RADIO GHANA NATIONAL NEWS BULLETIN. DATE: 27-06-14 TIME:1800 HRS DAY: THURSDAY EDITOR: PKP THE TIME IS: SIX O'CLOCK THIS IS RADIO GHANA. THE NEWS PRESENTED BY...............AND ................... IN THE HEADLINES: 1. President Mahama hints of committee to investigate Black Stars painful exit from on going FIFA World Cup in Brazil. <><><><> 2. Ghana Bar Association criticizes recent government decision to airlift three million dollars cash for Black Star players in Brazil. TEASER: DUR ( ) CUE IN: CUE OUT: <><><><> 3. Drivers continue to grapple with acute fuel shortage across country TEASER: DUR ( ) CUE IN: CUE OUT: <><><><> 4. Snap NPA and police checks confirms suspected hoarding of fuel by some filling stations. TEASER: DUR ( ) CUE IN: CUE OUT: <><><><> 5. Christian Health Association gives 2nd July ultimatum against acceptance of National Health insurance cards. <><><><> 6. Aspiring NPP regional council members to pay two thousand cedis filling fee for this weekend's elections. <><><><> 7. Government poised to flush out foreigners in petty trading business after GUTA strike. <><><><> 8. AND: WHO up in arms against spread of Ebola virus in West Africa. NEWS COMMENTARY: looks at the implications of GUTA 's four day business lock-out. First the Summary with............................. T=(JINGLE - 6 MINUTES OPT OUT) Send your comments to us via text on .054 74 20 222 the number again 054 74 20 222 or by e-mail on radioghananews@gbcghana.com. Stories in this and other bulletins can be accessed via our website gbcghana.com. GBC END PKP/JQA/1720\ 27-06-14 JM BLACK STARS ANN: President John Mahama has hinted that there will be the need to set up a committee to investigate the circumstances that led to the painful exit of the Black Stars at the group stage of the World Cup in Brazil. Ghana for the first time failed to progress beyond the first round in a World Cup, having impressed on two previous occasions in Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010. Addressing the media in Malabo, equatorial, Guinea, where he was attending an AU summit, President Mahama said there is the need to investigate what happened right from preparation, through the build up to the World Cup to when they went to Brazil and what happened in Brazil till they came back. The President however expressed confidence in the team, urging the nation to take heart and continue to support the team even in their loss. According to him, the stars can make it in the future. This he said, they demonstrated by playing what is considered the most exciting match in the World Cup against Germany. jqa* SE 27/06/14 ADD JM STARS ANN: Meanwhile, the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Junior has described as absolutely necessary, the call by the President of a committee to investigate the performance of the Black Stars. In his opinion, the players exhibited a great deal of indiscipline and lack of patriotism. According to him, the team played for money instead of national pride. Mr. Pratt spoke to Bubu Klinogo. LIB FILE: ADD JM STARS DUR: ( ) CUE IN: CUE OUT: ANN: Managing Editor of Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt talking to Bubu Klinogo. *tef* 27-06-14 GBA ON 3 MILLION The Ghana Bar Association has criticized government’s decision to airlift three million dollar cash to the Black Stars players in Brazil. Government airlifted the money to pay the appearance fee of the Black Stars players after the team threatened a boycott of yesterday’s match which they eventually lost to Portugal, hence their elimination from the tournament. A statement signed by the GBA President, Nene Amegatcher noted that “government’s decision to bow to the pressure from the Black Stars players does not only break the law but also sets a bad precedent for the citizenry. According to the statement, government must be seen to be leading the line in playing by the rules set by law and institutions of state and not assist a group of people to break the law. REL END GKC/ SE 27/06/14 FINAL STAGES ANN; Bulk Oil and government are almost in the final stages of negotiation to bring to an end it's strike. Bulk Oil has refused to distribute fuel to filling stations until government pays it`s debt. The Chief Executive of the Chamber of the Bulk Oil Distribution Companies, Senyo Hosi who did not give any assurances of calling off the strike is hopeful that with the level of work done, the strike can be called off. LIB. FILE: FINAL STAGES DUR:( ) CUE IN:..... CUE OUT:.... ANN: You heard Senyo Hosi, chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distribution Companies DB* 27-06-2014 PARLIAMENTARIANS UNHAPPY Members of Parliament have expressed their displeasure over a directive contained in a letter written from the Chief of Protocol of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Speaker that excluded them from receiving protocol services at the Ghana High Commission in the United Kingdom.The offer of protocol services was restricted to the President and the First Lady, the Vice President and Spouse, former Presidents and spouses, Ministers of State and the Leadership of Parliament among others but did not include ordinary Members of Parliament. The members were at a loss as to why they were exempted from such protocol services when they form one of the basic arms of government. The Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Foreign Affairs Emmanuel Kwasi Bandua, expressed displeasure about the lack of respect and necessary courtesies, not only from other quarters, but also from some colleagues who are Ministers. Citing the principle of Separation of Powers, Mr Bandua underlined the need to accord the necessary respects and courtesies to all the three Arms of Government. Second Deputy Speaker, Joe Ghartey who presided over proceedings, invited the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the House for an explanation. GNA / AC END SE GNA 27-06-14 SADA ENCOUNTER MEDIA ANN: The Savanna Accelerated Development Authority SADA is poised to launch a 120 million dollar solar energy project dubbed "Solar GiGa energy". The 40 megawatt electricity plant financed by Germany and the Republic of China, will generate five hundred additional jobs for the people in the SADA catchment area. The Chief Executive Officer of SADA, Charles Abugre made this known at a media encounter in Accra. He said the project which will take off in September will also provide technical competence to interested persons in that field. A report by Yvonne Atilego and Freda Amofa. LIB FILE: SADA MEDIA ENCOUNTER DUR(1:53) CUE IN;Mr Abugre................... CUE OUT;.....................foward. ANN; That report was filed by Yvonne Atilego and Freda Amofa. 27-06-14 ADD SADA MEDIA ENCOUNTER ANN: Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of SADA has asked Ghanaians not to see SADA as an ethnic programme but one that is in the interest of Ghanaians. He said SADA has had some failures because of the ethnic attachment and the rush to see its work through at all cost, though some did not have a good foundation to take off. LIB FILE: ADD SADA MEDIA ENCOUNTER ONE DUR:(1:8) CUE IN:It is ......... CUE OUT:.................properly. ANN: Mr . Abugre outlined how SADA will be run under his leadership. LIB FILE: ADD SADA MEDIA ENCOUNTER TWO DUR:(1:9) CUE IN: Actively.............. CUE OUT:.................way. ANN: Mr. Charles Abugre is the CEO of SADA. 26/06/14 EPA IS 40 ANN: The Board Chairman of the Environmental Protection Agency, Vincent Nartey, has again urged Ghanaians to be mindful of how they dispose off refuse and change their attitudes towards the environment. This he believes is the best antidote against perennial flooding after a downpour. Nana Ama Omari and Esther Amofa have filed this report. LIB FILE: EPA IS 40 DUR: (1:59 ) CUE IN: Increased populations....... CUE OUT:.......the economy ANN: That was a report by Nana Ama Omari and Esther Amofa. *lin/1413 27-06-14 NPP ELECTIONS The National Executive Committee of the NPP has directed the party’s leadership in the Regions to organize Regional elections for members who wish to represent their Regions on the party’s National Council. The elections are supposed to be held this weekend after a party member challenged the current constitution of the Council. The party’s constitution requires the National Council which is the second highest decision making body of the party to be re-constituted after every four years. A statement issued by the party’s General Secretary, Kwabena Agyapong said all aspirants are to pay two thousand Ghana cedis as filing and nomination fees. It further advised party members to ensure that the elections are held in strict conformity with the provisions of the Party’s Constitution. It indicated that the elections should be representative of the demography of the region as to reflect the diversity and national character of the party. GBC/GKC END GKC/SE 27-06-14 AYIKOI NPP ANN: The Chairman of the constitutional committee of the NPP, Ayikoi Otoo says, the decision by the party to organise elections to choose regional representatives to the party's National Council will make the legal suit brought against it to die a natural death. He also insisted that all previous decision taken by the Council in respect of the time table for the election of a flagbearer are still valid. He spoke to Bubu Klinogo. LIB. FILE: AYIKOI NPP DUR ( ) CUE IN: CUE OUT: ANN: Chairman of NPP's constitutional committee, Ayikoi Otoo talking to Bubu Klinogo. jqa* 27-06-14 TASKFORCE REACTIVATED ANN: Government will soon set up a 13 member taskforce to flush out foreigners engaged in petty trading. Government has also amended the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre Act to make it illegal for any Ghanaian to rent or lease out a store for any foreigner to engage in petty trading. The Minister of Trade and Industry, Haruna Iddrisu announced this when he met the national executives and some members of GUTA in Accra. He said government is determined to enforce the law to weed out the foreigners in the retail sector. LIB FILE:TASKFORCE REACTIVATED DUR (1:28) CUE IN: We will reactivate................ CUE OUT:..........will enforce it. ANN: Responding to some issues hampering activities of the traders, Mr. Iddrisu announced that from January next year, the country's ports and harbours will work 24 hours. Dollar index duty charges and other illegal charges will also be reviewed. LIB FILE:TASKFORCE REACTIVATED DUR (1:30) CUE IN: We will improve................... CUE OUT:......................will be addressed. ANN: Minister of Trade and Industry, Haruna Iddrisu. MP/0435 FA 27/06/14 DEHIA UNDER TREES ANN: With the onset of the rains, one wonders what is the plight of schools under trees. For pupils of Dehia English and Arabic school in Cape Coast, "Classrooms under trees" are a familiar scenario since 1986 when the school was established. The irony is that there is an abandoned GetFund Classroom Project which could have served as an antidote to the problem there. Rebecca Ekpe visited the school and reports that holding classes under tress has become a disincentive to teachers posted to the Dehia English and Arabic School. LIB FILE: DEHIA UNDER TREES DUR: (1:51) CUE IN: I'm here....... CUE OUT:........ New Classrooms ANN: Rebecca Ekpe filed that report from Cape Coast. *lin/1218 27-06-14 MAHAMA MEETS KEITA ANN: ECOWAS Chair, President John Mahama, has on the sidelines of the African Union Summit in Malabo,Equitorial Guinea met with the President of Mali Ibrahim Boubakar Keita. He said ECOWAS stands in solidarity with Mali,which has been fraught with political crisis, leaving many dead. President Mahama said the current security situation is being monitored and he is confident the people of Mali will maintain the current Peace and Stability. He announced that another ECOWAS meeting will be convened in Accra from the 10th to 11th of next month and Mali will be high on the Agenda. Last month, President Mahama as ECOWAS chair called an emergency meeting in Accra to discuss escalating terrorists attacks in Northern Nigeria, Guinea Bissau and Mali. PLAY LIB: MAHAMA MEETS KEITA CUE IN:ECOWAS and Ghana..... CUE OUT:...... ANN: ECOWAS Chair President John Mahama interacting with Malian President Ibrahim Boubabar Keita on the sidelines of the AU Summit in Malabo,Equitorial Guinea PAA END TA 27-06-14 EBOLA MEETING IN ACCRA In an effort to curb further spread of the Ebola virus in the shortest possible time, the World Health Organization is convening a special meeting of Ministers of Health of eleven countries and partners involved in the Ebola outbreak response in Accra, from next month July 2 to 3, to discuss the best way of tackling the crisis collectively as well as develop a comprehensive inter country operational response plan. According to the WHO, the emergence of the Ebola virus disease in West Africa threatens regional and global public health security. WHO has so far provided technical assistance through the deployment of more than 150 multi disciplinary team of experts involved in a range of outbreak response activities such as surveillance, communication and social mobilization, infection control, logistics and data management. Despite this, there has been significant increase in the number of daily reported cases and deaths of Ebola as well as newly affected districts over the last three weeks. As of Monday,the 23rd of this month, the cumulative number of cases reported was 635 out of which 399 died. This makes the on-going Ebola outbreak, the largest in terms of number of cases and deaths as well as geographical spread. Rel/NA END RMG/1230 27/06/14 AMISSAH-ARTHUR BURIED Jabesh Richmond Amissah-Arthur, the Father of the Vice-President was today/yesterday laid to rest at the Methodist Church Cemetery in Cape Coast . He was ninety-one. The late Mr. Amissah-Arthur was the founding headmaster of Oda Senior High School and served the school for seventeen years. The First Lady Mrs Lordina Mahama , Chief Justice ,Georgina Wood, the Chief of Staff, Prosper Bani, present and past Ministers, the leadership of Parliament and MPs, the Clergy, traditional authorities, political parties and a cross section of the public attended the burial service at the Wesley Methodist Church in Cape Coast. In a tribute, his widow Mrs Effie Amissah-Arthur recounted their years together since 1946 and stayed together for almost sixty-seven years. She said her late husband was her tower of strength. In the sermon, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Ghana , Most Reverend Professor Emmanuel Asante entreated people to celebrate hope against hopelessness and love over hatred. END DB/1325 27/06/14 BIMBILLA 21 ANN: More people have been arrested in connection with the murder of one of the claimants to the Bimbila skin, Naa Andani Dasaana. According to the police, so far, the number of those arrested stand at 21. DSP Cephas Arthur is the Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service. LIB FILE: BIMBILLA 21 DUR: ( ) CUE IN: CUE OUT: ANN: DSP Cephas Arthur is the Director of the Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service. *tef* 27-06-14 US LANDMINES The United States says it will no longer produce or buy any anti-personnel landmines. In a statement, it said it will not seek to replace expiring stockpiles of the weapons. The announcement came at a conference in Mozambique on the Ottawa Convention, a UN treaty banning landmines. The White House says it is moving towards signing the pact. But critics accuse the US of not going far enough. They say it should ban landmine use immediately, commit to a target date for joining the UN treaty and destroy its existing stocks. Several other world powers, including Russia and China, have also not signed the convention. BBC/DL END GKC/SE 27-06-16 COMMENTARY ON THE RESUMPTION OF WORK BY GUTA MEMBERS. BY JUSTICE MINGLE, A JOURNALIST The decision by members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association, GUTA, to re-open their shops for trading is most refreshing. GUTA members decided to resume work after three day of closure, following the intervention of the sector minister, Haruna Idrissu, who promised government will do well to resolve their grievances. It is instructive to note that before the Executives of GUTA gave the green lights for members to resume work, some of the traders had on their own volition opened their shops in defiance to the directive. Analysts have argued that the order by GUTA for members to close their shops is more political than anything else. GUTA is said to have ordered its members in 2007 to reduce prices in solidarity with the then President Kufuor's regime upon assumption of office. However GUTA insists the lock out is in protest against policies of the present regime which are telling hard on their businesses. Principal among these are government's inability to check foreigners who have taken over the retail business which they shouldn't do, as well as the depreciating value of the cedi. The Ghana Investment Promotion Centre law prohibits foreigners from engaging in retail trade. It is true, lock outs are acceptable tools to seek redress to grievances, but it is unfortunate GUTA has had cause to take to this high handed position given steps taken by government to address the issue. We are aware the Nigerian government especially had to send a delegation to meet the then Minister of Trade and Industry, Hannah Tetteh to tread cautiously when she started to check foreigners , especially Nigerian and Chinese nationals who were in the retail trade, in view of ECOWAS protocols. Government has also had cause to deport some Chinese nationals for illegally engaging in the retail business. If things are still not going on well, we expect GUTA to dialogue with government instead of taking the extreme position of ordering the closure of shops. As things stand now, it is the people and the traders themselves who are suffering. Imagine going for a loan which you have to pay within a specific period, then this lock -out order is given. A local proverb says the goat thought it was distempering its owner's building not knowing it is its skin that would be eventually be affected. It is unfortunate some traders had to be coerced to close their shops. Whatever be the case, traders must be guided by their conscience in taking such decisions in future. Some of their leaders have big interest in Companies and would not be affected should shops close for a month. It is about time, Ghanaians adopted a positive attitude to issues of retail trade. They must avoid fronting for foreigners in the sector. We need to have industries that produce some of the things we import. In a recent address to the nation, President Mahama said the country's import bill for 2013 was 17 billion dollars, far in excess of the national budget and the GDP. This means there is a lot of pressure on the country's foreign exchange. Additionally for a country that encourages 100 percent repatriation of profits, this means companies will be repatriating their profits. So a combination of the repatriation and huge imports will create problems for the economy. It is unacceptable that in Ghana, we allow the importation of every conceivable item. From the flipflop or charlie wote as it is known in local parlance, toothpicks, matches, zips, to erazers and the like. Years ago, we had some of the finest local companies in West Africa. These include the Bonsa Tyres noted for producing car tyres, Asiamah Oil Mills, GIHOC Pharmaceuticals and GIHOC Cannery, to mention a few. All these have gone down hill. Some too have changed hands to foreign ownership. Where does it end and at which point as a country do we begin to take ownership of the means of production? We spend millions of dollars importing rice, sugar and other commodities when in the 60s and 70s we had two sugar factories located at Asutuary and Komenda which have gone down and we are struggling up to this day to bring them back on line. We need to get serious with Public-Private Partnership to revive some of these companies. If we do so, there will be less pressure on the foreign exchange reserve and more job openings with more people paying tax, and the cedi will be stabilised. By that, institutions like GUTA will be free of the foreigners issue and the pressure that comes with them. Hope somebody is listening. END.