1.Independence Day brochure errors
Highlights from Ghana’s 59th Independence Day Parade was not the display of military force or instances of school children fainting in the scorching sun but the numerous grammatical and typographical errors in the Independence Day brochure approved by Government.
President John Dramani Mahama later blamed what he called the “printer’s devil” for the error-ridden brochures that were distributed at the event held at the Black Star Square.
Photos of the grammatical and typographical errors went viral on social media which also had the “Coat of Arms” wrongly spelt among other errors.
As the narrative unfolded, a statement signed by the acting Director of the ISD, Francis Kwarteng Arthur on Monday, said his department authored the content of the brochure and thus accepted full responsibility for the mistakes.
He later confessed to forging ISD letterhead of the apology letter in a bid to get ahead of the backlash.
2.South African trio arrested
On March, national security arrested three former police officers of South African nationality who were reportedly training the security detail of the New Patriotic Party presidential candidate, Nana Addo Akufo-Addo.
The three South African ex-Police officers were in the country to train some young people in various security drills, including unarmed combat, weapon handling, VIP protection techniques and rapid response manoeuvres.
They were identified as; Major Ahmed Shaik Hazis (rtd); 54, Warrant Officer Denver Dwayhe; 33, and Captain Mlungiseli Jokani, 45, and they were charged with conspiracy to commit crime and unlawful training.
The Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) eventually repatriated the three South African ex-Police officers because they allegedly concealed the true reasons for their visit to Ghana.
The story however evolved to focus on the Head of Nana Addo’s security team, Captain (rtd) Edmund Koda, who was arrested in connection with the three South Africans.
3.Captain Koda brouhaha
Captain (rtd) Edmund Koda and the owner of the EL-Capitano Hotel Captain (rtd) Acquah was controversially re-arrested on the day charges against him had been dropped.
The 69-year old retired Captain of the Ghana Armed Forces, was held by the BNI for five days for his alleged role in the invitation of three ex-police officers.
Captain Koda was then released on health grounds after he was taken ill while in BNI custody.
His lawyer, Nana Asante Bediatuo, complained that his client was not being treated fairly and that his rights had been abused under the laws of Ghana.
The Interior Ministry later roped in the questionable past of the retired captain by issuing a statement to the effect Captain Edmund Koda had been involved in the AFRC regime following accusations of corruption leveled against him but his legal team rubbished those claims.
4.Mahama’s Scotland trip goes sour
President John Dramani Mahama travelled to Scotland to receive an honorary Doctorate Degree of Laws (LLD) from Aberdeen University.
The trip however became infamous for the sections of the Scottish Parliament that hit hard at President Mahama over perceived human rights issues.
Reports indicate that the Scottish MPs, mostly from the opposition wing, called on their government to confront President Mahama on Ghana’s alleged abuses of lesbian and gay citizens.
5. Cashew nuts saga
This past month saw the Ministry of Trade and Industry suspending a ban it placed on exportation of raw cashew nuts after it received intense bashing from Parliament.
A statement signed by the Minister of Trade, Dr. Ekow Spio Garbrah said the decision to suspend the ban was mainly influenced by the view that the timing for the move was wrong.
The Ministry earlier explained that the directive banning the cashew nuts exports was an attempt to improve local processing sector.
This ban however infuriated MPs and some cashew nut farmers who mounted intense pressure on the Ministry to rescind its decision.
Despite the Trade Ministry’s decision to bow to the pressure from the MPs, it said it will soon put in place some measures to streamline the cashew industry.
6.BoG governor and British ‘drug lord’ arrest
The circumstances of a major drug arrest effected in Ghana yet again pulled the Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr. Henry Kofi Wampah, into the lime light for the wrong reasons.
The governor’s British son-in-law, David McDermott, who has been married to his step-daughter, Ramona Wampah for three years, was on March 11, arrested at his home in Accra’s affluent Burma Hills.
According to UK officials, David McDermott, had been working in Ghana’s mining industry and had been on the run for the past three years, for attempting to import cocaine into the UK.
The suspect is said to be a member of an organised crime syndicate from Liverpool and he has been on the run for three-years, following his role in a plot to import £71 million worth of cocaine into the UK.
These events forced Dr Wampah to issue a statement denying any knowledge of his son-in-law’s dealings.
He also came out to state emphatically that he will not resign over his British son-in-law’s alleged involvement in the drug trade.
7.BoG Governor steps down
Dr Kofi Wampah however did announce he was going to step down as BoG governor after a quite tumultuous tenure that saw him besieged by the DKM saga, the failing cedi and the rest of his son-in-law on drug charges.
Wampah, whose term was officially to end on August 5, told Reuters he had informed President John Mahama of his intention to leave by the end of March 2016, explaining that the decision was partly linked to presidential and parliamentary elections planned for November.
He said one of his two deputies, either Millison Narh or Abdul Nashiru Issahaku, was expected to serve as interim central bank governor until President Mahama chooses a permanent successor.
Millison Narh was eventually appointed as his temporary successor but Abdul Nashiru Issahaku was given the job full time by President
8.PURC blows money on hampers
The Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC), was indicted in the Auditor General’s report for spending GHc99,663 on the distribution of Christmas hampers.
According to the report, the amount was expended on such items “during the 2012 Christmas and New Year break.”
The 152 page report submitted to Parliament also revealed that 43 assemblies failed to account for over 1 billion Ghana Cedis.
This followed the failure of the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, to pay into their bank accounts revenue collected despite regulations which require them to do so.
The report further cited several cases of embezzlement of funds amounting to over 500,000 Ghana Cedis through diversion of cash inflows into personal accounts and insertions on cheques after they had been endorsed.
9.Zanetor’s woes
The Electoral Commission confirmed that Dr. Zanetor Rawlings, the National Democratic Congress’ parliamentary candidate for the Klottey Korle Constituency, was not a registered voter according to their records.
The EC made this known in a letter written by Chairperson, Charlotte Osei, to a private legal practitioner, Thaddeus Sory, giving him instructions to represent them in court, in a suit filed against Dr. Zanetor Rawlings and the EC, by incumbent NDC MP for Klottey Korle, Nii Armah Ashietey.
This set the tone for a rather bad month for Dr. Zanetor as her suit praying the court to throw out the case challenging her eligibility filed by incumbent Member of Parliament for the Klottey Korle Constituency, Nii Armah Ashietey was dismissed on two occasions.
10.Jake passes on
Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey died in the early hours of Sunday, March 20, in a London hospital where he had gone for treatment.
He was 70.
Tributes poured in from all sections of the political divide for the late NPP chairman who is expected to be buried on April 22.
Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey, played an integral part in former President’s John Kufuor’s victory in 2001, as his Election Campaign Manager.
He served as the first Chief of Staff in the Former President’s administration and variously as Minister of Information and Presidential Affairs, and Minister of Tourism and Modernization of the Capital City.
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By citifmonline.com/Ghana