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| Satellites' victory, fire at foreign ministry dominate Ghanaian media
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Accra, Ghana (PANA) â" The dramatic victory of Ghana's U-
20 side, the Black Sat
ellites, over Brazil in the finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup continued to domin
a
te the media this week as the country basked in the success of the team.
There were also a number of fallouts of the victory, including the release of a
video on the internet by Nigerian Pastor T.B. Joshua, leader of the Synagogue Ch
u
rch of All Nations, in which he said he provided spiritual support to the Ghanai
n
s, a claim admitted by the coach of the Satellites, Sellas Tetteh.
â?President receives the trophyâ?, was the headline of the state-owned Ghanaia
n Times, which said President John Evans Atta Mills on Monday received the U-20
W
orld championship trophy won by the Black Satellites in Egypt and promised the t
e
am a special reward package.
Mills said the government was yet to announce the package because consultations
were ongoing to ensure that â?something substantialâ? was provided as reward.
The state-owned Graphic published the same story with the headline â?You're gre
at, Prez tells victorious Satellites and promises handsome reward.â?
It said an overjoyed Mills on Monday received players and technical handlers of
the victorious Black Satellites at the Castle, Osu, promising that the governmen
t
was engaged in consultations and would at the appropriate time reward the team
h
andsomely for winning the U-20 World Cup in Egypt.
Flanked by VP John Dramani Mahama and other high-ranking government officials, M
ills said for bringing such an enviable glory to the country, the government wou
l
d reward the team to encourage Ghanaians to strive for higher laurels for the co
u
ntry.
In another story under the headline, â?Prez pays glowing tributeâ?, the Graphi
c quoted Mills as praising the team for defying all odds to win the trophy.
The Times published a story under the headline â?Fall-out from Satellites Victo
ryâ? which said some drinking spots in the Tamale metropolis in northern Ghana o
pened their bars to members of the general public to drink free of charge as par
t
of the celebrations of the Black Satellites' victory.
One bar owner, Akosua Mensah, told the Ghanaian Times that she decided to offer
free drinks in appreciation of the great performance by the Satellites in conque
r
ing the world.
Mensah said Friday's victory with 10 players, over mighty Brazil enhanced the un
ity of Ghanaians.
The pro-opposition Daily Guide published an interview the Satellites' Captain De
de Ayew granted an Accra-based radio station in which he said he did not know T.
B
. Joshua, who had prophesied that â?something will happen to a player in the fir
st half (red card), a goalless draw and a penalty shoot-out. He also told the co
a
ch to allow Ayew to take the first kick, which he did.
Joshua is very close with Ghana's President Mills, as he prophesied his victory
in the closely-fought December 2008 elections.
It said Dede Ayew told the radio station that he does not remember speaking to J
oshua, during the crunch final game. â?I donâ?t know T.B Joshua, I have only he
ard there is someone like that but I donâ?t know him,â? Ayew, a Muslim, said.
The papers also highlighted the huge fire that consumed the 10-storey foreign mi
nistry.
â?Hell! Foreign Ministry razed downâ? was the headline of the Graphic, while t
he Times said â?Vital documents ablazeâ?.
The Graphic said a major calamity hit the country on Wednesday when the 10-story
ministry of foreign affairs building, near the Tema Station in Accra, was compl
e
tely consumed by an inferno.
Eyewitnesses said the fire started from one of the offices at a time when most o
f the workers had closed for the day.
â?As the fire rages on hundreds of people looked on helplessly as vital documen
ts, office equipment, including furniture and air conditioners, computers and ot
h
er items went up in the flames that blazed through the entire building,â? the Gr
aphic said.
The Times said archival documentation, some of them dating back to the early day
s of independence and office equipment worth millions of Ghana cedis were lost i
n
a fire that gutted the ministry.
No casualties were reported in the fIre which Mr. Morgan Brown, Director or Admi
nistration at the Ministry, said was caused by a faulty air conditioner, the new
s
paper said.
The newspapers also featured a boat disaster on the Volta Lake, which claimed so
me 20 dead with the Times writing that the victims were mostly women and childre
n
.
Fourteen other children and three adults, including a pregnant woman, were rescu
ed.
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| Accra - 24/10/2009 |
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