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PDP crisis: Wike has crossed red line, we’re coming at him –Atiku’s camp

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Alhaji Abubakar Atiku

The camp of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar has said that the Federal Capital Territory minister, Nyesom Wike, cannot escape expulsion from the main opposition party.

Don Pedro Obaseki, Atiku’s Director of Research, Strategy and Documentation, said Wike had earned himself a sack by his recent call for the expulsion of Atiku, his countless vertipurations against the PDP and his serial acts of betrayal.

According to him, the former Rivers State Governor has had a hand in all of the internal crisis of the PDP. Addressing journalists in Abuja on Monday, Obaseki said, “Wike [is] the problem of the PDP and to expel Wike now is a task that must be done by the PDP.”

He was reacting to Wike’s recent call for the PDP to expel the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku, and some party chieftains, Aminu Tambuwal and Sule Lamido.

“The person who deserves to be expelled from the party is the man who is calling for the expulsion of others from the party,” Obaseki added.

“Wike is the one who created a cult within the party and called it the G-5. Against the will, constitution and structures of the party, he campaigned against the party.

“If anybody had done anything anti-party, it is Nyesom Wike. He has fought every known person within the party.

“Wike has crossed the red line and now, he should be ready. We are coming at him like a thousand bricks.

“He has unleashed the dogs of war and we will not sit back and watch him ride roughshod over the party.”

Credit: dailypost.ng

IGP Orders Arms Licensing Review, Warns Owners Of Illegal Weapons

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Rifles recovered by the police

The acting Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has set up a committee to review the Force’s firearms licensing and regulations.

According to a statement Monday by the Force spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, the IGP mandated the committee to carry out the review in line with the Firearms Act and other extant laws.

He also issued a warning to those in possession of arms and light weapons without authorisation, directing state commissioners of police and supervising assistant inspectors-general of police to clamp down on illegal fabrication, sale, possession, and use of prohibited firearms.

“Similarly, in furtherance of his zeal to tackle all forms of insecurity in the country, the IGP has issued a stern warning to all individuals involved in the wrongful possession of arms and light weapons,” the statement reads.

“He reiterated that illegal proliferation of firearms and light weapons poses a significant threat to the peace and stability of our nation.

“In light of this, the Nigeria Police Force is resolutely determined to combat the illegal fabrication, sales, possession and use of arms.

“The force emphasised that possession of firearms without the appropriate license is not only a violation of the law but also a grave danger to society.”

The IGP urged Nigerians to report suspicious activities related to firearms at police stations.

Credit: channelstv.com

Govt Needs N21 Trillion To Address Housing Deficit, Says Shettima                    

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Shettima laying a foundation

Nigeria requires N21 trillion to address the country’s housing deficit, according to Vice President Kashim Shettima. He was speaking during the ground-breaking of a five-hundred-unit housing estate to be constructed by the Sokoto State government.

In a statement by Olusola Abiola, the Director in the Office of the Vice President, Senator Shettima notes that Nigeria has a housing deficit of twenty-eight million houses.

He, however, commended Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State for his efforts at tackling the housing needs of his people. The project located in the Wamakko Local Government Area of the state will cost the state government the sum of N7.3 billion.

Governor Aliyu says the housing estate will be for civil servants and will be sold to them when completed on an owner-occupier basis.

Credit: channelstv.com

Tinubu orders investigation into recurring boat accidents in Nigeria

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President Bola Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has directed relevant agencies in the maritime sector to conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation into recurring fatal boat accidents across the nation, including the recent mishaps in Mokwa, Niger State and Gurin, Adamawa State.

The President gave the directive in a statement issued by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, on Tuesday.

He also directed concerned government agencies, including law enforcement, maritime and transportation safety authorities, to collaborate closely in identifying the root causes of the disasters.

Tinubu equally extended condolences to families of those who lost their lives in the recent boat mishaps which claimed many lives, mostly women and children.

While expressing solidarity with the governments and people of Niger and Adamawa states, Tinubu said the swift mobilization of emergency response teams and volunteers to provide immediate assistance to those affected by the incidents was quite commendable.

He also wished those who sustained injuries in the incidents a speedy recovery.

The statement added, “President Tinubu underscored his commitment to holding government agencies accountable for any regulatory or safety lapses and further instructs a comprehensive review of safety measures and a strict enforcement of existing laws on boating activities in the country.

“He assured the affected families and communities of government’s continued support and his commitment to the prevention of such tragic incidents from occurring in the future.”

Credit: dailypost.ng

Committee to probe explosion at quarry site inaugurated

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KWESI ALFRED ADAMS
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The quarry site where the explosion happened

The Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) has set up a nine-member committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the explosion that occurred at a quarry site at Shama near Sekondi, and the subsequent death of four workers of STA Omini, a quarry company.

The committee would be chaired by the Chief Director of the WRCC, Fred Agyemang, and would have members from the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), Ghana Police Service (GPS), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Minerals Commission amongst others.

The explosion occurred at the quarry site leading to four persons losing their lives and others sustaining various degrees of injury. It is believed that mishandling of explosives led to the explosion at the quarry site

The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko, announced this at a press conference at Shama two days after the explosion.

The Regional Minister, inaugurating the committee, said following the explosion, the WRCC deemed it necessary to set up the committee to investigate same. The committee, according to the Minister, has three weeks to present a full report on the causes of the explosion, and also to look out for other causes that needed to be checked in future.

The committee would also establish whether or not the company was up to speed with its safety guidelines, in terms of the licensing that they were supposed to have, and also to know whether the company had authorisation to store explosives.

That apart, the committee was also tasked to give recommendations to guard against a future occurrence.

The Minister indicated that he expected the committee to do whatever it takes to deliver to the satisfaction all.

Meanwhile, Sky Power FM, a local radio station in Takoradi, has reported that a cross-section of members of the Western Region branch of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) were incensed over  what they described as the seemingly lackadaisical attitude of state institutions which often lead to avoidable loss of lives in the region.

“Is it not annoying that this company has been operating for months now, and the EPA and Minerals Commission have all watched on all this while? Exactly what is their purpose? These state agencies are gradually becoming a waste,” Abraham Mensah, a freelance journalist, asserted.

Nana Kumi, a journalist based at Tarkwa, also reportedly suggested that the regional head of the Minerals Commission be sacked for gross dereliction of duty.

“If indeed, the company is operating illegally, and you have watched on for this explosion to happen, then you must be sacked. The Minerals Commission in the region is not serious.”

COCOBOD CEO writes to Mahama on new producer price

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Joseph Boahen Aidoo - CEO of COCOBOD

Dear Mr. Mahama,

I have read your post on social media following the announcement of the Producer Price of cocoa, and it has become imperative to address certain misconceptions and misinformation arising from your post.

While advocating for the welfare of our hard-working cocoa farmers is essential, it is equally important to approach the issue in good faith and consider the broader context before passing judgement.

Since you have had the privilege of being in government before as the number one gentleman of the country, it is expected that you would be familiar with the process for determining the producer price of cocoa.

I am, therefore, surprised that you chose, rather erroneously, to use the current international market price of cocoa at $3,600 per tonne as the basis for your calculation in your post on the recently announced producer price.

Reasons 1. You are fully aware that Ghana’s cocoa beans are mostly sold forward. This means that the 2023/24 crop was sold between October 2022 and March 2023 at international prices; ranging between $2,200 per tonne and $2,400 per tonne. The international price of cocoa then began to increase in April 2023, when a greater percentage of the 2023/24 crop had already been sold.

The forward sale strategy enables COCOBOD to give farmers a guaranteed producer price and raise the syndicated loan offshore to pay farmers promptly for their produce. 3. The international price of cocoa as alluded to is quoted on a CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight) basis, which includes insurance and freight, albeit COCOBOD receives only the FOB price (which is the cost of beans only). Insurance and freight are received by the insurance companies and shipping lines respectively.

Additionally, Mr. Mahama, Ghana produces both the Main Crop size category of beans (big-sized cocoa beans) and the Light Crop size category of beans (small-sized cocoa beans). The light crop beans are sold at a discount; ranging from 20% to 40% on the international market.

The FOB price received by COCOBOD from the international market is therefore the weighted average price of both the main crop and light crop beans. This situation depresses the average weighted FOB price received by COCOBOD for the two crop categories (main and light crop beans) which form the basis for the determination of the producer price for cocoa.

For the 2023/24 season, the weighted average FOB achieved by COCOBOD was $2,600 per tonne. Contrary to your assertion that the producer price of GH¢1,308 per bag for the 2023/24 season is paltry, the current producer price translates to $1,821 per tonne, which is 70.03% of the Gross FOB of $2,600 per tonne.

In the 2015/16 season, the NDC-led administration announced a producer price of GH¢6,800 per tonne. This was 61.71% of the gross FOB of $2,900 per tonne at the time, not the 66.06% as you alluded.

This cannot be said to be better than the 70.03% achieved for the 2023/24 season. It is significant to note that the operational cost of COCOBOD for the 2023/24 season is about 4% of the gross FOB, hence, the rest of the share of the FOB goes into industry costs, LBC margins, and transportation.

Generally, the operational cost of COCOBOD has hovered around 4% to 5% of gross FOB since the NPP took over government. It is also worth noting that the government, through COCOBOD, has invested heavily in productivity-enhancement programmes such as mass spraying, pruning, hand pollination, rehabilitation of diseased farms and the subsidized fertilizer programmes.

The implementation of the productivity-enhancement programmes has led to an increase in the productivity of cocoa farms from an average of 450 kilos per hectare in the 2015/16 season to an average of 650 kilos per hectare in the 2022/23 season.

This has led to an increase in the income of cocoa farmers. It is my considered view that this explanation would be a useful guide and source of information in your future engagements on the topic.

Your friend and former colleague,

HON JOSEPH BOAHEN AIDOO

CHIEF EXECUTIVE

 

Gas refilling operators ‘express concerns’ on the Cylinder Recirculation Model

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Gas cylinders

Some gas refilling station operators in Accra have expressed reservations about the Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM).They contend that the initiative could negatively impact many low-income consumers, as well as businesses and jobs in the industry.

The CRM programme, which became operational on September 1, allows bottling plants to fill gas and distribute it to consumers through exchange points.

Under this system, the consumer takes an empty cylinder to the exchange point and picks up a filled one. The empty one is taken to the bottling plant, filled, and returned for other consumers to pick up.

Mr Nuhu Chamba, a gas refilling attendant at Avenor, was concerned about those who do not buy gas in standardised quantities but rather according to how much they can afford.

“For example, five kilogrammes go for 64.15 cedis, six kilogrammes for 77 cedis, seven kilogrammes for 90 cedis, and eight kilogrammes for 103 cedis, but usually, when customers come, they would buy 20 cedis, 30 cedis, 50 cedis, 60 cedis, 70 cedis and so on. And you have to fill it for them.

“Now under the CRM, the cylinder will be filled according to standardised quantities. So, how do you cater for all those customers who cannot afford it?” he asked.

Mr Chamba was also concerned about how to assure consumers that the quantity they were paying for was exactly what had been put into the cylinder.

He added that under the refilling procedure, even when customers watched the scale as the cylinder was filled, they believed the gas attendant was defrauding them.

“Now under the CRM, you bring an already filled cylinder and say it is 5 kg or 10 kg – but the customer did not witness the cylinder being filled and thinks that the quantity is not genuine – how do you assure the customer that he or she is not being cheated?” Mr Chamba asked.

Foreman, another gas refilling attendant at Apenkwa questioned the CRM’s viability.

“Will the exchange points continuously supply gas so that anytime consumers need it, they will get some to buy?

“How about if a refilling station converts into an exchange point and then the CRM is not well maintained and so after a while, it collapses?” he asked.

Foreman also feared that he would lose his job once the CRM was instituted, which would cause hardship for him and his family.

He was also concerned that other workers, such as gas station attendants, tanker drivers, and mechanics, might be laid off.

Mr Maxwell Appau, a gas station attendant at Alajo, was concerned about how customers who drove gas-powered vehicles would be able to refill their tanks under the CRM system.

He pushed for the proper storage of the cylinders at the exchange points to avoid mishaps, as well as intensive education on the CRM programme to ensure its success. GNA

 

 

Oil magnate allegedly duped by Kasoa bizmen

By
BERNICE BESSEY
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Accra Circuit Court

Ebenezer Martei, owner of West Stream Dominion Enterprise has allegedly been defrauded off GH¢621,000.00 and US$35,000.00 respectively in a petrol and haulage deal. The sole proprietor was allegedly scammed by three businessmen.

The suspects  are Alhaji Iddrisu Ibrahim, 33 years old and a businessman residing at Kasoa, Alhaji Abdul Samed Yusif (A2 and at large), and Simon Muelenga (A3 at large).

Alhaji Iddrisu Ibrahim was first arrested and released on police inquiry to appear before the Accra Circuit Court on September 6, 2023 but failed.

The court, presided over Ellen Ofei-Ayeh, had issued a bench warrant for his arrest and for his plea to be taken.

Alhaji Iddrisu Ibrahim was dragged before the court on Monday and was accused of conspiracy to commit a crime, defrauding by false presence, and issuing false cheque.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the sums of GH¢900,000.00 with three sureties, one to be justified.

BRIEF FACTS

The court heard that on August 2, 2021 Iddrisu and Abdul were introduced to the complainant as businessmen who wanted supply of petrol and diesel, and the necessary arrangements were made to that effect.

In September 2021, Iddrisu bargained with the complainant for the purchase of 54, 000 liters of petrol and 54,000 liters of diesel, all valued at GH¢621,000.00.

He, however, failed to pay for the fuel after it had been supplied. Despite failure on the part of Iddrisu to pay for the oil, he still  went to the complainant and told him that  he had invested his money in a Vessel that he secured, hence pleaded to be given more time to live up to his financial obligation.

After making this plea, Iddrisu and Abdul again went to complainant and told him that they have a business partner in South Africa who is A3, with whom they are doing Haulage business and that A1 had invested the Complainant’s money into the said business.

Iddrisu told the complainant that they were into a haulage business and that he needed an additional US$35,000 to complete a transaction.

He promised to pay back in two weeks’ time. Based on this, the accused persons succeeded in collecting UD$35,000 from the complainant, which turned out to be false.

After the expiration of the two weeks, the Complainant started to demand for his money and based on this, Iddrisu issued a cheque with face value of GH¢621,000 in the name of West Stream Dominion Enterprise, but  was dishonoured by the bank.

The Complainant was told that as at April 20, 2022 Iddrisu did have adequate funds in the account.

On April 19, 2022 the Complainant made a report to the Police and accused persons were called on their phones to report at the station to assist in the investigation, but they failed and rather went into hiding until June 4, 2023.

 

IGP’s lawyer requests for excuse of implicated officers 

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Dr Dampare appearing before the committee yesterday

Mr Kwame Gyan, Lawyer for Dr George Akuffo Dampare, Inspector General of Police Tuesday requested for the three implicated senior police officers to be excused from the proceedings during his client’s testimony, in the ongoing leaked tape probe.

Appearing before Parliament’s seven-member bi-partisan Committee public hearing, Mr Gyan explained that the request for the excuse of the implicated officers would not influence the proceedings and affect the integrity of the investigation, thereby reflecting his commitment to a thorough and unbiased investigation.

“It also underscores the importance of transparency and accountability, a fair and impartial examination of the evidence,” Mr Gyan said.

Dr Dampare, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), had been invited by the Committee over some alleged events surrounding a leaked tape and the allegations made by two cited officers involved.

Mr Dampare’s testimony, when furnished to the Committee, would serve as a pivotal role in the ongoing investigations.

On Tuesday, July 11, 2023 a leaked audio recording allegedly involving a Police Commissioner and a politician, discussing a plot to remove IGP Dampare from office went into circulation.

Consequently, the Minority Caucus in Parliament called for a probe into the leaked tape.

Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament, therefore, constituted a seven-member bi-partisan Committee to authenticate the audio and probe into the secret recording of an alleged plot to remove IGP Dampare from office, ahead of the 2024 general election.

The Committee was, therefore, charged to report back to the House on September 10, 2023, but that had not been successful, due to the ongoing investigation.

The leaked tape revealed a plot by three officers namely; Mr George Alex Mensah, Commissioner of Police (COP); Mr George L. Asare, Superintendent of Police, Mr Emmanuel Eric Gyebi, Superintendent of Police and Mr Daniel Bugri Naabu, a former Northern Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to remove the IGP from office.

All four witnesses have appeared before the seven-member Parliamentary Committee probing the leaked tape.

Meanwhile, during COP Mensah’s appearance before the Committee, he accused the IGP of mismanaging the Police Service.

He alleged that the IGP’s leadership had led to a decline in morale among police officers.

COP Mensah also admitted to being involved in partisan politics and working in the interest of a Political Party, although he did not disclose the Party’s name.

His comments, aligned with similar sentiments expressed in the leaked tape, where he was heard saying that the IGP must be removed to ensure victory for the ruling NPP in the 2024 elections.

Nonetheless, COP Mensah strongly denied the authenticity of the tape, claiming that it had been doctored and did not accurately reflect the original conversation with Mr Bugri Naabu.

On his part, Superintendent Asare also noted that portions of the tape were doctored and accused the IGP of plotting the audio recording when he appeared before the committee.

While Superintendent Gyebi denied any knowledge of Mr Bugri Naabu before the Committee, Mr Bugri Naabu cited all three police officers as his accomplices, when he testified before the Committee as the first witness in the ongoing probe.

The Committee is made up of three members each from the Majority and Minority sides of Parliament, and a technical person. Parliament’s seven-member bi-partisan Committee is chaired by Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa South, with Mr James Agalga, MP for Builsa North as the Vice-Chairman.

Among the members are Mr Patrick Yaw Boamah, NPP MP for Okaikwei Central; Madam Ophelia Mensah, NPP MP for Mfantseman; Mr Eric Opoku, NDC MP for Asunafo South and Mr Peter Lanchene Tuobu, NDC MP for Wa West as members of the Committee; and Dr Isaac Lartey Annang, a lawyer and a human rights activist, is a technical person appointed by Mr Bagbin.

By Elsie Appiah-Osei 

GNA 

My upcoming song features Freddy Meiway – S3fa

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NANA KWESI COOMSON
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sefa

Ghanaian singer and songwriter, S3fa has revealed that her upcoming song titled ‘Vibrations’ will feature Ivorian singer, Freddie Meiway.

In an interview with JoyNews’ Becky, the artiste explained that she loved the veteran’s ‘Zoblazo’ song growing up and had always wanted to add her touch to it.

She showed her appreciation to God and her team for getting the legendary singer on her song and for making this dream a reality.

“Thankfully, for me and my God and my team and everyone that is supporting me, I was able to get the legendary original artist on the song,” she said.

The singer was spotted at a private listening session of Nigerian singer, Patoranking’s ‘World Best’ album on Sunday, September 3, 2023.

According to her, she took a break from making music but has resumed now.

The ‘Echoke’ hitmaker further revealed that her song would be released at the end of the month and should be anticipated by fans.

Credit: myjoyonline.com

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