The bloodshed in Syria must cease

The bloodshed in Syria must cease – Kofi Annan

By: Mohammed Awal

Former United Nation’s Secretary General, Kofi Annan has called for immediate ceasefire in Syria, cautioning the parties in the conflict to exercise restraint and avoid any further bloodshed.

“I remind the parties to the conflict of their obligations under international humanitarian law and human rights law, and urge them to exercise restraint and avoid any further bloodshed,” he noted in a statement wired to The Chronicle by the offices of the United Nations in Accra.

According to the former UN envoy, he was concerned with reports about heavy deployment of armed men and the continuous usage of heavy artillery in Syria’s largest city of Aleppo by the Assad regime, and therefore, called on the international community to “to come together to persuade the parties involved to smoke the peace pipe for tranquility to prevail.”

In view of the bombardment and heavy shelling by the Syrian Army, Mr. Annan said it was only political transition leading to political settlement that could restore peace in Syria.

He therefore called on all parties concerned to return to the negotiation table for a possible political settlement in order to bring an end to “this looming crisis and continuous bloodshed, thus bringing long lasting peace to the door steps of the Syrian populace he echoed.”

Amnesty demands release of jailed Gambian Human rights advocate

Amnesty demands release of jailed Gambian Human rights advocate

By Amanda Moutrage & Awal Mohammed

Amnesty International and other civil society groups are advocating for the immediate release of Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh, a Gambian national who was arrested last year for treason.

According to the groups, Dr Janneh’s continues detention constitutes a violation to his right to freedom of expression, in accordance with the Gambian Constitution and other International Human Rights treaties.

This call was made at a press conference on the occasion of the Gambia Day of Action, observed at the International Press Centre in Accra. 

Along with representatives from the Human Rights Advocacy Centre and the Media Foundation of West Africa, the objectives were highlights as a matter of urgency, mainly concerning Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh, a Gambian national who was arrested last year for treason.

On 7 June 2011, Dr. Janneh was arrested for being in possession of T-shirts which featured the slogan ‘End to Dictatorship now’. He was, therefore, accused for the production and distribution of these shirts and sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labour.

The Day of Action is held annually on 23 July, 2012, coinciding with Gambia's Freedom Day held on 22, July 2012. Mr. Vincent Adzahlie-Mensah of the University of Education –Winneba, briefly highlighted that while Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh states that Freedom Day is dedicated to celebrating the day, he took power during a military coup.

Amnesty International insist that "the dire human rights situation in the Gambia and the restrictions on freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly makes President Jammeh's self-proclaimed 'freedom day' laughable."

Mr. Adzahlie-Mensah also highlighted the incident where 50 foreigners, including 44 Ghanaian nationals, were killed by Gambian security forces with no explanation. He also mentioned  that  hostilities  towards journalists, human rights activists and political opponents in the Gambia has worsened with the majority  being subjected to unlawful arrests and detentions, torture, unfair trials, harassments, assaults and death threats.

Since March 2006, several political figures have been unlawfully killed or subjected to unexplainable disappearances and unfair sentencing.

Human Rights Advocacy Centre's representative, Mr. Robert Akoto Amoafo explained that people arrested unlawfully have no access to legal representation and are held for longer than 72 hours without a charge. He stated that this is in violation according to Gambia's 1997 Constitution where several articles under Chapter 4 protect the rights to life, protection of personal liberties, prohibiting arbitrary arrests and detentions as well protecting freedom of speech and privacy and prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of political opinion.

As apart of this years Day of Action, Amnesty International are demanding the immediate release of Dr. Amadou Scattred Janneh with all charges made against him are dropped. They are also demanding a stop to unfair trials in the Gambia, a call for the eradication of violating and control of the freedom of expression within Gambia.

Businesses operate despite Mills demise

President Atta Mills

By: Derrick Mills & Awal Mohammed
The death of the President of Ghana, Prof John Evans Atta Mills on Tuesday, this week, impacted on large, medium and small scale businesses operating in the West African country.
The sad event which occurred brought a huge reduction in sales of products and services on Tuesday, but businesses have picked up after the swearing-in of the Vice President, Mr. John Dramani Mahama as the substantive President.
However, trading on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) has recorded slow movement. Officials of the local bourse say trading will improve very soon.
A Cross-section of traders at the Lapaz transport station said the demise of the law Professor had affected their businesses, but not significantly. According to them, with the investiture of the new President, they hoped that things would move faster.
A mobile phone and accessory seller indicated that the market was still recovering from the shock, saying “we are expecting sound economic activities from next week onwards”.
Another trader who was in a sad mood expressed the hope that things will change in the coming days. A cosmetic seller, Madam Mercy, said “business has not really changed since the President’s death and added that his demise has not changed the face of market sales. It used to be the same even before his death.”
A visit to the Central Business District in Accra saw several retail operators in brisk business. Though some were in a sad mood, they said that sales were very impressive.
Madam Ayisha Abu, a porridge seller, also expressed regret over the demise of the President. Later, when quizzed about the performance of the market, she said they were cashing in on some good business, though not all that vibrant.
Madam Abu stated that the demise of the President did not affect her business, explaining that during the month of Ramadan (a period of fasting) most people do not buy her product during the day, but rather in the evening.
A shop owner used the opportunity to appeal to Ghanaians to remain calm in this challenging times, noting that Ghanaians must rally behind the new President to enable him implement the Better Ghana agenda.
Short URL: http://ghanaian-chronicle.com/?p=46372

Businesses operate despite Mills demise

President Atta Mills

By: Derrick Mills & Awal Mohammed
The death of the President of Ghana, Prof John Evans Atta Mills on Tuesday, this week, impacted on large, medium and small scale businesses operating in the West African country.
The sad event which occurred brought a huge reduction in sales of products and services on Tuesday, but businesses have picked up after the swearing-in of the Vice President, Mr. John Dramani Mahama as the substantive President.
However, trading on the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) has recorded slow movement. Officials of the local bourse say trading will improve very soon.
A Cross-section of traders at the Lapaz transport station said the demise of the law Professor had affected their businesses, but not significantly. According to them, with the investiture of the new President, they hoped that things would move faster.
A mobile phone and accessory seller indicated that the market was still recovering from the shock, saying “we are expecting sound economic activities from next week onwards”.
Another trader who was in a sad mood expressed the hope that things will change in the coming days. A cosmetic seller, Madam Mercy, said “business has not really changed since the President’s death and added that his demise has not changed the face of market sales. It used to be the same even before his death.”
A visit to the Central Business District in Accra saw several retail operators in brisk business. Though some were in a sad mood, they said that sales were very impressive.
Madam Ayisha Abu, a porridge seller, also expressed regret over the demise of the President. Later, when quizzed about the performance of the market, she said they were cashing in on some good business, though not all that vibrant.
Madam Abu stated that the demise of the President did not affect her business, explaining that during the month of Ramadan (a period of fasting) most people do not buy her product during the day, but rather in the evening.
A shop owner used the opportunity to appeal to Ghanaians to remain calm in this challenging times, noting that Ghanaians must rally behind the new President to enable him implement the Better Ghana agenda.
Short URL: http://ghanaian-chronicle.com/?p=46372

NO MAGIC IN JOURNALISM

No Magic in Journalism

…Says Ebo Quansah

By Awal Mohammed

The Editor of the Chronicle newspaper, Mr. Ebo Quansah says journalism involves no magic. “Journalism is about asking the right question to provoke the right responses,” he asserted.

As a journalist, he said, one must always ask relevant questions that would bring out the relevant answers and always insist on getting the right responses from questions that the person believed was not properly dealt with.

The journalist is required to reframe the question in such a way that the interviewee would answer without knowing he did, he advised.

He said this at a meeting with students of Ghana Institute of Journalism, doing their internship with his outfit.

Speaking on the relevance of the 5Ws and H, Ebo said that, the concept of news according to  our forefathers was the 5Ws and H. However,   in print journalism at the moment emphasis is placed more on the ‘why ‘and ‘how’ because electronic media, had already dealt with the ‘who’, ‘what’, when, and where. “We do this in order to provide for readers more insight and clarity of events and in the process adding more flesh to stories they might have listened to or watched on TV or radio.

In addition, he used the platform to recount a brief history on how journalism started in Ghana. Mr. Quansah told his audience that two brothers, Edmund and Charles Bannerman, started journalism by indigenous Ghanaians, he asserted.

 He said during the colonial era, the Daily Graphic the current leading newspaper in Ghana was established by the Mirror Group Of Companies of the United Kingdom (UK) in Ghana.

Mr. Quansah told the students that Dr.Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana, established the Accra Evening News as a tool to fight for independence. The paper’s motto was “Self Government Now.”  He also set up the Guinea Press which published the Ghanaian Times and the Spectator.

He said in 1960, the Government of D. Kwame Nkrumah bought the Graphic, which together with the Ghanaian Times, became state-owned newspapers.

 Throwing more light on what feature and news were, Ebo argued that news is current occurrence or something that had happened long ago but has just come to the fore while a feature could be an expansion on the news explaining the various nuances. It could also be an old event recalled and explained in full as has just come to the fore.

The students on their part spoke about their understandings of the issues discussed.

Mr. Derrick Mills asserted that, news item was about timeliness, freshness and proximity whilst feature threw more light on current issues. Miss Belinda Dankwa told the meeting that a feature added more specifics to the issue at stake.

The meeting, which lasted for 20 minutes, according to the students, was informative and educated them on the concept of news and feature.  They thanked Mr. Quansah and left the office.

The participants were, Mohammed Awal, Belinda Dankwa, Derrick Mills, Gifty Darko and Amanda Obeng.

MV BENJAMIN

Darkey didn’t pay me personally

-witness tells court

By Mohammed Awal

A prosecution witness in the case involving a businessman, Christian Asem Darkey alias “Limping Man” held for the importation of missing Seventy-seven parcels of cocaine onboard the MV Benjamin Vessel in 2006 has revealed to an Accra Fast Track Court (FTC) that he did not receive any payment from the accused person.

Mr. John Kobina Dawson, Deputy Director and Advisor with Dashment Company Limited last Tuesday, July 10 this year, told the court presided over by Justice Mustapha Habib Logoh that he did not personally deal with the accused person in the purchase or charter of the famous MV Benjamin vessel.

The witness was giving evidence before the court in a case in which Asem Darkey is facing charges of conspiracy, importing narcotic drug, possessing narcotic drug, undertaken prohibited business and corrupting a public officer.

Mr. Dawson narrated to the court how his company gave the vessel to Asem Darkey on charter by tendering in chartered agreement between the company and Darkey, which was supposed to last for 60 days and worth $150,000 which both parties signed.

He also tendered in a sales agreement between the company and Darkey worth $250,000 in connection with the sale of the vessel to Darkey.

He said after using the vessel for 60 days, Darkey wanted to buy the vessel so his company came into an agreement with both parties being signatories to the agreement.

Mr. Dawson said he met Darkey through their lawyer one Lawyer Lumor on February 6, 2006, adding that the vessel was handed over to the accused person the very day that the sales document was signed.

In cross-examination from defense counsel, Mr. George Heward-Mills, witness emphasized that he was the Executive Director, when he entered into the agreement with the accused person and not his son, Joseph Kojo Dawson, who is one of the convicted persons in the M.V Benjamin case.

Mr Heward-Mills challenged the witness that his son had told the court that Darkey did not pay directly to Dashment Company because there was hire-purchase agreement between the company and one Mr. Bear, who is the original owner of the vessel.



Mr. Heward-Mills therefore requested the court to order the witness to produce the document which shows that he was the Executive Director of the company at the time.

The case was therefore adjourned to July 16.

 Asem Darkey has pleaded not guilty to all the charges leveled against him and he is currently in prison custody.

It is the case of the state that on April 26, 2006, intelligence gathered, indicated that a shipping vessel called MV Benjamin was on the high seas carrying about 77 parcels of cocaine, and heading towards the West African Coast, specifically, Ghana.
According to the state, around midnight of the same day, the said vessel docked at Tema/Kpone and discharged the 77 parcels, which were offloaded into a waiting vehicle and taken away.
The prosecutor further pointed out that investigations had led to the arrest of a number of persons, who were put before various courts, tried, and convicted to various prison terms.
“During the course of the trials of the suspects, the name of Asem Darkey featured prominently as the importer and owner of the 77 parcels’, the prosecution told the court.
The Chief State Attorney therefore noted that ‘Limping Man’ chartered a vessel at the cost of $150,000 to transport another vessel carrying the narcotic drugs from Guinea, and which were then offloaded into the MV Benjamin on the high seas.
The prosecutor further indicated that the accused person reportedly carted away the 77 parcels from the vessel on its arrival at Kpone near Tema in the Greater Accra Region, adding that when security personnel went to his hometown to arrest him, after having a hint of his presence at a funeral ground, Asem Darkey swerved them, escaped and went into hiding.
Asem Darkey was also alleged to have bribed the security men, who were detailed to go and cause his arrest, meanwhile, the security men had already been convicted of their crime.
Subsequently, on Thursday, February 2, 2012, Asem Darkey was arrested at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital upon a tip-off. According to the state, the police picked him up and handed him over to the BNI to commence investigations into the case.
Hearing continues on July 18, this year.

MILLS' DEATH AND BUSINESS

MILLS’ DEATH BRINGS BUSINESSES TO A STANSTILL

  
By: Mohammed Awal

The death of the president of Ghana, Mr. John Evans Atta Mills, has brought a great negative effect on small scale businesses.

The sad event which occurred yesterday brought a huge reduction in sales of products. Some traders at the Lapaz transport station upon hearing the news about the death of the president raised alarm and caused panic resulting in closure of various shops.

His Excellency President, John Evans Fiifi Attah Mills died yesterday at the 37 Military Hospital whilst receiving medical attention after he was taken ill, a statement released from the presidency confirmed.

He died from cardiac failure. The president is reported to have been battling with throat cancer for some time now.

As at yesterday brisk trading has stalled and many shops owners were seen still discussing the tragic incident of the president.

“The death of the president was a great shock to me” said a trader. According to her, she had her shop opened earlier yesterday morning but patronage was very poor. “I guess I need to close and go home” she asserted.

“Clearly, the passing away of the president has plunged the nation into a state of mourning” observed another trader at Lapaz.

Another trader who could not hold his breath about the sudden demise of the president, complained bitterly about how the incident was impacting negatively on her business.

“The atmosphere was that of mourning, sadness and grief” she pointed out.

She told The Chronicle how wrong she was by opening her shop. She therefore prayed to God to have mercy and receive Mr. Mills in his bosom, adding “May his soul rest in peace.”

One recharge card retailer who pleaded anonymity also narrated to The Chronicle, how he was forced to close his shop due to low patronage by customers following the announcement of the president’s death.

According to the traders, immediately the announcement of the president’s death became public,, businesses partially came to a stand still and therefore considered to open their shops the following day. But to their dismay, things never got better as they thought.

One trader who refused to be named, told The Chronicle that, as of  13:20 GMT, less than five people had visited her shop.

The story was not different when The Chronicle visited Kwame Nkrumah Circle to assess how businesses were going on there.

A frozen foods seller, who only gave her name as Mrs. Gifty, said “since the death of the president, I have received very few customers unlike previous days.”

A section of the traders were seen dressed in black attire to mourn the death of the late president Mr. John Evans Atta mills.

Another trader who was in a sad mood expressed the hope that things will change in the coming days.

In an interview with one cosmetic dealer, Madam Mercy, she said “business has been same even as the president is dead; the demise has not changed the face of sales as such. It used to be same even before his death.”