Mayhem At Atiwa

The events that characterised the just-ended Atiwa bye-election have sent worrying signals to several Ghanaians, especially the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) who are raising concerns about acts of atrocities perpetrated by elements of the ruling party in recent polls.

The NPP is not sure the 2012 presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in a peaceful atmosphere considering the manner in which the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) used intimidation to contest the recent elections, with the police looking on helplessly.

It said it could not understand the brutality that was visited on members of the NPP in Atiwa, Akwatia and Chereponi by the NDC and its assigns.

With police’s failure to protect them, the youth in Atiwa on Tuesday mounted road blocks to prevent attacks inflicted on them.

At Abomosu, the NDC Women’s Organiser Anita De-Souza’s Toyota Prado vehicle crushed several people at a road block in the full glare of policemen, after some hoodlums imported by the NDC had assaulted residents.

Even though Anita denied running over some residents who are in critical condition at various health facilities in the region, with some nursing broken limps and peeled skins among other bodily harms, reports have been made at the Abomosu Police who confirmed to DAILY GUIDE that three cases of violence were reported to them by three people.

According to the police, Kofi Bremang, who arrived at the police station with blood all over his body, complained that he was beaten and hit with clubs by suspected NDC goons.

The NDC ‘Sese’ Group, headed by a certain Polo, confirmed on Oman FM that he had led his boys to the constituency on the day of the bye-election.

Polo, who described the group as a very dangerous one, said they were funded by some key people in the party as well as businessmen.

Kofi Gyampo, Abuakwa South constituency chairman of the party, was also attacked by the hoodlums at a settler community near Asunafo where he was a polling agent.

Complaint about Anita’s 4×4 car running over some youth was reported at the police station by Evans Adjei-Mensah.

A statement issued by NPP General Secretary, Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie yesterday said “the implications of such negative signals even ahead of 2012 for the economy and the country as a whole are obvious” since “the recurring failure of state security to protect these bye-elections poses a frightening threat to our democracy”.

The NPP scribe asked President Atta Mills, Minister for the Interior and Inspector General of Police to explain this failure.

The party said what are being presented as ordinary security lapses “are indeed a deliberate strategy to intimidate political opponents and give electoral advantage to the ruling NDC”.

For him, the inability of the country’s security agencies to provide adequate security in the Atiwa elections should be a great worry to each and every Ghanaian since he could not fathom why the election recorded the same security failures that occurred during the Akwatia and Chereponi bye-elections.

“Under this administration, armed policemen looked on unconcerned while organised thugs, wielding arms and other dangerous weapons, attacked innocent people at will.”

Sir John, as the NPP scribe is affectionately called, said “the persistent excuse given by such well armed but indifferent security personnel that they are unable to act because they have not received instruction to do so is, to say the least, ridiculous!”

He asked: “What is the use of security presence if the personnel would look on unconcerned while armed thugs assault innocent voters and scare off others?”

The NPP does not rule out the complicity of senior elements in the security agencies, since according to its General Secretary, “it is obvious that police personnel sent to election premises are instructed not to act without specific command from above while thugs are encouraged to intimidate political opponents and their sympathisers”.

Unless these threatening developments are addressed by government, “the country stands the danger of violent elections in 2012 when 230 constituencies (not one constituency) will need state security.”

The NPP therefore asked government to explain these security failures and the measures being taken to ensure that they would not happen again especially during the 2012 elections.

Pollster and editor-in-chief of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, Ben Ephson shares a similar view since he also believes that the events that characterised the Atiwa bye-elections could be repeated in 2012 if adequate measures are not put in place to forestall any such unhealthy occurrences.

He said, “These are signs we must work towards... we shouldn’t always think that God will always be a Ghanaian. God can decide to shift his attention to another country.”

This, according to him, is because “He (God) has done enough for us and we have to be innovative and find out ways of preventing it.”

He had a message for the so-called foot-soldiers who are often used by politicians to perpetrate some of these dastardly acts against their fellow human beings for paltry monetary benefits:

“If somebody tells you that, ‘look, get this money and let’s go and show we have macho, we have this or that’, you should tell that politician to bring the daughter or the son to accompany you to do the violence and see whether he will bring the relative to accompany you to do the violent act.”

But the Member of Parliament for Okere, Dan Botwe says if he were the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), he would resign (over the issue).

Speaking on Joy FM, he said, “You had policemen on the ground, you had the topmost police people there, and there was mayhem.

People were holding guns, beating people openly and they openly and freely did it in the daytime. …the police were there, our cars were smashed, the police were standing by helplessly.”

By Charles Takyi-Boadu

Some Politicians Are Desperate To Become President Due To Old Age: Vice President

Vice President John Dramani Mahama has stated that he is not desperate to be President of Ghana.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Chronicle newspaper in his office yesterday, in reaction to the use of T-shirts which had his effigy embossed on them, during the recent by-election held in the Atiwa constituency in the Eastern Region, he said the fact that people were seen wearing the T-shirt did not mean that he was working to undermine President Mills. “I have a working relationship with my President, and will do my work loyally in accordance with the oath I swore to the people of Ghana, I did not contest Mills in 2008, and I will not contest him in 2012,” he noted.

He explained that the T-shirts, which his opponents were using against him, were leftovers from the 2008 election campaign and were not new T-shirt meant to further any presidential ambition.
“I am 51 years old, and by the grace of God, I believe I have many more years of life ahead of me,” he said. According to him, due to advance in age, some politicians were desperate to become president of the country, because they believe time is running out of them. These people, he noted, see him as a stumbling block to their ambitions.

Vice President Mahama further told the Chronicle that President Mills had said on several occasions that he would seek a second term of office, and that should lay any speculations to rest. “I wan’t to say once more, and emphatically, that I would support President Mills to seek a second term in office. I would never contest for the presidency against President Mills. For me, political office is not a matter of life and death, as it is for some people. I have many ways of fruitfully spending my tine if I leave politics today. I am interested in agriculture, and I believe our destinies are in the hands of God, and leadership is bestowed by God. If God does not will it, all the macho men and T-shirts in this will never win you leadership.

The call to serve one’s people is an honorable one, and I am grateful to the people of Ghana for giving me the opportunity to serve in the high office of Vice President,” he ended
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Kumasi Prostitutes Angry with Nigeria Rivals

Ghana Telescope
New York - Accra - London


Ghanaian girls who offer sex for money at Adum, a suburb of Kumasi in the Ashanti region, have expressed anger over some Nigerians importing younger and prettier girls who are gradually taking over the sex business.

If not for the intervention of the assembly member for the area, Albert Osei-Banahene, the enraged sex workers would have hit the streets in their nakedness and marched from one office building to another, just to get the authorities to come to their aide.

“It is not that they are better than us in bed but as you know, most men prefer younger girls and these Nigerian girls are younger. Some are still in their teens and their agents protect them but we do not have agents who make things easier for us so the conditions of work are not fair.

“We would start attacking any underage ashawo from Nigeria because they are spoiling the market,” one of them noted. Interestingly, though both groups are prostituting, the Ghanaian girls say they are commercial sex workers while the Nigerians are ‘ashawos.’

According to the Ghanaian sex workers, the arrival of sexier girls from Nigeria is making business very competitive and compelling them to lower their rates or lose customers. Not pleased about the development, the disillusioned sex workers have declared their preparedness to hit the streets, should authorities fail to respond to their call and put in place appropriate measures to arrest the worrying situation.

In an interview with NEWS-ONE, the stationed sex workers revealed that some Nigerians living in Kumasi have made it their business of bringing in very pretty sex workers from the oil-rich country to practice their trade in the Ghana.

“Having realized the potential in the business, some Nigerians living in the city have decided to make it their business by bringing sex workers from their country to come and work here,” one of the disgruntled sex workers observed.

“When they bring them, they initially put them in hotels, before hiring rooms for them to practice their trade but we do not have agents or promoters so we are losing the market even in our own country,” another dissatisfied sex worker noted.

According to them, they would do everything within their means to ensure that the practice was stopped, because they believe that as Ghanaians, they have exclusive right to the trade. “We cannot allow Nigeria to take over everything in the country including the sex trade,” the sex workers emphasized.

The assembly member for the area, Hon Albert Osei-Banahene, who has being appealing to the sex workers to remain calm, appealed to the government to take up the matter and ensure that it is resolved amicably. He noted that it was important for the government to come in strongly because of the ages of the girls who are purported to have been sent into the city for sex trade.
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3 Sankofa Gold Robbers Jailed 180 Years

Gold Bars On Display



Two employees of Sankofa Gold Mines and a gold dealer who masterminded a gold robbery at the Sankofa Gold Mines at Prestea have been sentenced to a total of 180 years imprisonment in hard labour (IHL). The convicts are Stephen Adom, plant operator and Francis Cobbah, CIL operator, both employees and Yussif Amudah, a gold dealer.

Cobbah and Amuda were charged with conspiracy to commit crime and robbery and sentenced to 60years JHL on each count. The sentences are to run concurrently, Stephen Adom was sentenced to 60 years for conspiracy but was acquitted on the charge of robbery.

The three had earlier on October 23, last year pleaded not guilty when they appeared before the Tarkwa Circuit Court presided over by Mr. Obeng Diawno.

Presenting the facts, Deputy Superintendent 0 Police (DSP) D.K. Adiita, told the court that on October 20, 2009, the three men attacked the, Sankofa Gold Mines and stole a gold bar weighing 9.413 kilogrammes valued at $276,722.90.

He said the company normally processed its gold ore into bars on Tuesdays and stored them in a room after they had been weighed, sampled and sealed by the Customs, Excise and Preventive officials.

DSP Adiita said on September last year, the gang met at Cobbina's room at Prestea, and plotted-to steal the gold bars.
They rented a gun from a friend of Amuda who resides in Kumasi at a fee of GH¢1,000 for the operation.

The prosecutor told the court further that; the gun was kept in Cobbar's room and the three kept on communicating on their mobile phones on plans and strategic until they struck on October 20, 2009.

He said that Cobbah and Amuda, who took strategic positions near the company, covered their faces with masks and as the gold was being re¬ moved from the plant manager's office by Stephen to the gold room, they fired two shots at the escort who quickly abandoned the gold and fled.

The two, DSP Adiita said, took the gold bar and fled.

He said the two convicts quickly went to Gambia, a suburb of Prestea, and using a hacksaw blade, cut the gold bar into two and hid it in the ceiling of Amuda’s mother's room at Mankessim, also a suburb of Prestea.

The court after the judgment ordered the company, to keep the proceeds from the sale of the gold and commended the police for their swift response in the recovery of the gold.
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Ghanaian Students Stranded in China

About 14 Ghanaian students studying medicine in China risk deportation or imprisonment if immediate action is not taken to raise money to pay their school fees, which guarantees them permit to stay in that country.

Samuel Kwadwo Boateng, President of the National Union of Ghana Students-China (NUGS-China), who raised the alarm in an interview with Public Agenda in Accra last Thursday, however, feared there could be more Ghanaian students in similar situations in China as there are over 500 universities across that country.

He said the attraction of the students, most of them from the deprived and rural parts of the country, to China is based on the promises of guaranteed jobs, low fees and scholarships made by fraudsters who claim to be representing schools in Ghana. "Meanwhile all that they do is to go on the internet to locate the schools and look for prospective victims. What they want is the money rather than satisfying the interest of the students whom they claim to be representing".

Mr Frimpong therefore, warned students and guardians wishing to travel to China for further studies to beware of such unscrupulous agents who seek nothing but money.

He said, according to the immigration laws of China, students are not supposed to work whilst studying. When caught in such an unlawful arrangement, such students face immediate deportation and forfeiture of their education.

He said the students cannot work out visas whilst in China and therefore, warned prospective students to secure all their finances before embarking on such journeys.

Mr Frimpong also raised accusing fingers at officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs who gave letters to the agent introducing him to the Chinese Embassy.

He said if the officials had done their homework well, this problem would have been averted.

The NUGS-China President said they were recruited by Dr. Alvin Annan, Head of International Students Care. Before embarking on the journey in 2009, each of the students was made to pay several charges amounting to $3000 or more to the agency. However, upon arrival in China country, they were confronted with a different story altogether. Instead of the $2500 per annum school fees quoted by Dr Annan, the actual school fees they were to pay was $4000.

The jobs and scholarships promised them by the agent were also a farce. The immigration conditions of China demand that students are to pay their school fees before being given resident permits. With the little money they had on them they were able to pay the first semester school fees. With the expectation that Dr Annan will work the scholarships and jobs for them they negotiated with the school authorities to grant them some concession to pay the second semester fees later. However, the persistent calls to the agent to come to their aid never yielded positive results. They therefore went into another negotiation with the school which graciously granted them rebates, enabling them to complete the second semester.

A new semester is about to commence but how are these students going to continue their education. Now stranded without money for accommodation, food and school fees and possible deportation or jail, these students are appealing for immediate intervention from the Ghana government, corporate bodies, district and municipal assembles and philanthropists to assist them raise the school fees.

Mr Frimpong gave the assurance that investment in these students will not be in vain as they will certainly return to work in Ghana, especially the rural areas, where the number of doctors is grossly inadequate.

One of the students from Sene in the Brong Ahafo Region, managed to raise money to purchase his ticket home. But his ordeal will not deter him from continuing with his course; he intends raising funds to pay for his school fees. His other purpose is to solicit funds for his friends who are likely to be deported in September, unless funds are quickly raised to pay their fees.

On how he came into contact with the agent, he said a friend brought him down from Sene to Dr Annan whom he claimed could assist him to travel to China to study to become a doctor. "As my little savings could not pay for the money demanded by the agent, I had to fall on friends and family to raise the money. Even the district assembly assisted me," he said.

Mr Frimpong said NUGS-China has reported the matter to the Ghana Embassy in China which has also referred it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but his fear is that a new academic year is about to commence in China and other students are likely to fall prey to these agents.

Dr Anna, in a telephone interview with Public Agenda denied the allegations, blaming the students for their own woes.

According to him, the issue is purely about payment of schools fees, which the students before embarking on the journey made everything to indicate that they were capable of meeting their financial obligations until the completion of their studies.

"I helped 36 students in that particular year to study in various universities in China, but why it is that only this 12 are claiming that they are having problems. It is because they made false claims to me that they are capable of paying their fees," he said.

On the allegation of charging the students high processing fees, Dr Annan refuted taking various sums of money from the students. "I am not an agent. What my organization did was to guarantee for these students to facilitate their journey. We are an organization of an international repute and we have assisted several students to realize their dreams of studying abroad and we don't extort monies from them," he stated.

He also blamed the schools for the hikes in the school fees and worst for failing to inform the students and their parents about the increment.

Dr Annan described the predicament of the students as unfortunate, but indicated that the situation could have been helped if the students had come to him directly with the problem instead of going to others. "In spite of these circumstances I am still happy that I helped these students," he said
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NHIS Goes Public Against MP For Unpaid Bills

The National Health Insurance Scheme in the Asunafo North Municipality is meeting today to decide on what actions to take against the MP for the area who has failed to pay an amount of eight thousand Ghana cedis he owes the scheme since 2008.

Mr. Robert Sarfo Mensah registered over 700 of his constituents during the 2008 parliamentary campaign ostensibly to gain votes. But he has since failed to pay the amount.

The Municipal Scheme Manager of the NHIS, Mr. Edward Nkrumah says they are compelled to go public because the MP is proving difficult.

“The man is not ready to come and pay the money but we need the money,” he said.

The MP has written to the Asunafo north municipal assembly directing it to use part of his share of the Common Fund to settle his indebtedness to the Health Insurance Scheme.

But the Municipal Chief Executive, Mohammed Kweku Doku says he won't pay the money because the MP is been investigated for alleged misappropriation of his share of the common fund.

He alleged that Mr Sarfo Mensah collected monies, “spent the money outside the assembly, wherever he spent it no one knows whatever items he bought with state funds were not routed through government stores.”

The quoted what he said is an audit report saying the MP collected “some HIPC funds in 2009 and has misapplied the funds.”

He in view of these queries raised against Mr. Sarfo Mensah which were yet to be answered, the assembly will not commit any more funds to the MP.


Source : Joy News/Ghana

Mad Rush for Land

In anticipation of a surge in commercial activities when Ghana commences oil and gas production in commercial quantities, there is a mad rush for acquisition of land in the Ahanta Municipality, where most of the activities relating to the extraction will take place. The lands which are being acquired in large tracts with some exceeding 1600 acres have resulted in a situation where people are being deprived of their livelihoods.
?How would the youth of a given community who are between the ages of 8 and 15 today feel when they turn 20, have completed school and realize that they have no lands on which to farm on because they have been sold to third parties who are benefiting from them? What would be their reaction when they realize that although they could be employed, others not from their communities have taken their place and their generated wealth goes to support other areas outside their community?? He asked.

To ensure security, Dr Anning proposed that community interest s and concerns should be factored into the design and implementation of the proposed oil and gas bill.

He also called for intensification in educating the public on the expected revenue from the oil and gas to avert their anger especially, the frontline communities whose daily activities will be directly affected by the oil and gas extraction.

Following the announcement of the oil discovery in 2007, hopes and expectations have been varied and high among the public with some expecting that their situation will change overnight. This anticipation was heightened by politicians, especially, during the 2008 elections with the politicians making a tall list of promises to the people including jobs, money, infrastructure and various industries. However, to the experts until the oil revenue starts pouring in it is premature to have such hopes.

To avoid conflicts among traditional rulers as to who has jurisdiction over the oil and gas, the security analyst said, government must come clear and state its position on the matter and rope in the chiefs in its consultations. He said the people must also be educated on their roles as they can play monitoring roles, especially in pollution of the sea by the oil companies.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Rev. Dr Joyce Aryee, who chaired the session, noted that if the expectation of the public is not well managed it could lead to disillusionment and eventually public anger.

?We expect everything to be done because we have oil, but the most important thing is that we are able to build legacies that outlive the oil,? she philosophized.

She therefore called on the various agencies working on the oil sector to make public their work for the public to also to make their inputs