Month: August 2010

The Member of Parliament for Akim Oda Hon. Yaw Owusu Boateng, says his primary objective of ensuring that 80% of children of school going age in his constituency are in school is steadily on course.

In pursuit of this aim, the Member of Parliament aside undertaking several school building projects, has also made it a point to engage parents in his constituency on a regular basis on the need to enrol their wards in school and the benefits to be derived.

Acoording to the MP, many children in the rural areas of the constituency are out of school mainly helping their parents on their farms, a trend that he finds unfortunate and wants to reverse. The MP who has taught in several European countriies, by virtue of his international connections has been able to bring to his constituency teachers from some Europen countries to teach on a regular basis, a move that has attracted more children to school and has sustained their interest.

He has also sponsored several students from his constituency to pursue higher education in some universities in the country.

Speaking to ghanamps.gov.gh, Hon. Yaw Owusu Boateng, underscored the importance of education in the technologically advanced world that currently exist. ” you know right now, everything is science and I.T based and one can only survive in such a sophisticated world only when he or she educates him or herself”,he said.

Hon.Yaw Owusu Boateng, says one thing that he wants to be remebered by his constituents when he out of office is the improvement that he brought to the constituency particularly with respect to the delivery of quality education. He says his vision is to see schools in his constituency produce brilliant students comparable to that from well endowed schools in the city, and he is deeply committed to realising it.

Source: Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament Atwima Mponua in the Ashanti region, Hon Isaac Asiamah, has taken President John Evans Atta Mills, aka “Asomdwehene” to the cleaners describing him as a hypocrite.

Speaking to this paper in an exclusive interview, Hon Asiamah stated that there is no way the president can say that he knew nothing regarding the unpalatable remarks the chairman for the ruling National Democratic Congress party, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, made at a press conference recently, and so cannot disassociate himself from it.

According to him, as the leader of the ruling party, President Mills was clearly aware of what his National chairman intended, and therefore, for him to have come out later to disassociate himself from Dr. Kwabena Adjei’s ‘killing the cat’ speech shows that he is a hypocrite.

The Atwima Mponua MP maintained that many at times President Atta Mills allows his ‘boys’ to come out and make certain unfortunate statements and speeches attacking others, only to turn round to say that he does not support these statements.

He said that the President clearly supports the conduct of his people, and he should not be excused with the claim that he has dissociated himself from the statements.

“What they are saying is something that they say in a bid to help the President, so if he is truly opposed to what they are saying, then he should offer a direct public condemnation of Kwabena Adjei,” Hon. Asiamah said.

He maintained that such recurring attitude at the presidency is a disgrace to the presidency.

Source: Daily Searchlight.

Captain George Nfodjo (rtd), the Member of Parliament for Ho Central, on Wednesday presented Wellington boots and cutlasses to over 300 farmers in the constituency as part of his initiative to encourage the farmers to reactivate their cocoa farms.

The Seed Production Division of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture would supply cocoa seedlings to the farmers as part of the initiative.

Presenting the items to the farmers, Capt Nfodjo said until the devastating nationwide bushfires in 1983 the constituency was a major cocoa growing area.

He urged the youth in the constituency to go into cocoa farming.

Capt Nfodjo pledged to subsidize the cost of cultivation from his HIPC Fund for anyone who cultivated more than two acres and added that 10 layer cages for birds were also being worked on for poultry farmers.

Source: GNA

The Member of Parliament for Adenta, Kojo Adu Asare, has strongly criticised the dismised former Acting Director of the National Youth Council, Dr Sekou Nkrumah, for using the media in mounting an attack on President John Evans Attah Mills.

Dr Sekou Nrumah who was recently sacked by President Mills after criticizing the President for weak and directionless leadership says it is “almost impossible” for the NDC to succeed on its “Better Ghana” agenda because the President is not charistmatic and too weak a leader to take bold decisions.

He has once again reiterated his call for a “more dynamic personality, who is strong-willed and can inspire national confidence” to challenge the President for 2012 election, which would be a difficult battle for the ruling party to win.

But, speaking on an Accra based radio station, Oman fm this morning Thursady, August 26, 2010, the Member of Parliament for Adenta, Hon. Kojo Adu Asare disagreed with Dr Sekou’s assertion and the choice of medium he has chosen in channeling his course.

‘I don’t understand why Dr Sekou Nkrumah has made it his business to hop from one media house to another churning out all sorts of uncomplimenting comments about our President who is very competent and working ardously to raise the living standards of Ghanaians’, he said.

” Dr Sekou Nkrumah, should know that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as a democratic party, welcomes divergent views among its members but expects the members to use the party’s laid down structures to put across their concerns’, he added.

Hon. Kojo Adu Asare however reposed confidence in President Mills to wholly deliver his promise of a better Ghana agenda.

Source: Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The New Patriotic Party Member of Parliament for Okere, Dan Kweku Botwe, is happy that by his recent posture, ex-President Jerry John Rawlings is trying to be a statesman.

He said from Mr Rawlings’ recent utterances, it is obvious he has toned down and making very ‘deep comments’, conjecturing that he may have assumed this new posture because he is trying to shepherd and position his wife to contest the presidency.

Former President Rawlings, notorious for making controversial statements, on Friday called on the United States to tread cautiously when judging the success of democratic regimes in Africa and asked the US not to ignore freedom and justice as a measuring rod in determining the success of African democracies.

But speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme Thursday, Mr Botwe said the ex-president’s call was in order, insisting that institutions must be allowed to work and that respect must be shown to people’s human rights.

He noted that “we did not need Obama to come and tell us things we know we should have been doing”, adding that the recent attacks on the judiciary gives credence to the fact that institutions in this part of the world are not allowed to function properly.

Mr Botwe said President Mills, upon his arrival from the US where he spent his leave, should have reprimanded his party chairman Dr Kwabena Adjei for making statements threatening the judiciary. Dan Botwe said such a move would have shown that the President is committed to the freedom and independence of the Judiciary as guaranteed by the Constitution.

Richard Quashigah, the Propaganda Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) and a co-panellist on the programme, however discounted Mr Botwe’s claims concerning ex-President Rawlings’ recent posture, saying it is unfair to attribute his [Rawlings’] posture to his quest to position his wife for the presidency and that Mr Rawlings has always made ‘deep comments’ and in his own style.

On the comments of the NDC Chairman, Mr Quashigah stated that the NPP MP was totally uninformed about the issue because Dr Kwabena Adjei spoke on behalf of the people of this country.

He cautioned the opposition NPP to desist from mischievously twisting things said by officials of the NDC.

By: Dorcas Efe Mensah/myjoyonline.com/Ghana

Zoe, Akyea & Co., the law firm headed by Atta Akyea, the Member of Parliament for Akim Abuakwa South, has dragged Joseph Adom Limited, a construction company, to an Accra Fast Track high court over unpaid legal services the firm offered the company.

Solicitors of the law firm, Akufo-Addo Prempeh &Co, in a statement of claim filed yesterday, is asking the court to grant their client the recovery of the sum of $81,569.20 and GH¢90,751.22 being legal fees for professional services duly rendered to the construction firm during the period of 2003 to 2009.

In addition, to other reliefs, such as an order for accounts and cost, the solicitors are asking for a declaration that Atta Akyea’s firm is entitled to exercise “a lien over all monies it recovered for construction company and has right of set-off as against its professional fees”.

According to the firm, it has proof of its entire claim against the construction firm, headed by its managing director, Joseph Adom.

The firm said it represented Joseph Adom and J. Adom Ltd in diverse ways, citing cases such as suit No. C882/2001 between Total FinaElf Ghana Limited and J. Adom Ltd, and its legal fees were GH¢5,058.34, and also suit No. AC 2/2003, between Engineers and Planners Ltd and J. Adom Ltd, in which its legal fees were GH¢53,460. 98 and $62, 069.00 which the construction firm had not paid.

In another case, suit No. AC 19/2007, between Vivendi Construction Company Ltd and J. Adom Ltd, its legal fees were assessed at GH¢17, 781. 76 but it remained outstanding while in suit No. 145/2007, between J. Adom Ltd and Harry Sintim Aboagye, its legal fees were assessed at GH¢6,600 .00 and not paid.

In suit No. 154/2007, between J. Adom Ltd and International Structures Group Ltd, the law firm said its unpaid legal fees were GH¢7, 850 .14.

The solicitors added that “in the botched property sale of an Airport Residential Area building, in which it saved J. Adom from paying USD 95,000 to a swindler, the construction company owes it USD 9, 500. 00, being ten percent.”

Other legal assignments undertaken by the law firm at the instance of the construction company, through the instructions of Joseph Adom, which legal fees were yet to be paid include negotiations with solicitor for SIC and solicitor for Eric Defour in securing title deed in respect of property adjacent to Joseph Adom’s house situated at Ringway Estate, Osu, Accra and the amount is $5,000 dollars.

The law firm contended that in a very dishonest attitude to avoid the payment of the professional fees, Joseph Adom lodged a complaint with the police against Atta Akyea, regarding the return of the monies Atta Akyea is holding “by way of lien and also set-off against the professional fees.’

According to the firm, on May 26, 2010 it submitted its professional fees to the police for the basis account.

The plaintiff indicated that “Joseph Adom, the alter ego of the defendant, has hired one Arhin as his spokesperson and the newfound Managing Director of the defendant to feed the press with misinformation to blackmail Atta Akyea, ostensibly to avoid the payment of the accrued legal fees and also out-of-pocket expenses”.

It was on this basis that the firm has gone to court to seek redress. However, the construction firm is yet to file its response.

Source:Daily Guide

The Member of Parliament for Manhyia, Dr Matthew Opoku-Prempeh, has questioned why the government has not stripped the Proprietor of Great Lamptey Mills Institute of his National Award.

According to him, Mr Lamptey-Mills has revealed by his actions that he is not worth the award and that from the series of events that has been witnessed in the school – the Proprietor impregnating and having a child with his student and a teacher of the school being jailed for defiling a child – the award ought to be withdrawn.

Nii Lamptey-Mills was awarded by former President John Agyekum Kufuor for his contribution to education in the country.

He was arrested and charged with impregnating a 16-year-old girl and forcibly marrying her last year but the charges were dropped when the parents of the child opted for an out-of-court settlement.

He was rearrested last week and charged with rape on the instructions of the Attorney-General but those charges were also dropped Tuesday, August 24, 2010.

Former Minister of Women & Children’s Affairs Ekua Sena Dansua earlier advocated that Enoch Nii Lamptey be stripped of national award – an award the proprietor said has been the root of his entire predicament with the ruling party – since it would serve as a clear warning to others to live above reproach.

Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme, Mr Opoku-Prempeh said “if the executive strongly feels that this man does not deserve the National Award, it should be withdrawn” because if one earns a degree in a University and brings the school’s name into disrepute, the degree is withdrawn.

He bemoaned the manner in which the A-G went about the case – re-arresting the man when the star witness was not willing to testify against him and eventually setting him free – a situation, he said, further casts a slur on the image of the government.

The Manhyia MP advised parents to endeavour to gain trust and confidence of their children as that will make them feel comfortable to discuss issues concerning their sexuality so that when they encounter such problems with their teachers they can report to them.

By: Dorcas Efe Mensah/myjoyonline.com/Ghana

Adamu Daramani Sakande, Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, yesterday prayed an Accra Fast Track High Court for more time to enable the immigration expert from the United Kingdom who prepared the immigration documents for him to arrive.

Egbert Faibille counsel for the MP told the court, presided over by Justice Charles Quist that the expert, who is a lawyer, is expected in the country to testify as star witness in the on-going trial of the MP who has been accused of perjury.

Mr Faibille told the court, in response to a submission by Rexford Wiredu, Principal State, Attorney that the MP should open his defence, that it was not a deliberate attempt to delay the trial as the immigration expert was not in Britain at the moment but was in the United States and would return in October.

According to him, the witness would arrive and tender certain relevant documents which would be very useful to their case, without which the accused person would find it difficult to open his case since the whole trial borders on his renunciation of his Citizenship.

When the trial judge said the MP could open his defence and allow the witness to arrive later,Mr Faibille explained that due to the nature of the case, they would prefer the one who prepared the immigration documents to be around to tender the documents since the original documents are in his possession.

Counsel for the MP consequently prayed the court to give his client ample time to prepare himself as the charges were very serious in nature and the law allows for enough time for an accused person to gather all resources at his disposal to defend himself.

The trial judge adjourned the case to September 16, 2010.

On the last hearing date, Justice Quist dropped six out of nine charges against the MP.

Nevertheless he said the MP had a case to answer on three charges of false declaration of office perjury and deceiving a public officer, saying the prosecution had been able to lay the necessary foundation, for which reason he would have to open his defence.

Source: Daily Guide