NDC In Crisis Over Wikileaks

Hot! Ms. Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry in Ghana.

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday July 13, 2011.
The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has held a crisis meeting at the Castle to devise ways and means to contain the Wikileaks revelations as they put the party in a bad light.

According to sources, the meeting attended by senior government and party officials last Thursday concluded that henceforth no NDC official who was exposed in the United States Embassy leaked cables should grant interview to the media or make public pronouncements on the matter.

The decision to seal the lips of the affected people, the sources put it succinctly “it is not in anybody’s interest” and they cannot pick and choose since most of the cables are about personalities still serving in the government.

In the leaked cable, Hannah Tetteh, Minister for Trade and Industry and former Director of Communications of the National Democratic Congress, told the United States officials that the party founder, former President Jerry John Rawlings, is a “loose cannon who sometimes loses sight of his role.”

The US embassy officials described former President Jerry Rawlings as a key player in the NDC campaign, a larger than life presence whose populist touch and bombast rouse crowds that reach beyond the party faithful.

Ms Tetteh said: “Rawlings was ‘a blessing and a curse,’ vital to the cause for his charismatic appeal, but equally risky as a loose cannon who sometimes loses sight of his role.”

She also explained why the NDC opted for Joyce Bamford Addo as Speaker of Parliament.

“She [Joyce Banmford Addo] was seen as someone who would take orders and be malleable to party discipline,” Hannah Tetteh revealed to the discomfiture of the NDC leadership in parliament.

She said that “for important votes, the party would remove Addo and put the First Deputy Speaker Edward Adjaho into her place as a stronger enforcer.”

The leaked cable further states that Hannah Tetteh had an inkling that the NDC’s National Chair would be replaced at the party’s post-election congress to elect party leaders, adding that it was probably because Dr Kwabena Adjei "...lacks maturity -- and I don't mean because of his age."

The crisis meeting Daily Guide gathered was held in the wake of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) Young Patriots claims that about $5million is spent on President John Evans Atta Mills’ health annually, a development that the NDC is not ready to contest publicly.

Since the revelations in the secret cables, it has become apparent that the two main political parties, NDC and NPP are poised for a tit-for-tat over their flag bearers on the contents of the leaks.

The NDC whose leading members, including ministers of state have stated publicly that they believe in everything published in the secret cables have asked the ‘Okro mouth’ officials to ‘keep quiet’ and allow their communication team to handle the issues emanating from the cables.

Daily Guide learnt that the NDC may start playing down on reports in the cables because they have realized that some of the contents may not help their cause after all.

Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Friday at the 16th Ghana Journalists award night dropped the first hint when he said “the recent Wikileaks cables have accentuated the media warfare. Nothing matters any more. Reprinting the juiciest gossips from the US Embassy cables provides a media that was already polarized on partisan lines, enough ammunition and firepower to pound one's opponents for the rest of the year.”

He said “the cables were meant to be confidential and if they remained so there would no problem. Unfortunately Julian Assange and his Wikileaks organization have opened a real Pandora’s Box. Well, ‘Wikileaks’ has its positive side. It shows what happens with even the most casual conversations we may have with foreign diplomats.”

He said “a cursory look at our media would seem like we are a nation at war. Newspapers and radio stations are lined up in the political trenches with their political allies or paymasters.”

“Throwing printed and verbal grenades and taking pot shots at the ‘enemy lines.’ Each side is trying to outdo each other in inflicting maximum damage on the perceived ‘enemies’.

The diplomatic cable which has been released from the archives tackles all political parties in the country from the years 1997 -2010, exposing especially issues affecting personalities of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) with a few trickles here and there on PNC’s Dr. Edward Mahama and CPP’s Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom.

The leaks have also brought journalists on head on collision, with most of them trading accusations and counter accusations.

Baba Jamal, a deputy Minister of Information; and Fiifi Kwetey, a deputy Minister of Finance, have also popped up as having made statements to diplomats, including the revelation by Baba Jamal that President Mills is suffering from throat cancer.

Others are Akrasi Sarpong, the Executive Secretary of Narcotics Control Board; Ben Ephson, a self-acclaimed pollster and Editor of Daily Dispatch; as well as Kwesi Pratt, Managing Editor of Insight.

The rest are Dr. Kwesi Aning of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Center, Johnson Asiedu Nketia General Secretary of the NDC and Alban Bagbin Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing.

Land guards Rule Kwabenya

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

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday September 13, 2011.
THE LAND guard menace which security agencies have over the years struggled to contain is getting out of hand.

These hoodlums have taken over virtually all lands at Kwabenya and surrounding areas in the Greater Accra region, terrorizing prospective developers with impunity.

The police are said to be aware of the situation but are always overpowered by the criminals who use sophisticated and dangerous weapons including guns and cutlasses.
The leader of the bandits is believed to be one Theophilus Ankamah Aryee, who resides around the Kwabenya cemetery area where the land guards coordinate their nefarious activities.

Other known members are Aryee Quaye aka Bullet, who claims he is a relative of the Inspector General of Police and one Cobra, believed to be one of the perpetrators of the 1998 murder of two policemen at Ablekuma.

They move from land to land fully armed, extorting money from developers and unleashing terror on those who try to resist them and also pull down structures under construction.

All the criminals are said to be on the police wanted list but they seem to have neutralized the police and as a result, residents say they are “untouchable.”

DAILY GUIDE’s visit to the area showed clearly that developers were afraid to go to their lands whilst others said they were still living in fear.

Alhassan Abubakar, a resident who was recently hospitalized after being slashed with a knife by the bandits, narrated his experience.

“We were working on a piece of land which was bought by my sister when the land guards rushed on us with guns, cutlasses and other weapons to stop us and before I could explain, one of them slashed me with a knife. It is pathetic that we cannot develop the land we genuinely acquired. These guys are making it impossible for us to do anything,” he said.

Asked whether the case had been reported to the police, Abubakar said “the police are aware of the situation and I do not understand why they are not acting.”

Ibrahim Saddam, another victim said “they came around and seized all our working tools and also robbed us of our money. We are being harassed and nobody seems to care about it.

We do not want to take the law into our hands that is why we approached the police to act but if the police are not ready to stop them, we can also organize our men to face them,” he warned.

Lawrencia Anyase, a land owner explained that she bought her property about four years ago and recently when she finally decided to develop it, the land guards stopped her.

Almost in tears, Ms. Anyase said “I followed all the procedures required by law to get this land but these land guards would not give me peace. They are acting as if there is no security agency in the country.”

Isaac Ashley, another affected resident said “the land guards have created a sense of insecurity in the area. We have been to the police headquarters and the regional offices to complain to them to no avail.”

NDC Can’t Stop Me – Nana Konadu

Konadu and her supporters.

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday September 12, 2011.
FORMER FIRST Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings says nobody in the ruling National Democratic Congress(NDC) can stop her from offering constructive criticism so long as those at the helm of affairs do not do the right thing.

“The reason why I chose to contest the presidential primary has not changed. Maybe I was not given the candidature…whether I got or not, I will never stop speaking the truth about the rot and ills in our great party NDC,” she told a cheering crowd at the Nima Cluster of Schools in Accra on Saturday.

Addressing NDC members on her ongoing “Thank you tour” to show her appreciation to those who supported her to contest President John Evans Atta Mills in the NDC primary held in Sunyani in July, Mrs. Rawlings said “Sunyani or no Sunyani my brothers and sisters nothing has changed.”

“The position I held that certain ills and wrongs in our party and government should be corrected, I have not shifted from that position…we have to put our house in order so that the moral vacuum that has been created will be sealed.”

Accompanied by almost all her FONKAR leadership and her daughter, Yaa Asantewaa, the former first lady said “I am surprised that some people are questioning what authority I have to embark on this tour to appreciate NDC delegates…Ei! are we in Ghana at all… If they do not know I am doing this out of sheer decency.”

“I know how people risked their lives and sacrificed for me during my campaign and I cannot be ungrateful to them. They were intimidated, persecuted and harassed especially by DCEs, MCEs and others in our party yet some stood their grounds and gave me unflinching support.”

Mrs. Rawlings said there were those who were bold to tell DCEs and MCEs that “you do not control the party rather it is the party executives who should direct affairs and not you”, adding “I will forever be grateful for those who were bold enough to resist intimidation.”

She said the principles of truth, honesty and social justice on which the NDC was built are still missing adding “our people are stuck in abject poverty and when you complain they warn you not to dare speak about it.”

“If the grassroot and foot-soldiers complain and because of greed those at the top will always hit them with a sledge hammer then it will be difficult for the party to stand,” she said.

She added “the party has principles and must be pursued. We have allowed money to destroy our ways and that is affecting the rank and file of our party.”

Kofi Adams, an aide to former President Jerry John Rawlings said the Wikileaks has exposed the wicked intentions of the party’s leadership and called on the rank and file to resist any attempt to send the party to the Conventions People’s Party (CPP).

“A lot of interesting things are happening in our party. It is up to us to ask ourselves whether we want to build on principle that hold the foundation of the party or have a party that deals with people’s selfish interest and personal desires.”

Berrick Numburr, Coordinator of the Konadu Campaign said instead of focusing on how to keep the NPP in opposition “we are heavily bruising ourselves. We have soon forgotten that the NPP is fast gaining grounds”

“Anytime Nana Konadu speaks people who are waiting to create mischief try to dilute what she says but she will continue to speak the truth,” he said.

Saint Osei, a leading member of FONKAR said the NDC has compromised its principles of probity and accountability saying “Nana Konadu is seeking to restore what we have lost as a party”.

Ruth Dela Sedoh, another FONKAR member said the attempt to sideline the NDC founder (JJ Rawlings) would backfire because his contributions to the party will forever be there for all to see.

During the rally, the FONKAR distributed copies of documents purported to have come from Wikileaks cables that exposed what they called an agenda by President Mills and his group to obliterate the ideals, visions and principles of the NDC and take the CPP.

Hannah Tetteh, as then Head of Communications of the NDC’s Transition Team, and now Minister of Trade and Industry, in a meeting with current United States Ambassador Donald G. Teitelbaum, is reported on January 13, 2009 to have described in detail how the NDC under President Mills planned to collapse two Nkrumaist parties, the CPP and PNC, and merge them into the NDC, thereby turning Ghanaian politics into a two-party system.

She told the Ambassador that the NDC would no more stand on a Rawlings ideology but instead adopt an Nkrumaist philosophy which is in contravention of Article 6 of the NDC Constitution which says unequivocally that the party was established on the Vision and Leadership of President Rawlings.

Wikileaks! NDC Stabs Mills

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

It has emerged that two senior National Democratic Congress (NDC) members described President John Evans Atta Mills as surrounding himself with mediocre advisors.

According to Wikileaks, the notorious whistle blower website, Johnson Asiedu Nketia aka General mosquito NDC General Secretary and Alban Bagbin, Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing told United States Embassy officials that “Mills has surrounded himself with inexperienced advisors who are providing poor counsel”, confirming Jerry John Rawlings, former President and NDC founder assertion the president’s appointments are mediocre.

The NDC gurus went on to tell the US Ambassador Donald Teitelbaum on December 10 and 11, 2009 that the mediocre advisors are “failing to ensure inter-ministerial coordination”.

So far, names like Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry; Baba Jamal, a deputy Minister of Information; and Fiifi Kwetey, a deputy Minister of Finance, and others have popped up as having made statements to diplomats probably for political expediency without recourse to political repercussion.

The rest are Akrasi Sarpong, the Executive Secretary of Narcotics Control Board; Ben Ephson, a self-acclaimed pollster and Editor of Daily Dispatch; Kwesi Pratt, Managing Editor of Insight with latest batch of loose talkers being Asiedu Nketiah, Bagbin, and Mahama Ayariga.

After meeting President Mills on December 9, 2009 in a crucial meeting at the Castle the cables said “both Nketia and Bagbin said that the NDC's success in the next election will be based on its performance in government, and that the party must overcome its current divisions if it wishes to remain in power.”

Alban Bagbin
“Bagbin said participants voiced concern that Mills has surrounded himself with young and inexperienced advisors who are not providing good counsel. Bagbin was particularly critical of the President's communication team, singling out Spokesman Mahama Ayariga and the Information Minister (Zita Okaikoi) as ineffective (reftel).”

“Bagbin noted that as Majority leader (as he was at the time) he is responsible for carrying out the government's agenda in Parliament, but said that there has been poor coordination between the government and Parliament.

“Bagbin also cited poor coordination between different ministries, and said the exclusion of the Information Minister from the Cabinet has aggravated the government's inability to present a coherent message.”

Johnson Asiedu-Nketia
The cable said “NDC General Secretary Nketia, who sits in the Mills Cabinet, told POL Chief that he felt the Mills meeting was successful. He also said Mills' communication team was failing, and noted that this contrasted with the successful communication operation that the NDC ran in opposition and during the 2008 presidential campaign.”

“Nketia was particularly critical of the President's Chief of Staff and two Deputy Chiefs of Staff. He said he had been surprised by Mills' hiring decisions for these positions, and said that none of the individuals in those positions had adequate political experience.

“Nketia cited former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings' decision to run for a party vice chairman position (in the run up to the NDC congress in Tamale to elect executives) as a challenging development that could prove either problematic or positive for the party as it looks toward the 2012 election.”

“Both Nketia and Bagbin said that the NDC's success in the next election will be based on its performance in government, and that the party must overcome its current divisions if it wishes to remain in power.”

“Nketia acknowledged divisions within the party, and said that the party would have little chance to retain power in 2012 if it cannot overcome this problem…Nketia conceded that the Administration has had governance problems of its own creation, but said that another significant problem was managing the expectations that were raised during the campaign, particularly given the difficult fiscal and economic situation” the cable said.

“Nketia said that the NDC is struggling to define itself as a party independent of personalities, and that they must find a way to manage the political force of Rawlings without making him irrelevant adding “in dealing with NDC divisions, Nketia said that for many years the NDC has revolved around the personality of its founder, and that this has created lingering questions of loyalty for many party leaders who served under Rawlings but now identify with the current president”.

Mahama Ayariga
Mahama Ayariga spokesperson at the inception of the Mills administration before he was moved to the Ministry of Trade and Industry and now in Education as deputy minister conceded that the Mills government has been vulnerable to criticism as it has not done a great job explaining itself to the Ghanaian public.

“This has allowed critics - including some within the NDC such as former President Rawlings - to take the initiative in criticizing the pace of the Mills Administration,” the cable said.

“Ayariga admitted that personality problems between members of the President's communications team have adversely affected coordination. Ayariga specifically noted strained relations between himself and Director of Presidential Communications Koku Anyidoho, and Information Minister Zita Okaikoi.”

NDC’s ‘dirty’ politics
According to Wikileaks, the US Embassy was approached by two advisors to the then opposition NDC candidate, Professor John Atta-Mills, in the persons of Edward Nunoo believed to be the son of General Nunoo-Mensah, Mills’ National Security Advisor and Sylvester Tamakloe, a presidential staffer at the Presidency who told Political Officer that Electoral Commission (EC) Chairman Kwadwo Afari-Gyan was being pressured by then ruling NPP “to announce false results that would be supplied by the NPP.”

Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the EC told the Ambassador that the allegations of rigging leveled by the NDC were "utter nonsense."

“They said that their information was coming from two of the NDC’s polling officials representing the party in the EC's strong room where election results are being tabulated. They identified them as Victor Smith, a former Rawlings aide, and Larry Adjetey, another NDC high official. They also said that the NPP was providing false provisional election results to radio and TV stations to give the impression that Akufo-Addo had more votes than the actual case.”

According to Wikileaks, the Ambassador managed “to put a quick end to these allegations by placing a call to Afari-Gyan, who called the charges utter nonsense and said that he felt no threat to his life.”

“He added that he still moves around Accra freely without escorts or bodyguards. He thanked the Ambassador for passing along the information,” the cable said.

The cable said the Ambassador later spoke with NDC’s Director of Communications (Hannah Tetteh), who distanced herself from the allegations, saying that she knew both Nunoo and Tamakloe, but they were not speaking on behalf of Atta-Mills.

“She confirmed that Victor Smith was a party representative in the EC’s strong room, but inferred that he sometimes spoke without conferring with the candidate and his closest advisors.”

In the Ambassador’s comment, he described the allegation as “one more instance of the NDC playing dirty politics.”

“It (NDC) has already issued a premature press release claiming victory, which resulted in celebrations in Tamale which police were required to disperse. It held jubilation ceremonies at party headquarters in Accra that had to be contained by police, and later claimed that the celebrations were being held only for some of their parliamentary winners.”

“And it has been accusing the NPP of malfeasance in at least three parliamentary elections without providing concrete evidence. Its behavior is not helping its cause, and seems ill considered in the face of the good showing it has been making in the elections. We suspect these two men were free-lancing.”

“So far, these efforts have not grown beyond the level of irritation, but we will monitor the situation carefully.”

CPP Select Leaders

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday September 10, 2011.
At long last the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) has commenced its extra ordinary congress to elect national officers who will prepare the party for the 2012 general election and beyond after series of postponement.

Wing Commander (Rtd.) Patrick Sogbojor, chairman of the CPP election committee has described postponements as “circumstances beyond our control”, the once vibrant party finally got down to business in a contest which political analysts say will define the future of the party.

The congress was first fixed for April 29-30, 2011, postponed to May 27-29 and later rescheduled for late June, due to operational and organizational challenges, court actions and the inability of some regions to elect their officers on time.
The change of the initial venue from Takoradi to Accra also made campaigning very difficult.

About 2,300 delegates from all the 230 constituencies in the country are expected to participate in the event which has been scheduled to be held at the Trade Fair Center in La, Accra this morning.

In all, 24 candidates are contesting seven different positions and the election will be supervised by the Electoral Commission.

The positions include National Chairman (4), National Vice-Chairmen, (6), General Secretary (3), National Treasurer, (2), National Organizer, (3), National Women’s Organizer, (3) and National Youth Organizer (3).

The build up to the election has not been without drama. Less than 24 hours to the two-day event, the CPP Northern Regional Chairman threatened that the region will boycott the congress if logistical and organizational challenges were not immediately addressed.

Ladi Nylander, incumbent national Chairman later assured that all the problems have been fixed and that everything was “under control”.

The position that is likely to attract the attention of observers is that of national chair person. Four formidable candidates are going to “wrestle” for that seat.

Incumbent, Ladi Nylander; a former occupant of that seat, Professor Edmund N. Delle; current MP for Jomoro, Samia Yaaba Nkrumah, daughter of the founder of CPP, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and incumbent National Vice-Chairperson, Madam Araba Bentsi-Enchill are all ‘eying’ the seat.

On the notice of poll released by the EC, Ms. Nkrumah occupies the first position, followed by Prof Delle, Mr. Nylander and Madam Bentsi-Enchill in that order.

Rodaline Ayarna, Ibrahim M. Seidu, Susan Adu-Amankwa, William Nana Buckman, Oteng Anane and Kojo Armah are all vying for the position of national vice-chairman.
In the general secretary position it is being hotly contested by Ivor Greenstreet, incumbent, Nii Armah Akomfrah and Ekow Duncan.

The position of national treasurer position is a straight fight between Kosi Dedey and Seth Gomnah.

Evelyn Alamisi Anabilla, Appiah Amankwah and Abu Forgor are slugging it out for national organizer, while Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim-Haruna, Mary Ankumah Boakye-Boateng and Aisha Suley Futa will battle for the national women’s organizer position.

The national youth organizer position will be vied for by Murtala Mohammed, Francis Opai Tetteh and Issifu Kadiri Abdul Rauf.

It will be the first time in the history of the CPP that it is heading for an early congress to elect its national officers to enable them to elect their flag bearer as soon as possible.

The CPP since the coming into force of the 4th Republican Constitution has always elected their flag bearer very late.

The last time an Nkrumahist party won a general election was in 1979, under the Third Republican Constitution, when Dr Hilla Limann won on the ticket of the People’s National Party (PNP), with the support of the CPP’s organizational machine.

Mills ON $5m Cancer Treatment – NPP Boys

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com
The NPP Young Patriots are firing from all fronts.

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday September 9,2011.
With the startling revelations in the Wikileaks secret cables it seems the two main political parties are poised for a tit-for-tat over their flag bearers on the contents of the leaks.

Yesterday the Young Patriots, a youth group in the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) held a press conference amid claims that $5million was being spent on the health of President John Evans Atta Mills.

“We have done our projections on how much it costs to do radiotherapy. We have also taken into account the expenses together with number of times top specialists are flown in and out of the country to treat our President and have come to the conclusion that the taxpayer spends at least about $5million on him annually,” they claimed.

They questioned at the press conference addressed by Hopeson Adoye, a leading member of the group if President Mills was fit to lead?

Virtually intruding into the privacy of the President they said “the people of Ghana have every right to know about the state of the President’s health.”

“We are here today to touch on single most important item of our time and yet an item so far curiously ignored by the nation and treated like a taboo subject but which we all know is widely discussed across Ghana but in private. By this we mean the state of health of our President.

We want to know what is actually wrong with the President and what it means to his capacity to lead the nation as well as how much the state is spending on his treatment,” he said.

Mr. Adoye said “while we are not against the state spending to keep the leader alive and healthy, we are saying that we need to know the truth. We are calling for transparency and accountability.”

He said for some time, the rumour consensus in the country that President Mills is not in the best of health has not been in doubt and added that it was partly the cause of his “bad and ineffective leadership”.

“We had no consensus on the diagnoses but once Baba Jamal, a deputy Minister of Information has alleged that the President is suffering from throat cancer, we have now realised that President Mills lied to Ghanaians about his health to get into the highest office of the land.”

“He told US Embassy officials via leaked cables that he had sinus infection but he was rather suffering from throat cancer per statement by his own deputy Minister of Information and we have no reason to doubt the minister.

“Baba Jamal, has now narrowed the illness to laryngeal cancer, commonly known as throat cancer – the fatal sickness of drunkards and heavy chain smokers. An illness that causes hallucinations and can lead to possible eyesight and hearing problems as well,” he claimed.

“Some other quoted risk factors are likely, in part, to be related to prolonged alcohol and tobacco consumption. These include low socioeconomic status, and oral sex, especially with multiple partners, forcing the disease to get hold after the person hits more than 55 years.”

Mr. Adoye said “while we don’t have to take everything said as the gospel truth, we believe the President owes it a duty to the Ghanaian public to come out with the truth of his medical record and the actual state of his health.”

He said as a result of the President’s ill health, “there is currently a political vacuum which appear to be caused by the President spending more time on his health than delivering on the so-called Better Ghana Agenda.”

Mr. Adoye said “those who are benefiting from that vacuum, (the Kitchen cabinet, the unelected cabal) would do anything to hide the truth from Ghanaians, as we saw in Nigeria the latter years of President Umaru Musah Yar’ Adua”

“We have a major problem of poverty to deal with in this country, to add a sick executive to the list of our already overwhelming problems is too expensive!

“The dishonesty and deceit are too much for far too long. The people of Ghana deserve to know and we call on the President to be true to his oath of office and to tell us the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” he said.

John Kumah, another member of the group said even though the NPP may not believe wholly the Wikileaks report, some NDC activists including ministers of state are feeding on the leaked cables to destroy the reputation of the NPP and its flagbearer and “that is forcing us to state the issues as it is.”

“When Nana Akufo-Addo gave the liberty lecture on the eve of the Muslim holiday, the NDC tried to incite Muslims against him and the NPP yet Fiifi Kwetey, a Deputy Minister of Finance is quoted in the leaked as saying that no Muslim can ever become President in Ghana and they (NDC) are silent about it.”

“Look at President Mills’ comment in the leaked cables about Ashantis…if this had come from any NPP member they will do propaganda by inciting the people against the NPP.”

“The situation has come to this because the President has failed to take decent action against his appointees who go about insulting everybody. They are not interested in issues based discussion and are always trivializing and insulting people and that is pushing us into it.”

Nii Kwatei Titus-Glover in charge of operations of the Young Patriots said “we have always tried to engage in the discourse of reasoning but because the NDC has made insults the status-quo we will prove to them they are not more humans than any other group of persons.”

Yaw Adomako Baafi, another leading member said the over-pontification of the virtues of President Mills is forcing the NDC to engage in all sorts of propaganda even where certain issues concerning the President are found to be on the contrary.

I Stand For Unity – Appiah CPP

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Amankwa Appiah aka Appiah CPP want to become CPP National Organizer.

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday September 9, 2011.
AN ASPIRING National Organizer of the Convention Peoples’ Party (CPP), Amankwa Appiah has pledged to “do everything possible” to unity the party to enable it present a formidable front in the 2012 general elections.

“The CPP needs absolute peace to be able to articulate the ideals of our father and founder, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to the new generation. The current wrangling has affected us negatively but I come on board as a unifier who will make sure there is peace,” he said.

Mr. Appiah popularly known as Appiah CPP told DAILY GUIDE on Wednesday he had decided to contest as National Organizer at the party Saturday’s congress because “party activism has lost its essence in our ranks.”

He said “the youth no longer want to associate with us because we are not reaching out to them” adding “this is the time for us to unite and fight hard to restore the CPP to its rightful place in world politics.”

Appiah CPP said there was the need to stress on reinvigorating the structures of the party adding “it is going to be my priority if I get the nod.”

He noted that he would revive the various groups and associations that made the CPP very strong in the 1960s and rally the party members behind whoever emerges the 2102 flag bearer.

Asked whom he supports to become national chair person of the party, Appiah CPP said “may the best person win.”

When further asked about his weaknesses he replied “it is my passion for the party which has earned me the name Appiah CPP.”

According to Appiah CPP, he is contesting against two formidable candidates; Evelyn Anabila and Abu Forgor but “my contacts on the ground show clearly that my opponents will be no match for me.”

“I was the Deputy National Youth Organizer from 1996 to 2004 and have traveled extensively across the country so I know the party and its delegates inside out. I have served this party since 1992. I have been a loyal member all these years and have participated in any serious activity,” he said.

Asked about his contributions to the CPP so far, Appiah CPP said “I was the coordinator of the famous accord on Nkrumahist unity on October 16, 1997 at the Arts Center in Accra. I have always worked towards unity.

He added that he was also coordinator of the Osagyefo Youth Movement and actively participated in programmes that explain the ideals of Nkrumahism.

On Nkrumahist unity he had this to say: “politics is about numbers and any attempt to get all those who subscribe to the ideals of our great founder should be appreciated. I get excited when there is an attempt to bring all Nkrumahists together…that is the only way we can espouse Nkrumahism.”

Wikileaks Saga…Okro Mouths On Fire!

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday September 8, 2011.
The Wikileaks revelation continues to expose ‘Okro mouth’ public officials, who for political expediency, ‘hand over’ vital information of the country to foreign diplomats.

Some of the people mentioned have come out strongly to deny the reports attributed to them by the United States diplomats, raising questions about the credibility of such reports as contained in the Wikileaks disclosure.

However, others have come under serious condemnation, with calls for some government appointees to resign because of what has been described as reckless comments.

The diplomatic cable which has been released from the archives tackles all political parties and developments in the country, from the years 1997 -2010, exposing especially, issues affecting personalities of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).

So far, names like Hannah Tetteh, Minister of Trade and Industry; Baba Jamal, a deputy Minister of Information; and Fiifi Kwetey, a deputy Minister of Finance, have popped up as having made statements to diplomats.

The rest are Akrasi Sarpong, the Executive Secretary of Narcotics Control Board; Ben Ephson, a self-acclaimed pollster and Editor of Daily Dispatch; as well as Kwesi Pratt, Managing Editor of Insight.

Hannah Tetteh
As then Head of Communications of the NDC’s Transition Team, Ms. Tetteh, now Minister of Trade and Industry, in a meeting with current United States Ambassador Donald G. Teitelbaum, is reported on January 13, 2009 to have described in detail how the NDC under President Mills planned to collapse two Nkrumaist parties, the CPP and PNC, and merge them into the NDC, thereby turning Ghanaian politics into a two-party system.

“Tetteh confirmed that the NDC had paid dearly to obtain the votes of the two PNC members in Parliament (reftel), saying that in addition to accommodating the party with district, commission, and ambassadorial positions, both MPs would be receiving Deputy Ministerial jobs in return for their agreement to sit with the NDC to constitute a legislative majority.”

She had said “enforcing party discipline on critical votes would still be a key objective, since the margin was so thin. She also noted that the party was courting Alhaji Saani Iddi, the independent MP from Wulensi in the Northern Region, but that so far his demands (for both position and money) were unreasonable, and he would have to come back down to earth.”

She told the Ambassador that the NDC would no more stand on a Rawlings ideology but instead adopt an Nkrumaist philosophy which is in contravention of Article 6 of the NDC Constitution which says unequivocally that the party was established on the Vision and Leadership of President Rawlings.

The Minister was again quoted in one of the leaked cables as having told a US Embassy official that the choice of Justice Joyce Bamford Addo as Speaker of Parliament was purely because, among other things “she is seen as someone who would take orders and be malleable to party discipline.”

Ms Tetteh, who once served as a Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya, said of the Speaker in the leaked cables: “…First of all, she is a woman, and the NDC has a long way to go on gender balance in high office.

“Secondly, and most importantly, it was clear that the NPP could find no grounds to object to her. Lastly, she was seen as someone who would take orders and be malleable to party discipline. She said that for important votes, the party would remove (Bamford) Addo and put the First Deputy Speaker Edward (Doe) Adjaho into her place as a stronger enforcer.”

However, these comments have sparked a serious row in NDC circles with calls on the minister to resign or apologise to the Speaker and Parliament for bringing the house into disrepute.

Baba Jamal
Baba Jamal, then NDC Deputy General Secretary, thumping his chest, dared to visit the ‘Mills health taboo’ when he told Scott Ticknor, a Political Chief at the US Embassy that then candidate JEA Mills has throat cancer.

“In Ghanaian culture, a politician cannot admit to illness, so we should not expect Mills to be forthcoming on this”, Jamal said. “However, Mills is actively campaigning and should have no trouble running the course of the campaign, Jamal said, while admitting that Mills’s voice sometimes gets hoarse on election tours.”

Fiifi Kwetey
Fiifi Kwetey was also a loose-talker, who according to Wikileaks, stated in no uncertain terms that a Muslim can never become the President of the Republic of Ghana.

Then NDC National Propaganda Secretary, when asked about the chances of victory of Vice President Aliu Mahama in the 2007 NPP presidential congress, Mr. Kwetey refused to comment on the strengths of the then Vice president, but rather chose to focus on his religion as a Muslim.

“Concerning Vice President [Aliu] Mahama's Muslim faith, religion is an important factor in Ghanaian politics and many Christian Ghanaians would never vote for a Muslim presidential candidate.”

He went on to say that whilst others will not openly say so, he was bold enough to state that a Muslim can never be President. “While most Ghanaians would not admit this openly, a Muslim could not be elected President of Ghana.”

Fiifi Kwettey has since declined to speak on the issue but rather, one of his boys was saying on Citi Fm yesterday that his comment was that NPP cannot elect a Muslim and Northerner as its leader, even when Mr Kwettey’s comment was very clear.

Akrasi Sarpong
According to Wikileaks, Akrasi Sarpong for his part doubted President Mills’ commitment to fighting the menace of narcotic drugs, saying, “While President Mills has struck the right rhetorical tone regarding his commitment to combating narcotics, he has so far failed to provide adequate resources to NACOB.”

He said the staff of NACOB could be compromised because of low motivation.

“He underlined that the force is understaffed, underfunded, and under-resourced…Sarpong implied that police are open to corruption because of their personal financial situation,” the leak quoted.

Kwesi Pratt Jnr
Another ‘okro-mouth,’ Kwesi Pratt Jnr., according to Wikileaks told US Embassy officials that NPP flagbearer Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, smoked marijuana aka wee.

However, Mr. Pratt, while denying meeting US officials at the US Embassy in Accra, recalled an interaction he had with the said US official over a myriad of election issues; little did he know that the official was going to leak the information to the State Department.

He said he does not recall talking to the US official about Nana Akufo-Addo smoking wee.

Dr. Kwesi Aning
Dr. Kwesi Aning, head of Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre, is quoted by Wikileaks as having claimed that Nana Akufo-Addo had used drugs in his younger days, but that it was now "under control."

He added cryptically that "you can check with German intelligence on that," but does not indicate whether he was a childhood friend of the NPP flag bearer.

Ben Ephson
Another person who has surprised many observers is Ben Ephson who is quoted by Wikileaks as saying that the NPP had tried to bribe him with at least $20,000 to produce a poll favorable to them in 2008 and named the party official offering the money as Gabby Otchere-Darko.

He also said, although without presenting the evidence he claimed to have, that the NPP tried to get the names of polling agents for other parties.

Ben Ephson said the NPP wanted to use this information to bribe agents, and was willing to pay $1,000 for polling agents to collaborate with vote rigging.

Asked by the US Embassy’s Political Affairs Officer (POLOFF) where the money was coming from, Ephson said it was coming out of government's coffers, primarily from kickbacks on government-awarded contracts.

Gabby Otchere-Darko has since described the allegations as false.
He revealed that it was Ben Ephson who rather informed him of an opinion poll he had conducted on the upcoming poll, and needed financial support to complete it.

Gabby asked if Ben Ephson was then paid for declaring the polls for Nana Akufo-Addo in the second round.

Financial Courts Underutilized - Judicial Secretary

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday September 8, 2011.
THE FINANCIAL and Economic Crimes Court, (FECC) a specialized division of the High Court established by government to handle high profile corruption and other related cases of public office holders is underutilized.

Apart from the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) formerly Serious Fraud Office (SFO) that from time to time sends cases to them to be tried, not a single government agency has used the courts or even visited the place to familiarize themselves with activities there.

It particularly cited the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the legislative arm of government, saying it had failed to fulfill its constitutional mandate of complementing the efforts of the judiciary to ensure the administration of justice is complete.

The FECCs have the status of a high court. Currently, there are three of such courts in the country, two located in Accra and another in Kumasi.

The court has jurisdiction in all matters both civil and criminal including offences created under the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), the Financial Administration Act, 2003 (Act 654) as amended, The Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663); and the Internal Audit Agency Act, 2003 (Act 658).

The rest are Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2008 (Act 749); Electronic Transactions Act, 2008 (Act 772); and Economic & Organised Crimes, 2010 (Act 804), in addition to any other jurisdiction conferred on the court by any enactment.

Judicial Secretary, Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong told DAILY GUIDE recently that it was difficult to understand why government agencies were not making good use of the courts to try cases that fell under their jurisdiction.

“We have all it takes to handle cases such high profile cases. Our judges have undergone specialized training in the areas and are capable of handling any issue brought before them for adjudication.”

He said the German Technical Corporation, (GTZ) has been doing well in building the capacities of the judges to be able to handle sophisticated crimes and added that some civil society organizations have also been doing well in the capacity building of judges.

Justice Poku-Acheampong said the Chief Justice, under Articles 125(4) and 139 (3) of the 1992 Constitution, has fulfilled her constitutional mandate by establishing the courts and that it was up to the state agencies to access them.

“The courts have the jurisdiction to try cases emanating from work done by the Public Accounts Committee of parliament. The Chief Justice as a result has written to parliament about the availability of such courts but they have not brought cases to these courts.”

Alfred Morque Mensah-Attah, Registrar of the specialized courts said because the judges were not inundated with cases, the Chief Justice sometimes assigned cases other than what pertained in the jurisdiction of the specialized courts to them to handle.

He said so far, it was the EOCO that had been coming to them to have their cases tried, saying “at least they have brought close to 100 cases some of which have been disposed of and others still on trial.”

The registrar said “cases such as willfully causing financial loss to the state, stealing and embezzlement of public funds, corruption, providing electronic communications service without a license and knowingly obstructing and interfering with the sending, transmission, delivery and reception of communication cases, among others have been dealt with by these courts.”

He said no case from the PAC has as yet been put before the court although in March 2010 at a round-table conference organized by the Public Accounts Committee of parliament sponsored by German NGO, GTZ, the two justices from the FECC presented a paper on the establishment of the financial court and made recommendations that cases emanating from the PAC should be brought to them.

Amenfi West NDC in turmoil

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday September 8, 2011.
The executives and the rank and file of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Wassa Amenfi West Constituency of the Western region are at each other’s throat over the development of the area.

The disunity in the party was evident on Monday, July 29 when a meeting between a fact finding team from the NDC regional office in Takoradi and the constituency executives together with the DCE Samuel Victor Meisu was disrupted by angry party members at Samreboi.

The two-member fact finding team included the second Regional Vice chairman, Solomon Kwabena Amoah and his youth organizer, Kobina Mintah Akwandor.

They were visiting the constituency to assess the performance of the NDC and the popularity of President John Evans Atta Mills ahead of the 2012 general elections when the unfortunate incident occurred.

A source told DAILY GUIDE that after visiting some communities in the area, the fact finding team stopped over at Samreboi to confer with party members but the meeting ended abruptly when some of the members ordered the constituency executives to leave the place.

“After the opening prayer and introduction of personalities, the branch executives told the regional officers to sack the constituency executives from the meeting before they could proceed on the agenda,” the source said.

According to the agitated members, some branch chairmen including Anthony Adarkwa and Prosper Dey, the constituency executives had neglected the rank and file of the party and were making money for themselves.

In the process, a heated argument ensued and the Constituency Secretary Peter Addo, who doubles as the youth employment coordinator in the district, was almost beaten up by the irate members.

The regional executives called for calm but the angry members insisted the constituency executives should leave before the meeting could take place.

As a result, the regional executives had no option than to cancel the meeting with the explanation that the constituency executives were supposed to brief them on the situation in area before they could proceed to solicit contributions from the members.

It is believed that the DCE, Mr. Meisu is allegedly working hard to push the constituency secretary, Mr. Addo to contest and unseat the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP) John Gyetuah in the upcoming NDC primary and that has worsened matters.

There is bitter rivalry between the MP’s camp and those supporting the DCE and many fear the NDC may lose the seat to the opposition if they do not reconcile.

According to the branch chairmen, “Few people have hijacked the party and are doing what they want to the detriment of the party we all fought hard to bring to power.”

“They don’t visit the branches and the communities to find out what is on the ground. The members and the entire people are getting peeved by the day and it is going to cost us if things continue this way.”

Plot To Kill JJ! ...Mills Raises Alarm

President John Evans Atta Mills was concerned about the safety of his boss in 2008.

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednsday September 7, 2011.
President John Evans Atta Mills is reported to have told a United States Embassy official in 2008 that there was plot to kill, the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings.

According Wikileaks, a whistle blower website, then candidate Mills, told Scott Ticknor, a Political Chief at the US Embassy that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government headed by John Agyekum Kufuor attempted to assassinate his former boss before the 2008 general elections, but could not provide evidence when asked for one.

The confidential document prepared by Mr. Ticknor, said “during a January 26 meeting with Pol. Chief, former Vice President and NDC presidential candidate John Evans Atta Mills provided additional details on an alleged plot to assassinate former President Rawlings.”

According to Wikileaks, in a January 17 meeting with Pol. Chief and visiting AF/W Desk Officer, then candidate Mills had claimed “to know about a recent plot to assassinate former president J.J. Rawlings.”

“When asked for more details in the January 26 meeting, Mills said some colleagues informed him about one month ago that some members of the GoG and ruling NPP party had sent professional assassins from the United States to assassinate Rawlings in Ghana.”

“Mills was clear that there was no USG (United States Government) connection and he was not sure of the nationality of the reported assassins. His colleagues had informed Rawlings, who specifically asked that they brief Mills as well”, it said.

The report said President Mills communicated the information to officials working for National Security Coordinator Francis Poku, but “he (Mills) never heard back on this,” adding “Mills confirmed that he takes this report seriously because of past apparent attempts to kill Rawlings and because of the fact that Rawlings has many enemies who would like to see him dead.”

“As we have noted before, we are unable to judge Mills’ take on the assassination plot. Rawlings tends to be paranoid about his security,” the Political Chief observed.

The US official concluded in his report to Washington that “reconciliation between Rawlings and President Kufuor would continue to be difficult, despite Mills’ recent meeting with Kufuor and former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.”

According to Wikileaks President Mills also “commented” on his health by saying that he had received radiation therapy for a sinus infection, saying “Mills has increasingly opened up to Political Chief and was surprisingly willing to discuss his health in detail. This speaks to the closer relationship this Mission has forged with the NDC, which used to be more suspicious of the US and Embassy contact.”

“Mills acknowledged that his opponents continue to use the issue of his health for political reasons. He told Pol. Chief he had contracted a serious sinus infection, probably from swimming, which a Chinese doctor friend in Ghana told him could be diagnosed using an MRI. Since Ghana did not have MRI capabilities at that time, his Chinese friend encouraged him to get an MRI in China, which he did.”

According to the report the MRI confirmed Prof. Mills’ infection, which Chinese doctors claimed would have to be treated with radiation therapy adding “Mills said he did not want to have the treatment in China, which he was told would take six weeks. Instead he sought treatment in South Africa, where his nephew lives.”

Wikileaks says South African doctors confirmed the diagnosis and treated him with radiation in his nasal passages adding “as a result of the radiation and a soar throat from the therapy session, he was unable to eat solids for several weeks and lost significant weight, which he was warned would be an expected consequence of the treatment.”

Mills had expressed his frustration about allegations that he has cancer or the most recent allegation that he has heart problems but hoped the rumours would eventually die down adding “he confirmed plans to go to South Africa for a routine health check-up, which he said he has long postponed.”

However, the Foreign Service Health Practitioner at post at the US Embassy disagreed with Mills’ explanation and stated categorically that the treatment candidate Mills had could not be for a sinus infection.

The Foreign Service Health Practitioner noted that “MRIs are usually not required to diagnose sinus problems unless a physician is concerned about tumours”.

The FSHP also notes that “radiation therapy is not usually used to treat sinus infections (usually antibiotics or surgical repairs are used), but that such therapy is more likely used to treat some form of cancer.”

According to Wikileaks, the embassy’s contacts including Ludwig Hlodze and Baba Jamal all confirmed that Prof. Mills was in good condition.

“Hlodze said Mills was controlling his weight under doctor’s orders. Jamal confided that Mills had some kind of throat cancer and said he was on the mend, although not yet fully recovered.”

“In Ghanaian culture, a politician cannot admit to illness, so we should not expect Mills to be forthcoming on this”, Jamal added. However, Mills is actively campaigning and should have no trouble running the course of the campaign, Jamal said, while admitting that Mills’ voice sometimes gets hoarse on election tours.”

Mills confided that he was thinner now because he ‘gave up beer’ owing to sinus problem and lost weight in the process”

According to Wikileaks, President Mills underscored the need for political reconciliation and promised that if he wins the 2008 election he will reach out to President Kufuor.

According to Wikileaks, Prof. Mills noted that he and Rawlings had serious differences in the past, and as a result did not see a significant role for himself in reconciling the two ‘Johns’ (Rawlings and Kufuor).

“He also blamed Kufuor, who Mills said is all smiles but a very vindictive person underneath and periodically fans the flames with provocative statements about Rawlings.”

Two Judges Sacked

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday September 7, 2011.
The Judicial Council on August 30, 2011, sacked two magistrates who were found to have indulged in corruption and abuse of office.

One presided over a Juvenile Court at the Family Tribunal in Accra and the other was based at Berekum in the Brong Ahafo region.

Even though the Judicial Secretary Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong would not disclose the names of the affected judges, Daily Guide investigation revealed that the Juvenile Court Magistrate’s name is Linda Aklamanu while the other Magistrate in Berekum, a male, is yet to be identified.

The Judicial Secretary told Daily Guide yesterday that the Chief Justice has acted on petitions from people who were appearing before the magistrates.

Explaining the circumstances leading to the dismissal of the judges, the Judicial Secretary who declined to mention their names said “there was a petition on August 8, 2011 sent by a petitioner to the Chief Justice on allegations of misconduct on the part of the Magistrate.”

He said on August 10, another petition was brought to the Chief Justice and they acted swiftly by appointing a four member investigative committee chaired by a High Court Judge to go into the petitions.

“The Magistrate had been accused of having taken money in a case and it was reported to the CJ. It was a case of gross misconduct.”

The Judicial Secretary said the committee investigated the matter and the affected magistrate appeared before it with her lawyer while the petitioner was also granted audience in the presence of her lawyer.

“The report was forwarded to the Chief Justice on August 29 and the next day the Judicial Council met and the CJ forwarded the matter to the council.

They were cited for improper conduct and gross misconduct. In line with constitutional provisions, the Judicial Council took the decision to dismiss them.”

He said “what this should indicate is that where there is an allegation of corruption or misconduct on the part of a judge and there is evidence the judiciary will swiftly deal with it.”

“Even a High Court judge is facing a panel to answer questions. We have said over and over again that where there is evidence of corruption as it was done in this case we will act,” he said.

He said the speed with which the petitions were handled is an indication that the Chief Justice was serious about tackling issues of misconduct and corruption leveled against judges and staff of the judiciary.

“The evidence was clear and overwhelming. The judicial council endorsed the findings. This shows that the Chief Justice is ready to deal with the issue of corruption.”

He asked the public to continue to have confidence in the judiciary saying “definitely this should send signals that any judge or staff who uses his/her office to indulge in corruption will not be shelved. We are committed to taking prompt action.”

Nima Youth Demands Apology Over Flagstaff House comment

The group at the news conference on Monday.

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday September 7, 2011.
Sapta, a youth group at Nima in Accra, says it will ‘advise’ itself if comments by one of President John Evans Atta Mills’ henchmen that the Jubilee/Flagstaff House is close to Nima is not retracted and apologies made.

In his attempt to rubbish the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) call on President Mills to move into the country’s presidential palace, Jubilee House, Sam Pee Yalley, a leading member of the NDC advised the President not to live there because it is close to Nima, a suburb of Accra.

On Radio Gold’s ‘Alhaji and Alhaji’ programme, Mr. Yalley, a legal practitioner said “President Mills: “Sir, don’t move there today or tomorrow because there could be traps.”

“I do not think the Jubilee House or whatever they call it should be any place that the President should live. There is even an Embassy (French) behind it, Jesus Christ…TV3 is at the corner…Nima is at the place there,” he explained.

But his comment has incensed the youth of Nima who held a news conference in Accra yesterday to react to the comments. Abdul Aziz, a spokesperson said “we demand from Sam Pee Yalley and the NDC government an immediate apology to the elders of Nima and the Zongo communities.”

“Let everybody especially the NDC hear this!!! If our demand for answers and a retraction and apology is not met within a reasonably time period as would be determined by us we shall fervently advise ourselves.”

He said “we wish to affirm our commitment to fighting any politics of disregard, disrespect, loose talk, arrogance and shear display of contempt to the electorate and the people of Ghana and wish to urge you to collaborate with us to expose not only conceited politicians but also to purge this country of the politics of degrade.”

He said nobody should make a mistake of equating Nima for a war front, adding, “Nima is a human-inhabited geographical location in Ghana. It is a suburb of Accra and I am sure that we are all quite familiar with Nima.”

“We, the Nima ‘Sapta’ Youth cannot understand the mental processes that culminated in this absurd observation made by Mr. Yalley. Clearly, it is a measured but rather vague vituperation and an affront not only to the largely Muslim community of Nima, but also to the very many well-meaning Zongo communities across the length and breadth of this country.”

Abdul Aziz said Nima is the same community that former President J.J. Rawlings ‘frequented to ‘fraternize’ with the people and carried out his famous gutter-cleaning exercises and it was also a place where renowned and respected Islamic scholars including Haji Shaib, Mallam Bashir and Sheikh Ridwan reside.

He said the Nima Sapta Youth has witnessed “several levels of discussions of the degrading, demeaning and derogatory statement” by Sam Pee Yalley and wished to address the concerns of the community to the Mills-Mahama Government and the NDC.”

They said politicians, particularly NDC members had used Nima to gain political power but neglected them and failed to fulfill the numerous campaign promises made to them.

Adam Sabo, one of the spokespersons during questions and answers session, said the government should not single out Nima as its reason for President Mills not using the facility.

He said “the persistent disparaging remarks about residents of Nima have made it impossible for the youth here to get decent employment yet we have always voted for the NDC massively.”

A right to information in Ghana?

Paul Carlucci has been published in the Vancouver Review, Adbusters, NOW Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and The Toronto Star.

William Yaw Owusu is a journalist with The Daily Guide in Ghana.

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/09/201194103443562521.html

Wood already touched by fire, goes an old Ashanti adage, is not hard to set alight. The culture is thick with that kind of wisdom, and this particular proverb pays tribute to the natural drive of effort, ideas, and change.

It’s a sentiment that falls flat in the Parliament of Ghana, where the Right to Information Bill (RTI) has meandered through eight years of fire retardant administered by two successive governments.

“No justifiable reason has been given to explain why since 2003 or 2002, when the fist bill was drafted, we still have not had the bill passed into law,” says Akoto Ampaw, a lawyer with the Ghana Right to Information Coalition (GRIC).

The original draft was tabled by John Kufuor’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration early in the millennium. Despite two terms of NPP governance, it was never made into law. In 2009, after a tense electoral race, John Atta Mills’ National Democratic Congress (NDC) took power. They’ve since reintroduced the bill, but, as with a slew of other legislation, it’s bogged down in committee. Meanwhile, from the sidelines, civil society is seriously concerned with some of the draft provisions.

A series of public consultations wrapped up this summer, and the government said it can push the bill into law before the end of the year, a claim that the opposition dismisses as unrealistic. More likely, says the NPP, is a 2012 passage, just in time for the next general elections.

The stakes are high. Affail Monney is the vice president of the Ghana Association of Journalists and the head of news and current affairs with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation. He says that a robust bill wouldn’t just benefit the general public - it could also greatly empower the press; this, in a country that bounces around the midfield of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

“As we speak, nothing obliges officials to provide information which they’re holding on behalf of the very people they represent,” says Monney, who is also part of GRIC. “Corruption is the bane to our development. And many parts of government and the business cycles are shrouded in secrecy.”

Effective RTI could shed light on Ghana’s burgeoning oil and gas industry. It could allow journalists greater access to the country’s mining industry, as well as its timber and cocoa sectors. But the current draft, warns Ampaw, may only make the situation worse.

“We have raised at least some ten or so key problems that we think ought to be reviewed with respect to the bill, and one of them of course is the timeline,” he says.

Unlike Nigeria’s recent RTI bill, which requires the government to respond to access requests within seven days, Ghana is proposing a 21-day deliberation period, after which an information officer can request further extensions, for up to three months. It’s a situation the GRIC considers unworkable.

Special exemptions

The group is also describing the proposed fees as cumbersome and prohibitive. One draft clause allows the minister of justice to determine costs for the dissemination of information, while subsequent clauses spell out fees for research time, computer access, preparation of information, and postage.

Still another issue is exemptions. Both the offices of the president and vice president are exempt from the bill’s provisions. Cabinet enjoys an exemption as well, and all three bodies would be able to unilaterally decide whether or not they want to release information. The bill couldn’t touch them.

GRIC is also contesting the proposed involvement of the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, which would implement the bill.

“The man is accountable to government, who appointed him, and so he is obliged to toe the line of government, or sing the tune of the government who appointed him,” says Monney.

The justice minister would also sit in on Supreme Court hearings for any member of the public or media who appeals a refusal. The whole process, says GRIC, is fraught with complications.

“When there is an application for review and the minister rejects the application, your only next resort is the Supreme Court,” says Ampaw. “That will virtually cut out more than 90 per cent of the population who will not have the resources, the time and the courage to go to the Supreme Court. So that is the way of denying them their ability to challenge any arbitrary decision of the minister.”

During public consultation, GRIC put all these issues before government. According to NDC Deputy Majority Leader Rashid Pelpuo, the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Legal, Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs and Communication, which is tasked with overseeing the bill, will prepare a report on civil society’s recommendations.

“If it goes to Parliament and Parliament thinks the same way, it will go into the bill,” he says. “It’s all about Parliament.”

In 2000, South Africa was the first African country to pass RTI legislation. Its bill is often celebrated, not least because it’s overseen by an arms-length human rights commission. Other countries have followed suit, though results have been mixed. In Zimbabwe, for example, a 2002 bill was seen more as a tool to suppress journalists critical of Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF government. Uganda, Guinea, Nigeria, Angola, Ethiopia, and Liberia all have legislation, and other countries, like Sierra Leone, are penning drafts.

The Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC), a Uganda-based group that monitors RTI on the continent, says the pace in Africa has been too slow, even if recent passages like those in Nigeria and Liberia are encouraging.

“Ghana has never come this close to adopting an access to information law, and clearly a law would strengthen Ghana’s democratic credentials in Africa and the rest of the world,” says AFIC coordinator Gilbert Sendugwa in an email. “Some of the clauses are troubling, but we trust that inputs from ongoing consultations will cure this problem if parliament listens to the voices of ordinary citizens.”

Ghana rights groups warn of anti-gay hate campaign

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1029152--ghana-rights-groups-warn-of-anti-gay-hate-campaign

Paul Carlucci & William Yaw Owusu
SPECIAL TO THE STAR

ACCRA—Hillary Afful has been openly gay his entire life. That’s no small feat for a 26-year-old man in Ghana, where a deep observance of religionand a vague clause in the criminal code drives most gay people underground.

Human rights activists warned Friday that homosexuals are the target of a vicious hate campaign that has religious leaders in the country calling for legislators to jail gays. Media outlets are carrying all manner of invective and one politician is ordering arrests.

“My father didn’t seem to understand that his only boy is behaving like a gay,” says Afful, a neatly dressed native of Ghana’s capital, Accra. “My father would always say, ‘He’s not my blood.’”

When he was seven, Afful’s father abandoned him. To save her marriage, Afful’s mother placed him with his grandmother. But, aside from her, the family ostracized him. He was bullied at school and beaten by his uncles.

Then his grandmother died. Alone and depressed, 15-year-old Afful became a prostitute.

“I contracted a lot of infections, genital warts, gonorrhea and all that,” he says. “That was how I was living until a friend introduced me to an HIV peer group.”

Ghana’s President John Evans Atta Mills has not taken an official position on homosexuality, despite numerous calls for tougher laws. Currently, the law forbids “unnatural carnal knowledge.”

In Ghana’s oil-producing Western Region, Minister Paul Evans Aidoo heightened the debate when he ordered the arrest of homosexuals. Last Wednesday, the minister was quoted on radio ordering the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to make the arrests.

“We want to get rid of these people from the society,” he said. “We want to get them so that we can test the strength of our laws.”

Meanwhile, Christian leaders are threatening to mobilize their congregations against politicians who defend homosexuality and lesbianism.

Muslim leaders have also been swift to condemn homosexuality. Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, Chief Imam of Ghana, said homosexuality “is not even practiced by animals in the jungle.”

Afful watches all of this with horror.

“Now that all this noise is going on, we are in hell. We are going through hell,” he says.

On most issues, Ghana has a fairly vocal human rights activist community. Not so in this instance. Amnesty International Ghana Director Laurence Amesu says the rights of all people, including homosexuals, should be respected. But he will not take a position on the “unnatural carnal knowledge” law.

Richard Quason, deputy commissioner of the Ghana Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, strikes a similar note.

“The commission is not taking a stance on the law,” he says. “As far as the commission is concerned, all persons are entitled to protection under the laws of our country.”

Mob justice, he continued, is unacceptable.

Daniel Asare Korang, however, will take a position, both on the law and the issue in general.

“I believe,” says the programs manager of Human Rights Advocacy Centre, “in Ghana it’s quite difficult to get civil society to organize to come out and say, ‘We support homosexuals,’ because the fear is they will be associated with them.”

But he says his organization has been very active on the issue. While they have yet to hold a press conference to counter those held by religious entities, Korang says the group has taken a number of gay men, including Afful, to a Constitutional Review Committee, where they succeeded in pressing for a recommendation to include sexual orientation in the forthcoming re-draft of the country’s highest law.

They’ve also brought gay men to the Register General, showing them how to sign on and get legal sanction to form non-governmental organizations. In addition, he says, they’ve sent a memo to the Bureau of National Investigations outlining practices of fair treatment.

“I believe that Ghana is a secular state,” he says. “Ghana is not ruled by the Bible or the Koran. Ghana is ruled by the Constitution.”

Wikileaks Drops Bomb...Gossip & Spies Galore

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday September 6, 2011.
Revelations by Wikileaks, a notorious whistle blower website has dropped a series of ‘cluster bombs’ setting fire on the political landscape as political party activists struggle to defend their party in the latest damning revelations.

The diplomatic cable which has been released from the archives tackles all political parties in the country from the years 1997 -2010, exposing especially issues affecting personalities of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) with a few trickles here and there on PNC’s Dr. Edward Mahama and CPP’s Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom.

The leaks have also brought two journalists on head on collision, with Ben Ephson of Daily Dispatch and Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko of Danquah Institute trading accusations,

According to Wikileaks, a cable of the US Embassy diplomatic correspondence uncovered that “while President Mills has struck the right rhetorical tone regarding his commitment to combating narcotics,” Akrasi Sarpong Executive Secretary of Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) told the US official that the Mills Administration “has so far failed to provide adequate resources to NACOB.”

“He underlined that the force is understaffed, underfunded, and under-resourced…Sarpong implied that police are open to corruption because of their personal financial situation,” the leak quoted.

Another explosive issue that has come up is excerpts of opinions by then Netherlands Ambassador and his wife who after a week-end rendezvous with ex-President Jerry John Rawlings and his family in 1997 at the ex-first family’s yacht in the Volta Region reported that Mr. Rawlings has six children and was on drugs.

According to Wikileaks, Ambassador Hein Princen's wife after their meeting concluded emphatically that Mr. Rawlings is a drug-user.

“Periods of high-level energizing were followed by Rawlings' disappearance for thirty minutes, and upon his return he was subdued and even mellow. He perspired profusely at short notice, and consumed large quantities of non-alcoholic drinks.

Princen reinforced my own impression that Rawlings' attention span has shortened of late but the Princens found the president open, indulgent towards his children, and extremely deferential - even obsequious - towards his spouse (Mrs. Rawlings).”

The leak also said “Mr. Rawlings may have some medical problems -- he trembles slightly and loses his thoughts frequently. He called on his colleagues for opinions and then insulted them in front of us. His raw outbursts and scattered ideas are typical, and as bizarre as ever.”

“His views of a coming violent convulsion contrast with the much more moderate, democratic views of many others in the NDC party. Rawlings can however still whip up his own people to cause trouble if he chooses.”

According to Wikileaks any encounter with Rawlings “has an element of the bizarre,” adding “he booms forth his opinions (which are often overly emotional and difficult to follow)...He loses track of his thoughts, grabs people around him (he grabbed the Ambassador's arm on several occasions), and fumbles with the two pairs of glasses dangling from his neck.”

It said the World Bank and IMF officials complain that Mr. Rawlings is “uninformed” on economic matters and his Minister of Finance seen by financial experts inside and outside Ghana as “alarmingly incompetent.”

World Bank and IMF visitors complain that Rawlings seems profoundly uninformed on economic matters, even as his minister of finance is seen by financial experts inside and outside Ghana as alarmingly incompetent. Into the vacuum has moved Anthony (Dr. Tony) Aidoo, whose conspiratorial demeanour encourages dark speculation about his malign influence on Rawlings.

Aidoo is known to us principally for his entrenched leftist leanings, his anti-imperialist rhetoric while a professor at Cape Coast University, and his affection for the likes of Qadafi and Castro.

NANA AKUFFO-ADDO
Wikileaks said Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, flagbearer of the NPP during conversations with American diplomats in 2008, stated his abhorrence for illicit drug trade and pledged to fight the menace when he becomes President.

Nana Akufo-Addo, then Foreign Minister indicated his readiness to commit resources to the law enforcement agencies including Police, Narcotics Control Board, Ghana Navy and Defense and their allies to motivate them to “drastically reduce the illicit trade.”

According to Wikileaks, the US Embassy was approached by two advisors to the then opposition NDC candidate Professor John Atta-Mills, in the persons of Edward Nunoo and Sylvester Tamakloe, who told Political Office that Electoral Commission (EC) Chairman Kwadwo Afari-Gyan was being pressured by then ruling NPP “to announce false results that would be supplied by the NPP.”

Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, Chairman of the EC told the Ambassador that the allegations of rigging leveled by the NDC were "utter nonsense."

WikiLeaks (sometimes Wikileaks) is an Australian made international website headed by a journalist, Julian Assange that publishes anonymous submissions and leaks of otherwise classified documents while preserving the anonymity of sources. Its website, launched in 2006, is run by The Sunshine Press but it has gained worldwide attention with major news outlets cashing in on the vast information it makes available.

These are some excerpts of the report:
[2006] According to Obed Asamoah, Rawlings was actively working against Atta Mills, making it impossible for him to gain the party's nomination for president.

Palestinian Ambassador Omar portrayed both Rawlings and his wife Nana as out-of-touch and having an insatiable appetite for power. Omar said Rawlings cannot endure psychologically having lost the reins of power and should have sought a post-presidential identity earlier. "He feels defeated," Omar said, adding that if it were not for Rawlings' advisor, Captain Kojo Tsikata, Rawlings never would have stepped down.

GABBY VRS BEN EPHSON
The Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, Mr. Otchere-Darko has strongly denied offering Ben Ephson $20,000 to skew pre-election 2008 opinion polls in favour of the then governing party.

Wikileaks reported Ephson said the NPP had tried to bribe him with at least $20,000 to produce a poll favorable to them and named the party official offering the money as Gabby Otchere-Darko.

He also said, although without presenting the evidence he claimed to have, that the NPP tried to get the names of polling agents for other parties.

Ben Ephson said the NPP wanted to use this information to bribe agents, and was willing to pay $1,000 for polling agents to collaborate with vote rigging.

Ephson said that in the six weeks leading up to the conversation, the NPP had spent large sums of money in ten swing constituencies, trying to secure the parliamentary seats.

Asked by the US Embassy’s Political Affairs Officer (POLOFF) where the money was coming from, Ephson said it was coming out of the government's coffers, primarily from kickbacks on government-awarded contracts.

Gabby Otchere-Darko has described the allegations as false.
He revealed that it was Ben Ephson who rather informed him of an opinion poll he had conducted on the upcoming poll.

“I never tried to bribe Ben Ephson with any money whether with $20,000 or anything. Ben is alleged to have said and I think that it is only fair that he comes out to say what he said or did not say. I never got in touch with Ben Ephson about any opinion in favour of the NPP.”

Gabby asked if Ben Ephson was then paid for declaring the polls for Nana Akufo-Addo in the second round.

Sissala East DCE Exposed

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday September 6, 2011.
A RECENT pronouncement by the DCE for Sissala East in the Upper East region that she singlehandedly impounded 700 bags of government subsidized fertilizer is allegedly false.

A Daily Guide investigation has revealed that for political expediency, the DCE, Alijata Sulemana allegedly lied about the interception of the smuggled fertilizer cargo when in fact it was the police that made the arrest.

On Monday August 29, 2011, the DCE hit the headlines when she told the Ghanaian Times, a state-owned daily newspaper that she impounded the truck with registration AS 6032 X all by herself when the driver tried to smuggle the stuff to neighbouring Burkina Faso.

She had claimed that her outfit was inundated with information about the activities of one Alhassan Kantong aka Alaska, a businessman whom she told the Times had been smuggling subsidized fertilizer to neighbouring countries.

Ms. Sulemana as a result indicted security personnel in the district particularly the police claiming they were negligent and virtually incited their bosses in Accra against the innocent officers.

However Daily Guide sources revealed that she allegedly falsely accused the security personnel and Alaska because her husband called Mr. Karim, had also started a fertilizer business therefore she does not want any competitor in the district.

The source said Alaska has been in the fertilizer distribution business for about 16 years but since the DCE assumed office, she had made it impossible for him and another NDC Constituency Organizer who had been in it for about 7 years to operate simply because her husband entered the scene two years ago and she want him alone to be the sole distributor in the district.

It is alleged that she has liaised with the Regional Security Coordinator Rafiu Adam to prevent competition for her husband.

The source said it was a police patrol team that arrested the truck and invited the DCE (as head of the district’s security) to the scene when they were not able to reach the District Commander due to a communication problem and wondered why the DCE could turn around to accuse them (security personnel) of negligence.

Furthermore, Ms. Sulemana according to Daily Guide sources is seriously lacing her boots to contest the Sissala East parliamentary seat for the NDC and would therefore like to be seen as ‘ hard working’ in order to get the approval of President Mills, the party’s executives as well as the rank and file.

It is said that the NDC Constituency Organizer one Razak is against her decision to contest the sitting MP in the impending parliamentary primary so she is trying to keep him out of the fertilizer distribution in the district.

According to the source, the unapproved route that the DCE claimed she ‘intercepted’ the vehicle at about 2:00am on August 20, is the same route she has been using over the years whenever she visits Leo, a village in Burkina Faso where her mother hails from.

Also the vehicle was found six miles away from the scene where she claimed the arrest took place and not close to the border as she was quoted in the Ghanaian Times.

“She brands anybody who deals in fertilizer in the district as a smuggler so that her husband can have a field day in the supply,” the source alleged.

According to investigations, Alaska’s truck had way bills and all the necessary documents intact but because the regional security Coordinator could harass them, they decided to use a different route for the distribution.

The NDC ward chairman of Jawia called Tahiru, a village in the Sissala East District was reportedly even expecting 300 bags of fertilizer for distribution to members from the impounded truck.

When reached for comment, the DCE became upset with this reporter and said “if my husband supplies so what…I can’t talk to you come to Tumu,” and rudely hung up the phone.

Adu Construction Tackles Ga West Water Crisis

Hannah Bissiw, Deputy Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing cutting the sod for the commencement of the project. Looking on is the Ga West Municipal Chief Executive, Nii Armah Tackie and some opinion leaders in the area.

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday September 6, 2011.
The acute water shortage that has overwhelmed residents of many parts of the Ga West municipality in the Greater Accra region for decades will soon be over with the introduction of a private company to handle the situation.

Messrs K. Adu Construction & Plumbing Works upon recommendations by the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) and the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) has been awarded a contract for the upgrading and expansion of the main pipes at the Amasaman, Abehenase, Obeyeyie and Achiaman areas.

A letter awarding the contract signed by Kweku Botwe, Acting Managing Director of GWCL on June 30, 2011said the project which is expected to be completed within six months will cost GH¢ 961,460.00 including the cost of pipes to be supplied by Interplast Limited at the total cost of GH¢ 467,430.00.

According to Kwaku Adu Boateng, Managing Director of the company, the project which commenced a couple of months ago with active supervision from the GWCL is nearing completion.

“We applied to GWCL to undertake the projects and once we were told that the area was not incorporated in the immediate plans of the GWCL we were happy to complement government’s effort of bringing development to the door steps of the people,” the MD told DAILY GUIDE.

He said “we took the initiative and organized the chiefs and people of the beneficiary communities for the projects. I must say that the communities actively participated and contributed in all the efforts and very soon the problem of water is going to be a thing of the past.”

Mr. Adu Boateng said the company arranged with the Ga Rural Bank for what he called upfront funding for the implementation of the project and that catered for the execution of pipelines to Amasaman, Fise and other areas.

He said statistics at the Amasaman Health Center indicated that acute water shortages in the area had brought untold hardship to the people and may be the cause of diseases such as malaria, typhoid fever, diarrhea, bilharzia and buruli ulcer.

“We are aware of what lack of potable water and poor sanitation can bring to the people and that is why we will continue to partner with state agencies to help ease the pressure on the people.”

Kweku Botwe, Acting Managing Director of GWCL in the letter approving the contract said K. Adu Construction & Plumbing Works had demonstrated “a high level of initiative towards the cause of providing water to people in these areas.”