NDC fights over ¢2bn donor’s cash…Konadu’s name pops up

Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development         The claim by the Wayome brothers (Alfred and Kobby Wayome) and Herbert Mensah, a football administrator, that they financed the last batch of supporters who were airlifted to South Africa to cheer the Black Stars to the tune of $1.5 million, has incurred the wrath of the national leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), who are challenging their claim. A source close to the party told the Chronicle that the trip, which cost GH¢500,000 and not $1.5 million (about ¢2.1 billion), was solely financed from the party coffers and was, therefore, surprised by the claim made by the three that they financed the trip. The source further told The Chronicle that the Wayomes and Hebert Mensah were only trying to capitalize on the trip to do Public Relations work for Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, who is eying the NDC flag bearer position for the 2012 elections. According to the party source, the three gentlemen just wanted to create the impression that Nana Konadu cared more for the supporters than anyone else. When The Chronicle contacted Mr. Asiedu Nketiah, popularly known as ‘General Mosquito’, he said it was the party that sponsored the trip. He, however, refused to go into details because “I’m yet to inform my executive on the total amount used, and for that matter I would not comment further until I meet with them to brief them on the matter.” The Wayome brothers told journalists that they were in a meeting, when they were contacted at their South Africa base, to get their side of the story. Though they promised to get back to the chronicle in two hours' time to explain their side of the story, they failed to do so at the time of going to press. However, several attempts to get back to them proved futile, as they failed to pick their calls. The conflicting report as to who sponsored the trip and the amount involved prompted the Progressive Nationalist Forum (PNF), a pressure group, to call on the President to set up a committee to investigate the source of the funds used to finance the trip. Both Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development and Mr. Yaw Gyan, National Organiser of the NDC, told The Chronicle sometime ago that some philanthropists sponsored the stranded NDC Black Stars supporters. But this was sharply challenged when other party bigwigs alleged that some banks, including the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) and National Investment Bank (NIB) were behind the sponsorship. Meanwhile, reports reaching the Chronicle indicate that over 150 Ghanaian football fans, sponsored by the government to South Africa to support the Black Stars at the ongoing world cup finals have been left stranded, with their chances of returning to Ghana unknown. The supporters, mainly National Democratic Congress supporters and foot soldiers are said to be living at the benevolence of a South African Hotel manager, who is still housing them, even though the contract between them and the Ghanaian officials has expired. The reports further indicate that, the stranded fans have resorted to selling some of their personal belongings in order to feed themselves, as general conditions at the camp keep deteriorating by the day. About 430 fans returned on Thursday night while the final batch was expected to arrive in Ghana by Saturday June 26, 2010, as government budgeted for only 15 days stay for the fans to South Africa and said it would not take responsibility for any fan(s) who stayed in that country beyond the 15 days period. Source: The Chronicle/Ghana

Bench warrant for BoG ex-governor

An Accra Commercial Court has ordered the immediate arrest of S.K. Appea, former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and S. N. Adjei, a former lawyer for the bank, over the alleged disappearance of a $2.5billion loan package introduced to the Ghana Government by H. E. Van Kirksey and Associates International of Washington, an African-American company, somewhere in 1986. The court presided over by Justice Margaret Insaidoo Wednesday ordered that the two men should be arrested and made to appear in court on Friday May 14,2010. Justice Insaidoo subpoenaed four persons including S. K. Appea, to help the court trace the whereabouts of the said loan which has generated some controversy, in which certain people have blamed certain former state officials in the Rawlings regime in the 1980s. Mr. Appea, then the acting BoG Governor who allegedly signed and sealed the mandate for the loan to be brought into the country, was to appear with Mr. Adjei, then counsel for the bank, Dr. K.G. Erbyn, then Chief Executive of Ghana Investment Centre and Aduamoa Bossman, former attorney for Van Kirksey and Associates, to say what they know about the agreement. However, for over a year since that subpoena was issued, only Mr. Adumoa Bosssman, among the four, has appeared to testify. Counsel for Egbert Addjeso, on whose request the subpoena was issued, assured the court that S.N. Adjei would be their next witness on May 12, 2010; however the witness failed to appear, for which reason the warrant was issued yesterday. P.V. Obeng, then a member of the negotiating team, according to the plaintiff, had allegedly agreed to release a 3% commission of the loan package to the American company to close the deal, after all negotiations had been completed and the loan had been accessed. The court earlier heard the testimony of one Brando Alfred Darko, an associate to the American company. Mr. Darko, who was subpoenaed by counsel for Egbert Adjeso, a defendant in the case, disclosed that S.K. Appea, former Deputy Governor of Bank of Ghana, had informed Clifford Townsend, Vice Chairman of the American company that BoG signed two documents concerning the loan but those documents were later picked up by Mr. P.V. Obeng, a presidential advisor at the Castle. Source: Daily Guide/Ghana

Multi-Nationals must join in Corruption Fight - A-G

Attorney General Betty Mould Iddrisu         Ghana’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Betty Mould Iddrisu says corruption is one of the key challenges facing investment in Ghana. She has therefore called on multi-nationals to help stem the tide of that canker. She said officials of multi-national corporations continue to indulge in corrupt and underhand dealings with government officials in a bid to achieve short-term benefits and cautioned that such actions will never go unpunished. “Investors need to realize that the reality of political succession implies that even where they are shielded by governments with whom they contrive to breach the law, succeeding governments would seek to enforce the law. Far therefore from being an anti-investment destination, these governments would simply be seeking to uphold the rule of law. The investors concerned would have deprived themselves of any legal protection by their own considerations of short-term benefit,” Mrs Iddrisu said. Mrs Betty Mould Iddrisu was speaking during a panel discussion at the New York University on the topic,“Strengthening the Rule of Law in Africa: Promoting Investment in Africa – Ghana’s Example”, organised under the auspices of the Africa House of the New York University in collaboration with the New York City Bar Association’s Committee on African Affairs and Leitner Centre for International Law and Justice at Fordham Law School. The Attorney General said the administration of President John Evans Atta Mills, has a solid commitment towards improving existing infrastructure, building the capacities of its people, ensure that laws are enforced and barriers to investment removed. She said: “We open our doors to investors who seek to maximize legitimate profit while helping government and local people better their lot through resource exploitation, distribution and the payment of taxes and agreed royalties.” Touching on Ghana’s legal climate, the Attorney General stated that the judiciary had undergone a lot of reforms to make it investor friendly. She said commercial courts had been established and efforts “are being made at expediting justice particularly in commercial and investment related cases”. Mrs Iddrisu stated that: “The establishment of the commercial courts, land courts, as well the numerous reforms in court processes as earlier alluded to all demonstrate a commitment to solidify not only the foundations of economic governance but also foreign investment interests in Ghana. Like all countries in the developing world, we still have some key challenges to overcome but the gains thus far are noteworthy.” Competition for global investment, the Attorney General noted, has intensified and Africa needs to position itself as a leading destination by building up on governance reforms, law reforms and guaranteeing a respect for human rights and political accountability. She said “The inception of the constitutional regime in 1992 [in Ghana] further deepened the move towards greater openness and respect of individual and multinationals’ investment within the framework of law and good governance. While the constitutional regime amply provides sufficient safeguards against the illegal expropriation of investor assets, it is significant to mention the fact that government is determined to balance the interests of investors with government’s obligation to manage the resources of the state in the best interests of the people of Ghana.” Answering questions from a cross section of students, members of the American legal fraternity and the media, Mrs. Iddrisu reiterated the Government of Ghana’s commitment to the rule of law and international investment laws and noted that the protection of foreign investment is an international obligation that Ghana will always uphold. “Over the past two decades, we have reinforced our governance system and consolidated constitutional democracy with greater emphasis on human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the protection of property rights. These rights and spaces for individual autonomy remain crucial for the realization of economic potential - key ingredients for investor success. Indeed, foreign investment needs a pool of qualified and motivated human resources. It is the objective of the President Mills Administration to unleash these potentials by reinforcing human rights and individual freedoms” the Attorney General said. Systems of resource management and accountability have also been intensified, Mrs. Iddrisu said. Over the past couple of years the Whistleblower Act, Financial Administration Act and the Procurement Act have all been passed by Ghana’s Parliament. She said the Right to Information and the Petroleum Acts are also being considered by Parliament all in a bid to increase the responsibility of government in respect to the management of resources and accountability for proceeds obtained from investment. Read the full text of the A-G’s presentation.

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