This he said is because the military personnel as well as civilians “will not be stationed here.”

“Soldiers who will be operating here are less than 200, and they will not be stationed here, they will come and go. It’s not a military base. We don’t even have enough space in the agreed area for them to put up big structures. It’s just around the airport area,” he said in a Citi News interview on Tuesday.

[contextly_sidebar id=”wBwj3TqKA23XpqJBRVgl7OfMtbTeGWNO”]The Minister was speaking after government laid in Parliament for ratification, a Memorandum of Understanding on defence cooperation between Ghana and the United States, to give the Americans some space in the country to set up a camp for its military forces.

The document, sighted by citifmonline.com, said Cabinet approved the MoU on March 8, 2018, and recommended that Parliament ratify the agreement to allow the US forces and their equipment unhindered access in Ghana.

In the agreement, the US military force will among other things, be exempted from paying tax on equipment to be brought into Ghana and will also be given the chance to use Ghana’s radio spectrum free of charge.

Although Parliament is yet to approve the agreement, many have raised concerns over the decision, questioning why the government will assent to it.

But the Minister after laying the document on the Floor of Parliament today [Tuesday], March 20, 2018, said the move is in the best interest of the country.

He also explained that the camp will not serve as a military base, adding that government spent a lot of time scrutinizing the document before approving it.

“This agreement has been in my office for eight months. I have been dealing with them trying to correct it and make sure it is something Ghanaians can accept. At a point, they [US team] have to even come down [to Ghana] with an eleven member team to be able to explain to us. We also sent an eleven member team. We went through it clause by clause. After we felt that we were satisfied, we sent it to Cabinet. It stayed in Cabinet for two months before it was approved. Nobody has signed any secret agreement,” he added.

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By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @AlloteyGodwin

The post US ‘military base’ to be sited near Ghana’s Kotoka Airport appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The new Deputy Managing Director, Yaw Kwakwah, is said to have sued the company in the past for wrongful termination of his appointment, when he was serving in that same capacity.

The workers are largely at a loss as to why Mr. Kwakwah has been recalled to take his position for the second time.

According to the workers, Mr. Kwakwah lost the case he filed against the company at the time, but failed to return the company’s properties in his possession as directed by the court.

Speaking to Citi News, the General Secretary of the Public Services Workers Union at Kotoka, Richard Ampaabeng, called on Mr. Kwakwah to apologize for his past actions and also adhere to the directives of the court.

“The court directed that certain actions should be taken. For instance, the vehicle that he was using, which he never submitted, he needed to pay the balance of the value of the vehicle but he never paid. He [also] had furniture that he needed to pay for which he never did,” Mr. Ampaabeng said.

“I would even recommend that Mr. Kwakwah should just be honourable and apologize for the actions that he took,” he added.

Aside from the concerns relating to the court, the Public Service Workers Union also believes the position Mr. Kwakwa has been appointed to, serves no purpose.

“When he [Kwakwa] went out, things have evolved at the Airport to the extent that the position he has been appointed to no longer exists, so his appointment will sort of jeopardize the job evaluation that has been done at the Airport.”

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By: Caleb Kudah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Kotoka workers protest appointment of new Deputy MD appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Vice President, who touched down from British Airways Flight minutes after 8:00 pm, was met by the President Nana Akufo-Addo, and the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo.

A smiling Dr. Bawumia in a blue-black jacket and a black pair of trousers, and flanked by his wife, was hugged by the President and the First Lady before he entered a car to the VVIP Lounge, where several dignitaries and members of the media had converged.

At the VVIP lounge, the Vice President exchanged pleasantries with several ministers of state and other members of the governing New Patriotic Party, [NPP], who had lined up to meet him.

He then sat down with the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, as they engaged in a hearty chat full of smiles, although the details of their conversation were not known to the press.

Some of the government officials and members of the governing New Patriotic Party [NPP] who were at the Airport included the Interior Minister Ambrose Dery, Trade Minister Alan Kyeremanten, Hackman Owusu Agyemang, Sheikh I.C. Quaye, and Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin among others.

Dr. Bawumia, who’s the Head of the government’s Economic Management Team, left Ghana for the United Kingdom on Friday January 20; after the Presidency revealed that he had taken ill a day before on January 19, and had undergone medical tests.

According to a statement signed by the Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, the trip became necessary following the advice of Dr. Bawumia’s doctors.

The Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid, later explained that, the decision to fly Dr. Bawumia to the UK was to ensure that he was kept away from visitors who may disturb his rest and recuperation period.

On January 27, during his medical leave, a video emerged of the Vice President taking a stroll on the streets of London with his wife, Samira Bawumia.

At a point in the video, the Second Family stopped to interact with a Ghanaian national who ran over to greet them.

Citi News identified the Ghanaian as Christian Asante, a security officer at a Primark store on the Oxford Street.

Whilst many were excited to see the Vice President in the video, others suggested it was stage-managed to give an impression that he was well, and that government was in reality concealing the true details of his health status from the public.

Some likened the video to the incident where the late President Atta Mills who appeared physically ill, at one-time trotted at the Kotoka International Airport when he had returned from a trip outside, to give an impression that he was healthy.

Others later shifted the argument to the fact that, it was not prudent for the Vice President to have been strolling the streets of London without security, a claim that was dismissed by some government spokespersons.

The video also came at a time the Minority in Parliament had called for full disclosure on the health status of the Vice President.

The Majority Leader in Parliament, Osei Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, however described the Minority’s call as “hypocritical and preposterous”.

Prior to those pictures coming out, Samira Bawumia, offered some assurances concerning the recovery of the Vice President, saying her husband was “doing very well” and looking “forward to returning to work soon.”
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By: Ebenezer Afanyi Dadzie/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Bawumia arrives to rousing welcome from medical leave [Photos] appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The three passengers claim they were physically and verbally assaulted by a security officer when they arrived at the Kotoka Airport on Saturday to travel on the scheduled flight to Sao Tome and Principe.

The passengers say they were forced to give up their seats when they arrived at the boarding gate for departure.

Ekua Semuah-Odoom, who was travelling with her sister and friend, was one of the persons involved in the incident, and she noted to Citi News that she had purchased her tickets on July 14, 2017.

She narrated that when she got to the Airport, and went through the departure formalities to board her flight, a TAP official said they would have to be de-boarded because of overbooking.

“I told her [the official] no, I can’t accept that because as far as I am concerned, when it comes to overbooking, you have to call out to the passengers and ask for volunteers. You can’t single out people. Even when it comes to that level, you give priority because we bought our tickets about five months ago.”

But when the flight called for boarding, Ekua, her sister and her friend, were not allowed onto the flight.

“Just as I was trying to enter, one of the security guys just shoved me against the glass door then when I turned, my sister and friend were also trying to capture what was happening.  What I realized was that, one the guys held my friend in the neck and pushed her into a metal chair. They were just shoving my sister and hitting them. They actually assaulted us,” she recounted.

While all this was going on, Ekua also said the TAP Air Portugal officials were present, but were dismissive of their plight.

They have lodged a complaint with the police, and have also spoken to their legal counsel who “are going to take it up from there,” Ekua added.

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By: Felicia Osei/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Three passengers threaten suit over alleged assault at Kotoka appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The crash, which resulted in five minor injuries, occurred after the aircraft skidded off the runway during its take-off run.

[contextly_sidebar id=”g8IB3wEcaUm6FmyoZXMHXkB6602KxQcP”]A statement from Starbow said it had “suspended its operations with immediate effect.”

It added that “guests with future reservations are invited to contact the airline at 024 500 0000 to make alternative travel arrangements.”

The statement also quoted the Chief Executive Officer of Starbow, Eric Antwi, as saying “All of us at Starbow at this time remain dedicated to our guests, our crew and their families. Their safety and wellbeing are at the heart of everything we do, and we will cooperate fully with the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, and other agencies, to determine the cause of this incident. We hope to be able to provide further information in due course.”

This incident adds to previous mishaps involving Starbow flights in 2014 and 2015.

A statement from the Emergency Operations Centre of the Kotoka International Airport said an investigation is being carried out into the incident.

There has been a suggestion of negligence on the part of the aircraft’s pilot by William Owuraku Aidoo, a Deputy Minister of Energy who was on board the Starbow plane when it crashed.

Possible negligence

He narrated that, the pilot tried to brave a storm that was obviously going to overwhelm the plane.

“As we were boarding the bus to the aircraft, I got a little concerned. I noticed the rains had started from afar approaching where we were parked” Mr. Owuraku Aidoo told Ghana Web.

“I am speculating that probably, the pilot tried to beat the oncoming clouds that were rolling in, and we taxied to the runway and the rain really caught up with us. So he stopped, prior to taking off proper, and I got more concerned because I could see that the rain was running down the windows very very fast when the plane was stationary, which signified to me that the wind was on the high side,” the Minister said.

Find below the full statement from Starbow.

Starbow S9 104 Incident at Accra, Kotoka International Airport

Everyone at Starbow wishes to express their sincere regret for the distress experienced by our guests on Flight S9 104 on 25 November 2017 at 12:45, local time.

The service, operated by ATR72-500 (registration 9G-SBF), was a scheduled flight from Accra to Kumasi.

All 65 guests and five crew disembarked, as normal, though five guests were treated for minor injuries at the Airport Clinic.  The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority has begun an investigation into the incident.

Eric Antwi, Chief Executive Officer, said: ‘All of us at Starbow at this time remain dedicated to our guests, our crew and their families. Their safety and wellbeing are at the heart of everything we do, and we will cooperate fully with the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, and other agencies, to determine the cause of this incident. We hope to be able to provide further information in due course’.

Starbow has suspended its operations with immediate effect and guests with future reservations are invited to contact the airline at 024 500 0000 to make alternative travel arrangements.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Starbow halts operations after crash at Kotoka appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

A statement by the Ministry on Friday said the closure has been necessitated by “circumstances beyond its control”.

The two lounges will be closed from Monday 12th June, 2017 until further notice, the statement added.

The VIP and VVIP lounges of the airport are used primarily by State officials including the President, Vice-President and other high ranking members of society.

It is also open to diplomats and high profiled dignitaries from other countries.

The closure of the areas may have some negative implications on passage at the airport, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given assurances that special arrangements would be made by its Protocol Bureau to ensure safe and convenient passage for the Diplomatic Corps and Senior government officials only.

“In this regard, all other passengers are advised to use the normal departure and arrival channels at the Kotoka International Airport,” it added.

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By: citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Kotoka Airport VIP, VVIP lounges to be temporarily closed appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.