PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Christmas shopping, more Wikileaks reported by Ghanaian media
Accra, Ghana (PANA) – Ghana’s media this week reported the hassle of last minute Christmas shoppers which brought the business areas and traffic in cities to a virtual standstill.
One newspaper also reported another “wikileak”, the controversial diplomatic cables that have caused embarrassment to governments and individuals across the globe.
The state-owned Daily Graphic had the headline “X'mas crunch...Low sales no way” with story saying that pedestrians and motorists, shoppers and hawkers had been caught in big city traffic and pedestrian jams across the country.
It said in Accra, all roads leading to the central business district (CBD) were choked with vehicular and human traffic.
“But while such chaotic scenes are playing out in the CBD, traders are, strangely, lamenting what they describe as low sales, explaining that the thousands of shoppers on hand are daily window-shopping in anticipation of a last-minute reduction in prices,” the newspaper reported.
The Graphic said the traffic situation had been made worse by the introduction of one-way routes by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) because many drivers were not conversant with the new system and officials of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Police Service and the AMA had a hectic time controlling traffic.
The state-owned Ghana News Agency had the headline, “Accra chokes as Christmas shoppers descend on city.”
It said the Ghanaian capital was choking on tens of thousands of people from all walks of life who descended on the city to shop for Christmas.
“The pedestrian pavements in the Central Business District are clogged by traders, shoppers, workers and pedestrians. Hawkers, shoppers and pedestrians have overflowed into the streets, narrowing the lanes as they compete with drivers for space.”
It said it was not only human traffic that was slow. Vehicular traffic was in most cases at a standstill in long traffic jams in steaming heat.
Noise levels had also risen many times fold, not only from music of all sorts that filled the air but also from vendors who shouted, rang bells and made all kind of noise to attract shoppers.
The newspapers also reported on the Christmas massage of President John Evans Atta Mills.
The Graphic had the headline, “Love & Share – That’s Prez Mills’ X’mas message to Ghanaians.”
It said the president urged Ghanaians to share the little they had, take stock and resolve to move in the right direction.
“There is more blessing in giving and so let us give so that the God Lord will not withhold his blessing from us,” the message said.
The state-owned Ghanaian Times had the headline, “President’s prayer” with the story saying president Mills had reminded Ghanaians of the significance of the season and called for moderation in their celebration.
“It is my prayer that the coming year will open a more advanced page in our book of building a better Ghana.”
The pro-opposition Daily Guide newspaper said it was gradually emerging that President Mills may, after all, not be immune to bribery and corruption as some corporate bodies trooped to the Castle, Osu, the seat of government, attempting to bribe him.
It wrote under the headline, “Wikileaks: Mills rejected oil bribe” that in another leaked cable from the whistle-blowing website, Wikileaks, “is an open admission by President Mills that some oil companies had attempted to offer him a juicy package to influence him”.
The Daily Guide said the cables, which were sent on February 16, 2010, indicated that President Mills held a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State, Johnnie Carson, accompanied by the US Ambassador, Special Assistant, Cook and one Econoff on February 3, 2010.
“At the said meeting, President Mills told the aforementioned individuals how he was committed to putting the country’s oil proceeds to good use but had cause to complain that a number of corrupt oil company representatives had attempted to bribe him,” the newspaper said.
-0- PANA MA 25Dec2010
One newspaper also reported another “wikileak”, the controversial diplomatic cables that have caused embarrassment to governments and individuals across the globe.
The state-owned Daily Graphic had the headline “X'mas crunch...Low sales no way” with story saying that pedestrians and motorists, shoppers and hawkers had been caught in big city traffic and pedestrian jams across the country.
It said in Accra, all roads leading to the central business district (CBD) were choked with vehicular and human traffic.
“But while such chaotic scenes are playing out in the CBD, traders are, strangely, lamenting what they describe as low sales, explaining that the thousands of shoppers on hand are daily window-shopping in anticipation of a last-minute reduction in prices,” the newspaper reported.
The Graphic said the traffic situation had been made worse by the introduction of one-way routes by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) because many drivers were not conversant with the new system and officials of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Police Service and the AMA had a hectic time controlling traffic.
The state-owned Ghana News Agency had the headline, “Accra chokes as Christmas shoppers descend on city.”
It said the Ghanaian capital was choking on tens of thousands of people from all walks of life who descended on the city to shop for Christmas.
“The pedestrian pavements in the Central Business District are clogged by traders, shoppers, workers and pedestrians. Hawkers, shoppers and pedestrians have overflowed into the streets, narrowing the lanes as they compete with drivers for space.”
It said it was not only human traffic that was slow. Vehicular traffic was in most cases at a standstill in long traffic jams in steaming heat.
Noise levels had also risen many times fold, not only from music of all sorts that filled the air but also from vendors who shouted, rang bells and made all kind of noise to attract shoppers.
The newspapers also reported on the Christmas massage of President John Evans Atta Mills.
The Graphic had the headline, “Love & Share – That’s Prez Mills’ X’mas message to Ghanaians.”
It said the president urged Ghanaians to share the little they had, take stock and resolve to move in the right direction.
“There is more blessing in giving and so let us give so that the God Lord will not withhold his blessing from us,” the message said.
The state-owned Ghanaian Times had the headline, “President’s prayer” with the story saying president Mills had reminded Ghanaians of the significance of the season and called for moderation in their celebration.
“It is my prayer that the coming year will open a more advanced page in our book of building a better Ghana.”
The pro-opposition Daily Guide newspaper said it was gradually emerging that President Mills may, after all, not be immune to bribery and corruption as some corporate bodies trooped to the Castle, Osu, the seat of government, attempting to bribe him.
It wrote under the headline, “Wikileaks: Mills rejected oil bribe” that in another leaked cable from the whistle-blowing website, Wikileaks, “is an open admission by President Mills that some oil companies had attempted to offer him a juicy package to influence him”.
The Daily Guide said the cables, which were sent on February 16, 2010, indicated that President Mills held a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State, Johnnie Carson, accompanied by the US Ambassador, Special Assistant, Cook and one Econoff on February 3, 2010.
“At the said meeting, President Mills told the aforementioned individuals how he was committed to putting the country’s oil proceeds to good use but had cause to complain that a number of corrupt oil company representatives had attempted to bribe him,” the newspaper said.
-0- PANA MA 25Dec2010
