He noted the Supreme Court is not prepared to protect the integrity of the 1992 Constitution.
General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has stated that, the Supreme Court of Ghana is not ready to protect the country’s democracy.
Speaking on The Pulse on JoyNews on Wednesday October 27, 2021, he noted the Supreme Court is not prepared to protect the integrity of the 1992 Constitution.
According to him, the court has shown this in many instances like the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election that the EC scheduled 72 days after the demise of the MP.
The court according to him did nothing about the violation when the NDC presented the issue before them.
“When there is a by-election, occasioned by death of a candidate the by-election must be held within 16 days black and white in the Constitution. If it is occasioned by resignation, the by-election must be held within 30 days. Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election happened and Electoral Commission proceeded to fix a date 72 days after the occurrence of the vacancy. We took the matter to the Supreme Court what did the court say?”
He added that the issue about our democracy is not about a bad Electoral Commission but an “ailing court” and that all evidence proves that the 2020 general elections were the worst.
Meanwhile, the NDC is set to hold a press conference today, October 28 to address more of the issues raised during the press conference held by the Electoral Commission on October 26.
Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia will deliver a public lecture on the digital economy on Tuesday, 2 November 2021, Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has announced.
The public lecture, which will be hosted by Ashesi University, will also have an interactive session with students of the university on how digitalisation is transforming the economy and positioning Ghana for the emerging global digital revolution.
Dr Bawumia, who has spearheaded the government’s successful digitalisation drive, is expected to explain the government’s vision, the measures that have been undertaken so far and address the impact of digitalisation on the general Ghanaian economy and service delivery, both by government and the private sector.
Several international organisations will be present and with Ghana globally renowned as a digitalisation pacesetter on the African continent, Dr Bawumia is also expected to highlight the country’s success story to inspire the continent
The government of Ghana, through the Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kyerematen, has handed over a GHS2 million emergency liquidity support cheque to some 98 victims whose businesses were destroyed by a fire disaster that occurred on Monday, 5 July 2021.
The inferno destroyed a three-storey market building with a basement.
Three hundred jobs were lost to the disaster.
Handing over the cheque at the market square on Wednesday, 27 October 2021, Mr Kyerematen said the government released the GHS 2,029,000.00 to be disbursed to the victims.
“This support, we believe, will go a long way to mitigate the adverse effects on your businesses as a result of the fire incident”, he said.
Read Mr Kyerematen’s full speech below:
SPEECH BY MINISTER FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, HON. ALAN KYEREMATEN AT CEREMONY TO HANDOVER EMERGENCY LIQUIDITY SUPPORT TO MAKOLA FIRE DISASTER VICTIMS ON WEDNESDAY, 27TH OCTOBER, 2021 AT MAKOLA MARKET
• THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION (NADMO)
• THE MAYOR, ACCRA METROPOLITAN ASSEMBLY
• THE CEO, GHANA ENTERPRISES AGENCY
• THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, GHANA INT’L TRADE COMMISSION
• THE DISTRICT COMMANDER, GHANA POLICE SERVICE
• THE METRO. FIRE OFFICER, GHANA FIRE SERVICE
• THE METRO. DIRECTOR, NADMO
• THE PRESIDENT, GHANA UNION OF TRADERS’ ASSOCIATIONS
• THE PROPERTY OWNERS
• DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
Let me, first of all, express my profound gratitude to all stakeholder organizations who provided support services to the victims of the unfortunate fire incident here at Makola market, particularly the Ghana National Fire Service, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana Police Service, and the Accra Metro Assembly (AMA). I wish to single out the former Mayor of Accra, Nii Adjei Sowah for the leadership he exhibited during the crisis.
This public event is being held to hand over the emergency financial support by the government designed to mitigate the effect suffered by the enterprises as a result of the fire disaster which occurred on Monday, 5th July 2021. The inferno, as you would recall, gutted a three-storey market building with a basement situated at the currently clad area here in Makola. In all, ninety-eight (98) Enterprises were directly affected and about 300 jobs were lost to the disaster. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
As you are well aware, trade and commerce play a critical role in the economic development of every country. Trading has become the channel between manufacturing and consumption, as every product that is manufactured is consumed in order to complete the value chain. By acting as the channel between producers and consumers, trading has the potential to provide critical information as inputs into the production process, source of employment as well as serve as a platform for revenue mobilization in support of Government projects and programmes.
It is against this background that among the components of the Ten-Point Plan for Industrial Transformation of Ghana is enhancing Domestic Retail Trade by improving market and other distribution infrastructure as well as reducing administrative bottlenecks in domestic trade. Under this component, the government has sought to provide direct support to business operators in the trade and commerce ecosystem through the introduction of a number of measures to facilitate trade in and out of the country.
For example, upon the assumption of office of the NPP Government in 2017, the Ministry of Trade and Industry took a strategic and decisive step to address the challenges in trade facilitation and customs management which were impeding the work of many traders, by introducing a new Trade Facilitation and Customs Management System, UNIPASS. This new trade facilitation system has significantly improved the operations at our ports and borders. In addition, Government took another strategic decision to support traders and micro enterprises through the provision of emergency liquidity support to the tune of GHS 600 million under the Coronavirus Alleviation Programme Business Support Scheme (CAPBuSS) when the whole world was struck by the COVID-19 Pandemic. I have recalled these few interventions to indicate to you that the Government is fully committed to the profitability and sustainability of your businesses.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
On the 6th of July 2021, when I paid a working visit to the scene of the market fire, I assured you that the Government will provide support to you. To this end, I tasked the Ghana Enterprises Agency to liaise with other key stakeholders particularly the Ghana Union of Traders Association, Accra Metropolitan Association (AMA) and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to determine liquidity relief support to you, the affected victims. I also tasked GEA to work with the Ministry of Trade and Industry to ensure transparency in the disbursement of funds.
In all, ninety-eight (98) victims were identified as having suffered levels of losses as a result of the unfortunate fire incident. The Government has therefore released an amount of Two Million, Twenty-Nine Thousand Ghana cedis (GHS 2,029,000.00) to be disbursed to these victims. This support we believe will go a long way to mitigate the adverse effects on your businesses as a result of the fire incident. I wish to assure you that the team has gone through a rigorous transparent process to determine the level of support to each victim hence it is my wish that beneficiaries apply the money to take care of very critical needs.
DISTINGUISHED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
In conclusion, the Ministry of Trade and Industry will work with all relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies to design a new retail market system to streamline the operations of our traders in our markets.
On this note, may I invite the representatives of the 98 victims to receive the symbolic Cheque of GHS2,029,000.00 on behalf of all the victims.
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Dan Botwe, has expressed worries about how private developers put up properties worth millions of Ghana cedis and yet leave their access roads to be constructed by the state when they do not pay the right property tax.
According to him, this situation, which has become the norm in the country, is worrying.
Mr Botwe, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Okere Constituency in the Eastern Region, expressed this worry on Accra-based Asempa FM on Wednesday, 27 October 2021.
The lawmaker said many of these private developers build without paying any property rate yet mount pressure on the government to construct roads in their immediate space.
He said if some of the Assemblies in these areas are able to collect the appropriate tax on some of these properties, it will be easy for the government to construct many of the roads.
Mr Botwe noted that some of the Assemblies sit on gold yet they wait for the District Assemblies Common Fund for their development needs.
“Many of these Assemblies, till date, collect flat rate as property rate without any valuation on the property and the land,” he lamented
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, 26 October 2021, inaugurated the Police Council at the Jubilee House in Accra.
The council is the highest oversight body of the Ghana Police Service, mandated by the 1992 Constitution to advise the President on policy issues relating to internal security and provide strategic direction for the operational and administrative effectiveness of the Service.
In his address, the President charged the newly sworn-in members of the Police Council to steer the service to become an accountable, responsive and professional institution.
He also tasked them to execute their mandate for the benefit of all Ghanaians and to ensure the peace and security of the country.
The Chairman of the Police Council, Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in his response, expressed the gratitude of the council members to the President for the confidence reposed in them.
He noted that the members were aware of the task ahead, considering the sophisticated and changing nature of crime.
He gave the assurance that with dedication, hard work and selflessness, members of the council will work to redeem the name of the Ghana Police Service and make it one of the best police organisations in the world.
Dr Bawumia is the Chairman of the Council and the membership is constituted as follows:
Ambrose Dery, IGP Dr George Akuffo Dampare, Godfred Yeboah Dame, Mr Bram-Larbi Kwaku Esq., COP Joseph Boakye Appiah (Rtd.), ACP Mrs Faustina A. K. Andoh-Kwofie.
Other members include Inspector Felix Essuman, Mr Hadih A. Bin Salih and Madam Cecelia Eguakun.
Ex-COCOBOD CEO Stephen Opuni is using all manner of antics to run from judgment day as far as the GHS271-million financial loss trial involving him and businessman Seidu Agongo is concerned, Mr Godfred Dame, Minister of Justice and Attorney General, has observed.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, 26 October 2021, after the Supreme Court upheld his review application, through which he prayed the apex court to overturn its own earlier ruling that prohibited Justice Clemence Honyenuga from continuing to hear the matter due to alleged bias against the accused persons on his part, Mr Dame said Dr Opuni’s last application to get one of the judges, Justice Jones Dotse, to recuse himself from the case, had no grounding.
“I thought the earlier application asking Justice Dotse to recuse himself was also one of the gymnastics, as we call it, deployed by Dr Stephen Opuni and clearly, it confirms the point that he is seeking to avoid a judgment day and definitely judgment day will come”, Mr Dame told journalists.
Dr Opuni filed the application a day ahead of Tuesday’s ruling.
In his affidavit dated 25 October 2021 in support of the recusal application, Dr Opuni said his attention had been drawn to a widely circulated internet publication by one Kelvin Taylor, a Ghanaian broadcaster in the United States of America in which he alleged that Mr Dame, on 15 October 2021, went to the office of Justice Jones Dotse, the presiding judge and had an extensive meeting with him.
Dr Opuni said the alleged meeting, according to Kevin Taylor, lasted for more than two hours.
“… I state that the said two-hour meeting which, according to the broadcast of the said Kevin Taylor, took place on the said Friday, the 15th day of October 2021, after the hearing of the oral arguments on Tuesday, the 12th day of October 2021, in respect of the review application, leaves me in serious doubts of the impartiality of his Lordship Justice Jones Dotse in the review application and convinces me that the Attorney General intends to use all means to ensure that I am convicted.”
“… I have been advised by counsel and, verily believe same to be true, that it is a truism and an established principle of law that justice should not only be done but manifestly and undoubted be seen to be done”, he argued in his affidavit.
Dr Opuni added: “Unfortunately, the continuation of Justice Jones Dotse will destroy this sacred legal cliché. I pray that Justice Jones Dotse is recused as member of the review panel to enable meaning to be given to this legal cliché.”
But Justice Dotse, in response, said Dr Opuni had no grounds to call for his recusal.
He explained that while serving as Acting Chief Justice in the stead of Chief Justice Anin Yeboah who was out of the country from Monday, 11 October 2021 to Monday, 18 October 2021, he met the Attorney General but the meeting was in relation to matters concerning the Ghana School of Law.
In his affidavit in opposition to Dr Opuni’s request, Justice Dotse said: “Indeed, anybody with sound legal knowledge and training will understand that in the course of our work as Judges, it is normal for Judges of my stature and the Attorney General and senior staff of the Office of Attorney General and Ministry of Justice to come into contact on a regular basis”.
“Some of the institutions by which these contacts take place include the Judicial Council and its many Committees, the Rules of Court Committee, the General Legal Council, the Legal Service Board, to mention a few”.
“Apart from issues touching the Ghana School of Law (GSL.), which I discussed with the Attorney General on the 15th of October 2021 and which did not last more than 20 minutes, I believe that the instant application has been actuated by malice and poor judgment”.
“I am in no position to comment on the depositions in paragraphs 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the affidavit in support, and the brazen attempt to connect these events to me are equally in bad taste and completely unwarranted”.
“I also deny the depositions and innuendos contained in paragraphs 12 and 13 of the affidavit in support and state that these are not grounds to require a Judge to recuse himself,” Justice Dotse stated.
Buttressing Justice Dotse’s explanation, Mr Dame said: “I thought that the application for Justice Dotse to recuse himself was totally baseless, without any warrant whatsoever because the Constitution and various statutes of Ghana have placed a constitutional duty upon me”, he noted.
“By virtue of Article 153 of the Constitution, I am a member of the Judicial Council. I sit on the Judicial Council with various Justices of the Supreme Court, Justices of the Court of Appeal and Justices of the High Court”.
Also, he noted: “By virtue of the Legal Service Act, again a member of the Superior Court of Judicature sits on the Ministry of Justice’s Legal Service Board”.
Additionally, he said: “By virtue of the Law Reform Commission Act, a member of the judiciary also serves on the Law Reform Commission”. “So, there are numerous boards and numerous committees that by the Constitution and by statute, the Attorney General is required to sit on it”, he stressed.
“My visit to the office of Justice Dotse during office hours and in my official capacity as the Attorney General and Minister of Justice and in his (Justice Dotse’s capacity) also, as acting Chief Justice at that time, was clearly to discuss matters affecting the Ghana School of Law. Unless they do not want me to resolve the issues with the Ghana School of Law”, he pointed out
• President Mahama’s views in relation to illegal ballot papers are being misconstrued
• The NDC’s Director of Elections insists Mahama never spoke about a million thumb-printed ballot papers as claimed by the EC in a recent press conference
• The EC presser responded to a series of allegations Mahama has made regarding the 2020 elections
The EC held a press conference on Monday, October 25, 2021, to respond to recent allegations leveled against it by the former President relative to the conduct of the 2020 General Elections.
The presser addressed by deputy EC chairman, Bossman Asare, accused Mahama of falsely claiming that the EC had thumb printed over a million ballot papers in favour of the incumbent President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
What Dr. Bossman said:
“The Former President has said the EC thumb printed 1million ballots in favor of the president. This is untrue. This is a grave matter that undermines the credibility of our electoral process and should not be ignored.
“We call on him to provide evidence to support his claim. This is not a matter to be ignored and we call on the Ghana Police Service to investigate this.”
What Afriyie Ankrah said
Afriyie Ankrah speaking on the October 25 edition of Top Story news programme on Joy FM in Accra disputed the claims of the EC top official accusing him of trying to obfuscate clearly articulated issues the NDC has raised.
“The former president never said that the EC thumb printed over one million ballot papers. This is deliberate obfuscation of the issues. He (Dr. Asare) has deliberately taken something out of context and then he has created something else and then is asking for a response.
“What we have said …. for which we have accurate video and documentary evidence is that, after ballot papers were printed and dispatched in one of the printing houses, Inolink, it was dispatched, certificates of disposal were issued to show that all the excess ballots had been destroyed.
“There was an issue with one constituency in the Ashanti Region, so we had to come back to that printing house with our agents, when we came, we discovered over one million ballot papers and when they were questioned, they gave conflicting answers,” he added.
According to him, the NDC insisted that those discovered ballots be destroyed, following which a joint operation involving EC officials, operatives of the National Investigation Bureau, Police and media took the ballots to Korle Gonno, “we videoed it and they were destroyed. These are facts with evidence,” he stressed.
According to him, the NDC’s position was that these were the ballots that they had discovered but that Election Day thumb-printed ballot papers in the Ashanti Region could likely mean that some of such unofficial papers found their way into the system.
Mahama has on his recent Thank You tours slammed the EC and its chairperson, Jean Mensa over the conduct of the 2020 polls, which he considers the worst in Ghana’s history, a position the EC strongly repelled in their press conference.
General Secretary of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has chastised President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for asking the Paramount Chief of Aflao Traditional Area, Torgbui Adzonu-Gaga Amenya Fiti V to complete the E-Block Community Day Senior High School project in his area if he cannot wait.
According to him, the response from President Akufo-Addo to the Aflao Chief was pre-meditated based on the fact that Torgbui Fiti V gave an ultimatum to the Minister of Education to complete the 4 per cent remaining work on the E-Block Community Day SHS in Aflao before the next academic year.
Speaking on Okay FM’s ‘Ade Akye Abia’ Morning Show, the NDC Chief Scribe noted that President Akufo-Addo planned his response as he thinks the Chief of Aflao rather made a mistake to give the Minister of Education an ultimatum to fix the problem in his community.
General Mosquito as affectionately called indicated that President Akufo-Addo does not understand representation if he does not know that the Chief of Aflao is superior to the Education Minister and even to him as a President.null
“Between the Chief of Aflao and the Minister of Education, who is superior to give an ultimatum? The Chief can give an ultimatum to the President because the President is a servant of the people. It was not Nana Addo that installed Torgbui Fiti V as the Chief, but the Chief was part of those who put Akufo-Addo in power and so President Akufo-Addo is the servant of the people,” he argued.
“The Chief is representing the people of Aflao and they pay their taxes and so if they are demanding their share of the national cake, it is in the right direction, and so I don’t agree with those who think that the Chief was wrong to give an ultimatum. This means that they don’t understand representation,” he stressed.
He, however, bemoaned the dead silence of the National House of Chiefs over the denigration meted out to the Chief of Aflao by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
The Leader of Government Business in Parliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has announced that the Finance Minister will, on November 17, 2021, present the 2022 budget before Parliament.
He made this known while presenting the business of the House for their third sitting of the Eight Parliament today, Tuesday, October 26, 2021.
He described the third sitting as a budget sitting since, after the presentation, they would be going on recess on December 17, 2021, for the Christmas and New Year break.
He also revealed that some 58 bills have been advertised for consideration before the House.
He said the House would not have enough time to consider all the bills before the budget presentation.
He, therefore, urged the Ministers and various committees to be very proactive in the advertised bills and begin to work towards them so when they present it before the House, MPs will deliberate on them expeditiously.
”Mr. Speaker, this meeting, is a budget meeting. The budget is going to be introduced, on November 17, 2021, and exactly one month after the introduction of the budget, Parliament will proceed on recess December 17, 2021. What it means is that we have very little time at our disposal.”
He said Parliament should spend at least eight weeks interrogating the budget, but they don’t have the luxury of time for that since they would be limited to four weeks.
He asked the various committees to work with the various ministries on their allocations for the budget diligently so it would not be difficult for the House to approve the budget.
Chairman of the Police Council, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has said that the government , through the Council, is going to roll out requisite strategic interventions to protect and defend nationals and non-nationals.
In a Facebook on Tuesday October 26 after the Police Council has been inaugurated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Dr Bawumia said “Pursuant to Articles 201 and 211 of the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo today swore me into office as Chairman of the Police Council and Armed Forces Council respectively.
“On behalf of the members of the Councils, I underscored the arduous task ahead in a world of increasing complexity and accelerating change.
“I assured Mr President and the good people of Ghana that we will work hard to leverage the image of the security services into an excellent status in line with the vision and mission of their transformation agenda.
“As a team, we will roll out the requisite strategic interventions to protect and defend nationals and non-nationals and also strengthen the maintenance of law and order with the support of all.”
The membership of the Council is constituted as follows: Hon. Ambrose Dery, IGP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, Hon. Godfred Yeboah Dame, Mr. Bram-Larbi Kwaku Esq., COP Joseph Boakye Appiah (Rtd.), ACP Mrs. Faustina A. K. Andoh-Kwofie.Other members include Inspector Felix Essuman, Mr. Hadih A. Bin Salih and Madam Cecelia Eguakun.The event was attended by some members of the Police Management Board and other dignitaries
The Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipal Assembly (EKMA) has banned the use of tricycles, popularly known as Pragya, in the municipality.
Speaking at the Assembly’s third general meeting, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Kojo Acquah, disclosed that the decision forms part of efforts at ensuring the safety of residents.
He noted that most of the Pragya riders are below the age of 18 years and do not have the necessary insurance cover.
The Sekondi-Takoradi Metro and Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality have been hailed by visitors to the Western Region as the only areas without the tricycles on the roads.
As part of efforts to reduce the rate of accidents on the roads while ensuring the safety residents, a ban has been placed on the use of Pragya to prevent its use in the greater Sekondi-Takoradi area.
Mr. Acquah emphasized that the Assembly will confiscate any Pragya that will be seen operating in the Municipality.
He cautioned the residents to comply or face the consequences, adding that no one will be spared.
In another development, the Member of Parliament for Kwesimintsim, Dr Prince Hamid Armah, says he will continue leveraging on his position and influence to improve the lives of his people.
According to him, his electoral victory in the 2020 election was hinged on the message of an integrated plan of development that addresses the gap in skills, jobs and infrastructure in a meaningful and sustainable way and that is what he intends to do.
He disclosed that his office together with the MCE has secured scholarships for more than 200 students at the various levels of education and a fully funded international scholarship for a Kwesimintsim indigene, who left Ghana last week to study in the United Kingdom.
Another thousand persons have been enrolled in entrepreneurial training in different programmes involving digital skills and vocational training.
He said he intends improving social infrastructure such as football fields and durbar grounds and building a health post as well as equipping all CHPS compounds by the close of 2022.
Nana Akufo-Addo wants the Police Council’s full backing in the Inspector General of Police’s quest to reform the service
The President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has charged the Governing Council (Police Council) of the Ghana Police Service to do everything within its mandate to support the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the police administration to build a professional and a world class service.
The Police Council is a constitutional body that derives its mandate directly from the 1992 Constitution of the Republic. Article 203 clauses one to three of the 1992 Constitution spells out the mandate of the Governing Council of the Ghana Police Service.
Constitutional mandate
Article one (1) says, “the Police Council shall advise the President on matters of policy relating to internal security, including the rule of the Police Service, budgeting and finance, administration and the promotion of officers above the rank of Assistance Commissioner of Police.
Two (2), the Police Council may, with the prior approval of the President, by constitutional instrument, make regulations for the performance of its functions under this Constitution or any other law and for the effective and efficient administration of the Police Service.
Three (3), regulations made under clause (2) of this article shall include regulations in respect of – (a) the control and administration of the Police Service; (b) the ranks of officers and men of each unit of the Police Service, the members of each rank and the use of uniforms by the members; (c) the conditions of service including those relating to the enrolment, salaries, pensions, gratuities and other allowances of officers and men; (d) the authority and powers of command of officers and men of the Police Service; and (e) the delegation to other persons of powers to discipline person and the conditions subject to which delegations may be made.
Charge by president
Addressing the newly inaugurated Governing Council of the Ghana Police Service after administering the oath of secrecy and the official oath to them in Accra on Tuesday (26 October), Akufo-Addo said his government is determined to ensure that the Police Council succeeds, “to help guarantee that we have a police service that the people of Ghana deserve”.
“I want to encourage the Police Council to provide the requisite strategic direction to the Police Service that will with the support of other security agencies within our national security architecture, help consolidate peace and security in the country.
“I have deep confidence in you members of the Council, to meet the expectations of Ghanaians. I believe strongly that in you, we can help create a society governed by the rule of law and respect for human rights. The Police is at the frontline of this enterprise,” Akufo-Addo said.
Chairperson of the council
In his response, the Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, chairperson of the Police Council, noted that the governing council will work very hard to make the Ghana Police Service one of the best in Africa.
“Police professionalism over the years has been a major issue for the police administration to grapple with. It is refreshing that the IGP has started rolling out a number of policies and strategies to regain public confidence.
“We want to assure His Excellency and the good people of this country that we will consistently support the IGP and the police administration to consolidate these gains,” Dr Bawumia said.
Members of the Council
Ambrose Dery, Minister of the Interior, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, Inspector General of Police (IGP), Godfred Yeboah Dame, Minister for Justice and Attorney General, and Bram-Larbi Kwaku Esq. member of the Ghana Bar Association, are members of the Council.
The other members are Commissioner of Police (COP) Joseph Boakye Appiah (retired), representing the Officers Association, ACP Faustina Agyeiwaa K. Andoh-Kwofie, Ghana Police Service (Senior Rank), INSPR Felix Essuman, Ghana Police Service (Junior Rank), Hadih A. Bin Salih, president’s nominee and Madam Cecilia Eguakun, president’s nominee
The Electoral Commission (EC) is calling on the Ghana Police Service to immediately initiate investigation into allegation made by former President John Dramini Mahama that the Commission thumb printed one million ballot papers in favour of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo in the 2020 presidential election. ×
According to the EC, it was in the public interest for the police to initiate full-scale investigation that would subject Mr Mahama strict proof to substantial the allegations over electoral padding.
The Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Eric Bossman Asare, who addressed the media, at the Let the Citizens Know series held in Accra Monday October 25, 2021 described the claim by the former President as “false and untrue” explaining that an investigation into the matter would help to maintain public confidence in the country’s electoral process.
“The former President has said the EC thumbprinted one million ballot papers for the President of the Republic. This is untrue; and it is a great matter that undermines the credibility of the electoral system and should not be ignored.
“We see that our silence on this matter has dire consequences on public confidence in the Commission, and we want the police to investigate it,” he requested.
On another claim by the former President that the military was used to influence the election results, the EC categorically denied that claim; rejecting the scoring of the EC’s performance in 2020 elections as the worst in the country’s electoral history.
Dr. Bossman Asare further noted that the EC cannot be blamed for the violence in Techiman South as claimed by John Mahama.
It would recalled that the former President Mahama made the allegations at various fora during his “Thank You tour” of the country claiming that the EC stole the election for the incumbent and NPP candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Read the full response by the Electoral Commission below:
LET THE CITIZEN KNOW 25-10-2021 Updates on the 2020 elections and responses to some allegations Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the Press.
The Electoral Commission is very grateful for the support you continually provide in the dissemination of its programs to the good people of our dear country. More especially, we applaud you for your display of professionalism during the 2020 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Indeed you helped the Commission to demystify all the processes in the elections from the registration of voters to the declaration of the results in all the 275 parliamentary elections and the presidential election.
This edition of Let the Citizen Know is aimed at providing an update on the 2020 elections and addressing a number of allegations that have been leveled against the Commission by the Former President who led the NDC in the 2020 presidential election. I will begin by providing a brief overview of the 2020 Elections.
Let me state that the 2020 elections have been hailed globally as transparent and successful for the orderly and efficient manner they were conducted in spite of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The elections began with the replacement of an entire biometric voter management solution-the software and the hardware comprising Biometric Verification Devices and Biometric Voter Registration kits. It took the Commission only six months to conduct the entire electoral process from the preparation of a new biometric register on the 30th of June to the declaration of results on the 9th of December, 2020. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic and yet the entire process came off without a hitch.
In spite of the projections of the spread of COVID-19 and deaths there was no spread of the virus. This was due to the stringent safety practices put in place by the by the EC. In all our 38,622 polling stations across the country, there was sufficient supply of PPEs throughout the entire electoral cycle. We were able to register more than 17million people in just 38 days despite projections of apathy and low turnout due to the pandemic.
We ensured that our registration centers were placed at the doorstep of all eligible Ghanaians making it possible for any person who so desired to do so.
The recent 2021 Population and Housing Census have confirmed the effectiveness of our registration process. Out of a population of 30.8 million, 17 million plus were registered. This represents 55% of the population and puts Ghana ahead of all the ECOWAS countries except Cape Verde which has a population of less than 1 million. The average registered voters in ECOWAS countries is 40%. So Ghana has done well. Note that the registration took place in the midst of COVID-19.
To demystify the operations of the Commission and in the spirit of transparency and accountability, we organized weekly engagements with the citizens under the platform Let the Citizen Know. For the first time in our history Commissioners themselves provided regular updates directly to the citizens. As a result, the secrecy and suspicion that characterized our work was reduced. This helped build confidence in our processes and reduced the tension that surrounded our work and elections.
For example, during the registration, the Commission provided regular figures on demographics to Ghanaians such as male/female ratio, youth, PWDs etc-So transparent was our process that anyone could on a weekly basis calculate the number of registered voters across board. This was not the case previously.
Again, in spite of the fact that this was an entirely new register, there were no incidents of missing names on elections day unlike previous elections when people went to the polling stations but could not find their names. The presidential candidates of the two major parties also attested to the effectiveness of the registration exercise.
For the first time in our history we were able to reduce the cost of elections per voter from $13.34 in 2016 to $ 7.70 in 2020 and saved over GHS 500 million or $90 million at a time when the cost of elections the world over was rising. The savings were made in spite of the purchase of huge numbers of COVID-19 items which were in no short supply in all the 38,622 polling stations and in spite of the fact that unlike in 2016 we paid full taxes on all our items. It is important to note that we also created an additional 10,000 polling stations.
This was achieved through prudent procurement processes which favored open, competitive tender rather than single and restrictive sourcing.
Again, for the first time, the elections were fully funded by the government of Ghana with no donor support.
Yet another first, we did not experience the long queues at our 38,622 polling stations as in previous elections. By 1pm most centers were near empty as voters had already voted well before the 5pm deadline. Again, for the first time in our history, there were no shortages of materials anywhere in all the 38,622 polling stations. Even in advanced cities such as Berlin, in Germany, in a recent election, materials run out leading to delays.
Again we reduced the voting time from 10-12 minutes to 3-5 minutes.
Furthermore, we declared the results in a record 48 hours.
We created another layer of transparency and scrutiny by creating the Regional Collation Center. This enabled all the Party Agents to verify constituency presidential results for the second time before signing and forwarding them to the National Collation Center. We are reliably informed that the Agents at the RCC were professionals. NDC, for example, had seasoned lawyers at the RCC throughout the country.
It is important to note that that the introduction of the facial verification in addition to the verification of the fingerprints significantly reduced the percentage of manual verification. Previously this was a source of concern to the Commission. Of the over 13.4 million persons who voted, more than 99.9% were verified through either fingerprint or facial recognition biometric verification. An indication the Commission took the right decision to introduce the facial recognition feature to our verification process. Nationally only 11,050 people were manually verified. We are determined to ensure this statistically insignificant figure is further reduced in future elections.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, this in a nutshell provides the significant developments of the 2020 elections.
Distinguished citizens, in the last few weeks Former President Mahama has made a number of allegations against the EC and the 2020 elections. As Officials charged with the responsibility of conducting elections in Ghana, we owe it a duty to provide Ghanaians with the facts and the truth about the elections and the allegations raised. We are of the view that our silence on these false allegations could have dire consequences as it could undermine citizens’ confidence our dear country.
The Former President has said the EC thumb printed 1million ballots in favor of the president. This is untrue. This is a grave matter that undermines the credibility of our electoral process and should not be ignored. We call on him to provide evidence to support his claim. This is not a matter to be ignored and we call on the Ghana Police Service to investigate this.
The Transparency of our process makes it totally impossible for this to happen. At the polling stations, prior to the start of the elections, the empty ballot boxes are opened and displayed in the presence of everyone, and thereafter they are sealed. There are serial numbers on the ballot papers for each region and constituency. This is made known to the Agents before the elections.
Our ballot papers also have security features; so any trace of new material will be clearly visible.
Again, at the end of the poll, the ballots cast are crosschecked against the voters who were verified and issued the ballot papers. This ensures that over-voting is detected immediately. Nationwide, we had no issue with over-voting at all our 38,622 polling stations except in Savelugu in the parliamentary election where there was one and I repeat one over-voting. The transparency of our processes from the beginning to the end makes this impossible. Ballot Stuffing cannot be done-it is impossible. We call on the Former President in the interest of our democracy to provide evidence of the stuffing of the ballot boxes by the EC.
The Police should investigate this as a matter of urgency due to its potential to derail and undermine our democracy, and lead to a lack of confidence in our systems and processes.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the former President has alleged that the Military influenced the declaration and announcement of the elections results. This is also false. It never happened.
Nowhere did the Military influence the declaration and announcement of results. It is not true. The 2020 processes were widely participatory. The media, local and international observers all participated in the elections.
The results declared and announced at all the polling stations and collation centers were a true reflection of the will of the people.
The Media and Observers also picked their data right from the ground directly from the 38,622 polling stations and the collation centers and the results were no different from what the EC declared. To buttress the fact that the results were a reflection of the will of the people, it is important to indicate that all the major networks-Peace FM, UTV, Adom FM/TV, Joy News/FM, Kessben, Sky, GBC, Atinka Media collated their own results and it was the same as what the EC declared. These networks called the election for the President before the EC declared. The parallel voter tabulation employed by CODEO also confirmed the results declared by the EC. We call on the good people of Ghana to disregard this allegation of the military influencing the declaration and announcement of results as it is false and untrue.
In the interest of our democracy we call on the Former President to provide evidence of where the influence by the Military occurred.
We have also noted that the Former President has called the 2020 elections the worst elections. We refute his scoring. The good people of Ghana who experienced our processes are the best judges.
Their testimonies on social media demonstrated that Ghanaians were highly satisfied. Additionally, the 2020 elections have been hailed locally and globally as highly transparent, fair, credible, and inclusive.
World over, scientific methods are used to measure the success or otherwise of elections. International and Local Observers who used scientific, internationally-acceptable methods to measure the quality of elections have confirmed that the elections were transparent, credible and highly successful. It is not a wonder that the internationally recognized EU International Observer Mission which has a track record of elections observation scored the 2020 elections 95%.
Once again, we refute the ranking giving by the former president and state that, on the basis of scientific evidence the 2020 elections would go down as the best in the history of this country. It will be important to note the scientific tools used by the Former President to reach his conclusion.
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, once more, the former president has accused the EC of being responsible for the violence that took place at Techiman. We state for the records that the violence was not caused as a result of the EC or its staff. More importantly, the EC is not responsible for security as the former President sought to portray. Nowhere in our laws or in the Constitution is security one of the functions of the EC. To lay the security lapses at the doorstep of the EC is unfortunate.
While we sympathize with the family members of the deceased, we reject any attempt to associate the violence with us. Again we call on the former president in the interest of our democracy to provide evidence that the EC orchestrated the violence.
In Techiman, for example, one of the radio stations asked the townsfolk to go to the Collation Center to protect the ballot for the NDC parliamentary candidate. This is what led to the chaos that ensued at the Collation Centre. Our Regional and District Officials indicated that but for the presence of the Security personnel they would probably not be here today. In Savelugu the violence occurred at the police station. None of them had anything to do with the conduct of our officials.
Therefore, to blame the EC for the violence portrays a deliberate attempt to malign and impugn on the integrity of the Commission. Whiles we collaborated with the security agencies under the platform of the Elections Security Taskforce, our responsibility was to conduct the elections and we did that creditably.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, the Former President has also said the elections were fraudulent. This is not true. The elections were fair, transparent, and credible which have been attested to by local and international observers and the General Secretary of the NDC.
After the declaration of the results, the NDC initially challenged the elections by stating that the elections were rigged and that they had won. But they went to the Supreme Court alleging no one had won. However, throughout the proceedings at the court, they were not able to provide any pink sheet to support their claim of fraudulent elections.
In the full glare of Ghanaians when the General Secretary of the NDC was asked about the figures to support the Petitioner’s claim that no one won the election, he said they did not come to challenge the validity of the results.
When the General Secretary was also asked to tabulate the results during cross-examination he confirmed that the President actually won the presidential election with more than 50% plus 1 of the votes.
The two main political parties had at least two agents at all the polling stations representing the interests of their presidential and parliamentary candidates. The Commission did not receive any reports from the Party Agents complaining of fraud by the EC
As the saying goes, he who alleges must provide the proof. The NDC had this fine opportunity to provide evidence to support their claim of rigged elections.
They failed to do so. They did not provide a single pink sheet as earlier stated.
Finally, we have on several occasions heard the former President state that the Chairperson has been running away from accountability. This is false. The EC is an institution. As such for the Former President to equate the entire institution to the Chairperson is an attempt to malign her and cause disaffection for her. As an institution we account to the good people of Ghana through the Special Budget Committee of Parliament and we have done so. And we report regularly. We do not account to individuals. We do not account to presidential candidates. The Constitution does not permit that. For the information of the public, before and after the elections the EC Officials held meetings with the Special Budget Committee for our stewardship. We continue to do this. Furthermore, the Supreme Court is not the platform for the EC to account to the people of Ghana. As far as elections are concerned the Supreme Court is a court for settling presidential election dispute as stated in Article 63 (3) of the 1992 Constitution. That is why the Former President took us to court.
After the evidence adduced by the three witnesses of the Petitioner, it became evident the Petitioner had no credible evidence to support his claim. Indeed the General Secretary of the NDC said they did not come to court to challenge the validity of the election. In fact there was no single evidence to support their claim that no one won the presidential election. Our Lawyers were of the view that the witnesses had not provided credible evidence during cross-examination on which the Chairperson could be cross-examined. In their view there was no need to respond, and they asked the Court to decide the matter based on the evidence adduced by the Petitioner’s Witnesses.
Ghanaians watched the proceedings and saw that the Petitioner and his witnesses did not tender any evidence. as the General Secretary in an answer to a Judge as to the figures they brought to court to make their case said they did not come to court with any figures neither did they come to challenge the validity of the results.
In any case where a person goes to court and accuses another person of wrongdoing and the person accused chooses not to respond shouldn’t the Accuser go home a happy person? In conclusion on this subject, we wish to state that the EC is mindful of its obligations to account for its stewardship to the good people of Ghana through Parliament. We will continue to do so.
We will continue to provide you with the facts and truth on all our activities and we entreat you all to work to defend our democracy. Lastly, we will not watch persons tear down our institution for no legitimate or just cause.
The Commission is concerned about the attempt to undermine and malign the state institution that has been provided with the Constitutional mandate to conduct elections. The EC is an important vehicle in our democratic process. It is a key institution of democracy. The Commission does not determine and cannot determine who win elections in Ghana; the people of Ghana do.
The Electoral Commission has never wavered in its belief that a great work was done in 2020. This has been corroborated by Ghanaians across all walks of life
The Supreme Court has in a 4:3 majority decision reinstated Justice Clemence Honyenuga, a Supreme Court Judge sitting as an additional High Court judge to continue hearing the case of former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board, Stephen Opuni who is standing trial for causing over GHc217 million financial loss to the state.××
This follows the decision of the court to grant an application for review filed by the Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, who challenged an earlier decision of the court to take the judge off the case on grounds of bias.
Dr. Opuni had applied to the Supreme Court to take Justice Honyenuga off the case on ground that he will not be given the opportunity to defend himself as the trial judge was bent on sending him to jail.
The ordinary bench in a 3:2 majority had granted the application and prohibited the trial judge from further hearing the case.
But the the Attorney General in a motion for review argued that the decision of the ordinary Bench contained multiple fundamental flaws which occasioned substantial miscarriage of justice.
He said the ruling will occasion irreparable damage to the Republic in the substantive trial if the errors committed by the ordinary Bench are not corrected.
Samuel Codjoe, counsel for Dr. Opuni opposed the application arguing that it did not meet the threshold for invoking the review jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
He further argued that the AG was rehashing its old argument, adding that the court was right in prohibiting the trial judge and prayed it to uphold the majority decision.
The court in a 4:3 majority granted the review application and reinstated Justice Honyenuga to continue hearing the case, indicating that their reasoned ruling would be made available by close of Friday.
Justices Jones Dotse, Avril Lovelace-Johnson, Prof. Nii Ashie Kotey and Gertrude Torkonoo formed the majority while Justices Gabriel Pwamang, Agnes Dordzie and Amadu Tanko dissented
Information reaching KWESI TV 24 indicates that the Accra Area Manager of the Ghana Railways Company Limited, Ing. Michael Asante, has died from a train accident.
According to reports, he lost his life when a moving train run over him.××
The unfortunate inside happened when he together with his management members were on an inspection tour of the Accra-Nsawam rail line.
According to the report, he was standing in the outer frontage of the train when they saw a naked electric wire across the route around Pokuase.
In an attempt to avoid being entangled by the wire, he jumped off the moving train, and was overrun by the train.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has served notice that the 2024 general elections will be different from all other elections that have been held in this country.
According to the Director of Elections of the NDC, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, the party will no longer resort to the courts to settle any election dispute.
Speaking in an interview on Accra based Joy FM, Mr. Ankrah said despite their loss in court, they are still convinced the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Electoral Commission (EC) colluded to rig the 2020 general elections.
“So if you have a Supreme Court that will not create the conditions for the truth to come out, no wonder they’ll come out to say that it was very transparent despite the issues that went on. That is why we are saying that okay, 2024, we have learned our lessons, and we’ll not go to court. We’ll settle it. Whatever, anyway, anyhow …” Mr. Afriyie Ankrah remarked.
His comment was in response to a press conference by the Deputy Commissioner of the EC, Bossman Asare on some allegations made against the EC by flagbearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama.
Bossman Asare described as ‘false’ all the claims by John Mahama and dared him to produce evidence to back same. He called for John Mahama to provide evidence to his allegations and asked the Police to investigate those allegations.
”The Former President has said the EC thumb printed 1million ballots in favour of the president. This is untrue. This is a grave matter that undermines the credibility of our electoral process and should not be ignored. We call on him to provide evidence to support his claim. This is not a matter to be ignored and we call on the Ghana Police Service to investigate this,” the Commission insisted.
John Mahama and the NDC contested the 2020 elections at the Supreme Court, however, in a unanimous decision, the court upheld the results as announced by the EC.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has told newly confirmed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives that it continues to be a “good time to be in charge of districts, municipal and metropolitan areas”, as they have the opportunity to transform their local economies, and preside over the creation of jobs for the Ghanaian people.
According to President Akufo-Addo, the local area is the target for all the programmes we set forth by his government in 2017, programmes that continue to be implemented for the growth and transformation of the Ghanaian economy.
“‘Planting for Food and Jobs’, ‘One Million Dollar One Constituency”, “One District One Factory”, and “One Village One Dam” and “Agenda 111” policy initiatives, like all the other innovative introductions to the economy, are all very much local initiatives… The challenge is, thus, for all areas to take advantage of these programmes to develop your localities,” he said.
While admonishing the MMDCEs to be minded of the fact that all government initiatives at the local level come within their purview, whether initiated by them or not, he stressed that “the argument that you are not aware of, or are not responsible for government initiatives in your localities, will not wash with me”.
He continued, “You have to familiarise yourself with everything, whether of your making or not. A Chief Executive, who is indifferent or unaware of government activities in his or her area, is not a suitable Chief Executive… Be reminded, however, that I will not hesitate to ‘disappoint’ any MMDCE who does not live up to expectations.”.
President Akufo-Addo urged the MMDCEs to acquaint themselves with all the relevant laws, and work in close collaboration with their Assemblies, traditional authorities, opinion leaders, religious leaders and other key stakeholders in their localities, urging them further to ensure that the Assemblies function effectively and efficiently, especially in the sub-structures.
In reminding the MMDCEs of the chain of command, he stressed the Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Botwe, Kwaku Botwe, has oversight responsibility for decentralisation implementation and local government.
In addition, President Akufo-Addo indicated that: “Regional Ministers are required to monitor and evaluate the performance of MMDCEs in their Regions, and submit periodic reports to the President about them. I, therefore, expect you to accord Regional Ministers all their due respect, as they are the President’s representatives in the Regions”.
While imploring them to be careful and tactful in managing issues of intelligence and security, the President requested that all MMDCEs, in accordance with the Public Office Holders (Declaration of Assets and Disqualification) Act, 1998, (Act 550), (Schedule 1 (V)), should, within three (3) months of assuming office, declare their assets.
This exercise, he indicated, will be monitored, especially as “it is important that the Ghanaian people understand that, for us, public service is exactly that, public service, not personal gain.”
On the matter of the election of MMDCEs, the President noted that there is nothing to fear in the direct election of Chief Executives, as it will, on the contrary, should lead to a deepening of democracy and better accountability.
“My Government and I will continue to work for a broad, national consensus on this issue, and should such a consensus be attained for the repeal of article 55(3) of the Constitution, and an agreement reached for political parties to participate in and sponsor candidates for election to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, at any point during my tenure of office as President of the Republic, the matter will be brought again back to the front burner of our public discourse for the necessary action,” President Akufo-Addo stated
The Advertising Association of Ghana (AAG) has announced the sudden demise of its President, Torgbor Mensah, whose sad event occurred on Saturday, October 23.
A statement issued by Vice President Mansa Amoa-Awuah on Monday, October 25 said the sudden demise of Mr Torgbor Mensah, who was re-elected AAG President in 2020, “is a monumental loss to the AAG and the entire advertising fraternity worldwide, for which he was Colossus”.
From a graphic designer, Mr Tee, as he was affectionately called, rose to become the “doyen of the advertising industry in Ghana and indeed Africa”.
He was first elected President of the Association in 2018 and held the position until his demise.
He was also the President of the Ghana Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA) and in October last year was appointed its Vice President, Corporate Member Development-Africa.
He was also in April selected as a member of the juror for the 2021 Cannes Lions awards outdoor.
Mr Tee was widely known as the brain behind DDP Outdoor Limited, Ghana’s biggest outdoor advertising company with affiliations across Africa.
He was instrumental in the process to see the passing of the Advertising Council Bill, which is still before Parliament, and his passion for Accra and indeed the development of local assemblies saw him supporting the Make Greater Accra Work Again campaign by regional minister Henry Quartey.
Leadership and members of AAG will pay a courtesy call on his family on Tuesday after which a book of condolence will be open at the Secretariat the following day for all sympathisers.
Funeral arrangements are expected to be announced in due course
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has met leaders of the various religious groups in Ghana over the latter’s activities within the remit of the laws of the country.
The meeting was held on Monday, October 25 at the police headquarters.
It was moderated by Professor Margaret Ivy Amoakohene, a member of the Council of State, with lawyers Ace Ankomah and Sampson Lardy Anyenini as resource persons.
After the meeting, the Acting Director-General of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Kwesi Ofori, said there was a consensus between the two parties on the matters of the law and religion.
“There was that sort of mutual discussion and respect for each other and all is based on how the churches might conduct their operation and activities, taking into account the position of the law,” ACP Kwesi Ofori told journalists.
“Of late, we have witnessed so many challenges, limitations and things that call for dialogue and I can say that we have agreed and key among the issues discussed is education and law enforcement.”
On his part, the immediate past Chairman of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, who is also the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church-Ghana, was satisfied with the discussions.
“. . .We pray that it will go on so that we can have sanity, discipline, in our nation and all of us as Ghanaians will be happy for it”.
In an attempt to restore order at the James Town Fire Training Centre of the Ghana National Fire Service, where the current recruitment into the Service is ongoing, personnel had to resort to what they termed as ‘minimum force’ to ensure discipline at the centre.
On Tuesday morning, there was near-chaos when thousands trooped to the venue to get screened into the Service.
A potential recruit who claimed she got to the venue at 1:00am on Tuesday explained to 3FM Sunrise host Alfred Ocansey that “they were proving stubborn”.
“They asked them to push back and they refused so they used the baton to push them back to instill discipline in them and in the place.”
She added: “I got here at 1am and around that time, there were about five hundred people in the queue”.
“They are sitting on the ground because there is no chair so they asked us to sit on the ground. They asked some of us to pick rubbers and sachet”.
The potential recruit continued: “I spent time in a guest house and came back at 1am. I don’t have a number. I am just in the queue and they are now attending to those who they could not attend to”.
Pollster and Editor of the Daily Dispatch Newspaper, Ben Ephson, has challenged former President John Mahama to seek redress at the Supreme Court (SC) if he found any electoral malpractice in the just ended 2020 General Elections.
According to him, the stuffing of ballot boxes in order to win elections cannot work in the current electoral dispensation hence former President Mahama can go to court if he has any evidence.
“The EC is not perfect; I am saying that John Mahama is using the wrong route to force the EC, that is what I’m saying. If you are really focused, you said this and you petitioned this and the EC is not minding you. Go to where the EC will fear when the order is given or do you want to continue saying it is an attempt to say that the EC didn’t do his job? No, you are being reckless.
“If the EC is being irresponsible, go to the Supreme Court to make him responsible, that is my point,” Ben Ephson told Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Tuesday.
The Electoral Commission has rejected claims by former President Mahama that the 2020 election was rigged in favour of President Akufo-Addo.
According to the commission, they are ready to welcome a police probe into the claims of Mr. Mahama.
“The former President has said the EC thumb printed one million ballot papers for the President of the Republic. This is untrue, and it is a great matter that undermines the credibility of the electoral system and should not be ignored.
“We see that our silence on this matter has dire consequences on public confidence in the Commission, and we want the police to investigate it,” Deputy Chairman of the EC in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Eric Bossman Asare said at a press conference on Monday.
Mr Mahama has described the 2020 polls as the worst election in Ghana’s history.
According to him, the election was marred by numerous irregularities which are unprecedented in the history of the country.
“2020 was Ghana’s worst election. If I was marking her, I would have given her an F. She is marking her own paper after the examination so she can give herself any mark she likes,” the former President who was flag bearer of the NDC in the 2020 polls told Cape FM in during his ‘Thank you tour
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has disclosed that Parliament will employ common sense in passing the anti-gay bill before the House.
The bill before the House has been christened the “the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Right and the Ghanaian Family Values,” for some time now has generated heated national conversations.
According to the Speaker, despite the many controversies that the bill has generated it is healthy for Ghana’s democracy.
“In fact, it has assumed some different dimensions. For me, this is healthy for a maturing democracy like Ghana. It is important we allow various shapes of opinions to canvass their position on the bill. As Ghanaians, I want to plead that we accommodate the views of others on whatever perception they have and let’s maintain the peace that we have.
“It is a law that will take into consideration the richness of common sense, human decency, morality, fact and logic. At the end of the day it will be a law that will transform this country into something else,” he stated during his opening remarks as Parliament reconvened on Tuesday.
Mr. Bagbin called on the Members of Parliament (MPs) to allow the religious bodies, the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), persons in the academia among others to participate in the deliberations.
The Rt Hon. Speaker assured Ghanaians that the process of passing the bill will be made public, “the seating of the Committee will be public and the decision of this House will be public. We will want to know where each Member of Parliament comes in.
“I know Ghanaians are expectant and there are over hundred petitions before the Committee of Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. But we will try not allow any Filibustering of this bill. Because it is not only Africa, the whole-world is looking for the outcome of this bill.”
Five people have met their untimely death in a gory accident on Dominase to Mankessim road in the Mfantseman Municipality in the Central Region.
The accident occurred Saturday between a fully loaded taxi cab and a trailer.
Information gathered by EIB Network’s Central Regional Correspondent, Yaw Boagyan indicates that the speeding trailer somersaulted while negotiating a sharp curve following which the taxi rammed into it leading to the instant death of the five onboard the taxi.
The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
The trailer driver and his mate who sustained injuries are receiving treatment at the Saltpond Government hospital.
Police have commenced investigation into the circumstances leading to the accident
The National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, has lashed out at the former Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku, Bernard Okoe-Boye, over what he says are attempts to paint the NDC with the same brush as the NPP in terms of abandoning of projects.
According to him, the current New Patriotic Party continues to prove how much they are not ready to continue projects that they inherited from the previous administration.
He spoke on the Saturday, October 23, 2021, edition of NewsFile on the JoyNews channel, monitored by GhanaWeb.
“They have come into office: these E-blocks we are talking about, I can give you a list of 50 E-blocks they have abandoned. And this issue that Okoe Boye is raising that even though the promise was in 2012, we started in 2014 and we didn’t finish all, and so what?
“We made the promise in 2012 as part of a campaign, we took office 2013, construction started in 2014. Now, we awarded 124, fully completed 46 and your own handing over notes bares that one out. You promised to build 350 secondary schools, you are in your fifth year, you’ve not built one,” he said.
Sammy Gyamfi also stated how shameful a thing it is for the former deputy minister of Health to try to justify the failure of his government, stressing that it is hypocrisy.null
“You have no shame. You are rather attacking a government that promised 200, awarded 124, completed 46, with the rest at different levels of completion. What kind of hypocrisy is this?” he quizzed.
The Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government has promised to construct a number of buildings for both education and the health sector.
One of such is the government’s Agenda 111 project which is to see to the construction of 111 hospitals across the country.
Henry Quartey, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, says the “Operation Clean Your Frontage” campaign will be a game-changer to the menace of poor environmental sanitation in the Region.
The campaign, which was launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in Accra, is a clarion call on all citizens to appreciate that keeping their environment clean and green is one of the prerequisites for leading a healthy and happy life.
It is part of measures by the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council to keep the City clean.
The campaign is to enforce sanitation regulations in the City as part of the “Make Accra Work” agenda.
Mr Quartey said because sanitation and cleanliness were related to health, this needed to be tackled with all seriousness to resolve various health challenges.
He said the necessary by-laws were passed by all the 29 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Region and approved by the Regional Coordinating Council and duly gazetted.null
Mr Quartey said the importance of the by-law was that every house owner, occupier, trader, business and institution had a responsibility to ensure that the frontage of their premises and immediate surroundings were clean.
The Regional Minister said 3,500 youth were recruited and would undergo training to form the City Response Team, just like the City Guards, to help in the implementation and policing of the agenda.
He emphasized that these officers would be trained and properly structured under supervisors, who were retired military officers, saying “they will be given the required resources to deliver and we expect them to exhibit the normal military discipline in all their activities.”
Mr Quartey said the City Response Team would police every vicinity and major intersection in Accra.
“Indeed, we are engaging the Attorney-General to find a way to include Community Services in the sentencing regime to ensure that we do not congest the courts with sanitation issues.”
“We are offering two months moratorium for public education and mass sensitization after the project launch, full operations will therefore take off by 1st January 2022.”
Mr Amidu Chinnia Issahaku, Deputy Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, said the initiative aimed at a behavioural change which was critical in ensuring a decent environment to avoid environmental-related sicknesses.
He assured the Regional Minister and the 16 Regional Coordinating Councils of his Ministry’s continuous collaboration with all stakeholders, including the private sector, to ensure the agenda to make Accra and all parts of Ghana clean, was achieved.
He said the by-laws formulated on any frontage premises had been gazetted, hence tasked all MMDAs within the Greater Accra Region to ensure its implementation.
Dr Joseph Siaw Agyapong, Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group, who represented the private sector, underscored the need for effective collaboration among all stakeholders in ensuring that the objectives of the campaign were achieved.
He said, in addition to the personnel, his company was providing 85 compactors for every MMDA and 1,000 tricycles to support the campaign.
Dr Agyapong also highlighted the need for attitudinal change, saying, “the company has discovered that attitudinal change and law enforcement of by-laws are the two key challenges inhibiting a sustainable clean and healthy environment.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Communications Authority (NCA), the spectrum regulatory agency, has assured the owners of Accra-based Radio Gold and Radio XYZ, which were shut down for some Frequency Modulation (FM) infractions that they will get their old frequencies back after meeting all the demands for their re-authorisation.
Mr Joe Anokye made this known in a text message he sent to the host of Accra-based Joy FM’s news analysis programme News File, Samson Lardi Ayenini on Saturday, 23 October 2021.
In the said message read by the host of the show, the CEO of NCA assured the owners of the affected stations that they will be handed back their old frequencies.
“The Governing Board of the National Communications Authority (NCA), at a Board meeting held on 11th October 2021, approved the grant of a total of One Hundred and Thirty-Three (133) FM radio broadcasting authorizations which include new applications from entities whose FM radio stations were closed down after the 2017 FM audit as well as existing stations which applied for renewal of their expired FM Radio broadcasting authorizations,” a statement from the NCA said.
A number of radio stations including Radio Gold and XYZ were shut down by the National Communications Authority in May 2019.
The NCA explained that the closures were carried out in line with Regulations 65 (1) of the Electronic Communications Regulations, 2011, L. I. 1991, which states that “a person shall not use a radio frequency without authorization from the Authority
The Ministry of Trade and Industry has debunked media reports that the sector Minister, Mr Alan Kyerematen, sold parcels of farmland belonging to the Komenda Sugar Development Company.In a statement issued and signed by the chief director, Mr Patrick Nimo, it said the Ministry did not have “the legal capacity or authority to initiate, negotiate and conclude the sale and transfer of any stool land assigned to the Company.”
It, therefore, described the allegation of selling some 125 acres of the farmland, in July 2018, to local farmers to distil local gin as absolute falsehood and maliciously intended to incite disaffection and mistrust against the Government, particularly the Minister.
The Ministry assured the chiefs and people of the Komenda Traditional Area that the Factory would be brought back to productive operation, as reiterated by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo during his recent tour of the Central Region.
A former Secretary to the Board of the Komenda Sugar Factory in the Central Region, Ransford Chatman Vanni-Amoah had alleged that the Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan Kyeremanten sold 125-acres sugarcane farm meant for the Factory to Akpeteshie (local alcoholic drink) distillers.
According to him, the NPP government upon assuming office abandoned the project and the sugarcane nursery plantation was left to overgrow due to a lack of political will to operationalize the factory.
“Before the loan of US$125 million was approved by the Parliament, the Ministry of Trade and Industry acting on behalf of the Government of Ghana entered into an agreement with Seftech India Private Ltd to pre-finance the development of 125-acre nursery plantation which ought to be transplanted onto the 2,000-acre farms by January 2017.”
He further alleged that “In July 2018 Mr Kyerematen sold the 125-acre sugarcanes to Akpeteshie distillers.”
His comments came after the President during his tour of the Central Region recently stated that the decision by Mr John Mahama to build the Komenda Sugar factory, without first establishing a sugarcane plantation, betrays every principle of construction.
The Ga Mantse, Boni Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II is pushing for a change in the name of the Greater Accra region.
He wants the region to be called Ga Dangme region to reflect and represent the name of its indigenes.
He made the request when President Akufo-Addo paid a visit to the Ga Traditional Council at the Ga Mantse Palace in Accra today, Friday, October 22, 2021.
This was on the second day of his tour of the region as part of his nationwide tour.
Speaking at the meeting, the Ga Mantse could not help thanking President Akufo-Addo for the various developmental projects he is understaking not only in Accra but the entire country.
He also asked the President to help get more trained Ga teachers to be posted to schools in the Greater Accra region to enhance teaching of the Ga language in schools in the region.
Nii Takie Teiko Tsuru II took the opportunity to thank the President for the significant number of Ga’s he has appointed to occupy various positions in his government even though he wish they could be more.
As leader of the Ga’s, he promised to do all he can to help resolve all chieftaincy disputes in the Ga State and therefore called for the President’s continous support in that respect.
The Ga Mantse also appealed to the President to do more to help solve perenial flooding in Accra since it has become one of their major headaches as a people.
On his part, President Akufo-Addo commended the chiefs and people of Ga for finally settling on one Ga Mantse in the person of Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II.
He was hopeful the new Ga Mantse will be able to hold the fort and rally all Gas together in peace.
He was confident this will bode well for the Ga state and thus asked for all to support him to help develop the Ga state.
He was particularly happy all this happened under his presidency.
President Akufo-Addo to help him to develop the Ga state but was particularly his commitment to ensure lasting peace and security in the Ga state.
On the issue of the change of name of the region the President said he will consult extensively before he makes up his mind
President Akufo-Addo thinks the implementation of by-laws and logistics alone cannot solve the insanitary conditions in the country.
Rather he believes attitudinal change will help rewrite the narrative to a large extent.××
He has therefore called on his fellow countrymen to change their attitude to rid the country of filth.
This was when he launched the Operation ‘Clean Your Frontage’ in Accra on Friday.
Operation ‘Clean Your Frontage’ is part of the “Let’s Make Greater Accra Work” transformational agenda that seeks to mobilise and empower all urban actors to practically and sustainably respond to the region’s waste management and sanitation challenges.
It is also intended to create opportunities for sustainable urban and economic growth in the context of enhanced security, clean and green environment, public private partnerships and good urban governance.
The Agenda was formulated by the Greater Accra Regional Co-ordinating Council under the leadership of Henry Quartey, the Regional Minister in response to President Akufo-Addo’s vision of making Accra the cleanest city in West Africa.
The “Operation Clean Your Frontage” campaign would make it mandatory for property owners of residential, private and public institutions and the citizenry to clean and green their frontage and all open spaces around their property.
President Akufo-Addo believes “the aesthetic appearance of our communities, especially the urbanized communities is critical to among other things attract tourist, investors and promote the wellbeing of the citizenry.”
This implies that, cleaning and greening would be a daily practice in the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the Greater Accra Region.
Some of the strategic interventions under the “Operation Clean your Frontage” campaign includes by-laws on cleaning of the frontage of premises formulated and gazetted, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAS) deployment of systematic approach to sensitize residents, corporate organizations and community members on their roles and responsibilities in waste management.
Under the initiative, Assemblies are expected to create extensive awareness on sanitation and cleaning by-laws and commit to enforcing the by-laws, deployment of a new City Response Team, evacuation of accumulated refuse at sanitary sites and other locations.
It will also involve transfer stations in MMDAs, daily sweeping of streets, curbs, walkways, and open spaces, picking of litter from walkways, road medians and open spaces, daily collection of refuse from streets, road medians, and public open spaces, daily emptying of street litter bins, provision of concrete bins by the major highways, desilting of public drains, regular weeding of road medians, greening of public open spaces road medians and road shoulders and periodic curbs painting on ceremonial streets.
Looking at the enormity of the project, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, a subsidiary of the JOSPONG Group is releasing logistics and equipment to support the Accra Must Work Campaign to achieve maximum impact aside the already deployed logistics for its regular operations.
Chairman of the JOSPONG, Joseph Siaw Agyepong who announced this in addition to providing its personnel, the company is providing about 85 compactors and 1,000 Tricycles to support this campaign.
He revealed that “the company has come out with the new tricycle model and system of operation that will unionize and assist the informal waste collection sector to contribute to the waste management processes in a more formal and organized manner to improve waste collection in slums and poorly planned areas.”
He has therefore encouraged all Ghanaians to as it were “take advantage of this laudable initiative to clean their frontage to ensure that we, in our own small ways, also play our parts in making Ghana a clean and health country
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will lead Ghana’s delegation to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, United Kingdom, from October 31 to November 12, 2021.
Ghana’s key propositions for the global meeting are to seek funding to implement her climate change adaptation measures, negotiate for an alternative to the 2030 fossil to renewable energy transition agenda, and push for the conclusion of the discussions that deal with carbon trading.
Dr Kweku Afriyie, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, who announced this at a Pre-COP26 conference in Accra, noted that climate change effects, such as erratic rainfall and increase in temperature, were already impacting Ghana, including her food systems, energy and cocoa production, the major foreign exchange earner.
To adapt to the impacts, the Minister said Ghana, in her interim Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs), had identified 47 adaptation and mitigation measures, which would need between US$9.3 and US$15.5 billion for its implementation in the next decade.
Just like other developing countries, Ghana had huge deposits of hydrocarbon resource needed to be harnessed for development.
The global agenda to phase out fossil fuel and resort to renewable energy would lead to disruption of the economy resulting in revenue and job losses, he said.
Dr Afriyie said: “Ghana depends so much on its natural resources, so the energy transition must be done carefully in a way that will not compromise our development.”
Touching on Ghana’s participation, he said a pavilion would be set up at the conference ground to showcase some of the steps she had taken to deal with climate change.
The country’s participation in the COP26, the Minister said, would enable Ghana to contribute to global discussions on climate change, and showcase national efforts at mitigating and adapting to its impact.
It would also provide a platform for bilateral discussions with development partner agencies for mobilising resources to address the menace.
Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), expressed the Agency’s willingness to continue to provide technical leadership on climate change in the country and avail itself to supporting the COP26 preparation process and beyond.
Ms Beth Cadman, the Charge d’Affairs for the British High Commission, said the UK was playing her part to ensure that rich countries provided the finance that developing countries needed to adapt to climate change.
“Ghana is right to prioritise her needs at the COP; her voice is vital to spur action. It is a country with little responsibility for creating a crisis but one in which the effects will be strongly felt” Ms Cadman said.
“Securing access to climate finance will be one of Ghana’s key ambitions for the COP26. The UK is working hard to reach the target of $100 billion a year, as well as reducing emissions.”
Over 30,000 delegates, including 125 world leaders, have confirmed their participation in the COP26, on the theme: “Keeping 1.5 alive-ensuring it is still possible to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees,” the UK High Commission announced.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has challenged Africa’s youth to take mental, physical and economic lead roles in positioning Africa as the giant of the future.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, at the YouthConnekt Africa Summit taking place in Accra, President Akufo-Addo maintained that the African could be as successful as any other, and urged the youth, who make up a very large proportion of Africa’s population, to take their rightful place in shaping the continent’s destiny.
“I do not accept that Africa has a DNA that dooms us to failure. Africans can, like all the other peoples that have succeeded, make life meaningful and worth living for their own people. We must cultivate an irrepressible desire to do right by the citizen.
“There is an abundance of dynamic, entrepreneurial talent on our continent struggling to express itself and take advantage of such conditions. We have to encourage this expression with full force, and ensure that we can stand on our own feet, and make it impossible for the systematic looting and plundering of our human and material resources, that have characterized much of our modern history, to continue. This is the significance of the concept of Ghana Beyond Aid, indeed, of Africa Beyond Aid.”
The President continued: “Simply put, I just want us to have more self-confidence and accept that we shall never reach the level of development we aspire to by relying on aid or external assistance, no matter how generous. It is a mindset that I wish Africans to discard, a mindset of living on charity and handouts.
“To get to a situation Beyond Aid, we will have to harness effectively our own resources, and deploy them creatively and efficiently for rapid economic and social transformation.”
Youthful Population
Noting that a youthful population has always had a major impact on the growth of economies across the world, President Akufo-Addo said Africa, despite having the largest generation of young people in history, must take active steps to make the opportunities inherent in having such a demographic advantage a reality.
“The population opportunity will not automatically guarantee us a future of growth and prosperity. Demographic dividends do not come automatically. They have to be earned.
“With over forty percent (40%) of Africa’s working population between the ages of fifteen (15) and twenty-four (24), Africa is the youngest continent in the world… Yet, too many of our young people are trapped in poverty, with few opportunities to learn or to earn a decent living. According to the World Bank, youth account for sixty percent (60%) of all African unemployed.
“No one needs to tell us that mass unemployment in Africa, especially amongst her youth, is a ticking time bomb. The so-called Arab Spring showed clearly that lack of employment opportunities can undermine social cohesion and political stability. With between ten (10) to twelve (12) million youths joining the labour force every year, Africa has to pay maximum attention to job creation,” he warned.
Investment
Increasing investment in young people is key, the President noted. This includes promoting diverse, quality education that prepares them for a future of opportunities.
“For young people to be able to exploit the economic opportunities that abound in Africa, they must have the skills and training necessary to take advantage of them. In doing this, Africa must fashion an education policy that is also gender sensitive, for women are a slight majority of Africa’s youth.
“There is also a critical need to involve young people in decisions that affect them. We cannot talk about sustainable development without the active involvement of youth. Africa cannot talk about shaping the future without talking about the welfare and wellbeing of young people. It is important that Africa takes these ideas forward to harness the value of a youthful population, holding human rights, gender equality, development of human capital, and dignity at the center of all our investments. Only by providing opportunities that open the future to all young people do we create a brighter future,” President Akufo-Addo maintained.
The YouthConnekt Summit is an annual convening that connects youth from across the continent and beyond with policy influencers, political leaders, and public, private and development sector institutions to engage, discuss, design, and accelerate youth empowerment efforts at a continental level.
This year’s 3-day summit, under the theme “Repositioning the Youth for the Post-Covid Economy and AfCFTA Opportunities,” is being attended virtually and in person by youth from over 30 African countries, and will be addressed by a large number of high profile speakers including Hon. Rosemary Mbabazi, Minister for Youth and Culture for Rwanda, who will represent H.E. President Paul Kagame, Mr. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Dr Patrice Motsipe, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Mr Charles Abani, the UN Resident Representative in Ghana, and Ghana’s Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon Mustapha Ussif
The Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, has applauded the impact of the policies, programmes and developmental projects undertaken by the Government of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in the Greater Accra Region.
Delivering a statement on Friday, 22 nd October 2021, when President Akufo-Addo paid a courtesy call on him, as part of his working visit to the Greater Accra Region, the Ga Mantse stated that “Your Excellency, we are seeing development in Accra. But we encourage you to do more.”
According to, the Ga State “recognizes and appreciates the developmental projects being undertaken in the Ga State, for example the James Town Fishing Harbour and the Salaga Market.”
Pursuant to this, “the Chiefs of the Ga State shall collaborate with President at all times to ensure that Accra becomes the cleanest city in Africa. In that regard, all the Chiefs in the Ga State pledge to be ambassadors in promoting the clean Accra Agenda.”
Cognizant of the fact that, development thrives only in a peaceful environment, he added that, “the Ga Traditional Council pledges to maintain peace within the Ga State and to also resolve all chieftaincy disputes within the shortest possible time to facilitate the development of the Ga State and Ghana as a whole.”
The Ga Mantse also commended President Akufo-Addo, “for the various social interventions introduced, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the nomination of the first female Mayor of Accra.”
He also extended the appreciation of the Chiefs of the Ga State, for the appointments of Nii Dakutso Otsii I, Member of the Council of State, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Hon. Henry Quartey; and Mr. Edwin Obodai Provencal, CEO of BOST, who, he described as competent indigenes of the Ga State.
The Ga Mantse was confident that the newly confirmed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) “will work together with the Regional Minister, Local Government Minister and we the traditional leaders to make Accra work again.”
Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, appealed to the President to assist ongoing efforts to change the name of the region to Ga Dangme Region, “in order to advance the unification and consolidation of Ga Dangme and to increase the teaching of the Ga language in schools in the region
Members of the Onion Sellers Association, who were recently moved from Agbobgloshie, have showered praises on the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for ensuring and facilitating their smooth and convenient relocation to Adjen Kotoku.
It will be recalled that the onion sellers not long ago fiercely resisted initial attempts by the Minister for Greater Accra, Hon. Henry Quartey, to relocate them from the Onion market in Agbobloshie, citing reasons of inconvenience and the absence of a ready market.
However, contrary to their fears, the group upon a visit to the place by the President as part of his tour of the Greater Accra region, have thanked and commended him for staying true to his word and meeting all the conditions prevalent to ensure a convenient and productive market for them.
According to their Spokesperson, Osman Mohammed Seil, the assurances of their security and ready-market are what they are witnessing today and believed that the Adjen Kotoku Onion Market has the potential of becoming the number one Onion market in West Africa.
“We were told to leave Sodom and Gomorrah to Jeddah, today we have moved, seen and realized that this place is indeed Jeddah. We are earning way more than we used to get at our former place”, the Spokesperson added.
He was confident that, work on the few remaining stalls and the provision of more sanitary amenities and a mosque will be completed to augment the existing structures in the Onion Market
Former NDC Central Regional Chairman, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has called on President Nana Akufo-Addo to construct an airport in the Region.
The President is currently touring the Central Region as part of his annual visits to the sixteen (16) Regions and has been assuring the residents of his government’s plans for the Region.
He stated that his government will revive the Komenda Sugar Factory in Cape Coast which is aimed at cutting the making Ghana a manufacturer and exporter of sugar as well as creating more jobs.
Speaking on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’ programme, Allotey Jacobs stressed that the Central Region needs an airport because it is the ”hub of tourism” and will facilitate the movement of tourists to the Region.
” . . If you want to promote the tourism in Central Region, you need airstrip or an airport,” he added.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is urging Ghanaians to debate the LGBTQI+ bill before Parliament in a civil and tolerant manner.
He said there was need for respect for the opinions of all and sundry in the debate on the Proper Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, a private member’s bill sponsored by some law makers, that seeks to criminalize the practice and promotion of same sex relations in Ghana.××
Speaking on an Accra radio station at the start of his three-day tour of the Greater Accra region on Thursday, the President appealed to Members of Parliament to have civil discussions on the Bill.
He said though the Bill sought to check the activities of the LGBTQI+ community, there was need for the public to respect each other’s opinion on the matter.
President Akufo-Addo was happy that opportunity had been created for a private member sponsored bill to be considered by Parliament.
“What I hope for is that the debate itself would be civil and that we would recognise the need for us to be tolerant, of each others views even when they are opposing views,” he said.
The President was hopeful that the process for the consideration of the bill would be a credit to Ghanaian democracy
“I am hoping that the process would continue in an acceptable manner and at the end of the day we would know the position of our legislature,” he said.
The Proper Human Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, which has received tremendous endorsement by religious organizations, traditionalists and individuals, has been considered as one of the most draconian anti-gay law worldwide.
The bill which is yet to reach the second reading stage in Parliament, proposes jail terms ranging from two years to ten year jail term for gay activities.
The Bill has read for the first time and referred to the Select Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs of Parliament.
The Committee, which is currently considering the bill, has received over 130 memoranda in support and against the bill
President Akufo-Addo yesterday commissioned Phase II of the Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP), executed by the Jospong Group and Partners at the cost of about €20m.
Speaking at the commissioning, the President stated that as a result of urbanisation, particularly in the country’s major cities, the capacity of the current 600-tonne plant cannot cope with the increased municipal solid waste generated daily within the city of Accra.××
“It is for this reason that Jospong Group and Partners, with support from Government, embarked on expanding the existing facility from six hundred (600) tonnes per day to two thousand (2,000) tonnes per day,” the President said.
Phase II of the plant is well-equipped with modern teaching and learning facilities, as well as ultra-modern laboratories for training and research into modern effective processing and recycling technologies.
With the completion of the facility, the President said it will bring immense benefits to the country through the efficient management of solid waste in a more environmentally-friendly and sustainable manner.
The President said the establishment of an efficient integrated waste management facility requires huge financial outlay, and, with the competing needs of other sectors of the economy on government budget, it is becoming increasingly difficult for government alone to shoulder this responsibility.
He, therefore, reiterated his administration’s commitment to partner the private sector in the management of sanitation in the country.
“It is for this reason that, on assumption of office, my Government made a commitment to address this menace to transform Ghana to be one of the cleanest countries in Africa. In this regard, Government has taken the requisite steps to create the enabling environment and framework for the private sector to partner government in find lasting solutions to this herculean challenge,” he said.
He said “it is important also to note that, as a result of the huge capital requirement to establish infrastructure for the management of solid waste, most private sector players have been reluctant to enter into this space. I am glad and fortunate that Jospong Group and Partners have entered this space to partner Government to assist us in addressing the sanitation situation.”
Other benefits to be derived from the facility, the President said, include the production of organic compost for horticultural and agronomical purposes to boost agricultural production and the Planting for Foods and Jobs Programme.
Additionally, the plant, he indicated, would create job opportunities for some three hundred (300) persons in various capacities on full and part-time basis, which is one of the key priorities of government, and will translate into an improved standard of living for these workers and their families.
As co-Chair of the Group of Eminent Advocates for the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, President Akufo-Addo noted that “it is heartwarming to note that the execution of this project will help realise some of the targets under SDG 6, which demands that we provide clean water and sanitation for all.”
In furtherance of this, the President said that his government is collaborating with Jospong Group of Companies and Partners to implement the Integrated Recycling and Compost Plants in all the sixteen (16) regions of the country, to help address the prevailing sanitation challenges.
President Akufo-Addo revealed also that government, in the future, is considering collaborating further with the private sector to provide sanitation infrastructure for production of refuse derived fuel in commercial quantities; medical waste processing; waste to energy facility; industrial waste processing; and e-waste processing.
The second phase of the ACARP, which adds 800-tonne line to the existing 600-tonne facility, will provide Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) within Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), a viable and cost-effective alternative to dumpsites.
It is also increasing the plant’s capacity to bridge the existing gap of untreated solid waste within the Accra region.
The Executive Chairman of Jospong Group of Companies (JGC), Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, who took the President round, disclosed that the project was made possible with the support of their partners, Lubo Recycling Systems of The Netherlands.
“Additional eight (8) equipment are being manufactured by Lubo Bollegraaf Group for the Integrated Recycling and Composting Plants (IRECOP) in Ho, Takoradi, Tamale, and Techiman among others,” he revealed.
He said the plant which started with a workforce of 150, will be adding an additional 200, and used the opportunity to express appreciation to the Ministers of Sanitation and Water Resources, Mrs. Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Greater Accra Region, Henry Quartey, and Local Government and Rural Development Mr. Dan Botwe for their effort in ensuring the project is completed
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare has visited the three personnel who got critically injured in a fatal accident Thursday on Walewale- Bolgatanga road in the line of duty.
The members of the Police Management Board led by the IGP also visited the families of the policemen who unfortunately passed on during the incident which occured Thursday October 21, 2021 to commiserate with them.
The aim of the visit to the three police personnel who, in their line of duty, suffered various degrees of injury and were now incapacitated was to know how each of them was coping.
Brief from the police said processes are underway to airlift the three surviving personnel to Accra for further treatment.
The five personnel from the Anti-robbery Squad were responding to an emergency when they encountered the gory accident.
Two of them died on the spot whiles three survived in the accident.
Meanhwile, the Police Administration has expressed gratitude to the Ghana Armed Forces, especially the Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Real Admiral Seth Amoama, Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Frank Hanson, for their collaborating efforts in airlifting the injured officers
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has expressed his delight over the peace that has finally been restored to the Ga State, following the installing of a new Ga Mantse, after years of protracted Chieftaincy disputes in the State.
According to President Akufo-Addo, “I’m happy today, very happy, for peace to come to the Ga State during my time as President. Everyone should be excited that now we have a Ga Mantse, after the protracted chieftaincy issues since the demise of Nii Amugi. I pray to God to give you strength to have a successful reign.”
The President made this known on Friday, 22nd October 2021, at the commencement of his 2-day tour of the Greater Accra Region, when he paid a courtesy call on the new Ga Mantse, King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II, known in private life as Dr. Kelvin Nii Tackie.
This is the second major resolution of a chieftaincy dispute in Ghana, under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, following the successful installation of a new Overlord of Dagbon, Ya-Naa Mahama Abukari II, on 25th January 2019, which has since brought peace and development to the Dagbon State.
Addressing the Chief, President Akufo-Addo explained that he should have, ordinarily, begun his tour of the Greater Accra Region, which he started on Thursday, 21st October, by paying a courtesy call on the new Ga Mantse, to, as it were, seek his permission and blessings before embarking on the tour.
However, following the ceremony of gazetting of the new Ga Mantse at the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs on Thursday, the President indicated that he believed it will be wholly appropriate that he deferred his visit to the palace of the new Ga Mantse to Friday, to be able to congratulate him officially.
He reassured King Tackie Teiko Tsuru II that he will give everything within his power to help the new Ga Mantse unify the Ga State, stressing that a united Ga State will help provide a conducive environment for the central government to function and help improve the living standards of the people
“The pledge you’ve made to maintain peace in Accra is most welcome, and we must all play our part to address the remaining chieftaincy issues in the country. We’re looking forward, as a government, to work with the traditional authorities to help transform the nation,” the President stated.
President Akufo-Addo also took the opportunity to thank Ga Mantse and Ga people for their support during the last election, even though his party, the New Patriotic Party, lost seven (7) seats it once held in the Greater Accra Region. “He was, however, confident that “we will get back all the seats we lost in the 2024 elections. because we are working towards it,” he added.
On his commitment to ensuring that Accra becomes the cleanest city in Africa, the President said, that commitment is still valid, and that “addressing the sanitation issues in Accra is of utmost importance before I leave office in January 2025
Rapper Samuel Adu Frimpong popularly known as Medikal has been remanded into prison custody for the next five days.
This was after the rapper pleaded not guilty to the charge of displaying arms and ammunition.
The court presided over by Justice Emmanuel Essandoh, a High Court judge sitting with additional responsibility as a circuit court judge remanded the accused person into prison custody for five days.
Lawyer for the accused Emmanuel Yeboah Ghana had argued that his client is well known and has lived all his life in the country and will not disobey the court.
According to him, if granted bail he had persons to stand sureties for him including his wife and mother.
The prosecution led by Chief Inspector Dennis Terkpetey while opposing the grant of bail said, the interest of the larger society is what the court must consider.
He argued that there is an aspect of the case that is still under investigation and he ought to be remanded.
EIB Network’s Court Correspondent Murtala Inusah reports his wife Fella Makafui and his mother were in tears throughout the court sitting
Rapper Samuel Adu Frimpong popularly known as Medikal has been arrested.
According to Starr News sources, the arrest is in connection with an old video on social media in which the hiplife musician was seen brandishing a gun. He is currently at the Accra Central Police Command.
Three others who appeared in court with him Kojo Owusu Koranteng, Shatta’s personal assistant, Eric Vanetor, a graphic designer and Iddrisu Yussif, a beautician were charged for abetment of criminal publication of false news.
All the accused persons pleaded not guilty and have been remanded into police custody.
EIB Network’s Court Correspondent Murtala Inusah reports that the court presided over by Mr Emmanuel Marvin Essandoh while remanding the accused said the interest of the public is paramount.
Joe Osei Owusu, the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament has backed calls for more Ghanaian youth to venture into entrepreneurship.
Mr. Osei Owusu, who is popularly known as Joe Wise, said the call by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta is a right one.
He bemoaned the miseducation of a lot of Ghanaians and the archaic mentality they have about white collar jobs.
Speaking on Kumasi-based Ultimate 106.9 FM, he described miseducation as the phenomenon of attending school for certificates with no regard for employable skills, vocational and technical competence that could lead to entrepreneurship.
He explained, “We are miseducated because as soon as we go beyond secondary school, we think that we are not supposed to work with our hands. An engineer doesn’t want to touch dirty oil.”
He always wants to be wearing an overcoat and give instructions to people instead of us creating with our minds.”
“If they were those in government when Covid-19 virus broke out, we would have buried t he country. We would be buried by now. All of us… RIP,” Akufo-Addo said.
President Akufo-Addo says the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would have brought the economy on its knees had the Covid-19 pandemic hit during their tenure.
According to him, his assessment of the economy since he took over in 2016 does not show that his predecessor had the capacity to surmount the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“So if those responsible for the 3.4% rate of growth and for the inflationary pressures that were so evident in Ghana at the time… if they were those in government when Covid-19 virus broke out, we would have buried the country. We would be buried by now. All of us… RIP,” he said on Accra-based Peace FM on Thursday.
His comments come in the wake of concerns from a cross-section of the public, especially the opposition NDC that government is hiding behind the pandemic to justify what they describe as economic mismanagement.
Last month, former President John Mahama said government’s expenditure and the desire to spend beyond the country’s means has plunged it into a crisis.
“This has been the luckiest government under the Fourth Republic. They have benefitted from 60% of all the oil revenue accruing to Ghana since we began producing oil; they have had more than twice the total tax revenue available to us… In addition, they had access to over $200 million from the Stabilization Fund we set up and got Central Bank Financing of ¢10 billion.”
“All of this notwithstanding, they have the least to show in terms of tangible gains or capital investments. Therefore, this government must accept that it is their mismanagement of the economy that have plunged us into the current crisis, not necessarily Covid-19,” he said at the NDC’s Professionals Forum lecture series at the University of Ghana.
But speaking on the Accra-based station as part of his tour of the Greater Accra Region, President Akufo-Addo expressed surprise at such assertions.
“I’m surprised to hear some of these accusations, especially the lips from which they come,” he said.
He insisted his administration is working assiduously to surmount the wide range of global hindrances accompanying the pandemic.
“When I took over in 2017, the last year of the predecessor government, the rate of growth of the economy was 3.4%. The lowest in over 20 years. Our first year, the rate of growth was over 8%, second year 7%, third year, six-point something. On average, the growth rate of the economy between 2017 and 2020, the onset of Covid, was 7%. The 7?onomic growth made us one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, not just on the African continent,” he said.
The suspect died at the hospital after being suspected of taking a poison before his arrest.
Information coming in indicate Kwame Maxwell, the suspect who killed his 30-year-old pregnant wife at Nyankyerenease within the Kumasi metro has died.
According to a report monitored by SmartMediaGh.com on TV3 midday bulletin of October 21, 2021, the suspect died at the hospital after being suspected of taking a poison before his arrest.
An Eyewitness has said Maxwell stabbed his wife, Betty, after she allegedly accused him of cheating on her.
According to their landlady, the incident happened at the dawn of Saturday, October 16, 2021 after she heard a loud cry for help from the room of the deceased.
She said she rushed to the scene where she saw the husband of the deceased stained with blood and was rushing out of the room.
“Just when I was dozing off I heard someone saying ‘he’s killing me’ just once and that was it. I didn’t hear any cry again, so I got terrified and woke up. My son woke up too. We later realised the cry was coming from the deceased’s room. So we went out, and I stood in front of the door leading to the room, while my son also stood in front of another door.”
“The man had put off all the light in the room, so it was difficult to see what was happening in the room. The man came out, and we saw bloodstains all over his hands. My son shouted that the man had stabbed his wife. So I saw him using the wife’s nightwear to wipe the bloodstains on his hand. He then left the room. I followed him while he was going out and all of a sudden he jumped the wall and left. I asked why he was rushing out, but he didn’t answer me.”
“I then came back to check on the wife. That was when my son started screaming that the man had killed the wife,” narrated the Landlady, Ama Nyarko.
Accra is ahead of Hong Kong (Hong Kong), Shenzhen (China), Moscow (Russia), Paris (France) as well as many other world-class cities.
Ghana’s capital city, Accra, is the second most expensive city in the world in terms of the property price to income ratio, according to Numbeo.
Numbeo, a crowd-sourced global database of reported consumer prices, perceived crime rates, quality of health care, and other statistics, explained that the Price to Income Ratio is the basic measure for apartment purchase affordability.
“It is generally calculated as the ratio of median apartment prices to median familial disposable income, expressed as years of income,” the site stated.
This comes amidst agitations about the city’s high cost of property prices, contributing to the #FixTheCountry Movement.
Accra is ahead of Hong Kong (Hong Kong), Shenzhen (China), Moscow (Russia), Paris (France) as well as many other world-class cities.
In the United States of America, Memphis is the most affordable city per property price to income ratio in the world.
Numbeo also revealed that Accra has the world’s highest Mortgage percentage income ratio, followed closely by Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Tehran (Iran) in second and third places, respectively.
Mortgage as Percentage of Income is a ratio of the actual monthly cost of the mortgage to take-home family income.
“Average monthly salary is used to estimate family income. It assumes 100% mortgage is taken on 20 years for the house (or apt) of 90 square meters which price per square meter is the average price in the city centre and outside of city centre,” the site explained.
Memphis once again had the lowest Mortgage as a percentage of income to ratio.
Meanwhile, Accra has the lowest loan affordability in the world.
“Loan Affordability Index is an inverse of mortgage as a percentage of income,” the site said.
This means it is costlier to access a loan in Accra compared to other cities, including Lagos (Nigeria), Kabul (Afghanistan), Sao Paolo (Brazil) and Stockholm (Sweden) etc.
Numbeo is a crowd-sourced global database of reported consumer prices, perceived crime rates, health care quality, and other statistics.
This year it collected data from 482 cities across the world
President Akufo-Addo has clapped back at the Chief of Aflao in the Volta region over his criticism against his government on an abandoned E-block school started by the NDC in Aflao.
The Paramount Chief Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti had given government four months to complete the community day senior high school which had stalled since 2016.
“After senior high school education, the next degree that my people have to do is to go to border and go and do kayayo, no school.
“The only school that we have is the RC Senior High School that belongs to the Catholic Mission Minor Seminary. So this thick population has no place to go and people sit down in that big hall called parliament and not thinking about Aflao, a place after the Tema Harbour , the next revenue generation is from the Aflao border.
“I had to push the former President Mahama for the structure to be constructed over there. I had to be running from here to Accra begging. Should we beg for education?,” the Chief fumed in a meeting with the Minority caucus when they visited him earlier this week.
Speaking in an interview with Peace FM Thursday, the President said most of the schools started by Mr Mahama have been completed by his government.
“Many of the E-blocks are being worked on across the country.
“Is he [Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti] the one to give the minister ultimatum, then he should go ahead and complete the project,” he told host Kwami Sefa Kai
Comedian Funny Face says one of his friends gave him ‘wee toffee’ when he was discharged from the psychiatric hospital.
According to him, he insulted Fada Dickson, Emmanuel Adebayor and Bola Ray because he was under the influence of a substance. Appearing before the Kaneshie District Court, presided over by His Worship, Kofi Oheneba-Kuffour, the ‘Cow and Chicken’ actor admitted that he was mentally unstable.
According to him, he did not come to court with his lawyers because he believes that he caused his own problems.
When asked by His Worship Kofi Oheneba-Kuffuor why he did not come to court with his lawyer, Funny Face explained in a Starr FM report that, “My Lord, I have lawyers but I feel they shouldn’t come. I caused my own problems because I didn’t take my drugs. I have mental issues.”
Known in real life as Benson Nana Yaw Oduro Boateng, the ‘Cow and Chicken’ actor told the court that, his recent problems came about when his baby mama, Vanessa, took his twins, Ella and Bella, away.
He further accused his baby mama of playing with his mind.
“My Lord, I love girls (children) and once she (his wife) took the twins away, I went off. She was pregnant when she left with my twins. She knew I love children, so she was playing on my mind,” Funny Face said.
“My Lord, do you know, Adebabayor? He is my friend; he gave me two cars. I insulted him Fada Dickson, I insulted him.
“My Lord, do you know Bola Ray? insulted him, too,” he said. “It is my friend who gave me ‘wee’ toffee.”
The prosecutor prayed to the court for the accused to be sent for psychiatric re-examination but Funny Face indicated that, he does not want to be taken to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, he prefers any other hospital.
Funny Face explained further, he suffered so much when he was on admission at Korle bu because the people there “fart too much,” leaving the courtroom with spontaneous laughter.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has lamented the current challenges that students seeking legal education in the country are saddled with at the moment.
He expressed hope that solutions to these challenges would be found to ameliorate the difficulties.
“I myself, I think that the idea of more and more lawyers in the system is good for the health of the nation. We have a country that is governed by the rule of law. It means we need to have lawyers in virtually all aspects of our national life guiding the development of the country so that the rule of law really makes sense,” he said on Accra-based Peace FM Thursday October 21.
Earlier in the week, the aggrieved 499 law students who were denied admission, despite passing the 2021 Ghana School of Law entrance exam appealed to him to intervene.
The students said their supposed failure was a travesty of justice, a situation that should be corrected immediately.
At a press conference in Accra on Monday October 18, they said “on 15th October, 2021, we petitioned the Office of the President, appealing to His Excellency to use his Executive authority to come to our aid, in our quest for justice and to vindicate our fundamental human rights as enshrined in Chapter 5 of the 1992 Constitution of our dear country. As we speak, we are yet to receive a response from the high office of the President.
“We are nonetheless confident that President Akufo-Addo, who, for all intent and purposes, has proven to be a renowned human right lawyer and freedom fighter, would rise to the occasion and do justice to our legitimate grievances. We appeal to the President, who also happens to be a member in permanent good standing at the bar, to cause his official Representative on the GLC, the Attorney-General, Godfred Yeboah Dame Esq, who is clothed with powers under the Legal Profession Act, 1960 (Act 32), to order the General Legal Council and for that matter the Ghana School of Law, to comply with their own rules of engagement and within the confines of the law, by admitting the remaining 499 candidates who passed the entrance exams.
“This, respectfully, is not too much to ask for, Your Excellency. It is the reason why we voted for you, and we humbly beseech you to do exactly that,” the said.
The students subsequently, hit the principal streets of Accra on Wednesday, October 20, to register their displeasure over what they describe as maltreatment and injustice meted out to some of their colleagues.
They submitted a petition to Parliament and the Presidency after protesting in the streets for hours.
Among other things, they requested for the immediate admission of the 499 candidates into the Ghana School of Law. They also called for the decentralization of the legal education in the country.
Asked what will happen to these 499 students, the president admitted that nothing can be done as there is no space for them.
“For the time being, there is no space in the law school for them. This is the problem. There are several others before them who have also fallen into the same pit. Maybe this group have decided to be more vocal than their predecessors,” President Akufo-Addo added.
“It is unfortunate. I cannot pretend that this is a happy coincidence for me at all. On the contrary I’m very disturbed by it. I’m hoping that soon the cooperation of the various stakeholders; the general legal council, Chief Justice himself, attorney general and myself, we will find a solution to this
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said he has no evidence suggesting that persons who have presidential ambitions in his government are distracted and have lost focused on the jobs assigned to them.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) will need a new leader for the 2024 election as the President’s mandate expires.
Persons who have shown interest to succeed Mr Akufo-Addo include Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, Boakye Agyarko, Minister of Food and Agriculture Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Mr Joe Ghartey.
Speaking on Accra-based Peace FM on Thursday, 21 October 2021, Nana Akufo-Addo said despite showing interest in the presidency, these persons are not distracted and still focused on their jobs for the good of the country.
He said: “I’ve no evidence their ambition is interfering with their work. On the contrary, I continue to see in the cabinet, in the government, people who are working strongly for the state.”
Explaining his point, Nana Akufo-Addo said “You can see Owusu Afriyie Akoto, he’s busy working on the agricultural projects to maintain our industrial agenda. He’s working very hard. Wherever I go, I see this one village one dam. [With Kyerematen] every day the country is seeing our commitment to build factories and industries.
“Bawumia is the chairman of the economic management team and also has the position as vice president and we see the big efforts that the economy is making in very difficult circumstances.
“All of them are working and I’ve no feeling it is affecting their job or I’ll have to act. Assuming someone’s ambition is affecting his job, the president cannot be unconcerned”.
He advised the NPP that in choosing his successor, “we should’ve a transparent, credible, acceptable process for choosing our next flagbearer
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has made a candid admission that he wants a presidential candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who can unite the party after its primaries.
“I want a candidate who can manage the cracks that will emerge after the party’s primary because these cracks have the tendency to affect the state,” he stated.
He noted that the cracks that will emerge after the presidential primary has the potential to affect the state if not properly managed.
Nana Akufo-Addo said the only way to manage these cracks if they emerge was to elect a candidate who is formidable and can unite the party.
The president made said this on Accra-based Peace FM on Thursday, 21 October 2021.
“As a leader of the party who will be exiting soon, all I want to see is fairness in the processes towards all the personalities yearning to succeed me as leader of the party,” he noted.
The President said the only way to prevent cracks emerging after the presidential primaries is fairness in the processes.
An Accra Circuit Court has today, Thursday, 21 October 2021 remanded dancehall artiste, Shatta Wale and three other accomplices into police custody for a week.
They were remanded during their first appearance in court.
Shatta Wale (Charles Nii Armah Mensah) was arrested in connection with a staged gun attack on him.
The dance hall artiste is in court for his alleged involvement in the creation and circulation of information intended to cause fear and panic.
He is in custody with three of his crew members who staged the fake act.
The fake act was staged by the entertainer and his crew after one Bishop Steven Akwasi Appiah, also known as Jesus Ahuofe, prophesied on Accra100.5FM on 28 September 2021 that a popular dancehall artiste called ‘Charles’ would be shot dead on 18 October 2021 just as Lucky Dube was shot dead in South Africa.
A former Deputy Minister of Information, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has said President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo does not remember that his party made a promise ahead of last year’s elections, to establish a harbour in Cape Coast in the Central Region.
Ahead of the elections, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who was the running mate to Mr Akufo-Addo promised that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was going to build a harbour in that part of the country.
He said at the campaign launch in Cape Coast that “The people of Cape Coast, I have good news for you, we are building a new harbour in Cape Coast and a new airport in Cape Coast.”
But President Akufo-Addo has said that was not part of his promises.
“The commitment was never to a harbour; it was to a landing site,” he said on Cape Coast-based Eagle FM on Monday October 18.
In series of tweets reacting to this, Mr Kwakye Ofosu said “[Former] President Mahama expanded Tema Port to make it the largest in West and Central Africa. As for Prez Akufo-Addo,he doesn’t even remember that he promised the folks in Cape Coast a Harbour.”
PREZ MAHAMA EXPANDED TEMA PORT TO MAKE IT THE LARGEST IN WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA. AS FOR PREZ AKUFO-ADDO,HE DOESN’T EVEN REMEMBER THAT HE PROMISED THE FOLKS IN CAPE COAST A HARBOUR. PIC.TWITTER.COM/1VWSU2BXXW— Felix Kwakye Ofosu (@FelixKwakyeOfo1) October 21, 2021
He added “What is it with President Akufo-Addo and Ports and Harbours?If he is not appointing a CEO for the non-existent Keta Port,then he is denying ever promising to give the people of Cape Coast a Harbour.”
WHAT IS IT WITH PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO AND PORTS AND HARBOURS?IF HE IS NOT APPOINTING A CEO FOR THE NON-EXISTENT KETA PORT,THEN HE IS DENYING EVER PROMISING TO GIVE THE PEOPLE OF CAPE COAST A HARBOUR.🤦🏿— Felix Kwakye Ofosu (@FelixKwakyeOfo1) October 21, 2021
Both Messrs Akufo-Addo and Mahama are currently touring parts of the country.
Whereas Mr Akufo-Addo is inspecting and commissioning projects, the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is also thanking the people of the country for the support they gave to him during the polls.
Asked what his message has been while touring the country, Mr Akufo-Akufo-Addo said among other things on Accra-based Peace FM Thursday October 21 that “I’m going round inspecting road projects, schools, hospitals, how far ? What are their problems? The response of the people which then help shape the conversations of the government and policy direction.”
“I am also thanking the people for their votes especially Greater Accra, 2020 was not what we had hoped for, we lost some more seats , at least seven. But nevertheless, we have the substantial votes here so it is important that I also thank them for the expression of confidence. Even people who lost the elections are going round thanking people.”
Touching on some of the works he has done so far, he said that his administration has performed well in the road sector of the economy.
He stated that the government is expanding the road network considerably.
However, Mr Akufo-Addo, said there is still more to be done to give the country modern road network.
He said “In the first four years the amount of road coverage that has taken place, we are expanding the road network considerably.
“It is obvious even here in Accra you can see the road works that are going on and we are seeing it all over the country.
“It is by no means enough, we still have more to do to give our country the modern road network which it deserves but we are on it.
“For me that is the encouraging aspect of my period as the president, serious efforts are being made to tackle some of the problems, not all will be resolved in my time
Former President John Dramani Mahama has urged party executives and supporters to volunteer to man the polling stations and collation centres to ensure the right things are done to secure the victory for the party in the next elections.
He said he would not resort to the Supreme Court with an election petition following how the court handled the 2020 election petition.
“All of us are going to be polling agents. I am the presidential candidate but will go and sit at a polling station and be a polling agent on that day,”
The president said that infrastructure project was never a part of the list of commitments tabled before him for his second term
Cape Coast harbour saga: I goofed, forgive me, says Akufo-Addo
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says he goofed in saying that he never promised to building a harbour in Cape Coast in the Central Region.
He has, therefore, asked the residents of Cape Coast to forgive him for the blunder during a recent radio interview.
Speaking on Accra-based Peace FM on Thursday (21 October) President Akufo-Addo admitted, “I must confess, I made a mistake.”
The president speaking on Cape Coast-based Eagle FM on Monday said the Cape Coast harbour project was never a part of the list of commitments tabled before him for his second term.
“I never said I was going to build a harbour in Cape Coast. I said I was going to build a landing site like what I’ve done in these six other places in the Central Region. Cape Coast will also have its landing site, and the construction of that will start next year.”
He added “The commitment was never to a harbour; it was to a landing site,” he said.
Watch the video below:
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However, ahead of his Greater Accra tour, he said, “I made a mistake, let me just confess it. I made a mistake in looking at the manifesto, I tried to do that before I go, I saw one page which talked about the landing site, I didn’t go further to see. But in any event even with the mistake, I think still we have to rethink a lot of things.
“We have a harbour in Elmina which is being developed liked that, obviously Takoradi [too]. We have another one projected for Cape Coast before we go further down. I think some rethinking has to go on, for us to be able to find what the value for money arrangement is ….”
He added, “But it was a mistake and I have to apologise to the people of Cape Coast and the Central Region for that mistake. Presidents are human, after all, we are not supermen
The National Association of Law Students (NALS) has presented a petition on the aggrieved 499 law students who did not gain admission into the law school despite scoring more than the usual 50% pass mark in the 2021 Ghana School of Law entrance exam.
The petition, among other things, is pleading with Parliament to intervene and ask the General Legal Council and the Management of the law school to immediately reverse their decision and admit the students.
Leaders of the Association who are dissatisfied with the last minute changes in the overall scoring marks for admission after the students have already finished writing their exams, pleaded with the leadership of Parliament to act fast to prevent any further actions from the aggrieved students.
The pass mark for the entrance exams has always been a total of 50% in both sections. However, for this year’s exams, the rule has been changed and candidates have to score at least 50% in each of the sections.
Receiving the petition on behalf of the Leadership of Parliament, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu noted that the petition would be discussed and Leadership will take the appropriate steps to address the concerns of the students
A 35-year-old married woman, Rebecca Amoah, has committed suicide by hanging at Kasoa in the Awutu Senya East District of the Central Region.
Information gathered by EIB Network Central regional Correspondent Yaw Boagyan reveals that the deceased committed the act out of alleged extra-marital affairs by her husband.
According to residents in the area, she had told her husband she was going through trauma and will end her life as a result of his extramarital affairs.
True to her words on Wednesday 20th October 2021 around 5:30 pm she committed the act in the absence of her husband.
A co-tenant who gave her name as Forgive Adeku narrated that the deceased locked herself in the room before committing the act adding that it had to take a carpenter to break her door where her lifeless body was found hanging on the ceiling fan.
Forgive Adeku explained that the deceased husband was then called and a report was then made to the Kasoa Police who came to convey the body to the mortuary.
The Kasoa Police has commenced investigation to unravel what might have caused the death of the mother of two kids.
This comes just on the heels of a two-day tour of the Central Region.
The tour of the Greater Accra Region will, first of all, take the President to the Ga Mantse Palace, where he will pay a courtesy call on the Ga Mantse to announce the start of the tour.
His first inspection duty will be at the Agbogbloshie Reclaimed Land Site, from where onion sellers were driven away last month.
After lunch, he will then move to the Adentan Constituency, Nanakrom to be precise, to inspect work on the dualisation of the Nanakrom road.
He will then cap the day with an inspection of the Accra Intelligent Traffic Management Project.
Day 2 will see the launch of the ‘Operation Clean Your Frontage’ under the Let’s Make Accra Work Again initiative by the regional minister, Henry Quartey.
He will then meet all members of the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) of the Region as well as chief executives (MMDCEs) at the GNAT Hall to end his day.
Saturday, October 23 will then see the President meet the Regional House of Chiefs at Dodowa.
His tour of the Greater Accra Region will end with a courtesy call on chiefs of Amasaman at the Nsakina School Park, as per his itinerary
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has said the African can be as successful as any other, and has, therefore urged the youth to acquire the necessary mental and physical skills to take their rightful place in shaping the continent’s destiny.
Dr Bawumia said this when he represented and delivered a speech on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the ongoing YouthConnekt Summit on Wednesday, 20 October 2021.
He further challenged Africa’s youth to take a lead role in positioning the continent as the giant of the future, with the large and growing human resource at her disposal.
The YouthConnekt Africa Summit is an annual convening that connects youth from across the continent and beyond with policy influencers, political leaders, public/private and development sector institutions to engage, discuss, design, and accelerate youth empowerment efforts at the continent level.
In addition, every year the summit creates a platform for a larger number of young people from all over the world to learn and engage in YouthConnekt Africa’s youth development programs.
YouthConnekt Africa Summit provides a platform for all partners involved in youth development to synergize around policies, programs and partnerships that will connect youth for continental transformation.
The top speakers at this year’s event include Paul Kagame President of Rwanda, Mr. Jung-taek Lim Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Ghana, Mustapha Ussif Minister of Youth & Sports, Ghana and Rosemary Mbabazi, Minister of Youth and Culture, Rwanda
Council of the University of Ghana has confirmed the appointment of Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo as the Vice Chancellor of the country’s first university.
She now becomes the first female VC of the University.
On Wednesday, October 20, a firm decision was taken to make Prof Amfo, the Pro-Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, the substantive Vice Chancellor with effect from Tuesday, October 26.
Profile
Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo was born in Kumasi. Following her nursery education at the then University Primary School (now KNUST Basic School), she continued her basic education at Services Primary School (Takoradi) and Goldfields Schools Complex (Tarkwa). She had her secondary education at Holy Child School (O’ Level, 1988) and Archbishop Porter Girls’ Secondary School (A’ Level, 1990). She proceeded to the University of Ghana, from 1991 to 1996, for a Bachelor’s degree in French and Linguistics. Both her MPhil (2001) and PhD (2007) degrees in Linguistics are from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway, where she studied with sponsorship from the Norwegian government under the then Quota Programme. Professor Amfo has received additional training in higher education management and leadership from Harvard Business School, University of Applied Sciences, Germany, and INSEAD, France.
Professor Amfo’s career in academia started in 2001 as a Lecturer in the Department of Linguistics after her Master’s degree. In 2007, the same year she obtained her PhD degree, she was promoted Senior Lecturer. Her promotion to Associate Professor was in 2011, and Professor in 2017. Professor Amfo’s research interests are in the linguistic sub-discipline of Pragmatics, which allows her to explore the role that context plays in our conversational interactions and how that influences communication in different domains. Her research resulting in several publications in nationally and internationally reputable journals such as Acta Linguistica Hafnensia, Current Issues in Language Planning, Discourse and Society, Ghana Journal of Linguistics, Journal of Pragmatics, Journal of West African Languages, Legon Journal of the Humanities, Lingua, Linguistics, Nordic Journal of African Studies, Nordic Journal of Linguistics, Pragmatics, and Studies in African Linguistics, have covered the role of function words in communication, information structure, grammaticalisation, language use in specific domains such as health, gendered contexts, politics, religion and migratory contexts. Her (edited) books and book chapters have been published by Ayebia Clarke Publishing Company, John Benjamins Publishing Company, Novus Press, Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group) and Sub-Saharan Publishers. Her recently (2018) co-authored textbook on Therapeutic Communication Competencies for Nurses and Midwives, commissioned by the Nursing and Midwifery Council, is published by DigiBooks.
Professor Amfo has acquired extensive multi-cultural experience through various professional engagements in twenty countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. These engagements include giving competitive and invited talks, serving as external assessor and engaging with research and professional collaborators. She has been an external examiner for a number of Universities including University of Nairobi, Kenya; University of the Western Cape, South Africa; Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway; Stockholm University, Sweden and University of Education, Winneba.
Professor Amfo is currently Dean of the School of Languages at the University of Ghana. She previously served as the Head of the Department of Linguistics (2013 – 2014). She has participated in the governance of the University of Ghana through her service on several statutory and adhoc boards and committees. These include her current membership of the Business and Executive Committee, and University and College of Humanities Academic Boards. She has served on the Boards of the School of Graduate Studies (2012 – 2016) and Office of Research Innovation and Development (ORID [2014 – 2018]). She previously served as the Chair of the Management Board of the University Basic School (2011 – 2016), the College of Humanities Senior and Junior Staff Appointments and Promotions Committee (2014 – 2018) and the Mentoring and Professional Development Sub-committee of the Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy (CEGENSA), University of Ghana (2010 – 2013). She was the University of Ghana’s representative on the Catholic University College Appointments and Promotions Committee (2011 – 2016). She currently chairs the School of Languages Management Committee and is a member of the College of Humanities Advisory Board. Professor Amfo is a life member of the University of Ghana Alumni Association and a member of its Council. She also serves as a Tutor of Mensah Sarbah Hall.
In addition to her teaching responsibilities on Legon campus and at the Accra City Campus, Professor Amfo has (co)supervised four undergraduate students, eighteen Master’s students and five PhD students for their long essays and theses. She is currently supervising one PhD student and co-supervising two others. Her passion for mentoring particularly younger professional women has driven her to organise and or facilitate several capacity building training programmes in both the public and private higher education sectors, as well as in other public and private organisations. She has been a consultant trainer for the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana. Professor Amfo is currently an Advisory Board member of the Coalition of People Against Sexual and Gender Based Violence and Harmful Practices (CoPASH) – A UNFPA supported programme.
Professor Amfo is a member of several professional associations including the Society of Communication, Medicine and Ethics, International Pragmatics Association (where she serves on its Consultation Board; the first African to serve in this capacity since the Association’s establishment in 1986), West African Linguistics Society and Linguistics Association of Ghana (where she served as President from 2010 – 2014). She is a pioneer fellow, senior scholar and Chair of the Steering Committee of the African Humanities Program of the American Council of Learned Societies. She is also a fellow of the German Academic Exchange Services (DAAD), Commonwealth Professionals Fellowship and the prestigious International Women’s Forum Leadership Program. Professor Amfo has recently been awarded a Georg Foster Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Professor Amfo is a Christian who worships at Praise Community Church, Adenta. She is married to Frank Amfo and the couple have been blessed with three lovely children – Yoofi, Maame Araba and Efua Benyiwa
Controversial dancehall artiste Shatta Wale is still in police custody and will appear before court tomorrow Thursday, October 21, 2021.
A Police team on Wednesday afternoon took him for a search in his house after which he was returned to custody.
KWESI TV 24 sources say the Police are ready with their charges against the popular musician and his colleagues who are also in custody.
Shatta Wale reported himself to the Police on Tuesday evening after his house was surrounded by dozens of officers following claims that he was shot by unknown gunmen.
His Personal Assistant was the first to announce on social media that his boss had been shot. The PA, Nana Dope, is also in custody.
The ‘Bullet’ hit maker has however apologised for the fake news
A prophet from Prophetic Hill Chapel, Nigel Gaisie is advocating for the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram Constituency to be allowed to contest unopposed in the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) upcoming primaries.
On the Anopa Bↄfoↄ morning show on October 18, 2021 the clergyman revealed that efforts will be made at sabotaging Samuel Nartey George popularly known as “Gyata” in his quest to run for the third time as MP at the primaries.
The legislator, currently serving his second term, is one of eight Parliamentarians who presented the anti-LGBTQ+ bill titled “Bill on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values” to Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin on June 29, 2021.
The bill seeks to criminalise activities including the promotion, advocacy and funding of the community, which has received support from a section of the public including religious organizations and civil society groups.
But Mr. Nartey George’s opposition, according to Nigel Gaisie, will rise on the back of the lead role he plays in the fight against the legalization of the LGBTQ+ activities.
“They [LGBTQ+ promoters] will fight him to lose the primaries…I have seen as a prophet that he has put his hands on his head grieving over the loss of his seat…They will do everything for him to lose it.”
“If I were to be them [NDC leaders] and if it is within their laws and by-laws, I would let Sam George go unopposed to make a statement to the world” Prophet Nigel added.
Lauding the anti-LGBTQ+ advocate for this braveness at pushing for the bill to be passed by Ghana’s Parliament, the leader of the church noted that Sam George’s works will remain a legacy in the annals of history even if it does happen that he loses the seat.
According to the report, parliamentary candidates have to cough up nearly ¢4 million to win a constituency seat.
A new research by the Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has found that a presidential candidate will need at least $100 million to win an election in Ghana.
“And for the cost for running for president, the study estimated that the most viable sum of money that a person who needed to run for president was $100 million…this is why we need to engage in conversations more to reform the state of monetisation of Ghana’s politics,” a CDD-Ghana representative said.
The scope of the study was to assess the extent of illicit and illegal moves in local politics and to get a fair idea of how much investment goes into the cost of politics.
According to the report, parliamentary candidates have to cough up nearly ¢4 million to win a constituency seat.
“In the current estimate per this statement, running for Parliament was ¢4 million, out of this amount two million is dedicated towards nurturing constituencies and the other two million is after the securing of the candidature position,” the report further revealed.
Experts, following the just-ended elections, have raised concern over election financing and its propensity to affect the playing field as far as campaigning is concerned.
A representative at the Centre, Saajida Shiraz made these details public at an engagement between some political parties and the Parliamentary Affairs Ministry.
According to her, stakeholders need to reassess the terrain and come up with measures to address the problem.
This, she believes, will strengthen the democracy and ensure that competent personnel man the country’s resources.
Report reaching KWESI TV 24 indicates that Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Ghana to the Republic of Italy, Eudora Quartey-Koranteng has passed away.××
She died on Wednesday 20th October, 2021, in Rome after a short illness.
Ambassador Quartey-Koranteng served the country since 2019 when she replaced Tangoba Abayage. She recently hosted President Akufo-Addo in Serbia where she is accredited to as well when the president attended the NAM meeting.
She left behind her husband and two children.
Mrs. Quartey-Koranteng during her mission promoted the various programmes of the government to improve the human resource capacity of local Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary further shared government’s commitment to make Ghana an active player in the 21st century world arena under the “Ghana Beyond Aid” initiative which is aimed at building a self-sufficient Ghana that could partner investors.
Ambassador Quartey-Koranteng once noted that the “Free Senior High School”, “Planting for food and jobs” and “One-district-one-factory” are some of the key projects currently being aggressively implemented throughout Ghana.
She reiterated Ghana’s offer of a viable environment for business, and called for more Italian investors to consider Ghana, a business destination.
She succeeded Paulina Patience Tangoba Abayage who was Minister for the Upper East Region
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has commissioned the Pokuase Bulk Supply Point, a 330/34.5 kilo-volt substation designed to improve the supply and distribution of electricity for consumers in the northern areas of Accra.
Funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to the tune of US$47 million, the Supply Point, according to the President, is testimony to Government’s commitment to improving electricity supply in the country.
Commissioning the project on Wednesday, 20th October 2021, the President stated that the Pokuase Bulk Supply Point, whose construction commenced in February 2019, “is also the fourth Bulk Supply Point in Accra, it is the first three hundred and thirty kilo-volt (330kV) Bulk Supply Point in the capital, and it is the most technologically advanced substation in Ghana”.
Siting of the BSP in Pokuase, he explained, was informed by the rapidly increasing load demand for electricity from this part of Accra, as Pokuase and its environs have become load points for power demand, hence being strategically positioned for the presence of such a critical power infrastructure.
“The essence of constructing the sub-station is to improve power supply quality and reliability to some three hundred and fifty thousand (350,000) existing customers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in Pokuase, Kwabenya, Legon, Nsawam and neighbouring communities,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo continued, “It is also planned to reduce significantly technical losses in the Ghana Grid Company’s (GRIDCo) transmission system and the ECG power distribution system, ultimately contributing to improving their financial viability.”
Beyond the Pokuase Bulk Supply Point, the President stated that Government is carrying out several other initiatives and projects to ensure that the country is able to meet its increasing power needs, arising out of the country’s growing population and Government’s industrial agenda, through initiatives such as the One-District-One-Factory policy, amongst others. Besides the Pokuase substation, which was commissioned, work is also ongoing on the Kasoa Bulk Supply Point, which will be the second largest bulk supply point in Ghana.
“The fifty-million-dollar (US$50 million) BSP project , again, funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation under the Ghana Power Compact Programme, will benefit some two hundred and forty-one thousand, five hundred and eight (241,508) ECG customers, and contribute to substantial reduction in transmission losses in GRIDCo’s transmission system. The Kasoa project is expected to be completed before the end of this year,” the President added.
Further, he told the gathering that the national transmission backbone, under construction from the coast to Bolgatanga, had a gap between Kumasi and Kintampo, which has since been completed a few weeks ago.
“Completion of this portion of the Kumasi/Bolgatanga transmission line project will ease the load on Kumasi sub-stations, and become the instrument of power transmission within the Ashanti, Ahafo, Bono and Bono East Regions, and in parts of northern Ghana. In addition to this is the ongoing Tema to Accra transmission line upgrade project to accommodate an increase from one hundred and sixty-one kilo-volts (161KV) capacity to three hundred and thirty kilo-volts (330KV) capacity,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo thanked the Millennium Challenge Corporation and the United States government for their continued support; MiDA for its effective oversight of the project; Elecnor S.A., the main contractors for the procurement, supply, construction, installation, testing and commissioning of the project; as well as management and staff of GRIDCO and ECG.
He also thanked the Minister for Energy, Hon. Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, and his predecessors for their leadership in helping to deliver this project.
President Akufo-Addo stated in conclusion that that “the Akufo-Addo government remains fully committed to ensuring safe, stable and affordable power supply in this country. As we focus on realising the Ghana Beyond Aid agenda, which has industrialisation as its crown jewel, it is imperative that we pursue this goal with dogged determination, to help ensure that every nook and cranny of this country has access to electricity as the main driver of our vision
A private security man has been murdered by suspected robbers at Ahenema Kokoben near Kumasi in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of the Ashanti region in an alleged armed robbery operation at A2 Aluminium Company Limited.
The deceased, believed to be a 45-year-old who was identified as Mr Annorh was reportedly killed on Tuesday, October 20, 2021, when he was on duty on the day of the incident.
The robbers according to the report bolted with about 98,000 Ghana cedis after the operation. A staff of A2 Allumminium Limited Omono Asamoah explained, the victim was also an employee of the company.
He added that the man was found dead Wednesday morning with his hands and legs tied behind him.
The yet to be identified assailants also attacked an office of the Electricity Company of Ghana ECG Vending shop and made away with some unspecified amount of money.
Police have conveyed the lifeless body of the security officer to the morgue, while investigations have commenced into the circumstances surrounding the robbery case.
Two security officers within two weeks have been killed in a similar manner in Kumasi
The Member of Parliament (MP) of the Hohoe constituency of the Volta Region, John-Peter Amewu has refuted claims by the former flag bearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, that the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) won the seat through arm twisting tactics.××
According to him, the claim of Mr. Mahama and the NDC is evident of the fact that they have lost touch with reality and hence have no idea whatsoever of the level of hard work, unity and sacrifice that went into winning the Hohoe seat from the NDC.
Mr. Amewu who has been described by many as a history maker for his exploits in the Volta Region and Hohoe in particular stressed that Hohoe was not won on a silver platter, but with a unity in purpose and commitment.
The Railway Development Minister made the assertion in Ho during the Volta Regional Annual Delegates Conference last Tuesday, October 19, 2021; a day after the former NDC flag bearer made his claim in Ho.
Since 1992, the NDC has been holding the Hohoe seat until the last election when John Peter Amewu who was then the Energy Minister, won the seat for the NPP for the first time in history.
The historic feat was reached with 26,952 votes in his favour as against 21,821 votes for his major competitor from NDC, Prof. Margaret Kweku. The victory left many in disbelief considering the fact that in 2016, the NDC’s Bernice Adiku Heloo secured 35,437 as against the NPP’s Marlon Praises Anipa’s 6,462.
Despite the over 5000 vote difference and proof of the broken grip of the NDC in Hohoe, Mr. Mahama and the NDC still believes the historic NPP victory was chalked through ‘arm twisting’.
“There are 18 constituencies in the region (Volta), you gave us 17 and I know that even Hohoe we would have won but for the arm twisting that took place,” he said on Global FM in Ho last Monday during his ‘Thank You’ tour.
Responding to the claims of the NDC flag bearer, Mr. Amewu stressed that unity was the secret behind winning the Hohoe seat. “That is how we won Hohoe; we won Hohoe because we were united,” he reiterated.
He added that what was achieved in Hohoe could be achieved in other constituencies in the Volta region because, “The Volta Region presents the growth of the NPP in Ghana.”
Mr. Amewu announced that “Hohoe is not better than Anlo, Ketu South or Ketu North. Former Chairman, Kenwuud is from Ketu North. If Hohoe can do it, then Ketu North Can also do it.”
He added that Hohoe was won because he looked beyond his personal interest and focused on the greater good.
He commended the regional executives, particularly the Chairman, Makafui Woanya for the hard work to increase the party’s votes in the 2020 elections, but called for a ten-year strategic plan to annex Volta region from the hands of the NDC.
This he said can be made possible with adequate and consistent support for the Volta region by the National Executives and other well-meaning members and financiers of the NPP
A gang of armed robbers has attacked two privately owned revenue collection shops at Ahenema Kokoben in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of the Ashanti Region.
A 49-year-old security guard was killed in the process.
Kwame Asamoah, a staff of OGIDIBROWN ENTERPRISE, one of the shops attacked, said: “I received a distress call this dawn [and] when I came I saw our security guard lying motionless in a pool of blood.
“I think he was stabbed by the robbers,” he said.
He added that the robbers “made away with close to GH¢90,000”.
Benson Nana Yaw Oduro Boateng aka Funny face who allegedly threatened to kill his ex-wife and girlfriend and commit suicide has been remanded into Police custody by the Kaneshie District Court.
The court has ordered that a psychiatric examination be conducted on Funny face.
He is also be subjected to substance abuse examination at the Police Hospital.
Funny face is expected to reappear on November 10.
The paramount Chief of the Aflao Traditional area, Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti, has given the government a four month ultimatum to open the e-block community day senior high school which has stalled since 2016.
The ¢9 million project which was part of some 200 classroom blocks the erstwhile Mahama administration started was supposed to have some 26 classrooms attached and 5 departments including a science block.
Torgbui Adzonugaga Amenya Fiti speaking with the Minority side of the Education Committee who toured the uncompleted school buildings in the Ketu South constituency says, government’s approach to education is appalling.
“After senior high school education, the next degree that my people have to do is to go to border and go and do kayayo, no school.
“The only school that we have is the RC Senior High School that belongs to the Catholic Mission Minor Seminary. So this thick population have no place to go and people sit down in that big hall called parliament and not thinking about Aflao, a place after the Tema Harbour , the next revenue generation is from the Aflao border.
“I had to push the former President Mahama for the structure to be constructed over there. I had to be running from here to Accra begging.
The National Chairman of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, has warned persons campaigning to unseat incumbent MPs of the party, to desist from such acts or face disciplinary action.
According to Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, it is anti-party for any person to begin campaigning when the party has not opened nominations to that effect.
He said the NDC will not countenance such divisiveness in the party.
Speaking with party stakeholders in the Oti Region during former President John Mahama’s ‘Thank You’ tour, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo noted that the party will not prevent anybody from pursuing their ambitions but timing, in his view, was key.
“Some of our MPs are not even a year old in parliament; they have a four-year mandate but people have started campaigning for their seats”.
“It is not acceptable,” he said.
“Those activities are classified as anti-party activities and they are punishable by law in the NDC constitution”, he warned.
“So, whoever campaigns when we have not opened nominations, we’ve not said we want any MP anywhere, if you’re fished out, we will use the party’s constitution to discipline you…” he warned.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo noted that he will support any disciplinary action against people who want to foment trouble and divide the party.
“I’m not saying nobody should pursue their ambition but there’s time for everything,” he added
The Chief of the Challa traditional area in the Oti Region, Nana Kennewu Chederi II, has said the 2024 presidential election is former president John Mahama’s for the taking.
The chief described Mr Mahama as a God-fearing person who, for the sake of Ghana’s prevailing peace, refused to hold onto power in the 2020 election, although, in his view, the polls were “shamefully stolen”.
For this reason, Nana Kennewu Chederi II said the people of the Oti Region “love and respect you because of your values, your charisma, openness, honesty, tolerance and humility and God-fearing attitude.”
Speaking to Mr Mahama and top officials of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) when the former President paid a courtesy call on the chiefs and queen mothers of the region, as part of his ‘Thank You’ tour, Nana Kennewu Chederi II said: “Mr Mahama, if you were not to be God-fearing, and had chosen to cling tenaciously to the tenets of power, you would have unexpectedly plunged this dear nation of ours, into an unparalleled state of pandemonium or simply into a state of higgledy-piggledy which would have been too nasty to contemplate when the people’s verdict in the 2020 general election was simply trodden upon and shamefully stolen.”
“Mr Mahama, bear in mind that during your term of office as the president of Ghana, a couple of years back, as the people’s dear president, Ghana was revered as the icon of democracy and the oasis of peace in Africa. Is it so today?” he quizzed.
The chief expressed confidence that Mr Mahama will win the 2024 election “with the unflinching support of the stalwarts of the great NDC and the numerous loyal activists and supporters of the country”.
He further said it was “nonsensical” for critics to have misinterpreted Mr Mahama’s ‘do or die’ statement in relation to the 2024 election as a call for bloodshed.
“Please don’t take into consideration that nonsensical remark. When you were the president a short while ago, how many people did you kill?”
“How many soldiers did you send to the polling stations during election time to terrorise and kill? You have the right to express your views,” Nana Kennewu Chederi II stated.
The chief, who described the 2020 NDC flag bearer as Ghana’s Lee Kwan Yew, Ghana’s Obama and Ghana’s Mao Tse Tung, expressed gladness with Mr Mahama’s stance on LGBTQ+.
“Your excellency, your stance on LGBTQ+ as well as that of your predecessor is well known and unambiguous, appreciative and admirable because you have taken into consideration, the societal norms of the people you represent – down with Greek aid
Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Mr Yofi Grant has said that Ghana is well positioned to dig deeper into the rapid Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) growth especially in green investments and technology.
In a tweet on the World Investment Conference 2021, he said ” Revealing trends in Global FDI & associated developments. Ghana is well positioned to dig deeper into the rapid FDI growth especially in green investments and technology.”
In September this year, he revealed that Ghana is expected to generate $3billion from Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) in 2021.
He said this to journalists on the sidelines of the GIPC Annual Investment Summit dubbed #SparkUp2021! On Tuesday September 7.
According to him, the revenues will come from the Agric sector and also infrastructure, among others.
“As at middle of the year, despite the weak position by UNCTAD [the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development], we are seeing some very interesting numbers. In the first half, a total of 122 projects (ie, 94 new projects and 28 upstream existing projects) have brought in foreign direct investment of US$829 million,” he said.
“This gives a 32.15% increase on what we saw in the first half of 2020, which was US$627 million.”
In last year, Ghana saw a surge in FDI inflows, recording an impressive 2.6 billion dollars’ worth of inbound investments for the year.
The trend defied the anticipated steep decline in FDI flows as a second wave of COVID 19 infections threatened to cripple the Ghanaian economy.
A report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development placed the pandemic-induced decline in global FDI at 42 percent. The fall was however highly uneven across developing regions: -37% in Latin America and the Caribbean, -18% in Africa and -4% in developing countries in Asia.
While Ghana had initially witnessed a plateau in FDI inflows during the first wave of infection and its ensuing lockdowns, investments well along saw a rebound on the back of government policy responses to mitigate the impact of the health pandemic on businesses.
Total investment inflows thus peaked to US$2,796.49 million in 2020, with a total FDI value of US$2,650.97 million for Ghana. The FDI value of US$2,650.97 million illustrates a significant increase of 139.06% over the FDI value of US$1,108.93 million recorded in 2019.
With the considerable inflow of investments, some 279 projects were registered within the year. This comprised 129 newly registered projects, 131 upstream developments and 19 free zones activities -dispersed across eight regions, with Greater Accra registering the highest number of 231 projects. Cumulatively, some 27,110 jobs are expected to be generated from the aforementioned registered projects.
For the year under review, some countries that stood out as the nation’s leading sources of inward investments included, China, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia and the Netherlands.
In terms of the sector allocation of the investments, the manufacturing sector with 57 projects recorded the largest FDI value of US$1,270.53 million. This was followed by the services and mining sectors with FDI values of US$656.19 million and US$ 424,32 million respectively.
On the domestic front, additional equity (cash and goods) totaling US$69.28 million was ploughed back as investment from 172 already existing companies, whereas GHC1,438.91 million was obtained from 52 wholly Ghanaian-owned ventures.
While this trend of strong performance in Ghana’s inbound FDI amidst the global health pandemic could be attributed to a combination of factors including effective government policy responses, an easing of travel restrictions and more importantly the delivery and expected future development of vaccines in-country, the GIPC’s notable efforts as the leading Investment Promotion Agency also played a pivotal role in attracting investors.
Moreover, as Ghana steps into an era of liberalized trade under the AFCFTA, there’s even stronger commitment from the Center to boost investor confidence and ultimately harness valuable investments for Ghana, now Africa’s Business Capital
Transport fares are expected to go up by Monday, October 25, according to the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU).
The percentage at which the increment would be done is immediately not known but according to the Union, it is as a result of the fuel price increment.
The Industrial Relations Officer of GPRTU, Accra branch, Alhaji Abass Imoro, said they have met with the Transport Ministry on the issue and the only thing left for them is to increase the fares by next week.
“The rate at which our fuel prices are increased, I don’t want to preempt anything because there could be another increment soon,” he stated.
Earlier, the Union had warned that it would soon consider increment in transport fares should the current trend of fuel price increments continue.
The Union noted that at the last increments in transport fares, they had projected up till December, 2021 for any varying decision but the rate at which fuel products are being increased arbitrarily, they may be compelled to increase it before December.
Effective Sunday, October 17, a litre of fuel cost GH¢6.80 at some oumps, a situation which has caused many a Ghanaian anxiety.
Reacting to the issue on 3FM’s Sunrise on Wednesday to host Alfred Ocansey, Alhaji Imoro said “do not blame us if we increase it”.
“Government came up with a sharing policy and we have done our part but they have not. So, hopefully, by next week, we shall increase transport fares.”
Alhaji Imoro said “as we speak now, those who are not in any union have increased their fares. The floating trotro drivers have increased their fares”.
Energy expert Kojo Poku said “the government is not taking the impact of fuel price increase seriously”.
He said all the levies on fuel products have transferred unto the consumer, making life difficult for Ghanaians.
Mr. Poku urged the media to prevail on the Finance Ministry to render accounts to the people of Ghana on the stabilization levy.
“The Finance Ministry must account for the GH¢1.26 billion Price Stabilization Levy”.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will officially commission the newly constructed 580MVA Pokuase Bulk Supply Point Substation (BSP) today October 20, 2021.
The Pokuase BSP, constructed at a total cost of $64.72 million, is Ghana’s largest power substation and the fifth bulk supply point to be constructed in Accra, the capital of Ghana.
Construction work on the project began in 2019 and was completed in May 2021.
Funding for the project was provided by the United States Government through its agency, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), as part of the Ghana Power Compact II Programme.
The substation would improve and raise the operational and financial efficiencies of ECG and GRIDCo and increase the quality and reliability of electricity supplied to homes, offices, small, medium and large business enterprises in parts of Greater Accra.
Over 350,000 current customers of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) living in Pokuase, Nsawam, Achimota, Kwabenya, Haatso, Agbogba, Adenta, Anyaa Sowutuom and their environs are already noticing improvements in the quality of electricity supplied to them since it was energised by GRIDCo.
President Akufo-Addo will be joined by the US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie Sullivan, Nii Oto Kwame V, the chief of Pokuase and Klorkai Densua IV, Queen-mother of Pokuase, as well as officials of MiDA, ECG, GRIDCo and Ministry of Energy to cut the ribbon and unveil a plaque to formally commission the BSP
Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has reiterated that the private sector has the capacity to absorb the country’s teeming youth seeking for job opportunities.
According to him, even though a vibrant public sector can provide some number of employments, the main purpose of the government is to create an enabling environment for entrepreneurs to flourish in the private sector.
He argued that even the most efficient public service cannot be a substitute for the role that the private sector and entrepreneurship play in helping answer the questions of economic fortunes as a nation.
“Orienting our people, that it lies within our own hands to innovate, develop technologies and solutions that make our society better off, as against waiting for an expansion of the public sector to accommodate all our interests, is a challenge which however we have not met very well as a nation.
If entrepreneurship, private business, innovation and technology is what will be a most significant pillar in economic recovery, then our best energies, our best attention, must be directed there,” Mr. Nkrumah made this remark at the opening ceremony of Day-2 of the Ghana Economic Forum (GEF) in Accra organized by the B&FT.
He explained that entrepreneurship is the most significant instrument that can get the majority of the people, particularly the young, economically engaged and rewarded, thereby, calling for a renewal of the mindset and encouraging the youth to venture into it and take advantage of the good policies initiated by the government.
The information minister further said that entrepreneurship, when taken seriously, will enable the country build its own products and services, thereby, increasing exports to improve the balance of payment position of the economy.
Making some recommendations, Mr. Nkrumah said the conversations around entrepreneurship, its prospects, resolving its bottlenecks and highlighting its rewards must be mainstreamed as one of the most important conversations in this country.
He advised that public conversations on traditional media, digital media and all other platforms must reflect what citizens believe is the most important value driver for economic transformation.
“We cannot spend all our times discussing allegations and suspicions of one another. We cannot spend all our time comparing pastors, debating partisan political positions, and for the younger ones, we cannot spend all our time amplifying social media beefs and expect that entrepreneurship will gain its pride of place”.
“My point is that whatever we choose to include in academic curricular, one field of academic work which I believe should now be taught across all levels of education as a core subject just like literacy, numeracy and science, is entrepreneurship. So that no matter what else a Ghanaian child has studied, he / she is also equipped with the basic orientation to use that technical knowledge even in building on their own, a business out of it,” he said.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah, however, stressed the need for government to step up its efforts in promoting entrepreneurship, despite programmes that are already in existence to achieve the purpose.
“I believe we all can agree that looking at the enormity of the challenge ahead, we need to quadruple our efforts as a country at the minimum. We need to provide avenues for more technical support, patient capital and paradigm orientation if truly we want to see more young people take up entrepreneurship. Government policy, must be bolder and larger and more focused in support of growing entrepreneurship in Ghana and indeed across the continent,” he said.
John Dramani Mahama, the 2020 flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has hinted that the party will do everything possible to make the 2024 general elections transparent, fair, and clean.
He said, “the party would not allow anybody to cheat them in the 2024 general elections, and that they would also not do anything to cheat any party.”
Mr Mahama said these at the Asogli Palace in Ho in the Volta region, when he paid a courtesy call on Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of Asogli State as part of his ‘Thank you’ tour.
He noted, “my ‘do or die’ comment meant the deployment of processes for transparency and fair elections far from the use of violence”.
The former President said he and the NDC were highly indebted to the people of the Volta region for their continuous support throughout the years.
Mr Mahama said the party appreciated the support of the chiefs and the people of the region and would not take it for granted as he uses Togbe Afede to reach out the chieftains in the region.
He said though the region had been split, looking at the 2016 election, the votes they had in the current Volta region went up by 113,000 votes and, “this was despite all the intimidation during the voter card registration, closer of the borders and invasion of the region by military.”
He said the NDC got 84.4 per cent of votes in the Volta region, which was the highest votes than any other region in the country.
Mr Mahama said the region had done a lot to propel the fortunes of the NDC to the height it was today and assured the chiefs that when the party comes back to power in 2024, the region would have its fair share of the national cake.
He described as a palpable false that the region did not see any development under the party when they were in power, saying, the region had witnessed massive socio-economic development ranging from health, education, water, electricity, roads among others.
The former President commended Togbe Afede for his role in enhancing the development of the country, citing the Asogli power plant, which he said played a crucial role in supporting the country during the power crisis.
He lamented the loud silence of the National House of Chiefs on topical issues prevailing in the country upon his exit indicating traditional leadership as the last bastion of hope for the country and must not disappoint.
Togbe Afede XIV, was grateful to the former President and his entourage for the visit and recognising his contribution to the development of the country.
He said the development of the country required a collaborative effort, therefore, calculated steps should be taken to discontinue the winner takes all approach.
Togbe said the outbreak of the novel coronavirus had exposed the vulnerability of Ghana and other countries as the economies were not strong to support the citizenry in the crisis.
“That is why there is the urgent need to focus on the development of our country. We have done enough politics over the years, it is time the focus be shifted to our developmental needs,” he said.
The former President was accompanied by his 2020 running mate, Professor Jane Naana Opku-Agyamang, Mr Asiedu, Nketia, General Secretary of the Party, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, National Chairman of the Party among others.
“We will remain ever grateful to you, our President; and to God for the rare gift of visionary leadership in governance and in administration that he has given you to serve this nation. It is without doubt that God has indeed ordained you to lead Ghana onto a path of self-reliance and economic freedom. Clearly, you are the Moses of our time.”
These were the words of Otumfuo Amoah Sasraku III, Paramount Chief of Twifo Hemang Traditional Area, when the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, paid a courtesy call on him today Tuesday, 19th October 2021, as part of his two-day working visit to the Central region.
Otumfuo Amoah Sasraku III applauded the President for his decision to embark on a tour of the country, adding that “irrespective of the remote nature of our communities and its nearly impassable roads, you are still able to touch base with us and offer solutions to our concerns.”
According to the Chief, “even in the absence of the luxury of time to state the life-changing interventions the President has instituted to the benefit of Ghanaians, I cannot be silent about the huge school projects that are dotted all around our communities; many of which are completed, whilst others are at varying stages of completion.”
He continued, “This exemplifies the President’s renown as an avowed proponent of universal education for our young ones. A lot has already been said about the Free SHS policy and Free School Feeding Programme. It is now a thing of the past to hear people ask for handouts to pay the school fees of their wards. This is a personal testimony and we are. The kids and their parents are therefore grateful”
Concluding, Otumfuo Amoah Sasraku III also mentioned the construction of Community Small Water Systems across the traditional area, to take care of the water and sanitation needs of the people, as yet another example of the achievements undertaken by President Akufo-Addo in the area.
There were murmurs in an Accra High Court yesterday when it turned out that the soldiers caught in the plot to overthrow the Akufo-Addo-led NPP government demanded GH¢50,000 each as reward during and after the execution of the illegal constitutional action.××
The demand was part of series of discussions held between the alleged coup plotters who had planned to use violent means to topple the government because they said democracy was not helping Ghana.
The court also heard how Dr. Frederick Yaw MacPalm, the medical doctor who is the alleged mastermind of the coup plot had promised the soldiers positions in his administration when he takes over power.
The prosecution’s third witness, Staff Sergeant Awarf Kojo Sule made the revelation when he took his turn to testify in the trial of the ten who are before the court on charges of high treason and abetment of high treason.
Led in his evidence by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, the witness told the court that somewhere between April and May 2018 he was approached by one of the accused persons, WOII Esther Saan, who informed him about the intended plan to overthrow the government.
He then informed the court how Dr. MacPalm during their first meeting sold his idea for a coup, indicating that both the ruling NPP and the NDC had failed the youth of the country.
Staff Sergeant Sule told the court that he went to Col. Ansu (rtd.) and narrated what had transpired at the meeting, and the Colonel directed him to go and see Major General Omane Agyekum, who in turn called the Director of Defence Intelligence to discuss the issue.
The witness told the court that his superiors asked him to feign interest in the coup plot, and he was given audio and video recording devices to capture all his conversations with Dr. MacPalm and the group.
He narrated that he recorded his meetings with the group, and during one of those meetings, they discussed how to get other security personnel and soldiers to join the cause to overthrow the government.
He said they were also given Tecno mobile phones with SIM cards to aid their communications, and discussions were also held using Gota phones for their communications.
Key Installations
Staff Sergeant Sule told the court about how Dr. MacPalm had called him to prepare a sketch map of some key installations that will be targeted during the coup d’état.
“I gave the sketch to Mr. Bright to be given to Doctor. After he (MacPalm) reviewed the maps he raised a lot of concerns about the targeted places so he asked me to meet BB and the group so that we will re-draw the map and add some key installation areas like Air Force Base, Accra, Military Academy Training School Armoury at Teshie and Base Ammunition Depot, Tema.”
President’s Capture
The court also heard how the coup plotters’ plan included what to do with the President and his officials once they are captured during the coup, and WOII Esther Saan suggested that the President should be eliminated when captured.
“We also discussed about where we are going to send the President and his administrators when they are captured. I suggested that I have an uncompleted building at Adenta Housing and WOII Saan suggested again that ‘that man must be killed’,” the court heard.
“My Lords, at this meeting GH¢50 MoMo (mobile money) was sent to myself, Mr. Bright, Sylvester Akanpeon and WOII Esther Saan’s MoMo numbers by Mr. Bright who told us that it was Doctor who asked that the money be given to us to buy credit on our Tecno mobile phones so that we will not use our main mobile phones to communicate,” he added.
Weapons
Staff Sergeant Sule also testified about the group’s plans to acquire weapons to facilitate their plans, and this included Dr. MacPalm disclosing that he had some police officers at the Kotobabi Police Station and some in the Eastern Region who had promised to give him assault rifles.
He told the court how Dr. MacPalm recruited Donya Kafui from Alavanyo in the Volta Region to manufacture pistols and Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) for the ‘operation’.
H said Dr. MacPalm gave Donya a total of GH¢7,000 for the manufacturing materials and Donya managed to manufacture ten pistols and 22 IEDs.
The court heard how Dr. MacPalm, Donya Kafui and the witness went to a beach to test two of the pistols which led to the arrest by soldiers from the Southern Command at Teshie.
The witness told the court that his video and audio recordings of meetings of the group were downloaded onto an external hard drive which was tendered, and would be played today when the court resumes sitting
A former Minister of Trade and Industry, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, has sued the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako popularly known as Chairman Wontumi for defamation.
Mr. Spio-Garbrah is taking the action because he claims Mr. Wontumi called him a thief on a live TV show in September 2020.
In the writ sighted by citinewsroom.com, it said Mr. Wontumi (1st defendant), called the plaintiff a thief on a political show on a TV owned by him on Thursday, September 10, 2020.
According to the writ, Mr, Wontumi said: “All that Inusah Fuseini is saying is that even him, Inusah Fuseini is a thief. If you mention Spio-Garbrah’s name he is a thief, Sylvester Mensah is a thief, Johsua Alabi is a thief, all their Presidential candidates are thieves so if John Mahama is a thief then let us allow him to continue stealing”.
It is not clear yet what specifically was being discussed during that TV show that elicited the supposed comments by Wontumi.
“The Plaintiff says that the defamatory words were uttered, without caution by the defendant in a malicious manner with the intent to cause damage and injury to the plaintiff’s hard-earned global reputation.”
The Plaintiff quantifies the value of his global reputation as being in excess of ten million dollars, hence the request for that amount as compensation.
“General damages equivalent to the global reputational value of the Plaintiff as quoted in paragraph 10 of the Statement of Claim.”
Amidst sporadic shooting, two armed robbers yesterday morning robbed a bullion van of more than GH¢107,000 in front of a supermarket in the centre of Tarkwa in the Western Region.
The robbers were said to have trailed the bullion van, which arrived at the Ransbet Super Shopping Market, at about 9 a.m. to collect the weekend sales to the bank.
One of the robbers was said to have disguised himself as a shopper with a gun on him.
There were no fatalities as the armed men robbed at ease.
The Western Regional Police Command confirmed the incident and indicated that investigations were ongoing.
No police escort
The manager of the supermarket, Ms. Mabel Dzedu, said the bullion van arrived at the premises of the supermarket without a police escort.
“The robber first entered the cosmetic shop and walked around for a while and then picked a drink and other items, paid for the items at the counter and waited for the items to be bagged,” he said.
Imagery from the CCTV footage at the shop showed that after the cashier on the Mon-Trans bullion van took the money from the supermarket and was about to put it in the bullion van, the robber — who was inside the supermarket — charged on the cashier, snatched the money and walked away to sit on the motorbike, which had the other robber in charge, and sped off.
Conversation
Ms. Dzedu said Mon-Trans was contracted to carry money from the shop to the bank on a daily basis.
“When the bankers arrived, the team went through the process of counting the sales and after the transaction was completed, they carried the money towards the waiting bullion van,” she said.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has launched a scathing attack on the leadership of the National House of Chiefs; describing the house as one without a voice.××
In what appeared to be pitching the current national house of chiefs’ president, Nana Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II against his predecessor, Togbe Afede XIV, Mr. Mahama said ever since the latter’s tenure ended in November 2020, the voice of the house has muted.
He described the situation as unfortunate and hoped that the National House of Chiefs which constitutes very prominent chiefs across the country and represents the authentic voice of the masses will be bold to speak truth to power.
The NDC Flagbearer in the 2020 elections made the assertion in Ho, when he and his national executives paid a curtesy call on Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State last Monday; October 18, 2021.
The interaction was part of the one-day “Thank You” tour of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag bearer after he lost the 2020 elections.
Togbe Afede became the President of the National House of Chiefs in 2016. After his first term, he hoped to get a second term in November 2020, but lost to Nana Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II, Paramount Chief of Sefwi Anhwiaso in the Western Region.
Prior to the election, the two chiefs had been on a collision course when Togbe Afede’s administration removed Ogyeahohoo from his positon as the Chairman of the Governance and Development Committee of the House. He was removed for disagreeing with what Togbe Afede said was the unanimous position of the National House on some national issues.
That notwithstanding, Mr. Mahama paid glowing tributes to Togbe Afede for being consistently frank, bold and firm on national issues while he was President of the National House of Chiefs.
He said “We admired your frankness and boldness when you were President of the National House of Chiefs. Since you left the voice of that house on national affairs is muted.
That is the truth. There are a lot of things that are going wrong in this country and the house of chiefs is silent.”
He described traditional leaders as the last hope of the country’s discerning voice, hence wondered why the Chiefs have been silent on the hardships being faced by the populace.
He observed that “Times are hard. You the chiefs are the ones who are the grassroots to the people. You know the hardship that the people are going through. You must be bold and talk.”
The former President also alleged that many pastors have also lost their voice on national issues for fear of intimidation by the government and its assigns.
To this end, if all voices should be lost, it should not be the national House of Chiefs.
He was sure that if Togbe Afede was still the President of the national House of Chiefs the situation would have been different. “At a time like this if the house had a bold leader like you (Togbe Afede); I am sure you would have drawn the government’s attention to what is going on in the country, “he stressed.”
Nana Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II and Togbe Afede XIV
The NDC Party Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, and the General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who also spoke at the Palace of Togbe Afede expressed similar sentiments.
They observed that Togbe Afede had expressed similar bold and frank sentiments before the 2016 elections, but they (the NDC government) ignored him and paid dearly for it.
They therefore extended an olive branch to Togbe Afede and the people of the region for the unflinching support and votes they gave the party in the recent general elections in December 2020
The Controller and Accountant General Department (CAGD) has aborted the decision to withhold salaries of workers who fail to obtain a Ghana card.
The decision to suspend the directive was taken after a meeting held by officials of the Ministries of Employment and Labour Relations, Finance and the CAGD on Tuesday October 19
A communiqué issued after the meeting asked the CAGD to “port the names of public sector workers in their existing databases onto the NIA platform and thereafter inform the various institutions of any unregistered staff that may exist.”
The CAGD had in an earlier statement on Wednesday October 13 indicated that from 1st December, 2021, all government workers without the Ghana Card were not going to be paid salaries.
Portions of the statement said “By this notice, all existing and prospective Government workers arc to ensure they are registered with the NIA and have obtained their Identity numbers.”
“As part of Government of Ghana’s efforts to deliver speedy, secured and verified payroll services to government employees and pensioners while reducing the risk of undeserving payments or claims, the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department (CAGD) is collaborating with the National Identification Authority (NIA) to have a harmonized database to facilitate biometric and unique identification of all workers on the government payroll,” the statement added.
Labour unions rejected this move. They said they were not consulted in the decision by the CAGD.
The unions say even though the motive is good one, the timing is wrong since Accra and Kumasi are not the only cities that constitute Ghana.
They therefore warned the Department to halt such threats if it wants peace in this country.
The Deputy Secretary-General of Trades Union Congress (TUC), Joshua Ansah, in an interview on 3FM’s Sunrise on Thursday said “it is very very unfortunate that the controller will sit and make such decision.
“The laws governing salaries must be respected and TUC says no no to it and we are calling the Controller to do the needful”, he told Sunrise Host, Alfred Ocansey on Thursday.
Mr. Ansah explained that “doing the needful means that all the stakeholders must be brought on board to decide on the issue because Accra and Kumasi is not only Ghana. We have remote areas”.
“I don’t want to believe it. They must do the needful by calling on the labour unions and talk about it because it is a good thing but wrong approach”.
Ningo Prampram Member of Parliament, Samuel Nartey George also said there was no law backing the decision by the CADG to stop paying salaries of workers who fail to obtain the Ghana card.
Speaking on this matter on the Key Points on TV3/3FM Saturday October 16, Sam George said “Everything is regulated by law, salaries are not regulated by LI 2111, the NIA is behaving as though LI2111 is the law that governs everything in this country, no.
“It regulates you (NIA), it doesn’t regulate registration of SIM cards. It is LI 2006 that has not been amended. Payment of salaries is regulated by Workman Compensations Act, there is the Labour Act.
“That is what governs the payment of salaries, you cannot withhold my salaries because I don’t have (Ghana Card), there is no law backing it.
“I have been a civil servant before, I worked at the Ghana Civil Service, before coming into active politics. In 2010 I went and did biometric verification, he (NIA official) works in the Public service, the Controller and Accountant General through the Ministry of Finance holds the biometric data of the 800,000 government workers, they don’t need a Ghana card to verify who they are paying
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has inspected work on the Central Oil Mills Limited, a wholly Ghanaian owned agro-processing company located at Jukwa Mfuom/Asamanso in the Hemang Lower Denkyira District of Central Region, which specialises in oil palm development and palm oil processing, and is operating under Government’s 1-District-1-Factory initiative.
President Akufo-Addo visited the factory, on Tuesday, 19th October 2020, on day two of his two-day tour of the Central Region.
As part of the Government’s industrial transformation agenda, Central Oil Mills, established in 2010, was identified as one of the potentially viable but distressed companies.
To this end, an organisational audit was conducted by a team of technical consultants from the Ministry of Trade and Industry, who recommended the company to the Ghana EXIM Bank for support under the One District One Factory (1D1F) programme.
Ghana Exim Bank, on 21st November 2018, approved a medium-term loan facility of GHS12 million for Central Oil Mills Limited to undertake three main activities.
These are the rehabilitation and expansion of an existing primary crude palm oil processing factory at Jukwa-Mfoum, the establishment of a brand new secondary (value-addition) oil palm processing factory at Jukwa-Asamanso, with capacity to process vegetables (Canned and bottled products), and the expansion and development of oil palm plantation.
The Bank subsequently approved a supplementary loan of GHS2 million for the project, thus bringing the total loan approved for the project to GHS14 million.
The new factory at Asamanso and the expansion work at Mfuom are about 95% and 90% completed respectively, and are both expected to be fully completed by 30th November 2021.
The project involves the expansion of an existing oil palm mill with an initial capacity of 2,400 metric tonnes of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) per annum into a bigger mill with a minimum capacity of 12,000 metric tonnes of FFB per annum on a single shift, with capacity to do double shifts.
With a yield of 20%, this will produce 2,400 metric tonnes of palm oil per annum which could be processed into secondary canned and bottled products. In addition, through the revitalisation process, the company has increased its storage capacity from 30 metric tonnes to 150 metric tonnes.
The company has rehabilitated its existing oil palm plantation and has initiated the process to expand its plantation by 200 acres per annum over five years. This is being supported by the acquisition of new trucks, and farm implements to support cultivation and transportation. The company also has existing nucleus farms at Jukwa Mfuom and its environs and also about 50 out-grower individuals.
The project is expected to create a minimum of 200 direct jobs from its current skeletal workforce of 30 persons when fully operational. More than 500 indirect jobs will be created within two years at both factory sites and from the plantation.
Buyers from South Africa, Italy, Netherlands and Nigeria are already in discussions with the company for export of finished products, thus opportunity to generate foreign exchange for the country
The twins born with both sex organs with Kojo Ansah(M)
They were born in 1993 at a village in Yilo Kobo Municipality in the Eastern Region with a rare disorder of sexual differentiation that is; they have both female and male reproductive organs.
Due to the condition of the twins, their parents were thrown into a state of confusion over their gender but upon advice, gave the twins feminine names – Akweley and Akorkor, pierced their ears to wear earrings and wore female attires.
However, as they grow up with their hormones and biological make-up developing, these twins feel and physically appear to be male than females hence opted for a change of gender, names and the dress they wear.
But they faced resistance from both family and teachers. The situation coupled with stigma forced them to drop out of school at class six.
“Our Parents say they discovered that we have female and a bit of male organs. But we were declared females and were named Akweley and Akorkor. But when we grew up we saw ourselves as males. So we were reluctant to wear female uniforms to school, we insisted they give us male uniforms but the school authorities too resisted. So we dropped out of school at class 6”.
Akweley and Akorkor have lived with the condition and stigma without any clinical support.
The psychological stress, however, didn’t deter them from pursuing their football career. One of the twins had a call up to join the Black Queens of Ghana, under 20 team, however was dropped after his condition was detected by a medical doctor assigned to declare the gender.
“We were very good footballers so we relocated and joined a football club at Sekesua. I got a call up to Black Queens under 20. They called a doctor and the doctor came to the camp and examined us and said I am a male so they dropped me from the squad”.
The twins have since been striving to learn a vocation to make a living, however, quit due to stigmatization.
Unable to bear the stigma of relatives and neighbours they continue to relocate from one village to another to hide and farm for a living.
The only person who gave them hope was their father but his death on July 20, 2018, has left them hopeless.
These intersex twins say they continue to have suicidal thoughts.
“We are suffering from stigma so unable to live in one community. People pointing their fingers at us. Our family too is stigmatizing against us. So now we are hiding in villages. We don’t stay in one place for long. We even ditched learning driving because of the stigma. Sometimes suicide thoughts come to our minds. Sometimes they call as evil Children,” the twins told Starr FM’s Eastern regional correspondent Kojo Ansah.
The twins want the sexual disorders corrected but cannot afford the medical process hence appealing for public Support to undergo the necessary medical procedures.
“We sometimes feel pains below our abdomen. We see ourselves as men now we want our names changed from females to males. We also want public support and NGOs to help us undergo the necessary surgical procedures”
Statement by Dr.Yirenky a Urologist
Dr Frank Yirenkyi, a healthcare practitioner and Urologist at the Eastern Regional Hospital, Koforidua who examined the condition of the twins said they have rare congenital which could be corrected through a complex medical procedure.
“We have done a lot of investigations about them, physically examined them and we found out that physically they appear to be male but it is very unfortunate when they were given birth at the initial stages their parents thought they are females because they were more prone to female physical appearances, but as they are growing now we can see that from the facial outlook they look like males, they have a beard, their breast is not well developed but when it comes to their genitalia, we found out that they have both vagina and a penis which is well developed per our investigations,” He said.
“Our preliminary investigations show that their hormones are more prone to male sex because there have a high level of testosterone in them but the further investigations also show that they have undeveloped uterus and ovaries. They have undescended testicles and well-developed penis and vagina”
“The society needs to be tolerant towards such people because before people may choose to be part of these group, people must really understand them to find out why they are in this situation because I have seen several peoples in such condition and sometimes they are being stigmatized. It is only a few people who can come out and report to the health care personnel so that their problem can be treated. So the LGBTQ+ that we are talking about I think the society needs to help them understand their problems and be tolerant to them and help solve their problem.”
Advise to Parents
Dr Frank Yirenkyi advised parents that “as soon as they give birth to their children, they should take a critical look at their genitalia so that they can examine it in the hospital so that if there is anything unusual the health care personnel can investigate it right at the infant stage for it to be corrected to help the parents know the type of name to be given to the child. For instance, if the person is of mixed genitalia, and you give the person a particular name and later you find out that is the opposite direction then that is when the people in the community stigmatize against them.”
“These are hormonal disorders that affect the chromosomes so we need to be careful about the type of medicine or drugs we take in when we are pregnant. All these can affect and their hereditary also so that if we are aware that there is such disorder in a particular family then one has to be careful in choosing a partner for marriage.”
Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has called for private sector support for young entrepreneurs in Ghana.
Speaking to journalist on the side-lines of the Ghana Economic Forum on Tuesday October 19, he said both the public and privates sector must scale up support for young entrepreneurs in the country.
“A public service that can, as quickly as possible, on-board as many of our young people who want to support public service delivery but it cannot be a substitute for what the private sector, if supported to develop properly, can do for the advancement of the Ghanaian economy.
” It is important that we do a number of things to support the private sector particularly young entrepreneurs to succeed in this space.
“By main streaming the conversation about entrepreneurship. we cannot be a country that spends all our time and our best energy focusing on some other conversation and yet we expect entrepreneurship to excel in its rightful place, it must be , for me, the most important conversation that we should be highlighting, promoting this country.
“Number two, state support for entrepreneurship need to be stepped up and I refer to what Kuffuor administration did, what Mills administration and Mahama administration did, what the Akufo-addo administration is doing, and make the argument that however we need to, at the minimum, quadruple our efforts in terms of funding technical support and building an entrepreneurial echo system for young entrepreneurs in this country.
“Three, we are asking the private sector to support entrepreneurship, value chain, supply chain support, mentoring and technical support, these are the things we must make available to private sector particularly young entrepreneurs.”
Mr Ofori-Atta revealed that 60 per cent of Ghana’s revenue is spent on salaries and remuneration for workers on the government’s payroll.
He described this situation as unsustainable.
He however assured new graduates from the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) and all Ghanaians youths across the country that the next budget statement of the government will prioritize programmes that will support the youth become their own bosses.
He said the government is determined to create the enabling environment for the youth to create their enterprises.
This, according to him, will reduce the over-reliance on the government for jobs and also lessen the burden on the payroll.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony at UPSA on Friday October 15, he said “So, the future for you with regards to jobs is the most important thing at this stage. We have gone through a period where most people look for jobs from government etc. That payroll is full because we are spending some 60 per cent of our revenue on remunerating some 650,000 people and that is not sustainable.
“The question then really is has UPSA trained you to be entrepreneurs, and your question will be where the financing is coming from. But you do, in you, have the skills set to be able to do what you have to do.
“Our responsibility as government is to create the environment and the macro stability, currency stability and ensure that you have access to the relevant skills and financing.
“This budget that we are going to be doing is going to really focus on the youth and we will have a programme here, looking at the youth and demands and how we can structure, in the next two or three years, the Ghana Obaatanpa Programme to ensure that you become your own bosses and you become entrepreneurs.
” So there is a new world out there , it is not a factory that employs ten people, but individuals like you employ two or three of four five people to create that energy for our country to transform
The founder and leader of New Life Kingdom Chapel International, Stephen Akwasi, otherwise known as Jesus Ahuofe, has been picked up by the police at the forecourt of Accra100.5FM on Tuesday morning.
His arrest is allegedly in connection with his prophecy on September 28, 2021, that dancehall artiste Shatta Wale will be shot on October 18, 2021.
Three men clad in mufti, with the driver in a police uniform, picked up the prophet while he was waiting to appear on the mid-morning show Ayekoo Ayekoo.
The prophet had earlier indicated his plans to report himself to the law enforcement agency after the show.
He was taken to the police headquarters.
The police, in a statement earlier, said it cannot trace the whereabouts of Shatta Wale.
It said its attention had been drawn to the widely circulated news on the alleged gunshot attack on Shatta Wale.
On hearing the news, the police noted that launched an investigation into the matter including making contact with some of his close friends and family members and all of whom claimed not to have knowledge of his whereabouts or the alleged incident.
Meanwhile, Shatta Wale says his life is in danger and he is on the run until the country shows him that there are laws.
He said this in a Facebook post to break his silence after rumours went viral that he had been shot by some unknown gunmen on Monday, 18 October 2021.
The Energy Ministry says assertions by the opposition National Democratic Congress that fuel prices have gone up unimaginably is false.
In a response to the NDC’s press conference accusing the government of a hike in fuel prices, the Public Relations Manager for the Energy Ministry, Kwasi Obeng-Fosu, in a statement said the government does not determine fuel price in the country.
According to the Ministry, despite the attempt by some Oil Marketing Companies (OMC’s) to increase fuel prices, competition in the system would not allow it to go up.
“Ex-pump prices have not increased by 7% as purported by the NDC. As of today Total Energies is the only OMC that has revised its price upwards from GHS6.52 per litre to GHS6.80 per litre; that is a 4.29% increase. Other OMCs are yet to announce their prices for the new window. We believe competition will even force this increase further down to a level below 3%,” the PRO stated.
The National Democratic Government has accused the Akufo-Addo Government of lying to Ghanaians about fuel prices whiles in opposition.
The party is demanding an immediate reduction of fuel prices in order to relieve Ghanaians from what they describe as choking hardships the current administration has imposed on the nation.
The Party through its National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi, at a press conference held Monday, stated, “It will be recalled that a gallon of petrol and diesel was sold at about GHc16 in December, 2016 when the NDC/Mahama administration was leaving office. The NPP-led by their then Presidential Candidate, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and Vice Presidential Candidate, Dr. Bawumia, lambasted and berated President Mahama for this and promised to scrap some taxes on Petroleum products, particularly the Energy Sector Levies and the Special Petroleum Tax so as to significantly reduce the prices of fuel.”
Below is the full response from the Energy Ministry.
Responses to the NDC Press Conference on Rising Fuel Prices on 18th October 2021
“Ex-pump prices have not increased by 7% as purported by the NDC. As of today Total Energies is the only OMC that has revised its price upwards from GHS6.52 per litre to GHS6.80 per litre; that is a 4.29% increase. Other OMCs are yet to announce their prices for the new window. We believe competition will even force this increase further down to a level below 3%,” he stated.
Ex-pump prices have not increased by 7% as purported by the NDC. As of today Total Energies is the only OMC that has revised its price upwards from GHS6.52 per litre to GHS6.80 per litre; that is a 4.29% increase. Other OMCs are yet to announce their prices for the new window. We believe competition will even force this increase further down to a level below 3%.
Since the implementation of the price deregulation policy in July 2015, the responsibility of setting ex-pump prices lies with the various Bulk Import, Distribution and Export Companies (BIDECs) and Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). As a result, changes in prices at the pumps almost every two weeks are not dictated by government but are a direct response to changes of prices of petroleum products on the world market and the strength of the Ghana Cedi (GHS) against the US Dollar (USD), as well as the keen competition amongst the various players competing to sell their products to the motoring public.
Areas of the price build-up of petroleum products controlled by Government is in the form of the taxes and levies imposed on these products. It is important to note that the sum of the taxes on petrol in January 2009 was only 28 pesewas per litre and rose to about 146 pesewas per litre by December 2016. This represents a 426% increase in the taxes and levies. From January 2017 to date the sum of taxes has increased by only 30% from 146 pesewas to 190 pesewas per litre.
Prior to assumption of power by this government the Special Petroleum Tax (SPT) was an ad valorem tax of 17.5% on the ex-depot price of petroleum products. The rate was reduced by Government to 15% in March 2017 and was further converted to a specific tax of 46 pesewas in February 2018. At today’s price of GHS6.52 per litre, the SPT would have been about 83 pesewas per litre, if not for the earlier interventions made by government. This shows that the current Government envisaged the hardships of Ghanaians and took proactive steps to reduce the burden accordingly.
To add to the above, the government has on several occasions between December 2017 and February 2020 intervened in the pricing of petroleum products by either reducing or completely removing the Price Stabilisation and Recovery Levies (PSRLs) in the price build-up to cushion consumers from the impact of rising prices of products on the world market. These interventions have cost government about GHS510 million in revenue loss over that period.
As mentioned above, the price of fuel is also influenced by the exchange rate. The exchange rate saw rapid depreciation of about 237% between January 2009 and December 2016 when it moved from around GHS1.22/USD to GHS4.10/USD. From January 2017 to date, the exchange rate has moved from GHS4.1/USD in January 2017 to around GHS6.2/USD representing a depreciation of just about 51%. Under the current Government, it has depreciated at a slow rate and in recent times, almost remained stable when most currencies were trending downwards moving from around today; this is about 51% depreciation.
The price of petroleum products on the world market is something government has no control over and it is not Government that dictates the prices of fuel at the pumps in Ghana as it did before July 2015. It is worthy to note that the price of petrol on the world market in December 2016 was about $504 per metric tonne. This has increased by about 55% to around $783 per metric tonne today. If prices on the world market today were at the levels they were in December 2016, the price of petrol for example would have been about GHS5.49 per litre.
The ex-pump price of petrol saw a cumulative increase of about 357% between January 2009 and December 2016 (from GHS0.82/Lt to GHS3.75/Lt). However, the price has increased by only about 60% from January 2017 to date (from GHS4.06/Lt to GHS6.50/Lt).
All of the above point to the fact that indicate that the prices of petroleum products would have been much much higher today if the NDC was still in power.
Allotey Jacobs is a former Regional Chairman of NDC
Former Central Regional Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has thrown his support to the debate as to whether the region prefers airports to fishing harbours at the coastal stretch of the region.
In justifying his conviction, he claims explained that the Accra-Cape Coast trunk road has become a death trap for commuters and that alone calls for an airport to be built in the Region.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as part of his tour to the region reiterated his promise to build an international airport in the Central Region capital of Cape Coast.
He told the Paramount Chief of the Oguaa Traditional Council, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, that all is set for the takeoff of the project as feasibility studies are near completion.
This has sparked a debate as to whether a coastal and agricultural region would prefer an airport to a harbor.
Reacting to the issue on 3FM’s Sunrise on Tuesday hosted by Alfred Ocansey, Mr. Allotey Jacobs who has been sacked from the NDC said “the people will prefer an airport to harbor because Cape Coast to Accra road has become a death trap”.
“There are a lot of accidents on the road and being a tourist destination, what Cape Coast needs is an airport and I am happy it is closer to my farms. It has been demarcated”.
Mr. Allotey Jacobs noted that “even the fishermen will prefer an airport. Where are you going to construct the fishing harbor? Cape Coast will prefer an airport that will promote tourism in the Region”.
According to him, one other reason the region needs an airport is the traffic situation on the main Accra-Cape Coast road.
“Passing through Budumburam on weekends will take you several hours. You get to Mankessim and it is also another headache. If the road had dual carriage, it’s beautiful but the reason is to promote the tourism of the central region. So that it will attract people from the diaspora”.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Monday, 18th October 2021, inspected ongoing work on the construction of the 31.2-kilometre Assin Praso-Assin Fosu Road, which is part of the project for the rehabilitation of the National Trunk Road.
The project, estimated at a cost of $50 million, is being funded by a grant from the Government of Japan, and involves the rehabilitation of the 31.2km of road between Assin Fosu and Assin Praso; the dualization into a 4-lane carriageway of a 1.2km Assin Fosu township roads; the reconstruction of the railway underpass bridge; and the reconstruction of drainage structures between Assin Fosu and Assin Praso.
The contract for the contract was awarded on 15 th November 2019, with the commencement date set for March 2020. Due to the onset of COVID-19, construction of the road was suspended from 18 th April 2020 to 15 th March 2021.
The road project, when executed, will significantly enhance the social-economic lives of the people in the Assin area, facilitate the movement of goods to and from the Takoradi Port, ensure easy access to markets and services, guarantee reductions in road accidents and road user costs, and improve travel time.
The Assin Praso-Assin Fosu road is being constructed by Shimizu Dia-Nippon Joint Ventures, and is expected to be completed on 31st November 2023.
Nyamkomase-Assin Jakai Road
At Assin Jakai, President Akufo-Addo cut the sod for the construction of the 15-kilometre Nyankomase-Assin Jakai road. The project includes the construction of feeder roads from from Fante Nyankomase through Assin Jakai, Abaasa to Framase Junction; the Assin Jakai town roads; and the Jakai-Abein Feeder Roads.
The Nyamkomase-Assin Jakai is being constructed by Top International Eng. Ghana Limited, and is expected to be completed on 19 th October 2023. The road, when completed, will provide access to farms for residents in the Assin South District, and access to social facilities like schools, CHPs compound and clinics will be greatly enhanced
Prophet Nigel Gaisie, the leader and founder of the Prophetic Hill Chapel has said there is no possibility that Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia can become president of Ghana.
Nigel Gaisie said on Angel FM on Monday, October 18, 2021, that the leadership of the country for the next two and half decades have been revealed to him by God and that Bawumia does not feature in any of the revelations.
He claimed that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is being advised to step down at some point in his second term to allow Bawumia to finish the term as President.
Whiles that looks certain to happen in the spiritual realm, Nigel Gaisie does not see Bawumia’s presidency going beyond 2024.
Nigel Gaisie was emphatic in his statement that Bawumia will never ascend to the presidential throne in the country.
“A president in West Africa will resign before his time. It’s an Anglophone country. There is a greater agenda to make way for his successor. I don’t see Bawumia becoming president in the next 20 or 25 years. I saw him wearing President’s Akufo-Addo’s shoe so the likelihood is that President Akufo-Addo will resign for him to take over but it will not go beyond 2024. That one is established. I have seen our leadership for the next 25 years and Bawumia is not part.
Nigel Gaisie also prophesied that Ghana will in the next 25 years have a president whose accumulated years as president will surpass the eight years constitutional limit.
He explained that though the said person will have the mandate of ruling for one term, he will govern for two terms instead of one.
“Ghana will have a certain president who should rule for only four years but will stay for eight years. This is what I have seen in the vision,’ he said.
Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia is expected to go neck-to-neck with Trade Minister Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen in the race for the next NPP flagbearer slot.
According to renowned pollster Ben Ephson, the two are the leading figures to succeed Akufo-Addo.
He however advised that it will be in the interest of the party to pick a person other than the two for the flagbearer position for the 2024 elections.
“I suspect it is early days yet but given the tempo and the way it is going, in the end, they may have to perhaps find a compromise candidate outside the two because it will be dirty,“ he said on Joy Prime.
The police have arrested embattled comedian Funny Face for allegedly threatening some persons in a social media video that has since gone viral.
The arrest according to the police via their Facebook page was effected on October 18, at about 10:14 pm after Funny Face threatened to kill the mother his children and commit suicide afterwards.
The statement indicated that the controversial actor would be submitted to court for an order for psychiatric examination.
The statement read “due to the history of the suspect, the police shall submit Benson Nana Yaw Oduro Boateng to the court for an order for psychiatric examination, to determine the next line of investigative action.”
”The police is committed to protecting lives with the generous help of the public. We want to assure the public that we shall not take anything for granted in the interest of public safety
The Ashanti regional branch of the Electricity Company of Ghana Limited(ECG) effective Wednesday, October 20, 2021, will embark on a mass disconnection exercise across the region.
The exercise dubbed “Operation correct and collect all debt” will affect state broadcaster’s Ashanti regional branch head office which hosts Garden City radio and TV.
According to the Ashanti Regional ECG Managing Director, David Asamoah, the mountain of debt owed by public entities is affecting their operation in the region.
He revealed the state broadcaster is for instance owing ECG debt of about two million Ghana cedis without any effort to settle it.
He said the Kumasi airport company among other commercial and private entities will also be affected by the same exercise.
The Kumasi Kejetia market which power supply was disconnected and restored on Wednesday, October 13, 2021 same-day through the intervention of the Kumasi City Mayor Samuel Pyne will also be disconnected for owing over 2.1 million cedis.
The ECG Ashanti MD disclosed that currently, there’s shortage of prepaid meters in the region, and have difficulties restocking to meet the demand of their clients as a result of lack of money.
The ECG, therefore, is urging all clients across the region to settle all their accumulated debts before Wednesday, October, 20, 2021, or suffer disconnection by the said date.
The “operation correct and collect” aims at correcting all inappropriate bills and collecting all debts ECG customers are owing their power suppliers.
Residents of Cape Coast who have been waiting on the construction of a new harbour since the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) won its re-election bid in 2020 may have their hopes dashed.
According to President Akufo-Addo, that infrastructure project was never a part of the list of commitments tabled before him for his second term.
“The commitment was never to a harbour; it was to a landing site,” he said on Cape Coast-based Eagle FM on Monday.
It was the first stop on his two-day tour of the Central Region as part of his annual working visits to the country’s 16 regions.
Justifying his statement, President Akufo-Addo referenced Page 88 of the NPP’s 2020 Manifesto, dubbed Leadership of Service: Protecting our Progress, Transforming Ghana for All.
Per the document, he outlined a few of the sites slated for the Central Region, which he said are at various stages of completion as far as Phase One is concerned.
The sites listed “involves Senya Berekum which is 92% nearly 93% complete, Elmina – 13% complete, Moree 78% complete, Winneba – 57% complete, Gomoa Fetteh 19% and Mumford 79 to 80% complete.”
This was in response to a question about plans for the project, which had been bandied about by the people of the region.
However, the President clarified that the party actually pledged to put up a landing site as captured in the 2020 manifesto and earmarked for execution in 2022.
“I never said I was going to build a harbour in Cape Coast. I said I was going to build a landing site like what I’ve done in these six other places in the Central Region. Cape Coast will also have its landing site, and the construction of that will start next year.”
However, Myjoyonline.com’s perusal of the policy 2020 manifesto uncovered a paragraph that may be the basis of the region’s aspiration over a harbour that they believe would have improved the fortunes of the town’s coastal communities.
Page 160 of the document highlights some infrastructure development to be expected when the NPP secures power in the general elections.
This portion touches on several initiatives, including the commencement of the construction of “a new harbour in Cape Coast, and a new airport in Cape Coast.”
During his address at the launch of the party’s manifesto in August 2020, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia also disclosed that “for the people of Cape Coast, I have good news for you. We are building a new harbour in Cape Coast and a new airport in Cape Coast.”
Meanwhile, on the idea of an airport in the region, President Akufo-Addo explained that consensus about the location among other studies is complete.
“The commitment to build the airport in Cape Coast, that one is 100% committed, work is ongoing it, and I think very soon, just as we have seen with Wa, Ho, Sunyani – its almost complete, Cape Coast will get its own airport,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo’s tour in the region will involve the commissioning and inspection of projects under Government’s 1-District-1-Factory initiative and the inspection of ongoing road projects in the Region.
• Captain Smart says President Akufo-Addo wants to legalise LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana
• He says, some lobbyists have given the country money
• He challenged the gov’t to issue a statement to debunk his claims
Blessed Godsbrain Smart, a. k. a. Captain Smart, the host of ‘Onua Maakye’ programme on Onua FM, has alleged that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will soon legalise the LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana.
According to him, he has been following comments made by government officials on both the mainstream and social media since the discussion of LGBTQ+ activities broke.
“Critically, we have analysed what they [government officials] have written on Social Media. I have followed all the CSOs [and] surprisingly, they are quiet. Now majority members against LGBTQ+ shockingly refused to sign the bill which was presented to Parliament by Sam Nartey George and some of his colleagues…,” Captain Smart said on his show on Monday, October 18, 2021.
He further alleged that, the LGBTQ+ lobbyists have given the government some huge sums of money and now, the NPP government, under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is ‘tight-lipped’ and want to legalise LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana.
Captain Smart without providing any evidence repeatedly alleged, “This government wants to legalise LGBTQ+ activities in Ghana.”
“If the government thinks what I am saying is not the truth, within 48 hours they should issue a statement to clarify their stance on the LGBTQ+ bill currently before the Ghanaian parliament,” he stressed.
About the anti-LGBTQ+ Bill
Sam Nartey George led an eight-member legislative group that drafted a Private Members’ Bill titled: “The Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values, Bill 2021,” which seeks to comprehensively outlaw activities of the LGBTQ+ community.
Currently, the bill has been laid before the house and referred to the appropriate committee for consideration.
The Ningo Prampram MP has strongly defended the need for the bill which he insists is a necessity in preserving the moral and cultural values of Ghanaians in general.
Sam George insists that LGBTQ+ tendencies are not human rights but preferences that need to be regulated within the context of what Ghanaian society and culture accept.
The bill has the full blessing of Speaker Alban Bagbin who is on record to have said he is pro-life and will ensure that the bill is passed into law as soon as possible.
• John Mahama believes the NPP is fueling bad democracy
• The former president is in the Volta region on a ‘Thank You’ tour
• The 2020 elections recorded some violence at polling centers
John Dramani Mahama has questioned the kind of democracy that the ruling New Patriotic Party is superintending over in the country.
Making references to incidences from the 2020 general elections, among others that support his claims, the former president lamented that the ruling party, led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is fostering an ill democracy in the country.
Asked a direct question, “Is there hope for the NDC in 2024?” during his interview on Global FM in Ho, while in the Volta region for his Thank You tour, and monitored by GhanaWeb, here is what the former president said:
“Why not? I mean for a party that went from 4 point something million votes to 6 point something million – almost 6.3 million, how can you say there is no hope? There definitely is hope but for a lot of scheming that took place, the NDC would have won the 2020 elections. I do believe that we did win but a lot of things went untoward.
“And so even though power didn’t come into our hands, it doesn’t mean that we do not have the prospects of winning. I mean, we won the majority in parliament but you saw what happened on the day. Many of the collation centers, they injected soldiers in there and forced the electoral officers to pronounce results that were not real.
“When you take Sehwi Wiawso, the collation center where I won the presidential, that polling station ballot box – the parliamentary, was asked to be brought to the regional collation center instead of the district collation center, and on the way, it got missing. And based on that, they declared the NPP the winners. Those are some of the things that happened and it could have changed the narrative,” he said.
John Dramani Mahama also lamented the growing instances of election-related disturbances, questioning the model of democracy that is being practised in the country today.
“In Sene West, luckily a judge sorted that out: when they were losing, they picked a ballot box and run away. I mean, what kind of democracy is this? I was looking at something this morning, Municipal Chief Executive in Cape Coast, and they said 77 votes out of 63 – people assembled there were 63 and somebody was saying that some people took some of the ballot papers and run away. I mean, what kind of democracy is the NPP fostering in this country?” he quizzed.
The former president is in the region as part of his Thank You tour of the country, just right after completing the same exercise in the Central region.
As part of the two-phased tour of the region, President Mahama will meet the Agbogbomefia, Togbe Afede XIV, and the Asogli Traditional Council.
He will also hold an interaction with Religious Leaders at Dela Cathedral, Ho Kpodzi.
Other activities lined up include a visit to the residence of late Comrade Courage Worlasi Danku where he will commiserate with the family and sign a book of condolence in memory of the late Deputy Regional Youth Organizer at Sokode Gbagble.
Mr. Mahama will also meet party stakeholders at the G.M. Afeti Auditorium, Ho Technical University.
Director of Communications for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Hon. Yaw Buaben Asamoah, believes the Komenda Sugar Factory commissioned by former President John Dramani Mahama in May 2016 was a ploy to win the hearts of the people of Komenda in the Central Region.
According to him, the commissioning of the Komenda Sugar Factory was a “419” move that has cost the people of Komenda rather than benefiting them.
Hon. Yaw Buaben Asamoah was commenting on recent allegations by the former President that the Akufo-Addo government has deliberately failed to operationalise the factory, years after its grand commissioning in 2016.
Revamped & Shutdown
In May 2016, then President John Mahama inaugurated the revamped Komenda Sugar Factory in a move by his administration to restructure the economy and create jobs. However, it was closed in June 2016 barely a month after its inauguration for lack of raw materials to feed it.
The $35 million factory, built from an Indian EXIM Bank facility, has the capacity to crush 1,250 tonnes of sugarcane per day.
Envisioned to create more than 7,000 direct and indirect jobs, the factory was revamped to revive the local production of sugar, thereby reducing the importation of the commodity, but remains shut five years after it was inaugurated.
Indian Connection, Vision For Its Operationalisation
Mr Mahama, on a recent “Thank You tour” to the Central Region, accused the current government of purposefully allowing the factory to waste away, since they (NPP) could have applied for readily available funds from the Indian government to
“The Indian government offered to assist us with the project. We were to set up the factory first and later apply for a $24 million support for sugar cultivation from the Indian government. When this current government was elected, they indicated that the project was not among their priorities. Therefore, they didn’t apply for the funds…..
“I’m not that foolish to set up a factory and have no plan for the provision of raw materials. I knew what the vision was. It was to get the raw materials first, and when we start production, we would have already had a processing plant,” he added.
Mahama Didn’t Think Through Project
Reacting to this on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Hon Buaben Asamoah, a former Member of Parliament for Adentan Constituency discounted Mr Mahama’s claims saying no such loan facility from the Indian government existed for the NPP administration to access to sustain the operations of the factory.
He also indicted the Mahama-led administration of failing to conduct any feasibility study to ascertain whether the soil can ensure optimum growth for the kind of sugar cane needed for production.
“There must be measures in place to get the kind of sugar canes that can be used to produce the quality sugar we require and looking at the factory, we will require at least 10,000 acres of land which can be used to produce the raw materials required to power the factory…..it will take 2 to 3 years to get the kind of sugar canes he [Mahama] talked about to power the factory….
“He commissioned the factory when he had not put any measures in place to keep the factory running for the benefit of the people of Komenda. So, if John Mahama says he is not a fool, then I will tell him that he didn’t think about it carefully before commissioning the Komenda Sugar Factory because there is nowhere you can build a house when you don’t have the materials for the building”, he jabbed.
Former Minister of Energy, Mr Boakye Agyarko says he stands a better chance of leading the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to Election 2024 as a flagbearer.
He is of the conviction that NPP delegates will buy into his vision and give him the nod.
Confirming that he will contest the next presidential primary of the NPP, Mr Agyarko said there are no questions about his interest.
In a radio interview with Accra based Citi FM on the sidelines of the Greater Accra Regional conference of the NPP last week in Accra, Mr Agyarko said he has the experience to “Break the 8” year rotation of governance between the NPP and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Mr Agyarko was among the 17 contestants who wanted to lead the NPP in 2007 for Election 2008 but were beaten overwhelmingly by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
His presidential ambitions are still alive. Already Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kyerematen, former Minister of Railways, Mr Joe Ghartey and Minister of Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto are the ones whose names have come up as interested flagbearers.
Asked about the difference between 2007 and now in the Citi FM interview monitored by Graphic Online, Mr Agyarko said “it is a different race [now].”
“2008 I was relatively new. 2008 it was a smaller electoral college of less than 5000 people. Now it is an electoral college of 205,000, so it is a different ball game all together. It is not just experience…, it is about the fact that the party people will get to know you better so that, you’ve served this party for a long time and you’ve been loyal to this party and they have a better basis of evaluating you,” he said.
He disagreed with a suggestion that his removal as Minister of Energy will have an effect on his contest.
“Who said that when you serve in government, you have a fixed tenure? You don’t. You serve at the pleasure of the president, so to think that you didn’t serve your full term, it is only the president and his Vice, who have a term. You can be a minister for two weeks and the president will decide to dispense of your service. So there is no fixed tenure.”
“At the end of the day, I will make my case to the electorate and it is up to them to decide my fate. I’m not going to dribble and dabble in what is in the past. For me it is totally unnecessary, it is the delegates who will make up their minds on my competence and the desirability to have me as their president.”
A total of 60,000 female students in Senior High Schools in three regions in the country are benefiting from Girls-in-ICT programme.
The programme, initiated by the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Huawei Technologies, Ghana, focuses on cyber security and will benefit female students in the Ashanti, Eastern and Central regions.
It is aimed at providing ICT education to girls in the second cycle institutions as well as equip them with basic cyber security fundamentals to help them stay safe in the cyber space.
The beneficiary schools in Ashanti Region include Wesley Girls Senior High School (SHS), Yaa Asantewaa Senior High School, St Louis, Serwaa Nyarko, Kumasi Girls, the Adventist Girls SHS, St Mary’s Girls, Afua Kobi Ampem Girls, St Monica’s, TI Ahmadiya and Prince of Peace.
In the Eastern Region, Methodist Girls, Aburi Girls, Krobo Girls, Diaspora Girls, St Roses , Islamic Girls and St Mary’s Vocational and Technical Institute are the beneficiary schools.
Holy Child, Wesley Girls and Mfantsiman Girls in the Central Region will also benefit from the programme.
Topics being treated include the Child Online Protection Provisions in the New Cyber Security Act 2020 and the SMART Acronym which explains how to stay safe online.
The girls are also being trained on risk associated with the use of internet which include fake news; cyber bullying, sextortion, cyber stalking, among others.
On the Cyber Security Point of Contact, the girls would be sensitised to the need to report all cyber-related issues confronting them to the National Cyber Security Authority on short code 292 for prompt response and necessary assistance.
According to the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the initiative was part of efforts to continue empowering the youth with the digital skills they urgently needed to thrive in the new technological era.
She expressed the hope that much enthusiasm would be generated among girls to enhance ICT education in the country.
The Girls-in-ICT is an initiative of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), aimed at introducing young girls to basic ICT skills.
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