Akufo Addo: Ghana is moving backwards slowly but surely

Nana Akufo-Addo dancing to songs from his teeming supporters         The New Patriotic Party presidential aspirant for the 2012 General Election Nana Akufo-Addo has taken a swipe at the Mills’ administration describing it as tenure of incompetence and lawlessness. Addressing journalists and hundreds of party supporters on Wednesday to kick-start his nationwide campaign ahead of the party’s primaries on August 07, 2010, Nana Addo said the maladministration of the NDC government has eroded the investor confidence and huge economic gains chalked by the NPP before leaving power. He said the country is now “moving backwards slowly but surely,” in apparent retaliation to President Mills who said he was performing and achieving results slowly but surely. Quoting copiously figures from a World Bank report, Nana Addo posited that that 7.4 million Ghanaians were under the poverty line in 1992 when the population was only 15.4 million. In 1999, one year before the Rawlings led NDC government left power 7.2 million Ghanaians were still under the poverty line with a population well over 18 million. According to him, in 2006, five years into the administration of the NPP, poverty was greatly reduced as a result of an effective economic management and solid social interventions. The total number of Ghanaians still under the poverty line was thus reduced to 6.3 million, he quoted. With the assumption of office by the NDC, Nana Addo said (quoting estimates of the World Bank report) half a million more Ghanaians are predicted to fall back to the poverty line due to the poor economic policies of the government. “Incomes have fallen in just one year of a better Ghana,” he said, adding with the economy shrinking at a faster rate the government cannot claim to be “creating jobs, except 1.6 million phantom ones.” Nana Addo further castigated the credential of the president who is widely touted as “Asomdwee Hene”- King of Peace, saying under the Asomdwee Hene, peace in the country is eroding. He said the 16 month administration of the NDC is characterized by “incompetence, lies, hypocrisy, and lawlessness,” adding “law and order has broken down under the era of Asomdwee Hene-King of Peace. decisive government Some of the party's big shots at the media launch   He is under no illusion that he is the right candidate to redeem the party and country from the “maladministration of the NDC”. He pledged a “bold and decisive government, sincere and not condescending...A government that sees evil, hears evil and acts against evil”, he said. He was hopeful he would be voted back as the flagbearer of the party, acknowledging a groundswell of support he claims to have garnered. He said the motivation that led him to fight against the union government of the Acheampong in 1978 and the PNDC government is the same motivation urging him on to regain power from the NDC government. He called for unity within the party and implored his followers to run a clean campaign devoid of insult and character assassination. He will start his nation wide campaign on Thursday in Cape Coast, “that is where we lost the election and that is where we are going to win,” he declared. Nana Addo also, at his media launch, received massive support from the party's big shots and majority of his colleagues who competed with him during the party’s presidential primary in 2007. They include Kennedy Adjapong, Yaw Osafo Marfo, Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, Dan Botwe, Oboshie Sai Cofie and Mike Ocquaye. The rest include Sheikh I.C. Quaye, Harouna Esseku, Kan Dapaah, Lord Commey, Kwamena Bartels, Nana Kofi Koomson, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey, Christine Churcher and Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe. Play the attached audio for excerpts of the speech by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo  Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com

NDC Footsoldiers’ actions stem from ridicules by political opponents

NDC Footsoldiers’ actions stem from ridicules by political opponents   The National Youth Organiser of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ludwig Hlodze, says one of the reasons for some NDC youth running riot and taking the law into their own hands is the constant ridiculing by their political opponents who are still occupying various positions in government. Speaking in an interview on PEACE FM’s “Kokrokoo”, Mr. Hlodze who stopped short of condoning the actions by these irate NDC youth, strongly contended that such taunts and mocking inflames passion. “This (constant teasing) annoys people…after campaigning for a political party to come into power, you are denied a job…I’m not condoning or supporting what is happening…I am just tracing the root of some of these things,” he told Kwami Sefa-Kayi, host of the programme. He posited that there was a need for parties drawn from the various political divide to refrain from acts likely to raise tempers and fuel the anger of the jobless party supporters. For some weeks now, some irate youth belonging to the ruling NDC have run amok seizing government properties in what appears to be the freedom of lawlessness. Some supporters across the country have been on rampage, seizing public toilets, offices of National Health Insurance Scheme, as well those of the National Youth and Employment programme. They have in rather violent demonstrations, demanded of government to sack some personnel of the NYEP and NHIS ostensibly because they were appointed by the erstwhile NPP government. The incident involving some supporters of the ruling party sequestering the Adomi Bridge is just the latest in a series of recent incidents where NDC youth have taken matters into their own hands and gone on the rampage to get government to address their concerns. Only last month irate NDC youth locked up the party office in Accra demanding the dismissal of former chairman of the Confiscated Assets Committee, Carl Wilson. But Mr. Hlodze told PEACE FM that government was putting the necessary measures in place to ensure that Ghanaians, most especially the youth, are offered some training for skills acquisition. “We should find ways of engaging those hands…We have a number of young people in this government and I don’t think that they would want to see their colleagues suffering…we will do everything to make sure that young people are employed,” Ludwig said. He was however quick to emphasize that the government could not offer employment to virtually everybody and appealed to the youth to exercise restraint as the Mills administration forges ahead in its plans to create avenues for more jobs. “We’ll create the opportunity for them…there is a need for our young people to be trained so that if government cannot absorb them, they could do something on their own…for the past 8years every appointment has been politicized…Until we realize that National Service is different from political services, this thing will continue,” he told Peace FM. Source: Peacefmonline.com

Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) Explosive Letter

Monday, 19 April 2010

Dr Oteng Adjei - Energy Minister One of the features of the recent upheavals in the country’s oil refining facility, Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), was the interception of an email correspondence from the Minister of Energy, Dr. Joe Oteng-Adjei, by peeved staff, to some stakeholders, warning TOR to stay away from crude oil importation. The Minister per the email, has barred TOR from importing crude oil, and ceded the mandate to GNPC, the basis of recent agitations at the refinery. The email correspondence about which so much heat has been generated, both within government circles and outside it, was titled, ‘Re: Update On Crude Oil Supply’, and directed to a couple of people including the deputy Minister of Energy in charge of Oil and Gas, Emmanuel A. Kofi Buah, in which he sought to explain the crude oil supply situation. The contents brought to the fore critical discussions between the man in charge of energy policy and his boss, the President, who goes by the letters HE or His Excellency. Above all, it encapsulates the heat in the kitchen as the minister runs the affairs of this critical sector of the economy, which has met with copious bumps in recent times. The distraught minister, following the interception, has alongside other government agencies, called for action against the staff, with a view to establishing how they came by the email. The demand has been met with mixed reaction, much of which finds the interception not unusual and should therefore not be a subject of criminal interrogation, as being sought by government operatives. The email came on the heels of a worrying disquiet among workers of TOR, as they called for the heads of important personalities in the energy sector, including the Minister, Dr Oteng-Adjei, his deputy, and the power behind President Mills, Ato Ahwoi, who is the GNPC Board Chairman, blaming their predicament and those of the facility on these persons. The email was very instructive that none but GNPC should supply TOR with crude oil for refinery. The revealing email, dated Thursday April 8, 2010, opened with the following: “Let me clarify some wrong impressions making waves. Yes we met HE and the idea of transferring G2G (Government to Government) crude supply from GNPC to TOR was discussed. I was to work with the Chief of Staff to operationalise the directive from HE.” Continuing, Dr Oteng-Adjei states: “In a follow-up meeting in my office on the same day, both TOR and GNPC were requested to supply me with information to enable u contact Chief of Staff. “ Not satisfied with the inability of his request to elicit a response from the targets, he continues: “To date, none of the agencies has sent me the information which in itself can be deemed to be absolute disrespect for the leadership at the Ministry. “In the circumstances,” he fired, “the status quo prevails”, as he states that “TOR will be wasting their time and resources if they proceed to make arrangements to import crude.” Even as TOR workers pray for the import of crude oil to get them busy and to get the very sophisticated and expensive machinery working, the minister emphasized, “Let me state in no uncertain terms (that) FOR NOW, ONLY GNPC HAS THE MANDATE TO SUPPLY CRUDE TO TOR.” The email went on: “In the event that there are shortages of crude for TOR to process, GNPC will be held responsible and the management will be sanctioned!” On what management of GNPC told him, he stated that “GNPC has informed and assured me that they are able to supply the April and May crude requirements. Consequently, NPA should not deal with Ecobank on any crude supply transaction from TOR and I WILL STRONGLY ADVISE THE MANAGEMENT OF TOR TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE WITH ME BEFORE SUBMITTING ANY REQUEST FOR APPROVAL FROM THEIR BOARD.” About the Managing Director of TOR, he intimated that “the MD of TOR must accordingly not confuse us by running to arrange for the supply of crude! Let us be willing to follow basic processes to ensure uniformity and avoid unnecessary bumping as we all seek to take our parts in building the BETTER GHANA”. By A.R. Gomda/Daily Guide

Another DCE In Hot Waters

Charles Evans Apreku ONE OF President John Atta Mills’ darling boys, who was voted the best District Chief Executive (DCE) in the Eastern Region for the year 2009, Charles Evans Apreku of the Kwahu North District Assembly, was yesterday summoned to the Castle, seat of government, to answer questions on the award of a contract which has sparked a raging controversy in the area. Credible sources at the Castle hinted DAILY GUIDE that the DCE was summoned to the Castle on the instructions of the President, John Evans Atta Mills, since he could not fathom why and how a contract which was quoted by the contractor to cost the Assembly an amount of GH¢91,047.81, was suddenly inflated to the tune of GH¢101,337.81. Upon hearing the news, President Mills, who rose to power on the campaign of a ‘Better Ghana’ and a promise to fight against what he described as ‘profligate expenditure’, was said to have been alarmed and therefore asked the DCE to immediately report at the Castle to answer questions. The contract was awarded to Messrs. St. Wilson Company Limited for the supply of curtains, furniture, bedstead and bedspread to the Kwahu North District Assembly through a competitive tender and bidding process. The company was tasked to complete supplies within 90 days as stipulated in the contract agreement. Later, the DCE asked the Managing Director of the company, Wilson Atiemo, to change the quotation since he claimed he was not the only one who bid for the contract and that there was a problem with the calculation of price quotation. Though he declined, Mr. Wilson indicated that Mr. Apreku followed up with a series of calls, pressing him to change the amount involved. As a patriotic citizen, Mr. Wilson said, he turned down the offer since it would lead him to compromise his conscience and reputation as a businessman. But halfway through the project, the contractor claimed that only GH¢12,000 of the contract sum has been advanced to him, stressing the belief that the DCE is deliberately frustrating him for not compromising. He has since reported the issue to the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI). Frantic efforts to reach the DCE for his side of the story proved futile since on all occasions, his cell phone was said to have been switched off. Other officials, including the former District Coordinating Director (DCD), Francis Owusu Ansah, during whose term the contract was awarded and the District Engineer, Francis Onai, have both refused to comment on the issue. Whilst Mr. Owusu Ansah claims he does not have the full details of the contract, Mr. Onai said he could also not comment on it without the consent of the DCE, considering the delicate nature of the issue. Efforts to reach the incumbent DCD for his comments proved unsuccessful as his cell phone was also said to be switched off. By Charles Takyi-Boadu

Hotel Robbers Grabbed With 20 Passports

Tuesday, 20 April 2010

Five notorious armed robbers including a Nigerian, who specialize in robbing their victims at their hotel rooms, have been arrested by the Accra Regional Police Command. The robbers were Sunday Eze Gilbert, a Nigerian, 40, Mohammed Sani, 34, Samuel Kudjo aka Shaggy, 30, Kofi Adamba, 31, and Kelvin Asabri, 32. The five were arrested upon a tip-off after they were said to have attacked Gabby Guest House at Nyanyano, near Kasoa in the Central Region and robbed their victims of various sums of foreign currencies, 20 Ghanaian passports, mobile phones, wrist watches, a digital camera and an amount of GH¢750. Other items found on them were a foreign pistol, two facial masks and quantities of dried leaves believed to be Indian hemp. Three of the armed robbers were later identified as ex-convicts who were facing a robbery trial but were granted bail in February this year. Briefing the media, the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Bio-Atenga indicated that on Sunday April 18, 2010, the armed robbers, led by the Nigerian, attacked Gabby Guest House at Nyanyano. They robbed their victims of various sums of money which included 190 pounds, $900, and GH¢750 in addition to twenty travelling passports. She said based upon a tip-off, the Accra regional police managed to arrest Sunday Eze Gilbert at the scene, while the others managed to escape. “Eze then mentioned his accomplices as Samuel Kudjo, Kelvin Asabri, Kofi Asaba and Mohammed Sani.” The rest were tracked by the police and arrested one after the other at their various hideouts at Industrial Area in Accra. She mentioned that upon a search in their rooms, huge sums of foreign currencies were found. “They later confessed to having taken part in the act,” the police chief said, adding that when the house of Mohammed Sani was searched, an amount of $1600 was found. “We also retrieved two facial masks that they used in the act at Samuel Kudjo’s house and some quantity of dried leaves believed to be Indian hemp.” When the house of Mohammed Sani was searched, 20 travelling passports belonging to their victims were found, as well as a foreign pistol, digital camera, wrist watches, and some mobile phones. DCOP Bio-Atenga reiterated that those arrested were later identified as ex-convicts who were facing trial in connection with a robbery case but were granted bail by the High Court. “Kelvin I must say was arrested in connection with a robbery case but was granted bail in February this year. Kofi Adamba was on remand for seven years and was only released this year, while Sunday Eze was also facing trial in connection with robbery but was also released by the High Court and they went back to continue with their criminal conducts,” she said. By Linda Tenyah & Adeola Adegboye

NPP Recruited Criminals Into Police Service – Police Boss

Source: The Chronicle

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The Tema Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Augustine Gyening, has launched a blistering attack on the New Patriot Party (NPP), saying it recruited a bunch of criminals into the Police Service when the party was in power.

According to him, the NPP, when in power, used its influence on the Police Service to recruit personnel who did not qualify to be in the service. He attributed the recent criminal activities of some personnel of the Service, to those who were recruited some five years ago when the NPP was in power, adding that those personnel were recruited without following due process in the Police Service.

The Tema Regional Police Commander was speaking on gold Power Drive recently, in reaction to some police personnel who were arrested on the Accra-Aflao road for robbing a Malian national off his money.

“When you look at the personnel we’ve arrested so far in the Service, their service numbers can be traced back to some five years ago when they were recruited, and that was when the NPP was in power,” he noted. But, the Minority Leader, Osei-Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, in a sharp rebuttal, described ACP Gyening’s comments as unfortunate, since he (ACP Gyening) cannot use one’s criminal record in the service to judge all who were recruited some five years ago.

“If a policeman who was recruited during the NPP regime has been arrested for a criminal offense, it doesn’t mean that all the personnel recruited some five years ago, when the party was in power, are all criminals,” he noted. According to him, it was not the first time a criminal had been arrested in the Police Service, and therefore wondered what informed ACP Gyening’s decision to make “such an unfortunate comment.’

“Is it the first time that a person in the Service has been found to have engaged in something contrary to the law? If it is the first time, then, would ACP Gyening agree, or say that during Rawlings’ administration, all those who went contrary to the law are criminals?” the Minority Leader quizzed.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere, Mr Dan Kwaku Botwe, was also heard on one of the local FM stations in Tema lambasting ACP Gyening, describing his comments as irresponsible, since he was part of the Police Service during the NPP administration when recruitment exercises were carried out.

“What did he say at that time when the recruitment exercise was carried out?” he asked. ACP Gyening however, insisted that whenever he hears stories on air about criminals in the Police Service, he felt uncomfortable, noting that the only way to get rid of the malfeasance was to revert the current recruitment exercise to that of the olden days, where finger prints were taken to determine whether one had a criminal record or not, before accepting him or her into the Service.

“The current administration should revert to the olden style of recruitment. In fact, they should do something to bring sanity into the Service,” he stated, and also called on the current administration of the Police Service to screen those already in the Service, in order to get rid of the criminals.

Though he admitted his suggestion might be a very difficult task, he noted that would be the only way to get rid of the bad nuts in the service. The Commander of the Striking Force, Chief Supt. Ben Mensah, in a telephone interview on the program, also blamed the NPP for current happenings in the Police Service.

He also shared the belief that if the Service was to do away with the criminals, then it should consider reverting its recruitment exercise to that of the olden days.

How Goldman Sachs Screwed Ghana

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Goldman Sachs, the global financial institution, with fraud allegations levied against it has a long history of setting up its clients for a fall...and making handsome profits.

This is a story of how this global investment banking and securities firm screwed Ghana

In 1998, Ashanti Gold was the 3rd largest Gold Mining company in the world. The first "black" company on the London Stock Exchange, Ashanti had just purchased the Geita mine in Tanzania, positioning Ashanti to become even larger. But in May 1999, the Treasury of the United Kingdom decided to sell off 415 tons of its gold reserves. With all that gold flooding the world market, the price of gold began to decline. By August 1999, the price of gold had fallen to $252/ounce, the lowest it had been in 20 years.

Ashanti turned to its Financial Advisors - Goldman Sachs - for advice. Goldman Sachs recommeded that Ashanti purchase enormous hedge contracts - "bets" on the price of gold. Simplifying this somewhat, it was similar to when a homeowner 'locks in' a price for heating oil months in advance. Goldman recommeded that Ashanti enter agreements to sell gold at a 'locked-in' price, and suggested that the price of gold would continue to fall.

But Goldman was more than just Ashanti's advisors. They were also sellers of these Hedge contracts, and stood to make money simply by selling them. And they were also world-wide sellers of Gold itself.

In September 1999 (one month later), 15 European Banks with whom Goldman had professional relationships made a unanimous surprise announcement that all 15 would stop selling gold on world markets for 5 years. The announcement immediately drove up gold prices to $307/ounce, and by October 6, it had risen to $362/ounce.

Ashanti was in trouble. At Goldman's advice, they had bet that gold prices would continue to drop, and had entered into contracts to sell gold at lower prices. These contracts were held by a group of 17 other world banks. Ashanti found themselves being forced to buy gold at high world prices and sell it at the low contract prices to make good on the contracts. The result? In a few weeks time, Ashanti found itself with 570 million dollars worth of losses. It had to beg the 17 banks not to force the execution of the contracts.

Who served as the negotiator for the 17 banks and Ashanti? Goldman Sachs. The same company that designed the contracts for Ashanti(making a profit in their sale.

The basic bankruptcy of Ashanti drove its stock price from an all time high of $25 per share to a paltry $4.62 per share. Thousands of investors - your blogger among them - lost their investments almost overnight as Ashanti was declared insolvent.

In the end (2003), Ashanti was purchased by their largest African competitor, AngloGold, a British company headquartered in South Africa, who bought them for a song. The Financial Advisors to AngloGold? You guessed it: Goldman Sachs.

The destruction of Ashanti Gold by Goldman Sachs was saturated with fraud and conflicts of interest: Goldman Sachs served as Ashanti's Financial Advisors; profitted form the contracts they designed and marketed for Ashanti; was involved in the manipulation of the gold prices on which the contracts depended; represented Ashanti's creditors when the contracts went bad; and profitted as the Financial Advisors to the company that picked up the Ashanti corpse for pennies on the dollar.

Source:Tully/GHP

Wereko-Brobby, Mpiani face charges on Wednesday

Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby and Kwadwo Mpiani likely to be charged on Wednesday         The two men who supervised Ghana’s 50th independence anniversary celebrations could be charged with various offences on Wednesday. Joy News has learnt that the two, former Chief of Staff, Kwadwo Mpiani, and the CEO of the Ghana@50 Secretariat, Dr. Charles Wereko-Brobby, have been asked to report to the police headquarters Wednesday. It is likely they will be formally charged when they respond to the invitation, sources tell Joy News. The charges will relate to their disbursement of funds for various expenses for the 50th independence anniversary celebrations. Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

Attempted ‘coup’ on Ga mantse foiled

Nii Tackie Tawiah II Ga mantse         The suspicion and sour relationship between the Ga chief, Nii Tackie Tawia II, and the government look set to worsen after a claimant to the Ga stool attempted an installation process with the alleged assistance of national security, Sunday morning. The 'coup makers' led by Nii Ayittey Canada descended into the shrine of the Ga chief Priest accompanied by officers of the national security with goats and other traditional materials for the installation rituals to be performed. Nii Ayittey Canada is claiming the throne under the stool name Nii Tackie Oblie III. It is his third such attempt to be installed, Joy News has learnt. An elder of the Sakumono chief priest told Joy News they resisted the installation process because the claimant has not been sanctioned by the king makers. “We were in our house and we heard people were coming with goats and things and we asked them what they were doing with the goats here and they said they were coming to perform customary [rites]. “We told them that it was not the right way to do that thing because they have to inform all the elders in the house", Nii Jabeng an elder of the Sakumono shrine said. According to him, the claimant, Nii Canada came with elders and Jaasetse who were at best, strangers to the Ga stool. Nii Jabeng confirmed the presence of the national security operatives, adding the head of the Sakumono shrine, elder of the Ga state, was on Thursday invited to a meeting by officers of national security on ways to bring peace into the Ga state. He said they were surprised to see the officers on Sunday in the company of the claimant with the objective of assisting in his installation. He said the timely intervention of the James Town police restored peace and order. The police have declined to comment on the matter except to say that they are investigating. A spokesperson of the Ga mantse, Nii Boye Abbey said the installation attempts vindicate their allegations that government has taken sides. The Ga mantse have publicly criticized president Mills over what he says is government’s deliberate plan to undermine his authority by sidelining him. But government insists Nii Tackie Tawia II must be gazetted before he will be officially recognized. Nii Boye Abbey said: “We find it (installation attempt) very distasteful and is an unfortunate situation and a very big shame to them." Story By Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

Cocoa smuggling: BNI capo grabbed

A National Security personnel, Kwaku Darko, has been arrested by the police CID for his alleged involvement in the recent smuggling of cocoa into Ivory Coast. Joy News sources at the Police Headquarters in Accra say Kwaku Darko, believed to be a Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) operative, was picked up Tuesday evening. The arrest comes in the wake of three-month comprehensive undercover investigations led by ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, on how Ghana's cocoa get smuggled. The video documentary has officers from the Army, Police, Customs and National Security engaged in massive smuggling of cocoa to neighbouring Ivory Coast. Already, eight customs officers and a policeman implicated in the cocoa smuggling have been arrested by the police CID. Mr Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who is also the editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, has hailed the initial arrest of nine persons identified in the video as “a good start”. That, notwithstanding, the journalist is pushing for more arrests to follow, as, according to him, his work indicted more than 40 people for their various roles in the smuggling of cocoa to Ivory Coast. Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com

UPDATE: Tullow Oil: Ghana Jubilee Field 1st Oil 4Q 2010

By Angela Henshall
Dow Jones Newswires


LONDON -(Dow Jones)- Tullow Oil PLC's (TLW.LN) Jubilee field in Ghana is on target to produce its first oil in the fourth quarter this year, with the first cargo expected as early as December, said a senior executive at the oil company Tuesday.
"First oil is on schedule for the fourth quarter, so discovery to first oil in 40 months," Tullow's exploration manager for Gulf of Guinea Robin Sutherland said at The Africa Petroleum Conference in London.
"We feel it is a common mistake that oil companies make in neglecting their exploration roots," said Sutherland. "We have no intention in doing this, and 80% of our 2010 capital will be spent in Africa."
He said the company is on target for the Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel to sail in May, and has already started well-completion activities.
Sutherland said the first stage development cost of the Jubilee field had remained within the original $3.1 billion budget. The field's output is expected to ramp-up to 120,000 barrels a day within six months of first oil produced.
Tullow has also developed its own transport company, including helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in order to access the site, Sutherland said.
Tullow is also in the process of developing oil fields in Uganda's Lake Albert basin and is in talks over licenses in two oil blocks on the Congolese side of the lake.
Tullow, Total SA (TOT: 59.02, -0.51, -0.86%) and Cnooc Ltd. want to form an operating company for the project in the Lake Albert basin. Each is expected to hold one-third of the project covering blocks 1, 2 and 3A, and the three are expected to inject at least $5 billion to develop fields in the blocks, according to people familiar with the situation.
Tullow is also still waiting for government approval of its proposed $1.5 billion takeover of the interests of Heritage Oil PLC (HOIL.LN) in two blocks in the country.
Earlier Tuesday Tullow said positive data from the Ugandan Kasamene-3 well encountered oil and proved the viability of this location as a future water injection point to support up-dip oil production.

Source:Fox Business

Eight CEPS officials, one policeman arrested over Anas' cocoa smuggling story

Nine arrested over Anas' cocoa smuggling saga         Eight Customs officers and a policeman implicated in the smuggling of cocoa to neighbouring countries have been arrested by police CID. Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Kwesi Ofori confirmed this to Joy News on Monday. The nine were captured on a video in a comprehensive undercover investigations led by ace investigative journalist and sub-editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Anas Aremeyaw-Anas on how Ghana's cocoa get smuggled. DSP Ofori told Joy News reporter Benjamin Tetteh the police have begun further investigations into the matter and will soon arraign the suspects before court. This he said is part of measures to rid the security of bad nuts, but was quick to add that the accused persons will first have their day in court to defend themselves. Source: Myjoyonline.com

Mills Gives $5Million To Rawlings? - Raymond Archer

• Who will save Ghana from the economic vampires and these enemies of progress? »

It may be the biggest scandal since Watergate, but the Editor-In-Chief of the Enquirer newspaper, Mr Raymond Archer, has accused former President Rawlings and his wife of receiving an amount of five million United States dollars on the quiet from the government of President John Evans Atta Mills!

The money, ostensibly, is to complete work on the Calf Cocoa Factory owned by the Rawlingses, which is located at Kpone in the Greater Accra Region.

According to Raymond Archer, even though the Rawlingses have taken their share of the monies from the Atta Mills Administration on the quiet, they are busy incited the youth of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) against the government of John Evans Atta Mills because the youth allegedly are not being taken care of!

Mr Archer, who was speaking on the programme Alhaji and Alhaji on Radio Gold Saturday, accused former President Rawlings and his wife of receiving the money within six months of the NDC coming power, and then turning round to complain that the foot soldiers were not being taken care of, and wondered why they took the money if they knew that the times are hard.

On Sunday, April 11, 2010, Mr Kofi Adams, the Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress.

(NDC) and Spokesperson to the Rawlingses, was not picking up his calls, to answer whether or not his bosses had received the $5million, but if it is true that indeed the Rawlingses have received the huge amount from government, it would raise many questions, chief among which would be exactly the nature of the financing and whether the payment from government into private hands, has been approved by parliament!

Former President Rawlings has been at the forefront of agitation by the youth of the NDC against the Mills administration, constantly calling on them to rise up to keep the government on its toes because it is not taking care of them.

The revelation however that the same Rawlings and his wife have been paid five million dollars to complete their factory by Atta Mills would come as a surprise to many of the foot soldiers!

Source: Daily Searchlight