The two national dailies, the Daily Graphic and Ghanaian Times and indeed almost all the papers on the news stand this morning capture on their front pages, the NPP flag bearer, Nana Addo’s introduction of his running mate, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia at the Takoradi Polytechnic Park yesterday. The Graphic and Times especially extend the coverage to their inside pages showing some exciting scenes from the party’s national delegates conference.
The Insight gives banner headline to a story by Africa report, an international magazine which says the fortunes of the NDC in the December 7 elections are improving. In its August – September edition, the magazine claims that a struggling economy, high oil import costs and rocketing food prices are responsible for the rise in the NDC’s fortunes.
The Graphic in another front page story quotes a highly placed source at the Electoral Commission as saying the voters register to be used for the December elections could be bloated by more than one million voters. According to the source, by the EC’s own calculation between 600,000 and one million people were qualified to register during the recent limited registration exercise, but reports available point to the fact that about two million people registered.
The Public Agenda gives prominence to reports that a combination of scarce cash and higher prices of goods are deterring consumers from buying more items than they did two months ago. Quoting a cross-section of traders in Madina, one of the capital’s ever growing market centers, the report says majority of the traders claimed they sold fewer goods in August than June this year or even the corresponding period of 2007. Also carried as a front page story by the paper is a call by civil society organisations and other stakeholders on government to reconsider the current fiscal regime in the extractive sector in the wake of Ghana’s oil discovery. The stakeholders are uncomfortable with the many tax holidays enjoyed by a lot of the multi-national mining companies operating in the country leading to huge revenue losses to the State.
The Business and Financial Times reports as its lead story that Britain’s Vodafone group has promised Ghanaians better times as they will be direct beneficiaries of cheap but quality services in the next 60 days.
EDITORIALS
The Daily Graphic says the announcement by the EC that the voters register could be bloated by as many as one million should be a source of worry to all. To the paper a bloated register raises doubts over the credibility of voting exercise. The Graphic believes though cleaning up the voters register would be a challenge to the EC. It is however the only way to have a credible register. The paper however reminds the EC to be cautious during the clean up so that some eligible voters are not disenfranchised.
The Ghanaian Times urges journalists to ensure that their reportage on political issues is devoid of unethical and other negative statements that can inflame passion and polarize the nation. The paper believes such media reports cast a bad image on the journalism profession. The Times calls on the GJA and National Media Commission to monitor the work of journalists so that those found operating unethically could be sanctioned.
The Enquirer is worried about reasons given by Ghana Telecom workers during its divestiture that it will help raise funds to their severance packages. The paper believes that the workers are only interested in their own selfish gains. The Enquirer says government's stand that the money will be used to support the national budget is equally worrisome since it means there is a widening gap between revenue generation and expenditure.
