Month: July 2011

Mr Paul Evans Aidoo, Western Regional Minister, has attributed the numerous vices in society to the unbridled freedom enjoyed by the youth.

He said Ghanaians ought to go back the days where social norms, values and culture thrived and lesbianism and homosexuality had no place in the society.

Mr Aidoo who was speaking at the western regional gathering for senior citizens to mark Republic Day, called on the aged to be pillars on which the revival of the country’s social values would revolve.

“Not even the Traditional, Islamic or Christian religions permit these abominable acts and the time has come for society to rid itself of them”, he said.

Ms Emelia Authur, Deputy Minister of the Western Region, recounted the contributions of the country’s forefathers in attaining independence and the republic day and urged the youth to use that as a
reminder to forge ahead.

Source: GNA

The Minister of Works and Housing, Alban Bagbin has stated that ground works at the STX Construction site is scheduled to begin this month with other construction works to follow very soon.

He said government remains committed to implementing the STX Korea deal which will ensure the construction of housing units for the security services, adding that the commitment of government to execute the project is resolute, uncompromising and unwavering.

His assuring statements come in the wake of media reports that the controversial STX Korean deal is a sham and will never see the light of day.

No work has begun on the project site after almost a year of signing the contract and braking of grounds to commence the work.

The reports indicate that the Korean partners are angry over the decision by government to give the sovereign guarantee to the local partners of STX and have begun parking the equipments and other asserts out of the country.

Speaking on Joy FM on Monday 4th June 2011, the Minister of Works and Housing Alban Bagbin refuted the reports saying the story must be treated with the contempt that it deserve, as government’s meetings with the Koreans have shown clearly their interest and commitment to execute the projects.

He noted that the three hundred million dollars ($300m) required to the fund the construction of the project has been secured, contrary to reports that the government is finding it difficult to raise that amount.

Hon. Alban Bagbin who is also the Member of Parliament for Nadowli West further stated that the STX construction deal is a priority of government and nothing will stop the government from implementing it.

Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa, Kwabena Amankwa Asiamah has described as absurd allegations that NPP youth will be used in fomenting confusion at the upcoming NDC national delegates congress at Sunyani on Saturday 9th July 2011.

There have been reports by some newspapers sympathetic to the NDC that they have picked credible information that some NPP thugs would be hired and pay huge some of monies simply to cause mayhem at the congress to discredit the NDC party.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) goes into a congress which is historic by all standards since this is the first time in Ghanaian political history that a sitting President in his first term in office is being challenged at the party’s congress. The event will see the election of a flag bearer to lead the party come 2012 elections.

Prior to the elections there have been several reports that some persons are harboring intentions of disrupting the elections in the event that the election does not go their way, a development which has made some people call on the national security apparatus to intensify security at the congress grounds.

Speaking on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo’s show on Monday 4th July, the Member of Parliament for Fanteakwa, Kwabena Amankwa Asiamah stated that he finds it difficult to understand why NPP youth would allow themselves to be “bought” to disrupt an NDC congress when they have no interest in the event.

He said the NDC party itself has a history of brutalizing persons belonging to other factions within the party at its congress, citing the Koforidua congress where Dr Obed Asamoah and Frances Asiam were manhandled by some NDC thugs.

Hon. Amankwa Asiamah urged the NDC party to look within itself for persons who have evil intentions and would like to foment trouble in the upcoming event.

Source: Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Chief Executive Officer of Kencity Media and NPP MP for Assin North, Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has told Citi News that he has never seen or tasted the white crystalline alkaloid extracted from coca leaves, known as cocaine.

Hon. Agyapong made the disclosure in an interview on Citi FM on Thursday June 30. His comments come in the wake of threats by the Narcotics Control Board to nail politicians involved in the use of drug money for political campaigns.

The MP, who has dared the NACOB Boss to name the so-called drug peddling politicians so he could he be exonerated.

In in a previous interview with Citi FM he alleged that there were plots within the NDC Government to frame him up with drugs.

However, in a forceful and forthright declaration, the man who for many years has been tagged by his political opponents as a drug dealer without proof, said he has not seen, used, or traded in cocaine, although he has travelled and worked in Europe for many years.

Being a member of the NPP, a party that has been accused by its main political opponents of harbouring and or encouraging the drug trade, Hon. Ken Agyapong has struggled to change perceptions about himself, especially as a former NPP MP, Eric Amoateng, is serving a jail term in the USA after he was busted for dealing in cocaine.

Mr. Agyapong’s critics have wondered how he amasses so much wealth to live a high profile life, make several donations to needy institutions and sets up new businesses.

The man, who in 2010 bought himself a Rolls-Royce saloon car worth 250,000 pounds sterling to celebrate his successes on his 50th birthday, said his riches were acquired by dint of hard work. He told Citi News that he has a target to acquire two private jets at age 55.

“I needed to glorify myself for all the hard work that’s why I bought that car. I was born and bred in Assin-Dompim where I went to primary school, and went to L.A Middle School before I went to Adisadel College and then went to Germany to wash plates and later became a cook. Just recently, I went to Germany and I still have my roommate in Germany and he is a taxi driver now. I have invited him to come home. I want to give him a job because he was nice to me when I was there”.

“I have about 11 to 12 companies with three of them in America. And I have the ability to save. That’s a gift. You cannot invest when you don’t have capital and you can have capital when you have the ability to save. Even when I was in Secondary School, I was selling P.K., chocolate, blades and all that, and I was able to buy a ticket for my cousin to go to Germany. In fact, I graduated selling roofing sheets, lead bars, cutlasses and wires. I am a partner of Supercare and we brought Bui Dam here. I and my partner singlehandedly got the deal to bring Syno Hydro to Ghana. I don’t even have one dollar out of it (the Bui deal) but you see how Asiedu Nketia is enjoying from that $640 million contract.

He did not even attend a single meeting in China and now he is enjoying. But I am not envious of anybody. Nobody gives good people credit in this country” he lamented.

“I have a company in my constituency producing pineapple and orange for export to Spain, France and Brazil. I have about six companies under the Supercare Group alone; I have Kencity Media which includes not only media houses but Real Estate, Cold stores and different businesses. If I am paying 2,657 workers today, what makes you think I can’t buy Rolls Royce for myself? As I speak, the Government owes me and my wife a lot of money” he noted.

Viewed by some as a rabble-rouser for his no-nonsense attitude, Mr. Agyapong rather sees himself as a disciplinarian, and a different breed of politician who speaks his mind, and works hard to make genuine money to help society.

“It’s only a bunch of idiots and failures who always think that anybody who seems to be doing well in this country is a drug dealer. I can tell you with authority that I don’t think any drug dealer in this country has the wealth that I have” he declared.

According to him, he has not seen, tasted or traded cocaine before, and could not tell how cocaine looks like. He also denied knowledge about dealings in heroin and Indian hemp.

“I don’t even smoke. I have not used the services of any courier. I have lived in America for 27 years and I still live there. I have these two ladies who just came from America. So does it mean that because they live in an advance country they have seen cocaine before?” he asked.

The business-oriented politician bemoaned the deeply rooted “Ghanaian perception” that one cannot genuinely succeed without doing anything criminal or foul.

“It’s a bad perception and we need to change it. My advice to the youth is that, the sky is the limit. Take your destiny into your hands. Dream big, talk big and do things big. Don’t just think within the box, think outside the box”.

Mr. Agyapong lambasted NDC Government officials, some of who he accused of engaging in drug peddling although he was not ready to disclose their names.

He cited an instance in which he claims his wife’s sister was handed a bag stuffed with cocaine by an influential NDC woman at Heathrow Airport, leading to the lady’s arrest.

“Those who are talking about drugs in the NDC should check their track records before we release it. I dare them. (NACOB Executive Secretary) Akrasi Sarpong should also check his track record before we come after him. I know a lot about these people. In the NDC I regime, drugs were moved from Suriname with presidential jets to Holland to go and sell”.