Tuesday, December 8, 2009

2009 "KEEP ON THE WATCH" INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION OF JEHOVAH WITNESSESS IN GHANA






Words can't express the joy of the Government of Ghana especially the sector ministry incharge of Tourism when they recieved the announcement the Jehovah's Witnessess will be holding an international convention in the Capital city of Ghana Accra. The Minister of Tourism Mrs Juliana Mensah together with her deputy Mr Kobby Acheampong couldn't wait for that day. Yes they immediately orgainsed a press conference to announced to the whole nation the GRAEAT EVENT.
On the 3rd of December 2009, exacttly at 1:00pm the convention has started with the welcoming of both local and international delegates from all walks of life. Some of the International delegates travelled all the from the Unuted State of America, Great Britain, Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast,India and Japan.
Indeed the unite that exist among the witnesses was evident in all facets of their engagements.Their cleanliness and loving cooperation of the christain brothers should be something worth emulating by all.











Thursday, November 5, 2009

STOP THE SCAM RECRUITMENT VODAFONE


The sale of Ghana Telecom to Vodafone received several public oppositions and criticisms in view of the perceived massive improprieties that coupled the deal. It has been recently established by an Inter-Ministerial Committee report that most of the terms of the Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) were inimical to Ghana’s interest with the committee recommending that Ghana Government should consider a renegotiation of the SPA.

It is unmistakable that Vodafone has so far dismissed about 2,000 employees in line with its downsizing policy per the SPA despite the intervention of the National Labour Union. An official of Vodafone in an attempt to justify the redundancy exercise cited one of its competitors Tigo as having staff strength of about 500 compared to that of Vodafone which is in excess of 3,000.

Some few months ago, Vodafone recruited and employed about 120 workers and again between 31st October and 1st November 2009 through a job fair Vodafone has screened about 6,000 applications in an ongoing recruitment exercise.

BGF is reliably informed about this orchestrated ploy to gain undue favour in the eyes of government in spite of the NDC’s campaign promise to get the SPA reviewed. We are by this release putting it to the management of Vodafone that BGF is massively consulting with legal brains and will very soon put in the public domain all secret ploys by Vodafone to get away with the SPA review. We are also calling on the government to be resolute and act with dispatch in exploring all legal avenues available in lieu of getting the SPA reviewed before this scam gets to the next level.

BGF is also disappointed with the recent 5% increase in fuel prices and call on the government to absorb the increase in order to reduce the tension it has generated within the public domain and also the potential stress to industry and manufacturing vis-à-vis living conditions. We welcome the government’s decision to cut down government fuel consumption by 30%, the 5% reduction on the taxes of fuel and the recent importation of crude oil for processing but we still believe that 5% increase in fuel prices now is not in the best interest of Ghanaians.

Instead we are advising the government to descend heavily and retrospectively on all Oil Marketing Companies who are indebted to Tema Oil Refinery in line with the government’s domestic resource mobilization policy.

SGN.

BETTER GHANA FORUM

Osabutey Emmanuel

(Coordinator/Media Liaison Officer)

0244879415

Vodafone Criticised over Ghana Telecom Purchase



­A review of Vodafone's purchase of Telecom Ghana has concluded that the sale was not beneficial to the Ghanaian state. The sale was opposed by the opposition politicians, who now form the current government, and they ordered an enquiry into the sale by the previous government.

The review, carried out by an Inter-Ministerial Review Committee has recommended that the government find a way of renegotiating the sale, which was completed in August 2008.

Although the sale of 70% of the company was was for a headline figure of US$900 million on a debt-free, cash-free basis, the review claimed that just US$267.6 million from the sale due to "complicated financial arrangements", and that the sale might be illegal in Ghana due as it was managed through a Dutch holding company.

The Committee noted that Telekom SA had offered US$947 million for the lower stake of 66.67%.Complicating the investigation, the former Minister of State for Finance Dr. Akoto Osei and the immediate past Chief Executive of Ghana Telecom, Dickson Oduro Nyaning refused to assist the Committee with information. In addition, it criticized the former President, John Kufuor, for interfering in the transaction, describing his action as "highly irregular, unconventional and did not rely on expert advice".

Although the Committee heard testimony that various politicians had been bribed to vote in favour of the sale, it felt that it lacked the resources to investigate the criminal allegations. The review also criticized a clause in the transaction that prevented the government from bringing corruption charges against any member of the enlarged Telecom Ghana company.

The Committee said, that despite several requests, Vodafone could not provide information to enable the Committee confirm the expected US$200 million capital injected into Ghana Telecom after the sale.

While Vodafone claimed that, between August 2008 and May 2009, it paid Huawei GH¢61 million (US$42 million) from the bridge facility, documents submitted by Huawei indicated that they had invoiced and received only GH¢37.29 million and not GH¢61million. The Committee considered it a breach of the warranty provisions in the SPA. The Committee was of the view that Government may want to confront Vodafone and ask them to account for the difference of GH¢23.71 million.

The government is to make a decision on how to proceed within a couple of weeks. Vodafone said that it couldn't comment until it received a copy of the report.

The company was rebranded as Vodafone Ghana earlier this year.


E.K Bennsah
President of Ghajict

Friday, September 4, 2009

Annisa Foundation Donates to Prison In-mates.



A lecture at the Department of Religion at the University of Legon, Alhaji Mumuni Suleman has called on all Muslims especially the youths to use the period of Ramadan fasting to re-examine their lives and turns off a new leaf .According to him the month of Ramadan is to assist all Muslims to draw closer to Allah through the observance of the pillars in Islam.

Alhaji Suleman made the call when he led a Muslim Women Group, Annisa Foundation to present food items worth millions of cedis to Muslim in-mates at the Nsawam Prison. He encouraged the in-mate to view their incarceration not as a punishment but an opportunity given them to reassess their lives and make changes that would benefit themselves and the society at large.

Presenting the items to the Chief Imam at the Prison, the president of the Annisa Foundation Rukiyatu Idriss advice the in-mates to apply themselves to the reading and meditating of the holy book, Quran so that they could live exemplary lives that would bring praise and honour to Allah and the holy Prophet Mohammed.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Vibe Network News (VNN) Team - giving opportunities to young journalist home and abroad to explore the world.





Check this out at the studio's of VIBE 91.9 FM, the soul of the capital is what they call it.The news crop of Journalist who joined the news department of the station during the second quarter of the 2009 were soo amazing.One of such journalist is Willaim Carmines from the United State of America. I remember the two of us worked on a story about Child Prostitution at a popular red nite zone right in the middle of the business center of Accra called NKRUMAH CIRCL, i must confess that what we did was an eye opener for me as a Ghanaian who have lived all my live in the capital city.oh i can;t forget the how we negotiated with a child prostitute who after negotiations hoovered around the two of us epecially WILL like fly.It was interesting working with Will and we also covered the JUNE 4TH celebration of the NDC. Later on we were join by Holie Clemence from the UK, Sarah Meagen also from the UK together with localjournalist like Belinda Ayamga whom we called the Mother of the VNN team.Yours truly alway assisted in getting all news items compiled and relayed on time.I felt very proud with efforts or strides we made on VNN@1PM.
Any time a friend wants a team to work with as a journalist please first think about the VNN TEAM.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

JOSHUA ACQUAYE GRADUATION DAY ON THE 15TH OF AUGUST 2009






Hi guys i felt proud this day when my son Joshua Acquaye graduated from KG to First Grade in Primary school. Mom was also there to witness it.