Executive Director of the Centre for Freedom and Accuracy, Andrew Awuni, has challenged the management of Fortiz PE and Bank of Ghana to show up in court if they believe that processes that led to the sale of Merchant Bank was clean. According to him, failure of the two to appear in court and the subsequent release of a statement by Fortiz PE that it had completed the acquisition of Merchant Bank was in bad faith. Speaking on Accra-based Asempa FM, Mr Awuni said irrespective of the statement, which according to him could not be authentic; he would still proceed to the court to ensure that “nobody turns the nation into a jungle.” Fortiz PE on Wednesday released a statement signed by its directors announcing the completion of its acquisition of Merchant Bank Ghana Limited notwithstanding the legal action against the Bank of Ghana (BoG) over the sale of the bank. Reacting to the statement, Mr Awuni said he had not seen the said statement except for one published online. He further questioned the authentication of the statement since it had no signature except for a sign off which read “Signed: Directors – Fortiz PE”. “I have not seen the statement but I’ve seen something on the website but what I saw doesn’t look like an authenticated statement because for a press release, to make it official an identifiable officer of the institution will sign and also indicate the officer’s position in that particular institution. It authenticates the statement. “If you release a statement and just say signed, directors, directors have names so for authentication purposes…I don’t know whether it is deliberate or an oversight. So I am taking this whole statement with a pinch of salt and that is what everybody should do,” he said. Mr Awuni further noted that the manner with which the statement was released “is very much in character with the way the transaction was carried out.” “There is no point if Fortiz is taking over. I’m sure they have people who are taking over and they have names. Be as it may, it makes no difference to us. Everything about this transaction has been rushed and it is on record that people were rushed to sign documents. So it is very much in character,” he added. Mr Awuni noted that it would have been appropriate for Fortiz to complete its takeover of the bank after all doubts concerning the transaction had been cleared. “We are in court and we have filed for an injunction, notices have been served, there is evidence that these people have been served with the notice…It’s only reasonable that in the midst of the storm that people who are above board and everything is clean will actually want the dust to settle and show to Ghanaians that everything is clean, then you can sign. “But if in the midst of the storm… in the middle of a court case, you are holding a notice of injunction and a hot Wednesday afternoon you announce that you have taken over, you have completed the deal, I think it’s in bad faith,” he said. That notwithstanding, Mr Awuni said he is not disappointed with the turn of events but would continue with the legal action. “Tomorrow we are returning to the court and they will respond to the court why they did what they did. It may be lawful but it’s morally not sound. We will go to court tomorrow, we will continue with the case and they have questions to answer…it really tells me that something is wrong,” he noted. Asked if he was fighting a lost battle, Mr Awuni said, “Perhaps if we were in a jungle I would say that. If some people want to turn the nation into a jungle then perhaps weaker vessels will say that they are fighting a losing battle. But I don’t think this is a jungle and nobody will be allowed to turn this nation into a jungle.” He further challenged the management of Merchant Bank and Fortiz PE to “come out and stand in the light” if they believe their actions are right.

Late Harry Sawyerr, former Minister of Education and a professional Surveyor would be buried on December 21, Professor Akilakpa Sawyerr, Head of the Sawyerr family has announced.   He said the late politician who died in November, would be buried at the Basel Mission Cemetery after church service at Osu Ebenezer Presbyterian  Church. Professor Akilakpa Sawyerr announced this when he led family members of the former Minster to inform President Mahama about the funeral arrangements. He said the final funeral rites would be performed at the forecourt of the State House.. President Mahama said the death of Mr Sawyerr was a national loss because of his role in introducing the TATA Bus, City Express transport system, during late President Hilla Limann’s administration. Mr Sawyerr also introduced the  National Teachers’ Awards. He announced that he would be given a state burial and called on the family members to liaise with the Chief of Staff to ensure that all necessary arrangements are made before the funeral date. He gave the assurance that government would be fully represented in the final funeral rites of the former Minister. The late Sawyerr was a former Minister of Education during the Provisional National Defence Council after having serving as Minister of Transport during the Limann administration in 1980. In a related development Mr Victor Gheho led a family delegation to formally announce the death of late Dr Justice Morton, a renowned Medical Practitioner to President Mahama at the Flagstaff House, Kanda.

  Researchers from 10 countries have ended a meeting in Accra, where they discussed the implementation of research. Implementation of Research is the scientific study that actualises research findings. The meeting also served as a training workshop on the implementation of research. It was organised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to enhance the capacity of academic researchers and health workers.  The participating countries were host country Ghana, the Sudan, Benin, Tanzania and India. Others were Malawi, Indonesia, Thailand, Canada, Switzerland. In an address, the Deputy Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Gloria Quansah Asare said that the Ghana Health Service (GHS) had established three health research centres in the three ecological zones of the country. They are the Navrongo Health Research Centre in the Northern belt, Kintampo Health Research Centre in the middle belt and the Dodowa Health Research Centre in the coastal belt.              Benefits of Research Centres  Dr Asare said the centres had over the years conducted research which had influenced national policy.        She said the benefits of the established centres included the Vitamin A supplementation trials, the bednet trials, the family planning project and the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).   Dr Asare said at the international level, there had been an acceptance of the value of research in enhancing healthcare delivery, disease control programmes and the health systems in many countries.  Importance of the workshop  Dr Asare indicated that the workshop was to build the capacity of the researchers, service providers and decision makers in public health programmes, institutions and academia. She added that the workshop would enable policymakers to implement research findings in public health and also develop functional partnerships between programme staff and academic researchers. “The workshop would address implementation bottlenecks in areas where health systems are weak, ” Dr Asare said. Challenge to participants Dr Margaret Gyapong, Deputy Director of Research and Development of the GHS, who also addressed the participants, encouraged the participants to use the training workshop to enhance their knowledge to ensure the proper implementation of research findings. She told participants that over the years, several disease control programmes had made limited impact due to inadequate documentation and, therefore, advised the participants to apply all the knowledge gained in their respective institutions.  

A research fellow of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Dr Ransford Gyampoh, has stated that the country faces a serious national identity management crises. He said that would happen because of multiple agents of state performing the same tasks of providing biometric data for their requirements as service providers, and the multiplicity of efforts at biometric data collection.  Dr Gyampoh, who made the comments at the opening of a two-day workshop on synchronised identification systems, added that it was a waste of resources which ought not to be tolerated by Ghanaians. He said currently there are seven state institutions in the business of creating and providing data bordering on identities. These are the Electoral Commission, the National Identification Authority (NIA), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MoFEP), the Passport Office, and the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS). The promise The Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Seth Terkper, promised the consolidation of all primary biometric data in the 2012 Budget. Prior to the promise, a representation had been led by the International Development Consortium of the expertise of HSH Soft and Hardware Vertriebs of Germany on the strengthening of the country's identification systems and its integration. As a follow-up, government officials also visited Germany in October 2013 to understudy its integrated identification system. The progress The two-day workshop was to get municipal, metropolitan and district chief executives, who would be key drivers in the effort together to dialogue on the challenges affecting Ghana's national identification system and chart a plan of instituting a one-stop shop for all biometric data information and administration. In a keynote address at the opening of the workshop, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Akwasi Opong-Fosu, enumerated some of the projects under the ministry that were in line with efforts at a synchronised and integrated ID system. Key among the projects were the Street Naming and Property Addressing System, and the development of the 'National Operational Guidelines on Street Naming and Property Addressing System." He said the synchronised ID systems would help in the implementation of the projects. Role of MMDAs Mr Opong-Fosu said MMDAs had a critical role to play in the process as they were responsible for the registration of births and deaths, businesses and marriages. They also issued permits for businesses and buildings that facilitated town planning, the collection of taxes and the mobilisation of resources for development at the local level. "MMDAs, therefore, have a major role to play in the development of an accurate national register containing a database that  would assist government enhance local governance through effective service delivery to the citizens at the local level," he said. The chairperson for the programme, the Minister of State in-charge of Development Authorities, Maj (rtd) Dr Mustapha Ahmed, also emphasised the importance of MMDAs in the processes of an integrated and synchronised ID system. He said the NIA had so far captured 17 million records of Ghanaians, processed three million cards and distributed just 900,000 cards, thus, it was necessary to have the input of all for solutions to challenges. The way forward The 2012 presidential flag-bearer for the People's National Convention (PNC), Mr Hassan Ayariga,  suggested that landlords had to be made the focal persons in the effort. He said if all landlords were made to provide a list of information on each individual tenant with his or her family members, there would be a graduation of efforts until a comprehensive register was obtained. The flagbearer of the Convention People's Party (CPP), Mr Abu Sakara, for his part, was eager for solutions to the challenge of national identification for Ghana. Also present, was the only independent presidential candidate in the 2012 presidential race, Mr Jacob Osei Yeboah. Mr Martin Peprah of the NIA, made a case for the NIA to be the repository of all biometric information as it was legally mandated to do so, while Mr Yaw Misefa of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) expressed the readiness of the GSS to collaborate in the effort.

  President John Dramani Mahama has expressed concern about the smuggling of subsidised fertiliser to neighbouring countries. This unpatriotic act, he said, was adversely affecting the country’s farmers and having a negative impact on their production capabilities. Speaking at a cocktail in honour of this year’s national best farmers at the forecourt of the State House in Accra on Monday, President Mahama said information reaching him indicated that, “some of our fertilisers have been found far away in Cameroon. And so, it is like Ghana is subsidising fertiliser for all the farmers of West Africa, and we cannot afford to do that.” Susidised tractors On subsidised tractors for farmers, the President announced that henceforth farmers who would benefit from such tractors would have to pay 70 per cent lump sum of the cost before they could take delivery. He said until now, the government had been absorbing 30 per cent of the cost of the tractors and spreading the remaining 70 per cent of the cost for the farmers to pay in three years. “Unfortunately, those who have received the tractors have been very reluctant to pay for them. This was supposed to be a revolving facility so that we can extend it to other farmers, but because the pioneers who received those tractors have been reluctant to pay, it is making it difficult for the government to continue to turn this project around,” he said. Poultry Industry Touching on the poultry industry, President Mahama announced that government had reduced the quota for poultry import by 12 per cent this year to allow the local poultry industry to grow. “We intend to launch a major initiative in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to support medium to large-scale poultry farmers to be able to deliver at least 30,000 metric tonnes of poultry products in the 2014 fiscal year,” he hinted. The President reminded the selected farmers that farming was not a way of life but a business and an investment, adding that “when you invest you must be able to reap the fruits of your business.”  He expressed happiness that young people were taking to agriculture and receiving awards.  President Mahama also said the government was partnering the private sector to expand the irrigation scheme to promote all-year farming.   Awards The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Kofi Humado, presented two awards; one from the FAO and the other from the Food and Agriculture Research for Africa, which the country had won, to the President.  The Managing Director of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), Mr Stephen Kpordzi, said the bank was proud to be associated with the National Farmers’ Day event. He described farmers’ contribution to the growth of the bank as significant and affirmed the commitment of the ADB to provide a three-bedroom house as the first prize.  

  Ghana has been ranked 63rd out of 177 countries surveyed in this year’s global corruption perception index (CPI). According to the index released yesterday by Transparency International, the country scored 46 out of 100 on the scale from zero to 100. But the government has reacted to the corruption index, saying the report might not have included measures being taken by the government to fight corruption. Ghana was ranked 64th out of 174 countries surveyed in 2012 and 69th in 2011 in the CPI. CPI ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt their public sector is perceived to be.  A country’s score indicates the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0 - 100, where 0 means that a country is perceived as highly corrupt and 100 means it is perceived as very clean.  A country's rank indicates its position relative to the other countries and territories included in the index. The surveys and assessments used to compile the index include questions relating to the bribery of public officials, kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds, and questions that probe the strength and effectiveness of public-sector anti-corruption efforts. Addressing the media at the Flagstaff House yesterday, Deputy Minister of Information and Media Relations, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said any recent poll which did not give Ghana a high score in the fight against corruption, might not have taken into consideration recent developments in the country. “…it stands to reason that it is not a poll that would have been conducted recently and therefore may not have factored in some of the measures that we have just spoken about,” he contended.  

Chefs from some of the country’s major hotels have undergone a workshop on presenting chocolate on their menu for clients. Golden Tulip Hotel in Accra, in collaboration with Barry Callebaut, a world leading manufacturer of quality cocoa and chocolate products put this together. Messrs Philippe Marand, Executive Chef and Head of the Chocolate Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Hadrien Jauncy, the Export Sales Manager of Barry Callebaut, were on hand to take their local counterparts through the exercise. They delivered presentations on new dishes, including how to adorn pastries with chocolates, emphasising the benefits that the use of cocoa products hold for clients.  The pastries and dishes included the Saffron and Blanc Satin Espuma, Cocoa Biscuit, Chocolate Cremeux, Light Sirop, Red Spaying Chocolate, Alunga Earl Grey Cream, Cocoa Light cream, Inaya Raspberry Mousse and Raspberry Mermelade, among others.   The General Manager of Golden Tulip Accra, Francis Deyegbe, said that as the facilitator, Golden Tulip was the first hotel in the country to champion the use of “our cocoa products this way.” “Golden Tulip, Accra, has always made sure Ghana cocoa exists on our menu, especially as beverages and desserts,” he said, describing the collaboration with Barry Callebaut as another step to promote Ghanaian cocoa in the country to the hotel’s international travellers.” “We recently visited their factory and could attest to the quality of their products from the use of Ghanaian cocoa beans,” he added. The Managing Director of Barry Callebaut, John André, said his outfit had since 2001 used cocoa beans from Ghana and other African countries for production, accounting for an annual base of 65,000 tonnes. “We are, therefore, happy to be here and to commend the country for its keen interest in promoting the cocoa industry,” he said, indicating that the workshop was “to open the mindset of Ghanaian hotels to the benefit they can derive from using cocoa on their menu.” He commended Golden Tulip, Accra, for taking the lead in championing the promotion of cocoa and chocolate products. Mr Thierry Dieu, Executive Chef and Mrs Bertha de Graft-Johnson, Sales Marketing Manager of Golden Tulip, Accra were also on hand to assist the representatives of Barry Callebaut to make the presentation.   Golden Tulip, Accra is owned by GLAHCO Hotels & Tourism Development Company Limited and is managed by the Golden Tulip Hospitality/Louvre Hotels Group, the eighth largest hotel chain in the world.   

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resource has asked Prestea Sankofa Gold Limited to stop purchasing mine waste from illegal miners in the Western Region. Prestea  Sankofa Gold claims it has a technology that could be used to extract more gold from the ore after the illegal miners have used their low know-how to extract the mineral. According to them, the illegal operators are only able to extract less than 30 per cent of gold and the waste material later sold  to Prestea Sankofa Gold for further extraction of gold from the ore. When contacted, officials of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), owners of Prestea Sankofa Gold, confirmed that they were allowed to buy from bigger firms and that they also bought from small-scale operators.  The operators, however, said their waste was from illegal operations.  Those acts by the Prestea Sankofa Gold, a subsidiary of GNPC, according to the Technical Director of Mines at the ministry, Mr Simon Adugbire Atebiya, are illegal and contrary to the factors considered before the issuance of a  permit to the company. Speaking to a group of journalists on a  course at the World Bank office in Accra,  he said their operation was illegal and that it had come to the notice of the ministry and they were investigating. “The proposal by the company to extract more from the waste was good, because they claimed the company had the technology to extract from the waste at a profit,” he said. He blamed the surge in the illegal activities in the country to the fact that there was a ready market for waste and that the assemblies had  failed to exercise their authority to ensure the right thing was done. Mr Atebiya said  before giving authorisation to an operator, there was a road map for the  operator  to follow. Therefore, if the company failed to follow the rules,the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies  had to stop them. “I must say that the district assemblies did not know the amount of power at their disposal and therefore, allow these illegalities to flourish in their localities with impunity,” he said. The director of mines said the mandate of Sankofa Gold was to buy from authorised mining companies, but it realised it would make more money from sourcing its waste from the illegal miners who did not have the capacity to extract more than 30 per cent from the ore.  When the Daily Graphic visited the northern part of the Western Region namely Tarkwa, Prestea, Bogoso, Jakpah, Nananko Wassa-Akrpong, Bawdie, where these illegal activities are on the surge, the operators said the material was not waste and that Sankofa Gold would buy it. One of the operators at Bawdie, who gave his name as Kweku Yaw, said they the operators did not have the technology to extract enough gold from the waste after going through the process. “Therefore, Sankofa Gold comes in and buys what we generate as waste at the cost that is even higher than what we make from the little we extract,” he said. “I sold  one heap  at my site for GH¢150,000 to Sankofa Gold,  and others could even be sold at a higher price depending on the quantity,” he said.   Asked if he knew it was illegal to mine and sell without license, he responded in the affirmative saying, “but I can tell you that the district assemblies, some leaders in the communities always get their share of the money we get from our dealings with the company,” he said.  Yaw said initially they faked the licence, but the company didn’t care. “They just buy I don’t have a licence but they buy”. The officials of the Minerals Commission also confirmed the sale of the waste to Prestea Sankofa but were yet to come up with a decision on that. Prestea Sankofa Gold Limited is a subsidiary gold mine of GNPC which was incorporated in 1994 as a joint venture between SAMAX Gold Resource and GNPC.   The company, as the name implies in Ghanaian parlance “Sankofa” – go back for it, was set out to extract gold from tailings and low grade “waste” from over 100 years of mining activities at Prestea.   The technology has attracted a lot of interest in the industry since it is currently doing well. In 1998, SAMAX ceded its interest to GNPC and as a result,  GNPC now owns 90 per cent of the shares in the company with the government of Ghana taking the remaining 10 per cent. GNPC is evaluating the potential of the company with the aim of selling it out.  This is in response to government’s desire to see GNPC focus on petroleum exploration and production activities only.

The National Chairman for Ghana National Scholarship Beneficiaries Association (GNASBA), Mr Baffour Akwasi Oppong, has sent a congratulatory message to the Action Chapel International (ACI) on the occasion of its 35th annual international convention dubbed: “IMPACT 2013”. The message also commended Archbishop Nicolas Duncan Williams, Founder and General Overseer of ACI and President of the National Association of Charismatic Churches (NAAC) in Ghana for his commitment and outstanding leadership that had brought the church that far. The 35th international convention is on the theme: “Back to the Cross”.  According to Baffour Oppong, ACI deserved every commendation and encouragement for its intercessory leadership for the nation’s sustainable peace and development, saying their prayerful role to help secure the nation’s peace during the recent general elections and the successful Supreme Court petition could not be denied. Baffour Oppong, also commended the church for its initiative and objectives to promote the Kingdom of God, lead many people to Christ and transform many lives which were clear examples of its Biblical practice to humanity. He praised and wished Archbishop Duncan Williams, the college of bishops, pastors, church staff and the entire membership a happy New Year in advance.

  The Police Administration has announced a reward package of GH¢10,000 for any individual or group which would provide information leading to the arrest of streetlight thieves. The reward, according to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Mr Freeman Tettey of the Public Affairs Unit at the Police Headquarters, was initiated after President John Dramani Mahama made a complain about the recent theft of street lights on the N1-highway in Accra. Addressing members of the Accra Archdiocese of the Catholic Church on its 120th anniversary in Accra, President Mahama said the government would have to cough GH¢400,000 to replace stolen street lights on the N1-highway.  Mr Tettey told the Daily Graphic that  the identity of any Ghanaian who would provide vital information that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators would be kept secret, while the said amount would be handed over to the person. “We will make sure that nothing evil happens to the person or the group which would assist the police to apprehend the criminals involved in such activities,” he said. According to Mr Tettey, the police administration would not tolerate any criminal activities in the country and as such, had put in place measures to enhance the security of Ghanaians and government property.  

  Five institutions have benefited from a $2.5 million grant from the Council of Technical Vocational Education and Training (COTVET) to undertake research that will support the growth and development of the private sector. The institutions are: The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), University of Ghana, Ghana Telecom University College (GTUC) and the Kumasi Polytechnic. Each of the institutions received $500,000. The five beneficiary institutions received the money under the implementation of the Ghana Skills and Technology Development Project (GSTDP); an initiative of the Government of Ghana, with funding from the World Bank. GSTDP, among other things, aims at improving demand-driven skills development and increased adoption of new technologies in selected economic sectors of the country. At the signing of the agreement between the beneficiaries and COTVET last Monday, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Joe Oteng-Adjei, charged the beneficiary institutions to use their funds for the intended purposes. He called for a strong collaboration between the beneficiary institutions and COTVET to ensure the success of the research they would undertake for the development of the private sector. The Project Coordinator and Head of the COTVET Project Support Unit (PSU), Mr Matthew Dally, said the provision of the funds fell within Component Two of the GSTDP, which aimed at strengthening the development of science and technology institutions in the country. “This entails strengthening the planning, management and coordination of national science, technology and innovation policies and programmes in order to make efficient use of resources and complement the national economic development plan,” he said. He commended the government for the GSTDP and the World Bank for its financial support. The President of the GTUC, Dr Osei Darkwa, on behalf of the beneficiaries, pledged to use the money for the intended purpose.  

The Office of the President has denied that the President intervened to prevent the payment of a debt owed Merchant Bank Ghana by Messrs Engineers and Planners. “We wish to draw the attention of Joy FM and Myjoyonline that it is not unusual for the Presidency to receive petitions from private companies or individuals who feel unfairly treated by one government agency or another. “In such cases, as was rightly done by the then Secretary to the President, Mr J. K. Bebaako-Mensah, the petition by Engineers and Planners was forwarded to Merchant Bank to furnish the Presidency with information on the issues raised in the petition,” a statement from the Office of the President said. It said President John Mahama had never, during his days as Vice-President and now as President, intervened or directed Merchant Bank not to recover its debts or vary the terms of debts owed it by Engineers and Planners or any other organisation or individuals indebted to the bank. “Indeed, the government believes that Merchant Bank and all other banks in which the state has an interest must adopt every legitimate means, including legal action, to recover debts owed them by companies and other individuals,” it said.

There seems to be no end to the woes of Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited, even with the intervention of Parliament, as the long arm of the law keeps pursuing the company and its chief executive officer (CEO). This time around, it is not about the importation of unregistered medicines but obstructing public officers from performing their duties. That led to the arrest and detention of the CEO, Mr Samuel Tobin, at the Nima Police Station by operatives of the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) last Monday. But the management of the company has described the latest action as pure harassment, intimidation and the use of inferior tactics by the powers that be.  The latest development comes as the dust appeared to be settling on the whole issue. Although Mr Tobin did not spend the night in police cells, hundreds of workers and sympathisers thronged the Nima Police Station to demand his release, as they considered his detention as harassment by the security agencies. He was released after his lawyers had signed a bond of GH¢1 million and he had been subsequently charged for obstructing public officers from performing their duty. On November 28, this year, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health called for a halt to the media war between Tobinco Pharmaceutical, the Ministry of Health and the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSG), on the one hand, and the Food and Drugs Board (FDA), on the other. But when things were thought to be calming down, Mr Tobin was detained at the EOCO offices from 10 a.m. till about 3 p.m. last Monday, when he was transferred to the Nima Police Station to spend the night. Mr Tobin had gone to the offices to report himself, as his bail bond expected him to report himself at 10 a.m. every Monday pending the conclusion of investigations into the alleged importation and distribution of unregistered and fake anti-malaria drugs from India. According to the spokesperson of the company, Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfuor, as a law-abiding citizen, Mr Tobin had reported himself, as he had been doing since he was granted bail. He said Mr Tobin was then asked to wait, as the Executive Director of EOCO wanted to see him. He alleged that the executive director did not take kindly to allegations that Mr Tobin had  urged his workers to obstruct officials of the office and the FDA from carrying out their lawful duties two weeks ago. FDA directs Tobinco Meanwhile, reports picked by the Daily Graphic indicate that the FDA had asked Tobinco to re-export the unregistered medicines to their countries of origin.  The reports said the re-export must be done by December 10, 2013. Explaining what had happened two weeks ago, Mr Dwumfuor said EOCO and FDA officials visited the premises of Entrance Industries and Research Centre, a subsidiary of Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited, on the Spintex Road to lock up the factory. He said the workers requested for a warrant for the action. According to him, a driver of the company was arrested by EOCO officials for allegedly filming proceedings on the company’s premises. That, he said, raised the adrenalin of the workers, who started agitating that the officials leave the premises, since it was a manufacturing plant yet to start production, and not a warehouse, as the officials claimed. Mr Dwumfuor said Mr Tobin arrived on the premises about 4:30 p.m. to meet the EOCO and FDA officials and asked what they sought on the premises. He said Mr Tobin questioned the officials why they were harassing and intimidating him like that, since EOCO and FDA had locked up two warehouses of Tobinco at Kotobabi and Alajo. Moreover, he said, Mr Tobin explained to the officials that Entrance Industries and Research Centre was a manufacturing plant yet to start the production of pharmaceutical products. He said without uttering a word, the officials left the company premises until last Monday, when Mr Tobin was detained for the events that had happened two weeks earlier. EOCO reacts But a source at EOCO told the Daily Graphic that the organisation did nothing untoward. He said it was the legitimate and constitutional right of EOCO to investigate issues such as the one under contention. According to the source, EOCO would issue a press statement by the close of day today to clarify issues. Background Tobinco applied for an interim injunction at the Accra High Court against the FDA to restrain it from further destroying the products of the company . Although Tobinco claims to have complied with all the laws in relation to the importation of drugs into the country, particularly the Public Health Act 2012, Act 851, there has been counter-claims by the FDA. The company averred that after the registration of a particular drug with the FDA, it started distributing that drug throughout the country and added that it was only when the drug had been certified and registered with the FDA that it went ahead to distribute it. According to the company, in September 2013, the FDA, which detected that some drug had not gone through clinical trials in India, summoned Tobinco and the Indian manufacturer and the manufacturer explained that since the drug had already gone through clinical test, it was thought that there was no need for it to go through further clinical trials. Not satisfied with the explanation, the FDA imposed a GH¢40,000 fine on Tobinco for the importation of an unregistered drug, which was duly settled. Since then, the feud between the two parties has degenerated into a media war, with FDA sticking to its ground that Tobinco has violated some regulations, while Tobinco insists that it has done nothing wrong. Writer’s email: [email protected]

  The Judgement Debt Commission of Inquiry has invited Ambassador Chris Kpodo to appear at its sitting on Wednesday, December 4 over his alleged role in the controversial 2001 sale of a drill ship belonging to the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation. Messrs Albert Kan-Dapaah and Kobina Tahir Hammond, Minister of Energy and Deputy Minister respectively at the time of the sale, have during their appearance at the commission’s siting, claimed the cheque for the balance of the transaction was handed to him. The transaction has been docked by controversy following denials by officials thought to have played specific roles in the sale that they were unaware of how the 24 million dollars raised from the sale to offset a judgement debt obtained by French multinational bank Société Générale, was disbursed. Also appearing before the commission on Wednesday are representatives of the Volta River Authority and one Seth Mensah Dumoga Esq. A statement by the commission said the parties have been invited to assist the Commission in its work. “However, they are also informed that they are at liberty to appear with their lawyers and also the Commission wishes to remind the general public that Public sittings would be held at 10.00 a.m. each day. “Members of the public who wish to testify or volunteer information are first to report at the Commission’s office to give their statements. The Commission will then schedule a date for them to give evidence. “All those who intend to testify or volunteer information to the Commission but are unable to be present in person are requested to submit memoranda to the Commission. All such memoranda will be treated confidentially.”  

  The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has criticised the Information Minister’s response to reports that the Presidency prevented Merchant Bank from retrieving a loan it gave to Engineers and Planners – a mining firmed owned by President John Mahama’s brother, Ibrahim Mahama. While denying Monday that the President prevented Merchant Bank from recovering its debt, the Information Minister, Mr Ayariga told Accra-based Joy FM that he was certain that Engineers and Planners would repay the loan. The remark did not go down well with Mr Pratt, who condemned the Minister for acting as a spokesman for Engineers and Planners. Speaking on Peace FM's morning show on Tuesday, Mr Pratt said the Information Minister's expression of confidence in the ability of Engineers and Planners to repay the loan created the impression that he was a communicator for the mining firm, and not the government.   He said such "petty mistakes" on the part of government communicators contribute to "the muddying of the waters”. Mr Pratt underscored the need for government communicators to distinguish between government business and private business, stressing that failure to do so would drag the government into “unnecessary controversy”. The Insight Editor also emphasised the need for Engineers and Planners to pay its debt to Merchant Bank. He said the debt represented 19.5 per cent of all debts owed the bank and wondered which organisations or individuals were responsible for the remaining 80.5 per cent. Mr Pratt said it is imperative that Merchant Bank retrieves all the monies owed it, if it is to remain viable and that, failure to retrieve those monies could lead to the collapse of the bank – a development he said would be catastrophic for Ghana’s banking sector. The Bank of Ghana (BoG) recently approved a deal for Fortiz Private Equity Fund to pay GH¢90 million for a 90 per cent stake in Merchant Bank. However, the deal is currently the subject of an ongoing court case initiated by Mr Andrew Awuni, the Executive Director of the Centre for Freedom and Accuracy (CFA).  

The Council for Technical and Vocational Education (COTVET) Project Support Unit on Monday signed a 2.5 million dollar agreement with five institutions to undertake demand driven research that would meet the needs of the private sector.   The five grantee institutions, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Council for Industrial Research, Kumasi Polytechnic, University of Ghana and Ghana Technology University College, would each receive 500,000 dollars to undertake research tailored to meet the needs of the private sector. The award was under the Ghana Skills and Technology Development Project (GSTDP) an initiative funded by the World Bank. Speaking at the occasion, Dr Joe Oteng Adjei, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, said the awards of the grant are in line with an objective to promote research that is tailored to the needs of Ghanaians and the private sector. He said the research was necessary to ensure the bridging of the gap between research findings in academic institutions and industry. He urged the institutions to work within the budget, time and yield quality results. Mr. Matthew Dally, the Project Coordinator and head of the COTVET Support Unit, said the component two of the GSTDP under which the grants were being awarded was to ensure the institutional strengthening of science and technology. He said this entailed the strengthening, the planning, the management, and the coordination of national science, technology and Innovation policies and programmes in order to make efficient use of resources and complement the national economic development plan. Mr Dally also pointed out that, the component being implemented by COTVET in partnership with the Ministry of Environment, Science and technology innovation (MESTI), had a special focus in supporting Science and Technology institutions in order for them to emphasize on research that would lead to the development of innovative technologies. “This particular component of the GSTDP is a very good example of Inter-Ministerial collaboration between the Ministry of Education (MOE) and MESTI”, he noted. Mr Dally urged the grantees to document their good practices and lessons learnt in order for it to be disseminated for public consumption and utilisation. He finally commended the government for the initiative and the World Bank for their financial support.

Members of the African Faith Tabernacle could not believe their eyes when a GH¢2.00 note started burning in an offering bowl during church service at the weekend.      The money was given as offertory to God by an unknown church member. Commenting on the issue, Mr Ransford Kofi Benefo, the General Secretary of the church, said a similar scenario occurred last year “but it was a GH¢20.00 note which got burnt.” He said it happened during fundraising time which was led by Chief Pastor Larbi from the Koforidua Kwakyea branch of the Church. Surprisingly, the same Pastor Larbi led this year’s ‘appeal for funds’ when the similar incident occurred. According to Mr Benefo, the Church was yet to find the cause of the issue, adding that, “but in my view I think the money is bad money.” The African Faith Tabernacle held their 94th Annual convention at Anyinam in the Atiwa District, where they inaugurated a seven-unit school block.

The Government Anti-Pirated Textile Task Force yesterday reactivated its work at the 31st December Market in Accra and confiscated 1,035 pieces of pirated textiles. The textiles which were confiscated were made up of both fancy and wax prints and they would be destroyed by the task force to serve as a deterrent to others. The task force took the action following threats by workers in the textile industry to go on demonstration through some principal streets of Accra, to draw public and the government’s attention to the impact of pirated imported textiles on the industry and their jobs. The workers, who had written a letter informing the police about their planned demonstration today, had to call it off because of the assurance by the Minister of Trade and Industry that the task force would be activated. The task force was set up by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to clamp down on the activities of ‘pirates’ and tax evaders of textiles. The task force comprises representatives of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Ghana Revenue Authority, textile manufacturing companies and the police. Public education Speaking to the Daily Graphic after the exercise, Mr John Kwesi Amoah, a member of the task force, recalled that after the inauguration of the task force, the ministry advised that it would be prudent for the task force to educate and advise other players, especially importers and traders, about its activities before moving into action.  He said the task force invited the traders and some importers to a meeting but surprisingly only a few of them attended. After the meeting, Mr Amoah said, the task force was asked to move into action to ensure that pirated textiles were seized and destroyed. Mr Abraham Koomson, the General Secretary of the Federation of Labour, the umbrella body of workers in the textile industry, told the Daily Graphic that the current state of the textile industry was disturbing. Impact on jobs He said hitherto, the industry provided direct employment for about 30,000 workers, but due to the activities of the ‘pirates’ the labour force had been reduced to only 3000. He described as welcome news, the move by the task force and explained that Ghana could not develop by encouraging the imports of illegally copied and substandard goods. “Those financing, as well as supporting such illegal trade in any form, are providing employment for others in those countries,” he contended. In August, this year, the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI) in collaboration with the Task Force on Pirated Textiles destroyed a total of 450 pieces of seized Ghanaian pirated textiles.

  At least 2,200 policemen are to be deployed by the Police Administration to beef up security in 11 police regions before, during and after the Christmas and New Year festivities. The police are also to organise confidence-building patrols in the form of route marches through some principal streets in all the regional capitals to assure the public of their readiness to fight crime and offer the needed security. The Director General in charge of Police Operations, Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr John Kudalor, made this known when he launched the fifth edition of “Operation Father Christmas” in Accra yesterday. He said the Police Administration was committed to ensuring that Ghanaians celebrated the Yuletide in peace. In attendance were the Director General of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Mr Prosper Agblor; the Director General, Public Affairs Department, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Nenyi Ampa Benin, and the Director General of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr  Angwubutoge Awuni. The period before and during the Christmas and New Year celebrations is usually characterised by increased economic activities and heavy vehicular traffic. Such a  situation offers fertile grounds for criminals to operate and, therefore, poses a challenge to the security agencies. Aim of the operation Mr Kudalor said the aim of the operation was to assure the public that the police were poised and ready to provide the needed security in order to create the enabling environment for the celebration of the Christmas and the New Year. “It is, therefore, the ultimate responsibility of the police to make sure that the Yuletide is celebrated devoid of crime and any untoward occurrence before, during and after the celebrations by protecting lives and property, ensuring the free flow of vehicular and human traffic and arresting and prosecuting persons who will take advantage of the occasions to commit crime,” he said. The Director of Operations said the police would expand and intensify their visibility and accessibility patrol duties to all major towns throughout the country. Additionally, special jackets with individual police identification numbers embossed on them for easy identification would also be worn by the personnel, especially those of the MTTD and the Highway Patrol Unit.  

  The External Resource Mobilisation Officer of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr Kojo Awuah Peasah, yesterday presented to the Judgment Debt Commission in Accra copies of documents on payments made to some communities that were inundated by floods during the construction of the Akosombo Dam on the Volta Lake in the 1960s. He represented the Chief Director of the ministry, who had been subpoenaed earlier by the commission, to submit documents on the basis of compensation payments of about GH¢1,237,721 made to community members displaced by the floods which resulted from the construction of Ghana’s first hydro-electric dam. The specific documents requested by the commission were the fair valuation assessment reports from the Land Valuation Board (LVB) that constituted the basis for the payments. Mr Peasah, who was accompanied by Mr David Agbele, Legal Counsel at the Finance Ministry, however, told the commission, presided over by the Sole Commissioner, Mr Justice Yaw Apau, that those documents were not readily available and that attempts were being made to locate them. Documents presented Mr Peasah, however, tendered in documents, including a letter from the LVB written in 2004 and addressed to the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, which in turn wrote to the Finance Ministry asking that the amount requested be paid to the flood victims and a list of the claimants. Explaining why the Finance ministry did not find it very important at the time to request documentation on the assessment done before payment was made, Mr Peasah said, “Once the claim was not in contention and once payment was going to be done through the LVB, we rather wrote to the Cabinet for directives, upon which the payments were made.”   According to the documents presented, communities that received payments included Pai, Makango, Krachi and Apaaso, all in the catchment area of the Volta Lake. Justice Apau said some of the payments had, in some cases, generated litigation among the recipients, with some claiming that those who had received the money were not those who should have received it. “There are some cases even in court over those who were paid some of the money,” he stated, and asked if the Ministry of Finance was aware of that. Lands Commission appears today The LVB, now the Lands Commission, which is scheduled to appear before the commission today, is expected to present the required documents. A second case involving the Registrar-General in the matter of Kojo Abban and Co., Chartered Surveyors, and Kojo Abban Enterprise, was adjourned to December 11 because representatives were not present. Writer’s email: [email protected]