Police Chief Inspector Eric Twum-Frimpong, prosecuting, told the court that the complainant, Simon Ofori, was a driver who resides at Old Akim Tafo.  He said in November 2009, Ofori confided in a friend that he bought a Kia pride saloon car imported from Togo at Kumasi at the cost of GHC 4,300 but the seller failed to hand over all the documents covering the car to him.

 The prosecutor said Ofori’s friend, then introduced Opoku to him as a customs officer who could assist in the registration.  He said Opoku demanded GHC 1,000 from Ofori to be used to secure all the documents.  Ofori later paid the money and handed over the car to Opoku. Inspector Twum-Frimpong said Opoku failed to return the car and when Ofori demanded for his car and money, the accused could not produce them.

He said Opoku pleaded with Ofori to give him sometime to return both the money and the car but could not do so after the given period. Ofori lodged a complaint with the police Regional Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Opoku was arrested. After investigations, he was charged with the offences and arraigned before court. Inspector Twum-Frimpong said Opoku was granted police enquiry bail to report back on July 2 but he failed to do so.

 He said Opoku’s mother, Abena Amoakoa and his wife, Ama Gyemea stood sureties for him, but several efforts made on the two sureties to produce Opoku for further investigation failed.  The prosecutor said on August 17, the sureties were served with a process to appear before the court to explain why they had not been able to produce Opoku to the police.  He said on August 23, upon a tip off, the police arrested Ama at Oyoko who had packed her belongings and that of Opoku into a Kia truck from New Tafo and was heading towards Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region.  Later Opoku was also arrested in Koforidua.

GNA

Structures in the sub metros, Dr Vanderpuiye said, had been identified and would be used to accommodate the pupils until the millennium school projects are completed. More than 70,000 pupils have four hours of teaching under the shift system instead of the normal eight hours of study. He gave the briefing at a meeting of the assembly in Accra, attended by the Reverend Joseph Neal, a representative of the US South Carolina House Representatives, and Dr Norma Lozano-Jackson, Vice President of Benedict College, South Carolina. 

 The two, partners in the millennium City Initiative, are in country to evaluate the implementation of the project in the areas of Education, Agriculture and Alternative Energy Sources.  To complement the AMA initiative, the Ministry of Education would provide 25,000 dual desks, cupboards and chairs for teachers for the smooth take off the programme. 

 The Metropolitan Education Directorate was compelled to adopt the shift system some years ago under which a classroom was shared between two classes in the mornings and afternoons.  This, the mayor said, was “unfair to our future leaders,” hence the need to arrest the situation before the completion of some modern classrooms in the  metropolis.

According to the mayor, researchers from the Earth Institute in the US, on the Millennium City Project, have completed an in-depth research on Housing, Transport and Waste Management in Ga Mashie, Nima and New Town. Another team would be in the country in October to research into other areas in the Metropolis to be followed by a review meeting in New York and another meeting in Accra, in March next year, he said.

On Waste Management, he noted that, the AMA would donate 5000 refuse bins to management companies as a way of helping them to assist poor households and shops to make waste collection easier and convenient by August 31. The AMA, he said, in collaboration with the Chief Justice had established sanitation courts which would be inaugurated soon to help enforce their byelaws, adding that, the AMA was committed to ensure that Accra becomes cleaner despite its challenges. 

Dr Lozano-Jackson told the meeting that her nine-day stay in the country had been an eye opener and noted that her school would institute exchange programmes and help build the capacity of teachers based on the information gathered. Rev. Neal announced that another 12 assembly members would be given the opportunity to visit in September to learn more about the South Carolina House of Representatives and how the state operates. 

 This would bring to 22 assembly members who would have been offered the opportunity to be visit South Carolina.  The State, he said, would offer technical support in the area Food Security, Agriculture and Alternative Energy Sources.  The AMA administration said their goal is that at the beginning of the school term in September, this year, the 71,000 pupils who are running the shift system should begin to enjoy full school work and do all it can to  make Accra a city benefiting it status.

GNA

He said the publication in the “Chronicle” newspaper “is a blatant lie aimed at deceiving the NPP.”  Mr. Frimpong told the Ghana News Agency investigations conducted by NDC regional executives in the constituency had revealed that the publication was unfounded.  He cited that the same paper “deceived Ghanaians of numerous defections by NDC members before the 2008 general election.”  “It is a strategy used by the paper as a propaganda machinery to canvass for votes for NPP in the 2012 general elections”, Mr Frimpong added.

He urged supporters of the NDC not to panic over such publications as the party was working tirelessly to retain power in 2012 so it could continue with its good works towards the socio-economic development of the country. Mr. Frimpong assured members of the NDC in the constituency as well as in the region to remain steadfast and not to panic but to remain committed to the party.

GNA

He said almost two years that President John Atta Mills was sworn into office he had not been able to initiate any meaningful policies and programmes that could alleviate Ghanaians from the current economic hardship. Nana Akufo-Addo said due to that the Ghanaian electorate would show the NDC government the exit in 2012.

 He said this when he addressed party supporters in some communities as part of the campaign towards the forthcoming by-election at Atiwa.
Some of the communities he visited where he introduced the Parliamentary Candidate of the party, Mr Kwasi Amoako Attah, to the electorate included New Jejeti, Abakoase, Subiriso, Awosoase, Osoroase, Asunafo and Abomosu. Nana Akufo-Addo said Ghana under the NPP government witnessed good and quality leadership, which brought a lot of development and economic growth to the country.

He said what the NDC was doing now was to continue the good policies and programmes the NPP government initiated and implemented. Nana Akufo Addo therefore called on the Ghanaian electorate to return the NPP to power in 2012 to come and continue the good policies they started.
He also urged the electorate at Atiwa to be vigilant and report any stranger who would attempt to vote in next week’s by- election to the police.

Mr Amoako-Attah on his part said he had contributed immensely to the development of the area and appealed to the electorate to vote for him to continue the development projects his predecessor, the late Kwasi Ankamah, started.

GNA

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 This was made known by the leader of the five-member team from the CRC, Nana Otu Towrac, which toured six towns in the Kwaebibirem District to collate the views of the people.  The towns visited included Akwatia, Pramkese, Abodom, Nkwantanang, Apinamang and Takrowase.
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency, Nana Towrac, said the organizations were expected to contribute ideas to enhance constitutional rule in the country.

He said district level consultations that started in April would end on September 30.  Nana Towrac said the National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) and assembly members had been supportive with the organisation of the district consultations. He stated that every individual’s view was vital and urged chiefs, assembly members and opinion leaders to mobilize their people to fully participate in the review exercise.

 Nana Towrac indicated that a rare opportunity was being given for citizens to be part of the government process, adding that, the current constitution had been operative since 1993 and it was being reviewed for the first time. He observed that since it may take a long time before another review, “This is an opportunity for citizens to have a say in the laws that govern them and take part in the democratic process.” 

At Akwatia, members had a public meeting and paid a courtesy call on the Akwatiahene, Osabarima Kofi Boateng III.  The visit gave the chief the opportunity to express his views and he suggested the election of chief executives of local assemblies.  He said the people should have the right to choose those who should govern them at the local level.  Nana Akwatiahene also called for a second chamber of Parliament, in which chiefs would be amply represented as they are barred from taking part in partisan politics.

 The Akwatiahene’s submission on the election of head of local assemblies was met with mixed reactions, as some felt the present arrangement should continue. Others suggested that district level elections should be on partisan basis because it is common knowledge that political parties are sponsoring candidates. Some participants were of the view that too much power was vested in the President and said a non-partisan committee should be set up to make appointments, especially, to public boards.

GNA

Former President John Rawlings

Accra, Aug. 26, GNA – Former President Jerry John Rawlings has called on the United States to be cautious in judging the success of democratic regimes on the African continent.  He said that on numerous occasions, the US and other Western countries had supported the election of regimes that disregard the true meaning of freedom and justice.

Flt Lt. Rawlings who was speaking to a US congressional delegation that called on him last weekend, said many elected governments had failed their electorate because they were “wittingly or unwittingly” propped by Western countries “who see no wrong with these governments because they were assumed to have been elected by popular vote”.

 He said in the United States, elections were won on economic policy rather than the application of freedom and justice because institutions that protected such freedoms had passed the test of time and worked efficiently.  The Congressional delegation was led by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. 

Former President Rawlings thus called on the US not to ignore freedom and justice as a measuring rod in determining the success of African democracies.  He noted that in Ghana and some parts of Africa governments gained the confidence of the electorate by guaranteeing freedom and justice and ensuring that the wrongs of the past are corrected expeditiously. 

Congresswoman Jackson Lee commended Ghana for the strides it had made in its democratic development and praised former President Rawlings for the role he played in establishing the current political dispensation.  She encouraged the government and people of Ghana to protect the country’s democratic ideals and to work to develop it further.

On Ghana’s oil find, Congresswoman Jackson Lee counselled stakeholders to ensure that the newly found natural resource was prudently applied for the socio-economic development of Ghana so the ordinary people can enjoy the benefits. Colleague Congressmen Bob Inglis and Henry Brown, as well as Donald Teitelbaum, United States Ambassador to Ghana, accompanied Congresswoman Lee. 

Others on the delegation were Congressional staff Genell Brown and Dave Grimaldi, as well as Vernelle Trim, Political Counsellor at the American Embassy in Accra.  Congresswoman Jackson Lee represents the 18th District of Texas and has been a member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995. She serves on the House Committees on Foreign Affairs, Homeland Security and the Judiciary.

GNA

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The youth wings of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC) say the current developments are nothing different from how the late ex-President Dr Hilla Limann was treated after he was deposed in a coup d’état by the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) led by ex-President Jerry Rawlings.

In a joint statement signed by CPP National Youth Organiser, James Kwabena Bomfeh, issued in Accra on Tuesday, the youth said the PNDC poorly treated Dr Limann “to the extent that the payment of his hospital bills became a huge issue as to who was to pay.”

Dr Limann, who was President of Ghana from 24 September 1979 on the ticket of the People’s National Party (PNP) following Rawlings’ 1979 revolt, was removed on 31 December 1981 by Mr Rawlings through the barrel of the gun.

The group is calling on government to ensure that Mrs Felera Limann, wife of Dr Limann, is “well settled” before anybody “[disturbs] us with the urgency of resettling the Rawlingses.”

“They came to overtake some in line already. So if the course of providence has allowed us the opportunity to revisit the situation and correct the dastard anomaly, then why don’t we use the occasion to wipe the slate even cleaner, and do what is logically right, humane and proper for all concerned. We are all Ghanaians first, and foremostly, equal before the law,” the statement said.

They are also calling on former President Rawlings and his wife Konadu Agyeman Rawlings to “undeservedly” apologise to Mrs Limann.

“As a country, we have failed woefully to recognize our past heads of state and accord them the respect their offices require. Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah was demonised and criminalised by the NLC that overthrew him. Prof Busia was also demonized. Dr Limann was disgraced and humiliated to abject poverty till he died. It is strange to find out that any careful study of this phenomenon reveals how we are discouraging well meaning, patriotic citizens to offer themselves for nation building. In the end, failure to get the true selfless leaders, we get cheats and charlatans who presents themselves as sheep though they really energy suckers hence the extent of our underdevelopment in the face of abundant resources.

“If the future of this country is going to be any different, then we must begin today, to change our attitudes and embrace best practices that can help us take our rightful position in world affairs. Let the nation show regret to Dr Limann and the PNP family. Let former President Rawlings and his wife apologise unreservedly to Mrs Fulera Limann and the PNP for the unnecessary and unjustifiable treason they committed against the sovereign will of Ghana,” the youth said.

Meanwhile, government says it is working on modalities to ensure a comfortable accommodation is secured for Mr and Mrs Rawlings after fire gutted their Ridge residence on 14 February.

It comes amidst reports that ex-President Kufuor has been given a two-bedroom house for an office.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

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Consistent with debates on such sensitive matters, the opposition to the deal by the minority NPP was unanimous and the support from the majority side of the House was conversely total and absolute.

The Minority lined up former Finance and Economic Planning Minister, Osei Akoto as the lead attacker, supported on the wings by former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Joe Ghartey, with Minority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu providing rear artillery guard.

On the Majority side, the Chairman of the Finance Committee of Parliament Mr James Klutse Afedzi served as the vanguard, with Deputy Finance Minister, Seth Tekper doing the goalkeeping in parrying the attacks of the Minority.

Mr Osei Akoto started his submission by quoting from a letter from Woori Bank which he said had been presented to suggest that STX was going to secure funding for the project from the bank.

But he said the content of the letter betrayed the purpose for which it was intended.

“This letter is not intended to amount to an offer or a legally binding commitment,” he quoted the letter as saying and then asked, “who are the lenders?”

Dr Osei Akoto said another letter purported to have come from the Korean government does not state a clear willingness of that country to finance the project for STX.

He said the letter insisted that feasibility studies be conducted and that that did not amount to South Korea promising to provide the funding for the construction of 30,000 housing units for the security agencies.

The former Finance Minister also took issues with the provision of a sovereign guarantee to STX for the loan to finance the project while at the same time paying an insurance of $250 million.

For him, given Ghana’s credit rating of B+, there was no need to pay a whopping $250 million as insurance for the credit facility.

But Mr Tekper said the insurance was for political and commercial risk given the perception that Africa is a risky place to invest in.

MP for Esikado, Joe Ghartey took the floor and raised tonnes of questions bordering on the lack of transparency and value for money aspects of the $1.5 billion deal.

He said according to the documents available to members of the House, although the STX had been described as a lender, “we have not been told whether STX is a bank, a discount house or what?”

He said it was of utmost importance for clear information to be made available to members of the House on such critical matters as where the money is coming from.

“There is not much information to help us determine whether we are approving an illegal deal,” he noted.

Quoting from page five of the memoranda submitted to the MPs, Mr Ghartey said according to the agreement, the money will be used to fund projects whose specifications are on Schedule II.

But Schedule II, he contended, is blank. He asked how MPs could be asked to approve a loan for projects whose specifications had not been stated.

The Minority demanded an off-taker agreement which was not part of the documents.

This forced the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Doe Adjaho, who presided over the debate to adjourn proceedings to Thursday.
He directed that the documents in question must be made available to members of the House to help them make informed debate on the matter.

Source: Myjoyonline.com

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But that is the impact of soccer on its enthusiasts . . . always wanting more – more of the thrills, the goals, the celebrations, the card happy referees, the penalty miss by Asamoah Gyan. And yes, the hero/villain Suarez infamous handball, the Yakubu miss from two yards, the excellent Forlan, exciting Dede Ayew, the tenacious Muller and how can we ever forget the World Cup winning goal by Iniesta following a great pass from substitute Fabregas. Did it really have to end so soon? Let’s try and relive the good, bad and the ugly of South Africa world cup 2010.

Let’s start from the organizational point of view, beginning with the infrastructure. The training facilities for instance, were very impressive. A sentiment echoed by Fabio Capello and the entire English team. The stadiums were bigger than the ones used in Germany four years ago with the huge Soccer City Stadium molded in the shape of a calabash being my all time favorite. There were even special Courts to deal with any disorders and World Cup associated crimes. Unlike in previous tournaments, there were no reported clashes of opposing fans. A plus to the hard working South African security forces and policemen and repudiation to those doubters who thought South Africa were not up to the challenges.

Let’s talk about the performance of the teams. The disappointing performances of some of the big guns in football like England, Portugal, Italy, and France and to an extent Brazil and Argentina left much to be desired. The England team for example was on a good winning streak coming into the World Cup and many pundits tipped them to be in the semis at least. Player for player they had some of the best and highest paid players in the world in their squad but they failed to turn up when it mattered most.

The French team looked like they would have rather been relaxing in Paris. Their supposed boycott of training when their colleague Nicolas Anelka was sent home for indiscipline and the ensuing meltdown and drama that followed is a testament of that. Their performances on the pitch indeed made their win against Ireland to qualify for the World Cup even more painful. The Irish will forever believe that they deserved to have taken part in the 2010 World Cup, and not France.

The inability of the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney and Kaka to shine had a huge impact on the performance of their respective teams. In all fairness though, even though he failed to score, Lionel Messi still had a good tournament. The disappointment of five of the six African teams deserves a mention too. Cameroun was a massive disappointment as well as the Ivorian team who in the eyes of many connoisseurs of the game would have qualified had they been in any other group apart from the group of death they found themselves in.

In equal measure, the perfromance of supposed minnows like Ghana, Slovenia, Japan, and Uruguay exceeded expectations. It may have come as a surprise to some but Diego Forlan 100% deserved the golden ball award and one of the few decisions FIFA got right. Unlike the likes of Iniesta and Schweinsteinger, Forlan was not surrounded by great players. He ticked and that made his team look good. His great technique to score the second goal against Germany in the third place match was astounding.

Ghana had a great tactician in Rajevac and a good crop of youngsters in the likes of Kevin Prince Boateng, Dede Ayew, Jonathan Mensah, Samuel Inkoom, Kwadwo Asamoah and Asamoah Gyan. They could still form the core of the team for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and that should scare any team in four years time. They deserved to have been in the semis but one cannot take anything away from the Uruguayans. They worked real hard as a team. Suarez can be termed a villain amongst Ghanaians and Africans in general for swatting a continent’s hopes away but he did what he had to do in that situation and every player would have done that in his shoes. It was the last second of the match and he obviously did not want his team to go home!! As a Ghanaian it hurt soooo much though.

Let’s go to the thousand and one questions asked about the FIFA Goal line technology and when it will be implemented especially when Frank Lampard scored a glaring goal against the Germans but unfortunately the linesman and referee failed to see that the ball had crossed the line. What about the offside goal scored by Tevez against Mexico in the round of 16 and the many questionable calls? The jabulani uproar generated by goalkeepers and coaches alike cannot be forgotten too. Wouldn’t it make sense for FIFA to have the players who would eventually joggle such new balls to test it out first? That uproar though seemed to have died down getting to the end of the world cup though.

Now to the World Cup winners . . . SPAIN. Historically the Spanish team is the first World Cup winning team to lose their first game and go on to win the ultimate. Ike Casillas is the third goalkeeper captain to lift the cup. The Spanish passing game was second to none especially in the only game they lost against Switzerland, Del Bosque’s tactics of sticking to Torres until the semi-final although he was unfit and only bringing him on the last 15 minutes of extra time in the final and also failing to use a fabulous player like Cesc Fabregas as much as the player and his admirers would have loved to see him play were two brave but successful moves and thumbs up to him.
The Dutch team will unfortunately have to make do with being bridesmaids again for another four years…a very sad end for a team that had not lost in such a long time that they had forgotten how to lose. If only Robben had scored one of the two one on one chance he had maybe just maybe the Oranje would have been singing a song for brides…….

This successful world cup will be remembered for many but it will definitely be remembered mainly for the unity it brought amongst the South Africans black and White alike. The final question I would like to ask is would the World Cup be staged again in Africa? Probably not for another 30years!
Brazil will have a lot of work to do to upstage South Africa 2010 though but we just cannot wait for the carnival to start in Rio…

Source: Hillary Kuma-Duah

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History was being made all along right from singer Shakira twisting and shimmering delightfully to the tune of Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) to open the tournament; to the thunderous shot from Tshabalala to register the first World Cup goal on African soil; and through the awe-inspiring moment of the iconic Nelson Mandela waving gracefully to the crowd at Soccer City Stadium as the Rainbow Nation bid farewell to the watching world in an emotional and electrifying atmosphere to the smashing half-volley strike of Iniesta to claim Spain’s first World Cup trophy.

Before Spain lifted the coveted prize in football for the first time, the Brazilians, the Argentines (led by the flamboyant and larger than life Diego Maradona), the Italians, the French, the sensational Germans, and the overrated and the under-achieving 1966-stuck English had all gracefully or dismally bowed out of the World Cup, setting off parliamentary and presidential inquests in some countries.

With the perennial and quadrennial favorites at home wondering what might have been, it was going to be a history making finale when the Netherlands appearing in their third World Cup finals took on Spain who were making their first appearance at the magnificent calabash-shaped stadium.

The new kings of world football also became the only and first country in the tournament’s 80-year history to go on to win the trophy after shockingly losing their opening match against Switzerland. Even more, the final match produced the most yellow cards shown (fourteen in total – 9 to the Dutch and five to Spain) in a World Cup final.

Long before that, the host nation South Africa, had recorded the unenviable record of becoming the first World Cup hosts country to fail to progress to the second round of the tournament but not after beating a hapless French team to restore some pride to a vuvuzela tooting nation.

Disappointedly, the African witch doctors could not work their magic into football history. The chapter of predicting a first time winner of the World Cup was written by neither the talking heads and pundits nor African fortune tellers, but by Paul the Octopus swamped in Germany.

In the end, Africa’s first World Cup hosting brought Spain its long awaited first trophy, along with many new chapters in World Cup history.

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