Mills is Wicked – Spio-Garbrah

Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah is a leading member of the ruling NDC in Ghana.

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By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday November 10, 2010
A comment by Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, a first Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that President John Evans Atta Mills is a wicked and callous person has sparked new war of words in the ruling party, causing fear and panic among the rank.

Spio who has penchant of dropping bombs in the Mills administration told a gathering of NDC student wing in Accra that he doesn’t understand while the government was giving former President Jerry Rawlings a raw deal inspite of his role as the founder of the party.

Addressing a controversial Tertiary Education Institution Network (TEIN) workshop in Accra yesterday, Dr. Spio-Garbrah who is currently the Chief Executive of Commonwealth Telecommunication Organization (CTO) in London said President Mills is wicked and callous because he had rendered Ex-President Rawlings a destitute, in the midst of thousands of state houses in Accra.

He had said among other things that even though there were over 1000s state bungalows in Accra alone the President Mills has not made any effort to resettle the founder of the party whose house was gutted by fire on Valentine’s Day this year.

Spio said that the government’s inability to resettle Rawlings had given the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) the chance to ridicule the government.

“I understand that President Rawlings cannot award contracts today and that because he doesn’t make appointments anymore he is not relevant and of no value to the party. Otherwise it is not possible that even when disaster victims faraway in Haiti can receive a donation of $3million but when a disaster befalls the founder of the party and former President of the Republic of Ghana who by the Constitution is required to be given official accommodation, till today he does not have official accommodation. And yet there are over one thousand Government bungalows in Accra and I personally have identified some of them and have recommended it to the people concerned.

“NPP don’t take us serious because they see that we are unable to house our own father and are aware that the party is not strong enough to face them in the 2012 election,” he said.

Spio took on members of the party who claim the term ‘foot soldier’ was a creation of the NPP and alien to the NDC.

According to him, the NDC has been hijacked by certain individuals - mainly CPP and NPP elements - to the detriment of loyal party members.

He expressed regret that National Executives of the party, who were begging foot soldiers for votes some few months ago, are now distancing themselves from them, claiming the concept is alien to them.

“Foot soldiers were not something created by the NPP as some people are trying to suggest. So we cannot alienate the foundation of our party being the foot soldiers and the Leader and Founder of our party being President Rawlings, and then be hanging in the middle and call ourselves a party that is going for an election,” he said.

He also re-emphasized that some of the appointees in the Mills government are incompetent and mourned over the fact that many others like him (Spio) had been sidelined and loaded the government with under age people which popularly refers to as ‘Team B’.

But the Dr. Spio-Garbrah met his match in Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwa, a Deputy Minister of Information who lambasted the NDC vice chairman, accusing him of inciting NDC youth against President Mills.

He said Spio wants to say that he is the most experienced politician who was not serving in the Atta Mills-government but the Deputy Minister said there were many ways that one can contribute to the party.

He reminded Spio that not everybody could be appointed by the President to serve in the government and compared governance to the game of football where there are substitutions.

“Alban Bagbin, Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing and Nii Afotey Agbo a Minister of State were all critics of the government yet President Mills appointed them as Ministers later on,” he told Joy FM last night in reaction to Spio’s bomb.

Okudzeto Ablakwa said what Spio-Garbrah was doing that to incite the youth against President Mills and his appointees and asked rhetorically that chasing officials with clubs and sticks, is that what Dr. Spio-Garbrah wants?

“He said President Mills is callous and wicked and when he was caught on tape he says he did not know the media were there,” the Deputy Minister queried.

It is now clear that misunderstandings and confusion that has rocked top echelons of the ruling NDChas trickled down to the youth wing of the party as the yesterday’s event was sponsored by the Rawlings faction of the party with NDC matriarch, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings in attendance.

The open defiance and disrespect displayed by some TEIN members despite a directive from Ludwig Hlodze, the National Youth Organizer calling on the TEIN executives not to hold the workshop shows how the party was struggling to deal with indiscipline.

A text message from Dr. David Sunu, the organizer of the workshop had asked the TEIN executives to report at the Teachers’ Hall aka GNAT Hall near the Ministry of Information in Accra between 8 am and 6 pm yesterday for a youth empowerment workshop which was believed to have been sponsored by the Rawlings camp.

Themed “Resources untapped: Harnessing the full potential of TEIN”, the workshop was to encourage the youth of the party to work hard for the NDC to achieve its goals but Mr. Hlodze released a statement on Sunday asking TEIN executives who received the message to disregard the content because it was a hoax.

However the TEIN members defied the directive and attended en masse.

But yesterday at the Teachers’ Hall where Dr. Spio-Garbrah dropped the bombshell in the presence of Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, the workshop was held with about 50 of TEIN members in attendance.

At the main entrance of the Teachers’ Hall, a large NDC banner with the inscription: “Our Road to Freedom” while the workshop was held on 4th floor of the GNAT complex.

The workshop details were that Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor, Health Minister who was at that moment taking his turn at the meet-the-press series was to speak on the topic: The historical antecedents, core principles and values of the NDC, while Kofi Kukubor, a patron of TEIN in the Greater Accra Region was to speak on the topic: Identifying, harnessing and improving the potential of TEIN.

Furthermore, Enoch Teye Mensah, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare was billed to speak on the relevance and place of TEIN in the NDC while one Mr. Shaw was to speak on the topic: Empowering the youth to take their destiny into their own hands/job creation.

Dr. Gameli Norgbe was to address them on: The succession plan – Preparing the youth for leadership while former first lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings was billed to tackle the topic: NDC youth participation in governance.

As at about 11:45 am, only Mr. Kukubor was present to address the participants and the youth took turns to bemoan persistent neglect of the party’s youth by the NDC leadership.

Spio later joined the workshop where he dropped the bombs saying that he did not know that journalist were in the hall.

When reached for his comments on the defiance by the TEIN, Mr. Hlodze said “I still insist it was an illegal workshop. It does not have the blessing of the party or the youth wing of which I am the head. They did not have my consent to hold the workshop.

“We are preparing for the TEIN national conference in Winneba and all those concerned are working towards it. We should not be distracted by anybody.”

“People who claim to be members of the NDC must respect the rules and regulations of the party. We should not do things to undermine the very structures that we have all helped to put together,” he said.

Later on Citi FM, Mr. Hlodze said some people want to create power blocks for themselves in the party but the National Executive Council (NEC) of the NDC will soon ask the Disciplinary Committee to bring such people to book saying “people must pay for the wrongs they do in the party.”

He said Dr. Sunu cannot be a member of TEIN because he is a practicing medical practitioner and not a student and wondered how they came by the funds to organize the workshop and even camping some of the delegates, when the same people had been coming to him for chop money and rent allowances.

But Dr. Sunu said it was Mr. Kukubor, some TEIN members as well as some officials in the government who sponsored the workshop.

KONADU BOYS HIT JOHN MAHAMA

Dela Coffie is the Communications Director of FONKAR, a pro Rawlings group in Ghana.

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By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday November 9, 2010
FRIENDS OF Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings (FONKAR), an ultra loyal Rawlings group has virtually thrown the integrity of Vice President John Dramani Mahama into question by describing him as somebody who has no ‘conscience’ and can easily be bribed.

The accusation by the group is coming in the face of recent allegation that the vice president lobbied COCOBOB to lift a ban placed on Armajaro; a cash-soaked British cocoa buying firm after the company was indicted for allegedly smuggling cocoa to Cote d’Ivoire.

Without providing any evidence, FONKAR which is fighting a proxy war for Nana Konadu’s presidential ambition said it has declassified information that John Mahama and Haruna Iddrisu Minister of Communications were compromised with cash inducements during the Kufuor administration which made them burry their conscience and truth when they were supposed to be defending the avowed principles of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The group, a couple of weeks had also attacked President Atta Mills calling him a traitor and an ingrate, who surrounded himself with ‘strangers.’

The current attacks from the FONKAR was signed by Dela Coffie, Communications Director and it is direct response to an interview granted by Vice President Mahama to Radio Ghana’s ‘Behind the News’ programme in Accra last Thursday, the Vice president indicated that he would not contest the for presidency in President Mills will take second shot.

Dela Coffie said Mr. Mahama had entreated the NDC to find ways and means of addressing the concerns of former President Jerry John Rawlings, founder of the ruling NDC concerns as his comments did not augur well for the party.

The Vice President during the interview said among other things “it gives the impression of a party that is not united and solid and often that can affect your chances electorally. So it is an issue that the party needs to confront and deal with. He has some grievances and if I pick some of the issues that he normally raises, one is about justice, you can’t just pick people and put them in jail, you need to go through a process to prove their guilt”.

But FONKAR says it have carefully studied the content of the interview of the Vice President and was convinced that such a statement could only be part of a grand scheme orchestrated by certain ‘elements’ within the Presidency to cause dissatisfaction for Mr. Rawlings with the hope of taking over the power base of the NDC.

“FONKAR is wondering what John Mahama meant by ‘You can’t just pick people and put them in jail, you need to go through a process to prove their guilt’. Has Mr. Rawlings stated that government should pick people and put them in Jail? Who said justice should not take its course? And again, who said the wrongs of the past should not be investigated?”

Dela Coffie said the re-election of the NDC to power in 2009 was as a result of the people’s believe in the party as having the capability to clean the rot that had engulfed the social fabric of the country, after the NPP had virtually taken the country as its private property.

“If the likes of John Mahama are happy that the current government has dithered in investigating and prosecuting the fraud perpetrated by the Kufuor’s government, some of us are not and he should not fool himself into believing that the better Ghana that was promised is being delivered.”

He said every Ghanaian knows that Professor Mills is the President of the country and also said it was not in doubt that the NDC as a party brought him into power saying “we seriously wonder if John Mahama and his boss are really running this country or a bunch of sycophants who have their ears are the ones ruling Ghana.”

Dela Coffie said President Mills and Vice President Mahama have not done anything meaningful to protect the principles and ideals of the NDC saying “instead of protecting the ideals on which the NDC was founded they have rather encouraged their trusted media contacts to run down the ideals, principles and idiosyncrasies of the party.”

The Konadu boy asked: “How many times are we going to allow ourselves to be victimized by the unbridled folly and reckless remarks of our experimental politicians? John Mahama, and many who think like him, has conveniently forgotten the machinery that won them their elections, adding “where was John Mahama’s conscience when he made this bizarre remark?”

Dela Coffie said it will be acceptable for Mills and his cronies, to treat Jerry Rawlings as a fugitive in his own party, yet see the scrutiny of John Mills as a taboo?

He said when the NDC was in opposition struggling to challenge the NPP, then Prof. Mills was in Canada teaching, Kofi Totobi Kwakye was ‘ill’ in all eight years, Kwamena Ahwoi ‘retired’ from politics, Kwesi Ahwoi went to work abroad, John Mahama had time to concentrate on African Union matters: It was President Rawlings who held the fort and kept the NDC alive with endurance.

“We are amazed at the level of extreme obsession by people in government to run down the Rawlingses and will not sit by and allow “strangers” in the NDC to destroy what has been built for well over 19 years”.

He said FONKAR deems John Mahama’s comments as very reprehensible and injurious to Mr. Rawlings and added “we wish to denounce this carefully planned and projected agenda to obliterate the former President and to send a warning that such intrigue will not work for their benefit today or ever.”

Veep fears for NDC

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By William Yaw Owusu

Monday November 8, 2010.
Vice President John Dramani Mahama appears to have predicted the downfall of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2012 with his frank assessment that the current cracks within the ruling party could send them back into opposition.

In his candid opinion the rift between President John Evans Atta Mills and former President Jerry John Rawlings who is the founder of the NDC is killing the party and underscored the need for NDC to take a careful look at the phenomenon and deal with it with the needed urgency.

He admitted that from the way things look the NDC will bear the brunt of voters at the polls in 2012.

Speaking on Radio Ghana’s ‘Behind the News’ programme in Accra last Thursday the Vice-President said “it is an issue that creates a difficulty for us (the NDC) because it gives the impression of a party that is not united and solid and often that can affect your chances electorally.”

Highlighting on a wide range of issues, the Vice President ruled himself out of the race to lead the NDC in 2012 stating categorically that he will not contest President Mills for the 2012 presidential slot.

“Let me say this very emphatically that I will not contest President Mills for the Presidency…at whatever time that President Mills stands for the Presidency I would never run against him,” the Veep stated.

Mr. Mahama said he will rather support President Mills to excel in his first term in office so he can win convincingly a second term.

“For now my commitment is to work with President Mills and ensure that he has a successful Presidency. Professor Mills has indicated that he wants to run for a second term and so I want to support him to make a success of the first term and be able to have a second term in office…the constitution says he is entitled to two terms in office so if the man says I will utilize my second term, there is nothing wrong with that, of course he has to go to the party for endorsement which I am sure the party would endorse him and if he goes for a second term he would win”, he said.

He said added that managing former President Rawlings was a challenge to the party, as some of his open criticisms on the Mills-led government are too stinging and generalized.

He asked the party to find ways and means of addressing Mr. Rawlings’ concerns as his comments do not augur well for the NDC.

“It gives the impression of a party that is not united and solid and often that can affect your chances electorally. So it is an issue that the party needs to confront and deal with. He has some grievances and if I pick some of the issues that he normally raises, one is about justice, you can’t just pick people and put them in jail, you need to go through a process to prove their guilt”.

The Vice-President defended the NDC government’s management of the economy and waded into the debate why government was not spending enough insisting that the economic gains that have been achieved by the government were being eroded by the debt incurred by the Kufuor administration.


Vice-President Mahama said government’s expenditure has been geared towards servicing the debts that was generated in the past while some new programmes, which form 30 per cent of the overall government expenditure, are being implemented.

On the accusations of the government’s neglect of flood victims in the northern parts of Ghana, Mr. Mahama said it was unfounded saying that the government has been working to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

Ya Na Suspects File No Case

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By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday November 6, 2010
The 15 men standing trial for their involvement in the murder of Ya Na Yakubu Andani II, overlord of Dagbon have indicated to the Accra Fast Track High Court trying them that they intend to file a ‘Submission of Case” because the prosecution has failed to establish a case against each of them.

This follows the announcement by Anthony Rexford Wiredu, one of the Principal State Attorneys handling the case that the prosecution had rested its case and called on the court to order the accused persons to open their defense.

During four conservative sittings of the court, the prosecution failed to bring two prospective witnesses that it had announced to the court that it was inviting to testify but yesterday when trial commenced, Mr. Wiredu said the prosecution had closed its case.

“My Lord, we are here to announce to the court that we have rested our case,” he emphasized and the court, presided over by Justice E K Ayebi of the Court of Appeal asked “are you sure you have rested your case?” to which Mr. Wiredu answered in the affirmative.

The prosecutor then tendered in evidence the statutory statements of the accused persons when they were taken to the Adjabeng District Magistrate Court in Accra for committal to the high court for trial and the defense team led by Mr. Atta Akyea said they have no objection to it.

Mr. Wiredu had said it was in conformity with Part 4 of the Criminal and other Offences Act, citing Sections 182, 184 and 187 as well as the 6th Schedule of 118 to support his argument.

When the prosecutor took his seat, Mr. Atta Akyea said “we wish to bring to the attention of the court for your consideration a submission of no case.”

He appealed to the court to assist them to get all the proceedings of the trial saying “we have got a few but they are not up to date.”

Immediately defense counsel made the submission, Mr. Wiredu started another argument saying it was the prerogative of the judge to say whether or not there should be a submission of no case and not for the defense to decide.

He cited a case titled: Republic Versus Akosa in the 1967 Ghana Law Report but the judge reminded him that the case being cited had been reviewed in subsequent cases and asked to prosecution to allow the application because they (prosecution) would also have the right to reply.

The court then ordered the registrar to make available to the defense all the proceedings of the trial before November 12, 2010 and adjourned the case to Tuesday, November 23, 2010.

The prosecution called 12 witnesses in the case.

All the 15 accused persons, except Zakaria Yakubu aka Zakaria Forest, the seventh suspect who is currently at large, were in court.

They have all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, with Forest (A7) facing an additional charge of murder.

They are currently on remand except Iddrisu Iddi aka Mbadugu, due to old age.
Those on trial are Iddrisu Iddi aka Mbadugu, Alhaji Baba Abdulai Iddrisu aka Zohe, Kwame Alhassan aka Achiri, Mohamadu Abdulai aka Samasama, Sayibu Mohammed, Alhassan Braimah and Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani, 45, former District Chief Executive (DCE) of Yendi as second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth accused persons respectively.

The rest are Baba Ibrahim aka Baba Zey, Alhassan Mohammed aka Mohammed Cheampon, Mohammed Mustapha, Shani Imoro, Yakubu Yusif aka Leftee and Hammed Abukari Yussif and Abdul Razak Yussif aka Nyaa as 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th accused persons respectively.

67 Prisoners Freed From Nsawam Prison

Remand prisoners queuing to get photographs and fingerprints taken after being discharged.

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From William Yaw Owusu, Nsawam

Friday November 5, 2010
Sixty-seven prisoners on remand for committing various offences including robbery have been discharged by special courts set up at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons under the Justice for all Programme.

It forms part of the effort to decongest the country’s prisons and also ensure speedy disposal of criminal cases.

Under the programme, all prisoners who have been on remand without trial for more than five years can benefit but would have to be screened in advance by the Center for Human Rights and Civil Liberties (CHURCIL), a non-governmental organization collaborating with the Judicial Service to sustain the programme.

Before a remand prisoner is released a motion was filed by CHURCIL and the police team attached to the programme makes sure that accused person’s fingerprints as well as photographs and particulars are taken so that should he or she commit another crime, the courts would determine the type of sentence to be imposed.

Yesterday, at the Male section of the Nsawam Prisons, seven special courts were set up with justices from the superior courts handling the cases.

In all 145 cases were heard. Fifty (50) cases were struck out for want of prosecution, Fifteen (15) were adjourned sine die (indefinitely) while thirteen (13) accused persons were granted bail for their cases to take its natural course.

Justice B.T. Aryeetey, a Supreme Court Judge who was one of the supervisors of the programme said everything was working according to plan and hoped it would be sustained so that the prisons would be decongested.

He said the time has come for all stakeholders including lawyers to show interest in the programme to ensure the criminal justice system becomes more effective.

Chief Superintendent Frank Kwofie, Head of Legal and Prosecutions at the Greater Accra Regional Police Command said all those whose cases are currently being tried by the courts are exempted from the programme.

He said the programme started in 2007 with those who were on remand for more than eight (8) years and when it became successful it was reduced to cover those who have spent five (5) years on remand.

On the question of some of the beneficiaries being released but getting involve in crime particularly armed robbery later, the Chief Superintendent said “that is why were are collecting data on every beneficiary under the Remand Review Project Database so that when such situation arise the police will pass on his or her records to the courts to impose deterrent sentence”.

He said the police has record of about eight (8) people who benefited from the programme but went back home to commit crime including armed robbery and the courts have been alerted to deal with them severely.

He said the special courts do not go through the merits of the cases and therefore the police make sure that such persons are carefully monitored saying in the cases of the beneficiaries either the dockets of some of them cannot be traced, their investigators have retired or transferred or there are no witnesses to testify in the cases.

Rexford Gyimah, Chief Registrar of the Fast Track High Courts said “legally they are free but we have to process their discharge warrants before they can be released. I would have to go back to Accra, study their dockets before issuing the warrants.”

Andrew Daniels, a legal practitioner with CHURCIL was elated that more judges are being put on the programme saying “this shows that the judiciary is taking the programme more serious.”

He said legal services has become expensive but CHURCIL is committed to ensuring that all remand prisoners are given the chance to have their cases heard, adding “we would appeal to colleague lawyers to join us to ensure an effective criminal justice system.”

“Once we are a democratic country we are enjoined to uphold the human rights of all people including prisoners.”

Dismissed NPP rebels back

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By William Yaw Owusu

Friday November 5, 2010
FOURTEEN MEMBERS of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Yilo Krobo Constituency of the Eastern region, who were dismissed for breaching the party’s constitution in 2004, have been accepted back into the fold of the elephant family.

The 14 were allegedly seen at the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) rallies and were said to have incited NPP members against the party’s polling agents and some chief farmers on the eve of the 2004 general elections claiming they were given monies to share but failed to do so.

But on October 30, 2010 a high-powered meeting co-chaired by Mr. Fred Oware, First National Vice Chairman and Kojo Opare Hammond, Director of Finance and Administration of the NPP resolved the issue amicably in Somanya and recalled the errant members.

Addressing the NPP executives at the meeting, Mr. Oware underscored the need for members of the party to allow peace to prevail so that they can work together to achieve the objectives of the party.

He said the time has come for all NPP members to close their ranks and work hard to wrestle power from the NDC in 2012.

Mr. Hammond for his part thanked both former and present executives of the party for their effort to get the issue resolved and urged all members to continue to educate the public on the need to get the NPP back to power.

Those present at the meeting were Yaw Barimah, former Eastern Regional Minister, and former DCEs from Fanteakwa, Dodowa and Somanya.

There were also representatives from the regional capital including Dr. Samuel Annor, Alhaji Omar Bodinga, Seth Antwi and Frank Annor Dompreh as well as all executives of the constituency who also took turns to ask members of the NPP to live in unity and work hard for the party to come back to power.

Those expelled and reinstated are: Nicholas Addai, Okyeame Otum, Matthew Bawa, Moses Tetteh Kwao, Alex Adjirackor, Johnny Borrows, Raphael Odonkor, Stephen Nartey, John Lartey aka Carpenter, Agyei Paddy, John Tetteh Kwasi aka Olani, Desmond Afutu, Phillip Okunor and IK Charkitey.

Abudus Pull Out From...Otumfuor Committee

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By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday November 4, 2010
The Abudu Royal Gate in the Dagbon chieftaincy dispute has vowed never to cooperate with any committee set up by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to bring peace to Dagbon.

It says it prefers the judiciary to settle the protracted issue rather than the Asantehene Committee handling the matter.

A news release issued in Accra yesterday and signed by Dr. Ziblim Iddi, spokesperson of the Abudu Gate said it has come to the notice of the Abudu Royal Family that the President has called on the Asantehene to continue with his mediation effort in the Dagbon conflict.

“The family wishes to state emphatically that it would no longer subject itself to any peace-building process under the auspices of the Asantehene,” it said.

Dr. Iddi said the Abudu family has lost faith and confidence in the Asantehene as an honest peace broker in the Dagbon conflict and said “we did not come to this position lightly.”

He said “we wish to remind all Ghanaians, including the President, that the traditional aspect of the Dagbon conflict is a matter of litigation before a Kumasi High Court. We expect everybody to respect the judicial process and desist from any action that could be prejudicial to the case.”

Dr. Ziblim said “it is the height of hypocrisy and absolute naivety for anybody to think that the government can embark on a partisan political persecution of members of the Abudu family and still expect the family to be part of a mediation process sponsored by the same government.”

He lambasted the Atta Mills government for doing selective justice with regards to the dispute saying “the selective justice pursued by the Attorney General and Minister of Justice in the Yendi conflict is clearly not the mark of a government interested in reconciling members of the two feuding families.”

He emphasized that the Abudu family has faith in the justice system saying “we trust the arbitration process in a High Court more than the Asantehene mediation committee.”

The Dagbon Chieftaincy dispute reached a sad end when between March 25, 2002 and March 27, 2002, thirty people including Ya Na Yakubu Andani II, overlord of Dagbon were killed in the intra-ethnic conflict between the Abudu and Andani Royal Gates at Yendi.

Currently, 15 persons, all Abudus including a former District Chief Executive of Yendi, Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani are standing trail at an Accra Fast Track High Court in connection with the murder of the Ya Na.

Lands Commission Clears Chief Justice

Dr. Odame Larbie (second left) Executive Secretary and Nana Agyei Ampofo (third left) Chairman of Lands Commission addressing the media in Accra yesterday.

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By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday November 3, 2010
The Chairman of Lands Commission, Nana Agyei Ampofo says Chief Justice Georgina Wood did not do commit any offence in the acquisition of a piece of land for her personal use.

“Records at the commission as far as the Chief Justice is concerned show that she has not done anything wrong. If it is in respect of the International Student’s Hostel land then it not enough for Ghanaians to say bad things about her.”

Addressing a news conference in Accra yesterday to brief the media on the manner the Lands Commission has handled the management of state lands in the country; Nana Ampofo virtually blamed the erstwhile New Patriotic Party government under President JA Kufuor for the mismanagement of state lands particularly in Accra.

He said the redevelopment scheme which was to ensure the redevelopment of government bungalow sites starting on pilot basis in 1995 was grossly abused under the Kufuor administration saying “it was in the last few years that the scheme was grossly abused when lands were allocated under political considerations.”

He said another scheme called ‘In-filling scheme’ which was carried out extensively in the 1970s but stopped in 1977 were restarted between 2004 and 2008 and areas such as Cantonments, Switchback Road, Ridge, Airport and Roman Ridge all in Accra and an area near the residency in Kumasi were affected.

“The in-filling plots in Accra and Kumasi were allocated at below market prices and subject to the payment of premiums and development charges.”

Nana Ampofo said the government has revoked the rezoning of the International Student’s Hostel land by the NPP administration from civic and cultural use to residential for 25 beneficiaries and added that the land around the Borstal Institute which was rezoned and given to NPP functionaries has also been revoked.

The Lands Commission Chairman said all developments that have encroached the 150 feet reservation zone on the Accra-Tema Motorway corridor “would be abated”.

He said about 77 state lands allocation for which payments were not made had been withdrawn and applicants who followed due process but applied for plots using different names will have the allocations withdrawn.

He said the NDC government has decided to return one-third of plots to be withdrawn to the GaDangme Council adding that most of the state lands allocations were done before the 1992 Constitution was promulgated and the constitutional provisions did not help the case of the Ga people.

Dr. Odame Larbie, Executive Secretary of Lands Commission said his outfit was currently reviewing their operational manual to make the commission more responsive to the challenges of land administration in the country.

Ya Na Witness In Transit

The accused persons entering a police van yesterday.

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By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday November 3, 2010
For the third time running, the prosecution has failed to bring witnesses to testify in the case in which 15 persons have been charged for the murder of Ya Na Yakubu Andani II, overlord of Dagbon during the intra-ethnic conflict between the Abudu and Andani Royal Gates at Yendi in March 2002.

On Monday, October 25, 2010, Mr. Anthony Rexford Wiredu, a Principal State Attorney asked the court, presided over by Justice EK Ayebi of the Court of Appeal to adjourn proceedings because the next prosecution witness could not be brought to the court by the police.

He said that the investigators were in the Northern region to get the witnesses to testify and the court granted the request by adjourning the case.

When the case was called yesterday, Solomon Atadze, a Principal State Attorney said “the Deputy Commissioner in charge of this case rung this morning that the witnesses we were expecting are still in transit from Tamale.”

He said “we were trying to wait for them but we realized that we were getting late and therefore we could not wait any longer. Even if they arrive now, we need to have conference with the witnesses before they can testify.”

“We will humbly ask for a date on Friday and whether they come or not we will let our case rest.”

Reacting to the turn of events, Atta Akyea, lead counsel for the accused persons said, “I do not blame the Attorney-General’s Office. I have worked there before. It is the police who are supposed to liaise with the witnesses.”

“I wonder why they should be in transit when they are supposed to testify. Why did the police not put them in a hotel as they did when they took their statements?”

Mr. Atta Akyea said “if by Friday they do not come voluntarily, we will pin the AG’s office down on their word. The bottom line is that the constitution says the liberty of the accused is also important and justice delayed is tantamount to justice denied.”

Mr. Atta Akyea had mentioned on October 25, 2010 that Nantongma Alhassan Andani and Grundo Wumbei, whose names appeared on the bill of indictment as some of the witnesses were hosted in the hotel but were not in court to testify.

Justice Ayebi then said “once again, at the request of the prosecution, further hearing is fixed for Friday, November 5, 2010 because the witnesses the prosecution said they were calling are still unavailable.”

On the Bill of Indictment, the Attorney General’s Department has indicated that it intends to bring 14 witnesses to testify in the trial and already 12 witnesses, including two police investigators and the pathologist who conducted an autopsy on the body of the Ya Na have appeared in court to testify.

The prosecution at a point substituted PW3 for PW6, but defense counsel, Phillip Addison complained to the court that the prosecution had not been furnishing them with statements of their clients on time; a development which according to him could affect speedy trial.

All the 15 accused persons, except Zakaria Yakubu aka Zakaria Forest, the seventh suspect who is currently at large, were in court.

They have all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, with Forest (A7) facing an additional charge of murder.

They are currently on remand except Iddrisu Iddi aka Mbadugu, due to old age.
Those on trial are Iddrisu Iddi aka Mbadugu, Alhaji Baba Abdulai Iddrisu aka Zohe, Kwame Alhassan aka Achiri, Mohamadu Abdulai aka Samasama, Sayibu Mohammed, Alhassan Braimah and Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani, 45, former District Chief Executive (DCE) of Yendi as second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth accused persons respectively.

The rest are Baba Ibrahim aka Baba Zey, Alhassan Mohammed aka Mohammed Cheampon, Mohammed Mustapha, Shani Imoro, Yakubu Yusif aka Leftee and Hammed Abukari Yussif and Abdul Razak Yussif aka Nyaa as 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th accused persons respectively.

Since the commencement of the trial, scores of police officers with riot control equipment including weapons have been patrolling the court premises to deter supporters of both Abudu and Andani Gates from physically settling scores.

Vice President Named In UK Cocoa Scandal

Under fire: Andrew Mitchell, British International Development Secretary

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday November 2, 2010
Andrew Mitchell, British International Development Secretary, is facing questioning, following his alleged involvement in getting a ban imposed on world's richest cocoa dealers lifted in Ghana.

According to UK’s Sunday Times newspaper, published on Sunday October 31, Mr. Mitchell, a Cabinet Minister was said to have ‘intervened’ on behalf of a cocoa company Armajaro Holdings that had given his political campaign tens of thousands of pounds to help overturn a trade ban by the Ghana Cocoa Board.

The Ghana Cocoa Board imposed a ban prohibiting Armajaro Ghana from purchasing cocoa until it reviews the smuggling situation in the Western Region.

The company's license was withdrawn after an undercover operation by Anas Aremeyaw Anas, New Crusading Guide journalist revealed massive cocoa smuggling by some Ghanaians aided by security operatives across the border into Ivory Coast and Armajaro Ghana was said to be involved.

The Sunday Times said that cocoa trader and billionaire Anthony Ward wrote to the minister in July asking him to help lift a trading ban imposed by Ghana on his firm after one of its contractors, Armajaro Ghana was involved in cocoa smuggling.

The paper said Armajaro Holdings gave money totaling £40,000 ($64,000) to Mr. Mitchell's parliamentary office between August 2006 and December 2009.

According to the paper, although it was not in his ministerial remit, Mr. Mitchell telephoned the British High Commissioner in Accra, to discuss the matter, and his officials in London asked the Foreign Office to give it "urgent attention".

Henry Bellingham, the Foreign Office Minister in charge of Africa subsequently lobbied Vice President John Mahama on behalf of Ward's firm, Armajaro Holdings, and the partial trading ban has now been lifted except for one district of the country, the paper said. The said district is Enchi in the Western region.

The company, whose audacious deals have earned Mr. Ward the nickname "Chocfinger", also gave £50,000 in May 2004 to the Conservative party that Cameron leads and of which Mitchell is a member.

This has generated heated debate in the UK with Paul Farrelly, the Labour MP for Newcastle-under-Lyme, saying it was “naive at best” for Mitchell to have become personally involved in the case.

“There will always be the accusation that, through political donations or contributions to a minister’s office, influence is being sought or bought,” he said.

The UK ministerial code says: “Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise.”

The internal documents, obtained by The Sunday Times under the Freedom of Information Act, show that even Foreign Office civil servants raised questions as to why the government should intervene to help Ward’s company.

One official wrote: “Is this ... something we should lobby on? Or should the UK company realise they have broken the rules and have to pay the price?”

Mr. Mitchell’s intervention is the first case the Conservative government has faced of a potential conflict of interest.

A spokesman for Mr. Mitchell denied any wrongdoing saying “the letter from Armajaro was dealt with in accordance with normal ministerial procedures.”

Mr. Ward declined to comment on the letter he wrote to Mitchell.

John Jinapor, Spokesperson for Vice President Mahama has however denied any wrong doing on the part of the Vice President.

He told Joy FM, “we remember meeting with the British Minister in charge of African Affairs (in London) and he raised an issue with Armajaro and their concern was that if an employee of the company is caught committing an offence, you don’t embark on a collective punishment of the entire company and this is normal,” he said.

Jinapor said all the Vice President did was call on the affected company to petition the appropriate authorities – the Ghana Cocoa Board.
Vice President Mahama recently travelled to London to attend NDC fundraising ceremony organized by the UK and Ireland branch of the party.

Monitor Mining Companies…US body

Ariel Dulitzky, Director of Human Rights Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law, United States.

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday November 2, 2010
Human Rights Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law, United States has made a passionate appeal to the government to check mining companies that are abusing the rights of local people and engaging in wantom destruction of the environment in the quest for gold and other mineral resources.

“Human Rights Clinic is calling on the Ghanaian government to enforce existing laws that protect Ghanaians and change laws that allow mining companies to exploit them.”

According to the clinic, it has uncovered and documented the problems that Ghanaians living in the Tarkwa area in the Western Region face on a daily basis after it collaborated with the Center for Public Interest Law (CPIL) and the Wassa Association of Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM) to research into mining activities.

The clinic brought researchers to Ghana in October 2009, surveyed the Tarkwa area and conducted interviews to produce a report, entitled: “The Cost of Gold: Communities Affected by Mining in the Tarkwa Region of Ghana”.

A news release signed by Ariel Dulitzky, Clinic Director said researchers were able to establish that “the Ghanaian government allows mining companies to enter a given community with little input and no consent from the affected community, any consultation and cooperation means very little to the local communities who are disadvantaged in negotiations and cannot adequately participate in the decision-making process.”

It said “most importantly, Ghanaians are left without recourse when they are ignored. Many community members who have lost their property have been inadequately compensated, if at all, however, illegal eviction without adequate compensation is just a small component of the abuses in Ghana, the Clinic’s report noted.

“The mining companies frequently spill toxic waste and cyanide into rivers in Tarkwa,” the report said, adding that “the mining companies are able to exploit Ghanaian communities due to their financial strength and ability to lobby chiefs, public servants and government officials with no accountability. Therefore, those responsible for protecting the rights of Ghanaians are left without any incentive to do so.”

“Local communities affected by mining suspect that chiefs and government officials receive illegal benefits from the mining companies. These benefits are not passed on to community members,” it said.

“Tension between exploited Ghanaians and mining companies are on the rise. Peaceful protests have lead to violent encounters between locals and the military sent to keep the peace at mining sites. Tear gas, beatings and bullets have been unleashed on crowds of demonstrators.”

The clinic, an interdisciplinary group of law students and graduate students, work under the supervision of Clinic Director Ariel Dulitzky on human rights projects through fact finding, reporting and other public advocacy.

The Clinic is involved in a multitude of activities including supporting advocacy in domestic and international fora; investigating and documenting human rights violations; and engaging with global and local human rights campaigns.

GBA defends judges

Some executives of GBA at the news conference from left to right: Peter Zwennes(National Secretary), Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo (National Vice President) and Mrs. Yaa Gyakobo (Assistant Publicity Officer).

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday novenber 1, 2010
The Ghana Bar Association (GBA) has frowned on what it calls ‘persistent attacks’ on members of the bench (judges) particularly the Chief Justice Mrs. Georgina T Wood saying “we have resolved not to compromise on any attempt to bring the administration of justice into disrepute.”

They said anybody who has issues with the Chief Justice or any judge should use the appropriate channels to seek redress and would sit down for anybody to remove the Chief Justice or any judge through unconstitutional means.

At news conference in Accra on Friday to highlight on GBA 2010/2011 resolutions passed at the bar conference in Tamale in September, Justice Kusi-Minkah Premo, GBA National Vice President standing in for National President W.K. Beecham said “this association, conscious that its core obligations under its constitution… will without fear, favour or apology, spring to defend or criticize persons or bodies charged with the administration of justice in this country, and will uphold the dignity and respect for law which ensures a law-abiding citizenry and a responsible and fair judiciary.”

He however said just as the bar will protect the judiciary in the fair and lawful exercise of their duties, “it will not condone corruption and misconduct on the bench.”

Mr. Premo said “the bar deplores the attitude of disrespect and discourtesy shown by certain judges and magistrates in the courts, and urges the executives of the bar to bring such misbehaviour to the attention of the Chief Justice for her action, whilst ensuring that the Disciplinary Committee of the bar takes action where members lapse in professionalism.”

He said the GBA has taken notice of a publication in a newspaper called Herald which they said published an article titled “Predict and win judges” saying “we have tasked our Legal Committee to advise us on its legal ramifications and appropriate course of action.”

He said the said publication is in bad taste and has the tendency to expose the judges to public hatred and ridicule.

The GBA added its voice to the call on the Police Administration to ensure that there is even enforcement of the law saying “we note that there is uneven enforcement of the law and that this can lead to lawlessness and thus call on the police and law enforcement agencies to enforce the law fairly and evenly, without fear or favour.”

He said the recent elections at Akwatia and Atiwa have shown that in spite of the excellent work of the Electoral Commission “there is a lot be desired where security at such times is concerned, and thus, while appreciating the work done by the police at these times call on the IGP to work relentlessly to plug the loopholes in security and ensure that future elections, especially that of 2012 are conducted without violence and in a peaceful and orderly manner.”

The GBA advised the public to respect the dignity of the offices being occupied by the President, Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice saying “when referring to them, employ words that match our status as a civilized nation that seeks honour and good conduct in all persons, especially our leaders.

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

PEF Encourages Business

Monday November 1, 2010.

By William Yaw Owusu
Osei Boeh-Ocansey, Director-General of the Private Enterprise Foundation (PEF), says the foundation is committed to helping business associations to become stronger and able to articulate the views of their respective members to government without distortion.

He said the effort would not only help the large companies but other Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) who constitute the majority of businesses in the country and often feel left out during consultations in enacting policies beneficial to the private sector.

Mr. Boeh-Ocansey was speaking at a three-day workshop organized by PEF to promote business associations in the country with sponsorship from the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) in Sunyani on Thursday.

He said the latest World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index 2010/2011 ranks Ghana 114th out of 139 countries saying “in other words, we are the 114th most competitive country in the world meaning our private sector businesses would find it difficult to compete in the world and already do so.”

He said the upcoming Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) presents a challenge for the country and it was up to leaders of business associations to organize the people to be able to meet the challenges.

The Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, Kwadwo Nyamekye-Marfo, said for the private sector to become the engine of growth for the nation, intermediary organizations such as trade and business associations must be able to act as the real voices of the sector, build their capacity and determine policy and the allocation of resources.

He said government was committed towards ensuring that there was an enabling environment for the private sector to flourish and tasked SMEs to create the platforms that would enable them to articulate their concerns to attract the attention of policy makers.

“They can advise government on the adoption of prudent economic policies that will create the appropriate environment for private sector growth and development,” he said.

Saeed Owusu-Brobbey, Regional Manager of the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) said in the current competitive business environment, it was impossible for any small scale entrepreneur to survive as an individual.

He urged business associations to attach professionalism, transparency and accountability to their work.

Isaac Owusu-Mensah, Senior Programmes Manager of KAS said the foundation was committed to helping to strengthen institutions in the country to ensure accelerated development.

CPP Chairman is ‘Konongo Kaya’

Mr. Ladi nyalander is the National Chairman of the Convention Poeple's Party (CPP)

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday November 1, 2010
The intractable in-fighting that has dogged the Convention People’s Party’s (CPP) effort to make good impressions on the Ghanaian electoral landscape is rearing its ugly head once again, even as the party struggles to present a united front.

Supi Araba Bentsi-Entchil, National Vice Chairperson of the CPP has unleashed a stinging attack on National Chairman and leader of the party, Ladi Nylander, describing him as ineffective.

“He will not travel to encourage the building of the party and he will also not allow people to do it either. He has become “Konongo Kaya” – he will not work for the party and will not allow others to do it,” the Vice Chairman had said in a memo sighted by Daily Guide.

The memo dated March 21, 2010 titled: “Visit to Constituencies” copied to all members of the Central Committee, the highest decision-making body of Ghana’s first ruling party said “I want to ask the Central Committee that if, if we sit down doing nothing, how are we going to develop the party.”

“I want the Central Committee to know that of all the four Chairmen under whom I have served namely: Alhaji Banda, Dr. Adubakar Alhassan, Dr. Delle and Mr. Nylander, the latter is the most ineffective, uncompetitive and divisive amongst them”.

“I would like to point out to him that when the members become angry about his ineffectiveness, they will say the leadership is doing nothing, they will not say Chairman Nylander is doing nothing. By leadership it includes all of us who were elected, so I want the Central Committee to ask him why he thinks we should sit down doing nothing after elections.”

Araba’s problem stem from the fact that when she needed a vehicle to use to help strengthen the support base of the party at the grass root, Chairman Nylander allegedly scuttled the plan by refusing to release a vehicle.

The memo said “I am wondering why he is behaving this way towards me; could it be because I once called a leadership meeting to confront him and ask him to resign if he thought he could not do anything.”

Prior to the 2008 general elections, the National Women’s League of the party expressed similar worry about Chairman Nylander’s leadership style when they said among other things that they are handicapped by the lack of good vehicles, fuel and other logistics to enable them to perform their task and even questioned whether it was a sabotage or an oversight.

Mr. Nylander made it clear when he was elected CPP Chairman that he will not seek re-election when his tenure of office expires but recent media reports have it that the plan could change following a call on him by some un-named leading members of the party to contest the position again.

However, DAILY GUIDE learnt that most of the publications attributed to unnamed sources urging My Nylander to re-contest the chairmanship slot were stage-managed by either the chairman or his associates, because of damming verdict by the Central Committee which has lost confidence in the chairman.

NDC takes over NIA

Dr. William Ahadzie is the Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority in Ghana(NIA)

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday october 29, 2010
What is supposed to be a public institution devoid of partisanship is gradually being turned into an avenue reserved solely for members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) who have grabbed juicy appointments in the establishment relegating technocrats to the sidelines.

Currently all top positions at the National Identification Authority (NIA) have been assigned to family members or relatives of top guns in the NDC creating anxiety in the sensitive organisation.

For instance Marco Mensah who is the Head of Operations is the junior brother of Sylvester Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and a member of the NIA board; Osei Kwame Griffiths, son of Commander P.M.G Griffiths, a Deputy Minister of Communications in the erstwhile Rawlings administration and a current member of Ministerial Advisory Board for Ministry of communications is in charge of ICT at the NIA.

A brother of Kwame Peprah, former Finance Minister and currently Board Chairman of SSNIT is the Head of Administration while the son of Dr. (Mrs.) Christine Amoako-Nuamah a presidential advisor and Chairperson of the GIMPA Council is in charge of the Human Resource Department.

Under the law a Minister of State is not supposed to be a board member of any state institution unless explicitly indicated in the enabling law, but E.T. Mensah, Minister of Employment and Social Welfare is still enjoying his membership of the NIA board.

Daily Guide has learnt that Osei Kwame Griffiths is temporarily residing at the premises of the NIA located at Gulf House near the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange in Accra.

It is alleged that NIA contracted Ernst & Young, a professional services firm to draw a strategic business plan aimed at identifying areas where NIA could generate funds internally but before the plan could be submitted for discussion and approval by the government, the management of the authority entered into a contractual agreement to produce identity cards for private organizations and individuals.

A source said when the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) whose boss is NIA board member, requested the Authority to produce ID cards for field staff conducting the 2010 Population and Housing Census (PHC); the NIA sublet the contract to two private companies to produce the cards at the cost of GH¢ 169, 280.

Interestingly, the private companies: Decision Link based in Kumasi and Universal Asid Systems in Accra were said to have used facilities of the NIA including vehicles and offices to execute the business raising questions about the rationale behind engaging private firms for the job.

When reached on his cell phone for his comments, Dr William Ahadzie, Executive Secretary said “we did a public/private partnership with only one company and they did a good job.”

He said the NIA conducted an exercise to resister all its operators and three companies had put in bids for that exercise saying “one company won the bid and it did its work very fast.”

He said due to the alacrity with which the company executed the contract, the NIA decided to involve the same company to produce ID card when the GSS approached the authority.

On the question of relatives of top NDC gurus getting juicy appointments at the NIA, Dr Ahadzie said he could not answer for that and asked Daily Guide to conduct its own investigations.

On the issue of ET Mensah as a board member and Minister of State at the same time, Dr Ahadzie said he (ET Mensah) was on the board as a representative of Parliament as the law stipulates.

On the allegation that Osei Kwame Griffiths temporarily resides at the NIA headquarters, Ahadzi said that could not be true saying “the building has been designed in such a way that there is a place for the night shift supervisor.”

Konadu Has Evil Agenda – Bature

Alhaji Iddrisu Bature is becoming a crtic of the Rawlings'

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday October 29, 2010
ALHAJI IDDRISU Bature, a loud-mouthed member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated the Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings wanted to become the Vice Chairperson of the party in order to pursue her “evil” agenda against President John Evans Atta Mills.

The law professor has barely served two years of his first term in office yet ardent supporters of the former First Lady seem hell-bent on elbowing President Mills in his quest to get a second term as President of Ghana and he has to either fight his way to satisfy his ambition or get ready to be chopped off.

Jaws dropped in several parts of the country on Sunday, October 24, 2010, when 2012 campaign posters of the former First Lady popped up like mushrooms on several walls and poles in major towns and cities in all ten regions of the country, with a group of foot soldiers of the NDC claiming responsibility.

The pasting of the posters coincided with the October 21, 2010 letter “bomb” thrown by the NDC founder, JJ Rawlings accusing President Mills of institutionalizing corruption in the country.

Although Nana Konadu has not spoken publicly, she has given ‘telling signals’ that she wants to lead the NDC to the 2012 polls and has been very vocal and consistent in denying reports that she has endorsed an Atta Mills candidature.

The clamour for Mrs. Rawlings to join the NDC presidential race by a group of party foot-soldiers has already sparked fire in the party, with foot soldiers and some leading members of the party at each other’s throat while various political analysts have predicted doom for the NDC.

Bernard Allotey Jacobs aka Educated Fisherman, Central Regional former Propaganda Secretary warned that Mrs. Rawlings was gradually leading the NDC to the slaughter’s slab.

Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, aka General Mosquito, the party’s General Secretary says it is not enough for Mrs. Rawlings to remain silent over the matter saying the former First Lady has to state categorically if she wants to contest the election.

He said “the impression being created is that here is a vice chairperson who is not prepared to go by the rules of the party and I don’t think that is a good campaign for her if she is interested to contest.”

In all these, Alhaji Bature, a leaning member of the party thinks Mrs. Rawlings has a burning desire to see President Mills fail miserably even if the NDC has to be sacrificed saying the former First Lady “is only pretending not to know about the ongoing campaigns in her favour.”

Speaking to Citi FM in Accra on Monday, Alhaji Bature said Mrs. Rawlings’ hatred for President Mills started in 2000, when the then candidate Mills bypassed her to select Martin Amidu, the current Minister of the Interior as his running mate, a position he claims, the former First Lady wanted.

“What many Ghanaians may not know is that, Nana Konadu just like Obed Asamoah has a serious aversion for the President. This began in 2000 when she was hoping to be selected as running mate. She and Obed Asamoah were looking forward to that job but Mills went in for Asamoah’s Deputy in the person of Martin Hamidu and Nana Konadu has never been enthused with Mills’ administration since then likewise Obed Asamoah.”

Asamoah eventually worked his way to become the Chairman of the NDC and made sure that he sabotaged Atta Mills’ intention of leading this nation until he Asamoah was removed.”

“In the case of Nana Konadu, at a point in time after 2001, she mellowed a bit hoping that in 2004, Mills would have selected John Mahama, which Mills didn’t do and went in for Mohammed Mumuni. She even invited Mills to a very close friend’s house to plead with him to consider John Mahama, which he (Mills) declined. Since then, she has never been happy with Professor Mills.

“In 2008, she hoped that Mills would fall to his knees but God was on his side and he has eventually become the President of this Republic. So Nana Konadu as a matter of fact, is yet to come to terms with the reality that apart from God, nobody creates a King”.

“She can never deny not being behind what is happening, at least not to the discerning minds. If you have a Party’s Vice Chairperson who is asked on a public platform to grade the performance of her Government and President, and she says she cannot do that except at an appropriate time, how can you distance yourself if today some people are purported to be calling on you?”

“Of late we all see what she has been doing in the Western and Central Regions, ostensibly working to revive her 31st December Movement, but in reality she is campaigning. But I can assure her of one thing; it is high time Nana Konadu dropped this idea very fast. They are fighting against the tide. The mood in the NDC will not countenance any attempt to derail the forward move of the party. What Konadu and her likes are trying to do is to break the front of the NDC so that the party will lose power in 2012.”

Asked whether the NDC could retain the seat in 2012, Alhaji Bature said it was a too early to determine but added that if Nana Konadu’s ploy to undo Mills and the arrogant posture of President Mills’ appointees do not change, 2012 could spell doom for the party.

‘First and foremost, I think that the posture of the members of Government is also very important. What Ghanaians detest most no matter how poor or vulnerable they are, are arrogant public officials. And you can see some arrogance of power creeping gradually and subtly into some members of government. These are more potent than what Konadu is doing. Konadu and Rawlings have no refuge apart from NDC" he noted.

No Witness at Ya Na Trial

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday October 28, 2010
For the second time running, the prosecution has failed to bring witnesses to testify in the case in which 15 persons have been charged for the murder of Ya Na Yakubu Andani II, overlord of Dagbon during the intra-ethnic conflict between the Abudu and Andani Royal Gates at Yendi in March 2002.

On Monday, October 25, 2010, Mr. Anthony Rexford Wiredu, a Principal State Attorney asked the court, presided over by Justice EK Ayebi of the Court of Appeal to adjourn proceedings because the next prosecution witness could not be brought to the court by the police.

He said that the investigators were in the Northern Region to get the witnesses to testify and the court granted the request by adjourning the case.

When the case was called yesterday, Gertrude Aikins, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) told the court that the police could still not get a witness to testify and asked for another adjournment.

Reacting to the turn of events, Atta Akyea, lead counsel for the accused persons, said the witnesses enjoyed themselves at a hotel at the expense of the taxpayer when the police brought them to Accra to write their statements but when they are needed to testify they are nowhere to be found.

He mentioned that Nantongma Alhassan Andani and Grundo Wumbei, whose names appeared on the bill of indictment as some of the witnesses were hosted in the hotel but were not in court to testify.

He said he would not fault state prosecutors for their inability to bring the witnesses saying “this is a serious matter. We will plead with the witnesses in the name of God to come and testify or forever hold their peace.”

Mr. Atta Akyea told the court that should the prosecution fail to bring the next witness, the defense team would apply to the court to ask the prosecution to close its case, saying “the accused persons liberties are at stake.”

Justice Ayebi then said “at the request of the prosecution this case stands adjourned until Tuesday, November 2, 2010”.

On the Bill of Indictment, the Attorney General’s Department has indicated that it intends to bring 14 witnesses to testify in the trial and already 12 witnesses, including two police investigators and the pathologist who conducted autopsy on the body of the Ya Na have appeared in court to testify.

The prosecution at a point substituted PW3 for PW6, but defense counsel, Phillip Addison complained to the court that the prosecution had not been furnishing them with statements of their clients on time; a development which according to him could affect speedy trial.

All the 15 accused persons, except Zakaria Yakubu aka Zakaria Forest, the seventh suspect who is currently at large, were in court.

They have all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and with Forest (A7) facing an additional charge of murder.

They are currently on remand in police custody except Iddrisu Iddi aka Mbadugu due to old age.

Those on trial are Iddrisu Iddi aka Mbadugu, Alhaji Baba Abdulai Iddrisu aka Zohe, Kwame Alhassan aka Achiri, Mohamadu Abdulai aka Samasama, Sayibu Mohammed, Alhassan Braimah and Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani, 45, former DCE of Yendi as second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth accused persons respectively.

The rest are Baba Ibrahim aka Baba Zey, Alhassan Mohammed aka Mohammed Cheampon, Mohammed Mustapha, Shani Imoro, Yakubu Yusif aka Leftee and Hammed Abukari Yussif and Abdul Razak Yussif aka Nyaa as 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th accused persons respectively.

Since the commencement of the trial, scores of police officers with riot control equipment including weapons have been patrolling the court premises to deter supporters of both Abudu and Andani Gates from physically settling scores.

Blows over KONADU...As Footsoldiers clash

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday October 26, 2010
The clamour for former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings to join the National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential race by a group of party foot-soldiers is tearing the ruling party apart, as another group joins the fray, accusing the NDC vice chairperson of undermining President Atta Mills.

The latest group, calling itself Foot Soldiers for Unity and Victory (FOSUV) of the NDC, which DAILY GUIDE learnt derives its strength from the Castle, says Mrs. Rawlings’s presidential ambitions will send the NDC into opposition if not checked.

“How long will the NDC allow the personal ambitions of one woman to destroy the NDC? How long will we allow her assigns and agents to destroy what we have all toiled to build. How long are our leaders going to be silent and timid as Nana Konadu and her agents bring down the whole NDC and government if they will not get what they want- power and control,” the group asked in a statement DAILY GUIDE learnt was issued from the Ministry of Information late Sunday.

Ghanaians woke up on Sunday to find ‘Konadu For President in 2012’ posters pasted on several walls and poles in cities, towns and villages across the country, with the Eastern region boasting of over 15,000 posters.

As at yesterday, it was no longer a nocturnal assignment for Konadu agents in Wa in the Upper West region as they openly distributed the posters and flyers with residents rushing for them like flies chasing rotten meat. “It was hot cake”, a resident told DAILY GUIDE.

The promoters of Mrs. Rawlings, the wife of former President Jerry John Rawlings and founder of NDC, are determined to elbow President John Evans Atta Mills in his quest to get a second term.

But Benard Allotey Jacobs, Central regional former Propaganda Secretary warned that Mrs Rawlings was gradually leading the NDC to the slaughter’s slab.

“…It will be a disaster…and suicidal for the NDC to elect Nana Konadu as the flagbearer….In the unlikely event of Nana Konadu becoming flagbearer of the NDC, it will be cool chop for the NPP…Look, what we are doing, should we be kicked into opposition, NDC will never resurrect,” Allotey told Peace FM.

Allotey has been described by the Central regional representative for ‘Nana Konadu for President’ as a complete comedian, who should not be taken seriously. He said Allotey’s contribution on Peace FM even showed that he was not serious.

Although, Nana Konadu has not spoken, she has given ‘telling signals’ that she wants to lead the NDC to the 2012 polls and has been very vocal and consistent in denying reports that she has endorsed an Atta Mills candidature.

But what appears to be a call on the leadership of the party to rise and nip Nana Konadu’s ambitions in the bud, is the statement by FOSUV and signed by Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, National Coordinator.

It said “FOSUV has observed that because of the personal ambitions of Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, there has been a well orchestrated campaign to malign, insult and work against the forward match of the NDC.

“This selfish ambition which is perpetuated above the rules of the NDC and above every authority in the NDC is destroying discipline, unity and progress of the NDC” adding “this personal ambition has led to the deliberate undermining of the leadership whilst exposing the President Mills led-Government to public ridicule and contempt”

FOSUV said “it is this same ambition that has seen the printing and posting of Nana Konadu for 2012 posters all across the country even though it is cowardly masked as an act of foot soldiers.

“FOSUV wishes to stress that if the NDC will be returned in any future election, it will depend on how well the current Prof. Mills-led administration performs in Government. Any attempt to undermine the current NDC government with the intention of pursuing personal ambitions is only a laughably self-destructive enterprise.

“For now, it is the view of FOSUV that Professor Mills is doing well and must be supported by every well-meaning Ghanaian more so NDC members. It is also refreshing to observe the humility and cleanliness of the President.”

It added “let us respect the laws of our party and allow Prof. Mills to deliver on his promises to the electorate. It is everybody’s guess, what would have been the fate of those engaged in this insurgency if it were them in power. We have subjected ourselves to public ridicule and disdain for far too long.”

However Nana Konadu’s supporters were of the view that it was time for the NDC to be reclaimed by its real adherents - those who truly believe in its virtues and values.
They said Mrs. Rawlings is an embodiment of these NDC values far better than anybody else in the party today.

President Mills, the group said, had given the control of the party to different people who went to sleep during eight years in opposition.

“They have taken the NDC party away from the values that form its bedrock. We were here when Prof. Mills went abroad to teach in a foreign university after losing an election. John Mahama concentrated on AU work at the time. Totobi Kwakyi was ‘ill’ for eight years and only got well one year ago. Kwamena Ahwoi went into ‘retirement’ from politics while Kwesi Ahwoi went to work abroad.

“While all these people were at it, only one man and one woman stood tall and courageously defended the core values and principles of this NDC movement. Together with his wife, President Rawlings showed endurance and adaptive vitality during eight years in opposition to sustain the grassroots and keep the people’s hopes alive”, Henry Oware, Public Relations Officer for Movement for Nana Konadu 2012 said in statement.

“Two years in government, President Mills is allowing the grass roots of our party to wither away. The source of the political fountain which is the people is been cut off by President Mills. And that is why the foot-soldiers are calling on Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings to rise to the occasion as her endurance and inspiration is badly needed and her star is beckoning”.

The group accused President Mills who is the leader of the party of violating the due process of being a candidate by announcing his intended candidature for 2012.

“It is also no secret that Vice President John Mahama has taken undue advantage of his position to start campaigning around the country for President. While at the same, some other people are touting Kwesi Ahwoi as a contender. We in the movement for NANA KONADU 2012 do not therefore see any violation in carrying on our advocacy, therefore, we shall continue to move this agenda until the former first lady takes up the challenge we’re throwing to her.”

Prosecution Makes U-turn In Ya Na Trial

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday October 26, 2010
The audio and video recordings of proceedings of the Wuaku Commission, a body set up by former President Kufuor to investigate the intra-ethnic conflict between Abudu and Andani Royal Gates at Yendi in 2002, which led to the murder of Ya Na Yakubu Andani II, overlord of Dagbon, have been located.

Yesterday at the trial of 15 persons who have been accused of murdering the Ya Na, state prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Department, who filed an affidavit on October 14, 2010 noting that the state did not have any document or material apart from the commission’s report, made a sharp u-turn by presenting a box full of audio and video recordings of the 2002 proceedings.

Anthony Rexford Wiredu, a Principal State Attorney said unknown to the AG, the audio and video recordings of the Presidential Commission were in the custody of one S.T. Korley of the AG’s Department and upon reading from the newspapers about the whereabouts of the materials, Mr. Korley made them available.

“I have listened to some of the cassettes. The contents are the same as those that we have on the proceedings which are already in evidence.”

Mr. Wiredu said it would be a waste of time to listen to the cassettes one by one adding “all those that I have personally listened to are the same as the printed version.”

Atta Akyea, who led the defense team yesterday said “we have been vindicated. We have always insisted that the materials were in their possession and once the prosecution has indicated that the contents on the cassettes are the same as what we have on the proceedings, we will not raise any objection.”

He said since the tapes were handed over to a properly designated state institution, a regime change should not affect the custody of the material.

The trial judge in his ruling advised the prosecution to ensure the safe keeping of the materials so that as and when the need arose they could be brought to the court.

The prosecution, led by Gertrude Aikins, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) on September 16, 2010 vehemently objected to the tendering of the proceedings of the commission’s report which is in four volumes by defense counsel, Phillip Addison saying they were not authentic but the court over ruled the objection and asked the defense counsel to authenticate and tender them because the documents were relevant to the trial.

Defense counsel, after authenticating and tendering the proceedings, filed a notice requesting the AG to produce the original video, audio and soft copies of the commission’s proceedings but the DPP replied that the AG’s Department had conducted extensive search but could not find anything except the report itself.

The court, in its ruling, said it was strange for the prosecution, which was supposed to be the custodian of such vital materials, to state in open court that those documents could not be traced.

After the issue of the cassettes had been sorted out, Mr. Wiredu asked the court to adjourn the proceedings because the next prosecution witness could not be brought to court by the police.

He said the investigators were in the Northern region to get the witnesses to testify.

Mr. Atta Akyea said the witnesses voluntarily gave statements saying “there should not be any hassle at all in coming to defend their statements.”

“The case cannot be at the pleasure of two witnesses who are not willing to come.”
The court granted the prosecution’s request and adjourned proceedings until October 27, 2010.

All the 15 accused persons, except Zakaria Yakubu aka Zakaria Forest, the seventh accused (A7) who is currently at large, were in court.

They have all pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, with Forest (A7) facing an additional charge of murder.

They are currently on remand except Iddrisu Iddi aka Mbadugu, due to old age.

Those on trial are Iddrisu Iddi aka Mbadugu, Alhaji Baba Abdulai Iddrisu aka Zohe, Kwame Alhassan aka Achiri, Mohamadu Abdulai aka Samasama, Sayibu Mohammed, Alhassan Braimah and Alhaji Mohammed Habib Tijani, 45, former District Chief Executive (DCE) of Yendi as second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth accused persons respectively.

The rest are Baba Ibrahim aka Baba Zey, Alhassan Mohammed aka Mohammed Cheampon, Mohammed Mustapha, Shani Imoro, Yakubu Yusif aka Leftee and Hammed Abukari Yussif aka Kuns and Abdul Razak Yussif aka Nyaa as ninth, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th accused persons respectively.

Police Fire Shots in midst of children

Mr. Paul Tawiah Quaye is the Inspector General of Police in Ghana

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday October 26, 2010
There was near disaster at Russia, a suburb of Accra last Saturday when gun-wielding police men from the Dansoman Divisional Command besieged a house to forcibly eject tenants from it on the orders of one of the sons of the deceased land lord.

In the process, one of the trigger-happy policemen fired two warning shots in the midst of little children, causing panic in the area at about 4pm on October 23.

Two people, including a pregnant woman, sustained minor injuries when the police personnel used the butt of a gun to hit them.

The children in the house were visibly traumatized as a result of the ensuing commotion.

To make matters worse, when the two people (Mrs. Naomi Ashittey and Felix Dodoo) who were injured went to the Dansoman Police Station to lodge complaint, they were detained in police cells.

The police personnel, who had hidden their name tags, came in three unregistered vehicles and entered the house with the supposed claimant, Ebenezer Lankwei Bruce without any warrant and demolished the doors of the rooms.

There was also a KIA truck with registration GW 9841 Y, loaded with personal belongings which the policemen tried to forcibly discharge in one of the rooms, but to no avail.

They however managed to lock up one of the rooms.

When DAILY GUIDE visited the scene at 4:41pm the policemen had left with the cargo truck but the incident had attracted a lot of people.

Comfort Bruce, sister of the claimant, said the matter had been taken to court and was yet to be determined but her brother was using the police to intimidate them in order to possess the house.

She said their deceased father Albert Duke Bruce bequeathed the house to all 15 of his children and alleged that her brother promised to rent out the facility to the police without consulting them, hence the mayhem that was visited upon them.

Ms. Bruce said a writ of summons filed through their lawyer, Bright Akwetey, has not been responded to by their brother, adding that he continues to use the police to intimidate the rest of the family.