The Daily Graphic gives banner headline to reports that NADMO and the VRA have moved personnel and logistics to the three regions in the north to help evacuate residents who have ignored warnings of imminent danger of the opening of the flood gates of the Bagre dam in Burkina Faso on Thursday. A cover story by the paper says the atmosphere was that of excitement when workers of Ghana Telecom including those from the regions had their first official meeting with a team from Vodafone UK at a workers durbar in Accra on Monday.
Still with the Graphic, the paper reports that a 14 year-old boy died while another 13 year old boy, sustained gunshot wounds when rival armed factions in a chieftaincy dispute and other offensive weapons clashed at the Weija Palace during the Homowo celebrations last Friday. The Ghanaian Times carries as its lead story the good news that the National Health Insurance Scheme has to date registered more than 11mubscribers representing more than 55 per cent of the population. The Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Council, Ras Boateng dropped the hint at the eight quadrennial delegates’ congress of the TUC in Kumasi.
Also given prominence by the paper is a report that the absence of a bumper harvest of fish this year has eroded the euphoria that surrounds the annual Homowo which celebrates the abundance of maize and fish used in the preparation of the traditional food Kpokpoi. The Times has a cover-story on the visit of the Sultan of Sokoto in Nigeria, General Saed Abubakar to Ghana. The top story of the Chronicle is a report on praises showered by the Chief Imam of Asasetre in the Ellembelle constituency on former president, Jerry John Rawlings for his effective leadership role that has ensured the stability of the country.
According to him, Ghanaians cannot quantify the contribution of the former president to the development of the country and must not be rewarded through mere showering of praises. The Network Herald reports that the NPP outspoken MP for Assin North Kennedy Agyeapong who threatened not to campaign for the party if Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was selected as running mate to the party’s presidential candidate has swallowed back his words as expected.
EDITORIALS The Daily Graphic says in the past, the opening of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso has left farmers and residents around the White and Black Volta worse off as a result of serious floods. It says following interaction between government and officials of the two countries there are indications of a well co-ordinated approach to the opening of the dam scheduled for Thursday. According to the Graphic, one would have expected there should not be any concerns over the intended spillage but that is not to be. It points out that concerns expressed so far have stemmed from the refusal of some local people to quit the flood plains. The paper says the defiant posture adopted by the local people gives an indication that they may be ignorant of the real danger ahead.
The Chronicle urges the Information Service Department to educate people in the three regions of the North on the opening of the spill way of the Bagre dam. The paper believes the issuing of press statements by the Ministry is not enough and must be complemented with education of the people in their local dialects. To the paper last year’s floods which caught Ghana unawares must not be repeated. The Ghanaian Times says the inability of many educated people to read and write in their vernacular languages should be a matter of concern to all. The paper urges stakeholders, especially NGOs to initiate contests in the local languages. This initiative will complement the decision by the Ghana Education Service to introduce National Languages Studies from the next academic year in the school curricular as part of the Education Reform Programme. The Daily Guide describes as a mighty bombshell, comparable to the atomic bomb of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the statement by PNC’s Deputy National Organizer, Abu Saddique Kwashie Ebla, that, the party will throw its weight behind the NPP in case of a run-off in this years election. It says the boldness of the PNC to give this assurance is very significant. This is because the presidential candidate of the PNC is out of the country yet the party’s belief in the ruling party has convinced it or the Deputy National Organizer that the best party in the country now is the NPP. The paper wonders whether the Deputy National Organizer was given the mandate by the party’s national executive to make that sort of declaration in a solidarity message at the just ended NPP national delegates’ conference at Sekondi. The Daily Guide is of the view that it will be not surprised if the leadership of the PNC comes out to deny the assurance
