January 20

NO. 100821 MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020
PRICE: GH¢2.00
DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
• Officials of NLA and Ghana Lotto Operators Association
• Mike Nyinaku, Chief Executive
Officer of the defunct Beige Bank
• Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie,
former NCA board chairman
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02
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CONTENT
ANNIVERSARIES
Independence Day — Fri, 6 Mar 2020
Good Friday — Fri, 10 Apr 2020
Easter Monday — Mon, 13 Apr 2020
Labour Day — Fri, 1 May 2020
DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020
Published by: EIB
Network / Heritage
Communications Ltd.
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William Asiedu:
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VOL 7
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Sick Beige Bank
boss gets bail
BY MUNTALLA INUSAH
muntalla.inusah@dailyheritage.com.gh
THE ACCRA Circuit Court
presided over by Justice Emmanuel
Essandoh, now Justice
of the High Court, has
granted the Chief Executive
Officer of the defunct Beige Bank, Mike
Nyinaku, bail in the sum of GHc352
million.
Apart from that, he is to produce two
sureties who are public servants earning
not less than GHc 2,000.00.
The accused is also to deposit his
passport with the registrar of the court
and notify the court in writing anytime
he needs to travel.
He is also ordered to report to the police
CID twice a week, on Monday and
Friday.
Sickness
Prior to the hearing of the bail application,
the prosecution, led by ASP
Ebenezer Nyamekye, told the court
presided over by Justice Essandoh that
the accused was on admission at the Police
Hospital after he was taken ill.
On January 14, when he was first arraigned
the embattled businessman was
charged with two counts of offence of
stealing and money laundering, which he
denied.
But a bail application advanced by his
lawyer, Baffour Ashia Bonsu, holding
Thaddeus Sory’s brief, was refused on
the ground that the lawyer did not convince
the Court that should his client be
granted bail, he would avail himself to
stand trial.
Charges
The Managing Director of The Beige
Bank, which is in receivership, Michael
Nyinaku, has been charged with two
counts of stealing contrary to section
124 (1) of the Criminal and Other Offences
Act 1969 (Act 29) as amended by
part 4 of ( NLCD) No. 398/69 and
Money Laundering contrary to section
• Mike Nyinaku, Chief Executive Officer of the defunct Beige Bank
1(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering
Act 2008 (Act 749).
“Unknown to the
authorities of FASL, TBG
secretly opened a
second account in the
name of FASL, known
as the control account,
with account number
0381520414122,
which had an
outstanding balance of
GHc 299 Million at the
time TBB went into
receivership. The
account was opened by
Susannah Philips.
Facts of case
Per the brief facts presented to the
court by ASP Ebenezer Nyamekye were
that “The Beige Group (TBG), a subsidiary
entity to the Beige Bank, in the
latter part of the year 2017 had deliberations
with the leadership of First African
Savings and Loans (FASL) to acquire
90% equity shares in the savings and
loans entity. The value of the 90% shares
was USS2.5 million. The discussions led
to the preparation of various documentations
to formalize the purchase
process.”
“TBG eventually paid GHc9million as
part-payment of the equity shares intended
to be purchased. This was captured
in the letter captioned,
‘Re-Capitalization of First African Savings
and Loans Limited,’ written by the
Managing Director of FASL, Hon. Gifty
Affenyi Dadzie (Mrs.) to the Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of TBG, Michael
Nyinaku. The two (2) companies agreed
that FASL leadership should send a
write-up to Bank of Ghana (BoG), the
regulator, to regularize the agreement.”
The facts sheet further stated that
“TBG deployed Vanessa Akorfa Atsu to
serve as a Responsibility Officer, to
propagate the Beige culture within the
confines of the FASL setup at the Headquarters
of the entity at Circle-Accra.
Some employees of TBG, including
Winfred Kwaku Sefogah, Vivian Amponsah,
Daniel Debrah, and Jasmine Agyemang,
were sent to the Circle Head
Office, Makola, Awoshie, and Kasoa offices
of FASL to work in the interest of
TBG. As was the practice, FASL, being a
subsidiary, was made to open an account
with The Beige Bank (TBB)”.
The account, christened FASL Operational
Account, numbered
038152041412, was opened in November,
2017 and it had Gifty Affenyi
Dadzie, and Kwabena Osei Bonsu, the
General Manager of FASL, as signatories
representing FASL, and Vanessa Akorfa
Atsu and Yvonne Phillips serving as signatories
for TBG. At the time TBG went
into receivership this account contained
about GHc 12 million, which was known
to the MD of FASL Mrs. Gifty Afenyi
Dadzie”.
“Unknown to the authorities of
FASL, TBG secretly opened a second account
in the name of FASL, known as
the control account, with account number
0381520414122, which had an outstanding
balance of GHc 299 Million at
the time TBB went into receivership. The
account was opened by Susannah Philips.
This account had suspects, Vanessa Akorfa
Atsu, Yvonne Phillips, and Yiadom–
Boakye Augustine, all from TBG, as its
signatories though the account was
opened in the name of FASL”.
The account, according to Prosecution,
is said to have had funds close to
GHc 340.94 million in it initially but
some of the monies totalling GHc
21,123,270.96 were transferred to affiliate
entities of TBG and others, including
Beige Capital Ltd, an amount of GH2.2
Million; Beige Care, GHC392,000.00;
Beige Academy, an GHC250,000.00;
Beige Assure, GHC627,000.00; Beventure,
GH@1,740,000.00; Legacy Pensions
GHC427,000.00; Bidvest Micro
Finance, GHc 3,142,270.96; DYI Ltd, an
amount of GHC6 Million; Adelia Ltd,
GHc 1,010.000.00; Albery,
GHC5,240,000.00; Nana Afia Evelyn
Kyei GHc 80,000.00; and Godwin
Nordjo GHCI5,000.00.
• CONTINUE ON PAGE 3

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020 03
Let's rely on
court for justice
NEWS DESK REPORT
DR. KWABENA
Duffuor, the
former Finance
Minister
and former
Governor of
the Bank of Ghana, has declined
an invitation by the Special
Investigation Team ( SIT)
to assist in its investigations
into the collapse of uniBank.
Instead, he is asking for the
head of the SIT, Edward
Tabriri, to stop threatening to
have him “arrested, detained
and hurriedly arraigned before
court” on non-existent and frivolous
charges and rather follow
due process and meet him
in court.
• Duffuor tells SIT,
• As he declines invitation
Dr Duffuor’s injunction application
filed at the High Court on January 16,
and sighted by The DAILY HER-
ITAGE indicates that the former Governor,
having initiated a suit against the
Bank of Ghana in August 2018 over the
revocation of uniBank’s licence, declined
the invitation of the SIT and instead
caused his lawyer to write seeking clarification
and further details regarding the
said invitation primarily because as at the
time of the revocation, Dr Duffuor has
neither been involved in the management
nor been a board member of uni-
Bank since 2009 and thus fails to see how
he could be of valuable assistance in investigations
leading to its collapse in
2018.
After having initiated a suit against the
central bank for this very same reason,
Unfortunately, the Bank of Ghana in a
letter dated 13th August, 2018 declined
the request for the release of the report
to the shareholders, which led to the
shareholders heading to court to seek
redress against the Bank of Ghana for
what they perceive to be the wrongful
revocation of the licence of their bank.
Dr Duffuor’s lawyer, Simon Animley, believes
that the proper approach would be
to wait until the final determination of
the said suit, which is still pending in
court and not try to circumvent the law
by inviting Dr Duffuor and drumming
up frivolous charges in a bid to embarrass
and humiliate him.
Chronology of events
On Augus 1, 2018, the Bank of
Ghana, in a national broadcast, shocked
the country, including shareholders, by
revoking the licence of the biggest indigenous
bank in the nation, uniBank
Ghana Limited.
Two days later, the shareholders of
uniBank wrote to the Bank of Ghana, requesting
a copy of the KPMG report
that informed the decision to revoke
their licence.
Unfortunately, the Bank of Ghana, in
a letter dated 13th August, 2018, declined
the request for the release of the report
to the shareholders, which led to the
shareholders heading to court to seek redress
against the Bank of Ghana for
what they perceive to be the wrongful
revocation of the licence of their bank.
Since the suit, there has been no direct
communication among the parties, except
representations in court.
Sick Beige Bank boss gets bail
• READ FROM PAGE 2
“The withdrawals from the
false FASL account were at the
behest of suspect Michael Nyinaku,
through suspects Yvonne
Nana Etruba Phillips, and Yiadom
Boakye Augustine, who
co-signed the documents instructing
transfer of funds
from the false FASIL accounts
to the beneficiaries.
One such request, the facts
says, “was made to the Consolidated
Bank Ghana on August 8,
2018 and the amount to be
transferred was GHc38,
101,095.89 from the false FASL
account into Beige Capital
Asset Management Limited account
number 001078031121
situate at the Head Office.
“The leadership of FASL’s
attention was drawn on the
transfer request and they denied
it and even challenged the
amount in question which far
exceeded what they had in their
accounts. Investigations disclosed
that the false second
FASL account was created
without the consent of FASL
authorities and transactions
took place on it without their
knowledge”.

•Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidates (L-R) Senator
Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) speaks with Senator Bernie Sanders
Flap with Warren knocks Sanders' strategy off course
THE BEST-LAID plans of Democratic
presidential contender
Bernie Sanders were upended this
week – and his campaign is struggling
to get back on track.
Sanders went into the week
looking to draw a sharper contrast
between his progressive agenda
and that of former Vice President
Joe Biden, a moderate and his top
rival for the Democratic nomination.
Instead, his flap with fellow
senator, friend and progressive
ally Elizabeth Warren over gender
and electability has dominated the
news, an unwelcome twist for a
campaign that pulled into the top
of the race in the early voting
states of Iowa and New Hampshire
just weeks before the first
voting begins.
The U.S. senator from Vermont
has found himself on the
defensive after Warren accused
him of telling her during a 2018
meeting that a woman could not
beat Republican President Donald
Trump in the November election.
Sanders has denied saying that.
Reuters
DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020
WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
World news in 4 stories
Lesotho Prime Minister
Thabane 'to resign’
LESOTHO PRIME Minister
Thomas Thabane's
party has announced to
his party that he will
step down, the AFP
news agency reports.
A spokesperson for the ruling
party All Basotho Convention
(ABC), said Mr Thabane will officially
announce his resignation to
the cabinet on Tuesday.
No reason has been given for Mr
Thabane's decision, although the
party had last week asked him to resign
after court documents made
him a person of interest in the 2017
murder of his estranged wife
Lipolelo Thabane.
The prime minister has not yet
commented to the allegations.
His current wife, Maesaiah Thabane,
is wanted by police for questioning
over the murder.
An arrest warrant has been issued
for the first lady but she has
gone missing.
The women were involved in a
legal battle over who should be first
lady. The courts ruled in favour of
Lipolelo Thabane, who was gunned
down two days to her husband's inauguration.
BBC
•Thomas Thabane won early elections in 2017 after Pakalitha Mosisili lost a vote of no-confidence
•President Hassan Rouhani said European powers needed to abide
by their own commitments
Iran rejects UK's call for
'Trump deal' to replace
nuclear accord
IRAN'S PRESIDENT Hassan
Rouhani has dismissed UK Prime
Minister Boris Johnson's call for
a new "Trump deal" to replace
the 2015 nuclear agreement.
Mr Johnson said he recognised
that Mr Trump saw the accord
as "flawed" and suggested
he could renegotiate it.
Mr Rouhani warned that "all
Trump has done is break promises".
He also criticised the UK,
France and Germany for triggering
the nuclear deal's dispute
mechanism after Iran breached
key commitments.
President Trump abandoned
the nuclear deal in 2018 and reinstated
US sanctions on Iran to try
to force it to negotiate a new
agreement that would place indefinite
curbs on its nuclear programme
and also halt its
development of ballistic missiles.
The five remaining parties to
the deal - the European powers
plus China and Russia - want to
keep it alive. But the sanctions
have caused Iran's oil exports to
collapse, the value of its currency
to plummet, and sent its inflation
rate soaring.
After the Trump administration
increased the pressure on
Iran in May 2019, the country responded
by gradually lifting all
limits on its production of enriched
uranium, which can be
used to make reactor fuel but also
nuclear weapons. BBC
Iran plane crash: Khamenei defends armed forces in rare address
IRAN'S SUPREME Leader Ayatollah
Ali Khamenei has defended
the country's armed
forces after it admitted shooting
down a passenger plane by mistake.
He said the Revolutionary
Guard - the elite unit responsible
for the disaster - "maintained the
security" of Iran.
Widespread protests and criticism
from abroad have put
growing pressure on Iran over
its handling of the incident.
But the ayatollah tried to rally
support as he led Friday prayers
in Tehran for the first time since
2012.
The Ukraine International
Airlines Boeing 737-800 was
travelling to Kyiv from Tehran
on 8 January when it crashed
shortly after take-off. All 176
passengers on board, including
nationals from Iran, Canada,
Sweden and the UK, were killed.
The ayatollah called for "national
unity" and said Iran's "enemies"
- a reference to Washington
and its allies - had used the
shooting down of the plane to
overshadow the killing of senior
Iranian general Qasem Soleimani
in a US drone strike.
"Our enemies were as happy
about the plane crash as we were
sad," he said.
"[They were] happy that they
had found something to question
the Guard and the armed
forces.” BBC
•Thousands of Iranians chanted slogans beneath
portraits of Qasem Soleiman

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020
05
Editorial
Law on careless driving must be reformed
ONE WONDERS when road
accidents would not be too much
of a bother in the country, not
because they would not happen,
but because they would happen
purely for technical causes that
were beyond detection.
The DAILY HERITAGE is
saying this because most of the
accidents people suffer in the
country come as a result of human
errors that mostly could be
avoided. For instance, speeding and
wrongful overtaking are typical
examples of human errors that can
completely be avoided.
It beats the imagination of rightthinking
people why a driver should
assume that his counterpart coming
from the opposite direction would
definitely do some defensive
driving if he misbehaves.
Sometimes some drivers do wrong
overtaking and force drivers from
the opposite direction to save the
situation.
Sometime ago the observation
was that commercial drivers were
mostly the offenders. Currently that
observation never holds because
drivers of V8 vehicles and other
4WD vehicles, and tipper truck
drivers are the worst offenders.
Drivers of these vehicles exploit
the speed, the size, strength and
even ownership to bulldoze their
way to the hurt of other road users.
This said, speeding and wrong
overtaking could be blamed for
most accidents. The accident near
Komenda this week that has so far
claimed 35lives, according to
sources came as a result of wrong
overtaking.
Drivers continue to kill innocent
people, nation builders who were
playing various roles to help build
the nation. Reports about the
Komenda accident says the drivers
of the two vehicles involved in the
accident died. Sad.
Sometimes some reckless drivers
are able to save their lives and at
times come out of accidents
unscathed while they kill others or
maim others for life and their
punishments are usually fines. Can’t
the nation change or amend the
laws on driving?
The DAILY HERITAGE
believes that since drivers of today
have decided to focus only on the
money they would make and so are
fond of speeding and wrongful
overtaking, the country should
have laws that can charge drivers
with manslaughter and other
crimes that attract serious
sentences without parole.
Even certain technical faults
should be punished if they are
found to have been ignored by the
drivers.
Also, there must be police
officers stationed at stations where
passengers pick vehicles for long or
out-of-town journeys, and they
should tell the passengers what the
law expects the drivers to do on the
road while passengers are given the
right to report reckless drivers to
the police once two or more of
them can bear witness the driver’s
misbehaviour.
No date for population census yet
THE GHANA Statistical
Service
(GSS) has debunked
media reports
specifying
dates for the2020 Population
and Housing Census.
According to the GSS, recently
there has been conflicting
statements on various media
“As the Government Statistician
indicated during the release of the
December 2019 consumer price
index and inflation rates on 8th
January 2020, the census which
was originally scheduled for March
2020 is likely to be moved forward
by a couple of months.
• Ghana Statistical Service clears air
outlets regarding the approved
date for Ghana’s forthcoming
6th post-independence population
and housing census.
In a statement signed
by the Deputy Government
Statistician, Mr David Yenukwa
Kombat, and copied to the
DAILY HERITAGE, the
GSS says as the institution responsible
for the implementation
of the census, it wishes to
clarify that the census will be
conducted this year (2020)
but not within the period
being bandied around.
“As the Government
Statistician indicated
during the release of
the December 2019
consumer price index
and inflation rates on
8th January 2020, the
census which was originally
scheduled for
March 2020 is likely to be
moved forward by a couple
of months.
“This change in date is being
anticipated following observations
from the completed field
census mapping exercise, which
has engendered the need to redesign
technological interventions
required for complete
coverage, enhanced accuracy
and timely release of the census
results”, he said.
The GSS, therefore, urged its
stakeholders, the media and the
public to maintain positive engagement
and participation in
the preparation and implementation
of the 2020 census activities,
“including sharing of the
right information”.
He added that the census
date will soon be announced to
the general public once approved
by the National Census
steering Committee.
“Additional information
about the 2020 population and
housing census may be obtained
from the office of the Deputy
Government Statistician in
charge in charge of Services
and the Ghana Statistical Service
head office,” the statement
concluded.

06
News
DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020
Is the siren privilege
for all motorists?
BY JEFFREY OSEI MENSAH
I
T IS about 7 o’clock ante
meridiem, the early stages of
morning rush hour, and motorists
are greeted by heavy
gridlock on the Liberation
Road. As traffic moves
slowly and steadily, rear view mirrors
catch the image of an approaching
black SUV with hazard
lights flashing and what sounds
like a siren blowing.
With very limited space, motorists
have no choice but to skillfully
maneuver their vehicles to
make way for the SUV. After bulldozing
its way out of the traffic
jam, its hazard lights suddenly go
off and the sound of the siren
abruptly ceases. The driver has
wittingly utilized the “Siren Privilege”
to beat traffic.
This phenomenon has become
rife on roads in Accra and is observed
mostly of drivers of luxury
private SUVs and hearses. The
drivers behind the steering wheels
of these vehicles execute this gimmick
so confidently it leaves one
wondering whether the law actually
accords them such a “privilege”.
The Law governing the
use of Sirens in Ghana
The Road Traffic Act, 2004
(Act 683) is the primary law that
deals with all matters pertaining to
traffic and road use in the country.
The Road Traffic Regulations,
2012 (LI 2180) was enacted to
supplement the
provisions of the
Act. Regulation
74(3) of LI 2180
provides that a
siren or bell may
be fitted as a
warning appliance
and used on
certain categories
of motor vehicles.
The first
category is “a
government vehicle
used for official
purposes by
the Head of State”, the second
category is “a police vehicle”, the
third category is “a motor vehicle
used as an ambulance by a hospital
or clinic”, the fourth category is “a
motor vehicle used by other
recognised Government security
agencies” and the fifth category is
“a bullion vehicle registered by the
licensing authority”.
•The law is clear on classes of vehicles that can have sirens
LI 2180 also accords certain
privileges to “Authorised Emergency
Vehicles” when responding
to emergency calls. According to
the legislative instrument, a condition
precedent for the exercise of
these privileges by drivers of “authorised
emergency vehicles” is
the sounding of a siren and the
flashing of emergency lamps
whilst he vehicle is in motion.
“Authorised emergency vehicles”
are interpreted as motor vehicles
used by the Police Service, the Fire
Service, used as an ambulance by a
clinic/hospital or one used by
other Government Security agencies.
In summary, only drivers of
vehicles that fall under the special
categories mentioned above or
“authorised emergency vehicles”
are allowed to use sirens on roads
in Ghana.
Can Private Passenger
vehicles use sirens?
It has been observed that a
number of high profile personalities
(government officials, members
of parliament, clergymen,
Heads of large corporate entities
to mention a few) cruise around in
private vehicles that have sirens installed
in them. It is very common
•A vehicle permited to have a siren
to see the sirens being put to use
by these officials merely for the
purpose of getting through traffic
with ease. One may be quick to assume
that, in the case of government
officials, by virtue of the
portfolios they hold, they are entitled
to use sirens when cruising in
their private cars. However, it is
important to note that although
Hearses, sometimes nicknamed “man’s last ride”,
are vehicles used to convey the mortal remains of
deceased persons during funerals. It has been observed
that, most hearses use sirens when in operation
to get through traffic. However, is such use
sanctioned by law?
certain government appointments
may be tagged with entitlements
to a police escort; such an entitlement
ought to be distinguished
from the statutory siren privilege
accorded to certain classes of vehicles.
Whereas the police car escorting
the vehicle conveying the
government official may have the
siren privilege, the latter vehicle,
not falling under any of the categories
provided for under law,
would not have such siren privilege.
The law appears to be very
clear on the classes of vehicles
that can have sirens installed in
them. A critical analysis of the relevant
provisions of LI 2180 conveys
that, the creation of these
categories of vehicles is based on
the special purpose designated to
the vehicle and not on the calibre/social
status of the passengers
of the vehicle. Private vehicles, regardless
of who they are owned
by, do not fall within any of the
classes of vehicles permitted to
have sirens installed in them. Accordingly,
it would be unlawful in
the first place to have sirens installed
in such vehicles let alone
use the sirens on the road.
Are Hearses permitted
to use sirens?
Hearses, sometimes nicknamed
“man’s last ride”, are vehicles used
to convey the mortal remains of
deceased persons during funerals.
It has been observed that, most
hearses use sirens when in operation
to get through traffic. However,
is such use sanctioned by
law? It may be amusingly argued
that the use of sirens by hearses is
a means of paying last respects to
the dead or even ensuring that the
deceased is not late for his/her
own funeral. However, it needs be
reiterated that for a driver of a vehicle
to be permitted to use a siren
on a road in Ghana, the vehicle he
drives must belong to any of the
classes of vehicles provided for
under LI 2180.
Hearses sometimes have the
semblance of an ambulance but
are not ambulances. Whilst ambulances
are for the purpose of urgently
conveying injured or sick
persons to hospitals, a hearse is
applied for an entirely different
purpose bereft of any urgency.
The former carries the living, the
latter carries the dead. It is therefore
argued that hearses do not fall
within the category of vehicles entitled
to use sirens. Hearse drivers
who use sirens therefore act unlawfully
and if dead men could
talk, the corpses they carry would
tell them to turn off the sirens.
Conclusion
To some, it may be surprising
to discover that something as
seemingly petty or insignificant
as the use of sirens whilst driving
is regulated by law. The existence
of such laws underscores
the notion of law serving as a
tool for social order. The law on
the use of sirens on Ghanaian
roads is quite straightforward; in
order to install and use a siren
whilst driving, your car must fall
under the classes of vehicles
stipulated in LI 2180. If your car
does not qualify, then its owner
has no right to install and use a
siren in that vehicle. To do so
would be to commit an offence
under the laws of Ghana which
would render one liable to pay a
fine or to a term of imprisonment.
The existence of laws to govern
human conduct has hardly
been the problem; the challenge
has been with implementation. In
the case of unlawful usage of
sirens, the biggest culprits are
likely to include those who even
help make laws in the country.
The efforts of those who are
to monitor compliance is sabotaged
by the fear that, for example,
the owner of the Black Land
Cruiser blowing its siren and bulldozing
its way through traffic on
the Independence Avenue is probably
an untouchable “big person”
in society. Such seemingly minute
infractions by drivers and car owners
promote lawlessness on our
roads. We all have a stake and role
to play in enforcing laws in this
country and ultimately making
Ghana great and strong. Laws on
the use of sirens on Ghanaian
roads exist and must be obeyed.
The siren privilege is not one for
all motorists.
Jef frey Osei Mensah
Ghana School of Law,
Student
freymensah@gmail.com

Steps for coping with harmattan
• Take lots of water
Because of the dryness experienced
and the hotness of the
day, the body loses a lot of water.
Taking a lot of water keeps your
throat and mouth moistened.
• Step up your
nutrition
Take nutritional supplements
like Vitamin C
• Stay warm
Wear protective clothing during
the day and at night. Asthmatics
or those with chronic
respiratory conditions should pay
special attention to their health.
• Step up your hygiene
Sneeze into your arms, not
hands, by preventing the spread
of viruses and other infectious
agents to and from people.
WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020
&Env.
Polio outbreak was due to poor
sanitation practices - GHS
THE GHANA
Health Service
(GHS) has attributed
the resurfaced
polio virus
outbreak reported
in parts of the country in 2019
to poor sanitation practices in
most of the affected communities.
It therefore called on Metropolitan,
Municipal and District
Assemblies (MMDAs) to reevaluate
their sanitation programmes
to help promote
environmental cleanliness to
forestall any future outbreak.
Dr. John Ekow Otoo, the
Deputy Director, Public Health
at the Bono, Bono East and
Ahafo Regional Directorate of
Health, said the responsibility
was placed on the MMDAs to
ensure that people lived in clean
environment.
Speaking in an interview with
the GNA in Sunyani on the recent
outbreak of polio virus in
parts of the country, Dr. Otoo
said poor sanitation contributed
largely to the outbreak of the
virus in the Bono, Bono East
and Ahafo regions.
Last year, the GHS reported
several cases from Chereponi, in
the North East Region, Kumbungu,
and Savelugu in the
Northern Region, Central
Gonja in the newly-created Savanna
Region, and Nkwanta
North in the newly-created Oti
Region.
In the Bono, Bono East and
Ahafo regions, two of three
children who were infected died
whilst the other victim survived
with some level of paralysis.
Cases were reported from Asiri
community in the Jaman North
District of the Bono, Sissalaline
in the Techiman Municipality of
Bono East, and Kwasuso community
in the Asutifi South District
of the Ahafo Region,
where a 24-month-old girl, a 33-
month-old-girl and a 37-month
old boy were infected.
But, the Regional Directorate,
with support from
its partners, held a supplementary
vaccination
exercise to protect
children against the
poliomyelitis in the
three regions.
Dr. Otoo told
the GNA the Directorate
was able
to exceed its target
during the four-day
campaign, which
started from January 7
to 11, this year. He said
instead of 570,864 targeted
children below five years in
•Kweku Agyeman Manu, Minister of Health
the three regions, the campaign
covered 577,604 children, and
expressed appreciation for the
support
and cooperation parents
gave to the field officers.
In a breakdown, he said
119,866 children were vaccinated
in Ahafo, 235,422 in
Bono and 222,316 in Bono
East, saying for the children
to get full benefit, a second
round exercise
would be organised
from February 5 to 8,
this year and advised
parents to make their
children available for
the second dose.
Dr. Otoo commended
the media for
their support, and
called on them to intensify
education on the
next campaign to achieve
desirable success.
Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious
viral disease, which
mainly affects young children.
The virus is transmitted by person
to person and spread mainly
through the faecal-oral route or
less frequently, by a common
vehicle such as contaminated
food and water and multiplies in
the intestines from where it can
invade the nervous system and
cause paralysis.
Initial symptoms of polio
include fever, fatigue, headache,
vomiting, and stiffness in the
neck and pain in the limbs.
There is no cure for polio.
Last year, the
GHS reported
several cases
from Chereponi,
in the North East
Region, Kumbungu,
and
Savelugu in the
Northern Region,
Central Gonja in
the newly-created
Savanna
Region, and
Nkwanta North
in the newly-created
Oti Region.

spread_ JAN 20, 2019.qxp_SHOWBIZ TEMP 1/17/20 6:45 PM Page 1
News
DAILY
HERITAGE, MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020 WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
Residents invade police
station for blood of robbers
NLA to regulate
activities of GLOA
NEWS DESK REPORT
•Officials of NLA and Ghana Lotto Operators Association
THE NATIONAL Lotto Act, 2006 (Act 722)
was enacted for the National Lottery Authority
(NLA) to operate and to regulate all lottery in
Ghana.
Based on this, section 2(4) of Act 722 gives
NLA the mandate to collaborate with other
parties to operate lotto or lottery in Ghana.
The Veterans Administration Ghana Act
2012 (Act 844) vests in the Veterans
Administration, Ghana (VAG) the mandate to
hold lottery, lotto and other games of chance in
accordance with the National Lotto Act, 2006
(Act 722), to cater for the welfare of retired
personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces.
In a joint release issued by NLA and Ghana
Lotto Operators Association, (GLOA) in
pursuance of Section 22 of Act 844, VAG
licensed five Private Sector Operators (PSOs) to
operate the VAG Lotto upon agreed terms and
conditions which committed the five PSOs to
make huge financial commitments towards the
operation of the VAG Lotto.
In 2013, NLA went to court to seek an
interpretation of Section 22 of Act 844.
By the ruling of His Lordship Francis Obiri
J, the Court upheld the right of VAG to operate
its Lotto, but “in accordance with” the National
Lotto Act, 2006 (Act 722), thereby recognising
the regulatory function of NLA over lotteries in
Ghana.
The court process delayed VAG Lotto
operations and rendered the five companies
unable to operate the VAG Lotto.
In July 2018, VAG entered into a
collaboration agreement with NLA to operate
VAG Lotto. The PSOs were of the view that
the execution of this collaboration agreement
constituted an infringement on their Agreement
with VAG.
In February 2018, the Board of NLA caused
an advert to be placed in some newspapers,
including the two national daily newspapers,
inviting private sector lotto operators to apply to
operate an NLA-approved Banker-to-Banker
Lotto under Act 722.
Several PSOs responded to the advert, paid
the prescribed licensing fees and some
submitted the required security guarantees.
After a year of not receiving their licensing
certificates from NLA, this state of affairs
incensed PSOs to organize a press conference in
Accra. This press conference was seen as a
national security threat according to the
National Security Apparatus, Police CID and the
government at large.
After an invitation to the Bureau of National
Investigations to give their statement, the PSOs
and NLA were subsequently invited to
mediation at the Police CID Headquarters in
Accra in October 2019, to resolve the impasse.
After four meetings, the parties agreed to set
up a Joint Technical Committee made up of
four representatives each from NLA and the
PSO to resolve the impasse.
After exhaustive deliberations by the Joint
Technical Committee, spanning eight weeks, the
parties agree as follows:
NLA shall restore the PSOs who previously
held licences issued by VAG under new terms
and conditions with effect from January 1, 2020.
Under the terms of this contract licensed PSOs
will migrate from paper-writing to an I.T.
platform for effective monitoring, regulation,
and more revenue mobilization to the State.
The NLA, in place of its advertised Bankerto-Banker
Lotto operation under Act 722, for
which fees were paid, has offered qualified PSOs
the opportunity to participate in the 5/90 Fixed
Odds Game, under the full regulation and
supervision of the NLA, in accordance with
Section 2(4), to ensure increased private sector
lotto revenue to the State.
The Parties shall execute two separate
contracts covering the qualified PSOs operation
of the VAG Lotto under Act 844 , and
qualified PSO participation in NLA 5/90 Fixed
Odds Game in accordance with Section 2(4) of
Act 722.
The Parties have planned a nationwide
sensitization campaign in January 2020 to
educate the lotto public, the general public and
all citizens on the Lotto Laws of Ghana, duties
and responsibilities in modern lotto operations;
and targeted training for sales agents and writers.
This sensitization will also help explain
Government’s efforts in resolving this 30-year
impasse about private sector participation in
lotto, which has created upheavals for all
governments since 1992.
To ensure smooth implementation of the
roadmap towards the successful adherence to
the signed contracts, the Joint Technical
Committee has put in place Joint Dispute
Resolution Mechanisms, to forestall unilateral
breaches, unfavourable media publicity or
adverse actions that may create national security
concerns.
NLA shall provide a detailed compliance
manual to guide the effective regulation of
private sector participation in Lotto.
The Board of NLA and the leadership of
GLOA, the umbrella organisation championing
the rights of the private sector lotto operators in
Ghana, wish to extend their gratitude to the
Government of Ghana and the Police CID for
the opportunity given to bring ground-breaking
reforms to the lottery sector for greater
employment generation; for ensuring that the
employment rights of ordinary Ghanaian
citizens are upheld at all times; and for making it
possible for private sector participation in lotto
to contribute significantly to national
development.
BY KOJO ANSAH
ANGRY RESIDENTS of
Nkurakan have besieged
the Nkurakan Police
Station under the New
Juaben Municipal Police
Command in the
Eastern Region threatening to lynch
two suspected armed robbers
The robbers were among a sixmember
gang of robbers pursued by
the residents in the Mile -14
community and other areas along the
Adukrom-Koforidua highways after
alarm blew over their robbery attack.
Residents in some communities
along the road reportedly mounted
roadblocks in search of the fleeing
suspects.
The two suspects, after running
into the bush, appeared at the roadside
and boarded a commercial vehicle but
were arrested at the Nkrukan police
checkpoint and handed over to the
Nkrukan police.
Residents in the community
trooped to the police station and
Busac Fund Supports NARRA Advocacy
for Circular Economy Policy
BY RAMSON ACQUAH-HAYFORD
THE PRESIDENT of the National
Reuse and Recyclers’ Association
(NARRA), John Tetteh Commey, has
stated that rapid population growth
and urbanization and their attendant
pressures on resource utilization and
waste creation have made it necessary
for Ghana to begin to explore more
innovative and sustainable ways of
maximizing the benefits of the
production and consumption
processes.
Speaking at a stakeholder’s
workshop under the auspices of the
Business Sector Advocacy Challenge
(BUSAC) Fund for the formulation of
a Resource Recovery and Circular
Economy Policy for Ghana, Mr
Commey said phenomena like global
warming, climate change, and carbon
emissions were all competing for
appropriate policy interventions across
the world.
He said further that environmental
and social challenges demand
increasing attention policy initiatives
which can keep pace with the growth
in the scale of these challenges.
Mr Commey explained that the
principle of waste as Material-In-
Transition (MINT), as espoused in the
Revised National Environmental
Sanitation Policy, 2010 laid some
foundation for the formulation of a
circular economy policy.
He said “this is essentially an
economy in which economic activities
derive value under the conditions that
an existing resource stock within the
system is continuously re-circulated to
maintain its maximum value and utility
over time, enabling the viable and
sustainable use of resources. All
activities during product life cycle
stages are designed to circulate the
resources, and support the
preservation and regeneration of the
biosphere so that hazardous outputs
are eliminated and regional resources
are not degraded.”
He added that the current linear
model of production based on “a take,
make, and dispose approach, which
relies heavily on exploitation of virgin
natural resources and disposal of
wastes and emissions, appeared
increasingly outdated and
unsustainable.
He stated that, “Advanced regions
of the world such as Europe and parts
of Asia are beginning to adopt the idea
of a Circular Economy (CE) in pursuit
of a more sustainable use of natural
resources which impose progressively
less demand for virgin raw materials.
“Ghana must seriously consider this
paradigm shift by formulating an
appropriate National Resource
Recovery and Circular Economy
Policy. Times are changing at a
frightening speed and we need to
position ourselves in a way that reflects
a deep understanding of these new
dynamics and points our country in a
demanded the release of the suspects
to brutally deal with them. This forced
the local police to move the suspects
to the Regional Police Headquarters.
Some residents say the robbers have
been terrorizing them in the area.
The Deputy Public Relations
Officer of the Eastern Regional Police
Command, Sargent Francis Gomado,
told ‘Starr News’, the police had
launched a manhunt for the four other
robbers on the run.
The Koforidua Adukrom -Aseseeso
road is notorious for robbery attacks,
some of which have resulted in deaths
and injuries.
The Koforidua Circuit Court ‘B’,
presided over by Her Honour Mercy
Addei Kottey, on June 7, 2019, jailed
two foreign residents - a Beninois and
a Nigerian for their involvement in
highway robbery on the Adukrom to
Koforidua road.
The two convicts – Ibrahim Ajayi
Kupenu, 25, the Beninois, and Frank
Ude, alias Asoani, the Nigerian, were
convicted to 20 years’ imprisonment
each with hard labour.
direction of sustainable resource
utilization”.
At the workshop, Mr Tetteh
Commey tasked the NARRA Dialogue
Team to commence the necessary
policy negotiations for the formulation
of a Resource Recovery and Circular
Economy Policy for Ghana.
• Dompoase accident:
Driver detained
in police
custody
BY SENANU DAMILOLA
WEMAKOR
The driver who is believed to
have caused Tuesday’s fatal
accident at Dompoase has
been remanded in police
custody for two weeks
pending investigation.
Kasapa FM’s
correspondent Yaw Boagyan
reported this from the
Central Region on Friday.
A government delegation
led by Roads and Highways
Minister, Kwaku Amoako
Attah, visited the accident
scene and the survivors at
the Cape Coast Teaching
Hospital
Members of the
delegation included NRSC
Director, May Obiri Yeboah,
GPRTU Chairman, Kwame
Kumah, Central Regional
Minister, Kwamena Duncan,
and Central Region Police
Commander, COP Paul
Manly Awini, among others.
The minister urged
survivors and families of
victims to take heart and give
glory to God for all things.
Out of the 35 bodies of
victims deposited at the
Cape Coast Hospital
morgue, 28 have so far been
identified by families.
The driver who
is believed to
have caused
Tuesday’s fatal
accident at
Dompoase has
been remanded
in police
custody for two
weeks pending
investigation.

17TH
JANUARY
2020
FRIDAY
CURRENCY PARIS CODE BUYING SELLING
US Dollar USDGHS 5.5340 5.5396
RATES Pound Sterling GBPGHS
7.1810
7.1904
Euro
GBPGHS
5.7005
5.7057
10
DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020
WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
FX Development Committee not taking
over BoG’s job • Says Adu Boahen
THE DEPUTY Finance
Minister,
Charles Adu Boahen,
has stated that the FX
Development Committee,
established by
the Finance Ministry to look into
policy measures and solutions to
prevent the recurring depreciation of
the cedi, is not usurping the powers
of the country’s central bank, the
Bank of Ghana (BoG).
The establishment of the committee
follows a promise made by
the Finance Minister last year that
the government would establish a bipartisan
committee to investigate the
structural causes of the cedi depreciation
and propose measures accordingly.
But addressing the press at the
inauguration of the committee, the
Deputy Finance Minister stressed
that “the formation of this committee
is not to infringe on the independence
of the BoG in its foreign
exchange operations.”
He stated that if anything at all,
the work of the committee is to
complement the efforts of the central
bank in curtailing the usual poor
performance of the cedi against its
foreign counterparts.
The cedi last year depreciated by
more than 12.7 per cent, the worst
performance since 2015 when the
cedi depreciated by more than 14.6
per cent.
The work of the committee, the
Deputy Minister explained, is to review
the current foreign exchange
(FX) regime, identify the inherent
constraints in the system and offer
workable alternatives by way of policies
and programmes which potentially
would reduce FX risks in the
economy.
“The committee is also to critically
look at the role of automation
and digitization as a critical enabler
of FX reforms,” he stated.
The membership of the committee
is drawn from the Office of the
Vice President, Bank of Ghana,
Agriculture Ministry, Ghana Union
of Traders Association (GUTA), Association
of Ghana Industries, and
some universal banks among other
key stakeholders.
The committee is chaired by the
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
Source: CitiFm
MTN apologises for data failure
MTN GHANA has apologised
for the data challenges
its customers have
faced since Thursday, January
16.
Customers of the
biggest telecom firm in
Ghana have had no internet
since Thursday. Many
of the customers have
taken to social media to
express their frustration.
In a statement, MTN
said “international undersea
fibre cable cut” is the
reason for the challenge.
It added: “MTN
wishes to apologise to
subscribers across the
country for challenges
they are experiencing in
accessing data services
and international outbound
calls. This is as a
result of international undersea
fibre cable cut.”
“MTN wishes to apologise to
subscribers across the country
for challenges they are
experiencing in accessing
data services and international
outbound calls. This is
as a result of international
undersea fibre cable cut.

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020 11
Politics
Do not mind anything that anyone tells you about
anyone else. Judge everyone and everything for
yourself —Henry James
Akufo-Addo leaves for
UK-Africa summit in London
BY KWAME ACHEAMPONG
PRESIDENT AKUFO-
ADDO last Friday left
the country to attend
the UK-Africa Investment
Summit being
held in London, in the
United Kingdom.
The UK-Africa Investment
Summit, being hosted by British
Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Boris
Johnson, MP, today (Monday), January
20, will bring together “businesses,
governments and
international institutions to showcase
and promote the breadth and
quality of investment opportunities
across Africa”.
Whilst in the UK, President
Akufo-Addo will deliver, on Tuesday,
January 21, the keynote address
at the Ghana Investment
Opportunities Summit – a summit
which aims to bring delegates, especially
from the United Kingdom,
to explore investment
opportunities in Ghana.
The President will then travel
to Davos, Switzerland, at the invitation
of the Founder and Executive
Chairman of the World
Economic Forum, Prof. Klaus
Schwab, to participate in the 50thanniversary
celebration of the
World Economic Forum Annual
Meetings being held from Tuesday,
January 21, to Friday, January 24.
The Davos meeting has become
an iconic global forum,
which brings together world leaders
in politics, business, finance
and academia to deliberate on
matters affecting the global community.
The President was accompanied
by the Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway;
Minister for Finance, Ken
Ofori-Atta; CEO of the Ghana
Investment Promotion Centre,
Yofi Grant; and officials from the
Foreign Ministry and the Presidency.
The President will return to
Ghana on Sunday, January 26,
2020, and in his absence, the Vice
President, Alhaji Dr Mahamudu
Bawumia, shall, in accordance
with Article 60(8) of the Constitution,
act in his stead.
Starrfm.com.gh
PARLIAMENT OF GHANA
FOURTH SESSION OF PARLIAMENT
(COMMENCEMENT) INSTRUMENT, 2020
KNOW YE ALL MEN that in exercise of the powers conferred on the Speaker by clause (1) of
article 112 of the Constitution, I, Joseph Osei-Owusu, First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, by
this Constitutional Instrument, appoint Parliament House, Accra, to be the place, and ten o'-
clock in the forenoon of Tuesday, 28th January, 2020 to be the time at which the Fourth Session
of the Seventh Parliament of the Fourth Republic shall commence.
Given under my hand this 14th day of January 2020, in the Office of the Speaker.
Hon. Joseph Osei-Owusu
(First Deputy Speaker)

12
DAILY
Politics
WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020
We’ll reward law-abiding commercial
drivers with GHc300 quarterly – PPP
THE PROGRES-
SIVE People’s Party
(PPP) says it will reward
law-abiding
commercial drivers
with a quarterly incentive
of GHc300, disbursed into
their bank accounts if they win
power in the December polls.
The stipend, the party explains,
is for commercial drivers who become
certified in basic first aid
and crash scene management.
The promise comes in the wake
of two recent tragic road accidents
at Dompoase on the Elmina-
Takoradi Highway on January 14
and the Kumasi Abrepo Highway,
on January 15, where scores of
people lost their lives.
In a press release on the spate
of road accidents, the party extended
its heartfelt condolences to
the families, who have lost their
loved ones, and sympathies to
those who have been injured. “We
wish to thank all the emergency
service providers and individuals
involved in assisting the victims,”
it said.
“We are challenging the government
to declare war on corruption,
which contributes directly
and indirectly to the unacceptably
•National Chairman of the PPP, Nii Allotey Brew Hammond
high levels of road traffic accidents
in our country,” the statement
read.
The PPP, among other promises
of ways it would prevent road
accidents when voted into power,
said it would “address mortality on
our roads, and areas a PPP government
will explore are the towing
of unsafe vehicles from our
roads with a sense of urgency and
the construction of inter-regional
highways.”
“We recommend that road traffic
injury prevention must be integrated
into the development and
management of road infrastructure,
the provision and inspection
of safer vehicles, law enforcement,
mobility planning, the provision of
health and hospital services, child
welfare services, urban and environmental
Planning.”
The statement added that “a
PPP government will ensure that
by the end of our first term in office,
every town and village will
have at least one licensed Emergency
Medical Technician (EMT)
within 5-10 miles that will be on
call every day of every year.”
“We will reward commercial vehicle
drivers who become certified
in basic first aid and crash scene
management with an incentive
such as quarterly payments of
GHc300, disbursed into their bank
accounts,” it promised.
The statement noted that “with
the implementation of the National
Identification System, we
will ensure that reckless drivers are
not given the opportunity and licence
to repeat their expensive
mistakes.”
“We recommend
that road traffic injury
prevention
must be integrated
into the development
and management
of road
infrastructure, the
provision and inspection
of safer
vehicles, law enforcement,
mobility
planning, the provision
of health and
hospital services,
child welfare services,
urban and environmental
Planning.”
Ignore fake corruption ranking on Ghana – GII
THE GHANA Integrity Initiative
(GII), the Local Chapter of Transparency
International (TI), says a
corruption ranking published by
some media houses which ranks
Ghana as the 3rd most corrupt
country across the world by perception
is fake and should be ignored.
A statement issued in Accra on
Friday, January 17, 2020 signed by
the Executive Director of GII,
Linda Ofori-Kwafo, said though
the story which was sourced from
www.usnews.com mentioned
Transparency International for its
definition of corruption and some
key statements from the 2018
theme, it did not attribute the rankings
to TI.
“Following the interest the said
story has generated among the
general public, GII wishes to officially
state that neither TI nor GII
has released any such report,” the
statement said.
It, however, announced that the
2019 Corruption Perception Index
by GII would be released on
Thursday, January 23, 2020.
In recent months, incidents of
fake news publications have been
on the upsurge. Mushroom news
websites and social media appears
•Linda Ofori-Kwafo, Executive Director of GII
to be gaining grounds as a fertile
home for fake stories which are
often attributed to credible individuals
or institutions. Various actors
globally are struggling to come to
terms with the phenomenon.
A statement issued
in Accra on Friday,
January 17, 2020
signed by the Executive
Director of GII,
Linda Ofori-Kwafo,
said though the
story which was
sourced from
www.usnews.com
mentioned Transparency
International
for its
definition of corruption
and some key
statements from the
2018 theme, it did
not attribute the
rankings to TI.

WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020
13
Afro Nation Ghana
Festival: Tourism and
Economic Benefits
BY OHENEWAH BROWN
AHEAD OF
the Afro Nation
Ghana
festival,
SMADE, held
last year, Co-founder of
Afro Nation said “Our only
interest is to provide quality
entertainment experience to
our customers.”
If experiences shared by
festival goers and industry
players both on social media
and in mainstream media is
anything to go by, then, organisers
of the four-day
beach festival delivered on
their promise.
Aside the fun
and great experience
which organisers
of Afro Nation
Ghana delivered,
the economic and
social benefits of
the festival which
climaxed the “Year
Of Return” celebrations
in Accra from
December 27-30 at
Laboma beach can
never be overlooked.
Afro Nation
Ghana festival which
witnesses spectacular
production and entertainment
experience
saw individuals
from different parts
of the world travel
miles via air/land to create
memories and be part of
the historic “Year of Return”
celebrations, which
was formally launched in
September 2018 by the
Akufo-Addo administration.
The 15-year-long tourism
plan entails a strategy which
seeks to increase the annual
number of tourists to
Ghana from one million to
eight million per year by
2027. In the plan, Ghana’s
travel industry is projected
to raise $8.3 billion a year by
2027.
The number of people
who visited the country as a
result of Afro Nation and
other competing events and
activities is a clear indication
that Ghana as a country has
been well placed on the
global map. This clearly
stimulates the growth of
tourism and other businesses
in the country. These
visitors spent money both
on and off-site which generate
revenue for businesses
within the communities in
which they visited.
Contrary to
claims by some individuals
that the festival was not
beneficial to Ghana as a
country, the Afro Nation
brand, which rides on the
promotion of anything
African, since the announcement
of its return to Africa,
contracted several local
companies, suppliers, construction
workers and vendors
as part of their
contribution and adherence
to the local content rule.
One hundred and fifty
labourers were engaged each
day to handle various responsibilities
during the
four-day festival.
Afro Nation also provided
business opportunities
to local real estate companies
where executives and
artists billed for the festival
were hosted to a tune of
thousands of dollars.
In addition, the festival
attracted high profile individuals
in entertainment,
fashion and business. Some
of these individuals who
flew in from miles away to
• During the Afronation Festivity in Ghana
witness good entertainment
did it out of love for
African music. The A-list
artists billed for the event
also speaks to the fact that
the Afro Nation brand is
not interested in profit maximisation
but rather keen on
providing all and sundry the
best performances from
these global entertainers.
Afro Nation again served
as a platform for the promotion
of our local artists
such as Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy,
Becca, Efya, Kidi,
Kwame Eugene and a host
of other Ghanaian artists
who mounted the gigantic
world-class stage to entertain
their fans.
Many individuals have
shared their unforgettable
memories made at the beach
festival.
Two of such individuals
are newly-wedded couple
Caesar and Ellen who
couldn’t resist the fun-filled
experience. “We are lovers
of music and although we
have been standing for long,
the ecstasy at the
festival grounds
makes you forget
about your aching
feet,” they expressed.
The festival in
my view has a lot
to offer Ghana in
tourism, business,
aviation and entertainment.
It is,
therefore, not surprising
that most
individuals who
had a feel of this
spectacular display
of world-class
show and appreciate
the commitment
exhibited by
the team, have
begun asking
when Afro Nation
2020 will be announced.
Interestingly, Ghana is
the first country selected for
the festival’s African debut.
The big question is: Will organisers
of the festival want
to return to host another
Afro Nation festival in
Ghana?
The writer is a communications
consultant
• Ara Bella
Ara Bella drops
her debut
single ‘Twii Mi’
EMERGING AFRO-BEAT and afrodancehall
musician Arabella Ama Yiadom,
known in showbiz as Ara Bella, is launching
her music career professionally with the release
of her debut single ‘Twii Mi’.
Ara Bella has been doing music for
about five years but deems 2020 as the perfect
year to get serious with her craft and
execute it professionally.
‘Twii Mi’, which is a Twi phrase meaning
‘Drive Me’, talks about how the love of her
life mesmerizes her with his immense show
of affection and love towards her.
Bella has recorded ten songs already,
which will be released as singles throughout
the year with an album launch at the close
of the year.
In an interview, Ara Bella said she looks
forward to using her music to drive Afrobeat
and Afro-dancehall to the whole world
with hard work and determination.
She appealed to the powers-that-be to
give ladies in the Ghanaian music industry
the opportunity to thrive based on their capabilities.

14
WWW.DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020
THE FORMER Board Chairman
of the National Communications
Authority
(NCA), Eugene Baffoe Bonnie,
has vehemently denied
claims that he and Matthew William
Tetteh Tevie, a former Director General
of the NCA, discussed how they were
going to share the four million dollars
which came as part of their share in
purchasing the cyber security machine.
Baffoe-Bonnie, who was being subjected
to cross-examination by the Director
of Public Prosecution (DPP),
Mrs Yvonne Atakorah Obuobisah, also
disagreed with the DPP that he held a
meeting with Tevie and Dr. Ani, a Director
of Finance of NCA, to make
NCA bear the cost of the cybersecurity
machine.
Baffoe-Bonnie, Tevie, Nana Ensaw, a
former NCA Board Member, Alhaji
Osman Mimina, a former Deputy National
Security Coordinator, and George
Derek Oppong, a businessman, are
being held for allegedly causing financial
loss to the state.
The case has been adjourned to January
21.
Below are questions
and answers
Director of Public Prosecution
(DPP): In your own statement to the police
dated July 25, 2017, which was tendered
without any objection from you,
you stated that you had a verbal discussion
with A4 (Alhaji Salifu Mimina
Osman) and you agreed to share the
total cost of $8m.
$4M NCA trial
Ex-board
chair grilled
BY MUNTALLA INUSAH
captainmut@yahoo.com
• Over $4million to be shared
• Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie, former
NCA board chairman
It is therefore correct that you
acted on exhibit G (request)?
Baffoe-Bonnie (BB): But we
didn’t mention exhibit G here.
DPP: What I mean by exhibit G
is that you acted on the request.
BB: That was not a formal act
on my part that NCA should pay
half of it. It was a casual conversation.
I was trying to make A4 (Alhaji
Osman) understand that the $8m
was not something the NCA could
support based on the content of the
deliberation of the finance subcommittee.
DPP: This conversation also
shows that you were copied because
you had fair knowledge and you
were waiting for it to come.
BB: I was copied but to say I was
waiting for it to come is not correct.
DPP: It is correct that you had
fair knowledge?
BB: Correct, because I was
copied.
DPP: When you look at exhibit G,
did it make any reference to exhibit 6?
BB: It does not. The same content, different
figure. One is $34m and one is $8
million and if you situate it within the deliberations
made within the financial committee,
it says I’d get something less than
$34million, then I can because I’m interested
in the project.
DPP: You just agreed and told this
court that provisions will be made in the
future budget and this was not done.
BB: With respect to the budget, I think
I did answer the question and I can repeat
that since I was not a member of the finance
subcommittee, I was not intimately
familiar with most of the things they were
doing.
DPP: The budget was approved by the
board of which you were the chair, is that
not so?
BB: That is not so. The budget gets approved
by the financial subcommittee and
it is reported to the board at meetings.
DPP: Take a look at the minutes of 131
meeting of the NCA board. From the minutes,
it is said the meeting considered and
approved the provisional budget as recommended
by the finance subcommittee, so
the finance committee only made recommendations
and it is the board that makes
the final decision by approving. In this particular
instance the board chaired by you
approved the budget which did not make
any provisions or whatsoever for support
to national security. Is that not so?
BB: That is so with an explanation. To
my recollection, Dr Ani explained how the
NCA, I believe currently still, handles industry
support and development. These reports
come in on regular basis to the
authority. In other words, you can have a
request from a particular institution today
and you can get another from another institution
the next day.
DPP: Dr Ani explained that NCA always
makes provisions in its budget for institutional
support, is that not correct?
BB: That is correct.
DPP: When you look at exhibit F,
which is a request to transfer $4m to IDL
account and from Dr Ani’s evidence in this
court, you and A2 (William Matthew Tetteh
Tevie) were the ones who were trying him
to make these payment to IDL? Is that not
so.
BB: That is not so, my lord.
DPP: Now from your own police statement
in which you wrote that you agreed
that NCA will pay half of the request of
the $8m, which is $4m, and also the fact
that at the time exhibit F was authored, the
request had not been received at the NCA
and Dr Ani who was not privy to the conversation
between you and A4 (Alhaji
Osman) could not have been privy to this
amount except you told him.
BB: If you look at exhibit F (letter of
transfer) I was not quoted so I had no idea.
DPP: You said in your statement that
you took the decision to split the cost so
that NCA pays $4m and national security
pays $4m. Where was this decision taken?
BB: It’s been three years. I don’t remember.
DPP: Can you tell this court whether
Dr Ani was present at this meeting.
BB: I don’t remember.
DPP: I put it to you that Dr Ani was
not present at this meeting you had with
Alhaji Osman where you and Alhaji
Osman took a decision to pay $4m as the
cost to be borne by NCA to cover the
cyber security equipment.
BB: That is correct. Dr Ani was not
present at any meeting I had with A4. Dr
Ani in this court outlined how payment is
made by NCA. Nowhere in his description
could you find the role of the board chairman.
DPP: I put it to you that you in A2’s
(Tetteh Tevie) office and together with A2
directed Dr Ani to prepare exhibit F.
BB: That is not so.
DPP: I further put it to you that exhibit
G makes no reference or whatsoever to exhibit
6. Therefore exhibit G stands on its
own.
BB. That is not so.
DPP: It is clear from exhibit E that
when exhibit G was received, payment had
already been authorized without any approval
from the board.
BB: That is not so.
DPP: This is further born out of exhibit
F, which predates exhibit G.
BB: That is not so.
To my recollection
Dr Ani explained
how the NCA I
believe currently
still handles
industry support
and development.
These reports come
in on regular basis
to the authority.

DAILYHERITAGE.COM.GH
Sports
DAILY HERITAGE MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2020
15
AFCON rescheduling
exposes CAF leadership
THIRTY MONTHS ago, the
Executive Committee of
the Confederation of
African Football ratified the
decision to alter the scheduling
for the continent’s flagship football
competition, the biennial Africa
Cup of Nations.
Every other January, a pilgrimage of
sorts saw European clubs shorn off
their African players for three to four
weeks, and former Caf President Issa
Hayatou remained adamant in his insistence
upon that time slot, unperturbed
as Europe’s heavyweights gnashed their
teeth.
The deposing of Hayatou, however,
opened the door for Africa to align with
more global interests, and the decision –
in July 2017 – to move to a summer
Afcon was one of the first big legacies
of the Ahmad Ahmad presidency.
However, after just one edition under
the new modalities, Caf has run into
some difficulty of the entirely predictable
variety.
On Wednesday, following a meeting
of the Organizing Committee of the
Africa Cup of Nations in Yaounde, it
was decided that the 2021 edition
(scheduled to hold in Cameroun) would
now revert to the former January timing.
In a press release by the Cameroun
FA, this change was requested by the
host nation based on concerns over adverse
weather conditions in June and
July.
“After having heard the various arguments
expressed, in particular those of
the meteorological officials of Cameroun,
and the representatives of coaches
and player, the CAN Organizing Committee,
which received the mandate
from the Caf Executive Committee to
decide, acceded favourably to this request.
“Consequently, for the 2021 edition,
the Africa Cup of Nations will take
place in Cameroun, from January 9 to
February 6, 2021.”
Ostensibly, a tournament held in the
summer in Cameroun would feature
rain and thunderstorms, forcing a situation
where a number of matches could,
in theory, be rained out. On that
ground, this decision seems entirely
within reason.
However, it raises some unflattering
questions about the decision-making
within Caf itself, and clearly illustrates
that the 2017 decision was reached without
due consideration and an understanding
of the African terrain.
“After having heard
the various arguments
expressed, in
particular those of the
meteorological
officials of Cameroun,
and the
representatives of
coaches and player,
the CAN Organizing
Committee, which
received the mandate
from the Caf Executive
Committee to decide,
acceded favourably to
this request.
To begin with, the climate in Cameroun
is not peculiar to that particular
country; West and Central Africa have
lengthy rainy seasons, and so a summer
Afcon was always going to be tricky to
organize; only in the extremes – the
North and South of the continent –
• CAF President, Ahmad Ahmad
would a decision like that fly.
Never mind a meteorologist; climate
is something that has been observed
and accounted for going back millennia,
and is quite easily understood even by
laymen. Farmers have not been known
to rely on simulated clouds swirling on a
green screen in order to determine the
seasons.
Why then was the Caf Executive
Committee in a hurry to ratify such a
drastic change?
Clearly, not only was little thought
put into the decision, but it was not also
made at the behest or in the interest of
the very constituents over whom Caf
governs.
The rush to kowtow to European interests
and align with the globalist
agenda of Fifa President Gianni Infantino
has quite clearly backfired, and
Africa as a whole is now backed into a
corner. It is unlikely that the timing will
revert altogether, as this decision is a
one-off, so what does Caf intend to do?
The former timing, much as it annoyed
Europe no end, served a practical
purpose too in that it excluded no
African nations as potential hosts: in
January, it is cold the continent over
and, more importantly, there are no
rains.
During the 2019 Afcon in Egypt,
temperatures soared, and there were
genuine concerns raised by global player
union Fifpro over player safety in the
searing heat.
Unless the idea is to deny West and
Central Africa – the continental hotbed
of footballing talent, at least by export –
Afcon hosting rights in perpetuity, this
situation will repeat itself even as soon
as 2023, when Ivory Coast is in line to
host the competition.
On the other hand, if the idea is to
hold the Afcon in the summer only
when it is hosted by a Northern or
Southern African nation, then what is to
say that UEFA could not exert influence
over the bidding process for hosting
rights in Africa as time goes on?
All decisions have ramifications beyond
the surface level, and so while a
summer tournament appeared to deal
with the reluctance of clubs (and players)
to fully commit to the competition,
it has raised problems of its own: fitness
issues at the end of a long European
season, and now havoc with a scheduling
that could potentially alienate an entire
sub-region.
Source: Goal.com
•
•Algeria won the 2019 AFCON tournament

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