Account for workers’ pension fund – Ade Coker tells gov’t. Update: 30 - Oct - 2014.

Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ade Coker, has called on government to account
for the second tier pension contributions of the public sector workers. Speaking on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo”, Ade Coker expressed worry over the rate at which public
workers adopt strike actions as means of addressing their concerns. According to him, strike actions retard the progress of the economy. He therefore was of a strong view that the government cannot absolve it since it has
been in administration for five years. “You cannot run away from it…Because this country must move on. The strikes are retarding our progress.” To the NDC Regional Chairman, the authorities of the pension scheme should reveal to the striking workers where their monies have been kept and the investments made on their
contributions.

Striking Workers Agree To Negotiate With Government Updated: 29 -Oct- 2014

Striking public workers have agreed to return to the negotiation table despite a suit filed by
government . Negotiations between the two- striking workers
and government - to end a six day old strike stalled , Tuesday, with the workers angry over government 's decision to send them to court. The workers say government cannot send them
to court and to the National Labour
Commission while still inviting them for negotiations. They ended Tuesday 's meeting inconclusively
with the hope of soliciting legal advice from their lawyers .
The workers wanted to find out from their lawyers if it was possible to still negotiate with government whilst the writ was still pending .
After that Joy News can confirm that the workers have agreed to return to the negotiation table .
The decision to return , according to Joy News' Fred Smith, coincided with government 's decision to withdraw complaints filed at the
Labour Commission . Hopefully on Thursday the two groups would
once again try to find a solution to a strike that has left students stranded and patients doomed .
Both teachers and health workers are part of the 12 labour unions that have gone on strike in protest over what they say is government 's
poor handling of the tier two pension scheme . The workers are asking government to relinquish the management of the tier two
pension scheme to the various labour unions - something government is not ready to do.
They are also asking government to make public how much has accrued to the tier two pension scheme and the interest involved .
Government is yet to make that public even though the sector Minister Haruna Iddrisu has
promised that the Bank of Ghana as well as the National Pensions Regulations Authority will provide full disclosure on the amount accrued to the tier two pension scheme later this week .

Govt Withdraws Suit Against Striking Unions Updated: 28 -Oct- 2014

The government has withdrawn a complaint it had filed at the National Labour Commission
( NLC) against the twelve striking labour unions . The labour groups embarked on an indefinite
strike in protest of government ’ s decision to manage their second- tier pension funds. The Attorney General and Minister of Justice
last Friday filed a suit on behalf of
government , praying the High Court to declare that the indefinite strike embarked upon by the public sector workers was illegal and that the workers should return to work . However, the Executive Secretary of the NLC, Dr Bernice Welbeck said in an interview on Citi
FM that although the Commission had received the complaint from government on Thursday, the commission received a letter withdrawing the complaint the following day. She said, “Records show that on Thursday, October 23 a complaint was filed by the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations but the following day we received a letter withdrawing the complaint from the
Commission . So as we speak at the moment , there is no complaint before the labour commission .”

Shatta Wale Again! Assaults Man After Kidnapping Him Updated: 28 -Oct- 2014

Controversial Ghanaian musician, Shatta Wale , on Sunday allegedly brutally assaulted a man at
his East Legon residence after virtually kidnapping him. The man, who gave his name as Rashid Abu,
told Daily Guide that Shatta Wale beat him up in the presence of his ( Shatta’s ) manager , Lawrence Nana Asiamah Hanson, aka Bull Dog, and some macho men , over an amount of GH 150 the musician owed him. Attempts to speak to Bull Dog or the controversial musician were unsuccessful as
their lines were not active. Text messages sent to Bull Dogs phones also did not elicit response before press time . Shatta Wale , known in real life as Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jnr ., and his purported
hoodlums allegedly picked Rashid from his shop at Adabraka Sunday afternoon under the pretext that he was going to pay the GH 150 he
owed the young man at his East Legon residence . “ He came to pick up some outfits worth GH 150
from my shop five months ago but refused to pay. After some time, when I called he refused to answer. I called him on Sunday; he picked it
and started insulting me . He even told me that he was not going to pay me my money . Later he came to my ‘Blow Money Fast’ boutique at
Adabraka in the company of some ‘ macho men’ and Bull Dog . He asked that I join him in his car so that he pays me my money ,” Rashid Abu stated . He asserted that he was reluctant to go but
after pleadings by Bull Dog, he entered the car , adding that Shatta Wale drove him all the
way from Adabraka to his house and later forced him to kneel down and apologise for calling to demand for his money . GH 50 Notes According to the young businessman who is believed to be in his 30 s, Shatta Wale gave him
several slaps with a bundle of GH 50 notes while Bull Dog looked on .
Rashid , who naturally tried to defend himself, was cautioned by the ‘macho men ’ not to venture , else they would kill him. “ When we got to his house , the ‘macho men ’ opened the gates and once we got in , Shatta Wale asked me to kneel down and he begun
slapping me with a bundle of GH50 . I tried to defend myself but his thugs warned me to stop , else they would kill me right there. Bull
Dog even told me to do what Shatta Wale would tell me else I would be severely beaten up ,” he narrated . Rashid told this paper that Shatta gave him the bundle of the GH 50 notes he used in slapping him and instructed him to pull his money out of it . “ I refused but after the ‘ macho men ’ had threatened to give me more slaps , I took the money , counted GH 150 for myself and gave him the rest, ” he added . The victim has since reported the incident at
the Central Police Station in Accra. He was prepared to purse the assault case in court, he told Daily Guide. Shatta Wale , as an artiste , has gained notoriety for insulting persons and institutions whose
opinions about him he does not agree with. He was recently in the news for publishing on his social media page , some four videos of
himself making derogatory and insulting statements against Charter House. The musician also hurled insults at his colleague musicians , workers of Charter House and owners of the company. A portion of the video has even been said to border on threats.
Charter House, a private company with expertise in events management and production , later sued him for defamation .
They are demanding GH 10 million as damages
for the defamatory comments made in the four videos that the artiste had uploaded on the social media . At the first hearing, the court granted an order restraining Shatta Wale from making further
defamatory remarks about Charter house. Shatta Wale is now begging for an out - of- court settlement of the case and has formally written
to lawyers of Charter House to that effect. The case has been adjourned to November 2 , 2014 .

Shatta Wale Again! Assaults Man After Kidnapping Him Updated: 28 -Oct- 2014

Controversial Ghanaian musician, Shatta Wale , on Sunday allegedly brutally assaulted a man at
his East Legon residence after virtually kidnapping him. The man, who gave his name as Rashid Abu,
told Daily Guide that Shatta Wale beat him up in the presence of his ( Shatta’s ) manager , Lawrence Nana Asiamah Hanson, aka Bull Dog, and some macho men , over an amount of GH 150 the musician owed him. Attempts to speak to Bull Dog or the controversial musician were unsuccessful as
their lines were not active. Text messages sent to Bull Dogs phones also did not elicit response before press time . Shatta Wale , known in real life as Charles Nii Armah Mensah Jnr ., and his purported
hoodlums allegedly picked Rashid from his shop at Adabraka Sunday afternoon under the pretext that he was going to pay the GH 150 he
owed the young man at his East Legon residence . “ He came to pick up some outfits worth GH 150
from my shop five months ago but refused to pay. After some time, when I called he refused to answer. I called him on Sunday; he picked it
and started insulting me . He even told me that he was not going to pay me my money . Later he came to my ‘Blow Money Fast’ boutique at
Adabraka in the company of some ‘ macho men’ and Bull Dog . He asked that I join him in his car so that he pays me my money ,” Rashid Abu stated . He asserted that he was reluctant to go but
after pleadings by Bull Dog, he entered the car , adding that Shatta Wale drove him all the
way from Adabraka to his house and later forced him to kneel down and apologise for calling to demand for his money . GH 50 Notes According to the young businessman who is believed to be in his 30 s, Shatta Wale gave him
several slaps with a bundle of GH 50 notes while Bull Dog looked on .
Rashid , who naturally tried to defend himself, was cautioned by the ‘macho men ’ not to venture , else they would kill him. “ When we got to his house , the ‘macho men ’ opened the gates and once we got in , Shatta Wale asked me to kneel down and he begun
slapping me with a bundle of GH50 . I tried to defend myself but his thugs warned me to stop , else they would kill me right there. Bull
Dog even told me to do what Shatta Wale would tell me else I would be severely beaten up ,” he narrated . Rashid told this paper that Shatta gave him the bundle of the GH 50 notes he used in slapping him and instructed him to pull his money out of it . “ I refused but after the ‘ macho men ’ had threatened to give me more slaps , I took the money , counted GH 150 for myself and gave him the rest, ” he added . The victim has since reported the incident at
the Central Police Station in Accra. He was prepared to purse the assault case in court, he told Daily Guide. Shatta Wale , as an artiste , has gained notoriety for insulting persons and institutions whose
opinions about him he does not agree with. He was recently in the news for publishing on his social media page , some four videos of
himself making derogatory and insulting statements against Charter House. The musician also hurled insults at his colleague musicians , workers of Charter House and owners of the company. A portion of the video has even been said to border on threats.
Charter House, a private company with expertise in events management and production , later sued him for defamation .
They are demanding GH 10 million as damages
for the defamatory comments made in the four videos that the artiste had uploaded on the social media . At the first hearing, the court granted an order restraining Shatta Wale from making further
defamatory remarks about Charter house. Shatta Wale is now begging for an out - of- court settlement of the case and has formally written
to lawyers of Charter House to that effect. The case has been adjourned to November 2 , 2014 .

ATL Closed Down Updated: 27 -Oct- 2014

The Akosombo Textiles Limited ( ATL) has been closed down indefinitely, as auctioneers from
Vans Mart are preparing feverishly to auction the firm to defray its indebtedness to financiers .
ATL, over the years, has reportedly defaulted in the repayment of loans it secured from banks such as Ecobank , Standard Chartered , Ghana Commercial Bank , ( GCB) Universal Merchant Bank ( UMB ) and Agricultural Development
Bank ( ADB) , among others. On Friday , October 24, 2014 , court bailiffs in the company of police officers and legal representatives of some of the banks were seen
putting huge padlocks on the gates of ATL to prevent workers and management from entering the premises. Information gathered by BUSINESS GUIDE indicated that during the latter part of 2013 ,
Ecobank and two other banks, Standard Chartered Bank and Universal Merchant Bank Ltd commenced separate legal actions against ATL at the Commercial Division of the High Court in Accra.
A source revealed that all attempts by the company to get government assistance failed after the start of proceedings . This compelled
the court to freeze the assets of ATL to settle its indebtedness.
The banks have since attached the assets of the company to protect their various interests . The execution process involved the closure of the entire factory and seizure of movable assets , including the company ’s Mercedes
Urvan buses with registration numbers GT 7317 U and GT 7316 U and eventual sale of the property.
A source told BUSINESS GUIDE that “ in our estimation ATL would be no more by the end of the year if steps are not taken to stop Ecobank
and the other banks from selling the assets of ATL. ” According to the source , there was the need
for an urgent bailout from the government to save ATL “ because about 1, 000 employees would lose their livelihood if ATL is sold by
mid- December 2014 .” Friday ’s execution team included the
auctioneers ( Vans Mart ), police officers and court bailiffs .
The team was led by John -Mark Alifo Esq , Senior Legal Officer at Ecobank and William Asare Bediako, Head of Remedial at Ecobank . Both men politely declined to speak to the paper.
Efforts to speak to lawyers for the bank - BA Williams & Co (Sackodar Chambers) and the Human Resource Manager of ATL, E . K Darko proved unsuccessful.

‘ Abuga Pele Is Responsible For GYEEDA Fraud ’ - Fmr Sports Minister Updated: 28 -Oct- 2014

Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Clement Kofi Humado , yesterday said the former National Coordinator of the National Youth
Employment Programme (NYEP ) , Abuga Pele , should be held responsible for any financial loss caused to the state . He said some of the memos and invoices submitted by the National Coordinator of the NYEP – now Ghana Youth Employment and
Entrepreneurial Development Agency (GYEEDA ) – to request for release and payment of huge
sums of money for supposed consultancy service turned out to be deceptive, and he ( Humado) could therefore not be held
responsible for Abuga Pele ’s wrongdoing . “ I can’t be held responsible for a claim which
is deceptive and later turned out to be false . I based my judgement on the credibility of Abuga Pele. The deliverables he claimed were
done . I do not know for a fact what he had done ,” he told an Accra Financial Court presided over by Justice Afia Asare Botwe.
Mr . Humado was concluding his cross- examination yesterday at the ongoing trial of Philip Akpeena Assibit , Chief Executive Officer
( CEO) of GIG and the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP ) for Chiana -Paga , Abuga Pele, in what has become the ‘ GYEEDA Scandal .’
The $522 ,882 Payment Concluding his cross- examination led by Carl Adongo , counsel for Abuga Pele, Mr . Humado , who is also the
immediate past Minister of Agriculture and MP for Anlo , said that he was only two months in
office when the National Coordinator raised the memo requesting for payment of a
whopping $ 522, 882 for consultancy services rendered by the Management Development and
Productivity Institute/ Goodwill International Group ( MDPI/GIG) consortium . He admitted approving the $ 522, 882 payment
but said the approval was supposed to pass through what he called the ministry ’s due diligence process, starting from the Chief
Director then the Internal Auditor.
Asked why he approved the $ 522, 882, Mr . Humado told the court that there was a memo from Abuga Pele justifying work done and that
persuaded him to make the approval saying, “ I approved it because of the claims made by the
National Coordinator ; not that I knew the deliverables had been done . I was barely two months in office . As a colleague MP , I believed that he was doing the right thing . ” Salary Approval
Mr . Humado , who is the 4 th Prosecution Witness (PW ) , said that as minister , he had
oversight responsibility over four agencies , including NYEP / GYEEDA, but insisted that he did not
approve their salaries , rather they had developed a payment plan to take care of all expenses. “ I did not approve GYEEDA monthly salaries . I asked them to submit monthly payment plans, and salaries were included ,” he told the court. He said it was the National Coordinator who approved salaries for GYEEDA because the agency was almost autonomous saying, “ approval for payment plan does not mean
that specific payments can be done .” Crossfire When counsel asked him why he claimed
GYEEDA was autonomous but approved its payments , Mr . Humado said inflows were outside the ministry ’s account and he could only monitor with the aid of the payment plan. Counsel again put it to him that the $ 522, 882
was not on the payment plan but went ahead to approve the payment , but the witness insisted
that the approval was made to allow due diligence to commence before the payment . Mr . Humado admitted that it was his Chief
Director who had given a working instruction that the amount be paid into MDPI account and added the funds were from the NYEP but
the memo had to be submitted to the ministry for approval.
According to him, Abuga Pele did not comply with the ministry ’s directive not to authorize payments exceeding GH ¢ 20, 000 saying , “ Initially, there were no problems but later at EOCO, they said there were problems with all
the payments authorized by the National Coordinator . ”

Court’ s Question
When the judge asked witness if it was his evidence that the NYEP Coordinator was not supposed to spend beyond the threshold of GH
¢ 20, 000 as directed by the ministry , he said that was the case and added that Abuga Pele
crossed the threshold . When asked again what he did as minister after his directive was breached, the witness said whilst he was minister , the issue of
overspending by Abuga Pele never came to his notice .

Charges
The Chiana- Paga MP is facing six counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the state under Section 179A (3 ) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29 ), to the tune of GH¢ 3 ,330, 568.53 ; two counts of abetment under Sections 20 (1 ) and 131 (1 ) of the Criminal
Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29 ) and one count of intentionally misapplying public property,
contrary to Section 1 (2 ) of the Public Property Protection Act, 1977 (SMCD 140).
Mr . Assibit, who is the first accused person , is also facing six counts of defrauding the state
of an amount equivalent to $ 1 ,948 ,626. 68 by false pretences , contrary to Section 131( 1 ) of
the Criminal and Offences Act 1960 ( Act 29 ) and five counts of dishonestly causing loss to
public property contrary to Section 2 (1 ) of the Public Property Protection Act , 1977 (SMCD 1 ).