tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-271893082024-03-07T16:02:02.830+00:00yaW owusU's villagEGhana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.comBlogger2775125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-45890170463005379662018-10-14T16:18:00.002+01:002018-10-14T16:18:34.544+01:002016 Election Results: Our System Failed -NDC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Posted on: www.dailyguideafrica.com</h4>
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By William Yaw Owusu</div>
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Saturday October 13, 2018</div>
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The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is covering up its failure to collate the 2016 presidential election results, saying that its system collapsed.</div>
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Bede Ziedeng, acting Director of Elections for the NDC, at a press conference on Thursday, said the party tried deploying electronic system for the collation of election results, but the system crashed, compelling the team to resort to the manual data collection method.</div>
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“During the 2016 elections, there was an attempt to establish a new infrastructure for the collation of the results from the polling stations. But this was completely outside the directorate, and the Elections Directorate was not involved in its management,” he claimed.</div>
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“Unfortunately, it was this infrastructure which crashed soon after it was deployed and therefore failed to provide any result for the party. And this was alluded to by the Professor Kwesi Botchwey Committee report. But that does not mean that no results were collated,” he added.</div>
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The Electoral Commission (EC), headed by Charlotte Osei, claimed its IT infrastructure also crashed, leading to the manual collation.</div>
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Credible reports indicate that the NDC tied its IT infrastructure to that of the EC in order to rig the elections, and the moment the Commission’s system collapsed, the NDC had no back-up to collate the results.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">U-Turn</span></div>
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The NDC is making a 360 degree U-turn to claim it has the collated results although the Botchwey Committee that was set up to investigate the party’s abysmal performance during the 2016 election which made then President Mahama a one-term leader, indicted the Election Directorate of the party, headed by Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, for not collating the results.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Results Verification</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"> </span></div>
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Almost two years after the party’s crushing defeat, the NDC’s acting Director of Elections, Bede A. Ziedeng, said at the news conference in Accra that the 2016 results are now available for verification.</div>
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“Even at the time former President John Mahama made his concession speech, the National Elections Directorate had collated the results of over 235 constituencies. The collation of results was duly carried out, and indeed the National Elections Directorate, continuously furnished the NDC representatives in the Electoral Commission’s Strong Room with collated results until the final declaration.”<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"> </span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Pink Sheets</span></div>
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Although he said the results were ready, he admitted that it was after official declaration of results that the Ofosu Ampofo-led team commenced the process of retrieving all the pink sheets from the 29,002 polling stations in the country for what he called ‘the post-declaration verification and analysis.’</div>
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“The directorate was waiting for the Electoral Commission to gazette the polling station results so that we could compare the figures. To date, the EC has failed to gazette the polling station results, and so no opportunity for verification,” he said.</div>
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“We had parliamentary candidates in all the 275 constituencies. None of them has complained about non-collation of results. Even those challenging the election results rely on our collated results,” he added.<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"> </span></div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Media Agenda</span></div>
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He said media reports that the NDC could not collate its results were meant to tarnish the reputation of the members of the Election Directorate of the party, saying “the National Elections Directorate is made up of experienced and hard-working people who will never allow anything untoward to happen to the party.”</div>
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“It is this same Elections Directorate, which was compelled to move around the whole country to all the polling stations to retrieve and assemble all the pink sheets to help mount a credible defence when the New Patriotic Party (NPP) filed the Election Petition in 2012. It’s therefore factually inaccurate for anyone to claim that the Elections Directorate or the Director of Elections (Ofosu Ampofo) did not or failed to collate the results of the 2016 presidential elections, when indeed the facts point to the contrary,” he added.</div>
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He said “the fact that the private infrastructure deployed to collate results directly from the polling stations crashed soon after it was deployed does not mean that no results were collated. Eventually, the party had to fall back on the National Elections Directorate for the collation of the results.”</div>
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As the election of national executives to lead the party draws closer, some big shots in the opposition party are still fighting over the 2016 presidential results.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Rigged Polls</span></div>
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After the plot to rig the election terribly backfired, leading to its defeat, the NDC has been constantly assigning various reasons to its humiliating defeat.</div>
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Recently, in Cape Coast, former President Mahama, who led the NDC to the embarrassing defeat, claimed the NPP rigged the polls and the opposition party would not be slapped for the second time in 2020.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Election Day</span></div>
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Interestingly, by 11 pm on December 7, 2016, then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) had in its possession about 80 per cent of all the pink sheet results in the country and had done its calculation to know that its candidate Nana Akufo-Addo was winning the presidential election one-touch.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Damning Findings</span></div>
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The Prof. Kwesi Botchwey-led committee that investigated reasons why the NDC lost massively later established that the party did not build any official platform to collate results of the December 2016 general elections.</div>
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Strangely, Mr. Ofosu Ampofo, who was the Director of Elections, appeared before the 13-member Botchwey Committee to explain issues to them, but the committee, in its report, made damning findings against the NDC’s Election Committee.</div>
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Despite the chants of ‘we are winning the election one-touch’ by then incumbent President John Mahama and later ‘we are in a comfortable lead’ mantra, it turned out the NDC did not collate the results but rather tied the party’s ‘destiny’ to that of Charlotte Osei’s Electoral Commission by relying on the EC’s IT system so when the EC’s system failed, the NDC was caught flat-footed, gasping for breath.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Private Arrangement</span></div>
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The NDC members relied on Felix Kwakye Ofosu’s ‘private’ arrangement to collate the results which also failed them miserably, according to the report.</div>
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Reports at the time said that the party was in secret talks with the Electoral Commission (EC) to get the results, a move which was unknown to the other political parties.</div>
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The report said the party appeared to have relied on Kwakye Ofosu’s private arrangement when the main collation platform set up under the supervision of the Election Directorate, headed by Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, could have been strengthened to deliver, saying “the situation brought dysfunctionalism in the party to a head!”</div>
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“There were evidently two systems, one party based, and the other, according to Felix Kwakye Ofosu, a private initiative. The Election Directorate evidently regarded the Kwakye Ofosu’s initiative as primary whereas Mr. Kwakye Ofosu and his team regarded it only as backup system,” the report said.</div>
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The NDC’s collation system was said have been built by K-Net which was handling the multi-million dollar digital television migration.</div>
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">By William Yaw Owusu</span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-26548628618035004052018-10-11T10:33:00.001+01:002018-10-11T10:33:08.465+01:00RAWLINGS ANGRY OVER JUDGES MURDER REPORT<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Thursday
October 11, 2018</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Former President Jerry John Rawlings has apparently
become incensed by the ongoing documentary by Multimedia News Channel, </span><i style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Joy News,</i><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> on the killing of the three
High Court judges and a retired army officer in the heat of the revolution in
1982.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last week, he promised to drop a ‘bombshell’ about
the killings in the coming days, but it seems he cannot wait any longer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He posted on social media platform Twitter, on Tuesday
that there is an attempt to ‘rehash’ and‘re-cook’ history and described it as “vicious
and callous political opportunism.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We have rehashed and re-cooked history to make
innocent people look murderous. And in the next breath using the same name to
endorse yourselves, because Rawlings has said he is cultured (compared to his
predecessors). This is vicious and callous political opportunism.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said “a whole documentary on the killing of the
Major and the judges. An unfortunate tragedy that saw hard, swift justice done
to the perpetrators; unlike the organised assault and killings of the Yaa Naa
and his 39 elders, for which these perpetrators are yet to see justice. That is
the fundamental difference – one group of four saw justice, the other group of
close to 40 did not and has not!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The former president, who is the founder of the
opposition NDC, said further that “we cannot reduce the harm and pain caused
families and the whole country by turning this matter into a political-media
circus.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“In the meantime, our party has lost a few too many
thinkers and strategists to see things clearly. We fall for traps set easily.
Rather than a focused fight to ward off this attempt to twist and manipulate the
truth (which thankfully some started well) we are instead back to hang Rawlings
because of the DG publication.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last Friday, the former president said at the Accra
Digital Centre where he attended a United Nations Youth Summit that he would
attend another public lecture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology (NKUST) in Kumasi in the coming days and take the opportunity to put
issues emanating from the documentary into perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He appeared to be at a loss as to the motive of
those who put together the documentary on the incident, which occurred several
years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I’ll release a bombshell at UST during a public
lecture,” he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In recent times, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Joy
News</i> and The Multimedia<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></b>Group have been broadcasting a
comprehensive documentary on the killing of the three judges and a retired army
officer in 1982 when the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) military
junta, led by then young Flt. Lt. Rawlings, seized power from the
democratically elected government of Dr. Hilla Limann.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The documentary is pushing that the prime suspect,
Joachim Amartey Kwei, could not have committed the crime without the backing of
the authorities in the PNDC. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the documentary, the dreaded Captain
Kojo Tsikata agreed that Amartey Kwei ought to have obtained the pass from a
higher authority before having unrestricted movement on that fateful night when
there was curfew.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The documentary revealed that Amartey Kwei mentioned
the names of the authorities with whom he had planned and killed the judges to
the extent that he was on hunger strike before Dr Koranteng of Police Hospital
pacified him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The dastardly act remains a dark spot in the
nation’s political history after the three High Court Judges namely, Justice
Fred Poku Sarkodie, Mrs. Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addow and Justice Kwadwo
Agyei Agyapong, as well as a retired army officer, Major Sam Acquah, were callously
murdered under strange circumstances at the Bundase Military Range in the Accra
Plains.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Their bodies were found on 3rd July, 1982.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the records, all the three judges had
adjudicated on cases in which they ordered the release of persons who had been
sentenced to long terms of imprisonment during the tenure of the Armed Forces
Revolutionary Council (AFRC) in 1979.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Investigations were conducted into the matter, after
which some active and retired army officers were prosecuted, but there is still
the belief that the real people who gave the order for these judges to be
killed have been left off the hook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Special Investigative Board (SIB), chaired by Samuel
Azu Crabbe, recommended the prosecution of 10 persons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two of them, Joachim Amartey Kwei and Alolga
Akata-Pore, were members of the PNDC.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Names like Captain Kojo Tsikata(rtd), Sergeant
Alolga Akata-Pore, J. Amartey Kwei and Lance Corporal S.K. Amedeka, Michael
Senyah, Gordon Nsurowuo, Gowu, Ransford Jonny Dzandu, Gomeleshio and Evans
Tekpor, alias Tonny, have always come up for scrutiny as far as the case is
concerned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even though Amartey Kwei, Tekpor, Senya and Dzandu
were executed, Amedeka escaped from jail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-47199536578571390642018-10-10T10:24:00.002+01:002018-10-10T10:24:34.584+01:00MAHAMA CRIES OVER INCOMPETENT TAG<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Wednesday
October 10, 2018</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Former President John Dramani Mahama is sulking over
the apparent jab aimed at him on Monday by Vice President Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu
Bawumia.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">His office released a statement yesterday
complaining bitterly about why the Vice President called him ‘incompetent one’
and said any attack will not go unanswered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bizarrely, it was Mr. Mahama who started it all when
he ridiculed the Vice President saying that he was good at lecturing during
opposition but was struggling to manage the economy as Vice President. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In fact, the former President was in Tattale in the
Northern Region on a comeback campaign trail last week portraying a negative
picture of the Vice President to opposition NDC supporters but when Dr. Bawumia
hit back he said it was ‘needless.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The statement from the former President’s office
said “the Office of the Vice President was brought into disrepute in a viral
video in which Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, whilst pretending to perform official
duties, descended to his lowest to call former President John Dramani Mahama
names.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It is sad to note that after nearly halfway through
the four-year term of the government of which Dr. Bawumia is the Vice
President, he still lacks the presence of mind to appreciate the distinction
between his role as Vice President and that of his propagandist running mate
days on campaign platforms.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The statement said “whilst reminding Dr. Bawumia
that any needless and unprovoked attack on former President Mahama on any day
will not go unanswered, we wish to remind him that the Office of the Vice
President is conducted with grace, decency and maturity, not reckless and
unrestrained talk.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The former President’s office further said ‘we wish
to draw Dr. Bawumia’s attention to the fact that whilst he is busily majoring
in minors and taking to cheap and unsophisticated politics, the manifesto
promises of the New Patriotic Party for which Ghanaians voted for them have yet
to be fulfilled.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Without any data the statement claimed “The One
District, One Factory is in limbo; there is no sign of One Village, One Dam;
the One District, One warehouse promise has proven to be a sham; the one
million dollars per constituency per year promise is in two years arrears for
all 275 constituencies.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the statement, “the promise to make
Accra the cleanest city in Africa has produced the most embarrassing spectacle
of filth under Bawumia’s watch; the dollar and petroleum prices have spiraled
out of control; teacher trainee allowances have not been paid,” adding “allowances
for student nurses are in arrears; one hot meal, free egg and a bar of
chocolate a day for public primary school pupils have turned out to be a hoax;
and the NPP government remains clueless about how to fulfill many other
promises that it made.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It is shocking that Vice President Bawumia who has
become the butt of all jokes in the country for his inability to match his
performance on the job and the management of the economy with his numerous
propagandist lectures in opposition, has the temerity to call former President
John Dramani Mahama names.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The statement indicated “Mr. Mahama and his
government have a solid record of investment in education, energy, roads,
healthcare and aviation infrastructure, among others and we can understand both
the frustration and desperation of Dr. Bawumia and his NPP following the
rousing reception which has greeted Mr. Mahama’s campaign tours in the regions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It said the Vice President’s continuous silence on
the suspension of the headmaster of Tempane Senior High School exposes him not
only to ridicule but also solidifies his “unenviable record as an unprincipled
politician,” claiming “this is because no one has visited senior high schools
to dabble in partisan politics more than Dr. Bawumia.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bawumia
Reminder<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dr. Bawumia only reminded Ghanaians that leaving the
management of the economy in the hands of Mr. Mahama and his NDC once again
will be a dangerous thing to do.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I hear the incompetent one says he wants to come
back, he wants to come and do more damage, as if he didn’t do enough damage;
well, we’re waiting for him! We’re waiting for him! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">We’re waiting for him! Oh
my God!” Dr. Bawumia made the remark at a training programme for Metropolitan
and Municipal District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Accra.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-52104702461053243582018-10-10T10:23:00.002+01:002018-10-10T10:23:17.980+01:00MAHAMA DEFENDS THIEVING GENERAL<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Wednesday
October 10, 2018</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Former President John Dramani Mahama has risen to
the defence of the army general he recently appointed as the Security
Coordinator for his Campaign Team while still serving in the Ghana Army.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr Mahama said Major General Sampson Kudjo Adeti,
who was caught in a car stealing scandal just before NDC left office in 2016,
is a ‘distinguished’ officer who has retired, accusing the media of making
‘misleading’ impression about him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Our attention has been drawn to two false,
mischievous and unfounded newspaper publications today regarding the
appointment of Major General Sampson Kudjo Adeti (rtd) as the Security
Coordinator of the John Mahama 2020 Campaign,” James Agyenim-Boateng,
Spokesperson for the Mahama Campaign said in a statement, insisting that “the
syndicated publications create a misleading impression that Major General Adeti
is a serving officer of the Ghana Armed Forces.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“For the avoidance of doubt and to set the records
straight, Major General Sampson Kudjo Adeti is a retired distinguished officer
of the Ghana Armed Forces. His terminal leave ended on 13th August, 2018 after
nearly 37 years of dedicated and professional service to Ghana,” the statement said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Interestingly, although the Mahama Team claims Adeti’s
service in the military ended in August, he is still occupying his official Juba
Villas at the Burma Camp which he has virtually converted into the operational
headquarters of the NDC, with the party’s branded vehicles trooping in and out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Mahama Team, according to the statement, touted Adeti’s
military accomplishments, saying “until his retirement, he had served in
various important Command and Staff positions in the Ghana Armed Forces,
including instructor in training institutions.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It further said that “from 2013 to 2016, Major
General Adeti (rtd) was the General Officer Commanding the Southern Command of
the Ghana Army and Chief of Staff, a Member of the Military High Command of the
Ghana Armed Forces from January 2016 until he was compulsorily retired by the
NPP government on 10<sup>th</sup> February 2017.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Major General Adeti has impeccable academic
qualifications, as well as a sterling record of military service. He holds four
Master’s Degrees in International Affairs, Development Studies, Business
Administration and Defence and Strategic Studies, and the John Mahama 2020
Campaign Team is proud of his inclusion.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Interestingly, General Adeti, after NDC had lost
power, lobbied to be appointed as Ghana’s Ambassador to Congo Democratic
Republic using a certain military officer in the current NPP administration at
the Jubilee House.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He denied his affiliation to the NDC, claiming to be
an Akyem born in Nsawam, Adoagyiri. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unfortunately, the lobbying hit a snag. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Missing
Pick-Up </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">General Adeti, who had been tipped to become Army
Commander, is among some senior military officers who have taken cover under
the umbrella since NDC lost power.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This same army officer was cited in a car stealing
scandal while serving as General Officer, Southern Command at Teshie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The general, who was the ‘darling boy’ of the
previous NDC government, was indicted for allegedly appropriating a Nissan
Hard-Body Double-Cabin vehicle donated to the Southern Command of the Ghana
Army by the Bank of Ghana (BoG).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The cover of the army chief in the alleged stealing
was blown by a request made by Adeti’s successor, Brigadier General M. Whajah,
GOC, Southern Command, to the BoG for operational support. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Brigadier Whajah was informed that the bank donated
a pickup to the command not long ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With no trace of the vehicle – registered GN
4240-15, in the inventories of the Southern Command, the new officer called for
more details which led to a visit to the Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority
(DVLA) for the registration details and the custodian of the vehicle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It turned out that General Adeti was keeping the vehicle
in his garage on the blind side of the army in a dubious manner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Killing
the Investigation</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite the damning report, Major General Adeti, who
was then a Brigadier General, was promoted by President Mahama to the rank of
Major General, an action which succeeded in killing the investigation into the
matter because the officer who did the investigations had become Adeti’s
subordinate and technically a superior cannot be investigated by an officer
lower in rank.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The probing officer was subsequently transferred to
the Ghana Mission in the United States in order to cover up the alleged
stealing probe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The report found out that General Adeti, Mahama’s
darling, had breached military standards in respect of donated items to the
Ghana Armed Forces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite the revelation, he continued to be in the
good books of the government; the then Chief of Army Staff (COAS) who
commissioned the investigation Major General R.K. Opoku Adusei, was retired
from the military unceremoniously for daring to probe the case.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When Adeti was asked to explain himself, he rather
chose to attack the journalist from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DAILY GUIDE</i></b> who broke the story,
calling him a ‘bounty hunter.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">COAS’s preliminary investigations had found Brig Gen
Adeti to have dishonestly appropriated the vehicle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The fact that he drove the vehicle straight from
the Bank of Ghana to his Juba Villas residence without informing neither HQ
Southern Command nor Army HQ and using his residential number, personal phone
and e-mail address to complete the transfer of ownership and changing the
colour of the vehicle from white to dark grey, were all indicative of his
intention to usurp the vehicle,” the COAS observed in the report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He was also criticized for deliberately leaving no
traces of all correspondences and documents in respect of the said vehicle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-83133330373292760272018-10-09T11:05:00.001+01:002018-10-09T11:05:22.023+01:00BAWUMIA FIRES MAHAMA…WE’RE READY FOR YOU<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></a></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Tuesday
October 09, 2018</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has said the
motive behind former President John Dramani Mahama’s attempt to come back to
power is to ‘do more damage’ to the country’s economy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said the former President managed Ghana’s economy
in a very incompetent manner whilst in office and the records were there for
all to see.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Incompetent
One</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I hear the incompetent one says he wants to come
back, he wants to come and do more damage, as if he didn’t do enough damage;
well we’re waiting for him! We’re waiting for him! We’re waiting for him! Oh my
God!”Dr. Bawumia said at a training programme for Metropolitan and Municipal
District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in Accra.<span style="background: white; color: #262626;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The five-day training
programme was held under the theme: “Re-energising MMDCEs to deliver on
Government Agenda” and brought together 254 MMDCEs across the country and some
selected regional ministers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
Tatale in the Northern Region last week, Mr. Mahama, who is staging a comeback
to lead the NDC in 2020 after his humiliating defeat in 2016, said on his
campaign trail that managing an economy is not the same as lecturing; in an
apparent jab at Vice President Bawumia whose lectures on the economy mesmerized
the previous Mahama administration at the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dr Bawumia, an astute economist and banker, who was then
running mate to candidate Nana Akufo-Addo, had said famously that “if you do
propaganda with the economy, the exchange rate will expose you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Equalization<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Mahama appeared to be ‘equalizing’ when he stated
in Tatale that “you can lecture on economy; but reality will expose you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He went ahead to say that Ghanaians were facing
economic challenges and the tide could only be resolved by ‘experienced persons’
and not ‘economics lecturers’ who merely engage in theories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Experienced
Person</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He presented himself to the NDC supporters as the ‘experienced
person’ and said they would return to power to solve the problems because,
according to him, the Akufo-Addo government is not performing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“That is what economics lecturers who are just
theorists can come and lecture but they don’t understand that the practical of
running governments is completely different. NDC has done it before, at any
time that NDC has been in government, this country has made progress,” he
bragged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Banks’
Collapse</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said the collapse of seven local banks had
contributed to economic hardship in the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Under his presidency, officials looked unconcerned
for the banks to go down with his brother actively involved in the collapse of
not less than two banks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Everything is linked to each other. And it takes
somebody who understands the market and the realities of governing to know that
if you are collapsing banks, it’s going to affect traders, it is going to
affect farmers,” Mr. Mahama said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Campaign
Promises</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He appeared to say the NPP promised ‘heaven’ whilst
in opposition and was now delivering ‘hell’ for the people since they came into
office.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“You can do all the propaganda you like to win
political power, when you come to government, the reality of the people’s life
will expose you,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Where are the factories, where are the dams, where
is the $1 million per constituency. It is easier to make electoral promises
than to fulfill them. Making promises is easy, fulfilling them is a problem.
That is what NPP has taught us. It’s easier to give political lectures on the
economy than to manage the economy,” he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bawumia’s
Response</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, the Vice President, without mincing words, said
Mr. Mahama’s record was so abysmal that he should be the last person to complain
about the performance of the country’s economy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said the Akufo-Addo administration was clearing
the ‘mess’ Mr. Mahama and his NDC administration left behind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“But you have to remember what happened at the time
we came into office after many years of incompetent economic management; you
cannot describe it any other than incompetent economic management. After many
years of such economic management, the people of Ghana gave us the privilege to
change course but after just 20 months in office, the difference is clear.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Massive Projects</span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Vice President
Bawumia indicated that the government remains focused on building a society
that works not only for a few but everybody.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">“We’re going to see some major changes in 2019,
where we will begin full-scale operation of the Sino-hydro facility,” he said.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">The Vice President announced that from next
year, US$1.5 billion of the $2 billion Sino-hydro Barter Agreement signed with
the Chinese firm would be utilised.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">The money would be used to build health
facilities, roads, bridges, drains and interchanges.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">“Apart from cleaning the mess of incompetent
economic management that alone is worth in itself, and we are putting in place
the structures that will enable us to deliver,” he added.</span><br />
<span style="background: white;">The macro-economic indicators had recorded
impressive improvement.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #262626; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He also made
reference to the year-on-year inflation which had declined from 15.4 per cent
in 2016 to 9.9 currently and the reduction of the debt-to GDP ratio from 73.1
per cent to 64.4 per cent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">“The economy also grew from 3.7 per cent in 2016
to 8.5 per cent at the end of 2017 and the fiscal deficit was down to 5.9 per
cent from 9.3 per cent, and these had come on the back of prudent management of
the economy,” he added.</span></span><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-62987108636968333652018-10-08T10:17:00.000+01:002018-10-08T10:17:03.878+01:00RAWLINGS ENDORSES NANA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Monday
October 08, 2018</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Former President Jerry John Rawlings has virtually
passed a vote of confidence in President Akufo-Addo and called on Ghanaians to
support him to succeed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He described the president as a ‘cultured’ leader who
was doing what his predecessors failed to do while in office, stressing “we
must all help him.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The former president, who is the founder of the
National Democratic Congress (NDC), made the comments last Friday at the Accra
Digital Centre when he attended a United Nations Youth Summit with Professor
Jeffrey Sachs, Special Advisor to the United Nations (UN) Secretary General.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He told the youth that President Akufo-Addo is the
most cultured president that Ghana has ever had in recent past, saying that he
has good plans for the country and must be supported by all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said that the president has given a lot of
appointments to women, which is good for the accelerated development of the
country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Rawlings’admiration of President Akufo-Addo
appears to stem largely from the appointment of former Attorney General Martin
Amidu as the Special Prosecutor to fight against corruption in the country.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said the president made a ‘wise’ decision in
appointing Mr. Amidu whom he described as the best choice for the job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Rawlings said President Akufo-Addo is showing
the NDC how to use people with high level of integrity to govern the country
after his own party denigrated him (Amidu).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The former president said President Akufo-Addo was
not responsible for the delay in the prosecution of people by the Office of the
Special Prosecutor, but was hopeful measures would be put in place as soon as
possible for Mr. Amidu to start some serious work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Currently, there is delay in the passage of the
Legislative Instrument (LI) that governs the Office of the Special Prosecutor but
the draft legislative instrument would be laid on the floor when Parliament
reconvenes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Special Prosecutor has complained about lack of
funds for the office to operate fully but government has stated that his concerns
are being addressed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was during the same forum that the former president
promised to drop a ‘bombshell’ very soon about the ongoing documentary by
Multimedia News Channel, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Joy News</i></b>, on the killing of the
three High Court judges and a retired army officer in the heat of the
revolution in 1982.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said that he would attend another public lecture
at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (NKUST) in Kumasi in
the coming days and take the opportunity to put issues into perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Rawlings appeared to be at loss as to the motive
of those who put together the documentary on the incident which occurred
several years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I’ll release a bombshell at UST during a public
lecture,” he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-19565324219374994572018-10-08T10:14:00.003+01:002018-10-08T10:14:33.032+01:00MAHAMA APPOINTS ARMY OFFICER AS SECURITY COORDINATOR<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Monday
October 08, 2018</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Major General Sampson Adeti, the former Chief of
Staff at General Headquarters of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) at Burma Camp,
who is on leave prior to retirement, has been made the head of security for former
President John Mahama’s Campaign Team.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The security coordinator of the Mahama Campaign Team
is said to be moving with the former President Mahama, who is campaigning to
lead the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 presidential
election.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He was seen in Tamale during the former president’s
recent visit and reports suggested he had a serious clash with a powerful
member of the Mahama Campaign Team.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">DAILY
GUIDE</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">‘s checks revealed that the army chief has started
his leave prior to retirement but was using the period to campaign for
ex-President Mahama which is against military rules.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Technically, he is still a serving officer and is
reportedly still occupying his official residence at Burma Camp in Accra which
makes his current occupation a breach of military standards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He has occasionally been seen in convoy of
opposition NDC which enter his residence in clear breach of military rules with
blaring sirens. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">General Adeti, who had been tipped to become Army
Commander had John Mahama been retained, is among some senior military officers
who have taken cover under the umbrella since NDC lost power.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Immediately the NDC lost the elections, the same
general allegedly lobbied vigorously for an ambassadorial post, claiming that
he had nothing to do with the NDC and traced his roots to Nsawam and not the
Volta Region.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Attempts to reach him for comments at press time
were unsuccessful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Missing
Pick-Up</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is same army officer who was cited in a car
stealing scandal while serving as General Officer Commanding South Command at
Teshie.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The general, who was the ‘darling boy’ of the previous
NDC government, was indicted for allegedly appropriating a Nissan Hard-Body Double-Cabin
vehicle donated to the Southern Command of the Ghana Army by the Bank of Ghana
(BoG).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The cover of the army chief in the alleged stealing
was blown by a request made by Adeti’s successor, Brigadier M. Whajah, GOC,
Southern Command, to the BoG for operational support. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Brigadier M. Whajah was informed that the bank
donated a pickup to the command not long ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With no trace of the vehicle – registered GN 4240-15
– in the inventories of the Southern Command, the new officer called for more
details which led to a visit to the Driver Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA)
for the registration details and the custodian of the vehicle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It turned out that General Adeti was keeping vehicle
in his garage on the blind side of the army.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Killing
the Investigation</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite the damning report, Major General Adeti, who
was then a Brigadier General, was promoted by the previous NDC administration
under President Mahama – the Commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces to
the rank of Major General, action which succeeded in killing the investigation
into the matter because the officer who did the investigations had become Adeti’s
subordinate and technically a superior cannot be investigated by an officer
lower in rank.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The probing officer was subsequently transferred to
the Ghana Mission in the United States in order to cover up the probe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The report found out that the Adeti had breached
military standards in respect of donated items to the Ghana Armed Forces.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite the revelation, he continued to be in the
good books of the government; the then Chief of Army Staff (COAS) who
commissioned the investigation Major General R.K. Opoku Adusei, was retired
from the military unceremoniously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When the general was asked to explain himself, he
rather chose to attack the journalist from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DAILY GUIDE</i></b> who broke the story,
calling him a ‘bounty hunter.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Preliminary
Report</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">COAS’s preliminary investigations had found Brig Gen
Adeti to have dishonestly appropriated the vehicle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The fact that he drove the vehicle straight from
the Bank of Ghana to his Juba Villas residence without informing neither HQ
Southern Command nor Army HQ and using his residential number, personal phone
and e-mail address to complete the transfer of ownership and changing the
colour of the vehicle from white to dark grey were all indicative of his
intention to usurp the vehicle,” the COAS observed in the report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He was also criticized for deliberately leaving no
traces of all correspondences and documents in respect of the said vehicle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Disciplinary
Action</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The report recommended that the General suffer
disciplinary action for dishonest appropriation of the said vehicle contrary to
Section 52 of the Ghana Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The misconduct, according to the report, constituted
a breach of trust in respect of his position as a superior commander, contrary
to Section 54 (a) of the Ghana Armed Forces Act, 1962 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Act 105).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Invaluable
Service<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Initially he made the whole issue appear like the
vehicle was given to him for his ‘invaluable’ services to the Central Bank – a
claim which was immediately debunked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Portions of the report- ‘Summary Investigations into
allegations of misconduct, involving Brigadier General SK Adeti, said the
stories which hit the media “generated a lot negative interest and social media
comments nationwide and among troops at GAF. Some of the comments impugned the
lack of integrity of Brig Gen SK Adeti and the Ghana Armed Forces hierarchy.
The Military High Command was further challenged to investigate the matter and
take appropriate disciplinary action should the matter published in the
newspapers be found to be true.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Unexplained
Reasons</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The report had found that “for unexplained reasons,
all correspondences and documents pertaining to the request, approval and
donation of Nissan Pickup reg no GN 4240 15 to HQ S/C have been removed or
vanished from all files at HQ S/Comd and do not exist on any file or office in
GAF. This case of missing documents is contrary to Section 250 of the Criminal
Offences Act 1960 and Section 54 (a) of the Ghana Armed Forces Act 1962 (Act
105).”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Brig Adeti, in the course of the raging controversy,
handed over the vehicle to the Provost Marshal on 18<sup>th</sup> June, 2016
with the explanation that he was doing so out of his own volition. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He had earlier stated that he did not know the
location of the spare key and documents covering the said pickup.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another critical portion of the report stated, “The
act or conduct of Brig Gen SK Adeti in declining to disclose or surrender the
said vehicle at the time it was donated, but rather to decide to do so on 18
June, 16 after publications in the press on 10 and 14 June, 16 respectively and
after the Army HQ Convening Order for a Summary Investigation on 17 June, 16;
is prejudicial to good order and discipline contrary to Section 54 of the Ghana
Armed Forces Act 1962 (Act 105).”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-68950180828416661812018-10-07T13:53:00.005+01:002018-10-07T13:53:48.976+01:00JJ TO DROP BOMBSHELL OVER MURDERED JUDGES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Saturday
October 06, 2018</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Former President Jerry John Rawlings has promised to
drop a ‘bombshell’ very soon about the ongoing documentary by Multimedia News
Channel, </span><b style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><i>Joy News,</i></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> on the killing of the three High Court judges and a
retired army officer in the heat of the revolution.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said at the Accra Digital Centre where he
attended a United Nations Youth Summit yesterday that he would attend another public
lecture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (NKUST) in Kumasi
in the coming days and take the opportunity to put issues into perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Rawlings appears to be at loss as to the motive of
those who put together the documentary on the incident which occurred several
years ago.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I’ll release a bombshell at UST during a public
lecture”, he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In recent times, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Joy
News</i> and The Multimedia<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></b>Group have been broadcasting a
comprehensive documentary on the killing of three judges and a retired army
officer in 1982 when the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) military
junta, led by then young Flt. Lt. Rawlings, seized power from the
democratically elected government of Dr. Hilla Limann.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The documentary is pushing that the prime suspect,
Joachim Amartey Kwei, could not have committed the crime without the backing of
the authorities in the PNDC. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the documentary, the dreaded Captain
Kojo Tsikata agreed that Amartey Kwei ought to have obtained the pass from a
higher authority before having unrestricted movement on that fateful night when
there was curfew.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The documentary revealed Amartey Kwei mentioned the names
of the authorities with whom he planned and killed the judges to the extent
that he was on hunger strike before Dr Koranteng of Police Hospital pacified
him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The dastardly act remains a dark spot in the
nation’s political history after the three High Court Judges namely, Justice
Fred Poku Sarkodie, Mrs. Justice Cecilia Koranteng- Addow and Justice Kwadwo
Agyei Agyapong, as well as a retired army officer, Major Sam Acquah, were
callously murdered under strange circumstances at the Bundase Military Range in
the Accra Plains.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Their bodies were found on 3rd July, 1982.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the records, all the three judges had
adjudicated on cases in which they ordered the release of persons who had been
sentenced to long terms of imprisonment during the tenure of the Armed Forces
Revolutionary Council (AFRC) in 1979.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Investigations were conducted into the matter, after
which some active and retired army officers were prosecuted, but there is still
the belief that the real people who gave the order for these judges to be
killed have been left off the hook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Special Investigative Board (SIB), chaired by Samuel
Azu Crabbe, recommended the prosecution of 10 persons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two of them, Joachim Amartey Kwei and Alolga
Akata-Pore, were members of the PNDC.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Names like Captain (Rtd) Kojo Tsikata, Sergeant
Alolga Akata-Pore, J. Amartey Kwei and Lance Corporal S.K. Amedeka, Michael
Senyah, Gordon Nsurowuo, Gowu, Ransford Jonny Dzandu, Gomeleshio and Evans
Tekpor, alias Tonny, have always come up for scrutiny as far as the case is
concerned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even though Amartey Kwei, Tekpor, Senya and Dzandu were
executed, Amedeka escaped from jail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-46640043792924318292018-10-05T09:41:00.001+01:002018-10-05T09:41:25.629+01:00BLOWS IN NDC OVER 2016 ELECTION RESULTS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Friday
October 05, 2018</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Nearly two years after National
Democratic Congress (NDC) was humiliated at the polls, the opposition party is
still fighting over the 2016 election results.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">They are at each other’s throat over
the collated results as the campaign to elect new national executives
intensifies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The ‘fight’ has ensued between Samuel
Ofosu Ampofo, a national chairman aspirant who was the NDC’s Director of
Elections during the 2016 general elections, and the camp of former President John
Mahama who is staging a comeback to lead the party in 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Matters came to a head when one
Michael Ologo believed to be part of the Ofosu Ampofo campaign accused former
Communications Minister, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, who is part of the Mahama
Campaign, for being in charge of the collation of the election results for
2016.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Dr. Omane Boamah scoffed at the allegation,
describing it as ‘deliberate’ and ‘dark lie’ being told to tarnish his
reputation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">“I have read with utter surprise
a deliberate and dark lie being peddled by one Michael Ologo that I, Edward
Kofi Omane Boamah, was in charge of the collation of NDC’s election results for
the 2016 elections. This is false! This deliberate lie, unlike others
deliberately told in the past, will not be allowed to stand.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Responsibility<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">He said “if the said Michael
Ologo has the blessings of others to peddle this lie, then they should be
advised accordingly. Let me kindly remind Ologo that Mr. Samuel Ofosu Ampofo,
as a National Vice Chairman of the NDC doubled up as Director of Elections. He
must accept responsibility instead of faceless individuals attempting to
explain away the fact that election results for 2016 have still not been
collated.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">He said “I have largely remained
silent about the malignant attempts some individuals made in 2017 to drag my
good name into the mud concerning matters that can never stand the test of both
logical and factual scrutiny. To all such people, I say to you - from now on;
not in my name.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The former minister explained
that “the Logistics Committee included respected party elders such as Mr Ato
Ahwoi. </span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Furthermore, the collation of election results was never part of our
limited mandate,” adding “I repeat, from now on; not in my name.”<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Rigged Polls<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">With the plot to rig the election
terribly backfired leading to its defeat, the NDC has since been dazed with
assigning various reasons for the party’s humiliating defeat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Recently, in Cape Coast, former
President Mahama who led the NDC to the embarrassing defeat claimed that the
NPP rigged the polls and the opposition party would not be slapped for the
second time in 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 4.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.5pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It has become clear that the abysmal performance of
the NDC in the December 7, 2016, general elections is haunting Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo
as the party’s Director of Elections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">His critics say he failed to supervise the elections
leading to the non-collation of the results in the 2016 election which got the
NDC ‘stranded’ on December 7 and 8, 2016 and therefore cannot be trusted as the
party’s leader.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Interestingly, by 11 pm on December 7, 2016, then
opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) had in its possession about 80% of all the
pink sheet results in the country and had done its calculation to know that
their candidate Nana Akufo-Addo was winning the presidential election one-touch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Botchwey’s
Report<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Prof. Kwesi Botchwey-led committee that
investigated the reason for NDC’s massive defeat later established that the
party did not build any official platform to collate results of the December
2016 general elections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo claimed recently that the
party had the results and were only waiting for the Electoral Commission to
‘gazette’ the official results so that they could authenticate what the NDC had
collated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“When you go to the EC’s website, the presidential
result from polling station to polling station has not been gazetted and as a
political party we are worried. We are holding our results and they (Electoral
Commission) are also holding their results even though we both went into the
room.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“If you want to do proper analysis of the outcome of
the elections, you need to get a gazetted presidential result to check it
against what we (NDC) also had on the field. As we speak now, the Electoral
Commission is yet to gazette the presidential results almost 18 to 19 months
after the elections,” he said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Damning
Findings<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Strangely, Mr. Ofosu Ampofo appeared before the 13
member Botchwey Committee to explain issues to them but the committee, in its
report, made damning findings against the performance of the NDC Election
Committee. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Despite the chants of ‘we are winning the election
one-touch’ by then incumbent President John Mahama and the later ‘we are in a
comfortable lead’ mantra, it turned out the NDC did not collate the results but
rather tied the party’s ‘destiny’ to that of Charlotte Osei’s Electoral
Commission by relying on the EC’s IT system so when the EC’s system failed, the
NDC was caught flat footed, gasping for breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Private
Arrangement <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The NDC members rather relied on Felix Ofosu Kwakye’s
‘private’ arrangement to collate the result which also failed them miserably,
according to the report.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Reports at the time said the party was in secret
talks with the Electoral Commission to get the results, a move which was
unknown to the other political parties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The report said the party appeared to have relied on
Ofosu Kwakye’s private arrangement when the main collation platform set up
under the supervision of the Election Directorate headed by Samuel
Ofosu-Ampofo, could have been strengthened to deliver.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“There were evidently two systems - one party based,
and the other, according to Felix Ofosu Kwakye, a private initiative. The
Election Directorate evidently regarded Ofosu Kwakye’s initiative as primary
whereas Mr. Ofosu Kwakye and his team regarded it only as backup system,” the
report said. The NDC collation system was said to have been built by K-Net, the
company handling the multi-million dollar digital television migration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-34140231382963001572018-10-04T09:45:00.002+01:002018-10-04T09:45:15.376+01:00NO BOGUS $6M AUDIT…NPP FIRES NDC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Thursday
October 04, 2018<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has said it is
becoming clear that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is
attempting to frustrate forensic investigations into the activities of the previous
administration with the sole aim of stopping the party’s leaders from rendering
account of their stewardship.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The NPP also debunked allegations by the NDC that $6
million had been spent on forensic audits, describing it as nothing but bogus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“But perhaps, there is a real reason the NDC is
attempting to misinform the public. Is the NDC seeking to pre-empt the results
of ongoing forensic audits with shameless cries of witch-hunting in order to
protect itself from accountability?” NPP Director of Communications Yaw Buaben
Asamoa quizzed yesterday.</span><b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Spurious
Claims</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On Tuesday, the NDC, at a news conference addressed
by its General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia, made spurious claims that the
Akufo-Addo government had spent $6million on financial audits.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is unclear how the NDC came by the figure, but
they claimed it was the cost of financial audits they termed as ‘illegal witch
hunting’ exercise targeted at NDC appointees.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The NDC’s main concern is the recent leaked report
which implicated some party gurus who headed and managed six state-owned
companies and institutions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The opposition claimed the Auditor General appointed
by John Mahama five days to handing over power to the Akufo-Addo administration
was not aware of the forensic audits, suggesting that the Auditor General, Yaw
Daniel Domelevo, is in bed with the NDC. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The companies audited included Ghana National Gas
Company (GNGC), Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Ghana Free Zones
Board (GFZB), Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), Ghana
Standards Authority (GSA) and the Ghana Technology University College (GTUC).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NPP
Hits Back</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The NPP hit back, saying “it appears Mr. Asiedu
Nketiah was on a mission to make noise and hopefully boost his reportedly
flagging campaign for re-election. Otherwise no logical explanation comes
easily to mind for his antics exhibited in a full blown press conference,
followed up with numerous media appearances.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Short of seeking to circumvent and prevent the law
from taking its course, it beats the imagination why the NDC is rushing to
discredit investigations which are yet to feed into potential prosecutions.
This is the same party, which barely recently boasted and challenged the whole
world to prosecute them if they were found to be corrupt. What has changed now
that there is a realisation of serious ongoing investigations to ensure
successful prosecutions?”</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Genuine
Mandate</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the NPP Communications Director, the
exercise carried out by the auditors was backed by law, saying “the reports had
been channelled through the cabinet ad-hoc committee on investigations.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“In 2017, the Economic and Organized Crime Office
(EOCO), in pursuit of its mandate under Section 3 (a) of the EOCO Act of 2010,
(Act 804), and in accordance with Section 14 (3) of Act 804, engaged experts to
conduct preliminary audits and advise EOCO on reports of corruption and
malpractices in some state organizations.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No
$6m</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said categorically that the NPP government did
not spend $6.8 million on the audits as has been deliberately and falsely put
out and explained that the UNDP had provided technical assistance to the office
coordinating the audits in line with Section 3(f) of the EOCO Act.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The technical support from the UNDP is part of
their anti-corruption support and governance project and costs less than
$100,000. The mention of $6.8million is a total red herring aimed at diverting
attention from the substantive findings of the forensic audit and the genuine
questions that persons found culpable have to answer as part of investigative
processes.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr Buaben Asamoa said the institutions involved are paying
for the forensic audits, adding “it would serve the public well if Mr Asiedu Nketiah
could be humble enough to apologise for bringing the UNDP and the government
into disrepute on the basis of a wild reckless guess, or at least reveal his
source.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Completed
Reports</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">“EOCO, having been advised, has completed reports of
some of the investigations whilst others are ongoing. We hope the blanket call
to appointees of the former administration not to cooperate with investigations
will not be followed literally because a pre-emptive attempt to escape
accountability under a screaming smokescreen of witch-hunting will not convince
the Ghanaian public,” he said.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Buaben Asamoa said the Akufo-Addo government
will follow due process in the fight against corruption, adding “in the same
vein, we do not expect self-respecting servants of any government to resort to
polemic stunts aimed at diligent interrogation of their tenure of office since
such actions will not and cannot stop appropriate accountability measures.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We hope Mr. Asiedu Nketiah is not allergic to
facts. In any case, who is he trying to shield from the flames of
accountability? Is it the entire Mahama administration or characters thick in
the purported plots to create, loot and share? Schemes to create, loot and
share have been allegedly so well executed that many contracts inherited by the
current administration appear lawful but in effect are bloated well beyond
value for money limits. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The NPP also condemned the personal attacks on
Professor Edward Dua Agyeman by the NDC General Secretary, saying “nearly half
of the NDC’s press conference was devoted to casting aspersions on Dua
Agyemang. Further appearances on various media by Asiedu Nketiah followed the
same trend.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-23555268572833838602018-10-04T09:41:00.002+01:002018-10-04T09:41:34.873+01:00NDC EXPOSED OVER CHOPPERS <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Thursday
October 04, 2018</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Claims by opposition National Democratic
Congress (NDC) General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu-Nketia that Vice President Dr.
Mahamudu Bawumia has been using Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC) helicopters
for his trips has turned out to be false.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">At an NDC news conference in Accra on
Tuesday, Asiedu Nketia made a spurious allegation that when Dr. Bawumia visited
flood victims in the northern regions last month following the Bagre Dam
spillage in neighbouring Burkina Faso, the Vice President used one of Ghana Gas
helicopters which is a subject under investigation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">DAILY GUIDE</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"> checks revealed
that the Vice President actually used <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">GHF
696</b> belonging to the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) which is different from the four
Ghana Gas Z-9EH helicopters believed to be in the custody of the military.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Later yesterday, NPP Director of
Communications, Yaw Buaben Asamoa (MP) confirmed in a news release that the NDC
scribe peddled “speculative half-truths and outright lies concocted in the pot
of his febrile imagination.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">“One of the biggest lies told by the NDC
General Secretary was that His Excellency the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, in visiting flood victims to
distribute relief items, used a helicopter from the Ghana National Gas Company.
Lie, big lie. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">“On
the contrary, the Vice President used a Ghana Air Force helicopter with
identity mark GHF 696. That craft is totally different in make and model from
the “Z-9EH” model craft that the Ghana National Gas Company is purported to have
purc<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>hased and which acquisition is the subject of a
forensic audit.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">The four Z-9EH helicopters, brought in
from China for surveillance by Ghana Gas during the previous Mahama-led
National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration at the total cost of $100
million ($25m each) was commissioned by then President John Mahama in September
2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Financial
Loss<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">According to a forensic audit report,
“the helicopters purchased from China National Aero Technology Import and
Export Corporation (CATIC), have never been used for the purpose of their
purchase, causing $54,800,000 financial loss to the state.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">It also said a loss of $5,958,366.76 was
incurred because “equipment for the helicopters were not delivered even though
it was part of the contract price” while another loss of $300,000 being “ab initio
training cost not fully utilized for its intended purpose,” was caused bringing
the total to $61,058,366.76.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">The report then mentioned former Ghana
Gas Board Chairman, Prof. Kwesi Botchwey and other members like Dr. George
Sipa-Adja Yankey who was the CEO of the state-owned company, Eric Yankah,
Thomas Manu and Dr. Valerie Sawyerr, a former deputy Chief of Staff as those to
be held responsible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">At the news conference, the NDC scribe
said “it is on record that those helicopters are stationed at the Ghana
Airforce base being actively used by the Ghana Air Force and that it was one of
these helicopters that was used recently to convey the Vice President Dr.
Bawumia to Wa when he went to distribute relief items to flood victims which
have turned out to have been expired relief items for which his brother-in-law,
the Deputy National Coordinator have been suspended.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">He added “this so-called forensic audit
report alleges that the Ghana National Gas Company under the previous NDC
government caused financial loss to the state by purchasing helicopters which
cannot be found, that there was some loan to Ghana Gas Company, a component of
which was for the procurement of helicopters. Then these fake auditors go there
then produce a report that those helicopters cannot be found and then it is
widely publicised as if the previous management of the Ghana Gas Company has
taken money meant for the purchase of helicopters and these helicopters cannot
be found anywhere.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-66231679835866696272018-10-04T09:39:00.006+01:002018-10-04T09:39:59.258+01:00MAHAMA BLOWING HOT AND COLD OVER FREE SHS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Thursday
October 04, 2018</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Former President John Dramani Mahama appears to be
‘dazed’ by the impact of the free Senior High School (SHS), which is the flagship
policy of the Akufo-Addo government.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He has been blowing ‘hot and cold’ since the Free
SHS policy commenced last year, having doubted its successful implementation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The former president’s resolve to ‘review’ the whole
programme through what he termed ‘stakeholders consultation’ sparked heated
debate after his critics said he was out to scrap the special initiative aimed
at giving access to every child to further his or her education for future
development.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The policy has assisted over 270,000 students who
could have dropped out after JHS to continue their secondary eduaction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">President
Alarmed</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">President Akufo-Addo has already said that the
opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) cannot stop the successful
implementation of the policy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I am alarmed by this concept of the review. This is
because anytime our political opponents try anything of this sort; it leads the
policy in question into a coma. We all remember the NHIS one-term premium
payment review pledge. Not only did the review not materialise, but they also
succeeded in degrading the policy,” the president lamented, adding “I honestly
suspect reviewing the Free SHS policy means collapsing it. But, I doubt the
Ghanaian people will allow this brilliant policy to be collapsed by anyone.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Campaign
Statement</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Mahama’s campaign spokesperson, James Agyenim
Boateng, issued a statement denying flatly that his boss would collapse Free
SHS policy if he gets a second chance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The John Mahama 2020 Campaign Team has become aware
of a deliberate campaign of disinformation led by President Nana Akufo-Addo
following comments by former President John Dramani Mahama that he will convene
a stakeholders’ forum to address the challenges facing the implementation of
the Free Senior High School programme. I believe that if Ghanaians come
together, we can come out with a workable timetable and schedule for
implementing Free SHS,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It is important to point out that at no point
during former President Mahama’s address to the delegates did he mention that
he would collapse the Free SHS programme. That President Akufo-Addo could only
come to that conclusion is regrettable, to say the least. It’s important to
point out that ‘collapse’ is not a synonym for ‘review,’ and it is therefore
mind-boggling that President Akufo-Addo could come to that conclusion,” the
statement added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Mahama has not hidden his hatred for the entire
Free SHS policy, and when he was in office he spent huge amounts of money to
discredit then opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo for proposing the policy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">His contradictory statements regarding the Free SHS
has continuously been played against him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tarkwa
Sermon<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last November during an NDC Unity Walk in Tarkwa in
the Western Region, Mr. Mahama said it was not ‘by force’ for President
Akufo-Addo to implement the Free SHS policy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Why should the government introduce free education
now when the Constitution says it should be done progressively? In fact, it’s
not by force to introduce Free SHS now,” he quizzed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The NDC has always maintained that it will take the
next 20 years for Free SHS policy to be implemented.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After realizing the political implications of his
statement in Tarkwa, Mr. Mahama posted on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Facebook</i></b> that “there are no
‘naysayers’ when it comes to free SHS. After all it was recognized and
enshrined in our constitution by the ordinary people of this nation who gathered
at the Consultative Assembly and drew up the 1992 Constitution.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Double
Track</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Even the double-track system, which has been
introduced as a result of the large number of students in SHSs through the Free
SHS policy, has not been spared by Mr. Mahama.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said the policy, which many educationists have
described as game-changer in the educational sector, does not make sense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He, therefore, vowed to scrap the entire double-track
system when the NDC comes back to power in 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Free
SHS For 500,000</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Information Minister-designate, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah,
took a swipe at Mr. Mahama for repeatedly questioning the ‘sense’ in the double-track
system under the Free SHS policy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is
not overwhelmed by the comments of the former President on the policy due to
his constant opposition even during the campaign periods in the build up to the
2016 general elections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Others may be shocked that a former president who
in his days was noted for calling on Ghanaians to be optimistic and not cynical
about national programmes, will be the one to make such a comment to undermine
a national programme. The Akufo-Addo government is not the least surprised. Mr.
Mahama has never been in support of the Free SHS programme. You recall that he
campaigned heavily against it even as a sitting president,” he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-71765335573543362018-10-03T10:00:00.003+01:002018-10-03T10:00:29.182+01:00NDC CRIES OVER AUDIT OF APPOINTEES<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Wednesday
October 03, 2018</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has made
a spurious claim that the Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government
has blown $6million on financial audits.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is unclear how the NDC came by the figure but they
claim it was the cost of financial audits they termed ‘witch hunting’ exercise which
they purport is targeted at NDC appointees; describing it as ‘illegal’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The NDC’s main concern is the recent leaked report
which implicated some NDC gurus who headed and managed six state-owned companies
and institutions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The companies audited included Ghana National Gas
Company (GNGC), Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Ghana Free Zones
Board (GFZB), Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), Ghana
Standards Authority (GSA) and the Ghana Technology University College (GTUC).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Documents available showed that the forensic audits
were conducted by reputable international private auditing firms which detected
massive looting of state resources through procurements and deliberate stealing
of money, running into several billion Ghana cedis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the auditors, there were massive
breaches of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) and the Public
Procurement (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Act 914) some of which were “inflation of
contracts sums and non-performance of contracts. Others include non-enforcement
and breach of contracts.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The auditors also discovered “breach of the
provision of the Financial Administration Regulation, 2004 (L.I. 1802), such as
cash disbursement without authorization, deposit of public funds into personal
accounts and failing to account for accountable travelling allowances.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At a news conference in Accra yesterday, NDC General
Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia claimed that the government contracted audit
firms to do the same work reserved for the Auditor-General and other
investigative bodies of the state.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"We have credible information that these
private firms were not legally engaged since they were not officially
authorised by the Auditor-General," he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Without showing documents to indicate the $6million
cost build-up, the NDC scribe said the NPP government has so far paid six
million dollars to these private firms which constitute a waste of scarce resources.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He attacked Prof. Edward Dua Agyeman, the former
Auditor General who the report captured as Chairman of the Cabinet Committee
Responsible for the Coordination of Forensic Audits and called for his removal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Dua Agyemang does not have the integrity and
character to undertake such an assignment. The person who has been appointed by
Nana Akufo-Addo to chair the Audit Service Board and who has been asked to
recruit these private firms in the name of cabinet committee secretary is the
one who has now been recycled to chair the audit service board to fight
corruption.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He alleged that the Board Chairman of the Audit
Service is not clean, saying “in 1983, Dua Agyemang was banned by the Institute
of Chartered Accountants Ghana from practicing accountancy and auditing in
Ghana for forging an audit report for a private firm whose accounts he had
neither seen nor audited.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same Dua
Agyemang, in 1986 led a team to conduct special investigations and at the end
of the exercise, he presented a forged report causing some heads of departments
to suffer unjustly.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-53723236615817784472018-10-03T09:59:00.000+01:002018-10-03T09:59:03.567+01:00I’LL STOP DOUBLE TRACK – MAHAMA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Wednesday
October 03, 2018</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Former President John Dramani Mahama has launched a
blistering attack on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government for implementing
the double track system under the free Senior High School (SHS) policy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said the policy, which many educationists have
described as game-changer in the education sector, does not make sense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The former president has now vowed to scrap the entire
double track system when the NDC comes back to power in 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We will abolish the current shift (double track)
system, reintroduce the more efficient three-term per academic year programme,
and bring back the emphasis on skills training, technical and vocational
education to provide students with more options, as they go forward with their
choices in diverse career and aptitude paths,” Mr. Mahama, who is seeking to
lead the NDC once again after his humiliating defeat in 2016, posted on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Facebook.</i></b></span><b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Two
Semesters</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The double-track system, which is similar to the
two-semester system run by tertiary institutions, was introduced due to the
implementation of the free SHS policy by the Akufo-Addo administration, which
has significantly increased enrolment at the secondary level.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It seeks to ease congestion in public senior high
schools once and for all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Addressing NDC supporters in Cape Coast last Friday,
Mr. Mahama suggested that President Akufo-Addo and his government did not think
through the double track system before implementing it, despite all the
contingency plans put in place by the government to ensure the smooth running
of the programme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I believe that if Ghanaians come together we can
come out with a workable timetable and schedule for implementing free SHS,
because the double track system is not understandable,” he fired during the
campaign trail.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We just finished vacation, children have been at
home for almost three months, it’s time to go to school and you say they should
stay back home for another 41 days and let their friends go so they can also go
after that time. It doesn’t make sense and that is because our friends don’t
listen to advice,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He took his ‘anti-free SHS’ agenda to </span><b><i><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Facebook,
</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">saying
that “we will also implement a crash programme to complete all the remaining
abandoned Community Day Schools and construct additional ones in areas of high
demand to be able to provide increased access and avoid the current congestion
being experienced due to the current poor implementation of the programme.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Education is key to our country’s development. Free
education is a public good, as demonstrated by my administration. Free Education
Must Be implemented in a manner that is sustainable and does not compromise
quality. A new NDC government will improve the free SHS programme and make it
better,” adding “NDC will improve learning outcomes, teaching, teacher
development and supervision across all schools.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said “a National Stakeholders Conference will be
organised to bring together headmasters, parents, teachers, educationists,
labour, politicians, traditional leaders, religious groups, CSOs, students and
others to further review and chart a sustainable course for the implementation
of free education for our children and country.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Free
SHS Aversion</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Mahama has not hidden his hatred for the entire free
SHS policy, and when he was in office he spent huge amounts of money to
discredit then opposition leader Nana Akufo-Addo for proposing the policy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said that if the NDC returns to power in 2020
with him in the lead, his government would ensure a review of the whole free
SHS programme.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He did not suggest how he would implement it to
bring about the so-called ‘quality of education’ he keeps talking about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I believe that if Ghanaians come together we can
come out with a workable timetable and schedule for implementing free SHS,
because the double track system is not understandable. We have talked about
this national stakeholders’ conference for so long but they have refused to
hold it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tarkwa
Sermon</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last November at an NDC Unity Walk in Tarkwa in the
Western Region, Mr. Mahama said it was not ‘by force’ for President Akufo-Addo
to implement the free SHS policy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Why should the government introduce free education
now when the Constitution says it should be done progressively? In fact, it’s
not by force to introduce free SHS now,” he quizzed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The NDC has always maintained that it would take the
next 20 years for free SHS policy to be implemented.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After realizing the political implications of his
statement in Tarkwa, Mr. Mahama posted on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Facebook</i></b> that “there are no ‘naysayers’
when it comes to free SHS. After all it was recognized and enshrined in our
constitution by the ordinary people of this nation who gathered at the
Consultative Assembly and drew up the 1992 Constitution.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-86981157769837851952018-10-02T10:04:00.001+01:002018-10-02T10:04:13.449+01:00KOJO BONSU DUMPS MAHAMA…JOINS NDC RACE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Tuesday
October 02, 2018</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Former Chief Executive of the Kumasi
Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) Kojo Bonsu has ditched the camp of former President
John Dramani Mahama in a dramatic turn of events, as he puts himself up for
election to lead the National Democratic Congress (NDC).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">He has always been pushing for the
former President’s second coming to lead the opposition NDC, but has now
decided to contest him for the same position for the 2020 election.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">The former KMA boss, who is not new to
controversy, sent his notification of intent to vie for the flagbearership
position of the NDC to the General-Secretary in Accra yesterday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Unity
Walk</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">According
to Kojo Bonsu, who has spearheaded the organization of the NDC’s ‘Unity Walk’
throughout the country to project the Mahama 2020 agenda, he is making a sudden
U-turn because he believes he is “energized and humbled by the opportunity to
serve the NDC and the people of Ghana.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">“It
is with a sense of unwavering commitment and declaration that I declare my
intention to run for the position of the NDC flagbearer and to commence my
publicity campaign. I do this in accordance with your announcement that those
wishing to contest the upcoming NDC elections should notify your office in
writing.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">He
is of the conviction that his “broad experience as entrepreneur, businessman,
corporate leader, sports administrator, life-long social democrat and public
servant can be used to make a meaningful and lasting contribution towards
unifying the NDC and leading it to victory in 2020.”<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Total
Snub</span></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">DAILY GUIDE’s</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"> sources say
Kojo Bonsu has decided to enter the NDC flagberaership race because he has been
rejected by former President Mahama as the party’s running mate.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">The former President is said to be
considering his former Chief of Staff Prosper K. Bani as his running mate if
given the nod.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Unconfirmed reports say that Mr. Mahama
held a meeting with Mr. Bani and promised to make him his running mate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">The meeting took place at Mr Bani’s
residence at Kpando in the Volta Region on Tuesday, September 25, where many
constituency chairmen and other party executives were in attendance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">The event, which has since been dubbed,
‘The Kpando Declaration’ appears to have caused apprehension among some of the
regional executives, some of whom were not invited for the so-called meeting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Regional Chairman, John Gyapong Kudjoe,
Regional Vice Chairman, Henry Ametefe, Regional Secretary James Gunu and the
Regional Organizer, Siki Abibu, were said to be in attendance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Kojo
Bonsu had always been ‘promised’ the running mate slot and that was the reason
why he coordinated the controversial NDC ‘Unity Walk’ during which only Mr.
Mahama was allowed to make speeches to the chagrin of the other contenders.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Courtesy Call</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Last
week, Kojo Bonsu paid a courtesy call on the founder of the NDC, former
President JJ Rawlings at his office at North Ridge in Accra to formally seek
his blessing for the contest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">President Rawlings later tweeted on
Friday, 28 September: “I received @KOJOBONSU10 and his team today. I wished him
well. He has a determined spirit.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">He displayed a handful of pictures of
the man and his team on the handle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">The entry of Kojo Bonsu into the race
brings to 12 the total number of NDC leaders jostling to become the party’s
flagbearer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">They include President Mahama, who wants
a second shot at the presidency after his government was booted out in 2016 for
poor performance, former Rector of the University of Professional Studies
(UPSA) Professor Joshua Alabi, former Minister of Trade and Industry Ekwow
Spio-Garbrah and Second Deputy Speaker and NDC MP for Nadowli Kaleo Alban
Kingsford Sumana Bagbin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Former Chief Executive Officer of the
National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Sylvester A. Mensah; former Central
Regional Minister and NDC MP for Cape Coast South, George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan;
returnee Augustus Goosie O. Tanoh ; a lawyer and member of the NDC’s
Communications Team Elipklim Agbemava; a banker and oil and gas consultant
Nurudeen Iddrisu and David Doste Kwame Kuwadah and maverick Stephen Atubiga,
aka Latrician or Acolatse, have all declared their intention to contest the
former President in the upcoming primaries. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-7810644408127349012018-09-30T14:56:00.001+01:002018-09-30T14:56:11.811+01:00AMIDU FUNDS READY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Saturday
September 29, 2018</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Attorney General and Minister of Justice Gloria
Akuffo appears ‘shocked’ at the supposed ‘outburst’ of Special Prosecutor
Martin. A.B.K. Amidu.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Amidu, a former Attorney General, has been in
the news lately for suggesting that appointees of the president in sensitive positions
in the government are not cooperating with his office to prosecute corrupt
public officials.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, the AG said as far as her ministry is
concerned, “there’s no breakdown in the way the Special Prosecutor’s Office
should handle issues and added that all the problems related to the funding of the
Office were being addressed by the Chief of Staff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Amidu, whose appointment strengthened President
Akufo-Addo’s determination to fight corruption, was quoted as saying during a
National Audit Forum organised by the Ghana Audit Service that “you ask for
information and you can’t get it; you ask for a docket and the docket cannot be
produced. You ask a minister for a record and the record cannot be produced.
How do you fight corruption when those appointed by the president, who has a
vision, are not coordinating with the office of the special prosecutor to
achieve his mandate? That is the challenge we have to face.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Responding to the concerns raised by Mr Amidu, the AG
said all the issues raised by Mr. Amidu are being addressed by the Chief of
Staff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I have held meetings with him (Mr. Amidu) that
requires sharing ideas about the goings on in the banking industry; we have
shared ideas about how we should go about investigating and prosecuting it,
there’s no time that he had sought to speak with me that I haven’t spoken to
him,” she told <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Starr FM</i></b> in Accra.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On concerns over logistics, the AG said the process of
resourcing the Special Prosecutor’s Office is ongoing since all the various
procurement procedures must be followed to the letter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“. . . if you begin to speak like that, it is as
though the impression has been created that I have been virulent in my duty to
set up that office. I’m saying that’s not the case,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Later, a deputy Attorney-General, Joseph D. Kpemka,
disclosed on Multi TV channel on Joy News that there is already an ongoing
process by the government to advance critical funds to the Office of the
Special Prosecutor by next week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said the swift action is to quell misconception
by a section of the public that there is a deliberate attempt to frustrate the
work of the Special Prosecutor in the fight against corruption.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Within this week and next, in terms of financial
resources, something will be released. But long-term, as I have spoken about,
adequate equipment are supposed to be made available, vehicles are supposed to
be procured for the Office,” he said on PM Express on Thursday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“There was no way that we could suddenly have
acquired vehicles and offices and etc. before we went through the processes of
passing the (Special Prosecutor’s) Bill into the law; we had to pass it into
law then we can start the process of implementing it,” he explained.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Particularly, opposition National Democratic
Congress (NDC) has been using Mr. Amidu’s concerns to taunt President
Akufo-Addo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But a deputy Chief of Staff Samuel Abu Jinapor said
no individual or political grouping should cry ‘wolf’ if Mr. Amidu’s Office
begins to swing into full action.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said such persons must remain ‘consistent’ and
not accuse government of witch-hunting when the Special Prosecutor moves for
those suspected to have been involved in corruption.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said although there have been delays in passing
the Legislative Instrument that governs the Office of the Special Prosecutor,
the hiccups have nothing to do with the perceived lack of commitment by the
government to fight corruption.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said the draft legislative instrument is ready
and would be laid on the floor when Parliament reconvenes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It was borne purely out of legal and governance
constraints put on us rightly by the Parliament of Ghana,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He added that before the instrument would be put
together, the law required that the Board of the Special Prosecutor’s Office be
constituted and a Deputy Special Prosecutor be appointed which have since been
done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Jinapor said the government is ready to lay the
document on the floor of Parliament after overcoming the ‘hurdles.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He gave an assurance that the Office would be fully
functional very soon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-19515192187985408242018-09-28T09:34:00.000+01:002018-09-28T09:34:03.658+01:00IMF BOUNCE NDC OVER SINO DEAL<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Friday
September 28, 2018</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has stated
that the $2 billion barter deal between the Akufo-Addo administration and
Sinohydro Corporation of China that is going to bring about massive
infrastructural development, especially in the road sector, cannot constitute a
loan.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The official response from the IMF has left the
opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) flatfooted, as it tried to sabotage
the whole arrangement recently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It emerged that NDC took a collective decision to
carry out the sabotage which was allegedly backed by former President John
Mahama.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to sources, the opposition party is
pushing hard to thwart the deal so that President Akufo-Addo and his government
would fail to initiate any tangible developmental projects, especially roads,
before the 2020 general elections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">That way, they will turn around to taunt President
Akufo-Addo for failing to significantly develop the country which would give
them electoral advantage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Official
Confirmation</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Information Minister-designate, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah,
confirmed on radio that the IMF Team met officials at the Ministry of Finance
and later the Finance Committee of Parliament and confirmed that the
arrangement with the Chinese cannot qualify as a loan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said the IMF determined that the arrangement is
not backed with a government guarantee after the NDC Minority in Parliament
reported the government to the Bretton Woods institution to punish Ghana for
going for a loan.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Barter
Transaction</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The barter transaction is basically tied to some
massive bauxite deposits in the country where the government is expected to
repay with relined bauxite (alumina/aluminum).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The government has been insisting that the whole
transaction is barter and also declared that the constitutional provisions used
in bringing the deal to parliament do not apply to loans alone but all
international agreements.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The NDC, sensing that the $2 billion barter
agreement could serve as a catalyst for infrastructural development of the
country and possibly dwindle its electoral fortunes, dashed to the IMF’s Office
in Accra on August 10 to attempt to get the Bretton Woods institution to
classify the agreement as a loan which will end up increasing the country’s
debt stock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Illegal
Deal<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They wanted the IMF to stop the deal because they
claimed it was ‘illegal’ even though the same political grouping had helped in
passing the agreement in Parliament before the House went on recess in late
July.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The opposition party members on the Finance
Committee deliberated on the Master Project Support Agreement (MPSA) between
the government of Ghana and Sinohydro Corporation Limited for the $2 billion
for the construction of priority infrastructural projects before the committee’s
report was laid in the House for approval.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Complex
Transaction</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last month, the IMF’s resident representative in
Accra, Natalia Koliadina, in response to a letter written and signed by
Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, and Cassiel Ato Forson, who is a ranking
Member of the Finance Committee, said she could not readily give an answer to
the queries raised by the NDC because of the complexity of the transaction.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“You asked the IMF opinion on whether the agreement
between the government of Ghana and Sinohydro Corporation should be classified
as government debt under the programme, and whether it would contribute to the
stock of government debt,” the resident representative said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We will use the definition of government debt in
the Technical Memorandum of Understanding which has not changed since the
inception of the programme to make this decision.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The IMF said, “Given the complexity of the
transaction, I am unable to answer your question immediately. I have been in
consultations with headquarters, including the Legal Department, and we are
going to discuss this issue with the authorities during the upcoming seventh
review mission under the Extended Credit Facility.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">DAILY
GUIDE</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> has learnt that the first tranche of $500 million
has already hit Ghana’s accounts to allow the commencement of the projects.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bawumia
Factor</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who led the
Economic Management Team to negotiate the agreement with the Chinese, has
already described the deal as a game-changer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said the NPP government wants to prove to
Ghanaians what $2 billion can do for a nation like Ghana.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Priority
Projects</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The priority projects of the government of Ghana to
be funded under the MPSA comprise: rural electrification, construction of
hospitals and clinics, bridges, interchanges, roads, affordable housing,
fishing landing sites, and other projects that would be identified by the
government of Ghana.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tamale, the hometown of Haruna Iddrisu, will be
witnessing its first interchange in history under the Chinese deal.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finance
Committee</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament, Dr.
Mark Assibey Yeboah, explained that under the MPSA, Sinohydro would be
responsible for arranging the project financing for all the priority projects
subject to the mutual agreement of the parties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Sinohydro shall be solely responsible to enter into
the financing agreement (s) with any financial institution that agrees to
provide the project financing,” he said when the agreement was being approved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He also said the committee was further informed that
the MPSA is essentially a “barter” facility under which Sinohydro will
implement various EPC contracts for Ghana and the government repays with relined
bauxite (alumina/aluminum).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Already the Integrated Alumina Development Authority
Bill has been passed by Parliament awaiting presidential assent to kick-start
Ghana’s industrialization process. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“To enhance and maximise the value to Ghana of its
bauxite resources, the committee was informed that government, through the
Ghana Integrated Bauxite and Alumina Development Authority (GIBADA), will
establish a bauxite processing plant to process the raw bauxite into alumina
before shipping same to service the obligations under the MPSA,” he said,
adding “presently raw bauxite is said to trade at about $24/tonne on the
international market whilst processed alumina trades at more than $300/tonne.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-30842394953198993372018-09-27T09:27:00.004+01:002018-09-27T09:27:53.467+01:00MAHAMA HITS CAMPAIGN TRAIL<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Thursday
September 27, 2018</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Former President
John Dramani Mahama yesterday hit the ground running in his bid to lead the
opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) once again in the 2020 presidential
election.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">He superintended
over the party’s worst electoral defeat when he polled 44.40% on December 7,
2016.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">A statement from
his office signed by James Agyenim Boateng, a former deputy minister, said Mr.
Mahama and his entourage would spend four days in the Central Region.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He mentioned constituencies like Awutu Senya East
and West, Gomoa East, Agona East and West, Gomoa Central and Efutu as places where
they would visit, adding that “he will also visit other constituencies during
his campaign tour of the region.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Mr. Mahama is scheduled to meet regional and
constituency executives, as well as delegates of the National Democratic
Congress. He will share his vision with delegates and seek their mandate to
lead the NDC to victory in the 2020 election. The former president is due to
return to Accra on Saturday,” the statement said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is unclear when the party will hold the primary
to select its flag bearer as the tentative date of December 7 appears to be doubtful
because the election of national executives who would oversee the primary has
not been conducted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Official
Declaration</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On August 23, he officially wrote to the leadership
of the NDC through the party’s general-secretary to declare his <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">i</b>ntention to contest again.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He later appeared in a short video to say that he is
seeking a second shot at the presidency because he believes he owes a duty to
God and the country to do so.<span style="color: black;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">His declaration
ended months of speculation about his intention to make a comeback.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Some
of his appointees during his tenure sent the letter of intent to the NDC’s
hierarchy at its headquarters at Adabraka Accra.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">It’s
believed in NDC circles that ex-President Mahama is the only candidate with a
deep pocket to finance the party’s campaign for 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Daniel
Ohene Agyekum, who led the Mahama Team to the party’s headquarters, said the
former president is the NDC’s best ‘hope’ of returning to power.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">Mr
Agyekum, a former Ghana’s ambassador to the United States said: “Despite our
deep respect for all the individuals within our party who have put themselves
up for the same slot, we have shown up here in this number because we genuinely
believe that President John Mahama represents our best hope of a quick return
to power to continue the transformation agenda for a Better Ghana as evidenced
in the very good work JM did between 2013 and 2016, but which was unfortunately
truncated through the obvious deception of the NPP.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;">He
was accompanied by former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah; Valerie Sawyer; Victor
Smith; Inusah Fuseini and a host of MPs.</span><b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p>M</o:p></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">ahama’s Admission</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 15.0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Mr. Mahama, in the short video, clearly admitted
that things were not done right during his tenure which compelled the
electorate to boot him out of office.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He claimed Ghanaians are currently crying over
economic hardship, hence his decision to lead the opposition NDC into the 2020
election.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I have prayed diligently about the task ahead, and
I believe I owe a duty to God and my country to take our great party back to
government to right the wrongs of the past and to put an end to the cries of
the people under the current dispensation,” he said in a short video he posted
on social media platform Facebook.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Open
Secret</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was an open secret that Mr. Mahama was lacing his
boots to run for president again and used the so-called NDC Unity Walk to test
the ground, and therefore submitting a letter officially to declare his
intention did not come as a surprise to many political observers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Other NDC aspirants and gurus in the party have
cautioned that the NDC would be doomed if Mr. Mahama is elected to lead them in
2020 because according to them, he supervised the worst NDC electoral defeat in
the history of the party.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some have also described him as ‘damaged goods,’ who
cannot win the next election, especially when the NDC has not fully assessed
why it performed abysmally in the 2016 elections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, Mr Mahama is adamant and appears to have
already set up his machinery for 2020.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Official
Letter<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I am happy to confirm that I have submitted my
letter to the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress confirming
my decision to contest the position of the flag bearer for the NDC when the
party opens nominations later this year,” he said in the short video.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He explained that “In coming to this firm decision,
I have pondered deeply and soberly on the socio-economic and political
landscape of our country today vis-a-vis the clear path we had started to build
aimed at positioning Ghana as a true middle-income country by modernizing our
dilapidated social and economic infrastructure and gradually inculcating in the
Ghanaian a sense of patriotism, self-belief and commitment to a one Ghana
agenda.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Groundswell
of Support</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said, “I have taken into consideration the
groundswell of support, the never-ending calls and encouragement from a large
section of our party elders, members of our party, supporters and Ghanaians
from diverse backgrounds,” adding “the 2020 election presents our party, the
NDC, with a great opportunity to offer yet again visionary leadership driven by
a commitment to create opportunities for all our people, not just a few.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The former president said “our collective victory in
2020 will end the increasing hardship, expand the base of our economy, create
more sustainable jobs, ensure shared prosperity for all and pursue good
governance, including peace, unity and security.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“As a servant leader, I have listened with deep
respect to the elders of our party, to members of our party and Ghanaians from
all walks of life, and I am honoured to avail myself for truthful, transparent,
selfless, unifying and dedicated service to the NDC, and above all to the good
people of Ghana.”</span><b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2016
Trouncing</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Mahama’s hopes of securing a second term in
office in 2016 after his controversial victory in 2012 were dashed when he was
humiliated at polls by then presidential candidate of the opposition New
Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With huge incumbency advantage coupled with flagrant
abuse of state resources in the campaign, Mr. Mahama polled 4,713,277 votes,
representing 44.40% as against the NPP candidate’s 5,716,026 53.8%, representing
53.85%.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While Nana Akufo-Addo’s votes appreciated
significantly and that of NDC’s John Mahama declined, with then president-elect
widening the gap with over 1,002,749 votes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-34832182324938211912018-09-25T09:42:00.002+01:002018-09-25T09:42:39.173+01:00EOCO BATTLES EX-BOST BOSS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Tuesday
September 25, 2018</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">A former Managing
Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST) Limited
under the previous Mahama administration, Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko is missing,
according to the Economic and Organised Crime Organization (EOCO).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">After publications
that the anti-graft body was pursuing him, Mr. Awuah-Darko came out to say that
he had always been available, but EOCO is insisting that he cannot be traced in
respect of his alleged role in the ‘rot’ at BOST.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">New Twist</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">A source at EOCO
told <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DAILY
GUIDE</i></b> exclusively that the authorities cannot trace his whereabouts and
tell the nature of his purported ailment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">“We wrote to Mr.
Awuah-Darko to come and assist in investigations into his leadership at BOST
but there was no response,” a top source at EOCO said, adding “he is not in the
country.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">He said a letter
dated 27<sup>th</sup> June was written to inform EOCO that he was receiving
treatment for an undisclosed ailment at an unnamed location outside the
jurisdiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">“We do not know
where he is and cannot tell the nature of his ailment and besides there is no medical
proof of his sickness,” the source added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">“We want him to
assist in investigations not proxy responses. We are a friendly organization
and our doors are always open. Let him fly down from wherever he is so he can
assist in investigations.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Continuing, the
source added that “EOCO is a friendly organization and all we want is for him to
come and assist in the ongoing investigations”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">BOST Saga</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">It is turning out
the GH¢40.5 million allegedly transferred from the BOST to the Mahama administration
constitutes just a fraction of the mess that characterized Mr. Awuah-Darko’s
leadership at the state oil facility. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">The real amount of
money allegedly misappropriated is believed to be in excess of hundreds of
millions of cedis, according to a forensic audit report on some state-owned
companies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Some top officials
of BOST have also been cited in the report for misappropriating public funds
and have been asked to account for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Mr. Awuah-Darko,
according to the forensic audit, allegedly misappropriated GH¢109,498,565 and
$33,305,527, and funds transferred to the Chief of Staff alone was
GH¢83,567,206 aside from the GH¢40.5 million earlier reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">The report said the
former Board Chairman of BOST Kakra Essamuah should also account for
GH¢1,941,527.00 and $3,741,527.00.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">According to the
report, George Aborah, former General Manager, Finance at BOST, allegedly
misappropriated GH¢86,418,225.00 and $8,088,986 and should ‘account’ for the money.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">The report also
cited Mr. Aborah for allegedly transferring GH¢40,500,000 to the Chief of Staff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">He was also cited for
procurement irregularities amounting to GH¢14, 272, 126.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Mr Aborah is also to
account for GH¢2,539,624.55 as “excess cash management and transfer fees
charged by First Atlantic Bank.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">The report further
said GKA Consultancy Services, owned by Mr. Aborah, had misappropriated
GH¢2,800,000 and $647,000 and therefore should account for that amount.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Project Manager of
BOST, Ato Wilson was cited for procurement irregularities amounting to
GH¢14,272, 126 and should account for $9,572.34.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Awuah-Darko Rejoinder</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Last week when EOCO
caused publications to be issued to the effect that it could not trace Mr. Awuah-Darko,
he released a rejoinder, saying “EOCO is not and cannot be chasing me since
they know of my whereabouts, so the story that EOCO is chasing me is palpably
false…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">He also denied
claims that he supervised the illegal transfer of huge amounts of money into an
account held by the Chief of Staff (CoS) under the Mahama presidency.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Narrating how EOCO
got in touch with him, Mr. Awuah-Darko said “on receipt of their letter I
called the office and spoke to the DG’s assistant. I followed our conversation
up with a letter which I copied my lawyers on. In my response to EOCO, I gave
them my telephone number and my email on which I could be reached on. EOCO has
not responded to my letter either by email or by phone to date.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">He said “they
dropped a letter off in my house somewhere towards the end of March and early
May, which was sent to me by my office in Accra. This account is not a fake
account, neither is the Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic of
Ghana a fake position.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Forensic Audit</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">The government
sanctioned forensic audit was conducted by reputable international auditing
firms into the affairs of those agencies and others where massive looting of
state resources through procurements and deliberate stealing of money running
into several billion Ghana cedis were detected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">According to the
auditors, there were massive breaches of the Public Procurement Law (Act 663,
2003) and the Public Procurement (Amendment) Law (Act 914, 2016) and mentioned
some of them as “inflation of contracts sums and non-performance of contracts.
Others include non-enforcement and breach of contracts.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">The auditors also
discovered “breach of the provision of the Financial Administration Regulation,
2004 (L.I. 1802), such as cash disbursement without authorization, deposit of
public funds into personal accounts and failing to account for accountable
travelling allowances.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Sources said the
revelations are just the tip of the iceberg of the corruption that
characterized the previous Mahama administration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Amidu Alert<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">The names of the gurus
at BOST, alongside former heads of six state-owned agencies which appeared in
the special forensic audit report, have since been submitted to the office of
the Special Prosecutor, headed by former Attorney General Martin A.B.K. Amidu
and the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Apart from the BOST
where the forensic audit was carried out, the other companies equally cited for
alleged wrongdoing are Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC), Microfinance and
Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB), Bulk Oil Storage
and Transportation Company (BOST), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and the
Ghana Technology University College (GTUC).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-82561155187302532018-09-24T10:20:00.003+01:002018-09-24T10:20:41.327+01:00FORMER GSA BOSS HOT OVER $1.2M ‘KICKBACK’<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Monday
September 24, 2018</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">The $1.2 million kickback scandal that rocked the former
Executive Director of the Ghana Standard Authority (GSA), Dr. George Ben-Crentsil,
has resurfaced, with the case likely to end in court.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to a forensic audit report, Dr.
Ben-Crentsil was said to have allegedly collected $1.2 million from Lemet
Construction Company; the firm that he awarded a contract to build a new
training school and hostel facility for the GSA during the erstwhile National
Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.</span><b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Further
Malfeasance</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Apart from the alleged $1.2 million kickback, the
government’s forensic audit report further indicted the former GSA boss for
misappropriating GH¢1,655.019 and $523,697 and has recommended that he should
be made to account for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Head of Procurement at GSA, Delali Sabblah, was
also cited for procurement irregularities at the cost of GH¢9,156,266.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">EOCO
Probe</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In May last year, Economic and Organised Crime
Office (EOCO) reportedly commenced investigations into allegations levelled
against Dr. Ben-Crenstil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At the time, an investigative report indicated that former
executive director received $1.2 million as kickback from a contractor of the
state agency.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lemet Construction Company was said to have worked
on a new block of the Standards Authority Training School at a cost of over GH¢15
million.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Spio’s
Committee<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The contractor did not state why he gave out the
money but the report indicated Dr. Crentsil admitted receiving the cash when he
appeared before a committee set up by then Minister of Trade and Industry,
Ekwow Spio-Garbrah.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The money, according to the committee’s report, was
paid in two installments by the contractor, the first being $1million and on
another occasion, $200,000.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Part of the report read, “The executive director admitted
taking money from the contractor but refused to state how much, stating it was
a sensitive matter.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In July 2012, GSA awarded the GH¢15.2 million
contract to Lemet Construction Company to build a new training school and
hostel facility for the Ghana Standards Authority in Accra.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sources at the Authority say the contractor, Johnson
Teye, failed to meet the deadline for completion of the project due to lack of
funds and the board raised queries about the matter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr Spio-Gabrah, then Trade Minister, ordered an
investigation into the contract based on an anonymous letter from a management
member of the Authority.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Spio later told the media that “after I received the
first anonymous letter, I called the executive director of Ghana Standards
Board and quizzed him on the complaints. But, when I received the second
letter, I directed the board to investigate the matter. I, however, wasn’t able
to take action because the report was submitted when I was leaving office.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No
Comment</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">When <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Joy FM</i>
contacted Dr. Ben-Crentsil, he declined to comment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The committee’s report revealed that the contractor
provided materials and personnel to complete a three-bedroom storey building
for Dr. Crentsil at East Legon, a suburb of Accra, but the ex-executive
director denied that allegation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He also denied ownership of a hospital at East Legon
as revealed by the investigations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Forensic
Audit</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The government sanctioned forensic audit was
conducted by reputable international auditing firms into the affairs of those
agencies and others where massive looting of state resources through
procurements and deliberate stealing of money running into several billion
Ghana cedis were detected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the auditors, there were massive
breaches of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663) and the Public
Procurement (Amendment) Act, 2016 (Act 914) and mentioned some of them as
“inflation of contracts sums and non-performance of contracts. Others include
non-enforcement and breach of contracts.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The auditors also discovered “breach of the
provision of the Financial Administration Regulation, 2004 (L.I. 1802), such as
cash disbursement without authorization, deposit of public funds into personal
accounts and failing to account for accountable travelling allowances.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sources said the revelations are just the tip of the
iceberg in terms of the corruption that characterized the previous Mahama
administration.</span><b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Amidu
Alert</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The forensic audit report, which has cited Dr Ben
Crenstil and former heads of six state-owned agencies, has since been submitted
to the office of the Special Prosecutor, headed by former Attorney General
Martin A.B.K. Amidu and the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Apart from the GSA where the forensic audit was
carried out, the other companies equally cited for alleged wrongdoing are Ghana
Gas Company Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Ghana Free Zones
Board (GFZB), Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), Ghana
Standards Authority (GSA) and the Ghana Technology University College (GTUC).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-47792964397392377682018-09-23T15:00:00.001+01:002018-09-23T15:00:36.813+01:00$100M GHANA GAS CHOPPERS DEAL STINKS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Saturday
September 22, 2018</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">A government sanctioned forensic audit has revealed
that the acquisition of helicopters worth over $61 million by Ghana National
Gas Company (GNGC) caused financial loss to the state because the choppers were
never utilized.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The four Z-9EH helicopters bought from China for
surveillance by Ghana Gas during the previous Mahama administration at the
total cost of $100 million ($25m each) was commissioned by then President John
Mahama in September 2015.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Financial
Loss</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the forensic audit report, “The
helicopters purchased from China National Aero Technology Import and Export
Corporation (CATIC) have never been used for the purpose of its purchase,
causing the state to lose $54,800,000.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It also said a loss of $5,958,366.76 was incurred
because “equipment for the helicopters were not delivered even though it was
part of the contract price”, while another loss of $300,000, being abnitio
training cost not fully utilized for its intended purpose was caused, bringing
the total to $61,058,366.76.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The report mentioned Ghana Gas Board Chairman Prof.
Kwesi Botchwey and other members like Dr. George Sipa-Adja Yankey, who was the
CEO of the state-owned company; Eric Yankah; Thomas Manu and Dr. Valerie
Sawyerr, a former deputy Chief of Staff, should be held responsible.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the report, there were procurement
irregularities, totalling GH¢76,802,760.39 against Memphis Metropolitan Limited
(GH¢34,452,650.22) and Kingspok Company Limited (GH¢42,351,110.17) in the
contract.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It also cited Kassim Baluri Bukari for procurement
irregularities in the contract of Worrall Lees and Associates
(GH¢1,713,375.21), as well as contracts to Technip UK Ltd and another payment
made to Tullow Ghana Limited, all totalling $4,108,378.60.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Freda Maame Bartels Mensah was also cited in the
report for ‘procurement irregularities’ in the contract with Adeabs Catering
Services at the cost of GH¢6,688,986.56.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Valerie’s
Fury<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the ensuing heat, one of the NDC gurus cited in
the report has issued a statement condemning what she termed ‘deep sea fishing
expedition by the government against the former board members of Ghana Gas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dr Valerie Sawyerr wondered how the forensic audit
team could come to those conclusions without allegedly giving them a hearing,
and accused the NPP government of ‘running’ what she called “roughshod over
laid down rules and regulations.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Is the current management of Ghana Gas looking for
lost helicopters? Did we take the helicopters with us when we left office?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">She continued: “Was the so-called investigator aware
that the board members he listed in his ‘awam’ report were not the Ghana Gas
board members on January 6, 2017, just before government changed hands? Or did
a very simple thing like that escape his eager digging claws?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did he contact the board members that came
after our board to find out if the helicopters are under their beds?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Transition
Debate</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During the transition, the Co-chair of the Ghana
Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (GHEITI), Dr. Steve Manteaw, had
questioned the whereabouts of the helicopters and said they had not conducted a
single surveillance activity although they were procured at a very high cost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Dr. Anthony Akoto Osei, Minister for Monitoring and
Evaluation, had also insisted that the purchase of the helicopters was a
rip-off. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said initially seven helicopters were bought for
$100million, but added that they were overpriced since each cost $8 million but
the NDC government brought them in for $25 million each.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The four could have just cost the nation $32
million and not $ 100 million…go to the Americas and we would get them for less
instead of purchasing them at that expensive cost from China,” he queried.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Explaining how the helicopters were procured, the
minister said Ghana acquired a loan from the Chinese Development Bank and added
that the loan application was not presented to parliament despite opposition
from then Minority NPP.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said that with the change of power, the new
government could hold its predecessor to greater accountability.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Fortunately, the main characters in the Ghana Gas
Project are still around and we can call them to come and clarify issues for
us…I will demand in parliament that they come and clarify issues on the award
of contracts and others,” he added.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The names of the Ghana Gas officials, alongside
other heads of six state-owned agencies, which appeared in the special forensic
audit report, have since been submitted to the Office of the Special
Prosecutor, headed by former Attorney General Martin A.B.K. Amidu and the Economic
and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) for investigations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Apart from Ghana Gas, Microfinance and Small Loans
Centre (MASLOC), Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB), Bulk Oil Storage and
Transportation Company (BOST), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and the Ghana
Technology University College (GTUC) have equally been cited in the forensic
audit report for alleged wrongdoing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-40326188976144554582018-09-21T14:02:00.001+01:002018-09-21T14:02:32.729+01:00MAHAMA GIRL IN TROUBLE OVER GH¢3.1 M MASLOC CASH<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Friday
September 21, 2018</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">The immediate-past Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) under previous Mahama
administration is likely to face prosecution for alleged corruption.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, according to a forensic
audit report, allegedly misappropriated GH¢3,193,592 and is therefore expected
to account for the huge amount of money.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ms Attionu and other former heads of six state-owned
agencies have been cited in the special forensic audit report which has since
been submitted to the Office of the Special Prosecutor, headed by former
Attorney General Martin A.B.K. Amidu.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Apart from MASLOC, Ghana National Gas Company
(GNGC), Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB), Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation
Company (BOST), Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and the Ghana Technology
University College (GTUC) have equally been cited in the forensic audit report
for alleged wrongdoing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Documents available to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DAILY GUIDE</i></b> showed that
forensic audit was conducted by reputable international auditing firms into the
affairs of those agencies and others where massive looting of state resources
through procurements and deliberate stealing of money running into several
billion of Ghana cedis were detected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the auditors, there were massive
breaches of the Public Procurement Law (Act 663, 2003) and the Public
Procurement (Amendment) Law (Act 914, 2016) and mentioned some of them as
“inflation of contracts sums and non-performance of contracts. Others include
non-enforcement and breach of contracts.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The auditors also discovered “breach of the
provision of the Financial Administration Regulation, 2004 (L.I. 1802), such as
cash disbursement without authorization, deposit of public funds into personal
accounts and failing to account for accountable travelling allowances.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Prior to the conduct of the forensic audit, there
were reports of massive corruption at MASLOC, with Sedina Tamakloe Ationu’s
name allegedly featuring prominently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the heat of the transition in 2017, an audit
report cited the ex-MASLOC boss for allegedly withdrawing GH¢500,000 belonging
to the agency.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the report, she allegedly invested the
funds in a private non-banking financial institution called Obaatanpa Microfinance
but reportedly failed to pay back the money into the stated accounts of MASLOC.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The report indicated that MASLOC invested the funds in
a 91-day fixed deposit with Obaatanpa Microfinance Ltd at an interest rate of
26% per annum in July 2014, but the former CEO allegedly wrote a letter on
August 28, 2014 instructing Obaatanpa to terminate the investment and pay back
the money. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It said that although there is evidence that the
amount was paid as directed by Sedina, there is no proof of the amount having
been paid back into the accounts of MASLOC.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"Mrs Sedina Tamakloe should be held responsible
for the refund of the amount of GH¢500,000 with interest in accordance with
regulations 61(5) of the Financial Management Act, 2003 (654),” the auditors
recommended.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the report, over GH¢2 million was
approved in 2016 for the implementation of sensitization programmes across the
country but that cannot be accounted for under Ms Attionu.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The report said based on the budget, MASLOC planned
outreach programmes in all 10 regions in 2016 and a budget of GH¢1,706,000 was
approved by the then MASLOC Board at its 27th general meeting held on April 26,
2016, for the implementation of those programmes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tricycles
Case</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another scandal that hit MASLOC, which is a microfinance
responsible for implementing the government’s pro-poor credit scheme, was the
award of contract for the supply of 1,000 tricycles to the tune of
GH¢10,000,000.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It meant that MASLOC charged the taxpayer GH¢10,000
per tricycle when on the open market it’s being sold at about GH¢5,000.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The contract was awarded on November 7, 2016, just
one month to the crucial general elections even though Ms Attionu wrote to the
Public Procurement Authority (PPA) as far back as May 4, 2016, for approval.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is not clear if the contract was executed in view
of the change of government.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Documents showed that Crisjoe Company Limited, Spell
Trust Limited and IEL Logitistics Limited were the beneficiaries of MASLOC’s
alleged inflated contract through restricted tender.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Her lawyers, in a later to the media, warned all
those circulating the stories about corruption allegations against the ex-CEO, threatening
to sue for defamation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Her lead counsel, Victor K. Adawudu, in a statement
issued at the time, disclosed that “the said publication contains statements
that are highly defamatory of our client and calculated to ridicule her person
in the eyes of decent-thinking people and society as a whole.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-90919459045711936442018-09-20T09:55:00.001+01:002018-09-20T09:55:06.113+01:00 PROSECUTING CORRUPT OFFICIALS…6 CASES SENT TO AMIDU OVER MASSIVE FRAUDULENT DEALS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Thursday
September 20, 2018</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">Reports reaching </span><b style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><i>DAILY GUIDE</i></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> indicate that
the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, is busily working on some cases involving
fraudulent dealings in six state-owned agencies which have been referred to him.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Office of the Special Prosecutor is said to have
taken over the cases, and is investigating officials for causing financial loss
to the state.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The companies are Ghana National Gas Company (GNGC),
Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Ghana Free Zones Board (GFZB),
Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST), Ghana Standards Authority
(GSA) and the Ghana Technology University College (GTUC).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Documents available to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">DAILY GUIDE</i></b> showed that
forensic audit was conducted by reputable international auditing firms into the
affairs of the aforementioned agencies and others where massive looting of
state resources through procurements and deliberate stealing of money running
into several billion Ghana cedis were detected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the auditors, there were massive
breaches of the Public Procurement Law (Act 663, 2003) and the Public
Procurement (Amendment) Law (Act 914, 2016) and mentioned some of them as “inflation
of contracts sums and non-performance of contracts. Others include
non-enforcement and breach of contracts.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The auditors also discovered “breach of the
provision of the Financial Administration Regulation, 2004 (L.I. 1802), such as
cash disbursement without authorization, deposit of public funds into personal
accounts and failing to account for accountable travelling allowances.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to sources, this is just a tip of the
iceberg of the corruption that characterized the previous Mahama
administration. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Former President John Mahama has already dared the
current administration to prosecute him or his appointees if there is evidence
of wrongdoing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He also urged NDC supporters to flood courts in
solidarity with corrupt appointees who would be put before court.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">BOST
Saga<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is turning out the GH¢40.5 million allegedly
transferred from the BOST to the previous Mahama administration constitutes just
a fraction of the mess that characterized the state oil facility under the
leadership of Kinsley Kwame Awuah-Darko. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr Awuah-Darko, who is on self-imposed exile, is
said to have superintended over massive corruption at BOST.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The real amount allegedly misappropriated is
believed to be in excess of hundreds of millions of cedis, according to the
report from the forensic audit into some state-owned companies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some top officials of BOST have also been cited in
the report for misappropriation of public funds and are going to be asked to
account for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A former Managing Director Kingsley Kwame
Awuah-Darko, according to the forensic audit, allegedly misappropriated
GH¢109,498,565 and $33,305,527, and funds transferred to the Chief of Staff
alone was GH¢83,567,206 aside from the GH¢40.5million earlier reported.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The report said the former Board Chairman of BOST
Kakra Essamuah has to account for GH¢1,941,527.00 and $3,741,527.00.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the report, George Aborah, former General
Manager, Finance at BOST, allegedly misappropriated GH¢86,418,225.00 and
$8,088,986 and should ‘account’ for the amounts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The report also cited Mr Aborah for allegedly
transferring GH¢40,500,000 to the Chief of Staff and was also cited for
procurement irregularities amounting to GH</span><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">¢14, 272, 126.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">He is also to account for
GH¢2,539,624.55 as “excess cash management and transfer fees charged by First
Atlantic Bank.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The report further said
GKA Consultancy Services, owned by Mr. Aborah, misappropriated GH¢2,800,000 and
$647,000 and therefore should account for that amount.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Project Manager of BOST,
Ato Wilson, was cited for procurement irregularities amounting to GH¢14,272,
126 and should account for $9,572.34.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">More anon<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-58000620017326336302018-09-19T10:13:00.001+01:002018-09-19T10:13:26.411+01:00AWUAH-DARKO BREAKS SILENCE 0VER GH¢40M BOST CASH <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Wednesday
September 19, 2018</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">A former Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage
and Transportation Company (BOST) Limited under the previous Mahama
administration, Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko, has refuted claims that he is being
‘pursued’ by the Economic and Organised Crime Organization (EOCO).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He denied reports that a warrant had been issued for
his arrest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“EOCO is not and cannot be chasing me since they
know of my whereabouts,” he said, in a statement yesterday, insisting “so the
story that EOCO is chasing me is palpably false…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He also debunked claims that he supervised the
illegal transfer of huge sums into an account held by the Chief of Staff (CoS)
under the Mahama presidency.</span><b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CNA
Petition</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last week, a pressure group, Centre for National
Affairs (CNA), petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor to initiate
criminal investigations into what it claimed to be suspected illegal payments
from BOST to the previous Mahama administration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">They claimed the recipient’s account was Chief of
Staff’s Sundries Account No. 1, with account number 1018631473188 at the Bank
of Ghana (BoG), and the alleged illegal transfers were done from August 2015
until early January 2017 when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) handed
over to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after the December 7, 2016, general
elections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the statement, Mr Awuah-Darko said “the issue of
transfers to the CoS is not illegal as is being suggested…In fact if one wants
to steal money, why would one transfer the money to a statutory account held by
the Chief of Staff, which can be audited at any point in time?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Contacts
EOCO</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Narrating how EOCO got in touch with him, Mr.
Awuah-Darko said “on receipt of their letter, I called the office and spoke to
the DG’s assistant. I followed our conversation up with a letter which I copied
my lawyers on. In my response to EOCO, I gave them my telephone number and my
email on which I could be reached. EOCO has not responded to my letter either
by email or by phone to date.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said “they dropped off a letter in my house
somewhere towards the end of March and early May, which was sent to me by my
office in Accra. This account is not a fake account, neither is the Chief of
Staff of the President of the Republic of Ghana a fake position.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said, “BOST, as you are aware, is in charge of
fuel security in the country. BOST, by virtue of this mandate, took up the task
of supplying fuel to Armed Forces and the Presidency at the request of the CDS
(Admiral Quarshie) and the CoS because the Goods & Services Budget
allocated to them by MoFEP was inadequate to keep them operational.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Smooth
Sailing Situation</span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Awuah-Darko explained ‘needless to say our
hitherto smooth sailing situation with GOIL ran into serious reconciliation
issues as a result of the confusion around which fuel we supplied went to the
security services and which went to GOIL.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“After BOST made a number of regular monthly
supplies, probably in the region of 6 or 7 months, our attention was drawn to
the fact that we were not an OMC and as such we could not supply the military
directly and so we commenced the supply via Go Energy and GOIL whom we were
also supplying through the Strategic Reserve Petroleum Programme I had
instituted at BOST,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Fuel
Security<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said “it was at this point that a decision was
made that in order to avoid the reconciliation issues and not put the entire
fuel security programme at risk we come up with a solution that keeps the
Military and the Presidency’s fuel operations running.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Board
Approach<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Awuah-Darko said “in this respect, I went to my
Board and got approval that internally BOST funds this by putting 5 pesewas on
top of all our sales out of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Programme to fund
fueling the Presidency and selected security services.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Presidential request and approval via the Chief of
Staff’s Office, Ministerial approval via the Ministry of Petroleum were
captured in a memo and sent to the BOST Board, which also duly approved the
transaction,” adding “please note that approvals were granted at all levels to
protect the legitimacy of the transaction.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He said “EOCO knows this because they have
investigated the matter…In actual fact about three weeks ago my Board Chairman
Kakra Essamuah was invited by EOCO on this same issue, he provided the C’ssion
with all the relevant information in addition to confirming verbally to them
all the above.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">No
Security Fees<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">However, Bulk Oil Distributors have denied claims
that it paid GH¢40.5m in ‘security fees’ after revelations that they ended up
‘illegally’ in the Office of the Chief of Staff’s account.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Senyo Hosi, who is Chief Executive of the Chamber of
Bulk Oil Distributors, said on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Joy FM</i>
that ‘there is nothing like security fees in their invoices.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27189308.post-64093316316275020572018-09-18T10:26:00.002+01:002018-09-18T10:26:43.614+01:00AWUAH-DARKO DECLARED WANTED OVER BOST MISSING CASH<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Posted
on: </span></b><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt;"><a href="http://www.dailyguideghana.com/"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">www.dailyguideghana.com</span></b></a></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">By William
Yaw Owusu<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Segoe UI";">Tuesday
September 18, 2018</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;">The Economic and Organized Crime Organization (EOCO)
has reportedly mounted a manhunt for Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko, a former
Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company (BOST)
Limited following a warrant secured for his arrest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic", sans-serif; font-size: 18pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Awuah-Darko, according to sources at EOCO, was
declared ‘wanted’ after he allegedly turned down several invitations to explain
some alleged payments and withdrawals from the state agency’s account during his
tenure at BOST.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He is reportedly on self-imposed exile outside the
jurisdiction, and is believed to be criss-crossing US, South Africa and
sometimes as close as Togo.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">EOCO is said to have secured an arrest warrant from court
to get Mr. Awuah-Darko to explain his alleged role in the ‘rot’ at BOST.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sources say there are several issues EOCO wants Mr.
Awuah-Darko to explain,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>key among them being
the allegation that he supervised the transfer of a whopping </span><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">GH¢40.5 million from BOST to the
presidency under John Mahama.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">He is also
wanted in connection with several cases of alleged lost of oil and dubious
payments.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">In a related
development, a pressure group calling itself the Centre for National Affairs
(CAN), has petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor to initiate criminal
investigations into what it claimed to be suspected illegal payments from BOST
to the previous Mahama administration.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";">They claimed the recipient’s account was Chief of Staff’s
Sundries Account No. 1, with account number 1018631473188 at the Bank of Ghana
(BoG), and the alleged illegal transfers were done from August 2015 until early
January 2017 when then ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) handed over to
the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after the December 7, 2016 general elections.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Shady
Transfers<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Starting from August 28, 2015, BOST reportedly transferred
GH¢3.5 million, released GH¢3 million on October 2, the same year, and another
GH¢3 million on November 12, 2015, while on December 23, 2015, GH¢20 million
was transferred.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">On February 5, March 15, April 15 and May 13, all in
2016, GH¢2.5 million on each occasion was transferred by BOST while on June 9,
July 15 and August 24 in the same year, GH¢3 million was on each occasion transferred
from BOST.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Later in September 29 and November 17 in 2016,
GH¢3.5 million was transferred by BOST while on January 3, 2017, when it was
left with just three days for the previous Mahama administration to leave
office, BOST transferred GH¢3 million.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the heat of the transition after President Mahama
and his NDC had handed over, the NPP in Parliament hinted that BOST, headed by
Kingsley Kwame Awuah-Darko, allegedly led a corrupt administration, siphoning
money to Flagstaff House.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">At a press conference, the NPP said that there were
massive rotten deals under former BOST MD, with the Office of the then
President, John Mahama and his Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, siphoning between
GH¢2.5 million and GH¢3.5 million at the end of every two weeks from 2015,
amounting to about GH¢40.5 million under the guise of security transfers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr Awuah-Darko, a failed parliamentary candidate for
Ayawaso West Wuogon, was said to have sneaked out of the country immediately
the NDC lost power.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "MS PGothic","sans-serif"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He has since not been seen again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ghana on the move!http://www.blogger.com/profile/07042011678201960355noreply@blogger.com0