Today’s front pages

Front page stories of Wednesday 4th of December 2013.

Daily Graphic
TOBINCO, FDA BATTLE RAGES ON; ORDERED TO RETURN MEDICINES TO SUPPLIERS
There seems to be no end to the woes of Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited, even with the intervention of Parliament, as the long arm of the law keeps pursuing the company and its chief executives officer (CEO).

NATION FACES SERIOUS CRISIS
A Research Fellow of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), Dr Ransford Gyampoh, has stated that the country faces a serious national identity management crises.

PREZ NEVER PREVENTED ENGINNERS & PLANNERS FROM PAYING DEBT TO MERCHANT
The Office of the President has denied that the President intervened to prevent the payment of a debt owed Merchant Bank Ghana by Messers Engineers and Planners.

Business and Financial Times
BoG ENTERING RISKY TERRITORY BUT CONFIDENT OF DEFENCES
The Bank of Ghana (BoG) said last week it is in talks with the Ministry of Finance to lift restrictions on foreign investors’ participation in the government debt market; but the plan, which is purposed to boost market competition, will put the economy at increased risk of capital flow shocks, the B&FT has been told.

MUNICIPAL FINANCE BILL NOW APT – GES BOSS
The increase in the maximum tenor of government bonds from three to seven years should incentivise passage for the Municipal Finance bill, Managing Director of the Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) Kofi Yamoah has said.

The New Statesman
JUDGES MAD OVER PAY CUT – AS MAHAMA WITHDRAWS MILLS’ PAY INCREASES FOR LOWER COURT BENCH

There is growing tension and anger among Judges and Magistrates of the nation’s lower courts following the decision by the Mahama-led government to vary their salaries to their disadvantage.

BOYCOTT SITTINGS OF JUDGEMENT DEBT COMMISSIONER – NPP CHAIRMAN URGES KUFUOR APPOINTEES
The Chairman of the UK/Ireland branch of the New Patriotic Party is urging the leadership of the party to take a firm and bold decision to block officials of the erstwhile NPP administration under the leadership of President Agyekum Kufuor from attending the sittings of the Sole Commissioner on Judgement debts set up by President John Mahama.

The Finder
KILLER HIGHWAY; WHERE ARE THE FOOTBRIDGES?
More than six months after the Roads and Transport Minister, Alhaji Amin Suleman, announced intentions by the government to construct six more footbridges on the N1 Highway, there is no sign of fulfilling the promise.

TEMA TOPS HIV/AIDS IN GREATER ACCRA
The Tema metropolis tops in the Greater Accra Region in HIV/AIDS with 3.5% prevalence rate for 2012.

IDOL THIEF JAILED 3 YEARS
For breaking into a shrine and stealing 12 different idols, a Circuit Court in Kumasi has sentenced a farmer to 36 months’ imprisonment in hard labour.

JUBILEE PARK OVERGROWN WITH WEEDS

The once beautiful looking Jubilee Park in Takoradi has been overgrown with weeds, demonstrating neglect by the Sekondi Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly.

Daily Guide

13 SUED OVER MERCHANT BANK
The controversy surrounding the sale of the Merchant Bank to Fortiz Private Equity Fund appears to be deepening by the day, with the latest being a suit filed by the Executive Director of the Centre for Freedom and Accuracy (CFA), Andrew Awuni, challenging the sale.

AMIDU DARES CJ OVER VIKILEAKS
A former Attorney General, Martin Amidu, has challenged the constitutionality of the committee set up by the Chief Justice, Georgina Theodora Wood, to investigate the Supreme Court justices who sat on the recent Presidential election petition.

MOTHER STABS BABY, 9 MONTHS

The Ashaiman Divisional Police Headquarters is holding a 32-year-old woman who allegedly stabbed her nine-month-old baby girl to death with a bread knife.

PASTERS NEED PRIVATE JETS

Renowned Nigerian Pastor T.B Joshua has jumped to the defence of his colleague pastors suffering some public bashing for owning private jets.

Ghanaian Times
IT’S UNTRUE! PREZ DENIES STORY ON MERCHANT BANK
The Office of the President has denied stopping Merchant Bank Ghana from retrieving a US$38 million loan from Engineers and Planners, a company owned by Ibrahim Mahama, a brother of the President.

The General Telegraph

MARTIN AMIDU LOCKS HORNS WITH CJ

A former Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Mr Martin Amidu has stated that the composition of a committee by the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship, Mrs Theodora Georgina Wood to investigate allegations of judicial tampering of the election petition is incongrous with the constitution.

MINE WORKERS DISAGREE WITH MAHAMA – CALL FOR RESTORATION OF STAE SECURITY
The Ghana Mineworkers Union of the Trade Union Congress has expressed dismay over government’s decision to withdraw military and other state security personnel from various mining concessions.

TWO WOMEN IN POLICE GRIPS FOR POSSESSING NARCOTIC DRUGS
Two female residents of Adjei Kojo near Ashaiman are currently in police custody for their alleged involvement in the illicit trade in dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, popularly called “wee”.

MAHAMA SPEAKS ON MERCHANT BANK SAGA

President John Mahama has broken his long silence over his brother, Ibrahim Mahama’s indebtedness to Merchant Bank