Accra, GNA - President John Atta Mills on Thursday performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the commencement of the eagerly-awaited Ghana National Housing Project, pushing the venture as "a legacy that history will not be able to write".
"This is a significant turning point in the history of our dear country. This is the change we promised …And government intends to leave a strong and positive legacy and the completion of this project will be a legacy that history will not be able to write," he said
The ceremony kick-starts the initial phase of the project that would witness the building of 30,000 housing units valued at 1.5 billion dollars for the security agencies across the 10 regions.
The grand plan of the project is to build a total of 200,000 housing units within five years to augment the national housing deficit.
Addressing a motley crowd at the adorned parade grounds of the Police College in Accra, President Mills said the STX Housing Project, was tied to the National Democratic Congress' 2008 manifesto commitment to expand infrastructure.
He said the successful implementation of the project signalled government's commitment to fulfil its promise to improve the living conditions of Ghanaians, reassuring workers that their well-being was at the heart of government's agenda.
President Mills, however, warned that government would not tolerate shoddy work because "we are not building houses for the sake of building; we are building houses that will stand the test of time".
"This is not about scoring cheap political points; it is about providing acceptable and durable accommodation for the hardworking Ghanaian worker…The tax payer is working too hard and we dare not abuse and waste the nation's scarce resources," he noted.
President Mills commended the Korean government for the gesture done Ghana to improve infrastructure to strengthen its economy, urging STX and all other players to put their best into the project.
Mr Jong Hwang Jung, Korean Minister for Lands, Transportation and Maritime, touted the ceremony as the "start of an unprecedented housing project in Ghana".
"This project would bring mutual benefits to our countries and I hope more co-operative projects would be undertaken between Ghana and Korea."
He commended Ghana for the move, stating that it would improve the lot of Ghanaians.
Water Resource, Works and Housing Minister, Mr Alban Bagbin, noted that despite the stormy tide the project passed through, the ceremony marked the "strong and uncompromising" commitment of government to deliver a "Better Ghana" by providing world-class affordable housing to Ghanaians.
He said his ministry would ensure that the project met quality and time obligations.
GNA
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Jordanians rally against corruption and poverty
AMMAN (Reuters) – Jordanian activists rallied outside government offices Saturday as they tried to step up their campaign to force Prime Minister Samir Rifai to step down.
Inspired by unrest in Tunisia and elsewhere in the region, about 200 Jordanians gathered outside the prime minister's office shouting "Our government is a bunch of thieves" and holding banners reading "No to poverty or hunger."
"We've come from distant, rural areas to Amman to ask Rifai to leave," said Mohammed Sunaid, a prominent labor activist.
"We call for the overthrow of this government that has destroyed the poor. This government should be for all Jordanians not just the rich."
Jordan is struggling with its worst economic downturn in decades. The government has announced measures to cut prices of essentials, create jobs and raise salaries of civil servants.
Protesters say the moves do not go far enough and have staged rallies calling for the reversal of free-market reforms which many blame for a widening gap between rich and poor.
Protesters say the sale of state assets to foreign investors over the past decade has enriched the country's business and political elite but has done little to help the poor.
"We want a special court that will put on trial all those who sold the property of the Jordanian people ...," Sunaid said.
Others have called for constitutional reforms to curb the extensive power of the king who appoints cabinets, approves legislation and can dissolve parliament.
"We hope that citizens will be able to chose the government that represents them ...," said Ali Dalain, an activist and former deputy from the southern city of Karak.
Unlike Tunis or Egypt, the Jordanian state has long focused its economic drive and budget money on developing rural areas.
But discontent has grown nonetheless as the economic downturn weakened the state's ability to create jobs in the public sector which has traditionally absorbed poor tribesmen in rural areas.
Inspired by unrest in Tunisia and elsewhere in the region, about 200 Jordanians gathered outside the prime minister's office shouting "Our government is a bunch of thieves" and holding banners reading "No to poverty or hunger."
"We've come from distant, rural areas to Amman to ask Rifai to leave," said Mohammed Sunaid, a prominent labor activist.
"We call for the overthrow of this government that has destroyed the poor. This government should be for all Jordanians not just the rich."
Jordan is struggling with its worst economic downturn in decades. The government has announced measures to cut prices of essentials, create jobs and raise salaries of civil servants.
Protesters say the moves do not go far enough and have staged rallies calling for the reversal of free-market reforms which many blame for a widening gap between rich and poor.
Protesters say the sale of state assets to foreign investors over the past decade has enriched the country's business and political elite but has done little to help the poor.
"We want a special court that will put on trial all those who sold the property of the Jordanian people ...," Sunaid said.
Others have called for constitutional reforms to curb the extensive power of the king who appoints cabinets, approves legislation and can dissolve parliament.
"We hope that citizens will be able to chose the government that represents them ...," said Ali Dalain, an activist and former deputy from the southern city of Karak.
Unlike Tunis or Egypt, the Jordanian state has long focused its economic drive and budget money on developing rural areas.
But discontent has grown nonetheless as the economic downturn weakened the state's ability to create jobs in the public sector which has traditionally absorbed poor tribesmen in rural areas.
Egypt riots knock Wall St to biggest drop in 6 months
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Stocks suffered their biggest one-day loss in nearly six months on Friday as anti-government rioting in Egypt prompted investors to flee to less risky assets to ride out the turmoil.
Increased instability in the Middle East drove up the CBOE Volatility Index (.VIX), the stock market's fear gauge, as investors scrambled for protective positions.
"The market hates uncertainties, especially geopolitical ones, and based on how that shapes up throughout the weekend (in Egypt), next week's trading will be impacted," said Thomas Nyheim, portfolio manager for Christiana Bank & Trust Co in Greenville, Delaware.
Trading volume was the highest of the year at 9.97 billion shares on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, compared to last year's estimated daily average of 8.47 billion shares.
The market drop ended the Dow's eight-week winning streak and pushed the S&P 500 below its 14-day moving average for the first time in two months. Disappointing results from Amazon.com
(AMZN.O) and Ford (F.N) further added to the gloom.
Developments in the Middle East could be a trigger for investors to sell at a time when many expected a correction after a market rally of about 18 percent since September.
"I think the next two to three weeks, the crisis in Egypt and potentially across the Middle East, might be an excuse for a big selloff of 5 to 10 percent," said Keith Wirtz, president and chief investment officer at Fifth Third Asset Management in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Nasdaq quotations for its main stock indexes suffered an outage of nearly one hour at the open, causing confusion among traders. Nasdaq OMX Group (NDAQ.O) blamed a glitch with its global index data service.
The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) ended down 166.13 points, or 1.39 percent, at 11,823.70. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) was down 23.20 points, or 1.79 percent, at 1,276.34. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) fell 68.39 points, or 2.48 percent, at 2,686.89.
For the week, the Dow fell 0.4 percent, the S&P lost 0.5 percent and the Nasdaq dipped 0.1 percent.
Amazon.com (AMZN.O) shares slipped 7.2 percent to $171.14, a day after the online retailer recorded revenue below the consensus view.
Ford Motor Co (F.N) slumped 13.4 percent to $16.27 after a steep drop in quarterly profit. Rival automaker General Motors Co (GM.N) also lost 5.4 percent to $36.60.
Dow component Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) also fell 3.9 percent to $27.75 a day after its profit dipped.
In Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak sent troops and armored
cars into cities in an attempt to quell street fighting and mass protests, and medical sources said at least five protesters had been killed and 870 wounded.
The VIX settled up 24.1 percent at 20.04. The percentage gain was the largest since May 20. U.S. Treasuries prices and the dollar -- assets considered safe compared to stocks -- rallied.
U.S. crude futures rose 4.4 percent to $89.43 a barrel as the protests in Egypt threatened Middle East stability. Oil companies with operations in the region were hit, including Apache Corp (APA.N) and Occidental Petroleum Corp (OXY.N).
Apache shares were down 1.3 percent at $144.84 and Occidental Petroleum fell 3.3 percent to $93.81.
Equities garnered support from data showing the U.S. economy grew at a 3.2 percent rate in the fourth quarter as consumer spending accelerated.
Declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by 2,533 to 484. On the Nasdaq, decliners beat advancers by 2,221 to 413.
Increased instability in the Middle East drove up the CBOE Volatility Index (.VIX), the stock market's fear gauge, as investors scrambled for protective positions.
"The market hates uncertainties, especially geopolitical ones, and based on how that shapes up throughout the weekend (in Egypt), next week's trading will be impacted," said Thomas Nyheim, portfolio manager for Christiana Bank & Trust Co in Greenville, Delaware.
Trading volume was the highest of the year at 9.97 billion shares on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, compared to last year's estimated daily average of 8.47 billion shares.
The market drop ended the Dow's eight-week winning streak and pushed the S&P 500 below its 14-day moving average for the first time in two months. Disappointing results from Amazon.com
(AMZN.O) and Ford (F.N) further added to the gloom.
Developments in the Middle East could be a trigger for investors to sell at a time when many expected a correction after a market rally of about 18 percent since September.
"I think the next two to three weeks, the crisis in Egypt and potentially across the Middle East, might be an excuse for a big selloff of 5 to 10 percent," said Keith Wirtz, president and chief investment officer at Fifth Third Asset Management in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Nasdaq quotations for its main stock indexes suffered an outage of nearly one hour at the open, causing confusion among traders. Nasdaq OMX Group (NDAQ.O) blamed a glitch with its global index data service.
The Dow Jones industrial average (.DJI) ended down 166.13 points, or 1.39 percent, at 11,823.70. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index (.SPX) was down 23.20 points, or 1.79 percent, at 1,276.34. The Nasdaq Composite Index (.IXIC) fell 68.39 points, or 2.48 percent, at 2,686.89.
For the week, the Dow fell 0.4 percent, the S&P lost 0.5 percent and the Nasdaq dipped 0.1 percent.
Amazon.com (AMZN.O) shares slipped 7.2 percent to $171.14, a day after the online retailer recorded revenue below the consensus view.
Ford Motor Co (F.N) slumped 13.4 percent to $16.27 after a steep drop in quarterly profit. Rival automaker General Motors Co (GM.N) also lost 5.4 percent to $36.60.
Dow component Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) also fell 3.9 percent to $27.75 a day after its profit dipped.
In Egypt, President Hosni Mubarak sent troops and armored
cars into cities in an attempt to quell street fighting and mass protests, and medical sources said at least five protesters had been killed and 870 wounded.
The VIX settled up 24.1 percent at 20.04. The percentage gain was the largest since May 20. U.S. Treasuries prices and the dollar -- assets considered safe compared to stocks -- rallied.
U.S. crude futures rose 4.4 percent to $89.43 a barrel as the protests in Egypt threatened Middle East stability. Oil companies with operations in the region were hit, including Apache Corp (APA.N) and Occidental Petroleum Corp (OXY.N).
Apache shares were down 1.3 percent at $144.84 and Occidental Petroleum fell 3.3 percent to $93.81.
Equities garnered support from data showing the U.S. economy grew at a 3.2 percent rate in the fourth quarter as consumer spending accelerated.
Declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones on the NYSE by 2,533 to 484. On the Nasdaq, decliners beat advancers by 2,221 to 413.
Rwanda grenade attack kills two people, wounds 28
KIGALI (Reuters) – A grenade attack killed two people and wounded at least 28 in Rwanda's capital Kigali during the Friday evening rush hour, the police said Saturday.
Police spokesman Theos Badege said four people had been arrested in connection with the blast and investigations were underway. No details of the suspects were given.
The grenade exploded near a busy bus terminal in Giporoso, Remera, a suburb of Kigali.
Badege said the police cannot at the moment figure out the motive of those who threw the grenade, but were not ruling out that the attack was designed to cause instability.
"So far two people are dead and among the 28 who sustained injuries, 10 are critically injured and hospitalized," Badege told Reuters.
"This particular type was a hand grenade. It went off at around 7 p.m. Kigali time at Giporoso near the bus park.
"It could be an isolated incident, but we can't say it was by accident because someone was definitely moving with this grenade. A mini bus was also party damaged," he said.
Kigali was hit by a string of grenade attacks last year which the government has blamed on two high-ranking officers now in exile.
One of the exiles -- Lieutenant-General Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, a former chief of staff and ambassador to India -- denied the allegations last year.
He said the Rwandan authorities had staged grenade attacks and then accused him of being behind them.
Nyamwasa now lives in South Africa. He was shot and wounded last June in an attack his wife blamed on Rwanda, a charge labeled as "preposterous" by Kigali.
Many grenades were left over from lengthy conflicts in the Great Lakes region and are sometimes used to settle scores.
While there has generally been little crime in recent years in the central African country -- where 800,000 were killed in 100 days in the 1994 genocide -- there are occasional bombings.
Police spokesman Theos Badege said four people had been arrested in connection with the blast and investigations were underway. No details of the suspects were given.
The grenade exploded near a busy bus terminal in Giporoso, Remera, a suburb of Kigali.
Badege said the police cannot at the moment figure out the motive of those who threw the grenade, but were not ruling out that the attack was designed to cause instability.
"So far two people are dead and among the 28 who sustained injuries, 10 are critically injured and hospitalized," Badege told Reuters.
"This particular type was a hand grenade. It went off at around 7 p.m. Kigali time at Giporoso near the bus park.
"It could be an isolated incident, but we can't say it was by accident because someone was definitely moving with this grenade. A mini bus was also party damaged," he said.
Kigali was hit by a string of grenade attacks last year which the government has blamed on two high-ranking officers now in exile.
One of the exiles -- Lieutenant-General Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa, a former chief of staff and ambassador to India -- denied the allegations last year.
He said the Rwandan authorities had staged grenade attacks and then accused him of being behind them.
Nyamwasa now lives in South Africa. He was shot and wounded last June in an attack his wife blamed on Rwanda, a charge labeled as "preposterous" by Kigali.
Many grenades were left over from lengthy conflicts in the Great Lakes region and are sometimes used to settle scores.
While there has generally been little crime in recent years in the central African country -- where 800,000 were killed in 100 days in the 1994 genocide -- there are occasional bombings.
German left wing protesters take part
German left wing protesters take part in a demonstration to support their comrades who occupied a house in Berlin, January 29, 2011. German police plan to empty the occupied house at Liebigstrasse 14 in Berlin on February 2, 2011. The text on banner reads: 'Defend Liebig 14
Looters destroy mummies in Egyptian Museum: official
CAIRO (Reuters) – Looters broke into the Egyptian Museum during anti-government protests late Friday and destroyed two Pharaonic mummies, Egypt's top archaeologist told state television.
The museum in central Cairo, which has the world's biggest collection of Pharaonic antiquities, is adjacent to the headquarters of the ruling National Democratic Party that protesters had earlier set ablaze. Flames were seen still pouring out of the party headquarters early Saturday.
"I felt deeply sorry today when I came this morning to the Egyptian Museum and found that some had tried to raid the museum by force last night," Zahi Hawass, chairman of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said Saturday.
"Egyptian citizens tried to prevent them and were joined by the tourism police, but some (looters) managed to enter from above and they destroyed two of the mummies," he said.
He added looters had also ransacked the ticket office.
The two-storey museum, built in 1902, houses tens of thousands of objects in its galleries and storerooms, including most of the King Tutankhamen collection.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Two farmers from Abiriw shot by unidentified persons
Abiriw Akuapem (E/R), Jan. 27, GNA - Two farmers from Abiriw, Kwabena Adu, 35, and Kwadwo Adu, 36, were injured when they were shot in the chest and in the hip respectively on Wednesday by some youth from Dawu over a disputed land.
The two, together with five others, had gone to the land between the two towns when some angry youth from Dawu opened fire on them.
One other person, Asiamah Bekoe, 40, was kidnapped.
When news of the incidence got to the people of Abiriw, the youth from the area armed themselves and blocked the main street leading to the town in a bid to search every passing vehicle to vent their anger on those believed to be citizens of Dawu.
But intervention by the police from Akropong and Koforidua prevented the angry youth from carrying out their plan.
The two injured young men were taken to the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital at Mampong Akuapem but the whereabouts of the one kidnapped was still unknown.
Briefing the Ghana News Agency at Abiriw, the Akropong Divisional Police Crime Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police Anthony Addepa, said the police received information that some youth from Abiriw who went to their farms on the disputed land had been shot by some youth of Dawu.
He said a team of armed policemen were deployed to the scene where the victims were seen in pools of blood and taken to the hospital.
Mr Addepa said to prevent a possible clash between youth from the two towns the police went to the palaces of the chiefs of the two towns and appealed to the chiefs to advice their youth to desist from any violent act.
He said the police had arrested one Kwame Henaku suspected to be the brain behind the incident.
GNA
The two, together with five others, had gone to the land between the two towns when some angry youth from Dawu opened fire on them.
One other person, Asiamah Bekoe, 40, was kidnapped.
When news of the incidence got to the people of Abiriw, the youth from the area armed themselves and blocked the main street leading to the town in a bid to search every passing vehicle to vent their anger on those believed to be citizens of Dawu.
But intervention by the police from Akropong and Koforidua prevented the angry youth from carrying out their plan.
The two injured young men were taken to the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital at Mampong Akuapem but the whereabouts of the one kidnapped was still unknown.
Briefing the Ghana News Agency at Abiriw, the Akropong Divisional Police Crime Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police Anthony Addepa, said the police received information that some youth from Abiriw who went to their farms on the disputed land had been shot by some youth of Dawu.
He said a team of armed policemen were deployed to the scene where the victims were seen in pools of blood and taken to the hospital.
Mr Addepa said to prevent a possible clash between youth from the two towns the police went to the palaces of the chiefs of the two towns and appealed to the chiefs to advice their youth to desist from any violent act.
He said the police had arrested one Kwame Henaku suspected to be the brain behind the incident.
GNA
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Abandoned affordable houses...squatters assume ownership
Source: Ghanaian Times
The Affordable Housing Project started by the former administration at Asokore-Mampong in Ashanti, has been taken over by squatters.
They have occupied portions of the uncompleted buildings after the various contractors had abandoned work for non-payment of jobs done.
Early settlers have turned themselves into landlords charging new comers between GH¢15 and GH¢20 for single room and GH¢100 for two and three bedroom apartment with hall toilet, bath and kitchen.
The squatters are believed to come from communities like Sawaba, Ayigya Zongo and Aboabo.
The Kufour administration initiated the housing project on a 50-acre land in 2006, in the bid to provide decent, and affordable houses for civil and public servants.
But, the Times has gathered that construction work on the about 800 flats of one, two and three bedrooms stalled in 2009.
Most of the project materials such as iron rods, PVC pipes, cement blocks, wooden doors, chippings, window and door frames said to belong to the government have been stolen.
According to the squatters, one Accapela, who claims to be a foreman of one of the contracting firms working on the project, began the renting out of the rooms to people seeking accommodation. Attempts to contact Accapela failed.
Life has not been easy, however, for the squatters as some of them told the Times that for about three times they have been chased out by some security personnel, "but we came back two or so days after".
The "occupants" have used black polythene sheets to cover the windows and wawa boards for the doors.
The Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council says it is aware of the situation and according to the Deputy Regional Minister, Anima Wilson, the government is working hard to put things right".
Mr. Ernest Banning, the project consultant expressed grave concern about the invasion of the building by squatters, describing the situation as difficult to control.
"The site is vast and you can't imagine how security personnel without arms can man the place at night when the squatter come in their numbers," he said.
Mr Banning said the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing was making every frantic effort to get funds for the continuation of the project and once work is in progress it will be very difficult for any squatters to find the place as "haven".
In Accra, Mr. Alban Bagbin, Minister of Water Resources, Works find Housing, told the Times that the past government embarked on the project without sustainable source of financing it.
Mr. Bagbin said the Kufuor administration took a 30 million dollar loan from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) for the project but the money got exhausted before it left office.
On assuming power in 2009, Mr. Bagbin said the new government decided to source for additional 100 million dollars from SSNIT to complete the project. The amount is yet to be released.
According to the Minister, the project was not handled properly by the past administration as it was given to more than 400 contractors and the Ministry decided to purchase the materials for the contractors.
"We are aware of the difficulties facing the contractors and we will soon secure the necessary funding to complete the project," he said.
Mr. Bagbin said the squatters would be flushed out as soon as the Ministry secures funding from SSNIT and other financial institutions to complete the project.
War in Ivory Coast will have devastating effects on Ghana
GhanaWeb
BY KALSAK
Before I was born, there was a country called Ghana and later an infant organization formed and acronymed ECOWAS.
My heart pumped when I read the content of a press confab organized by the flag bearer of the opposition NPP, Nana Akuffo Addo regarding the stance of the president of Ghana, Prof. John Evans Attah Mills in the ongoing political fall out in Ivory Coast.
Prior to the NPP confab, Prof Mills made it clear that he cannot object to ECOWAS as a body’s decision to resort to war to bring sanity into the political scene in Ivory Coast. But he will not contribute troops to that course because Ghana’s military troops are already overstretched as a result of engagement in home and other international assignments.
In his press confab, Nana Akuffo Addo considers Prof. Mills’ stance as not clear and;
? Betrayal of ECOWAS by Ghana and
? Damaging Ghana’s diplomatic relations
This issues raised by Akuffo Addo to me are trivial rather than vital in comparison with Prof. Mills’ reasoning.
In my opinion, all that Prof. Mills is saying is simple. From his utterances, he seems to be saying; Ghana is a member of ECOWAS and for that reason, any decision taking by ECOWAS binds on her but Ghana is not in support of ‘war’ to restore peace to Ivory Coast. This stance by Prof. Mills to me is reasonable by all standards.
Why?
The answer is not far fetched; Prof. Mills must have considered the consequences of war in Ivory Coast on Ghana and realized that the negative effects out weighs the positive effects if there is any at all.
My Brothers and Sisters let us take our time to delve into some of these far reaching negative consequences that Prof. might have considered before arriving at his stance .
A war in Ivory Coast will lead to;
? Influx of Ivorian refugees into Ghana. Ghana will become the hub of Ivorian refugees than any other country in the ECOWAS sub region because of the close proximity, enviable Ghanaian hospitality and peace and above all stable governance. Taking a queue from what happened in the Liberian war, it would have been logical that most of the refugees flee to neighbouring Ivory Coast and Nigeria, but record shows that more Liberian refugees fled into Ghana than any of these two neighbouring countries. How much more if it happens in a country that shares boarders with Ghana. The influx of these refugees, will lead to a further pressure on Ghana’s economic resources, social amenities e.g. hospitals, schools etc amidst the import of communicable and transmittable diseases e.g. HIV and AIDS which is allegedly known to have eaten deep into the health fabrics of Ivory Coast with its numerous effects.
? Ghana’s oil field as a target; Ghana’s oil field boarders with Ivory Coast and we all know Ivory Coast has ones made an unsuccessful claim of portions of that particular oil field. Going into war in Ivory Coast will therefore provide a perfect platform for destroying Ghana’s oil fields by rival factions in the war and other secret groups in the Sub Saharan Region for selfish reasons. Considering even the initial start up capital for the project, Ghana will be hit with serious economic crisis if they succeed in destroying the oil fields.
The list of consequences could go on unabated but these two are the most critical few for any selfless leader to consider in arriving at a decision in times like this.
It is therefore sad and a pity for Ghana, that Nana Akuffo Addo’s selfish interest has engulfed his sense of mercy and pity and has not paused for a second to consider most of these things before organizing a press confab lambasting President Mills to score cheap political points.
I would have taken Nana Akuffo Addo serious, if he had suggested pragmatic alternative solutions to the problem in Ivory Coast rather than backing the decision by ECOWAS to use war.
Based on the above, I want to throw the following questions for us to ponder over.
? Is the betrayal of ECOWAS by Ghana as alleged by Akuffo Addo, more important than the innocent blood that will be shared and invaluable lost and pain it will bring to families who might lose their precious sons and daughters in a war sparked by a conspiracy of which they did not play a part?
? Diplomatic relations are formed in the prime interest of the citizenry of countries. The question here is; what becomes of a nations diplomatic relations, if her citizens for which it is fostered to protect are destroyed in a war?
Furthermore, my advice for the two candidates at the centre of this controversy is that, the solution lies with them. They should put the interest of the Ivory Coast first and consider the wisdom in the good old saying; a nightmarish end is better than a nightmare that never ends and smokes the peace pipe for the betterment of Ivory Coast and the world at large.
Finally, it is high time Akuffo Addo realized that Prof. Mills is the president of Ghana and for that reason assumes the position of an uncontested principal and has control over all Government operations and decisions.
I therefore challenge him to get real and practical rather than partisan and selfish in delicate issues of this nature.
BY KALSAK
Before I was born, there was a country called Ghana and later an infant organization formed and acronymed ECOWAS.
My heart pumped when I read the content of a press confab organized by the flag bearer of the opposition NPP, Nana Akuffo Addo regarding the stance of the president of Ghana, Prof. John Evans Attah Mills in the ongoing political fall out in Ivory Coast.
Prior to the NPP confab, Prof Mills made it clear that he cannot object to ECOWAS as a body’s decision to resort to war to bring sanity into the political scene in Ivory Coast. But he will not contribute troops to that course because Ghana’s military troops are already overstretched as a result of engagement in home and other international assignments.
In his press confab, Nana Akuffo Addo considers Prof. Mills’ stance as not clear and;
? Betrayal of ECOWAS by Ghana and
? Damaging Ghana’s diplomatic relations
This issues raised by Akuffo Addo to me are trivial rather than vital in comparison with Prof. Mills’ reasoning.
In my opinion, all that Prof. Mills is saying is simple. From his utterances, he seems to be saying; Ghana is a member of ECOWAS and for that reason, any decision taking by ECOWAS binds on her but Ghana is not in support of ‘war’ to restore peace to Ivory Coast. This stance by Prof. Mills to me is reasonable by all standards.
Why?
The answer is not far fetched; Prof. Mills must have considered the consequences of war in Ivory Coast on Ghana and realized that the negative effects out weighs the positive effects if there is any at all.
My Brothers and Sisters let us take our time to delve into some of these far reaching negative consequences that Prof. might have considered before arriving at his stance .
A war in Ivory Coast will lead to;
? Influx of Ivorian refugees into Ghana. Ghana will become the hub of Ivorian refugees than any other country in the ECOWAS sub region because of the close proximity, enviable Ghanaian hospitality and peace and above all stable governance. Taking a queue from what happened in the Liberian war, it would have been logical that most of the refugees flee to neighbouring Ivory Coast and Nigeria, but record shows that more Liberian refugees fled into Ghana than any of these two neighbouring countries. How much more if it happens in a country that shares boarders with Ghana. The influx of these refugees, will lead to a further pressure on Ghana’s economic resources, social amenities e.g. hospitals, schools etc amidst the import of communicable and transmittable diseases e.g. HIV and AIDS which is allegedly known to have eaten deep into the health fabrics of Ivory Coast with its numerous effects.
? Ghana’s oil field as a target; Ghana’s oil field boarders with Ivory Coast and we all know Ivory Coast has ones made an unsuccessful claim of portions of that particular oil field. Going into war in Ivory Coast will therefore provide a perfect platform for destroying Ghana’s oil fields by rival factions in the war and other secret groups in the Sub Saharan Region for selfish reasons. Considering even the initial start up capital for the project, Ghana will be hit with serious economic crisis if they succeed in destroying the oil fields.
The list of consequences could go on unabated but these two are the most critical few for any selfless leader to consider in arriving at a decision in times like this.
It is therefore sad and a pity for Ghana, that Nana Akuffo Addo’s selfish interest has engulfed his sense of mercy and pity and has not paused for a second to consider most of these things before organizing a press confab lambasting President Mills to score cheap political points.
I would have taken Nana Akuffo Addo serious, if he had suggested pragmatic alternative solutions to the problem in Ivory Coast rather than backing the decision by ECOWAS to use war.
Based on the above, I want to throw the following questions for us to ponder over.
? Is the betrayal of ECOWAS by Ghana as alleged by Akuffo Addo, more important than the innocent blood that will be shared and invaluable lost and pain it will bring to families who might lose their precious sons and daughters in a war sparked by a conspiracy of which they did not play a part?
? Diplomatic relations are formed in the prime interest of the citizenry of countries. The question here is; what becomes of a nations diplomatic relations, if her citizens for which it is fostered to protect are destroyed in a war?
Furthermore, my advice for the two candidates at the centre of this controversy is that, the solution lies with them. They should put the interest of the Ivory Coast first and consider the wisdom in the good old saying; a nightmarish end is better than a nightmare that never ends and smokes the peace pipe for the betterment of Ivory Coast and the world at large.
Finally, it is high time Akuffo Addo realized that Prof. Mills is the president of Ghana and for that reason assumes the position of an uncontested principal and has control over all Government operations and decisions.
I therefore challenge him to get real and practical rather than partisan and selfish in delicate issues of this nature.
Sack my Son - Okudzeto Ablakwa's Dad tells Mills
A tired-looking man, Bennett Ablakwa, claiming to be the foster father of Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has called for the immediate dismissal of his son from the Mills administration because of his arrogance and uncaring nature.
Mr. Ablakwa, full of bitterness and wearing a broken heart, walked into the offices of Daily Guide last Friday January 21, swearing that Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was too ungrateful to occupy a ministerial position and it would be in the interest of the country if he was relieved of the post.
The weary-looking man, who had an afro-punk haircut that had strands of gray hair, complained that though he had spent his life savings to father the Deputy Minister from a tender age of three, when his biological father virtually abandoned him, until he went through tertiary education, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa now treated him like a piece of rag.
“Anytime you go to his office, he says he is busy and would make us wait the whole day… when he finally meets with us and we ask him for money, he would say that his salary is just around GH2000 and that the family pressure on him is so huge so he can’t help us. “His favourite term has turned to ‘oh I can see you guys do not get it eh? I cannot dip my hands into the taxpayers money for you. I can only live within my means; and true to his words, he would not help you. But what then is his essence in government if he ‘cannot help us to acquire even an auctioned car?” Bennett Ablakwa stated.
The man’s witness, his sister Sally Ablakwa, who accompanied him to the office of Daily Guide, remained silent throughout the interview. When Daily Guide reached Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa over the issue, he said he would not be dragged into discussing his family matters in the media. The Deputy Information Minister, who has just returned from his honeymoon in the United States, said: “I will not discuss family matters in the media and would rather leave everything in the hands of the Almighty God.
Bennett Ablakwa, his adopted father, however explained to Daily Guide that he got married to the Deputy Minister’s mother when Okudzeto was about three years old and that he willingly accepted him as a son and gave his name to Okudzeto. He said he and Ablakwa’s mother gave birth to four other children and they lived as one big family.
Mr. Ablakwa said in an effort to put food on the table, he took to all sorts of jobs including being the pastor of the Deeper Life Christian Minister, a taxi-driver, a sweeper of streets in London and other odd jobs. The Deputy Minister reportedly travelled with his new wife and mother to the United States recently after a marriage ceremony in Wa in the Upper West Region.
Some invitees and family members were said to have travelled in a long vehicle convoy while others flew and landed in Wa on a chartered flight, jolting the residents who rushed to the only airspace in the region to see which dignitary had landed in town. Long after the new-weds had left, the event became the talk of the town. The next day, the newly-weds left the shores of Ghana to cool off in America, but the minister has since returned to resume his duties. Ablakwa’s dad indicated to Daily Guide that he was neither invited to the function, nor informed when his son took the mother on the trip.
Amnesty slams Shell over oil spills in Nigeria
LAGOS (AFP) – Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth Tuesday said they had filed an official complaint against Ango-Dutch firm Shell for shirking responsibility for oil spills in Nigeria and wreaking havoc on the environment.
A joint statement said Shell's operations in the southern oil-rich Niger Delta breached the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)'s guidelines for responsible business.
"The organisations claim that Shell?s use of discredited and misleading information to blame the majority of oil pollution on saboteurs in its Niger Delta operations has breached the OECD guidelines for multi-national enterprises," it said.
They filed the complaint with the British and Dutch government contact points for the OECD, the statement said.
Shell's operations in Nigeria spanning more than 50 years have "left an appalling legacy of environmental harm," it said.
"Water that people use for fishing and drinking is polluted with oil, while farm land and crops have been destroyed."
Shell will on Wednesday be under scrutiny for its environmental and human rights impacts during a hearing in the Dutch parliament on the company?s activities in Nigeria, the statement added.
Nigeria, the eight largest oil exporter, recorded at least 3,000 oil spills between 2006 and June last year, Environment Minister John Odey has said.
The oil giant, which in the mid-1990s accepted causing much of the oil pollution in the Niger Delta, now "blames sabotage by communities and criminals", the statement said.
Under Nigerian law, compensations are not paid on damages caused by sabotage, it said.
The organisations accused Shell of "citing misleading figures that purport to show as much as 98 percent of oil spills being caused by sabotage."
"Shell?s figures are totally lacking in credibility", said Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty?s director of global issues.
"Widespread oil pollution is a key problem caused by oil industry in the Niger Delta, but the oil spill investigation system is totally lacking in independence," Gaughran said.
Shell said in a reaction that it "has reported oil spill data since 1996. Every oil spill is independently assessed by a joint inspection team comprising SPDC (Shell), the DPR (Department of Petroleum Resources)...and community members who agree on the cause and the volume of the spill."
The director of Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Nnimmo Bassey, said: "We monitor spills regularly and our observations often contradict information produced by Shell."
"Several studies have placed the bulk of the blame for oil spills in the Niger Delta on the doorsteps of the oil companies, particularly Shell," said Bassey, who also chairs of Friends of the Earth International.
A joint statement said Shell's operations in the southern oil-rich Niger Delta breached the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)'s guidelines for responsible business.
"The organisations claim that Shell?s use of discredited and misleading information to blame the majority of oil pollution on saboteurs in its Niger Delta operations has breached the OECD guidelines for multi-national enterprises," it said.
They filed the complaint with the British and Dutch government contact points for the OECD, the statement said.
Shell's operations in Nigeria spanning more than 50 years have "left an appalling legacy of environmental harm," it said.
"Water that people use for fishing and drinking is polluted with oil, while farm land and crops have been destroyed."
Shell will on Wednesday be under scrutiny for its environmental and human rights impacts during a hearing in the Dutch parliament on the company?s activities in Nigeria, the statement added.
Nigeria, the eight largest oil exporter, recorded at least 3,000 oil spills between 2006 and June last year, Environment Minister John Odey has said.
The oil giant, which in the mid-1990s accepted causing much of the oil pollution in the Niger Delta, now "blames sabotage by communities and criminals", the statement said.
Under Nigerian law, compensations are not paid on damages caused by sabotage, it said.
The organisations accused Shell of "citing misleading figures that purport to show as much as 98 percent of oil spills being caused by sabotage."
"Shell?s figures are totally lacking in credibility", said Audrey Gaughran, Amnesty?s director of global issues.
"Widespread oil pollution is a key problem caused by oil industry in the Niger Delta, but the oil spill investigation system is totally lacking in independence," Gaughran said.
Shell said in a reaction that it "has reported oil spill data since 1996. Every oil spill is independently assessed by a joint inspection team comprising SPDC (Shell), the DPR (Department of Petroleum Resources)...and community members who agree on the cause and the volume of the spill."
The director of Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Nnimmo Bassey, said: "We monitor spills regularly and our observations often contradict information produced by Shell."
"Several studies have placed the bulk of the blame for oil spills in the Niger Delta on the doorsteps of the oil companies, particularly Shell," said Bassey, who also chairs of Friends of the Earth International.
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