Akufo-Addo is not corrupt – P.C. Appiah-Ofori

P.C. Appiah-Ofori         Anti-corruption crusader and MP for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, P. C. Appiah-Ofori, has declared that “Nana Akufo-Addo is not a corrupt politician and will therefore make a good president. I have seen the Auditor General’s report from both the Justice and Foreign Ministries, where Nana Akufo-Addo served as minister under the erstwhile Kufuor administration and not a single case of theft or corruption was leveled against him. He conducted himself well in both ministries and I know he has always been like that throughout his public life.” He was addressing delegates of the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa constituency at Asikuma, when Nana Addo met with delegates to sell to them his message of hope. The outspoken legislator said his decision to support Akufo-Addo is premised on three important factors, with his non-corruptible nature being one of them. “I am confident that if Nana Addo becomes president of our country, he will protect state funds and ensure that they go into the appropriate channels to help develop our nation”, he stressed. He added that Nana Akufo-Addo is the most marketed candidate amongst all, and the amount of work and resource that will go into selling him as presidential candidate will be very much minimal compared to all other ones. “He is the candidate who can win us power in 2012 and to the best of my knowledge that is the single most important desire of our party people today.” He said also that “Nana Addo is a man who listens to good council and “I can tell you about an instance when I went to him on a matter that concerns the welfare of our nation. He listened to me and it paid off”, he noted. On his part, Nana Akufo-Addo told delegates of the constituency to vote him as flag bearer of the party for the 2012 elections and he is confident that victory will come the party’s way. “We got very close in 2008 and with hard work and dedication; we will make it in 2012.” Nana Akufo-Addo called for unity within the ranks of the party as this was important even in the face of competition. He called for a healthy competition and added that in the end, losers and winners must join forces together to ensure that the party wins power in 2012. This he said is the tradition of the NPP and this is not the time to depart from it. Nana Akufo-Addo then took a swipe at the President Mills led NDC administration by saying Ghanaians have become poorer under Mills in just 15 months of leading this country. Ghana, he said, is now “moving backwards slowly but surely.” He asked whether this is the better Ghana we were promised, and when chants of a loud no, came from the crowd, in response to his question, Nana Addo thus told them that “the Ghanaian people are looking up to us in the NPP, to provide a strong, positive alternative to the failing government of the NDC and we cannot fail them.” He moved his campaign tour to the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam constituency and then finally to the Mfantseman West constituency, to round up his tour of the Central region. He is expected to hit the Western region on Sunday, 2nd May, starting with the Mpohor Wassa, Shama and Sekondi constituencies. Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

DCE Blows ¢450m

The woes of the embattled Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Wenchi, Osei Yaw Adjei, seem to be deepening by the day, as his own National Democratic Congress (NDC) party members continue to agitate for his removal from office. When news broke that the MCE had allegedly forced the assembly to cough out ¢445million to renovate a three-bedroom bungalow for his comfort, several members of the NDC in the municipality were up in arms. A planned demonstration against the MCE was called off at the last minute following the intervention of some elders of the party. The MCE, Yaw Adjei, yesterday strongly defended his position on a number of radio stations, saying that the bungalow was in a state of disrepair. He said the money would be used for tiling of the floor, air-conditioners and fixing of the kitchen, even though fixing of the kitchen and tiling were carried out a few years ago. The MCE, who did not show any sign of remorse over what residents had described as his ostentatious lifestyle, justified it to the hilt. Mr Adjei told Adom FM yesterday that if the house was not in good shape, the President might even sack him if he visited the residency, suggesting that he had the endorsement of President Mills. The renovation did not include the replacement of furniture, he said, stressing that was a different cost entirely. It was revealed that the MCE unilaterally ordered the Municipal Finance Officer to use ¢10million to repair his official car which was involved in an accident. He was also accused of ‘jamming’ the private car of the Deputy Municipal Co-ordinating Director and using ¢100million from the assembly’s Transport Account to pay for the damages. Speaking to DAILY GUIDE, one of the youth leaders of the NDC said they had decided to listen to the elders because they (the elders) promised to relay their grievances to the relevant authorities. He said if they waited for two weeks and nothing was heard from the leadership of the party, they would surely hit the streets and force the MCE out of town. According to Kwame Nsiah, the youth leader, they would not sit down for anyone to turn the apple cart upside down. He noted that Wenchi was a strong base for the opposition New Patriotic Party ((NPP) but through hard work, they were able to narrow the gap during the 2008 general elections. In his view, the behaviour of the MCE could worsen the situation of the party and that instead of allowing one person to spoil their chances, they would do everything possible to get him out of their way. Madam Akua Nsowaa, a 65-year-old farmer who said she had been a member of the NDC since its inception, told DAILY GUIDE that they would not sit unconcerned for any young man to spoil their party. She said even though she had never gained anything from the NDC, she was a proud member and would forever remain a proud member of the party. According to Madam Nsowaa, the complaint of ostentatious and profligate lifestyle against the NPP by Professor Mills was rearing its ugly head in the NDC and it must be nipped in the bud. A government appointee at the Wenchi Municipal Assembly, Madam Mariam Akantigsi, told DAILY GUIDE that the assembly approved ¢220 million for the renovation but the MCE doubled the cost, spending extra ¢220 million without approval. She said when the matter came before the august house, there was an uproar and the MCE had to apologize for bypassing the assembly. On Thursday April 29, 2010, the Omanhene of Wenchi Traditional Area, Nana Abrefa Kwadwo Nketia VII, invited all the assembly members to his palace and reprimanded them for allowing themselves to be used in such a bizarre manner. He warned them to be careful when dealing with the finances of the assembly because more had to be done to uplift the image of the municipality. Meanwhile, the issue of the renovation of the MCE’s bungalow with ¢445million was the talk of town when DAILY GUIDE visited Wenchi during the weekend. A random interview conducted by DAILY GUIDE indicated that the majority of inhabitants of Wenchi were not happy with the story and were calling for the immediate dismissal of the embattled MCE. Source: Daily Guide

Cocoa smuggling: BNI capo grabbed

A National Security personnel, Kwaku Darko, has been arrested by the police CID for his alleged involvement in the recent smuggling of cocoa into Ivory Coast. Joy News sources at the Police Headquarters in Accra say Kwaku Darko, believed to be a Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) operative, was picked up Tuesday evening. The arrest comes in the wake of three-month comprehensive undercover investigations led by ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, on how Ghana's cocoa get smuggled. The video documentary has officers from the Army, Police, Customs and National Security engaged in massive smuggling of cocoa to neighbouring Ivory Coast. Already, eight customs officers and a policeman implicated in the cocoa smuggling have been arrested by the police CID. Mr Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who is also the editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, has hailed the initial arrest of nine persons identified in the video as “a good start”. That, notwithstanding, the journalist is pushing for more arrests to follow, as, according to him, his work indicted more than 40 people for their various roles in the smuggling of cocoa to Ivory Coast. Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com

UPDATE: Tullow Oil: Ghana Jubilee Field 1st Oil 4Q 2010

UPDATE: Tullow Oil: Ghana Jubilee Field 1st Oil 4Q 2010

By Angela Henshall

Dow Jones Newswires

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- Tullow Oil PLC's (TLW.LN) Jubilee field in Ghana is on target to produce its first oil in the fourth quarter this year, with the first cargo expected as early as December, said a senior executive at the oil company Tuesday.

"First oil is on schedule for the fourth quarter, so discovery to first oil in 40 months," Tullow's exploration manager for Gulf of Guinea Robin Sutherland said at The Africa Petroleum Conference in London.

"We feel it is a common mistake that oil companies make in neglecting their exploration roots," said Sutherland. "We have no intention in doing this, and 80% of our 2010 capital will be spent in Africa."

He said the company is on target for the Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel to sail in May, and has already started well-completion activities.

Sutherland said the first stage development cost of the Jubilee field had remained within the original $3.1 billion budget. The field's output is expected to ramp-up to 120,000 barrels a day within six months of first oil produced.

Tullow has also developed its own transport company, including helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in order to access the site, Sutherland said.

Tullow is also in the process of developing oil fields in Uganda's Lake Albert basin and is in talks over licenses in two oil blocks on the Congolese side of the lake.

Tullow, Total SA (TOT: 59.02, -0.51, -0.86%) and Cnooc Ltd. want to form an operating company for the project in the Lake Albert basin. Each is expected to hold one-third of the project covering blocks 1, 2 and 3A, and the three are expected to inject at least $5 billion to develop fields in the blocks, according to people familiar with the situation.

Tullow is also still waiting for government approval of its proposed $1.5 billion takeover of the interests of Heritage Oil PLC (HOIL.LN) in two blocks in the country.

Earlier Tuesday Tullow said positive data from the Ugandan Kasamene-3 well encountered oil and proved the viability of this location as a future water injection point to support up-dip oil production.

Source: Fox Business

Mills Gives $5Million To Rawlings? - Raymond Archer

• Who will save Ghana from the economic vampires and these enemies of progress? »

It may be the biggest scandal since Watergate, but the Editor-In-Chief of the Enquirer newspaper, Mr Raymond Archer, has accused former President Rawlings and his wife of receiving an amount of five million United States dollars on the quiet from the government of President John Evans Atta Mills!

The money, ostensibly, is to complete work on the Calf Cocoa Factory owned by the Rawlingses, which is located at Kpone in the Greater Accra Region.

According to Raymond Archer, even though the Rawlingses have taken their share of the monies from the Atta Mills Administration on the quiet, they are busy incited the youth of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) against the government of John Evans Atta Mills because the youth allegedly are not being taken care of!

Mr Archer, who was speaking on the programme Alhaji and Alhaji on Radio Gold Saturday, accused former President Rawlings and his wife of receiving the money within six months of the NDC coming power, and then turning round to complain that the foot soldiers were not being taken care of, and wondered why they took the money if they knew that the times are hard.

On Sunday, April 11, 2010, Mr Kofi Adams, the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress.

(NDC) and Spokesperson to the Rawlingses, was not picking up his calls, to answer whether or not his bosses had received the $5million, but if it is true that indeed the Rawlingses have received the huge amount from government, it would raise many questions, chief among which would be exactly the nature of the financing and whether the payment from government into private hands, has been approved by parliament!

Former President Rawlings has been at the forefront of agitation by the youth of the NDC against the Mills administration, constantly calling on them to rise up to keep the government on its toes because it is not taking care of them.

The revelation however that the same Rawlings and his wife have been paid five million dollars to complete their factory by Atta Mills would come as a surprise to many of the foot soldiers!

Source: The Daily Searchlight

Eight CEPS officials, one policeman arrested over Anas' cocoa smuggling story

Nine arrested over Anas' cocoa smuggling saga         Eight Customs officers and a policeman implicated in the smuggling of cocoa to neighbouring countries have been arrested by police CID. Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kwesi Ofori confirmed this to Joy News on Monday. The nine were captured on a video in a comprehensive undercover investigations led by ace investigative journalist and sub-editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Anas Aremeyaw-Anas on how Ghana's cocoa get smuggled. DSP Ofori told Joy News reporter Benjamin Tetteh the police have begun further investigations into the matter and will soon arraign the suspects before court. This he said is part of measures to rid the security of bad nuts, but was quick to add that the accused persons will first have their day in court to defend themselves. Source: Myjoyonline.com

Kufuor shows up in court in GIA trial

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor Former President John Agyekum Kufuor was in court on Wednesday to hear charges against key appointees under his administration. The officials, Dr Richard Anane, a former Road and Transport Minister, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani, a former Chief of Staff, and Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, a former Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, are standing trial over the liquidation of the defunct national carrier, Ghana Airways and the incorporation of Ghana International Airlines (GIA). The fourth accused person, Sammy Crabbe, a former Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), represents the minority shareholders of GIA. This is the first major trial of former government officials who served under the Kufuor administration. Mr Kufuor, clad in a blue-black suit, and several other former officials and sympathizers of the NPP, stormed the Accra Fast Track High Court in solidarity with the four accused persons. Dr Akoto Osei was charged with seven counts, including wilfully causing financial loss to the state, Dr Richard Anane faces three counts, Mr Crabbe faces four counts, whilst Mr Mpiani faces one count. The four were granted GH¢300,000 bail to reappear on the 26th and 27th of April. Three of the accused former officials, Dr Osei, Mr Mpiani and Dr Anane, failed to show up in court on Tuesday when the case was first called because they had not been charged. Although Mr Crabbe was in court, the case was adjourned to today for the other persons facing trial to appear. Meanwhile the judge sitting on the case, Justice Bright Mensah, has warned the lawyers of the accused persons to desist from speaking to the press. He warned he would not take kindly to any act that prejudices the court’s verdict. Subsequently, the lawyers for Dr Anane and the other officials did not speak to the press. However, Mr Kwame Boateng, lawyer for Mr Crabbe, who is said to have withdrawn $1.7 million from government’s account without approval, told Joy News on Tuesday his client is innocent. Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

Ho Central MP accused of rape

A twenty-three-year-old lady has accused the NDC Member of Parliament for Ho Central, Captain George Nfodjoh (Retd) of sexually abusing her. Giving her name only as Sylvia, the lady claims Captain Nfodjoh, has since she came into contact with him in January this year, had sex with her under duress. She said on two separate occasions, the MP held a pistol to her head, and she had to acquiesce, allowing him to have his way. Recounting the first encounter, the 'victim' said when the MP pulled the pistol, she was too terrified and mollified to speak and “because I didn’t want [him] to harm me, I agreed and said ok protect yourself, he said ‘no, no’, he is not going to use any condom so he did it like that, raw.” After the incident, she claimed Captain Nfodjoh prescribed a drug for her to go buy and when she asked for money for the drug, he snubbed her. She maintained that even though she did not struggle with her aggressor, she was raped because she did it unwillingly. The victim rejected suggestions she was trying to unjustifiably malign the MP because he refused to give her money. "Have you ever asked him for any favour?", Joy News’ Kwaku Obeng Adjei asked, to which she responded, “I have never, since I met him he has never given me even five pesewas.” Sylvia told Joy News she broke her silence because she feels insulted by Captain Nfodjoh whom she claimed has objectified her to satisfy his sexual desires without recourse to her emotions and feelings. She denied having a love relationship with her accuser “because if it [was a relationship] the man will not be doing it like that. It’s too much. How can you be treating your girlfriend like this,?” She asked. She is yet to report the matter to the police and claims she has the MP on video, naked. Refusing to speak directly to the allegations, the MP said he knows the lady in question and that he had reported her to her father whom he said is a friend. “I say I have declined to talk to the press but the fact is that I know her,” and Obeng Adjei put to him a pointed question, “so you slept with her, you never had sex with her,” he responded faintly, “is not true, with all due respect I don’t want to carry on like this, everyone calling me and asking me questions.” Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline/com/Ghana

Ghana: Upper East Regional Minister Mark Wayongo in court for fraud

Upper East Regional Minister, Mark Wayongo Two employees of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council have filed a writ against the Regional Minister for fraudulently awarding contracts to his nephew. Ibrahim Yahaya and Sumaila Abubakari claim Mr Mark Woyongo awarded a contract with a value of over a million Ghana Cedis to his nephew in contravention of procurement procedures. They want the Bolgatanga High Court to declare the award of the contract null and void. According to them, the minister published the contract a month after he had already awarded it to his nephew. That for them, was meant to cover up the shady deals of the minister. Lawyer for the two, Seidu Douglas, told Joy News the minister was in position of conflict of interest because “he awarded the contract to himself by giving it to his nephew....he knew that the contract was going to his nephew.” He said as part of the frantic efforts by Mr Wayongo to cover up his criminal conduct, he clandestinely interdicted two workers at the RCC. “In the letter of interdiction, they say that the people have leaked [confidential] documents when indeed these letters you gave to the contractors were public documents because you copied several other people. [How] can you turn around and blame somebody in the office for the leakage of a document you have already sent to the public?, Mr. Douglas asked. The two interdicted employees say they are contemplating legal action if they are not recalled by next week. One of them, Rosaline Akanwa, told Joy News she was accused of leaking letters she typed as the secretary at the RCC, meant for distribution to contractors. “They awarded some contracts and as the secretary I typed the letters and we sent the letters to the various contractors, about a week ago they came and said some letters were in circulation and they are suspecting myself and the records officer because we are in charge of confidential letters,” She said subsequently, she and her other colleague were given queries “and [when] we answered the queries, they said they were not satisfied with the queries, and gave us interdiction letters a week after.” Ms Akankwa said they were told they would be invited for questioning but nothing had been heard for about a week now. The Regional Minister admitted awarding the contract to his nephew but insisted the process was fair and transparent and satisfied all procurement regulations. “My nephew has been a contractor since 1988 and he tended for the job, it was assessed, they did their evaluation and the tender committee awarded the job to him. It would be ridiculous to say because he is my nephew, he shouldn’t be given a job,”he said. Mr Wayongo denied the charge that he advertised the contract after awarding it to his nephew. He said there were two different contracts all together but his accusers were mixing them up. He also denied any heavy-handedness in interdicting two employees of the RCC, saying their interdiction was done in accordance with civil service procedures. “There is every indication that the information was leaked from the Regional Economic Planning Officer’s office so the chief director asked that the two should step aside for investigations to commence”, he said. Related to this, a group calling itself the Coalition for the Welfare of the Masses in Bolgatanga has challenged Mr Woyongo to produce documentary proof that he indeed advertised the contract in question before awarding it to his nephew. According to the spokesperson of the group, the regional minister had been brazenly violating procurement laws in the region. He claimed he had a tall list of contracts that had been awarded under the watch of Mr Wayongo in clear contravention of procurement procedures. While he was due to address the media, a group of youth believed to be Mr Wayongo’s loyalists stormed the venue and scuttled everything. Story by Malik Abass Daabu/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

Another ¢7.4 Trillion Loss By The State

hmmmmmmmmm

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.... through another Destination Inspection Company

The revelation by the DAILY POST yesterday that Ghana lost ¢22.4 trillion is just a tip of the iceberg of the quantum of revenue lost by the state as a result of the dubious activities of importers and clearing agents at the Tema and Takoradi Habours. The nation is losing far more than that, our intel sources indicate.

As said in yesterday's publication, the loss of ¢22.4 trillion between 2003 and 2009 was recorded by only Gateway Services Limited, one of the four Destination Inspection Companies, DICs, in Ghana whose responsibilities it is to assess imports into the country and value them to enable the importers pay the right duties to the state.

The DAILY POST now has figures of the transactions of a second DIC, Inspections and Control Services, ICS, Limited where trillions of cedis was lost to the state.

Forensic audit conducted by our intel sources into ICL's transactions with importers and clearing agents indicates that between 2003 and 2008, Ghana lost a staggering amount of US$525,195,263.26 or $7.4 trillion in revenue. The break downs are as follows;

8. In 2003, out of a total of 8,270 Final Classification and Valuation Reports (F.C.V.R) issued and assessed to be US$62,696,325.36, an amount of US$23,747,806.82 was collected by the company forming 38% of the assessed value leaving an amount of US$38,949,118.54 forming 62%.

9. In 2004, out of a total of 11,744 Final Classification and Valuation Reports (F.C.V.R) issued and assessed to be US$105,901,348.29, an amount to US$49,837,191.57 was collected by the company forming 47% of the assessed value leaving an amount of US$56,064,156.72 also representing 53%.

10. In 2005, out of the total of 12,518 Final Classification and Valuation Report (F.C.V.R) issued and assessed to be US$137,442,487.50 an amount of US$69,450,802.54 was collected by the company representing 51% of the assessed value leaving an amount of US$67,991,684.56 representing 49%.

11. In 2006, 45% of the assessed value of the FCVRs issued collected leaving 55% of the assessed values of the FCVRs to be collected.

12. In 2007, 41% of the assessed value of the FCVRs issued was collected leaving 59% of the assessed value of the FCVRs to be collected.

13. In 2008, 34% of the assessed value of the FCVRs issued was collected leaving 66% of the assessed values of the FCVRs.

14. The figures for 2009 has not yet been collected. Their figures are provisional and therefore cannot be considered for the exercise.

In concluding, the total FCVRs from 2003 to 2008 was 72,610 which amount to US$900,355,636.53. US$375,160,373.27 was collected representing an average 43% leaving an amount of US$525,195,263.26 representing 57% to be collected.

Stay tuned for more shocking revelations