Shirley Ayorkor Botchway

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration Shirley Ayorkor Botchway has disclosed the there was no signed agreement between Ghana and the US over the transfer of the two ex-GITMO detainees to the West African nation.

According to her, what existed was a  verbal agreement known in diplomatic as circles note verbale

“Mr. Speaker, we have not changed anything. In the note verbals that were exchanged between the two countries. Indeed there was no agreement. The whole transaction was done through what we call a note verbale from both sides. What we have done is to attach all those documents,” she told the House.

She made this known Friday, July 28, 2017, on the floor of parliament while answering a questions on the matter from the Member of Parliament for North Tongu Samuell Okudjeto Ablakwa.

The two, Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby of Yemeni origin are among 17 detainees transferred from the prison camp in Cuba by the United States.

The decision to host the detainees in Ghana provoked a firestorm of controversy and outrage among Ghanaians, with many expressing fear that the move would undermine Ghana’s internal security and expose the country to attacks from religious extremists.

A seven-member Supreme Court panel presided over by Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo by six to one (6 -1) majority decision Thursday June 22, 2017 said the two are illegally in the country since the then government allowed them into the country without prior approval by Parliament.

The consequential order of the court is that government should within three months subject the agreement to parliamentary consideration and approval and in default return the two Gitmo detainees.

The order by the Apex court was necessitated by a suit brought against the Attorney General and Minister of Justice as well as the Minister of Interior by two Ghanaian citizens—Margaret Bamful and Henry Nana Boakye last year.

Government said in the wake of the order that it has taken steps to get parliamentary approval to ratify the illegal stay of the two.

-Starrfmonline

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The General Legal Council (GLC) has withdrawn the licence of Mr Kwasi Afrifa, a private legal practitioner and has subsequently banned him from practicing law for four years.

This was contained in a notice issued by the Judicial Secretary and Secretary to the GLC, Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong on Friday, 28 July 2017.

Mr Afrifa has been charged with different counts of violating the “Professional Conduct and Etiquette” rules of the GLC.

Below is the full statement:

Notice is hereby given that Lawyer Kwasi Afrifa is hereby suspended from legal practice for a period of four (4) years commencing from 27th July, 2017.

The above-named lawyer was formally charged with two counts under Rule 5 (10) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 1969 L.I. 613 as follows:

Count 1
That he; having previously acted as Counsel for one Dr. Emelia Timpo in a probate action involving her mother’s estate and assisted her in obtaining Letters of Administration in respect of the same estate, subsequently acted against her interest by representing her brother called Nana Kwamina Apreh Ackah in an action with Suit No.C12/230/14 over property which forms part of the said estate and ;

Count 2
That he, having previously acted as counsel for one Kodwo Ackah, the legal owner of property No, 19A in a Civil Proceedings to evict his tenant at the Ashanti New Town Court, Kumasi, [subsequently brought an action on behalf of his brother, Nana Kwamina Apreh Ackah in an action with suit No.C12/230/14 over property which forms part of the said estate against the said Kodwo Ackah and Dr. Emelia Timpo.

Lawyer Afrifa was also formally charged with a third count under Rule 9 (4) of the Legal Profession (Professional Conduct and Etiquette) Rules, 1969 L.I. 613 that he; having previously acted as Counsel for one Kodwo Ackah of property No. 19A in civil proceedings to evict his tenant at the Ashanti New Town Court, Kumasi subsequently represented his siblings in a probate action involving their mother’s estate and included the said Kodwo Ackah’s property (aforesaid) in the inventory of the estate.

He was convicted on the three counts.

During the period of suspension, he shall not hold himself out as a Legal Practitioner or attend Chambers, or render, or purport to render any professional legal services to the public for a fee. He may not attend chambers at anytime during the period of his suspension.

The licence of Lawyer Kwasi Afrifa to practise for the next four (4) years is hereby withdrawn forthwith.

DATED AT THE LAW COURTS BUILDING, ACCRA
THIS 28TH DAY OF JULY, 2017
SGD.
JUSTICE ALEX B. POKU-ACHEAMPONG
JUDICIAL SECRETARY AND
SECRETARY TO THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL

-Classfmonline

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 John Jinapor

Incensed former Deputy Minister of Power, John Jinapor wants government to employ a more “humane” way in dealing with issues surrounding the controversial Ameri power deal.

His house was raided by armed police personnel Friday morning as government gives strong indication of its resolve to investigate the numerous energy deals signed by the previous government.

Mr. John Jinapor who is also the Member of Parliament for Yapei Kusawgu said the security operatives told him specifically that they were “looking for documents related to the Ameri deal”.

But the former Deputy Minister told Joy News in the afternoon that police officers with search warrant from the “police hierarchy”, signed by one Bright Oduro found nothing.

Indeed the officers who accosted him in his house at 8 am searched everywhere including the kitchen, washrooms, and kids rooms, he he claimed.

“But they found nothing,” he said of the hours search.

They however took away his mobile phone (iphone) without his SIM and was asked to produce his laptop, which he said he needed clearance from the Speaker of Parliament first because it is the property of Parliament.

“I am not against investigations. I am ready to cooperate with any other agency interested in the matter, the truth will come out…but I think it should have been done in a more humane,” he asserted.

He said he is considering several options available to him with the Minority in Parliament on the development.

John Jinapor said his family are traumatised by the experience as he wondered why his personal phone was taken from him.

“I don’t know why they took the phone…there are a lot of private stuff on it and nothing official,” the former deputy minister who was once the spokesperson of then vice president John Mahama said.

The Ameri deal was signed by the Mahama-led government in late 2015 when the country was at the peak of its energy crisis that became known as “dumsor”.

The Power Minister who led the deal on behalf of government, Dr. Kwabena Donkor also had his house raided by security operatives on Monday.
-3news

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Dr.Kwesi Botchwey

Former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, has advised current managers of the Ghanaian economy to be careful of demons that hover around public policy lapses and destroy fiscal consolidation.

According to him, these demons have for decades worked as hard as the builders. Lack of focus on economic growth, he says, gives the demons room to operate.

He was speaking to a packed audience in Accra at the launch of a 320-page book entitled, Africa in Search of Prosperity – Ishmael Yamson’s Essays on Development Economics, Business, Finance and Economic Growth. It was launched by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

The book was edited by Ivor Agyeman-Duah – a visiting associate professor and director of the Wole Soyinka Foundation at the University of Johannesburg and Pof. Bill Buenar Puplampu, Vice Chancellor of Central University in Accra. It has two forewords from Lynda Baroness Chalker of Wallasey and former Minister for Africa, British and the Commonwealth Office and Doug Baillie, former President of Unilever Africa.

The collection of the thirty essays is mainly on economic and business development with two other sections on education and impact on development and faith and development.

Dr. Botchwey, who recounted the challenges he faced at his time in the 1980s managing the economy that was under recovery in the period of the Structural Adjustment Programme, had to, he explained, deal with inflation which was over 100 percent, national accounting that had not been done for three years and an exchange rate crisis. He however, said the country is on track.

The current Senior Minister and former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning under the Kufuor government, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, spoke of the current economic management team led by the vice president, Dr. Mahamdu Bawumia, and said they were thinking outside the box since with a debt to GDP ratio of over 70%, it had become difficult to borrow under the agreement with the IMF. He said lessons from the book – of which he was the launch reviewer – are apt to contemporary challenges, including the difficulty in accessing aid.

Yaw Osafo-Maafo said the book is of such public policy importance that consultation would be made with the leadership of parliament for adaptation as a manual to guide discussions in the house.

The post Be Careful Of Demons – Kwesi Botchwey appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto

The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto on Thursday told parliament that the government has so far spent                  GH¢157,023,174.00 on its ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme in the southern sector and the three northern regions.

He said out of the amount, GH¢24,963,981.00 has been spent on improved seeds, especially for the production of maize, rice, soyabean, sorghum, tomato, onion and pepper, while GH¢132,059,193.00 has been spent on fertilizer and haulage or distribution of fertilizer to the farmers.

He said so far, 188,338 farmers and potential farmers have been registered under the scheme, out of the targeted 750,000 opportunities to be provided for the prospective farmers, particularly the youth. He disclosed that this year the ministry’s target is to register 200.000 farmers.

Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, who was responding to a question filed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Asunafo South, Eric Opoku, on the status of the programme and expenditure so far made, said that the government plans to inject about GH¢650 million into the programme, which will eventually rake in GH¢1.3 billion for the nation.

The minister said the campaign or programme has five main areas of intervention which are the provision of improved seeds, provision of fertilizer, provision of extension services, marketing and e-agriculture platform.

“Under the campaign, selected farmers are supported with farm inputs such as improved seeds of the targeted crops, fertilizers and extension services directly from the ministry, whilst other pillars are to be implemented with the private sector,” the minister explained.

He said the aim of the government is to use the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme to transform the agricultural sector; and this would be done by increasing productivity of the farm resources centred on small holding activities, to provide job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youth and to provide raw materials for the industrial sector.

According to him, it is not true that the fertilizers being given to the farmers are being smuggled out of the country as some members of the opposition NDC are claming, stressing that the government would ensure that the programme succeeds to boost food sufficiency and sustainability of raw material supply.

By Thomas Fosu Jnr

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John Jinapor 

One of the loyalists of former President John Dramani Mahama and former Deputy Minister of Power, John Abdulai Jinapor, yesterday had his Tema residence reportedly raided by the police.

Early in the morning, operatives of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service went to his house in search of documents on the AMERI deal.

While Mr John Jinapor claims that armed policemen stormed his residence, thereby traumatizing his children, sources at the CID have painted a different picture, pointing out that the eventual entry by the operatives was caused by the refusal of the security man to allow them access to the house.

The policemen went to the residence in connection with investigations into the controversial AMERI power deal.

Two other officials, who are connected with the AMERI deal, also had their homes searched simultaneously.

They are Francis Dzata, technical advisor for the AMERI deal and Dominic Ayine, a former Deputy Attorney General.

Former Power Minister, Dr Kwabena Donkor’s Spintex Road house had earlier been searched.

The CID personnel were on a mission to collect evidence that would possibly implicate the former power minister, his deputy and the two other officials for causing financial loss to the state with their involvement in the controversial AMERI agreement.

They seized an iPhone belonging to Mr Jinapor during the search yesterday, according to police reports, after seizing pen drives and laptop from the house of Dr Donkor earlier.

Concerning the two other officials, police source said nothing was found.

Drama In Jinapor’s House

Reports gathered by DAILY GUIDE indicated that the team – comprising three CID operatives, led by an ASP, and two other armed personnel in mufti –   stormed Jinapor’s Tema Community 12 house around 6:30 am.

The police reportedly parked their vehicle about 100 meters away from the house, left the armed police officers inside it while the CID personnel, who had a court warrant, went to press the door bell of the former deputy power minister.

Reports said the CID men stood at the gate close to 30 munities pressing the door bell but nobody came to open the gate – which is said to be electronically controlled.

Police sources said after making no headway, the personnel became helpless and sat outside waiting for somebody to come out of the house.

Lo and behold, the sources said, a gentleman who was using a motorbike also came to the house to press the bell but after receiving no response, he made a call to somebody on his mobile phone.

“It was at this point that the security man came to open the gate for the said person to enter,” the source intimated.

The search team, according to reports, took advantage to introduce themselves to the security man in order to allow them enter the house, but he refused to listen to them and closed the gate.

“The personnel then forced to enter, but they were warned by the security officer not to venture, threatening that he would not be responsible if anything happened to them,” the source indicated.

The source said it was at this point that the CID personnel called the uniformed personnel to assist.

Upon hearing the voices of the personnel outside the gate and persistent pressing of the door bell, Mr Jinapor then ordered his security man to open the gate for them.

According to the source, Mr Jinapor, realizing that they were security men, came to meet them and after they had showed him the warrant of search, they were led into the house.

DAILY GUIDE learnt that the uniformed men stood outside the compound while the investigators entered the house to conduct their search.

Children Traumatized

The former deputy power minister said after the raid his kids were left traumatized.

According to the MP, his entire house – including his children’s rooms and bathrooms – were ransacked by the security personnel.

He said on Starr Fm that “They searched everywhere, my bedroom, kitchen, my children’s room, garage and everywhere possible, but I told them that I don’t have anything with me and that every document regarding the AMERI deal was left at the ministry.”

He added, “As we speak, my family is traumatized. Imagine six and eight-year-olds going through a thing like this; they are very traumatized.”

Jinapor confirmed that the search team seized his iPhone and insisted that he turns in his laptop to assist them with the investigations.

“They have taken my iPhone and asked that I bring my laptop too. I told them I don’t have a personal laptop; the one I use is a property of parliament and so I will go and ask the speaker if he will allow me to go and give it to them. They have also asked that I report to the police station on Monday,” he underscored.

Flashback

It would be recalled that the Mahama administration, in the heat of the dumsor (erratic power supply) in February 2015, entered into a $510 million deal with AMERI for the supply of power plants to mitigate the power crisis.

But media reports indicated that the cost of the project was outrageously high, compelling the Nana Akufo-Addo government to set up a committee to look into the contract.

 (lindatenyah@gmail.com)

By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey

The post CID Raids Mahama Boy’s House Over AMERI Deal appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

The deportees

At least 80 Ghanaians have reportedly been deported from Libya.

They were said to have been living in the Arab country illegally, officials say.

The deportees arrived at the Kotoka International Airport Thursday night, 27 July.

Reports say quite a number of them had been in prison for as long as eight months before their deportation.

It has been a usual practice by some Ghanaians and nationals from other African countries to cross the Sahara Desert to Libya for ‘greener pastures.’

Dozens don’t even make it to their final destination and perish on the desert.

In April, this year, some 300 Ghanaians in Libya voluntarily returned home.

The post 80 Ghanaians Deported From Libya appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

 Charlotte Osei – EC Boss

Pressure is mounting on the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei, to reinstate a senior officer she asked to proceed on leave over alleged misappropriation of the commission’s staff welfare fund.

Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, EC’s Director of Finance, has vowed to sue the commission if Mrs Osei does not rescind the decision, claiming that he’s being wrongly accused.

He has caused his lawyer, Akoto Ampaw, of Akufu-Addo and Prempeh Chambers, to write to Ms. Osei demanding his re-instatement, otherwise he would resort to the court of law for redress.

Before the ongoing scandal at the commission in which Mrs. Osei stands accused of abuse of office and corruption by some concerned EC staff exploded, the topical issue at the commission was the purported misappropriation of staff welfare fund.

Georgina Opoku-Amankwah, a Deputy Commissioner in-charge of Corporate Services, together with Kwaku Owusu Agyei-Larbi, Chief Accountant and Joseph Asamoah, Finance Officer, were asked to proceed on leave over reported missing GH¢480,000 belonging to the workers.

The decision to interdict the officers commenced when the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) wrote to the commission that it had taken over the case and that “the suspects are assisting investigations.”

However, the suspended Finance Officer’s lawyers said their client demonstrated before the EOCO with ample documentary evidence that he had nothing to do with the subject matter.

“Our client, Dr. Joseph Kwaku Asamoah, has absolutely nothing to do with the matter and should not be made a scapegoat of any boardroom struggles engulfing the commission.

“We are accordingly instructed to demand you to recall our client from the imposed leave to enable him continue his normal work as Director of Finance of the Commission. Should you fail to do so, we would be compelled to initiate legal proceedings against you to protect our client against any form of victimization and injustice,” Mr Akoto-Ampaw stated.

The lawyer then attached documents, including letters that showed that their client was innocent, a letter from the Controller and Accountant General to the Bank of Ghana, as well as the EC’s Audit Report on the Endowment Fund, which they say were ample evidence clearing Mr. Asamoah.

Welfare Schemes

The EC Staff Welfare Schemes were inaugurated on 5th June, 2009 to cater for the welfare of those working for the commission and a 13-member board of administrators was set up to administer the management of the Schemes.

According to the EC, the schemes included ​Endowment, ​Retirement and ​Funeral and the Board, under the Chairmanship of the Deputy Chairman (Finance and Administration) and assisted by commission members, had its first meeting on 17^th June, 2009 and members were appointed to serve on the various schemes.

The EC said the Board has a representation from the commission, the directors, Senior Staff Association, the Local Trade Union and two other co-opted members.

It said the schemes had been composed such that the ​Endowment Fund has the Director (Finance), Chief Accountant and Local Union Representative as the members while the ​Retirement Scheme has Director (Human Resource and General Services), Senior Staff Representative, Local Union Representative and a Co-opted Member as its composition.

According to the commission, the ​Funeral Scheme has Director, Senior Staff Representative, Local Union Representative and a Co-opted Member as its composition and that the commission invested their contributions with NDK Financial Services.

According to the EC, the Endowment Committee was supposed to receive monthly deductions of members of staff contributions from the cash office of the commission, for onward submission to NDK Financial Services for investment.

“The audit team identified during the audit that there was non-release of funds (i.e. staff deductions) by the commission to the Fund Managers for onward submission to NDK Financial Services for the period covering March 2014 to October 2014, and this amounted to Four Hundred and Eighty Thousand, One Hundred and Seventy-Seven Ghana Cedis and  Eighty-Seven Pesewas.  This denied existing members and also retirees of interest on funds if it had been invested for the period stated,” an internal audit report revealed.

“Additionally, those on retirement received their benefits, excluding the interest, on the un-invested funds and this left gaps in the computation of individual staff member’s contribution.”

The report said that the audit team noted that monthly cheques issued to the Fund were released very late and in some cases were never released at all.

“For example, a cheque of GH¢47,754.54  with cheque No. 922744 meant for payment into the Fund for the month of November  2012 was issued on 31/12/2012, being one month after its due date.  Such late submission of cheques denied contributors to the fund the opportunity to earn any interest income had the monies been received and invested earlier.”

By William Yaw Owusu

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The Managing Director of Activa International Insurance Company, Solomon Lartey has led a team of top officials from Group Activa Foundation, a CSR organ of Activa International Insurance, to present Phototherapy equipments to the Children Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra on Monday, 24^th July, 2017.

The Group Activa Foundation delegation include Thiery Kouandju, Secretary to the Foundation, Ambassador Flitz Poku, member, Raoul Kontehou, member, Roger Melingui, member, Sadrack Fotso, member, Benjamin Yamoah, COO of Activa International Insurance, Ghana and Mrs. Genevieve Tachie, Group Chief Finance Officer of Activa International Insurance Company Limited.

In a short address prior to the presentation, Solomon Lartey explained that the Foundation selected Ghana among a stiff competition from about 5 other countries for the gesture, and luckily, Ghana won the bid to receive the generous life-saving equipment.

Making the presentation, the Vice-Chairman of ACTIVA International Insurance Company Limited, Steve Kyerematen said: “Culminating from the interaction between Activa and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, the CSR arm of Group Activa settled on Ghana for the purchase of this $25,000 Phototherapy equipment to help save lives of the new born babies.

The items were received by Prof. Bamenla Goka, Head of Child Health Department in the presence of Mrs. Mercy Efua Otoo, Chief Nursing Officer, Mrs. Victoria Aku Quaye, Director of Nursing Services and other officials of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

Prof. Goka stressed that the Phototherapy equipment would help avoid terrible jaundice that new born babies go through and sometimes lose their lives.

“The unit is currently using fluorescent tubes, which is not effective in removing the jaundice of the newly born babies. This modern Phototherapy equipment with a Light Meter, clears jaundice faster and last longer. It is really a life saver. We thank Group Activa Foundation for the gesture and wish to call on other corporate bodies to emulate the shining example of Activa”, Prof. Goka added.

Steve Kyerematen presenting the Phototherapy equipment to Prof. Bamenla Goka, while Solomon Lartey (extreme left) and other foundation members as well as officials of the children unit of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, look on admiringly

A Daily Guide Report

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The police administration has warned that “senseless” violent attacks by criminals on police personnel that have left some dead and others injured in recent times must stop.

COP James Oppong-Boanu, Director General in-charge of Administration of the Ghana Police Service, has warned that those making law enforcement agents their object of attacks would be crushed with the full force of the service.

His warning comes after a police officer was shot dead and another injured at Abeka Lapaz, Accra, when they (cops) attempted to stop a robbery operation in front of Las Palmas Restaurant on July 13, 2017.

Before this incident, another gang had shot and killed a police constable, Michael Kporyi, at Michel Camp, near Tema.

Speaking at a passing-out parade of some 556 new recruits yesterday, COP Oppong-Boanu stated that the police administration would do everything within the law to protect its officers from these attacks.

He called on personnel to stand firm and support the service to fight crimes in the country, while they also defend the weak, protect the poor in society and show respect for human rights.

He acknowledged the daunting task and challenges that confront the police, noting that crime has become more sophisticated, dangerous and challenging.

More than half of the recruits – 50.2 percent – who graduated from the Police Training School at Patasi in Kumasi – were women.

The police boss gave assurance that personnel would be supported with the needed logistics and motivation to enable them discharge their lawful duties to the country.

From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi

The post Stop Senseless Attacks On Police – Oppong-Boanu appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

Shepherd To Shepherd, a network of clergymen in Ghana is organizing what they call “Three day super impartation of the word and spirit” to intercede for the country.

They said Ghana has reached a point where intercessory prayers should never be taken for granted.

The programme which ends this weekend under the theme “Occupy Till I Come (Luke 19:13)” is being held at the Transformation Power Chapel on the Spintex Road behind Baatsona Railway Station in Accra.

According to Bishop Dr. Dei A. Morris who is the lead organizer, colleague men of God are participating in the programme which he said will deepen their commitment to build God’s church.

“We are committed to the call to preach, to lead, to care, to build, and to better the body of Christ. It is our desire to lead the people of faith through the most excellent, most impacting, and most effective pastoral ministry possible,” he told DAILY GUIDE.

“We are pastors who understand that our vocation has its share of personal and professional challenges. The pastorate alone and the work that is demanded of us can create unique pressures and problems to which only another pastor can relate.

He said that “we endeavour to encourage, assist, edify, and celebrate one another in kingdom work,” adding “to this end, we have all entered into a special covenant for the cause of becoming and being the pastors that God has called us to be.”

“We are pastors in covenant for the purpose of kingdom building, we desire to connect and network our efforts towards the revitalization of Church leadership,” he said.

The post Pastors Meet To Pray For Nation appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

The Okyenhene in a pose with the Chinese Ambassador

Sun Boahong, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, has urged the government to take all the necessary steps to arrest and prosecute any Chinese national who engages in illegal mining, popularly known as   galamsey, to destroy water bodies and farmlands.

The fight against galamsey – an occupation which has been dominated by foreigners, mostly Chinese – has intensified since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) took over power, with the backing of a coalition formed by a section of the Ghanaian media.

During a courtesy call on the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin at Ofori Panin Fie, Kyebi, in the East Akim municipality of the Eastern Region on Monday, Ambassador Sun Boahong urged the government to adopt all legal means possible in fighting illegal mining.

According to her, “We are in support of the Ghanaian government’s efforts to end illegal mining. We will educate our citizens and corporate entities to abide by the laws and regulations of Ghana; and to conduct business lawfully and honestly…”

The envoy appealed to the media to take an objective and impartial stance on the issue of illegal mining and also take into consideration the Chinese government`s support of the battle against galamsey.

The Akufo-Addo government has resolved to end galamsey which is destroying water bodies, forests, and farms. The crusade is being led by Lands and Natural Resources Minister, John Peter Amewu.

The Chinese Embassy, through the China Traders’ Chamber of Commerce in Ghana, donated 40 bags of rice, 20 cartons of Frytol oil, 50 cartons of Sardines, Tuna chunks, corned beef, 1,240 pairs of men’s shoes, 180 pairs of ladies’ slippers, 600 pairs of children’s shoes, sunflowers, note books, pens, stationery, school bags, football, blankets, underwear and socks to the Okyeman Traditional Council to be shared among members of the commuty and farmers in the surrounding villages.

Sun Boahong, who was happy to be received in President Akufo-Addo`s hometown, said that the decision by the Chinese embassy to undertake such move was to strengthen the friendship between the two countries.

She hinted that China was going to establish a bamboo processing factory and demonstration centre in the Eastern Region to create jobs for the teeming youth, in line with the government’s ‘One District, One Factory` programme.

The Okyenhene, who doubles as the President of the Regional House of Chiefs, expressed gratitude to the Chinese government’s support and strengthening of cooperation between the two countries since the era of the late Dr. Kwame Nkramah, the first President of Ghana.

FROM Daniel Bampoe, Kyebi

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The farmer and the slabs of wee

The Police in the Eastern Regional have arrested a 34-year-old farmer Joseph Sarpong for allegedly possessing substance suspected to be Indian hemp (wee) at Kpong in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the region.

The Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), ASP Ebenezer Tetteh, who confirmed the arrest to DAILY GUIDE yesterday, indicated that a policeman, Richard Sabi, acting upon an intelligent lead, tracked three young men who were in the process of loading the substances into a Kia Rhino truck at Kpong, near Akosombo and conveying them to the Tema Port.

According to the PRO, the police moved close to the scene, laid ambush in the KNUST farmstead and managed to grab Joseph Sarpong.

His two other accomplices managed to escape, thereby abandoning the truck – with registration No. GN 4587-15 – which had been loaded with fertilizer sacks and about 100 bags of Global Ice sachet water and covered with a tarpaulin.

“The truck, together with the suspect, was brought to the regional police headquarters for further investigation. A thorough search conducted in the vehicle uncovered eight white fertilizer sacks each containing 80 compressed slabs, 21 large fertilizer sacks concealed in big black polythene bags which also contained 68 slabs each, and four mini fertilizer sacks containing 40 slabs each of compressed dry leaves,  all suspected to be Indian hemp. The contents of the 33 fertilizer sacks summed up to 2,228 slabs of dry substance suspected to be Indian hemp,” ASP Tetteh narrated.

He added that “a total of 1,428 of the slabs have been marked ‘USA’ with red marker, giving the impression that that consignment was meant to be exported to the USA.”

FROM Daniel Bampoe, Koforidua

The post Farmer Grabbed With 2,000 Slabs Of Wee appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

The security personnel assigned to man the galamsey sites

A joint military and police team of about 400 personnel have been dispatched to galamsey sites in the Ashanti, Eastern and Western Regions for the first phase of the military involvement in the fight against illegal mining.

The deployment, codenamed, “Operation Vanguard,” is to enforce the country’s laws against the illegal practice, which has devastated the country’s land and water bodies.

Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, said any group of persons that would attempt to stampede the joint military/police anti-galamsey taskforce from performing their mandate would be met with the requisite force.
He said the operation was to protect the environment from further destruction and to preserve the heritage of Ghana for future generations.
He, therefore, urged the taskforce to exhibit high level of professionalism, sound judgement and teamwork in the course of their duty, adding that the pre-deployment training given them at the Bundase Training Camp was to enhance their efficiency.
He advised any aggrieved mining association or group not to attempt to stampede, obstruct or use any unlawful means to prevent the taskforce from exercising their mandate, adding that government’s door was still opened for dialogue.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, who is the Chairman of the Inter-ministerial Taskforce Against Illegal Mining, said this at the launch of the anti-galamsey operation at the Burma Camp on Monday.
He urged them to remain focused and warned that any officer, who would allow himself to be compromised, would be severely sanctioned.

“You are selected to protect lives, properties and the environment and that should be your focus.
“Some of you will be tempted with money and other valuable things but remember that what is at stake is more than your individual interest,” he admonished.
The minister said government had provided new logistics to enhance their operations while arrangements had been made for their medical and other common needs, as well as funds for some allowances.
Prof. Frimpong-Boateng said the operation was under the Presidential Initiative, which started with an ultimatum by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu, to all illegal miners to stop operations and withdraw their equipment from the sites.
He said it had been actively supported by the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining and other civil society organisations.
The Minister said the ultimate objective of the initiative was to flush out illegal miners from mining sites and catchment areas of water bodies, as well as the restoration of the forest cover and reclamation of the degraded mined areas to ensure sanity.
He said some licensed mining companies had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ghana Armed Forces, and therefore, some armed soldiers had already been deployed to protect their concessions due to various threats and challenges on their concessions.
The troops had been divided into three detachments with their respective commanders.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, expressed his unflinching support to the taskforce and commitment to halt the operations of illegal miners.
About one million people are involved in the chain of mining activities and other auxiliary services, including foreigners.

The massive exploitation of the environment, including the destruction of farmlands and pollution of water bodies, prompted the establishment of the taskforce to end the menace of galamsay once and for all.

Some dignitaries, who graced the launch, were the Chief of Defence Staff, Lieutenant General Obed Akwa; the Inspector-General of Police, David Asante-Apeatu; the Minister of the Interior, Ambrose Dery; the Minister of Defence, Dominic Nitiwul; the Minister of Information, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid and the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, John Peter Amewu.

GNA

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Vice President Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia and the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta

The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, yesterday gave a ray of hope for Ghana’s economic resuscitation and expressed great optimism for the future, with tailored economic policies that will facilitate smooth transition into prosperity for all Ghanaians.

He made these assertions when he presented the mid-year review of the 2017 budget in Parliament, which did not come with any supplementary budget for the first time in a long time.

The minister said the government had lived within its 2017 budget and met almost all its targets with the stabilization of the local currency, reduction in inflation, interest rate and eventual stabilization of the economy, which will soon reflect in the pockets of ordinary Ghanaians.

Mr Ofori-Atta indicated that the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 6.3% forecast in the 2017 budget statement was maintained over the first half of the year

According to him, within the six months (from January-June, 2017) of the Akufo-Addo administration, there has been a surplus of 0.6% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as compared to a deficit of 1.3% recorded over the same period in 2016.

He said Gross International Reserves at the end of June, 2017 was $5.9 billion, which was equivalent to 3.4 months of import cover, as against $4.9 billion at the end of December, 2016, which represented 2.8 months of import cover.

“Mr Speaker, these indicators clearly show that the economy is on the path of recovery and investor confidence has been restored,” he said, adding that because of prudent economic policies, improved fiscal discipline and competent management of the economy, the macro-indicators for the first half of the year are pointing in the right direction.

“The exchange rate is stabilizing, inflationary pressures have eased and interest rates are trending downwards. Progressively, confidence is being restored in the economy and we are confident that the positive trend would be sustained in the months and years ahead,” he sounded optimistic.

“Consistent with our medium-term development priorities, the macroeconomic framework for 2017 aims at ensuring macroeconomic stability, shifting the focus of economic management from taxation to production, protecting the preferential option for the poor and making machinery of government work to deliver the benefits of progress for all Ghanaians,” the minister indicated, stressing that anchored on the medium term macroeconomic framework, the specific macroeconomic targets set for 2017 were as follows: overall GDP growth rate of 6.3 %, non-oil GDP rate of 4.6% of GDP.

“Mr. Speaker, we promised to stabilize the economy in a sustainable manner, while accelerating and creating prosperity and jobs for all. The macro-fiscal performance we have achieved in the first six months of President Akufo-Addo’s administration is showing remarkable progress. The major macroeconomic indicators are now trending in the right direction, indicating that the economy is on the right track,” he underscored.

Mr Ofori-Atta said over the first half, agriculture grew by 7.8 % as against 5% recorded over the same period in 2016, while industry also grew by 11.5% as against 1.8% recorded over the same period in 2016.

The minister said inflation reduced from 15.4% in December, 2016 to 12.1% in June, 2017.

He said total revenue and grants amounted to GH¢17.5 billion, which was 8.6% of GDP as against a target of GH¢20.5 billion; but the overall total revenue for the year had been revised downwards from GH¢44.5 billion, adding that total expenditure – including clearance of arrears – amounted to GH¢23 billion as against a target of GH¢27.6 billion, while the total expenditure had also been revised downwards from GH¢58.1 billion to GH¢55.9 billion.

He said the total debt as at the end of June, 2017 was GH¢138.5 billion while total arrears as at the end of June, this year, was GH¢7 billion, claiming that the huge arrears left by the previous government would be cleared by the end of 2019.

The minister also announced that allowances for nursing and teacher trainees would be paid in September.

According to him, under the “Planting for Food and Jobs” programme, 844 agricultural extension officers had been employed and posted to 187 districts of the country.

“Mr Speaker, in order to improve the business environment to make the country an attractive destination for investments and make Ghana most business-friendly nation in Africa, a comprehensive programme for business regulatory reform has been launched, which is aimed at establishing an electronic register for business regulations and proceeds which would provide complete repository of business laws and regulations,” the finance minister declared.

By Thomas Fosu Jnr

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Dr Kwabena Donkor, John Jinapor, Dr Dominic Ayine

Three former ministers in the previous Mahama administration, whose homes were raided by operatives of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service over the ongoing AMERI $510 million probe, yesterday reported themselves to the police.

The former ministers, who are all Members of Parliament (MPs), reported themselves upon request by the CID to assist in investigations into the AMERI power deal brokered by the previous Mahama administration.

They are Dr Kwabena Donkor, MP for Pru East in the Brong-Ahafo Region and former Minister for Power; John Abdulai Jinapor, MP for Yapei Kusawgu in the Northern Region  and former Deputy Minister for Power and Dr Dominic Ayine,  former Deputy Attorney General who is the MP for Bolgatanga East in the Upper East Region.

Mr Kwabena Donkor was the first to report at the CID headquarters at about 9:30 am.

He was seen moving to the office of the Deputy Director General of the CID, ACP Maame Yaa Tiwaa Addo Danquah, after which three investigators also followed to the same office.

After spending close to 15 minutes with the deputy CID boss, Dr Donkor, according to information gleaned by DAILY GUIDE, was given a form to write his statement to the police on a later date.

At about 11:00 am, Dr Dominic Ayine also reported himself and went through the same procedure after which he was also given a form to present his statement.

The last to arrive was Mr John Jinapor at about 1:30 pm.

Speaker Notified

Information gathered by DAILY GUIDE at the CID headquarters indicated that the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, was duly notified before the operatives raided the various residences of the three NDC MPs.

Sources at the CID headquarters indicated that official letters were sent to him, as well as the minority and the majority leaders two weeks ago before the search team, with warrant from the court, stormed the homes of the MPs.

Professor Oquaye on Friday gave an assurance on the floor of parliament that he would invite the appropriate security officials to discuss matters relating to the dawn raids of the homes of the three members of the house.

This was after Muntaka Mubarak, minority chief whip, had called on him to restrain the security personnel from raiding the homes of the MPs on the minority side, who are linked to the AMERI power deal.

Police sources, however, indicated that the security agents followed due process before embarking on the search.

Apart from the three MPs, Francis Dzata, Technical Advisor to the Power Ministry, also had his residence searched by warrant-holding officers a week ago.

Dr Donkor had his laptops and pen drives seized by the officers when they went to his residence at the Spintex Road, while Francis Dzata also had his laptops seized.

However, Mr Jinapor only had his mobile phone (an iPhone) seized by the security operatives when the search was conducted in his house at Tema Community 12 last Friday.

Checks at the CID headquarters indicated that the seized items were not given to them when they reported at the headquarters.

The Mahama administration, in the heat of the dumsor (erratic power supply) in February 2015, entered into a $510 million deal with AMERI for the supply of power plants to mitigate the power crisis.

But media reports indicated that the cost of the project was outrageously high, thus compelling the Akufo-Addo government to set up a committee to look into the contract.

The committee, led by a private legal practitioner, Phillip Addison, disclosed in its report that it had found technical and financial lapses in the contract and called for its abrogation.

On the financial side, the committee found out that although AMERI secured the deal, the developer that built and financed the plant charged $360 million, yet AMERI forwarded a bill of $510 million in the agreement.

By Linda Tenyah –Ayettey

(lindatenyah@gmail.com)

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The Medical Superintendent of the New Abirem Government Hospital, Dr Alexander Osei Bonsu, is facing the law over alleged theft of medical equipment valued at GH¢50,000, the property of the hospital.

The equipment was reportedly being conveyed to a private facility operated by the suspect when it was intercepted.

Police Superintendent Emmanuel Amoah of the New Abirem District Police Command confirmed his arrest to Ghana News Agency (GNA) and said he had been granted bail as investigations continue.

Members of the Neighbourhood Watch Committee had information that the medical items had been loaded into a Nissan pick-up, belonging to the hospital at about 0400 hours on Sunday and quickly acted to prevent these from being moved away.

Supt Amoah added that the driver of the vehicle, when questioned, claimed that he had been instructed by the Medical Superintendent to transport the equipment to a private facility he had been running in Kumasi.

A formal report was subsequently made to the police and the driver was arrested together with the supposed stolen equipment.

GNA

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The District Chamber of Agriculture, Commerce and Technology (DCACT) has warned the joy of Ghanaians who want to see the factory promised every district by government delivered could turn sour if Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) snub unfamiliar telephone calls and emails in the coming days.

The chamber says it has so far received over 300 proposals from investors who are only a call or an email away from arriving in the districts to launch the factories highly manifestoed in the campaign run-up to the 2016 polls by the now-ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

“One District One Factory has received over 300 proposals. They need to direct the investors into which districts they have to go. The District Chamber of Agriculture, Commerce and Technology will position the districts to bring out the investment potentials and profiles of every district and these will be sent to various institutions that receive and attract investments for their countries to be able to direct all these investments into the various places,” Ebow Graham, a consultant to the DCACT, said in a meeting held in Bolgatanga, the Upper East regional capital, to sensitise stakeholders on the establishment of DCACT for government’s “Planting for Jobs and Investments” policy.

He told the region’s Municipal and District Chief Executives, who formed the core of the stakeholders present, that: “One of the things that would block any initiative is when the MMDCEs are not admitting calls. So, DCEs, please, a lot of phone calls will come to you; pick your calls. They might be the investors coming to your table. And make your emails working. The project proposals should be in line with the medium-term development plans of the MMDAs (Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies) in consultation with the Department of [Agriculture].”

Our seedlings will not be like the SADA seedlings – Minister of State

It was also announced in the meeting that the “Planting for Jobs and Investments” policy would not be limited to the cultivation of food crops.

The Minister of State responsible for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Gyiele Kwaku Nurah, told the gathering six cash crops including cashew, shea, mango, rubber and oil palm, citrus and cocoa had been identified and incorporated into the new concept “Planting for Jobs and Investments”. He lamented the inability of Ghana’s north to nurture its abundant shea as the south had developed its cocoa into an exportable scale, describing the backward state of the northern economy as self-inflicted and unfortunate.

“What is beautiful about what we are discussing here today is the integration of tree crops in our agricultural system. It’s been very unfortunate we have not been able to develop the tree crop sector of the north. People in the south have continued to maximise their returns on oil palm, on rubber, on cocoa and others. What have we done to ourselves in the north? Which tree can we say we depend on? Even if we take cotton as a cash crop, where are we in cotton? It’s not sustainable. We haven’t developed it to the level that we can say it’s our cocoa,” he commented.

Whilst blaming the north’s hungry tree economy on widespread disinterest and uninterrupted bushfires, he pointed at Ghana’s next-door neighbour, Burkina Faso, as a close good example the northern sector should imitate to mitigate its hardships.

“The cashew comes, the few trees you travel and see, the following year you travel you can’t see them. Where are they? Swallowed by bushfires. Mango, which is becoming fast the cocoa of Burkina [Faso], tell why mango cannot become the cocoa of the northern sector. And that is what this project is trying to address. The integration of tree crops into our agricultural system is going to benefit us greatly because you would realise that here when the rain fall is bad and the grains do not do well, the tree crops look very healthy. When there is bad weather, the tree crop will do well. In the good weather, they don’t do so well; but the grains do so well. So, as a measure to stabilise our own economy in the north, we need to integrate the two. The northern farmer will not be poor again,” assured Dr. Nurah.

He, however, affirmed that the tree investment project, which the new government was resolved to launch, would not end up impossible to trace as did the seedlings planted by the former government under the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA).

“We must plant commercial trees and that will represent our cocoa in the north. And I will plead with everyone, not only the DCEs, but we those who are managing the economy of the north that when this project takes off we should put all our hearts to it and make sure that all the seedlings that are supplied do not become the SADA seedlings or the SADA guinea fowls,” Dr. Nurah urged, attracting applause from a section of the audience.

20,000 farmers for engagement; 200 youth for recruitment

The Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Augustine Collins Ntim, disclosed farmers numbering between 10, 000 and 20, 000 would be supported to grow economic trees under the “Planting for Jobs and Investments” concept.

“Under the concept, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) would be required to come out with an agricultural project initiative taking into consideration one or two of the identified cash crops in our manifesto with a budget that would support 10, 000 to 20,000 farmers to cultivate an average of 10 acres of the crops within the next four years.

“They would be required to establish seed banks in the electoral areas that would raise improved and high-yielding varieties of seedlings as approved for the district to be allocated to the farmers. Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies would also be required to recruit between 100 to 200 youth in every district who would be trained to support the farmers to plant the seedling,” the Deputy Minister said.

The Upper East Regional Minister, Rockson Ayine Bukari, remarked that the region had continued to get less than what was expected from the labour of its “poor farmers” owing to a number of factors.

“There have been rhetorics of modernising agriculture and yet production and productivity are nothing to write home about and we still import food supplements and the greater part of our agricultural exports continue to be in raw and unprocessed form. At best we have semi-processed goods. We are, therefore, not yielding the required benefits from the toil of our poor farmers.

“This can be attributed to several challenges related to inadequate access to funding or aid for farmers and fishermen, lack of machinery, technological expertise, storage facilities, transportation and ready market for the produce among others. Indeed, as a government that took over the reins of government with a promise to create jobs, we think we must pay attention to areas of great potential and hence the various interventions in agriculture,” the Regional Minister observed.

-Starrfmonline

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Philip Akpeena Assibit

A lawyer for one of the accused persons in the trial over the Ghana Youth Employment and Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA) scandal has hinted of dragging some government officials before the court.

According to Kweku Paintsil, the said government officials have some documents being required by the court.

In the view of the lawyer of Philip Akpeena Assibit – the Managing Consultant of Goodwill International Group (GIG) – he might be compelled to subpoena the said persons after the cross-examination of his client.

Mr. Pantsil dropped the hint yesterday during further evidence by Assibit. He is in the dock alongside the former National Coordinator of GYEEDA and National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Chiana Paga, Abuga Pele. They are being tried for the various roles they allegedly played in the GYEEDA scam.

The Attorney General’s (AG’s) Department claims that the accused persons caused huge financial loss to the state by their roles.

Mr Assibit is being accused of putting in false claims that he had secured $65 million World Bank funding for the creation of one million jobs for the youth, which led government to part with GH¢41.1 million.

He stated that some of GIG’s contracts with the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) were physical deliverables while others were in the form of documents, including an exit plan which was part of the documents the Economic and Organised Crimes Office (EOCO) took from him.

He disclosed that the deliverables of the contracts also saw the establishment of the office for Resource Mobilization and Project Management with a manual that defined the organisational organogram, the process of flow chart and the description of the various sectors under each unit.

The GIG Managing Consultant further disclosed that under the introduction of the World Bank, there was a trip to Latin America.

This, he stated, was for public officers and other parties to be involved in the project implementation and for understanding of the same type of programmes being implemented in some Latin American countries.

Mr Assibit stated that among the people on the Latin American trip were Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the then Local Government Minister; Gladys Ghartey (a witness in the case); Sam Pee Yarley, a lawyer at the Labour Ministry and a certain boss of Council for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (COTVET).

Sitting continues on October 23, 2017.

jeffdegraft44@yahoo.com

By Jeffrey De-Graft Johnson

The post Assibit To Subpoena Gov’t Officials In GYEEDA Trial appeared first on Daily Guide Africa.

Affail Monney

The Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism has been used to settle the long-standing dispute between the various candidates vying for positions in the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA).

This was after the parties prayed the Supreme Court to have the matter settled through ADR mechanism in order not to delay the election.

Initially, the GJA’s election was slated for March 31, 2017, but later postponed indefinitely pursuant to Article 53 (v) of the Association’s Constitution of 2004.

The election was postponed due to the inability of the Elections Dispute Adjudication Committee (EDAC) of the Association to settle a case filed by some members of the Association, who felt aggrieved after being disqualified for the pending elections on certain grounds.

Article 53 (V) states that “in any situation where strict adherence to the time for lodging an objection, or an appeal may cause manifest injustice, the Elections Committee may postpone the election until the dispute has been finally resolved.”

The GJA, it would be recalled, disqualified seven candidates, who had declared their intentions to contest for various positions in the association.

Notable among them are Lloyd Evans, former Business Editor of the Daily Graphic and Mathew Mac Kwame, a lecturer.

Following their disqualification, four aspirants, Lloyd Evans, Francis Kokutse, Kofi Yeboah and Vance Azu, went to court and placed an injunction on the polls.

But the parties, after the mediation in which Austin A. Gamey served as the sole mediator, agreed to settle the dispute on some specific and general terms basis, according to a court document sighted by DAILY GUIDE.

They voluntarily agreed to “…establish an Inter-Candidate Committee (ICEC) made up of the candidates vetted and passed by the Elections Committee, as well as those approved by the Elections Dispute Adjudication Committee of the GJA.”

“All parties to the above suit hereby agree to live in harmony and to give mutual respect, trust and recognition to either party,” it said.

It also indicated that all candidates agreed that “there must be transparent and open channels of communication before, during and after the election.”

All candidates are also entitled to the voter register and must be allowed to present polling agents on election day.

Even though the matter seems to have been resolved, the Association is yet to come out with a date to finally hold the elections.

DAILY GUIDE has gathered that a meeting has been scheduled between the Association and the Electoral Commission (EC) today, August 1, 2017 apparently to decide on the date for the election.

By Melvin Tarlue

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