Summary Of Early Morning TV Shows

GTV BREAKFAST SHOW NEWSPAPER REVIEW MODERATOR : KWAME WAJA PANELISTS : BEN EPHSON KAFUI ASEM ADF APPROVES $49.9 MILLION SUPPORT FOR GPRS INTRODUCTION The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund (ADF) has approved a loan of $49.9 million to finance Ghana’s Poverty Reduction Support Project (GPRSP). The loan would assist the government of Ghana implement its Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS), for the period 2003 to 2005. – The Ghanaian Times Kafui - Poverty has nothing to do with education of the rural poor. Most of the people need some capital to start their own business. Talking to them to seek for better education in our educational institutions will not help them but frustrate them. We should create employment opportunities for them and also assist them to get jobs. Better jobs will help them to move away from poverty and hunger. Ben - International financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF and African Development Fund have been in the forefront of our economic development. They have been advising Ghanaians on various economic strategies, like HIPC, to solve the problems of poverty and unemployment. All these strategies have ended up in failure. We should solve the poverty issue by designing our own economic strategies and plans and we should stop listening to these financial institutions.

BOARD ROOM WRANGLING AT GHANAIR INTRODUCTION

Ghanair’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Philip Owusu, last Friday showed his other side to colleague board members when he walked out of a board meeting threatening never to return. – The Independent

Ben - Every year, the chief executive of Ghana Airways is changed and replaced by another person. These changes do not promote efficiency and productivity. The place should be privatised and all the board members should be dismissed because they have failed to deliver.

Kafui - The CEO has the right to resign from the job if he finds things are unpleasant at Ghanair. We should not politicise the membership of the board. Selecting people to the board on political grounds is dangerous and it cannot promote the efficient management of the place. President Kufuor should take drastic steps to save the airline from total collapse. He must take the final decision and he should not have sympathy for any corrupt official. OBED IMPOSES VICE ON MILLS INTRODUCTION

Investigations have revealed that the NDC’s National Chairman, Dr. Obed Asamoah, is literally imposing the Deputy General Secretary, Baba Jamal, on Prof. Mills as a running mate. – The Heritage

Ben - The NDC should allow Prof. Atta Mills to make his own choice of a running mate and should not have anybody imposed on him. He should not waste time but should announce the running mate as soon as possible. The NDC supporters are anxious to know the Vice Presidential candidate before they make any decision.

Kafui - The media should stop speculation and rumour mongering about the choice of a running mate for the 2004 elections. The NDC elders would like to consult before approving Baba Jamal’s nomination. They have better candidates for the professor. We should let him make his own choice.

Ben - There is confusion in both the NDC and NPP on the nomination of MPs in the constituencies for the 2004 election. Some bitter candidates will decide to go independent.

Kafui - Many parliamentary candidates are going independent because they think of themselves alone and don’t have the country at heart. People should think of Ghana first before thinking of themselves. They are selfish and they don’t think of anybody. MAMPONG MAKES HEADWAY IN HIV/AIDS TREATMENT INTRODUCTION

Preliminary results of a research project carried out by the Centre for Scientific Research into Plant Medicine (CSRPM) at Mampong Akwapem in the Eastern Region to assess the efficacy of herbal medicine in the cure of opportunistic infections in HIV/AIDS patients have been positive. Samples of traditional medicine from five herbalists which were administered to 96 patients with full-blow AIDS have proved efficacious. – The Daily Graphic

Ben - I think the scientists and herbalists at Mampong Akwapem researching into AIDS should not expose or sell their formula to the whiteman in Europe or USA but first allow the Ministry of Health to continue to search into its potency and efficacy.

Kafui - The research findings should be published in scientific journals for research institutions to investigate the mass production of an HIV/AIDS drug. Such a drug could be exported abroad to save people suffering from AIDS. METRO TV GOOD MORNING GHANA MODERATOR : RANDY ABBEY

PANELISTS : LYS HAYFRON ASARE

KWESI PRATT

EGBERT FAIBILLE

MAMPONG MAKES HEADWAY IN HIV/AIDS TREATMENT

Lys - We have heard many stories of an AIDS cure from Mampong Herbal Centre. We must produce more of these AIDS drugs for domestic use and for export. We should undertake more research into these drugs to establish their potency and efficacy. Most Ghanaians don’t have confidence in herbal medicine.

Pratt - We must promote local herbal drugs to treat AIDS but what we should realise is that AIDS has no cure. We cannot be absolutely sure of the potency these drugs. We should protect these drugs from Mampong so that foreign doctors and researchers don’t get access to them for export to USA or Europe. There is some hope for AIDS patients so the research institution should mobilise themselves to improve upon these drugs. ¢0.014 TRILLION WASTED AT VRA INTRODUCTION

It is on record that the VRA fraudulently made a penalty payment of ¢14 billion for not lifting crude oil on schedule when the company from which the crude oil was to have been lifted had not invoiced VRA for payment. – The National Democrat

Pratt - The ministerial committee report should be published and made available to the media. The government should not hide the truth from the people. The financial loss caused to the state from the Strategic Reserve Plant at Akosombo should be exposed and there should be auditing of VRA accounts.

Lys - The Auditor-General’s Report on VRA should be made available to the media. The SFO and CHRAJ deal with corruption, embezzlement and mismanagement. We should allow these institutions to handle affairs in VRA and stop politicising these issues. BOARD ROOM WRANGLING AT GHANAIR Faibille - The management of Ghana Airways should be changed and replaced with an efficient and effective management staff. Hon. Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey is talking about promoting tourism in Ghana, so we should address the corruption and mismanagement issue in Ghana Airways in order to attract more tourists to Ghana.

Pratt - I have heard that the Chief of Staff is directly involved in the management of Ghana Airways. We should avoid political interferences in the management of the airline. Ghana Airways has a liquidity problem. We should not liquidate the airline but change the management staff.

Lys - Ghana Airways is over-staffed and only two aircraft are undertaking international flights. The corrupt staff must go home and discipline and accountability should be instilled in Ghana Airways.

Faibille - The $160 million dollar debt of Ghana Airways should be paid by government. It is believed that the airline is going to collapse and government must take steps to save the airline from total bankruptcy. TV 3 MORNING TV MODERATOR : GABRIEL BOSOMPEM

PANELISTS : A.B.A. FUSEINI

OSEI KWADWO ADDO

ATO CONDUAH BOARD ROOM WRANGLING AT GHANA AIRWAYS Ato - The Ghana Airways management needs a new mindset and critical focus to transform that organisation to make profit. But the Chief Executive should be given the free hand to effectively run the financial affairs of the organisation. I think we should dismiss the old board and management staff and replace them with experienced management in the airline industry. Ghana Airways should have business objectives and national objectives. It is very important to utilise the resources available locally and internationally to achieve profitability in future. Fuseini - The Ghana Airways management is inefficient and must be dismissed for corruption and mismanagement of the airline. There is a misunderstanding between the Board of Directors and senior management staff. This led to Dr. Sam Jonah’s resignation. They must co-operate with each other to increase efficiency and productivity. The CEO walked out of a management meeting because of confusion and misunderstanding between the board and management. We should dissolve the old board and replace it with competent directors because Ghana Airways needs competent managers to move the airline forward.

CHIEF, OTHERS HELD FOR VANDALISM INTRODUCTION

The Akotoso farms at Akwansem in Ashanti was on Friday, vandalised by some residents. The people destroyed office furniture and documents and took away a safe from the accountant’s office. The police arrested Nana Annor Barima II, chief of the town and six others. – The Ghanaian Times

Fuseini - I think it is very unfortunate for a chief to be so indisciplined as to engage in an act of vandalism. A chief should lead the way to ensure discipline in our communities. That chief should be arrested because we are in democratic system and the rule of law should be applied accordingly. The police should quickly investigate the matter and if possible arrest the criminals who vandalised the place.

Ato - It is very important to project the good image of this country by allowing the chiefs to lead the way toward discipline. The chief in a community should advise and educate his subjects on how to control crime and disorder. We should take the Vice-President’s initiative on indiscipline seriously and correct any mistakes in the country.

Osei - We should know the grievances of those involved in that act as vandalism before we make judgement. We should also identify the major problem facing the villages and help them. RANDGOLD NIXES ANGLOGOLD INTRODUCTION

Randgold Resources Friday afternoon throw another spanner in the wheels of Anglogold when it notched up its bid for Ashanti Goldfields to $1.7 billion with a fresh offer of $1.35 per share. – Gye Nyame Concord Ato - It is mistake for Ashanti to enter into agreement with Anglogold. I think AGC should remain neutral. It is premature to announce Anglogold as the best offer. They should identify their core business and create some job opportunities for the youth. We should inject more capital into AGC by promoting investment, and the Board of Directors of Ashanti should create jobs for the people at Obuasi. It is very important for us to improve our profit position. The media should report accurately on economic issues. We should encourage journalists to go into economic reporting in future. Fuseini - We should put the Ashanti-Anglogold agreement in the public domain. The interest of the public is very important. We should allow debate in parliament on the Ashanti-Anglogold deal for us to agree on the best terms. The public should be well informed. Some pressure groups in government, media and abroad are seeking their selfish interest. The media is divided over Randgold and Anglogold offer. The Independent and Statesman newspapers are divided in opinion on the Ashanti merger.