Gov't will sanction errant mobile phone companies

The Vice President, John Dramani Mahama, has criticized shoddy services some mobile telephony companies are foisting on their customers and warned that if the errant companies do not improve their services, government would be compelled to sanction them.Expressing the concerns of the larger population, he observed that Ghanaians are particular about the quality of the communications services and the extent of indifference on the part of service providers is particularly worrying."There is no passing day without complaints being raised on the quality of service. Some of the services are atrocious and abysmal, and government will not hesitate to impose the severest sanctions to any service provider which disregards our regulations," he warned.The Veep was delivering the keynote address at the four-day International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Forum on the "Implementation of Decisions of World Telecommunications Standardization Assembly-08(WTSA-08)" and the ITU Study Group 12 Africa Region Workshop which ends today.Participants consisting of policy makers, regulators, telecom operators mainly from Africa in the ITU industry are reviewing the African experience in the WTSA-08 and considering the activities put in place to implement resolutions adopted in Johannesburg last year that are of interest to Africa.Mr. Mahama recognized the importance of communicating freely as it is a pre-requisite for a more equitable, prosperous and peaceful world. To this end, he urged developing countries to be concerned with the so-called Digital Divide which has the tendency to further push developing countries to the margins of global development."With the advances in technology and in this era of convergence, where traditional telephone services, mobile networks, Television and radio broadcasting now carrying new kinds of services, the ITU should provide assurance that its standards will work anywhere in the world and that equipment will integrate effortlessly with installed systems," he anticipated.He recalled the reforms that have taken place in the ITU sector in Ghana from the mid-1990s leading to liberalization, and Government Communication policy initiated in 1998 to address rural access, media and broadcasting, and also the application of technology for the education and health sectors.The Vice President reiterated Government's commitment to making ICT the key to the future of Ghana despite the economic challenges confronting the country. "In the face of economic problems, Government is continuing with the provision of broadband infrastructure in all the administrative districts of the country. While this will facilitate the implementation of our policy e-Government programme, it will help reduce the cost of bandwidth and also the cost of doing business in Ghana". The Minister of Communications, Hon Haruna Iddrisu, was of the view that in this Information and Technology Age, it was necessary for everyone to be abreast with current developments, irrespective of where one resides so that none is left out in the quest for socio-economic development.He said government is particularly unhappy about the indiscriminate sitting of communications towers. "Indeed, it is unsightly and poses environmental challenges and the National Communications Authority (NCA) should do best to enforce regulations on co-location". On the war on cyber crime, Hon. revealed that the ITU would be sending a technical team within the next two months to help the country address the rising incidence of cyber threats.Reviewing the WTSA-08 meeting in South Africa, the Director of Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB) of the ITU, Mr. Malcom Johnson, disclosed that the meeting adopted a resolution on ICTs and climate change, accessibility to ICTs for persons with disabilities, and encouraging academic participation and sector member countries.He said the meeting advocated that ITU should continue on its mission to connect the world and bridged the standardization gap, by increasing developing countries participation in the ITU's work. He said Africa is now represented by eight leadership positions compared to just four previously and this "sends a very positive message to the rest of the world."

CPP MAY SUE GOV'T OVER SEIZED ASSETS

A CPP veteran and minister in Dr. Nkrumah's regime, Mr Kwame Sanaa-Poku Jantuah has disclosed that the party might consider going to court to compel the NDC government to release its assets confiscated after the 1966 coup.Some of the assets confiscated include, the CPP's former national headquarters, which currently houses the Ministry of Information, and the party's offices in Sunyani and Kumasi also housing the Ghana Police Service and the Ministry of Education respectively.Although the National Reconciliation Commission (NRC) recommended the deconfiscation of these assets and their return to the CPP, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, which set up the NRC failed to execute the action until it left office on January 7, 2009."If our request fails the party could take a writ to court to secure the release of our properties like we did with the use of the name Convention People's Party (CPP). Remember that the court is the final arbiter and that will be the last resort", he told Public Agenda after a news conference to mark the party's 60th anniversary. "We can prove that it was the CPP that built those structures and not the government; it was the deductions made from party members that were used to build all the structures."Commenting on some political ideologies, Mr. Jantuah, who held various positions in the CPP government, including Minister of Agriculture, Ambassador to Brazil and National Leader of the CPP Youth League, distinguished the CPP from the NDC, explaining that while CPP is socialist while the NDC claims to be social democrat "You cannot have socialism without democracy, hence to combine the two terms amounts to tautology".He lamented the occasional denigration of the philosophy, "property owning democracy" explaining that an essential element of socialism is to ensure that the masses own property, thus he finds no flaw in the concept.In a separate interview, a former MP for Evalue Gwira, Mr. Kojo Armah, said the only way to convince ex-CPP members to return to the fold in this era of freedom of association is for the "party to make itself attractive". He pointed out that politics is about winning power and it is only natural that "people want to associate themselves with the winning side"."We must begin to find answers to questions such as why our campaign collapsed in the run up to the 2008 elections. Either our message was not properly crafted or the leadership did not make the party attractive or there is something wrong which we have not find out." He hinted that the party would be organizing family dialogues to diagnose the past and to confront the future. He reasoned that because of the various divisions with their attendant formation of parties like PNC, NIP, PHP, PCP, CP, and GCPP at one time or the other, "everybody has a position or perception and all these have to be resolved."He said, "for instance, the problem of the PNC is where to place Dr. Hilla Limann in the scheme of an all inclusive united Nkrumaist party. I personally believe that we have to still do with the Nkrumaist tradition and personalities like Dr. Limann would be one of prominent leaders."Addressing the news conference, the CPP Chairman, Mr. Ladi Nylander, called on all party members to act with "a heightened sense of unity and common purpose" to redefine the party and commit themselves to the principles of social justice, self determination and Pan-Africanism; the three pillars which underscore all that the party stands for."We must re-consider the plight of the poor, the workers, the disadvantaged and the youth. We must have to reconnect with our traditional base support. But we must act with discipline and behave as comrades dedicated only to the improvement of the livelihood of the people of Ghana," he exhorted his fellow comrades.Mr. Nylander said it is only the CPP which has a credible programme to "bring the economy back home". He added that if it had won the 2008 elections, the party would have implemented a fast track programme which would have addressed the challenges buffeting the economy. He paid glowing tribute to Dr. Nkrumah and other stalwarts like Kojo Botsio, K.A. Gbedemah, Krobo Edusei. Archie Casely-Hayford, Kofi Baako who made great sacrifices to establish and build the party. Mr. Nylander also eulogized the pivotal role played by Imoru Egala, Krobo Edusei, Nana Okutwer Bekoe and others during the years in opposition.Present at the function were other leading party members such as Dr Abu Sakara, Mr. Mike Eghan, and Hajia Hamdatu Ibrahim-Haruna

COBWEBS IN GHANA@50 AUDIT REPORT

...Parliament, Finance Ministry blamed for mess

The audited accounts of Ghana@50 Secretariat has recommended that Parliament, the Ministry of Finance and the National Planning Committee should be jointly and severally responsible for the financial mess the Secretariat committed during and after the celebrations.The report, which was laid before Parliament last Thursday, specifically faults Parliament for failing to act on the fact that neither the Ministry of Finance nor the Secretariat presented budget estimates in accordance with Constitutional provisions on financial matters and approved amounts of $20 million and $11.8 million for the Secretariat.The result of this act of omission by Parliament was that the Secretariat was left with no option than to spend the amount allotted in accordance with the exigency of the Ghana Golden Jubilee programme.The report for the period, May 2006-December 2008, is a documentation of gross financial irregularities and non-adherence of the Financial Administration Regulation. "Parliament's non-compliance with the Constitution also made it impossible for me to establish the officer in control of and accountable for the use of the funds and whether the funds that were approved used only in accordance with the purpose described as provided in section 14 of the Financial Administration Act, 2003(Act 645) " said the Auditor-General, Mr. Edward Dua Agyeman, who signed the report.Besides, the report said the omissions by Parliament and the Finance Ministry also led to the "Secretariat's financial indiscipline by contracting loans, bank overdrafts, as well as granting facilities to other public institutions contrary to the provisions of the 1992 Constitution.""Finally, Parliament, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, National Planning Committee of Ghana@50 Secretariat should share any improprieties in the decision reached by the Secretariat in the disbursement of any funds in the handling of programmes and projects of the Ghana Golden Jubilee celebration," the Report sums up on this damning note.The Report which has since been referred to the Public Accounts Committee for consideration, disclosed that the National Planning Committee incurred a total expenditure of GHc71.70 million against approved allocation of GHc29.31 million to implement programmes and activities towards the celebration of Ghana's Golden Jubilee and the African Union Conference held in 2007. "This amount exceeded the sum of GHc29.31 allocated by Parliament to the Secretariat by 144.62 percent," it added.Mr. Agyeman therefore recommended that Parliament should amend section 12 of the Loans Act, 1970 (Act 335) to prescribe sanctions against a Minister of Finance who will fail to adhere to the provision which demands that "The Minister ( of Finance) is responsible for laying before Parliament for its approval the terms and conditions of a loan or guarantee, the terms and conditions of which are required by the Constitution and by this Act to be laid before, and approved by, a resolution of Parliament".The Ghana@50 Secretariat was established in May 2006 by the National Planning Committee, a Cabinet Sub-Committee, to formulate programmes and activities towards the celebration of Ghana's Golden Jubilee and Africa Union Conference held in 2007. The NPC, which was chaired by Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, the then Chief of Staff, served as the policy decision body with the secretariat as the implementing body. Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby was the Chief Executive of the Secretariat.

BNI MUST GROW UP ...

A Constitutional and Human Rights lawyer, Mr. Akoto Ampaw, has urged the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to grow above what he describes as outmoded methods of interrogating people. He said under normal circumstances, allegations of financial impropriety ought to be treated as regular case and be handled by the Police, rather than the BNI. "The moment such financial matters are dealt with by the BNI, it gives the impression that there is more to it."Commenting on the interrogation of Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, ex-Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff by the BNI last Tuesday in an exclusive interview with Public Agenda, Mr. Ampaw argued that it was pointless for the BNI to have kept Mr. Mpiani up to 10:00p.m if they knew they would continue the interrogation the next day. "For four to five months since the NPP left office, the ex-Chief of Staff has not indicated in any way that he would be running away from this country and therefore if the interrogation was not complete by the close of day, the BNI could have asked him to go home and come the next day. But to have kept him that late gave cause for people to suspect that the BNI is up to something." In Mr. Ampaw's view, the keeping of a suspect for "not more than 48 hours" which is usually used by the security agencies as defence is not a legitimate response, since the 48 hours rule comes into play when in extreme cases interrogation cannot be completed. He added that although Mr. Mpiani has not been charged with any offence, he had the right to legal representation since he was asked to come and clarify certain things.Meanwhile the NPP has described the incommunicado detention of Mr. Mpiani as an affront to the rule of law and a flagrant violation of the provisions of the fundamental human rights and freedoms under the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution.The party says this modus operandi by the BNI under the rule of the National Democratic Congress "amounts to nothing less than constricting the frontiers of democracy" and smacks of revolutionary days of fire and brimstone. They have accordingly served notice that they would not countenance such illegal acts and "from now onwards shall resist them by whatever legal means and tools available to us."Responding to questions at a news conference by the Minority in Parliament on Wednesday, Hon. Ambrose Dery, Deputy Minority Leader, pointed out that the Constitution provides in explicit terms that a person arrested or detained shall have the right to legal representation and therefore the BNI exclusion of Mr. Mpiani's lawyers when their client was being interrogated was unconstitutional."The fight is to ensure that no Ghanaian is subjected to such treatment. And if the former Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs could be subjected to such treatment then God have mercy on the individual Ghanaian." said Hon. Dery.Article 14(1) of the 1992 Constitution says that "Every person shall be entitled to his personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of his personal liberty except for example as provided for in 14(1) (g)" Upon the reasonable suspicion of his having committed or being about to commit a criminal offence under the laws of Ghana. However, Article 14(2) adds that, "A person who is arrested, restricted or detained shall be informed immediately; in a language that he understands, of the reasons for his arrest, restriction or detention and of his right to a lawyer of his choice."Hon. Prof. Mike Oquaye, Second Deputy Speaker, underscored the fact that the issue of incommunicado was very disturbing, especially against the background of recent memory when people in the custody of BNI got lost. The situation was worrying, more so when the NDC propaganda was deceiving Ghanaians that Mr. Mpiani had access to his lawyers.Addressing the press conference earlier, the Minority Leader, Hon Osei Kyei-Mesah-Bonsu, related that about 11am on June 2, the ex-Chief of Staff responded to an invitation by the BNI via telephone. The Chief of Staff, he reasoned, was not obliged to honour the invitation because anyone could have impersonated the voice; "but he went out of deference to legally constituted authority".According to him, by 6:00 pm when he had not been released and continued to be held incommunicado, the leadership of the NPP went to the BNI to inquire about the reason and circumstances of his continued detention. "No official of the BNI would respond to the entreaties of the spouse of Mr. Mpiani and the leadership of the NPP who made honest enquiries. Basic courtesies required that at least the spouse and some members in leadership of the party be informed about the reasons for the detention of Kwadwo Mpiani".He recalls that Mr.Mpiani has on many occasions been threatened with investigations relating to purported criminal conduct, but says he is not in the way perturbed as Mr. Mpiani himself had on many occasions publicly stated his readiness to co-operate with the Police, whenever he is needed to assist in investigations. "In the circumstance, one may want to know what the role of the BNI is in alleged criminal investigations. And for a person who has consistently stated his preparedness to submit himself to investigations, why detain him upon a telephone invitation?"Hon. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu argues that the behaviour of NDC casts doubts on their campaign promise of "a better Ghana to all Ghanaians" which Ghanaians thought included good governance pivoted on the rule of law and resort to due process. MUST GROW UP ...Human Rights lawyer advisesA Constitutional and Human Rights lawyer, Mr. Akoto Ampaw, has urged the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to grow above what he describes as outmoded methods of interrogating people. He said under normal circumstances, allegations of financial impropriety ought to be treated as regular case and be handled by the Police, rather than the BNI. "The moment such financial matters are dealt with by the BNI, it gives the impression that there is more to it."Commenting on the interrogation of Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, ex-Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff by the BNI last Tuesday in an exclusive interview with Public Agenda, Mr. Ampaw argued that it was pointless for the BNI to have kept Mr. Mpiani up to 10:00p.m if they knew they would continue the interrogation the next day. "For four to five months since the NPP left office, the ex-Chief of Staff has not indicated in any way that he would be running away from this country and therefore if the interrogation was not complete by the close of day, the BNI could have asked him to go home and come the next day. But to have kept him that late gave cause for people to suspect that the BNI is up to something." In Mr. Ampaw's view, the keeping of a suspect for "not more than 48 hours" which is usually used by the security agencies as defence is not a legitimate response, since the 48 hours rule comes into play when in extreme cases interrogation cannot be completed. He added that although Mr. Mpiani has not been charged with any offence, he had the right to legal representation since he was asked to come and clarify certain things.Meanwhile the NPP has described the incommunicado detention of Mr. Mpiani as an affront to the rule of law and a flagrant violation of the provisions of the fundamental human rights and freedoms under the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution.The party says this modus operandi by the BNI under the rule of the National Democratic Congress "amounts to nothing less than constricting the frontiers of democracy" and smacks of revolutionary days of fire and brimstone. They have accordingly served notice that they would not countenance such illegal acts and "from now onwards shall resist them by whatever legal means and tools available to us."Responding to questions at a news conference by the Minority in Parliament on Wednesday, Hon. Ambrose Dery, Deputy Minority Leader, pointed out that the Constitution provides in explicit terms that a person arrested or detained shall have the right to legal representation and therefore the BNI exclusion of Mr. Mpiani's lawyers when their client was being interrogated was unconstitutional."The fight is to ensure that no Ghanaian is subjected to such treatment. And if the former Chief of Staff and Minister for Presidential Affairs could be subjected to such treatment then God have mercy on the individual Ghanaian." said Hon. Dery.Article 14(1) of the 1992 Constitution says that "Every person shall be entitled to his personal liberty and no person shall be deprived of his personal liberty except for example as provided for in 14(1) (g)" Upon the reasonable suspicion of his having committed or being about to commit a criminal offence under the laws of Ghana. However, Article 14(2) adds that, "A person who is arrested, restricted or detained shall be informed immediately; in a language that he understands, of the reasons for his arrest, restriction or detention and of his right to a lawyer of his choice."Hon. Prof. Mike Oquaye, Second Deputy Speaker, underscored the fact that the issue of incommunicado was very disturbing, especially against the background of recent memory when people in the custody of BNI got lost. The situation was worrying, more so when the NDC propaganda was deceiving Ghanaians that Mr. Mpiani had access to his lawyers.Addressing the press conference earlier, the Minority Leader, Hon Osei Kyei-Mesah-Bonsu, related that about 11am on June 2, the ex-Chief of Staff responded to an invitation by the BNI via telephone. The Chief of Staff, he reasoned, was not obliged to honour the invitation because anyone could have impersonated the voice; "but he went out of deference to legally constituted authority".According to him, by 6:00 pm when he had not been released and continued to be held incommunicado, the leadership of the NPP went to the BNI to inquire about the reason and circumstances of his continued detention. "No official of the BNI would respond to the entreaties of the spouse of Mr. Mpiani and the leadership of the NPP who made honest enquiries. Basic courtesies required that at least the spouse and some members in leadership of the party be informed about the reasons for the detention of Kwadwo Mpiani".He recalls that Mr.Mpiani has on many occasions been threatened with investigations relating to purported criminal conduct, but says he is not in the way perturbed as Mr. Mpiani himself had on many occasions publicly stated his readiness to co-operate with the Police, whenever he is needed to assist in investigations. "In the circumstance, one may want to know what the role of the BNI is in alleged criminal investigations. And for a person who has consistently stated his preparedness to submit himself to investigations, why detain him upon a telephone invitation?"Hon. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu argues that the behaviour of NDC casts doubts on their campaign promise of "a better Ghana to all Ghanaians" which Ghanaians thought included good governance pivoted on the rule of law and resort to due process.