He said Mr Frempong had been interrogated by the Director-General of the CID, DCOP Frank Adu-Poku, and other operatives and later handed over to the Kojo Armah Committee to assist in their investigations, saying that “that ended our work and dealings with him”.
He said Mr Frempong was later released by the committee, based on some developments at the committee level.
DSP Ofori said during his detention at the CID Headquarters, Mr Frempong was not subjected to any psychological or physical torture or any form of inhuman treatment.
He said the appearance of the names of the informants in some newspapers after the committee had been notified that the police had some informants to help them made the informants to go into hiding.
He said the police were disappointed when the names of the informants appeared in some publications because informant handling was very crucial to any effective and successful investigation.
According to DSP Ofori, the publication of the names of the informants exposed them to danger and that could have explained why they went into hiding until the BNI arrested one of them.
He said the informants were exposed to the deadly world of drug dealing.
“You cannot expose someone to danger and expect that person to co-operate with you. You should not be doing things that jeopardise police operations,” he said.
DSP Ofori expressed the hope that the revelation of the names to the media did not emanate from the Kojo Armah Committee.
He said the Police Administration had given the committee maximum co-operation by making available to it documents and all officials who needed to give evidence.
He said the Police Administration did not have anything to hide and noted that it was at the instance of the police that the committee was formed.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE man who was accused of selling the missing cocaine from the Police Exhibits Store at the CID Headquarters, Mr Kwame Frempong, who is a car dealer, has indicted a senior police officer for asking him to “confess” to receiving the drugs from DSP Patrick Akagbo to sell on his behalf.
He said Chief Superintendent Alphonse Adu-Amankwah, the former Head of the erstwhile Organised Crime Unit, warned him that he would be detained and later prosecuted if he failed to “confess” because the police had the facts to implicate him and DSP Akagbo.
Mr Frempong, who was released from detention on April 4, 2008, told the Daily Graphic that Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah indicated that the police were after DSP Akagbo and not him (Frempong). Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah, therefore, asked him to co-operate.
In a sharp rebuff, however, the Public Affairs Directorate of the Ghana Police Service disowned Mr Frempong’s claim, pointing out that the police were professional in their interrogations and never coerced Mr Frempong to implicate anyone.
The Director of the Police Public Affairs Unit, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kwesi Ofori, told the Daily Graphic, in reaction to the accusation, that the police did not encourage frame-ups, since they were aware that when people were put before the law courts, due processes were involved.
But Mr Frempong, in an interview, said he had told Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah to prosecute him if he had any information about his dealings in drugs because no amount of coercion could make him implicate anybody for something he (Frempong) knew nothing about.
“At that point, Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah became furious and asked that I should be sent back to the cells to teach me a lesson,” he added.
Mr Frempong was released from police detention following the reported retraction of the accusation by his accuser, Isaac Tenkorang, who subsequently apologised to Mr Frempong before the Kojo Armah Committee investigating the missing cocaine.
Narrating his ordeal to the Daily Graphic, Mr Frempong said he had reported himself at the CID Headquarters about 3:30 p.m. on February 25, 2008 on his return from Lome, Togo, when he was told that about 18 armed policemen and four plain-clothes men had stormed his residence the previous Thursday looking for him.
Mr Frempong said the police took away his passport, cheque books, statement of accounts and a KIA Pride taxi, with registration number GR 6071 Z.
He said he reported himself to the police in the company of a relative on February 25, 2008, since he did not know what they were looking for.
According to him, he was asked about his relationship with DSP Akagbo and he was later informed that the police had information that DSP Akagbo had given him the missing drugs to sell.
He said he was also told that he (Frempong) had given two slabs of cocaine to two persons to sell at $40,000, after which he had given each $500.
Mr Frempong said when he denied the allegations, he was told that he would be detained if he did not tell the police the truth.
“I told the CID boss that I dealt in cars and not cocaine and indicated that I reported myself because I thought there had been a problem with one of the cars I might have sold to someone,” he added.
He said after those exchanges, he was sent back to the cells.
According to him, about 8:05 a.m. on February 26, 2008, he was taken to meet Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah, during which Chief Supt Adu-Amankwah forced him to implicate DSP Akagbo or face the consequences.
Mr Frempong said he was taken back to the cells after denying knowledge of what he was being accused of and also failing to implicate someone wrongfully.
According to him, he made his first appearance before the Kojo Armah Committee on February 27, 2008, where he was asked about his relationship with DSP Akagbo.
In his reaction, DSP Ofori explained that Mr Frempong had been mentioned by informants as knowing something about the missing cocaine, hence his invitation to the CID Headquarters.
He said Mr Frempong had been interrogated by the Director-General of the CID, DCOP Frank Adu-Poku, and other operatives and later handed over to the Kojo Armah Committee to assist in their investigations, saying that “that ended our work and dealings with him”.
He said Mr Frempong was later released by the committee, based on some developments at the committee level.
DSP Ofori said during his detention at the CID Headquarters, Mr Frempong was not subjected to any psychological or physical torture or any form of inhuman treatment.
He said the appearance of the names of the informants in some newspapers after the committee had been notified that the police had some informants to help them made the informants to go into hiding.
He said the police were disappointed when the names of the informants appeared in some publications because informant handling was very crucial to any effective and successful investigation.
According to DSP Ofori, the publication of the names of the informants exposed them to danger and that could have explained why they went into hiding until the BNI arrested one of them.
He said the informants were exposed to the deadly world of drug dealing.
“You cannot expose someone to danger and expect that person to co-operate with you. You should not be doing things that jeopardise police operations,” he said.
DSP Ofori expressed the hope that the revelation of the names to the media did not emanate from the Kojo Armah Committee.
He said the Police Administration had given the committee maximum co-operation by making available to it documents and all officials who needed to give evidence.
He said the Police Administration did not have anything to hide and noted that it was at the instance of the police that the committee was formed.
5 polytechnics to run degree programmes
Page 16: April 12, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
FIVE of the country’s polytechnics have been accredited to run various degree programmes from the next academic year. They are the Accra, Cape Coast, Ho, Sunyani and Takoradi polytechnics.
The Executive Secretary of the National Accreditation Board (NAB), Mr Kwame Dattey, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, said any of the other polytechnics that advertised to admit students for degree programmes would be contravening the NAB Law.
He was throwing more light on an advertiser’s announcement caused to be published in the April 4, 2008 issue of the Daily Graphic.
He noted that the Kumasi Polytechnic had neither applied for nor been accredited to run any degree programme and warned the public not to be deceived into applying for or sending their children and wards to pursue any degree programme advertised by the institution until further notice.
He said the Accra Polytechnic had been accredited to run degree programmes in Science Laboratory Technology and Fashion Design Technology, while the Cape Coast and Sunyani polytechnics had been accredited to run degree programmes in Building Technology.
The Takoradi Polytechnic is to run degree programmes in Industrial Art, Hospitality Management and Tourism Management, while the Ho Polytechnic has been accredited to run degree programmes in Automotive Engineering and Hotel Catering and Institutional Management.
Mr Dattey said past students of the polytechnics which had been accredited to run the degree programmes could go back for a two-year top-up programme to upgrade their Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) into degrees.
He said such students must, however, have had two-year post-qualification practical experience in the relevant subject areas.
He advised parents and guardians to always endeavour to check with the NAB, either at its office or at the website, on the accreditation of all institutions and their respective programmes before sponsoring their children and wards to enrol in them.
Mr Dattey appealed to media organisations to request tertiary institutions to provide evidence of their accreditation status before accepting to publish their admission advertisements.
He said although that might be hard for many media organisations to do, as a result of the huge amounts involved, “organisations such as yours will be helping our country in the long run”.
He said there was a new provision in the law that mandated the NAB to take legal steps to recover the cost of informing the public about the non-accreditation status of offending institutions.
Mr Dattey, however, said it was important that prospective students and parents did due diligence on the accreditation status of institutions and the programmes they intended to pursue.
Story: Albert K. Salia
FIVE of the country’s polytechnics have been accredited to run various degree programmes from the next academic year. They are the Accra, Cape Coast, Ho, Sunyani and Takoradi polytechnics.
The Executive Secretary of the National Accreditation Board (NAB), Mr Kwame Dattey, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, said any of the other polytechnics that advertised to admit students for degree programmes would be contravening the NAB Law.
He was throwing more light on an advertiser’s announcement caused to be published in the April 4, 2008 issue of the Daily Graphic.
He noted that the Kumasi Polytechnic had neither applied for nor been accredited to run any degree programme and warned the public not to be deceived into applying for or sending their children and wards to pursue any degree programme advertised by the institution until further notice.
He said the Accra Polytechnic had been accredited to run degree programmes in Science Laboratory Technology and Fashion Design Technology, while the Cape Coast and Sunyani polytechnics had been accredited to run degree programmes in Building Technology.
The Takoradi Polytechnic is to run degree programmes in Industrial Art, Hospitality Management and Tourism Management, while the Ho Polytechnic has been accredited to run degree programmes in Automotive Engineering and Hotel Catering and Institutional Management.
Mr Dattey said past students of the polytechnics which had been accredited to run the degree programmes could go back for a two-year top-up programme to upgrade their Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) into degrees.
He said such students must, however, have had two-year post-qualification practical experience in the relevant subject areas.
He advised parents and guardians to always endeavour to check with the NAB, either at its office or at the website, on the accreditation of all institutions and their respective programmes before sponsoring their children and wards to enrol in them.
Mr Dattey appealed to media organisations to request tertiary institutions to provide evidence of their accreditation status before accepting to publish their admission advertisements.
He said although that might be hard for many media organisations to do, as a result of the huge amounts involved, “organisations such as yours will be helping our country in the long run”.
He said there was a new provision in the law that mandated the NAB to take legal steps to recover the cost of informing the public about the non-accreditation status of offending institutions.
Mr Dattey, however, said it was important that prospective students and parents did due diligence on the accreditation status of institutions and the programmes they intended to pursue.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
German CID supports NACOB
Page 49: April 10, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE chairman of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Gen Joshua Hamidu (retd), has called on Ghana’s development partners to help the country in its efforts to erase the negative perception that Ghana is a transit point in the drug trade.
“We hate being tagged as a drug transit point,” he said, adding that “we are working hard to eliminate that tag”.
Gen Hamidu made the appeal when he received six telefax machines from the German Criminal Investigations Department (CID) as part of a technical assistance to help NACOB fight drug trafficking.
He said Ghana was doing its best to minimise the narcotics business and noted that the development partners were helping in a tremendous way.
He said the timeliness of information in the fight against drug trafficking was necessary if law enforcement agencies were to succeed.
Gen Hamidu said he was particularly happy with the German support because they did not just provide equipment but were supporting in the training of NACOB officers as well.
According to him the provision of the equipment, without the requisite training of the personnel to operate them would amount to nothing.
The German Ambassador to Ghana, Dr Marius Haas, who presented the machines on behalf of the German CID, said the donation was another important step towards an increased and continued co-operation between Ghana and Germany in the field of anti-narcotics and criminal investigations.
He said donation of the telefax machines was aimed at supporting the decentralisation process of NACOB which included the opening of additional offices in major cities and at some focal points of anti-narcotics activities in the country.
“The telephone-fax machines will help to ensure the prompt communication between field offices and NACOB National headquarters, thus strengthening the effectiveness of the whole network,” he said.
Dr Haas explained that the German assistance did not only consist of the provision of hardware but comprised training courses too.
He said a NACOB enforcement and control officer was currently undergoing a six-month language and anti-narcotics training course in Germany while 25 Ghanaian anti-narcotics investigators were to benefit from a crime suppression course in July, this year, in Accra.
“Two additional training courses titled “Operational Analysis” and “Police Operation Tactics and Methods” for both the Ghana Police Service and NACOB officers and investigators will take place in Accra at the end of 2008 or early 2009,” he added.
Dr Haas expressed the hope that the co-operation might bring success in the fight against international drug trafficking and the investment of the resulting illicit proceeds.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE chairman of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Gen Joshua Hamidu (retd), has called on Ghana’s development partners to help the country in its efforts to erase the negative perception that Ghana is a transit point in the drug trade.
“We hate being tagged as a drug transit point,” he said, adding that “we are working hard to eliminate that tag”.
Gen Hamidu made the appeal when he received six telefax machines from the German Criminal Investigations Department (CID) as part of a technical assistance to help NACOB fight drug trafficking.
He said Ghana was doing its best to minimise the narcotics business and noted that the development partners were helping in a tremendous way.
He said the timeliness of information in the fight against drug trafficking was necessary if law enforcement agencies were to succeed.
Gen Hamidu said he was particularly happy with the German support because they did not just provide equipment but were supporting in the training of NACOB officers as well.
According to him the provision of the equipment, without the requisite training of the personnel to operate them would amount to nothing.
The German Ambassador to Ghana, Dr Marius Haas, who presented the machines on behalf of the German CID, said the donation was another important step towards an increased and continued co-operation between Ghana and Germany in the field of anti-narcotics and criminal investigations.
He said donation of the telefax machines was aimed at supporting the decentralisation process of NACOB which included the opening of additional offices in major cities and at some focal points of anti-narcotics activities in the country.
“The telephone-fax machines will help to ensure the prompt communication between field offices and NACOB National headquarters, thus strengthening the effectiveness of the whole network,” he said.
Dr Haas explained that the German assistance did not only consist of the provision of hardware but comprised training courses too.
He said a NACOB enforcement and control officer was currently undergoing a six-month language and anti-narcotics training course in Germany while 25 Ghanaian anti-narcotics investigators were to benefit from a crime suppression course in July, this year, in Accra.
“Two additional training courses titled “Operational Analysis” and “Police Operation Tactics and Methods” for both the Ghana Police Service and NACOB officers and investigators will take place in Accra at the end of 2008 or early 2009,” he added.
Dr Haas expressed the hope that the co-operation might bring success in the fight against international drug trafficking and the investment of the resulting illicit proceeds.
7 nabbed for drug trafficking
Page 43: April 10, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
SEVEN people have been arrested for allegedly dealing in drugs.
The seven, who were arrested between March 24 and April 6, 2008, are all in custody pending further investigations.
The suspects are Stephen Kwaku Arhin, Doe Amedonu, Michael Ntiamoah, Eric Afriyie Acheampong, Suhnunu Abdul Razak, Awal Mohammed and Humphrey Mwafor.
Briefing the press in Accra yesterday, the Public Relations Officer of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Mr Francis Amoah, said Arhin was arrested with five parcels of cocaine at the Aflao Border by officials of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) while he was on his way from Lome to Ghana.
He said CEPS officials at the Dabala Checkpoint also arrested Amedonu on March 31, 2008 with seven big parcels and two small ones of Indian hemp.
He said the suspect said he had bought the Indian hemp at Nkonya in the Volta Region and was sending it to Accra.
According to him, Ntiamoah was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) at 8:30 p.m. on April 2, 2008.
He said the suspect had swallowed 68 pellets of cocaine and was on his way to Milan, Italy, through Dubai.
Mr Amoah said Ntiamoah also had in his possession a return ticket from Milan to Amsterdam.
He explained that drug couriers now redirected their routes through business centres to avoid suspicion.
He said Ntiamoah had told investigators that he had bought the 68 pellets for $18,000. He had since expelled all of them.
With regard to Acheampong, the PRO said he was arrested at 7:30 p.m. on April 4, 2008 while he was going through departure formalities on his way to Milan, Italy.
He said Acheampong had concealed 66 pellets of cocaine in his bag when he was arrested and mentioned Razak and Mohammed as the persons who gave the drugs to him.
He said NACOB officials later arrested the two at Accra New Town to assist in investigations.
Mr Amoah said Mwafor was arrested at the airport on April 6, 2008 while he was going through departure formalities for Spain.
He said the suspect had swallowed 102 pellets, 70 of which he had since expelled after his arrest.
He said increased collaboration between NACOB and other security agencies had resulted in the recent arrests.
Story: Albert K. Salia
SEVEN people have been arrested for allegedly dealing in drugs.
The seven, who were arrested between March 24 and April 6, 2008, are all in custody pending further investigations.
The suspects are Stephen Kwaku Arhin, Doe Amedonu, Michael Ntiamoah, Eric Afriyie Acheampong, Suhnunu Abdul Razak, Awal Mohammed and Humphrey Mwafor.
Briefing the press in Accra yesterday, the Public Relations Officer of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB), Mr Francis Amoah, said Arhin was arrested with five parcels of cocaine at the Aflao Border by officials of the Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS) while he was on his way from Lome to Ghana.
He said CEPS officials at the Dabala Checkpoint also arrested Amedonu on March 31, 2008 with seven big parcels and two small ones of Indian hemp.
He said the suspect said he had bought the Indian hemp at Nkonya in the Volta Region and was sending it to Accra.
According to him, Ntiamoah was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) at 8:30 p.m. on April 2, 2008.
He said the suspect had swallowed 68 pellets of cocaine and was on his way to Milan, Italy, through Dubai.
Mr Amoah said Ntiamoah also had in his possession a return ticket from Milan to Amsterdam.
He explained that drug couriers now redirected their routes through business centres to avoid suspicion.
He said Ntiamoah had told investigators that he had bought the 68 pellets for $18,000. He had since expelled all of them.
With regard to Acheampong, the PRO said he was arrested at 7:30 p.m. on April 4, 2008 while he was going through departure formalities on his way to Milan, Italy.
He said Acheampong had concealed 66 pellets of cocaine in his bag when he was arrested and mentioned Razak and Mohammed as the persons who gave the drugs to him.
He said NACOB officials later arrested the two at Accra New Town to assist in investigations.
Mr Amoah said Mwafor was arrested at the airport on April 6, 2008 while he was going through departure formalities for Spain.
He said the suspect had swallowed 102 pellets, 70 of which he had since expelled after his arrest.
He said increased collaboration between NACOB and other security agencies had resulted in the recent arrests.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Alleged cocaine seller released
Page 3: April 9, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
MR Kwame Frempong, the man who was accused of selling the missing cocaine from the Police Exhibits Store at the CID Headquarters, has been released.
His release followed the reported retraction of the accusation by his accuser, Isaac Tenkorang, who subsequently apologised to Mr Frempong before the Kojo Armah Committee investigating the missing cocaine.
Mr Frempong, who was detained for 40 days without charge, was released last Friday after his accuser had retracted the allegations against him.
A source close to the committee confirmed Mr Frempong’s release from custody when reached for comments.
Tenkorang, who appeared before the committee with Osman Anani as a witness, was reported to have told the police that the storekeeper of the Police Exhibits Store, DSP Akagbo, had given the drugs to Mr Frempong to sell.
It has also been established that both Tenkorang and Anani were, in fact, errand boys for Mr Frempong, a car dealer.
The two (Tenkorang and Anani) failed to show up before the committee to be cross-examined by Mr Frempong after the police had introduced them to members of the committee as informants who knew of the dealings between DSP Akagbo and Mr Frempong.
Tenkorang was, however, arrested later at Kwashieman on Good Friday by personnel of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
Anani is, however, still on the run.
Counsel for Mr Frempong, Mr James Agalga, told the Daily Graphic that Tenkorang and Anani had informed the police that his client was the recipient of the missing cocaine from the Police Exhibits Store.
He said based on that complaint, 16 armed policemen stormed Mr Frempong’s residence to arrest him but did not meet him.
He said as a good and responsible citizen, Mr Frempong went to the CID Headquarters to report himself but he was detained.
Mr Agalga said Mr Frempong was put before the committee the next day, during which a witness statement was taken from him.
According to him, Mr Frempong admitted knowing DSP Akagbo when he (Mr Frempong) was involved in another case which was not related to narcotics.
He said Mr Frempong informed the committee that he became friends with DSP Akagbo after that case had been settled.
Mr Agalga said Mr Frempong’s testimony was corroborated by DSP Akagbo when he also appeared before the committee.
He said when Tenkorang appeared before the committee after his arrest, he allegedly told the committee that what he had said about Mr Frempong and DSP Akagbo were lies.
Based on that, the committee ordered his immediate release from detention last Friday, he added.
Mr Agalga described Mr Frempong’s detention as not only unlawful but also an infringement on his basic human rights.
“On what basis was my client detained, since there was no court order for his detention, neither was he charged for any offence?” he wondered.
He said although the committee had not finished with its work, the order for Mr Frempong’s release meant that no adverse findings had been made against him.
Story: Albert K. Salia
MR Kwame Frempong, the man who was accused of selling the missing cocaine from the Police Exhibits Store at the CID Headquarters, has been released.
His release followed the reported retraction of the accusation by his accuser, Isaac Tenkorang, who subsequently apologised to Mr Frempong before the Kojo Armah Committee investigating the missing cocaine.
Mr Frempong, who was detained for 40 days without charge, was released last Friday after his accuser had retracted the allegations against him.
A source close to the committee confirmed Mr Frempong’s release from custody when reached for comments.
Tenkorang, who appeared before the committee with Osman Anani as a witness, was reported to have told the police that the storekeeper of the Police Exhibits Store, DSP Akagbo, had given the drugs to Mr Frempong to sell.
It has also been established that both Tenkorang and Anani were, in fact, errand boys for Mr Frempong, a car dealer.
The two (Tenkorang and Anani) failed to show up before the committee to be cross-examined by Mr Frempong after the police had introduced them to members of the committee as informants who knew of the dealings between DSP Akagbo and Mr Frempong.
Tenkorang was, however, arrested later at Kwashieman on Good Friday by personnel of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).
Anani is, however, still on the run.
Counsel for Mr Frempong, Mr James Agalga, told the Daily Graphic that Tenkorang and Anani had informed the police that his client was the recipient of the missing cocaine from the Police Exhibits Store.
He said based on that complaint, 16 armed policemen stormed Mr Frempong’s residence to arrest him but did not meet him.
He said as a good and responsible citizen, Mr Frempong went to the CID Headquarters to report himself but he was detained.
Mr Agalga said Mr Frempong was put before the committee the next day, during which a witness statement was taken from him.
According to him, Mr Frempong admitted knowing DSP Akagbo when he (Mr Frempong) was involved in another case which was not related to narcotics.
He said Mr Frempong informed the committee that he became friends with DSP Akagbo after that case had been settled.
Mr Agalga said Mr Frempong’s testimony was corroborated by DSP Akagbo when he also appeared before the committee.
He said when Tenkorang appeared before the committee after his arrest, he allegedly told the committee that what he had said about Mr Frempong and DSP Akagbo were lies.
Based on that, the committee ordered his immediate release from detention last Friday, he added.
Mr Agalga described Mr Frempong’s detention as not only unlawful but also an infringement on his basic human rights.
“On what basis was my client detained, since there was no court order for his detention, neither was he charged for any offence?” he wondered.
He said although the committee had not finished with its work, the order for Mr Frempong’s release meant that no adverse findings had been made against him.
Auditor-General slams school feeding audit report
Front Page: April 8, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE preparation of an audit report by PriceWaterhouse Coopers on the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) has been described by the Auditor-General as a violation of the supreme law of Ghana.
Commenting on the report, which was the subject for discussion at a press conference organised by the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) in Accra last week, Mr Edward Dua-Agyemang noted that any audit of public accounts which was not authorised by the Auditor-General was a violation of the Constitution, the Financial Administration Act and the Audit Service Act.
He explained that no independent auditor had the mandate to audit public accounts and report on it directly to Parliament.
Article 187 (2) of the Constitution provides that the public accounts of Ghana and all public offices, including the courts, the central and local government administrations, among others, established by acts of Parliament shall be audited and reported on by the Auditor-General, while the Financial Administration Act, Act 654, provides that money received by or on behalf of the government for a special purpose and paid into the Consolidated Fund may be paid out of that fund subject to the provisions of an act of Parliament.
Section 11 (1) of the Audit Service Act, Act 584, also provides that the public accounts of Ghana and of all public offices ... established by acts of Parliament shall be audited by the Auditor-General.
“PriceWaterhouse Coopers is aware of these provisions governing the audit of public accounts. It is made aware of them in any appointment letters issued by the Auditor-General to them for the audit of public accounts on behalf of the Auditor-General. If it pretends not to be aware, then that is a good reason it is incapable of conducting the GSFP audit,” Mr Dua-Agyemang stated.
“In respect of the GSFP, the appointment of the independent auditors, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, was not made known to the Auditor-General. The only time the Auditor-General became aware of the audit report of the GSFP issued by PriceWaterhouse Coopers was through the press conference by the CJA,” he noted.
Citing the audit report prepared by PriceWaterhouse Coopers, the CJA accused authorities of the GSFP of serious breaches in procurement procedures, imprests that had not been accounted for and monies supposed to have been transferred to some districts, inappropriate award of contracts and forged signatures.
The CJA said the audit was authorised by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment and the report presented to the sector Minister, Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, in November 2007.
But Mr Dua-Agyemang said up till now he did not know who appointed PriceWaterhouse Coopers to audit the GSFP as the independent auditor and that the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment had not made a copy of the appointment letter available to him.
He recalled that a Deputy Minister at the ministry, Mr Kofi Poku Adusei, in a letter dated April 19, 2007, had written to inform him that the Royal Netherlands Government required an independent audit of the GSFP.
He said the letter notified him that four audit firms — PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Ernst & Young, KPMG and James Quagraine & Co — had been shortlisted and, therefore, sought his approval or otherwise to enable the ministry to submit the technical and financial proposals for consideration.
Mr Dua-Agyemang said he, in a letter dated April 30, 2007, had informed the minister that he had already started making preparations to audit the GSFP.
He said it was explained to the minister that the shortlisted firms did not have the staff numbers and office network to enable them to audit the GSFP thoroughly and in its entirety.
“The Auditor-General stated further that it was only the Audit Service which has the network and staff numbers to undertake an audit of this magnitude involving 975 schools in every district of the country,” he explained.
Mr Dua-Agyemang said he was, therefore, unable to recommend any of the independent audit firms in the country to undertake the GSFP audit due to their staff constraints, limited operational network, the widespread nature of the allegations which had been made in respect of the programme, the remote and pervasive location of the primary schools, among others.
According to him, he had indicated that in view of the financial support from The Netherlands government, he was ever ready to discuss with the ministry in order to reach a consensus which might be acceptable to The Netherlands government.
“The Auditor-General did not receive any further correspondence from the ministry or any other source on the matter,” he lamented.
Mr Dua-Agyemang said it had also come to his knowledge that the audit report upon which the CJA issued its press statement was dated November 2007, which had been established to be a draft report.
He said he had just received the final report of the audit dated March 2008 and was studying the findings and recommendations.
Mr Dua-Agyemang said he would direct his district and regional auditors throughout the country to review the report in its entirety and submit their findings and recommendations on it to him to enable him to report on it to Parliament, as mandated by the 1992 Constitution.
He said he was, therefore, unable to comment on the findings and recommendations contained in the PriceWaterhouse Coopers report on the GSFP until the nation-wide review exercise.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE preparation of an audit report by PriceWaterhouse Coopers on the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) has been described by the Auditor-General as a violation of the supreme law of Ghana.
Commenting on the report, which was the subject for discussion at a press conference organised by the Committee for Joint Action (CJA) in Accra last week, Mr Edward Dua-Agyemang noted that any audit of public accounts which was not authorised by the Auditor-General was a violation of the Constitution, the Financial Administration Act and the Audit Service Act.
He explained that no independent auditor had the mandate to audit public accounts and report on it directly to Parliament.
Article 187 (2) of the Constitution provides that the public accounts of Ghana and all public offices, including the courts, the central and local government administrations, among others, established by acts of Parliament shall be audited and reported on by the Auditor-General, while the Financial Administration Act, Act 654, provides that money received by or on behalf of the government for a special purpose and paid into the Consolidated Fund may be paid out of that fund subject to the provisions of an act of Parliament.
Section 11 (1) of the Audit Service Act, Act 584, also provides that the public accounts of Ghana and of all public offices ... established by acts of Parliament shall be audited by the Auditor-General.
“PriceWaterhouse Coopers is aware of these provisions governing the audit of public accounts. It is made aware of them in any appointment letters issued by the Auditor-General to them for the audit of public accounts on behalf of the Auditor-General. If it pretends not to be aware, then that is a good reason it is incapable of conducting the GSFP audit,” Mr Dua-Agyemang stated.
“In respect of the GSFP, the appointment of the independent auditors, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, was not made known to the Auditor-General. The only time the Auditor-General became aware of the audit report of the GSFP issued by PriceWaterhouse Coopers was through the press conference by the CJA,” he noted.
Citing the audit report prepared by PriceWaterhouse Coopers, the CJA accused authorities of the GSFP of serious breaches in procurement procedures, imprests that had not been accounted for and monies supposed to have been transferred to some districts, inappropriate award of contracts and forged signatures.
The CJA said the audit was authorised by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment and the report presented to the sector Minister, Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, in November 2007.
But Mr Dua-Agyemang said up till now he did not know who appointed PriceWaterhouse Coopers to audit the GSFP as the independent auditor and that the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment had not made a copy of the appointment letter available to him.
He recalled that a Deputy Minister at the ministry, Mr Kofi Poku Adusei, in a letter dated April 19, 2007, had written to inform him that the Royal Netherlands Government required an independent audit of the GSFP.
He said the letter notified him that four audit firms — PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Ernst & Young, KPMG and James Quagraine & Co — had been shortlisted and, therefore, sought his approval or otherwise to enable the ministry to submit the technical and financial proposals for consideration.
Mr Dua-Agyemang said he, in a letter dated April 30, 2007, had informed the minister that he had already started making preparations to audit the GSFP.
He said it was explained to the minister that the shortlisted firms did not have the staff numbers and office network to enable them to audit the GSFP thoroughly and in its entirety.
“The Auditor-General stated further that it was only the Audit Service which has the network and staff numbers to undertake an audit of this magnitude involving 975 schools in every district of the country,” he explained.
Mr Dua-Agyemang said he was, therefore, unable to recommend any of the independent audit firms in the country to undertake the GSFP audit due to their staff constraints, limited operational network, the widespread nature of the allegations which had been made in respect of the programme, the remote and pervasive location of the primary schools, among others.
According to him, he had indicated that in view of the financial support from The Netherlands government, he was ever ready to discuss with the ministry in order to reach a consensus which might be acceptable to The Netherlands government.
“The Auditor-General did not receive any further correspondence from the ministry or any other source on the matter,” he lamented.
Mr Dua-Agyemang said it had also come to his knowledge that the audit report upon which the CJA issued its press statement was dated November 2007, which had been established to be a draft report.
He said he had just received the final report of the audit dated March 2008 and was studying the findings and recommendations.
Mr Dua-Agyemang said he would direct his district and regional auditors throughout the country to review the report in its entirety and submit their findings and recommendations on it to him to enable him to report on it to Parliament, as mandated by the 1992 Constitution.
He said he was, therefore, unable to comment on the findings and recommendations contained in the PriceWaterhouse Coopers report on the GSFP until the nation-wide review exercise.
State funding of political parties - Oquaye revives debate
Front Page: April 8, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Professor Mike Oquaye, has joined the debate on state funding of political parties, saying any such hasty move can lead to a proliferation of political parties.
Associating himself with the section of Ghanaians who have advocated caution in the matter, Prof Oquaye said the country must be careful not to open the Pandora’s box because it would have a snowballing effect which might be difficult to control.
“The impression should not be created that people can form political parties for personal gain, otherwise everybody will leave his or her job to form a political party for personal gain,” he cautioned.
Prof Oquaye was reacting to the proposals presented by four political parties and the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) for the state to fund political parties. The parties are the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC).
The first note of caution on the proposal was struck by the Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor Gyimah Boadi, who argued in favour of spending money on more pressing national needs.
But others like Dr Nii Moi Thompson, an economist, and Mr Kwesi Jonah, a political scientist, threw their weight behind the proposal.
Sharing his views in an interview in Accra yesterday, Prof Oquaye suggested that the state should not rush to sponsor any new political party unless the party had participated in an election.
He said in countries where state sponsorship of political parties existed, the practice emerged when support was given on a pro rata basis based on the parties’ performance in previous elections.
“New political parties are not given assistance until they have satisfied certain conditions or participated in an election and demonstrated that they did not form the parties for the sake of them,” he stated.
He said if a party had a percentage in a previous election and lost that percentage in another election, it got the assistance based on the last election.
Prof Oquaye, who contested and lost the NPP presidential ticket, said although state sponsorship of political parties would consolidate democracy, it should be done in such a way to avoid the proliferation of political parties, saying that
no country progressed with the proliferation of political parties.
“We should not encourage people to form political parties just for assistance. It is dangerous; it brings about political instability and also blurs the choices the people make,” he stated.
According to him, “if that happens, we are confusing an already unenlightened electorate. It will not help our cause for everybody to form a political party just because there is money to be accessed”.
Prof Oquaye, who also served as the Minister of Energy and later Communications in the Kufuor government, explained that the essence of political parties was to allow people to make choices, explaining that too many of them made it difficult for people to make their choices.
Prof Oquaye, a former Head of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, said where political parties were supported, it was not to defeat the main objects of politics, that is, to ensure responsible accountability of the government and stability.
According to him, where support was based on performance at an election, every political party would be required to justify its inclusion.
He explained that even for political debate, too many political parties would not help the candidates to have meaningful debate and raise the issues for the electorate to make informed choices.
Prof Oquaye said the political landscape must offer the opportunity for serious players and that it should not lead to the cheapening of politics.
He stated that state sponsorship must, however, be subject to availability of funds because there were other areas where support was required.
Those areas, he said, included support for the Electoral Commission to replace lost ID cards, the reopening of the voters register for those who had attained 18 and above to register, the display of the voters register and the movement of electoral materials on voting day.
“As it is now, these processes are not done at all polling stations as a result of the lack of money, compelling people to walk long distances to register,” he added.
Prof Oquaye said although he supported the funding of political parties in principle, it must be done well.
He said the state must guard against the situation where political party financing by certain groups or foreign interest groups led to the control of political parties and even governments later.
He said political party financing could be done either in cash or in kind and added that in the past, political parties were supported through the provision of vehicles and media coverage in the state-owned media.
“The provision in the Constitution that all state-owned media provide fair coverage for all political parties is another way of support for political parties,” he stated.
Prof Oquaye said the way to assist in the future, without the state necessarily putting in money, was for it to increase the support in kind.
“Luckily, the state has newspapers, radio and television stations and they can be asked to assist political parties through advertisement and offering them the platform to sell themselves through news coverage. This opportunity is also a way to promote public education and develop politics through issues,” he stated.
He said even with that the issue must be looked at critically to determine who got what, since an across-the-board assistance would be defeatist because it was not good for people to form political parties and ask the state to give them support in cash or in kind.
On whether he would retain his seat or not, Prof Oquaye said he won the seat by 65.2 per cent and looked forward to repeating the dose or doing even better.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Professor Mike Oquaye, has joined the debate on state funding of political parties, saying any such hasty move can lead to a proliferation of political parties.
Associating himself with the section of Ghanaians who have advocated caution in the matter, Prof Oquaye said the country must be careful not to open the Pandora’s box because it would have a snowballing effect which might be difficult to control.
“The impression should not be created that people can form political parties for personal gain, otherwise everybody will leave his or her job to form a political party for personal gain,” he cautioned.
Prof Oquaye was reacting to the proposals presented by four political parties and the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) for the state to fund political parties. The parties are the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC).
The first note of caution on the proposal was struck by the Executive Director of the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Professor Gyimah Boadi, who argued in favour of spending money on more pressing national needs.
But others like Dr Nii Moi Thompson, an economist, and Mr Kwesi Jonah, a political scientist, threw their weight behind the proposal.
Sharing his views in an interview in Accra yesterday, Prof Oquaye suggested that the state should not rush to sponsor any new political party unless the party had participated in an election.
He said in countries where state sponsorship of political parties existed, the practice emerged when support was given on a pro rata basis based on the parties’ performance in previous elections.
“New political parties are not given assistance until they have satisfied certain conditions or participated in an election and demonstrated that they did not form the parties for the sake of them,” he stated.
He said if a party had a percentage in a previous election and lost that percentage in another election, it got the assistance based on the last election.
Prof Oquaye, who contested and lost the NPP presidential ticket, said although state sponsorship of political parties would consolidate democracy, it should be done in such a way to avoid the proliferation of political parties, saying that
no country progressed with the proliferation of political parties.
“We should not encourage people to form political parties just for assistance. It is dangerous; it brings about political instability and also blurs the choices the people make,” he stated.
According to him, “if that happens, we are confusing an already unenlightened electorate. It will not help our cause for everybody to form a political party just because there is money to be accessed”.
Prof Oquaye, who also served as the Minister of Energy and later Communications in the Kufuor government, explained that the essence of political parties was to allow people to make choices, explaining that too many of them made it difficult for people to make their choices.
Prof Oquaye, a former Head of the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Legon, said where political parties were supported, it was not to defeat the main objects of politics, that is, to ensure responsible accountability of the government and stability.
According to him, where support was based on performance at an election, every political party would be required to justify its inclusion.
He explained that even for political debate, too many political parties would not help the candidates to have meaningful debate and raise the issues for the electorate to make informed choices.
Prof Oquaye said the political landscape must offer the opportunity for serious players and that it should not lead to the cheapening of politics.
He stated that state sponsorship must, however, be subject to availability of funds because there were other areas where support was required.
Those areas, he said, included support for the Electoral Commission to replace lost ID cards, the reopening of the voters register for those who had attained 18 and above to register, the display of the voters register and the movement of electoral materials on voting day.
“As it is now, these processes are not done at all polling stations as a result of the lack of money, compelling people to walk long distances to register,” he added.
Prof Oquaye said although he supported the funding of political parties in principle, it must be done well.
He said the state must guard against the situation where political party financing by certain groups or foreign interest groups led to the control of political parties and even governments later.
He said political party financing could be done either in cash or in kind and added that in the past, political parties were supported through the provision of vehicles and media coverage in the state-owned media.
“The provision in the Constitution that all state-owned media provide fair coverage for all political parties is another way of support for political parties,” he stated.
Prof Oquaye said the way to assist in the future, without the state necessarily putting in money, was for it to increase the support in kind.
“Luckily, the state has newspapers, radio and television stations and they can be asked to assist political parties through advertisement and offering them the platform to sell themselves through news coverage. This opportunity is also a way to promote public education and develop politics through issues,” he stated.
He said even with that the issue must be looked at critically to determine who got what, since an across-the-board assistance would be defeatist because it was not good for people to form political parties and ask the state to give them support in cash or in kind.
On whether he would retain his seat or not, Prof Oquaye said he won the seat by 65.2 per cent and looked forward to repeating the dose or doing even better.
Man, 48 arrested for fraud
Page 32: April 5, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Executive Director of Golden Sunrise, a consultancy firm in Accra, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding some women in the Gomoa West Constituency of GH¢29,529.
Joseph Abiggy Norman, 48, alias Dr Abiggy Norman, allegedly collected the money from the women in June last year, on the pretext of facilitating loans from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Global Fund for Women.
His action is said to have cost some women organisers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Gomoa West and Assin South constituencies their positions.
Until his arrest, Abiggy Norman was facing similar charges at the Madina District Court for allegedly defrauding other persons in the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency on same grounds and issuing them with dud cheques.
The Deputy Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ken Yeboah, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that Abiggy Norman introduced himself to the suspended women organiser of the NPP in the Gomoa West Constituency, Madam Evelyn Sarkwah, as a consultant for Philia Love Women Association and mentioned his consultancy firm as Golden Sunrise located in Accra.
He said the suspect told Madam Sarkwah that he had been contracted to facilitate the granting of loans to women groups in the country.
ACP Yeboah said the suspect told the woman to organise the women in the constituency to enable him to hold seminars for them.
He explained that being concerned with the welfare of the women, Madam Sarkwah organised the women for the seminar to enable Abiggy Norman to brief them.
He said at the seminar, Abiggy Norman asked the women to group themselves into groups of 15.
According to him, 117 groups were mobilised and each member of the group was asked to fill a form and pay a processing fee of GH¢17.
ACP Yeboah said the women never heard or saw Abiggy Norman again after filling the forms and paying the money to him.
He said the women then vented their spleen on Madam Sarkwah for deceiving them into parting with their money.
He said it was during their search for Abiggy Norman that they heard he was in custody at the Dome Police Station.
ACP Yeboah said when the suspect was interrogated at the CID Headquarters, he allegedly admitted collecting the money from them.
He said Abiggy Norman, however, explained that because the funds from the IFAD and the Global Fund for Women were delaying, he decided to loan out the money he collected from the women in the Gomoa West Constituency to other women with the view to recouping it with interest and using that to give the requisite loans to the women.
ACP Yeboah appealed to any member of the public who might have fallen victim to the activities of Abiggy Norman to report to the CID Headquarters to assist in investigations.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Executive Director of Golden Sunrise, a consultancy firm in Accra, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding some women in the Gomoa West Constituency of GH¢29,529.
Joseph Abiggy Norman, 48, alias Dr Abiggy Norman, allegedly collected the money from the women in June last year, on the pretext of facilitating loans from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Global Fund for Women.
His action is said to have cost some women organisers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Gomoa West and Assin South constituencies their positions.
Until his arrest, Abiggy Norman was facing similar charges at the Madina District Court for allegedly defrauding other persons in the Dome-Kwabenya Constituency on same grounds and issuing them with dud cheques.
The Deputy Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ken Yeboah, told the Daily Graphic yesterday that Abiggy Norman introduced himself to the suspended women organiser of the NPP in the Gomoa West Constituency, Madam Evelyn Sarkwah, as a consultant for Philia Love Women Association and mentioned his consultancy firm as Golden Sunrise located in Accra.
He said the suspect told Madam Sarkwah that he had been contracted to facilitate the granting of loans to women groups in the country.
ACP Yeboah said the suspect told the woman to organise the women in the constituency to enable him to hold seminars for them.
He explained that being concerned with the welfare of the women, Madam Sarkwah organised the women for the seminar to enable Abiggy Norman to brief them.
He said at the seminar, Abiggy Norman asked the women to group themselves into groups of 15.
According to him, 117 groups were mobilised and each member of the group was asked to fill a form and pay a processing fee of GH¢17.
ACP Yeboah said the women never heard or saw Abiggy Norman again after filling the forms and paying the money to him.
He said the women then vented their spleen on Madam Sarkwah for deceiving them into parting with their money.
He said it was during their search for Abiggy Norman that they heard he was in custody at the Dome Police Station.
ACP Yeboah said when the suspect was interrogated at the CID Headquarters, he allegedly admitted collecting the money from them.
He said Abiggy Norman, however, explained that because the funds from the IFAD and the Global Fund for Women were delaying, he decided to loan out the money he collected from the women in the Gomoa West Constituency to other women with the view to recouping it with interest and using that to give the requisite loans to the women.
ACP Yeboah appealed to any member of the public who might have fallen victim to the activities of Abiggy Norman to report to the CID Headquarters to assist in investigations.
Business Law Reform committee inaugurated
Page 24: April 4, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A FIVE-MEMBER Business Law Reform Committee of Experts has been inaugurated to review laws that impinge business activities in the country.
The committee, which is under the chairmanship of Professor Justice S.K. Date-Baah, will consider the Companies Bill prepared by the Attorney-General’s Office and solicit views on it from the business and legal communities and interested members of the public.
The committee is also expected to compare the provisions in the Companies Bill with those of countries such as New Zealand which meet best practice standards in the Commonwealth.
Other members of the committee include Mr Tony Oteng-Gyasi, the President of the Association of Ghana Industries; Mr Sal Doe Amegavie, the Chief Executive of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mr Felix Addo of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and Dr Philip Ebow Bondzi-Simpson, a private legal practitioner.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Joe Ghartey, who inaugurated the committee yesterday, described the current Companies Code, which was described as the best in the Commonwealth when it was enacted, as too complicated and not in tandem with modern business practices.
He said a review of the code was expected to streamline business activities in line with modern business trends, adding that the committee was expected to make recommendations on what modifications, if any, to be made to the draft bill.
Mr Ghartey said although the committee had a target period of four months, beginning April 1, 2008, to finish its work, it should not be bound by the time but endeavour to provide a quality document that the business community in Ghana and the world would be proud of.
He urged the committee to make recommendations on what related legislation needed to be enacted in the light of the reform proposed in the final draft Companies Bill.
He urged it to also review bankruptcy/insolvency law reform in Ghana and consider the draft legislation currently under preparation for the Attorney-General.
Mr Ghartey said the committee was also expected to deliberate on legislative measures to combat corruption in the private sector in Ghana and “make a recommendation, after consultations with stakeholders, for appropriate legislation on the matter”.
He said the committee must also consider suggestions and proposals for law reform from the business and legal communities in Ghana and determine what further areas of Business Law required reform and propose an action plan in relation to those areas to the Attorney-General.
Mr Ghartey said even if the bill was enacted into law before he left office, he would prefer that a policy document would be ready for the next Attorney-General to pursue its enactment next year.
Prof Justice Date-Baah said it was the responsibility of the government to provide and maintain the legal framework needed by private enterprises to make their decisions on investments and economic matters which were critical to the country’s economic growth and development.
He said it was, therefore, right for the government to monitor and assess the adequacy of the performance of the legal system.
“Where the legal infrastructure for the private sector is performing below par, it is again the responsibility of the government to intervene to get the framework right,” he said.
Prof Date-Baah said repairing the legal infrastructure did not only entail the facilitation of business operations but also their regulation and, therefore, getting the legal framework right for business implied getting the right balance between facilitation and regulation.
He said the committee would endeavour to bring to bear an independent but business-friendly mind on matters referred to it.
“Much work has already been done on the Companies Bill. Our first priority will be to assess, consolidate and complete this work. We trust that our new companies legislation, when enacted, will be a worthy successor to our existing Companies Code,” he stated.
Story: Albert K. Salia
A FIVE-MEMBER Business Law Reform Committee of Experts has been inaugurated to review laws that impinge business activities in the country.
The committee, which is under the chairmanship of Professor Justice S.K. Date-Baah, will consider the Companies Bill prepared by the Attorney-General’s Office and solicit views on it from the business and legal communities and interested members of the public.
The committee is also expected to compare the provisions in the Companies Bill with those of countries such as New Zealand which meet best practice standards in the Commonwealth.
Other members of the committee include Mr Tony Oteng-Gyasi, the President of the Association of Ghana Industries; Mr Sal Doe Amegavie, the Chief Executive of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Mr Felix Addo of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and Dr Philip Ebow Bondzi-Simpson, a private legal practitioner.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Joe Ghartey, who inaugurated the committee yesterday, described the current Companies Code, which was described as the best in the Commonwealth when it was enacted, as too complicated and not in tandem with modern business practices.
He said a review of the code was expected to streamline business activities in line with modern business trends, adding that the committee was expected to make recommendations on what modifications, if any, to be made to the draft bill.
Mr Ghartey said although the committee had a target period of four months, beginning April 1, 2008, to finish its work, it should not be bound by the time but endeavour to provide a quality document that the business community in Ghana and the world would be proud of.
He urged the committee to make recommendations on what related legislation needed to be enacted in the light of the reform proposed in the final draft Companies Bill.
He urged it to also review bankruptcy/insolvency law reform in Ghana and consider the draft legislation currently under preparation for the Attorney-General.
Mr Ghartey said the committee was also expected to deliberate on legislative measures to combat corruption in the private sector in Ghana and “make a recommendation, after consultations with stakeholders, for appropriate legislation on the matter”.
He said the committee must also consider suggestions and proposals for law reform from the business and legal communities in Ghana and determine what further areas of Business Law required reform and propose an action plan in relation to those areas to the Attorney-General.
Mr Ghartey said even if the bill was enacted into law before he left office, he would prefer that a policy document would be ready for the next Attorney-General to pursue its enactment next year.
Prof Justice Date-Baah said it was the responsibility of the government to provide and maintain the legal framework needed by private enterprises to make their decisions on investments and economic matters which were critical to the country’s economic growth and development.
He said it was, therefore, right for the government to monitor and assess the adequacy of the performance of the legal system.
“Where the legal infrastructure for the private sector is performing below par, it is again the responsibility of the government to intervene to get the framework right,” he said.
Prof Date-Baah said repairing the legal infrastructure did not only entail the facilitation of business operations but also their regulation and, therefore, getting the legal framework right for business implied getting the right balance between facilitation and regulation.
He said the committee would endeavour to bring to bear an independent but business-friendly mind on matters referred to it.
“Much work has already been done on the Companies Bill. Our first priority will be to assess, consolidate and complete this work. We trust that our new companies legislation, when enacted, will be a worthy successor to our existing Companies Code,” he stated.
Ankrah files nomination
Page 15: April 2, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
AN electrical engineer, Mr Seth Ankrah, last Friday filed his nomination to seek election to contest the parliamentary seat of the Trobu-Amasaman Constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He said his decision to contest to represent the interest of the people was borne out from the fact that the area was so deprived that it needed someone who understood the peculiarities of the area and the ability to articulate them.
Moreover, he said, with his experience in the private sector, he was in the position to make the right contacts to bring about positive changes in the area.
Mr Ankrah was speaking to the Daily Graphic after filing his nomination forms.
He said the constituency, which was less than 25 kilometres to the nation’s capital, was so deprived in terms of facilities and worsened by land degradation.
He said the problem of land degradation had resulted in most of the constituents living in abject poverty, since most of them were peasant farmers, and that their conditions were compounded with the problem of Buruli ulcer.
Mr Ankrah, who have had a working experience with R. T. Briscoe, GIHOC Pharmaceutical Division and Mobil Oil Ghana, where he worked for 23 years before going on voluntary retirement in 2003, said he had what it took to articulate the problems of the constituents and get the assistance from the government and non-governmental organisations.
He said he intended to find a way out of the prevailing high dropout rate by encouraging parents to see the education of their children as their assets.
According to him, educating the children to the highest level would enable the children to fit better into society and also cater for the parents in their old age.
Mr Ankrah, who has also travelled widely to Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt, Sierra Leone and Hungary on various courses, said with his experience in a multinational corporation, “I hope to tap on my contacts to help uplift the image of the constituency”.
Story: Albert K. Salia
AN electrical engineer, Mr Seth Ankrah, last Friday filed his nomination to seek election to contest the parliamentary seat of the Trobu-Amasaman Constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He said his decision to contest to represent the interest of the people was borne out from the fact that the area was so deprived that it needed someone who understood the peculiarities of the area and the ability to articulate them.
Moreover, he said, with his experience in the private sector, he was in the position to make the right contacts to bring about positive changes in the area.
Mr Ankrah was speaking to the Daily Graphic after filing his nomination forms.
He said the constituency, which was less than 25 kilometres to the nation’s capital, was so deprived in terms of facilities and worsened by land degradation.
He said the problem of land degradation had resulted in most of the constituents living in abject poverty, since most of them were peasant farmers, and that their conditions were compounded with the problem of Buruli ulcer.
Mr Ankrah, who have had a working experience with R. T. Briscoe, GIHOC Pharmaceutical Division and Mobil Oil Ghana, where he worked for 23 years before going on voluntary retirement in 2003, said he had what it took to articulate the problems of the constituents and get the assistance from the government and non-governmental organisations.
He said he intended to find a way out of the prevailing high dropout rate by encouraging parents to see the education of their children as their assets.
According to him, educating the children to the highest level would enable the children to fit better into society and also cater for the parents in their old age.
Mr Ankrah, who has also travelled widely to Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt, Sierra Leone and Hungary on various courses, said with his experience in a multinational corporation, “I hope to tap on my contacts to help uplift the image of the constituency”.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
He was a shining legacy of prayer
Page 19: March 31, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE death of Peter Cardinal Porekuu Dery on March 6, 2008, two months to his 90th birthday, has drawn the curtain on the distinguished life of an eminent son of the church and nation.
Pope Benedict XVI described him as “a shining legacy of prayer, humble obedience to the will of God and love of neighbour”.
The body of the man, described as a pilgrimage along the way of duty and devotion to God, would be laid to rest in Tamale, on Tuesday, April 1, 2008, where a state burial would be held in his honour.
Prior to that a vigil mass would be held at the Jubilee Park on March 31, 2008, at 5 p.m.
Cardinal Dery was born at Nandom in the Upper West Region on May 10, 1918.
In 1932, he was among the first 12 people to be baptised in the then North-West Gold Coast. He was sent together with a group of students to Navrongo where he proved to be an excellent student in 1934.
After completing the primary programme, he expressed the wish to study for the priesthood. He was accepted into the seminary and on February 11, 1951, he became the first Dagao in the Gold Coast to be ordained priest.
When the Wa Diocese was created in 1959, Cardinal Dery was ordained as its first Bishop. He was transferred and enthroned Archbishop of Tamale in 1975, retiring in 1994.
In the history of the Catholic Church in the Upper West Region, Cardinal Dery held the title of “five times first”, being the first baptised Dagao, the first Dagao priest, the first Dagao Bishop, first Dagao Archbishop and first Dagao Cardinal.
Cardinal Dery’s belief in education as the gateway to economic development led him to open almost all the educational institutions in the Upper West Region and personally sponsored the education of many Ghanaians across the country, some to overseas universities.
St Francis Xavier Minor Seminary in Wa, the St Anne’s Vocational Institute at Nandom for women, the Nandom’s Boys Secondary School, Nandom Vocational School for Boys and the St Basilide’s Vocational School at Kaleo were among some of the educational institutions that Cardinal Dery established as well as the St Francis of Assisi Girls’ Secondary School at Jirapa, where he was a founding father.
Many of the students are serving the nation and beyond as clergymen, religious, medical doctors, university lecturers, educationists, engineers, journalists, lawyers, businessmen and women.
As a development oriented leader, Cardinal Dery was also concerned about the health, water and sanitation needs of the flock he led. The Nandom Hospital was completed under him in 1965 as well as many clinics and dispensaries.
Cardinal Dery was also christened Moses by some of the faithful who witnessed his gift of spotting water in very dry lands with his “stick”. In the midst of the thirsty people crying for water, he personally went round local communities showing where boreholes and wells could be dug to provide portable water.
After his retirement in 1994, the Cardinal Dery Foundation for Human Development, was established in June 1999, to continue with the work of human promotion and integral development of the human person, which Cardinal Dery stood for.
Cardinal Dery is not only a pillar of the Catholic Church in northern Ghana but an epitome and embodiment of Christianity.
In apparent anticipation of Vatican II, Cardinal Dery began the African indigenisation of the Liturgy by translating it into the languages of the local people in Ghana, composing hymns, introducing the use of local music on native instruments such as the xylophone.
He would be remembered for starting the Partnership Programme between the Tamale Ecclesiastical Province and the Munster Diocese of Germany in 1984. Under the programme, each parish in the Tamale Province has a twin-parish in Germany to encourage exchange of visitors and fosters development.
Thus, his elevation to the position of Cardinal in 2006 at the age of 87, was a perfect example of honouring a hero while he was still alive.
He was also honoured by the state with the Order of the Star of Ghana in 2006.
In the words of the Bishop of Wa, Most Rev Paul Bemile, “from paganism to installation as a Roman Catholic Cardinal, the life of Cardinal Dery can be described as a pilgrimage along the way of duty and devotion to God”.
He described him as a gallant, fearless, faithful and dedicated patriach who had many many people what they are today.????
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Most Rev Charles Palmer-Buckle, said Cardinal Dery had time for everybody irrespective of one’s social status.
“I count myself as one of the many sons and daughters of Cardinal Dery who has benefited from his direction,” he added.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE death of Peter Cardinal Porekuu Dery on March 6, 2008, two months to his 90th birthday, has drawn the curtain on the distinguished life of an eminent son of the church and nation.
Pope Benedict XVI described him as “a shining legacy of prayer, humble obedience to the will of God and love of neighbour”.
The body of the man, described as a pilgrimage along the way of duty and devotion to God, would be laid to rest in Tamale, on Tuesday, April 1, 2008, where a state burial would be held in his honour.
Prior to that a vigil mass would be held at the Jubilee Park on March 31, 2008, at 5 p.m.
Cardinal Dery was born at Nandom in the Upper West Region on May 10, 1918.
In 1932, he was among the first 12 people to be baptised in the then North-West Gold Coast. He was sent together with a group of students to Navrongo where he proved to be an excellent student in 1934.
After completing the primary programme, he expressed the wish to study for the priesthood. He was accepted into the seminary and on February 11, 1951, he became the first Dagao in the Gold Coast to be ordained priest.
When the Wa Diocese was created in 1959, Cardinal Dery was ordained as its first Bishop. He was transferred and enthroned Archbishop of Tamale in 1975, retiring in 1994.
In the history of the Catholic Church in the Upper West Region, Cardinal Dery held the title of “five times first”, being the first baptised Dagao, the first Dagao priest, the first Dagao Bishop, first Dagao Archbishop and first Dagao Cardinal.
Cardinal Dery’s belief in education as the gateway to economic development led him to open almost all the educational institutions in the Upper West Region and personally sponsored the education of many Ghanaians across the country, some to overseas universities.
St Francis Xavier Minor Seminary in Wa, the St Anne’s Vocational Institute at Nandom for women, the Nandom’s Boys Secondary School, Nandom Vocational School for Boys and the St Basilide’s Vocational School at Kaleo were among some of the educational institutions that Cardinal Dery established as well as the St Francis of Assisi Girls’ Secondary School at Jirapa, where he was a founding father.
Many of the students are serving the nation and beyond as clergymen, religious, medical doctors, university lecturers, educationists, engineers, journalists, lawyers, businessmen and women.
As a development oriented leader, Cardinal Dery was also concerned about the health, water and sanitation needs of the flock he led. The Nandom Hospital was completed under him in 1965 as well as many clinics and dispensaries.
Cardinal Dery was also christened Moses by some of the faithful who witnessed his gift of spotting water in very dry lands with his “stick”. In the midst of the thirsty people crying for water, he personally went round local communities showing where boreholes and wells could be dug to provide portable water.
After his retirement in 1994, the Cardinal Dery Foundation for Human Development, was established in June 1999, to continue with the work of human promotion and integral development of the human person, which Cardinal Dery stood for.
Cardinal Dery is not only a pillar of the Catholic Church in northern Ghana but an epitome and embodiment of Christianity.
In apparent anticipation of Vatican II, Cardinal Dery began the African indigenisation of the Liturgy by translating it into the languages of the local people in Ghana, composing hymns, introducing the use of local music on native instruments such as the xylophone.
He would be remembered for starting the Partnership Programme between the Tamale Ecclesiastical Province and the Munster Diocese of Germany in 1984. Under the programme, each parish in the Tamale Province has a twin-parish in Germany to encourage exchange of visitors and fosters development.
Thus, his elevation to the position of Cardinal in 2006 at the age of 87, was a perfect example of honouring a hero while he was still alive.
He was also honoured by the state with the Order of the Star of Ghana in 2006.
In the words of the Bishop of Wa, Most Rev Paul Bemile, “from paganism to installation as a Roman Catholic Cardinal, the life of Cardinal Dery can be described as a pilgrimage along the way of duty and devotion to God”.
He described him as a gallant, fearless, faithful and dedicated patriach who had many many people what they are today.????
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Accra, Most Rev Charles Palmer-Buckle, said Cardinal Dery had time for everybody irrespective of one’s social status.
“I count myself as one of the many sons and daughters of Cardinal Dery who has benefited from his direction,” he added.
The man Peter Cardinal Dery- Cardinal Dery chalked up 5 firsts
Page 19: March 31, 2008.
Peter Cardinal Porekuu Dery was born in Zemuopare, a village five miles from Nandom in the Upper West Region of Ghana, on May 10, 1918 to Porekuu Theodore and Zoore Agnes. He was the fourth of 10 boys. His father Porekuu and his uncle Mwankuri-Naa were steeped in the Dagaaba Traditional Religion. Both were successful fetish priests and young Dery developed so much interest in the religious activities of his father and uncle that he was "initiated" by his uncle as his personal "acolyte". He thus travelled with his uncle to wherever people invited him to install these fetishes, namely; Konkpenebie, Kokyekonno, Sokyere, Doosoglaa, and Nyogebaliere.
His father Porekuu was also a trader in salt and kola. To promote his trade he sometimes sold things on credit. On one of his visits to Jirapa to check on some of his creditors, Porekuu got to hear about the activities of some white-men who had settled there and were preaching a new religion. Porekuu’s curiosity and interest in this new religion led to his being introduced to the leader of the missionaries, Fr. R. McCoy.As things turned out, Porekuu will eventually be the one to bring others from the Nandom area to embrace the new religion in spite of the great opposition from his senior brother, Mwankuri-Naa.
Young Dery switched allegiance and joined his father on his visits to Jirapa to learn more about the new religion. After successfully going through the catechumenate, Dery together with others was accepted for baptism on Christmas Eve, December, 24 1932. Thus young Dery was among the first 12 people to be baptised in the then North -West of the Gold Coast which today is the Upper West Region.
SCHOOLING:
Dery had the chance to work with the Missionaries in Jirapa. While there he was enlisted into the Catechists' School in 1932. He was determined to learn the English language. The Missionaries observed that he had the interest and ability to read and write. In 1934 he was sent to the Junior School in Navrongo. He completed his studies in 1939 and by that time his desire to become a priest had heightened. He entered the Minor Seminary "cum" Training College at Navrongo and after two years of study he was moved to St. Theresa’s Minor / Major Seminary at Amisano, near Cape Coast, to begin his philosophical and theological studies.
In 1946 all the Seminarians from the Apostolic Vicariate of Navrongo were moved from Cape Coast back to the Vicariate to begin the Major Seminary at Wiagha, St. Victor’s Major Seminary. After successfully completing his seminary formation in 1950, Dery was ordained priest on February 11, 1951 at St. Theresa’s Church, Nandom, by Rt. Rev. Gerard Bertrand, (M. Afr.) then Vicar Apostolic of Navrongo. This was a historic event among the Dagaabas, because Fr. Dery was the first Dagao to be ordained priest in the new religion.
MINISTRY
Fr. Dery was first posted to Nandom as a curate and appointed an Assistant General
Manager of Catholic Schools in the Tamale Diocese. He loved his work as a Local Manager of Schools. His visits to the schools exposed him and endeared him to the teachers and the pupils. It is not surprising that many of the boys and girls later opted to become priests and religious brothers and sisters.
In 1957, Fr. Dery was transferred to Kaleo as the first African Parish Priest in the diocese of Tamale. He had barely settled down when a scholarship was granted him by the Knights of Columbus to study the Credit Union Movement and Co-operative Management at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. In 1958 he was awarded a Diploma in Social Studies.
His next point of call was to the International Catechetical Institute - Lumen Vitae, in Brussels, Belgium. After a year of studies in Catechetics and Pastorals, Fr. Dery returned to Ghana in 1959. The bishop immediately appointed him Vicar General and Cathedral Administrator respectively.
Around this time there was a move to split the diocese of Tamale and the authorities thought it would be better to start the new diocese with an indigenous bishop. The lot fell on Fr. Dery even though he made several attempts to turn down this nomination. On November 3, 1959 the Diocese of Wa was created with Fr. Dery becoming its first Bishop elect.
On May 8, 1960 Msgr. Dery was ordained Bishop by Pope John XXIII, (now Blessed
John XXIII) in Rome. On June 1l, 1960 Bishop Dery was installed the first bishop of the Diocese of Wa. His love for people and the fact that he had such a fantastic memory with regard to names of people and other relevant events turned his name into a household word.
He asked and got the permission from Rome to have the liturgical celebration translated into Dagaare and because he was a musician he composed liturgical songs in Dagaare which were accompanied with the traditional instruments (drums and xylophones). People felt at home and derived so much spiritual fulfilment from the liturgy from then on.
He promoted education and established many schools like St. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary in Wa, St. Francis Girls' Secondary in Jirapa; hospitals, clinics, vocational institutions and so on for the integral development of peoples. Bishop Dery had hardly completed his tenth anniversary as Bishop of Wa when the rumour mill of his transfer was set into motion. As the saying goes "there is no smoke without fire". In 1972 he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Tamale diocese following the resignation of Rt. Rev. Gabriel Champagne, M. Afr., Bishop of Tamale due to ill-health. Because Bishop Dery was now the Administrator of Tamale he had to move between Wa and Tamale respectively to carry out his duties as head shepherd of the two dioceses.
Bishop Dery participated in the Second Vatican Council, 1962 to 1965. On November 18, 1974 he was officially transferred to Tamale. He became the Metropolitan Archbishop when the Diocese of Tamale was elevated to an Archdiocese on May 30th, 1977. Archbishop Dery was the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference from 1982 to 1988. When he turned 75 he tended in his resignation letter in accordance with Canon 401 § 1 but before he could get a reply from the Vatican he suffered a stroke in 1994. He officially resigned on March 26, 1994.
YEARS OF RETIREMENT
From 1994 until his death he lived a very "active ministry" from within his residence He continued to receive visitors and celebrated many marriages and baptisms. His zeal and love for people did not go unnoticed by the authorities that be. To his surprise and the surprise of others he was created a Cardinal Deacon in the Consistory of March 24, 2006. He went to Rome on a wheel chair to receive the red bieratta from the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.
.
AWARDS
As Priest, Bishop, Archbishop and Cardinal his Eminence has distinguished himself by his “qualities of discipline, forthrightness, integrity and love for humanity" that have won him the love and respect of Christians and non-Christians alike.
As a result of his unique contribution to the promotion of the integral development of the human person, His Eminence Peter Cardinal Dery has received several awards and
recognitions.
1. State Award of Grand Medal (Civil Division) from the Head of State of the Republic of Ghana, January 13, 1974.
2. Honorary Degree, Doctor of Law (LLD) by St. Francis Xavier University in
Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.
3. Award by the Association of Credit Unions and Cooperatives in Africa
(ACOSCA).
4. In 2007 he was honoured with membership of the Order of the Star of Ghana
(OSG) for his immense contribution to the development of the country.
MAJOR APPOINTMENTS: CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS
l. Appointed Member of the Council of State in 1972
2. Appointed Member of the Ghana Education Service Council for seven years
3. Appointed Member of the Advisory Panel for the Eventual rehabilitation of the
Volta Basin for Agriculture (Ghana); a World Bank Project
4. Appointed Member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity for seven years; by
Pope Paul VI and later by Pope John Paul II.
5. Served as President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference for two terms
6. Bishop in-charge of Lay Formation in the Apostolate with specific reference to
The Formation of the Adult Laity and the Youth in Ghana for twenty-two years. In
this capacity he was instrumental for the development of the structures of the
National Laity Council (NLC), the Ghana National Youth Council (GHANCYC)
and the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW).
7. Bishop Treasurer of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and
Madagascar (SECAM)
8. Co-ordinator of the Pan African Laity Council Board responsible for organising
The African Lay Apostolate in 9 zones of Africa.
"THE GREAT FIVE- TIMES FIRST”
. He was among the First Baptised Dagaabas
. He was the First Dagao Priest
. He was the First Dagao Bishop
. He was the First Dagao Archbishop
. He was the First Dagao Cardinal
HOME CALL:
Last year Peter Cardinal Dery slipped and fell and had a problem with his hip. Even though he was determined to be on his feet again that never happened. He was bedridden for the last seven months. He endured so much pain having to lie in one place. But thanks to the nurses - Sr. Delphina Zoomie, SMI, Madam Seraphine Fiirter, Madam Rose Kasei, Madam Albertina Ninnang, also Dr. Augustine Kabir (his personal physician), Mr.Thaddeus Yelewere (his physiotherapist), Mr. Dominic Gyereh (his Driver), Mr. Mark Attabeh (his personal Secretary for years), Mr.Abraham Sayibu (his Cook), Madam Georgina (Laundry woman), Sr. Euphresia Yinye, SMI, (Caretaker) and the numerous well wishers - he was never lonely. Every person whose life Peter Cardinal Dery touched also duly paid his or her dues to him at the time that he needed them most. May the good Lord bless all these generous and wonderful people.
On March 6th, while Ghana was celebrating her 51st Independence anniversary Peter
Cardinal Dery breathed his last at exactly 6.20 pm assisted by Madam Seraphine Fiirter, Sr.Delphina and Fr. Alphonsus B. Dakora
Peter Cardinal Dery was very fond of the phrase THANK YOU and he is certainly telling each one of you THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SEE ME OFF until we meet AGAIN. GOD IS INDEED GREAT!!!
Peter Cardinal Porekuu Dery was born in Zemuopare, a village five miles from Nandom in the Upper West Region of Ghana, on May 10, 1918 to Porekuu Theodore and Zoore Agnes. He was the fourth of 10 boys. His father Porekuu and his uncle Mwankuri-Naa were steeped in the Dagaaba Traditional Religion. Both were successful fetish priests and young Dery developed so much interest in the religious activities of his father and uncle that he was "initiated" by his uncle as his personal "acolyte". He thus travelled with his uncle to wherever people invited him to install these fetishes, namely; Konkpenebie, Kokyekonno, Sokyere, Doosoglaa, and Nyogebaliere.
His father Porekuu was also a trader in salt and kola. To promote his trade he sometimes sold things on credit. On one of his visits to Jirapa to check on some of his creditors, Porekuu got to hear about the activities of some white-men who had settled there and were preaching a new religion. Porekuu’s curiosity and interest in this new religion led to his being introduced to the leader of the missionaries, Fr. R. McCoy.As things turned out, Porekuu will eventually be the one to bring others from the Nandom area to embrace the new religion in spite of the great opposition from his senior brother, Mwankuri-Naa.
Young Dery switched allegiance and joined his father on his visits to Jirapa to learn more about the new religion. After successfully going through the catechumenate, Dery together with others was accepted for baptism on Christmas Eve, December, 24 1932. Thus young Dery was among the first 12 people to be baptised in the then North -West of the Gold Coast which today is the Upper West Region.
SCHOOLING:
Dery had the chance to work with the Missionaries in Jirapa. While there he was enlisted into the Catechists' School in 1932. He was determined to learn the English language. The Missionaries observed that he had the interest and ability to read and write. In 1934 he was sent to the Junior School in Navrongo. He completed his studies in 1939 and by that time his desire to become a priest had heightened. He entered the Minor Seminary "cum" Training College at Navrongo and after two years of study he was moved to St. Theresa’s Minor / Major Seminary at Amisano, near Cape Coast, to begin his philosophical and theological studies.
In 1946 all the Seminarians from the Apostolic Vicariate of Navrongo were moved from Cape Coast back to the Vicariate to begin the Major Seminary at Wiagha, St. Victor’s Major Seminary. After successfully completing his seminary formation in 1950, Dery was ordained priest on February 11, 1951 at St. Theresa’s Church, Nandom, by Rt. Rev. Gerard Bertrand, (M. Afr.) then Vicar Apostolic of Navrongo. This was a historic event among the Dagaabas, because Fr. Dery was the first Dagao to be ordained priest in the new religion.
MINISTRY
Fr. Dery was first posted to Nandom as a curate and appointed an Assistant General
Manager of Catholic Schools in the Tamale Diocese. He loved his work as a Local Manager of Schools. His visits to the schools exposed him and endeared him to the teachers and the pupils. It is not surprising that many of the boys and girls later opted to become priests and religious brothers and sisters.
In 1957, Fr. Dery was transferred to Kaleo as the first African Parish Priest in the diocese of Tamale. He had barely settled down when a scholarship was granted him by the Knights of Columbus to study the Credit Union Movement and Co-operative Management at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. In 1958 he was awarded a Diploma in Social Studies.
His next point of call was to the International Catechetical Institute - Lumen Vitae, in Brussels, Belgium. After a year of studies in Catechetics and Pastorals, Fr. Dery returned to Ghana in 1959. The bishop immediately appointed him Vicar General and Cathedral Administrator respectively.
Around this time there was a move to split the diocese of Tamale and the authorities thought it would be better to start the new diocese with an indigenous bishop. The lot fell on Fr. Dery even though he made several attempts to turn down this nomination. On November 3, 1959 the Diocese of Wa was created with Fr. Dery becoming its first Bishop elect.
On May 8, 1960 Msgr. Dery was ordained Bishop by Pope John XXIII, (now Blessed
John XXIII) in Rome. On June 1l, 1960 Bishop Dery was installed the first bishop of the Diocese of Wa. His love for people and the fact that he had such a fantastic memory with regard to names of people and other relevant events turned his name into a household word.
He asked and got the permission from Rome to have the liturgical celebration translated into Dagaare and because he was a musician he composed liturgical songs in Dagaare which were accompanied with the traditional instruments (drums and xylophones). People felt at home and derived so much spiritual fulfilment from the liturgy from then on.
He promoted education and established many schools like St. Francis Xavier Minor Seminary in Wa, St. Francis Girls' Secondary in Jirapa; hospitals, clinics, vocational institutions and so on for the integral development of peoples. Bishop Dery had hardly completed his tenth anniversary as Bishop of Wa when the rumour mill of his transfer was set into motion. As the saying goes "there is no smoke without fire". In 1972 he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of Tamale diocese following the resignation of Rt. Rev. Gabriel Champagne, M. Afr., Bishop of Tamale due to ill-health. Because Bishop Dery was now the Administrator of Tamale he had to move between Wa and Tamale respectively to carry out his duties as head shepherd of the two dioceses.
Bishop Dery participated in the Second Vatican Council, 1962 to 1965. On November 18, 1974 he was officially transferred to Tamale. He became the Metropolitan Archbishop when the Diocese of Tamale was elevated to an Archdiocese on May 30th, 1977. Archbishop Dery was the President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference from 1982 to 1988. When he turned 75 he tended in his resignation letter in accordance with Canon 401 § 1 but before he could get a reply from the Vatican he suffered a stroke in 1994. He officially resigned on March 26, 1994.
YEARS OF RETIREMENT
From 1994 until his death he lived a very "active ministry" from within his residence He continued to receive visitors and celebrated many marriages and baptisms. His zeal and love for people did not go unnoticed by the authorities that be. To his surprise and the surprise of others he was created a Cardinal Deacon in the Consistory of March 24, 2006. He went to Rome on a wheel chair to receive the red bieratta from the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.
.
AWARDS
As Priest, Bishop, Archbishop and Cardinal his Eminence has distinguished himself by his “qualities of discipline, forthrightness, integrity and love for humanity" that have won him the love and respect of Christians and non-Christians alike.
As a result of his unique contribution to the promotion of the integral development of the human person, His Eminence Peter Cardinal Dery has received several awards and
recognitions.
1. State Award of Grand Medal (Civil Division) from the Head of State of the Republic of Ghana, January 13, 1974.
2. Honorary Degree, Doctor of Law (LLD) by St. Francis Xavier University in
Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.
3. Award by the Association of Credit Unions and Cooperatives in Africa
(ACOSCA).
4. In 2007 he was honoured with membership of the Order of the Star of Ghana
(OSG) for his immense contribution to the development of the country.
MAJOR APPOINTMENTS: CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS
l. Appointed Member of the Council of State in 1972
2. Appointed Member of the Ghana Education Service Council for seven years
3. Appointed Member of the Advisory Panel for the Eventual rehabilitation of the
Volta Basin for Agriculture (Ghana); a World Bank Project
4. Appointed Member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity for seven years; by
Pope Paul VI and later by Pope John Paul II.
5. Served as President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference for two terms
6. Bishop in-charge of Lay Formation in the Apostolate with specific reference to
The Formation of the Adult Laity and the Youth in Ghana for twenty-two years. In
this capacity he was instrumental for the development of the structures of the
National Laity Council (NLC), the Ghana National Youth Council (GHANCYC)
and the National Council of Catholic Women (NCCW).
7. Bishop Treasurer of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and
Madagascar (SECAM)
8. Co-ordinator of the Pan African Laity Council Board responsible for organising
The African Lay Apostolate in 9 zones of Africa.
"THE GREAT FIVE- TIMES FIRST”
. He was among the First Baptised Dagaabas
. He was the First Dagao Priest
. He was the First Dagao Bishop
. He was the First Dagao Archbishop
. He was the First Dagao Cardinal
HOME CALL:
Last year Peter Cardinal Dery slipped and fell and had a problem with his hip. Even though he was determined to be on his feet again that never happened. He was bedridden for the last seven months. He endured so much pain having to lie in one place. But thanks to the nurses - Sr. Delphina Zoomie, SMI, Madam Seraphine Fiirter, Madam Rose Kasei, Madam Albertina Ninnang, also Dr. Augustine Kabir (his personal physician), Mr.Thaddeus Yelewere (his physiotherapist), Mr. Dominic Gyereh (his Driver), Mr. Mark Attabeh (his personal Secretary for years), Mr.Abraham Sayibu (his Cook), Madam Georgina (Laundry woman), Sr. Euphresia Yinye, SMI, (Caretaker) and the numerous well wishers - he was never lonely. Every person whose life Peter Cardinal Dery touched also duly paid his or her dues to him at the time that he needed them most. May the good Lord bless all these generous and wonderful people.
On March 6th, while Ghana was celebrating her 51st Independence anniversary Peter
Cardinal Dery breathed his last at exactly 6.20 pm assisted by Madam Seraphine Fiirter, Sr.Delphina and Fr. Alphonsus B. Dakora
Peter Cardinal Dery was very fond of the phrase THANK YOU and he is certainly telling each one of you THANK YOU FOR COMING TO SEE ME OFF until we meet AGAIN. GOD IS INDEED GREAT!!!
MiDA is on course
Page 16: March 29, 2008.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Chief Executive of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Mr Martin Eson-Benjamin, has denied that the authority is veering off its objectives.
He said criticisms by the presidential candidate of the Convention People’s People (CPP), Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, that the authority was veering off its objectives were unfair.
Mr Eson-Benjamin was speaking during a courtesy call on the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Ibrahim Awal, in Accra yesterday.
He said the programme to rehabilitate dilapidated schools pending the take-off of the construction of greenfield schools, a term used to refer to the construction of new schools right from the scratch, with all facilities needed for the development of pupils, was approved by the board of directors of MiDA when Dr Nduom was the board chairman.
He showed a procurement notice published on May 8, 2007 for the “fast track” rehabilitation of schools in three intervention zones.
According to him, the procurement notice could not have been published without Dr Nduom’s approval and quoted the CPP flag bearer’s comments at a July 2007 procurement sub-committee meeting in which he was said to have advised that care should be taken in choosing the right architects and contractors for the jobs.
Mr Eson-Benjamin explained that the decision to undertake the fast track rehabilitation of the selected schools, which are 35 in number, was because the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was not ready for the construction of the greenfield schools.
He explained that the construction of the schools was to provide excellent educational facilities for deprived communities.
Mr Eson-Benjamin said MiDA decided to rehabilitate some of the dilapidated schools in some of the beneficiary communities to improve upon the teaching and learning environment before the major work started.
He said MiDA went by the procurement guidelines of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and indicated that if the proposal for the rehabilitation of the schools was contrary to the MCC’s programme objectives, it would not have been approved.
“Is Dr Nduom saying that the MCC is flouting its own guidelines?” he asked.
Mr Eson-Benjamin said MiDA had provided $3.2 million for the Public Procurement Board of Ghana to help put in place a professional procurement curriculum for the training of professional procurement officers in the country’s tertiary institutions.
He said a series of activities under MiDA would start between August and September this year when $365 million would be released for the authority’s programmes, saying that under them, 230 kilometres of tarred roads and two ferries in the Afram Plains area would be provided.
Mr Eson-Benjamin said the design for the construction of the Motorway Extension project, which would be named the George Walker Bush Motorway, was ready and he was hopeful that the contractor for the project would be selected to start work this year.
The legal counsel for MiDA, Ms Dorothy Gyamfi, said accessing the MCA funds was a highly regulated process and it was based on passing the annual assessment on criteria, such as good governance and the time for starting business in the country.
Mr Awal stressed the need for MiDA and the GCGL to collaborate further in not just disseminating information on the activities of MiDA but also educating the public on them.
The five-year, approximately $547 million assistance to Ghana aims at reducing poverty by raising farmer incomes through private sector-led agribusiness development.
The programme will operate in 23 districts in the Northern Region, the central Afram Basin region and the southern horticultural belt where poverty rates are generally above 40 per cent.
Ghana signed the compact on August 1, 2006 but operations really started on February 16, 2007 after recruitment and initial funds were made available.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THE Chief Executive of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Mr Martin Eson-Benjamin, has denied that the authority is veering off its objectives.
He said criticisms by the presidential candidate of the Convention People’s People (CPP), Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, that the authority was veering off its objectives were unfair.
Mr Eson-Benjamin was speaking during a courtesy call on the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Ibrahim Awal, in Accra yesterday.
He said the programme to rehabilitate dilapidated schools pending the take-off of the construction of greenfield schools, a term used to refer to the construction of new schools right from the scratch, with all facilities needed for the development of pupils, was approved by the board of directors of MiDA when Dr Nduom was the board chairman.
He showed a procurement notice published on May 8, 2007 for the “fast track” rehabilitation of schools in three intervention zones.
According to him, the procurement notice could not have been published without Dr Nduom’s approval and quoted the CPP flag bearer’s comments at a July 2007 procurement sub-committee meeting in which he was said to have advised that care should be taken in choosing the right architects and contractors for the jobs.
Mr Eson-Benjamin explained that the decision to undertake the fast track rehabilitation of the selected schools, which are 35 in number, was because the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was not ready for the construction of the greenfield schools.
He explained that the construction of the schools was to provide excellent educational facilities for deprived communities.
Mr Eson-Benjamin said MiDA decided to rehabilitate some of the dilapidated schools in some of the beneficiary communities to improve upon the teaching and learning environment before the major work started.
He said MiDA went by the procurement guidelines of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and indicated that if the proposal for the rehabilitation of the schools was contrary to the MCC’s programme objectives, it would not have been approved.
“Is Dr Nduom saying that the MCC is flouting its own guidelines?” he asked.
Mr Eson-Benjamin said MiDA had provided $3.2 million for the Public Procurement Board of Ghana to help put in place a professional procurement curriculum for the training of professional procurement officers in the country’s tertiary institutions.
He said a series of activities under MiDA would start between August and September this year when $365 million would be released for the authority’s programmes, saying that under them, 230 kilometres of tarred roads and two ferries in the Afram Plains area would be provided.
Mr Eson-Benjamin said the design for the construction of the Motorway Extension project, which would be named the George Walker Bush Motorway, was ready and he was hopeful that the contractor for the project would be selected to start work this year.
The legal counsel for MiDA, Ms Dorothy Gyamfi, said accessing the MCA funds was a highly regulated process and it was based on passing the annual assessment on criteria, such as good governance and the time for starting business in the country.
Mr Awal stressed the need for MiDA and the GCGL to collaborate further in not just disseminating information on the activities of MiDA but also educating the public on them.
The five-year, approximately $547 million assistance to Ghana aims at reducing poverty by raising farmer incomes through private sector-led agribusiness development.
The programme will operate in 23 districts in the Northern Region, the central Afram Basin region and the southern horticultural belt where poverty rates are generally above 40 per cent.
Ghana signed the compact on August 1, 2006 but operations really started on February 16, 2007 after recruitment and initial funds were made available.
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