Mabey & Johnson corruption saga: Ghana human rights commission to drag officials to court
Ghana’s Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) has warned officials named in the Mabey & Johnson corruption scandal that it would drag them to court if they failed to respond to the allegations as requested by the Commission, the Daily Graphic newspaper has reported.
Mabey & Johnson pleaded guilty to paying bribes in a London court and was convicted and fined bout £6m.
According to the UK Telegraph five of Mabey & Johnson’s eight directors have stepped down since early last year when Mabey’s holding company told the SFO of the corruption offences. New management was installed last year by the holding company.
When the company pleaded guilty, Peter Lloyd, Mabey & Johnson’s managing director, said: “We deeply regret the past conduct of our company, and have committed to making a fresh start, wiping the slate clean of these offences.”
The Ghanaian officials cited in the corruption saga include former Minister of Health, Dr. George Sipa-Adja Yankey, Dr. Ato Quarshie, a former Minister of Roads and Highways, Mr. Lord Attivor, Mr. Baba Camara, recently appointed Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria,
Alhaji Amadu Seidu, a former Minister at the Presidency and Alhaji Abubakar Saddique Boniface a for Minister in the Kufuor Administration.
The Chairman of the CHRAJ, Justice Emile Short was reported to have given the warning in Kumasi during a courtesy call on the Asantehene in Kumasi.
The two-week ultimatum given to the officials to respond to the Commission’s request expires Saturday October 31, 2009, and the Commission says it has not heard from any of the officials.
However, Dr. Yankey had told the Daily Graphic that he has responded to the Commission’s request before the close of work Friday October 30, 2009.
Justice Emile Short has assured Ghanaians that the Commission will deal with the matter.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi
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Talent, elegance and artistry at Smoothy’s Expressions
The night of Friday October 30, 2009 became a memorable one for patrons of the arts who were at Smoothy’s to enjoy the October edition of Expressions, the literary and art event.
There was great poetry, story reading and music for the more than two hour event.
The Expressions event is another testimony to the great art talents Ghana and Africa are endowed with.
Yung Moh, the Ghanaian musician with Persian background with his backer, Black Soldier were a delight to listen to as they dished out beautiful music from their soon to be released album.
Talented and elegant performers, Nana Adjoa, Nana Nyarko, Aisha, DK, Mystery, Emmanuel K. Dogbevi and Martin Egblewogbe all gave a good account of themselves as they performed thought provoking, incisive and controversial stories and poems. There were also Nigerian poet Henry Ajumeze and captivating Rhyme Sonny.
On the menu was Smoothy’s special for the evening, ‘GBC’, made from guava, banana and coconut.
The next event is scheduled for the last Friday of November, the 27.
If you love the arts, then that’s the place to be.
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Ghanaians to pay 5% more for petroleum products
Ghanaians will be paying 5% more for the price of petroleum products, effective today October 31, 2009.
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) announced the five per cent increase after meeting with stakeholders and discussing with the government yesterday. The NPA attributes the increase to the current price of crude on the international market. The price is around $80 per barrel.
This is the second time within four months that petroleum prices in Ghana have been increased. On June 6, 2009 prices were increased 30% across board.
It is however, not known yet, if this marginal increase would affect transport fares in the country.
By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi
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Ghana budget 2010 to go before Parliament by November 19
The Budget Estimates and Financial Policy of the Government for the 2010 financial year would be laid before Parliament not later than November 19, Mr. John Akologu Tia, Deputy Majority Leader, has announced.
He said the presentation would be followed by a post- budget workshop for leadership, Committee Chairpersons and Ranking Members to ensure a smooth debate on the financial policy of government.
Mr.Tia announced this when he presented the business statement of the house for the second week ending November 6, 2009.
He hinted that due to limitation of time, members would be compelled to have extended sittings to enable the House expeditiously discharge its business for the meeting.
The Deputy Minority Leader said a total of 22 questions would be asked within the week, which would be answered by the Ministers of Interior, Education, Trade and Industry, Water Resources, Works and Housing and Local Government and Rural Development.
He said statements, Papers, Bills, Reports, Motions and Resolutions and observations would be duly laid before the House for consideration and urged members to take time to study all the issues in order to contribute meaningfully.
Mr. Tia mentioned the Intestate Succession Bill, Property of Spouses Bill as some of the bills that would be laid in the House for consideration, while statements and other reports would accordingly be laid.
Meanwhile, a report of the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, on the Interpretation Bill also laid the bill in the House for the second time.
The Bill would amend and consolidate legislations relating to the operation, construction and the interpretation of enactments and for other related matters in Parliament.
The Bill would be focussed on interpretation, enacting clauses, public and private Acts, Application, Aids to construction, Operation of enactments, procedures of courts, Repeals, Application of definitions and delegation.
Source: GNA
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Ghana stocks fall
The main index of the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE), the All-Share Index, closed the week down on Friday, losing 121.43 points to end at 5,378.72 points.
Change for the year closed the session at -48.44 per cent.
Traded volumes closed the session at 58,168 shares.
Market capitalisation now stands at GH¢15,249.75 million.
On the broader market, there were three price changes – two negative and one positive.
CAL Bank gained GH¢0.01 at GH¢0.22. Ecobank Transnational Incorporated lost GH¢0.01 at GH¢0.13 and Total Ghana Limited went down by GH¢0.20 at GH¢6.80.
Source: GNA
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Ghana government to create 30,000 jobs in 2010
The government of Ghana will create 30,000 jobs, 300 in each of the 100 selected Districts in the country, next year, following cabinet’s approval for implementation of the National Plantation Development Programme.
Alhaji Collins Dauda, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, who announced this, said the initiative sought to reduce deforestation and promote sustainable forest management through large scale commercial forest plantation.
He was speaking at the 14th Annual General Meeting of Ghana Institute of Foresters (GIF), on the theme: “Forest Law Enforcement-Impact on Forest Degradation and Climate Change”, in Sunyani on Friday.
Alhaji Dauda expressed worry that some technical officers of the forestry sector assisted people to illegally fell valuable trees and urged the Institute to support the Programme to ensure sustainable management of the country’s forest.
Dr. Kwame Asamoah Adam, national president of GIF, said research indicated that permanent forest estates were not responding positively to management interventions, which were based mainly on selective logging.
He said that forest managers continued to rely on basic forest management methods that were devoid of forest stock improvement.
This, the GIF national president, said resulted in significant decline in forest stock between 1972 and 2001, “as indicated in comparative analysis of stocking levels between 1989 and 2001 forest inventory results.
Dr Adam said through out the world, communities were demanding prudent forest management including “forest certification”, from forestry authorities.
He said even though Ghana embarked on forest certification almost a decade ago, not a single forest reserve had been certified.
Dr Adam explained that this was due the lack of management plans, legal constraints, non-existence of tested forest management systems and lack of collaboration between forestry institutions for the gathering of information needed to improve forest management systems as well as the lack of commitment from timber utilization contract holders.
He expressed regret that forest reserves continued to be depleted through illegal farming and logging and explained that tress actually fell had since 1994 exceeded the legally fell tress by more than 200 per cent.
Dr. Adam said corruption in the forestry sector was undermining the rule of law, democratic governance and human rights and alleged that forestry personnel were being attacked, maimed or killed by illegal chainsaw operators, farmers and hunters, during surveillance of the forests.
He called on security personnel to enforce laws on the forest to stop illegal chainsaw operations and farming at forest reserves, which had created conflicts between some communities and forestry personnel.
Mr. Eric Opoku, Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, appealed to the people to support government to protect the environment, particularly the forest from destruction and expressed worry that the practice has assumed an alarming dimension in the country.
Source: GNA
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Small and medium enterprises to get financial support
Small and medium enterprises in the Mfantseman Municipality and Abura Asebu Kwamankese District are to benefit from on-lending loan facility being provided by the Support Programme for enterprise Empowerment and development (SPEED), a German-based Organisation.
Through its Funding Facility Component, SEED has channelled the support through the Mfantseman Community Bank at Biriwa.
SPEED facilitates development of financial market and business development services for micro, small and medium enterprises.
Mr Martin Briggs, SPEED Funding Facility (SFF), Technical Director presented a cheque for the support to Reverend George Ato Mills-Graves, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mfantseman Community Bank.
He said SPEED was a platform for the harmonisation and co-ordination of donor support to create a favourable business environment for micro, small and medium- size enterprises.
Mr Briggs said last year SPEED Funding Facility made available GH¢7.6 million for lending and explained that SFF does not disburse loans directly to the enterprises but through micro finance institutions who do that at their own risk.
He said this year, SFF hope to increase the fund to GH¢9 million for on-lending to enterprises in the 10 regions of the country.
Rev Mills-Graves expressed the bank’s appreciation to the SFF and the supporting agencies for the help they have offered to the enterprises.
He noted that the high rate of poverty in the country retarded the growth of businesses.
The Board Chairman appealed to other donor agents to support financial institutions, especially Rural and Community Banks to increase their support for enterprises and businesses.
Mr Peter Mensah, Manager of the Bank expressed disappointment about loan recovery rate in the area, and appealed to those who would benefit from the facility to pay back the loan on time.
He urged the beneficiary business entities to bear in mind that the support was a loan facility, which must be paid back and expressed the hope that they would not disgrace the bank and place it in an awkward situation.
SPEED is a collaborative venture with the German Agency for Technical Co-operation and the Danish International Development Agency.
Source: GNA
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DCE unhappy with assembly’s revenue collection performance
The District Chief Executive for Amansie West, Mr Charles Oti-Prempeh, has expressed worry about the assembly’s revenue generation performance, saying, more needed to be done.
He would not go into figures but said the current financial situation was nothing to be proud of.
Mr Oti-Prempeh told an ordinary meeting of the assembly that although its June trial balance showed marginal increase in revenue, this was outstripped by soaring expenditure caused by the rise in prices of goods and services.
He said it had become necessary to step up the assembly’s public education campaign to encourage the people to pay their taxes and rates.
The DCE said the assembly’s ability to support development programmes and projects of the communities was dependent on the strength of its finances and that the assembly was indebted to contractors to the tune of GH¢600,000.
This is in respect of unpaid jobs they have done, some dating back to 2006.
He also touched on the cocoa mass spraying exercise in the area and said reports about theft of chemicals and lubricants were disheartening.
The exercise has helped to raise the level of cocoa production in the district and everything must be done to sustain it, he said.
Mrs Grace Addo raised concern about the activities of illegal miners and chainsaw operators, which she said are destroying food and cash crop farms as well as rivers.
She appealed to mining companies operating in the district to provide jobs and alternative livelihood for the people.
Source: GNA
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Coalition calls for speedy passage of Right to Information Bill
The Brong Ahafo Regional Chapter of the Coalition of the Right to Information Ghana, a non- governmental organisation, has advocated the speedy passage of the information bill into law to promote a transparent and accountable Public Service.
The organisation said at a press conference in Sunyani on Thursday that, the country’s fledging democracy would undergo metamorphosis if consistent and best international practices were adopted.
“This will certainly produce a radical qualitative advancement in the desire for freedom, justice and democracy,” Mr Kweku Yeboah, Regional Secretary of the coalition said.
He explained that participatory democracy and the right to information was particularly essential to good governance.
“It is only when those who are to participate in governance are well informed that they can contribute meaningfully to governance,” he said.
Mr Yeboah who is also the Regional Programmes Director of the National Commission for Civic Education said the right to information and transparency in governance constituted the foundation of empowering the citizenry to contribute to good governance and the rapid development of Ghana.
Rev. Dr. Franklin Kwesi Biney member of the coalition said it recognised the vitality of public access to information in fighting corruption and promoting public participation in national activities.
Source: GNA
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Police worry over increase in Kasoa land cases
The Kasoa District Police Command has expressed concern about the increasing land cases in the area and appealed to chiefs and landowners to help reverse the situation.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Jordan Quaye, Kasoa District Police Commander, said in a statement that between January and October, 107 land disputes were reported to the Kasoa Police Command and some of them were under investigation while other were at the courts.
He said investigations revealed that there were multiple sales of land and some were sold by chiefs from two different towns around Kasoa.
Mr Quaye appealed to government to ensure that all towns who share borders with Kasoa are clearly demarcated to avoid land disputes.
He appealed to chiefs to have special committees to look into land cases, sale of land, and registration of land”.
Source: GNA
