Michael Jackson's legacy honored at BET Awards

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AP – Jamie Foxx, left, is seen with a dancer as he performs a tribute to Michael Jackson at the 9th Annual …

• Slideshow:Michael Jackson dies at 50
• Play VideoCelebrity Video:Stars sing Jackson tunes on BET red carpet AP
• Play VideoCelebrity Video:Doctor's lawyer: Jackson had pulse when found AP

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer – 7 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – The BET Awards became the official Michael Jackson TV celebration on Sunday, with joyous tributes to the King of Pop from a New Edition medley of Jackson 5 songs to host Jamie Foxx's tender monologue delivered in that classic red leather zipper jacket and white glove.

Joe Jackson, the singer's father, was on hand to represent the grief-stricken family. "I just wish he could be here to celebrate himself," he said. "Sadly, he's not here, so I'm here to celebrate for him."

Already an affair of major star wattage, the night's show at the Shrine Auditorium was thrown under a white-hot spotlight in the wake of Michael Jackson's death Thursday, adding attendees and guests, doubling the number of media requests, adding an extra half-hour to the telecast and even lengthening the red carpet to accommodate all who wanted to take part.

While Jackson's incredible influenced stretched across genres, races, and cultures, he had a very unique place in the world of black entertainment. His influence is arguably most visible in urban music, seen in stars like Usher who mimic his dance moves, to Ne-Yo, whose music is marked by its Jackson-isms. But that influence went beyond music: Jackson was black America's biggest star, who broke racial barriers that allowed for so many other superstars to follow.

Foxx kicked off the show with a re-enactment of the choreography from Jackson's iconic "Beat It" video in front of the star-studded crowd, on its feet from the start of the show. Throughout the night, Foxx wore some of Jackson's signature looks, like the wide-collar black leather outfit from "Billie Jean."

"No need to be sad. We want to celebrate this black man," said Foxx.

Producers of the annual awards show — which recognizes the best in music, acting and sports — revamped the show to meet the moment. While Beyonce and T.I. were the leading award nominees with five apiece, giving out trophies was an afterthought: Honoring Jackson was became the show's main focus.

While some performed their own hits, most made sure to incorporate some of the man who influenced them in their performances. A chant of "Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson" was heard while Keri Hilson performed, and Foxx's "Blame It" incorporated some of the Jacksons' dance hit "Blame It On the Boogie."

New Edition, the 1980s teen sensations who were considered that generation's Jackson 5 with their own version of bubble-gum soul, ran through several of the Jackson 5's greatest hits, from "I Want You Back" to "ABC," mirroring their idols right down to the group's original choreography. Ne-Yo sang one of Jackson's most sensual songs, "Lady in my Life."

"He's the man who made it possible for me to be on the stage; I love you and I miss you," he said later.

And winners acknowledged Jackson when they received their awards.

"We all know none of us in this in this room wouldn't be here for Michael Jackson," said Lil Wayne, as he picked up his award for best male hip-hop star.

"My heart and prayers go out to the whole Jackson family," said basketball star LeBron James, who won best male athlete. "What they did for us, ... for the whole world was amazing."

The Shrine stage was where Jackson's hair and scalp were burned during the filming of a Pepsi commercial in 1984 and the location for several of his Grammy and American Music Award performances.

Parliament Goofed

The Member of Parliament for Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa, Hon. Paul Collins Appiah Ofori has noted that Parliament would have been absolved from blame by Auditor-General's report if the Finance Committee had upheld his objection to the approval of $11.8 million for the Ghana@50 Secretariat. He recalled that he opposed the approval of the $11.8 million at the Finance Committee meeting on grounds that the then Chief of Staff, Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, had not accounted for the first $20 million the House had earlier approved.

But he was overruled by many of the members and consequently the money was given the light. He explained that the two installments of $20 million and $11.8 million respectively demanded by the Government for the Ghana@50 Secretariat were in the 2007 Budget Statement as an appendix; but the amounts did not form part of the Appropriation Act because they were captured in dollars in the budget.

And once the budget was approved,it meant that they were to be brought to Parliament for approval. "At that meeting I raised objections to the approval of the $11.8 million by Parliament. The reason being that the first $ 20million should be accounted for to Parliament by the Chief of Staff before more monies could be used but the objection was overruled by majority of members, therefore it went through," he told Public Agenda in an interview on the Audit Report of the Ghana@50 Secretariat.

The Report accuses Parliament of glossing over the fact that neither the "Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning nor the Secretariat presented budgets estimates in accordance with Article 179(2) and (8) of the 1992 Constitution and approved amounts of $20 million and $11.8 million for the Secretariat." The Report which spans May 2006 and December 2008 indicts Parliament for failing to exercise oversight responsibility on Ghana@50 Secretariat. It says the aberration led to a situation where the Secretariat, was left with the option of spending the amount allocated according to its own discretion.

"Whatever the Secretariat spent in excess of the total amount $31.8 million did not have prior approval of Parliament and therefore the Secretariat acted ultra vires, hence unconstitutional and illegal," he submitted. Quoting the Loans Act, Hon. Appiah-Ofori argues that the Act expressly provides in Section 10 that any loan guaranteed by the government, the terms and conditions pertaining to the loan must have prior approval of Parliament in the same way as obtains when a government is contracting a loan. "So the guarantee of loans by the National Planning Committee (NPC) which were contracted by certain institutions and were accessed and used without prior Parliamentary approval was illegal.

Again, according to Article 181(4) of the Constitution, the proceeds from the loan must be paid into the Consolidated Fund but there is no evidence that this was complied with," he stated. He further observes, "The disbursements of money, including the $31.8 million, were not in accordance with the provisions of the Financial Administration Act and the Financial Administration Regulations. The provisions of the Procurement Act and the Internal Audit Agency Act were also not complied with.

"Accordingly, those who handled the money must be called upon to explain their conduct, and if as a result of the non-compliance with the Constitution, the Financial Administration Act, 203; the Financial Administration Regulation, 2004 the Procurement Act, 2004, and the Internal Audit Act the State incurred any financial loss, then the Office of the Chief of Staff and the Ghana@50 Secretariat must be held blamable." Additionally, he notes that Section 62 of the Financial Administration Act states that any public officer connected with the disbursement of public funds who makes opportunities for anybody to commit an offence and if found guilty goes to prison for 10 years and section 179(a)(3) of the Criminal Code also says that "Any person through whose willful action or omission the State incurs any financial loss commits an offence, then all those connected with the disbursement of the funds have a case to answer. "Therefore the law should be allowed to take its course to serve as deterrent to all public officers," he maintained.

Thus Hon. Appiah-Ofori concurs with the Auditor-General that Parliament failed to discharge its oversight responsibility.

He made a shocking revelation, "Indeed, I personally paid a visit to the Ghana@50 Secretariat during its operations and was unhappy about the way they were doing things. I did not see any cash book for the recording of disbursements of funds being made by the Secretariat, so I was not surprise that the Auditor-General had made negative findings against the authorities involved."

He notes that certain media personnel who have been contending that the Chief of Staff was at one time in Parliament to furnish MPs with detailed disbursements of the monies allocated are doing so out of ignorance in that it was after the expenditure by the Secretariat that Parliament invited the Chief of Staff to come and explain. "The procedure is that he should have provided Parliament with the details before spending so that the House can hold the Secretariat accountable".

“Gov’t Officials Must Have Own Cars”

The honourable Member of Parliament (MP) for Subin, Mr. Isaac Osei, says it is high time all government or public officials are encouraged to own cars, instead of relying on government. He said people across the spectrum should be encouraged to own their own cars, and in most jurisdictions, duty post allowance paid to them.

The Subin MP said the Speaker, Ministers and Judges, like MPs, must be offered loan facilities, and duty post allowances paid. “That way, people would take proper care of the cars while at the same time cutting down cost of maintenance of these cars by the State,” he told The Chronicle, regarding his views on the grant of $50,000 car loans to legislators. He as well noted that it would go a long way to end the car seizing ritual when there is a change of government or one retires from public office, because it would not be morally right for anyone to confiscate someone’s own vehicle, just because there is a change of government. Hon. Osei said the tradition that government officials, particularly Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCE’s), are provided with means of transport for official duties, should be discouraged in their own interest.

Under the proposed arrangement, where loans are offered, no public official would have the option not to own a car or pay for it, because it would be facilitated by the banks which would ensure that the facility is serviced at source. Asked about the necessity for every MP to access the car loan, in the face that others might have served two terms, Mr. Osei said all MPs need at least two cars, and most probably a third one for domestic chores. He advised that all MPs go for the car loan to facilitate their work in the constituencies.

source: The Chronicle

NDC guru warns NPP: Don’t Push Us Far, Else You’ll Regret It

The outspoken former Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro, Mr. Lee Ocran has condemned the conduct of former government officials, including Ministers in the erstwhile administration of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), towards the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

He threatened that "They should not push us far, otherwise they will regret it”. Known in political circles as ‘Mr. No Nonsense’, Hon. Lee Ocran further warned: "We haven’t reached there yet, so they should comport themselves" Recalling what happened to the past NDC Ministers in 2001 when NPP took over power, the vociferous politician said "The Act that establishes the BNI is the same, it has not changed.

We are not repeating what they did to us, otherwise, we would have seized all their passports like they did to my wife and her friend -Aunti Yaa", he fumed. Speaking in a telephone interview with Melody FM, a Takoradi based Radio station recently, the former MP, who single handedly fought the Kufuor administration against the movement of the Osagyefo Barge from Efaso-Mangyea to Tema during the energy crisis, acknowledged that President Mills, "The President is a God-fearing man, if I were him, they (NPP) will not even be talking by now," he pointed out. Mr. Ocran, an avowed critic of the erstwhile NPP regime again descended heavily on the former government officials for making capital out of the alleged 3.6 billion cedis spent by the transitional team, saying "There is no common sense in their outcry”, he noted and alleged that the girl friend of the owner of the paper that quoted the figure is the one that prepares snack for parliament.

According to Mr. Ocran, who has been appointed by the President as an Ambassador-designate, the transitional team did not spend more than what was expected of them because they did the work to the best of their abilities. He said that instead of the former officials of the Kufuor administration rather thanking the Mills administration for taking their time to investigate activities of the past administration, they were rather shouting on roof tops about the way the BNI was conducting its investigations.

Touching on the position of the NPP that their members would no longer accept verbal invitation to the offices of the BNI, he said "Even if they don’t go, they will be arrested by the BNI, so what is their problem". Mr. Lee Ocran alleged that 2 billion old Ghana cedis was misused during the Ghana @50 on balloons alone, which was imported into the country by the wife of one of the 17 NPP presidential candidates.

At Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), he noted that the NPP left over 9 trillion old Ghana cedis debt which the current administration was working hard to pay. He however apologized to Ghanaians and asked them to exercise patience as the government works around the clock to resolve the numerous problems confronting the country. Mr. Ocran disclosed that the debt of TOR has affected the operations of Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), which is now on the verge of collapse, because the previous government borrowed 1billion dollars from the bank. The former MP, now an Ambassador designate, made all these comments on record and defended strongly the GH¢13,000 that was paid to each member of the transitional team.

source: The Chronicle

Kwesi Pratt: Muntaka Cannot Be Free

The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Mr. Kwesi Pratt has criticized the NDC government for absolving Hon. Muntaka Mubarak of the dozens of allegations made against him by the accountant of the Sports Ministry. Speaking on Peace FM"s "Kokrokoo"show, Mr. Pratt said the ex-minister cannot be said to be blameless because the investigation team’s report shows that he is guilty of using state funds for personal interest.

He said the report shows that Hon. Mubarak truly took his girlfriend on a trip to Abidjan and Germany at the expense of Ghana government. He added that the report also reveals Hon. Mubarak used state funds to buy pampers and mouth wash for his baby. “How in the world could the NDC administration say he is cleared of all the charges preferred against him?,” he inquired. According to the social commentator, the NDC administration is trying to put the blame on the ministry’s Chief Director, one Mr. Albert Anthony instead. This he described as an unfair action against the Chief Director.

Mr. Pratt was speaking in reaction to Hon. Muntaka Mubarak’s resignation. The Minister was reported to have tendered his resignation to President Mills which the president has accepted. He had earlier been asked by President Mills to proceed on leave while investigations were ongoing into allegations of abuse of power and corruption against him.

By John Nyaaba, peacefmonline.com

Veep leaves for Chicago

Former Vice President Aliu Mahama Former Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama leaves Accra for Chicago, United States on Monday June 29th as a guest of the North American Alumni Association of the Kwane Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). The information was contained in a release signed by Alhassan Abdul-Wahab, a Special Assistant to the former Vice President. The invitation forms part of the association’s anniversary celebrations from Wednesday, July 1st to Thursday, July 7th during which he will be the Guest of Honour. While in Chicago, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, an alumnus of KNUST will assist in the mobilization of resources for the benefit of his alma mater. The celebration is themed “Mobilising Our Resources To Help Our Alma Mater.” He is scheduled to meet with the Tamale/Louisville sister organization to discuss development issues concerning the Northern Region of Ghana in general and Tamale in particular.

Six robbers arrested after Goil attack

Six suspected armed robbers have been arrested by the Police after an attack at the Tantra Hill Goil filling Station in Accra, Sunday morning.

A pump attendant at the station told Joy News, the Security man at the filling was shot in the head by the robbers after he attempted to disarm one of the robbers.

The station manager also sustained serious head injuries after being hit in the head with the back of the gun by the robbers to force him to open the safe containing the day’s sales.

But for the timely intervention of the Police the robbers would have wrecked total havoc.

Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP Rose Biu Atinga who confirmed the arrest to Joy News, said three of the robbers have absconded.

The robbers, she said were very young and were between the ages of 24 years -27 years. Their ammunition included locally manufactured guns and a pump action gun has been recovered by the police .

Meanwhile, the security man and his General Manager are in critical condition after they were rushed to the 37 military Hospital.

Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline

Brazil Defeats United States 3-2

Brazil Has defeated United States 3-2 to take the Confedearcy Cup in South Africa. Brazil was down 2-0 at the end of the first half but came up strongly during the second half to score 3 goals to take the cup.

Rawlings in Cote d’Ivoire

Former President J.J. Rawlings Former President Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu, are in Cote d’Ivoire to take part in activities marking the 50th anniversary of the Cote d’Ivoire Bar Association. President Rawlings who will be away for four days will also hold talks with Ivorian leader, Laurent Gbagbo. The Bar Association celebrations which began on Monday includes the launch of the West African Lawyers Association (AJAAO), various forums and an official ceremony on Thursday at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Foundation for the Research of Peace in Yamoussoukro. President Rawlings will be addressing the official ceremony on Thursday alongside President Gbagbo, and former Senegalese President Abdou Diouf. Signed: Kofi Adams

Ghanaian Farmers charge on Ayariga

A group of farmers from Bawku in Upper East Region have called on President Mills to investigate the justification for giving his aide, Mr. Mahama Ayariga, five state tractors just after they assumed office.

They insisted that the five tractors he procured from the Ministry of Agriculture is being hired only to farmers who belonged to the ruling government.

According to the farmers, contrary to assertions by Mr. Ayariga that the tractors were hired for GH¢1O to plough an acre of land, the tractors were rather hired for ¢25.

Speaking in an interview with The Chronicle on Saturday, on behalf of a group of fanners, Mr. Yusif Seidu Bagura said they had complained bitterly about the selective jobs Ayariga's workers were using the tractors for.

Whenever you go there to hire the vehicles they would ask you, either you join NDC or you forget about the ploughing," Mr. Bagura, also a maize and groundnut farmer, lamented.

The paper gathered that the tractors were being used to lure New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters to join the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who are expecting a bye-election, since an NDC supporter had dragged the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Hon. Adamu Dramani to court on allegations that he had not renounced his British citizenship.

Word on the streets of Bawku is that there is an imminent bye-election,since the Member of Parliament is a British citizen as a result he was not qualified to stand for the parliamentary elections.

Mr Bagura appealed to the President to come to their aid as soon as possible since the town was an impoverished area, and things had worsened as a result of the unavailability of farming equipment.

He said, instead of the tractors being used for developmental projects, the caretakers of the tractors were using them as a campaign tools.

He questioned the reason for allocating five state tractors to only one person, since he was in government.

Mr. Ayariga told The Chronicle on Saturday's Chief Political Correspondent, Mr. Bismark Bebli that he had applied for only one tractor, but after the Ministry of Agriculture had observed the immense contribution he would use the tractor for, decided to add four more to it.

He insisted that he did not twist the arms of the officers of the Ministry of Agriculture to award him five tractors and that there was nothing illegal in the purchase of the tractors.

The Chronicle,recently reported the sale of state vehicles to government officials at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture

The report exposed how state vehicles were secretly sold to some prominent officials of the current government at relatively cheap prices.

Some of the officials include the majority Leader of Parliament and MP for Nadowli West, Hon. Alban Babgin, and the Presidential spokesperson, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, the NDC MP for Salaga, Hon Alhaji Ibrahim Dey Abubakar, and one Mr. Iddrisu Alhassan of Walewale, in the Northern Region.

Source: Chronicle

Essien set for mammoth wage

Michael Essien, Chelsea Reports in England say new Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti is ready to offer Ghana international Michael Essien a new £125,000-a-week deal to keep him at Stamford Bridge. Early this week, the player's agent was accused of a scaremongering tactic when he stated some clubs were interested in the midfield powerhouse. The 26-year-old is currently on a £90,000-a-week deal and Ancelotti believes this new offer will retain him as the club seek to win the Uefa Champions League. Essien's departure at the West London club was speculated with rumours of AC Milan's Andrea Pirlo arriving this summer. Source: Ghanasoccernet.com

Spain 3-2 South Africa

Spain secured victory over hosts South Africa in the Confederations Cup third-place play-off courtesy of a Xabi Alonso extra-time free-kick.

South African substitute Katlego Mphela opened the scoring in the second half, lashing in a Siphiwe Tshabalala cross.

Two goals in two minutes from Daniel Guiza seemed to have won it for Spain until Mphela crashed home an injury-time free-kick to force extra-time.

Alonso curled in a set-piece in the second period of extra-time to win it.

For much of normal time this game was a typically drab third-place play-off, with European Champions Spain - whose 35-match unbeaten run came to a shock end against the United States in the semi-final - particularly lethargic.

The closest either side came to a goal in the first half was a Matthew Booth snap shot that fizzed past the post for the home side.

Spain were brighter in the second half, with Albert Riera forcing a smart save from Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune.

However, it was the home side who took the lead when Tshabalala was released wide left and his cross was firstly controlled by Mphela before being crashed into the roof of the net by the striker.

It looked like being the only goal of the game until Guiza's late show.

The substitute striker turned in a Santi Cazorla cross with his right foot into the bottom left-hand corner in the 88th minute.

Barely a minute later he had put Spain into the lead, when what appeared to have been a cross beat Khune, clipped the far upright and went in.

It appeared as though this would be enough to win the match for Spain, but with the final kick of the match, three minutes into injury-time, Mphela lashed in a spectacular 25-yard free-kick to extend matters by a further thirty minutes.

In an understandably nervy extra-time, Liverpool midfielder Alonso had the final say, with a smart, curling free-kick that beat attackers and defenders alike to find the far right corner of the net.

Source: BBC

Government announces 20% bonus for teachers at deprived areas

Alex Tettey- Enyo, Education Minister. Email Print Have Your Say ( 2 ) Government on Friday announced a 20 per cent bonus salary enhancement package for trained teachers who would accept postings to deprived areas in the country. A personnel performance assessment is also on-going at the Ministry of Education to inform enhancement of salary and other emoluments for teachers. Mr Alex Tettey-Enyo, Minister of Education, disclosed this at the end of a three-day National Education Sector Annual Review 2009 workshop, in Accra to evaluate and assess educational sector performance reports. The Minister, who could not be specific on when the implementation of the package would begin, said the move was to improve the conditions of teachers to ensure the achievement of quality teaching and learning in public schools. He also announced that the Ministry was working to revise the Education Strategic Plan to reflect the new thinking about education contained in the recent Education Reform document. Mr Tettey-Enyo said concerns about teacher management, placement and terms of conditions of service, required dispassionate attention among stakeholders and called on teachers to change their attitudes to ensure optimum productivity. He charged the Ghana Education Service to take steps to change teacher attitude, rationalise the distribution of teachers and also implement findings from various studies conducted to improve the placement of teachers. On skills training, he said government had designed a new programme, National Apprenticeship Programme, which would commence this year to provide work-focused technical and vocational training for basic school graduates, who could not enter second cycle institutions. Mr Tettey-Enyo said there would be re-packaging of Technical and Vocational Education with the establishment of the Council for Technical and Vocational Training. This he said would ensure a strong link between industry, employers and institutions, offering technical and vocational education. Touching on education of children with special needs, Mr Tettey-Enyo said special and inclusive schools were being supported to attract children with various forms of disability. He said government would increase support for education of children with special needs to give meaning to the Disability Act, to reduce stigma and encourage parents of such children to bring them for care and treatment. Even though the report recorded improvements in areas such as school enrolment, literacy and numeracy skills, information decentralization among other things, was said to be inadequate. Source: GNA