Mrs Akosua Frema Osei Opare (2nd right), Chief of Staff, observing a demonstration of the capacity of the tricycle ambulance. Picture: Samuel Tei Adano

The Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Mrs Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, yesterday received two Rural Motor King tricycle ambulances from LK International Company Ghana Limited as proof of the company’s production capacity.

The donation was the company’s symbolic appreciation of government’s support in enrolling it under the flagship One, district, One, factory (1D1F) programme.

Fabricated in Ghana, the tricycle ambulance is fitted with first aid box, collapsible stretcher, seats, lights, sirens and has double back tyres for stability.

The machines are to be transferred to rural communities, particularly difficult-to-access areas with such a need.

Receiving the ambulances, Mrs Osei-Opare said the government was working to ensure that no Ghanaian, irrespective of their socio-economic status and location, was left out in health and education.

She explained that it was for that reason that it instituted the Free SHS and One, ambulance, One, constituency programmes, while providing extra fleet for the Ghana Ambulance Service as back-up.

Agenda 111

Mrs Osei-Opare announced that all was set for President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to break the ground for work to commence on the construction of 111 hospitals, code-named Agenda 111, across the country to make healthcare delivery available to all Ghanaians.

“We also recognise that one ambulance would not be enough [for a constituency] so this facility will also help to mop up the areas that are inaccessible. It can also be an intermediary for the ambulances,” Mrs Osei-Opare noted.

She said it was a good innovation from one of the 1D1F facilities that was creating jobs for the people in their localities and decreasing the rate at which people would move to the cities in search of jobs.

Mrs Osei-Opare said the vehicle would help to bring healthcare delivery closer to the vulnerable, especially pregnant women in labour who were sometimes transported in uncomfortable means.

She urged local assemblies, organisations and individuals to purchase and deploy such tricycles to particularly deprived areas to augment efforts to improve healthcare delivery.

A Manager of LK International Ghana Limited, Ms Margaret Amaki Boni, said the donation was made to the 1D1F Secretariat under the Presidency for their support to the company, and noted that it was also to support government’s efforts at delivering quality health care to the public.

She said the ambulance was of exceptional difference and an innovative solution which was convenient and faster in saving lives in rural areas, especially in areas that were not easily accessible by the regular ambulance.

She said the machine, designed in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service and the Ghana Ambulance Service, could be used as a mobile pharmacy and clinic

•Pratt has wondered why the country is still struggling to raise funds when Bawumia is in charge

•He reckons Ghana’s failure to widen its tax net is a major problem

•He says government has adopted a lazy approach to addressing the problem

Veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr identified that Ghana’s progress is being crippled by its inability to find innovative ways of raising funds.

Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana, he said that the country reliance on taxes and interventions from other countries and institutions is holding it back from progress.

Even with the tax system, Pratt asserts that the failure of successive government’s to expand the tax net has led to the unavailability of funds for developmental projects.null

He says that the country has adopted a ‘lazy’ approach in dealing with the revenue generations issues and that is a huge problem.

Kwesi Pratt proffered that the country is ‘broke’ and requires urgent moves to address its problems.

“We have a situation where 91% of total national revenue and grant is expended on debt servicing and public sector emolument. You are broke. This country is broken to the core and that is the reality. My worry is that it is clear that what we’ve adopted is a lazy man’s option to filling that huge hole in national revenue.

“We’ve adopted a very lazy man’s option. So we do know that we move huge volumes of petrol, so slap taxes on petrol and then we slap all kinds of taxes on petrol. More than 12 taxes which then tends to make petroleum products so expensive. We say slap taxes on hotels and we slap 20 taxes on hotels,” he said.

Kwesi Pratt laughed off suggestions that by merging the National Identification card and Tax Identification Numbers, the tax will automatically be widened.null

He mocked the government and charged Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia to steer the country out of this challenge.

“The last time I heard we were being told that the tax net was going to be widened by the use of NIA numbers as TIN numbers and I laughed. If you convert all NIA numbers into TIN, it does not solve the problem of widening the tax base. It does not in any way expand the tax base.

“We’ve always known that we are a country with a 30 million population and that by itself does not solve the problem of a small tax net that needs to be expanded. All those things are propaganda that takes us nowhere. Our reality today is that we cannot depend on taxes alone to finance our development. I’m not saying something that is new, this was the song sang by Bawumia some eight years ago.

“That we should get to production as a way of generating resources for national development. I’m not the first person to say this, Dr Bawumia has said it many times over. Now he has been given the chance as vice president and five years we are still sermonizing,” Kwesi Pratt Jnr stressed.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

The Minister of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Mr Dan Botwe, has stated that a decentralised system of local government based on the Constitution remains the vision and quest of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

He said he had demonstrated his commitment to the “unfinished business” of decentralisation through the reorganisation of the ministry to meet his agenda, and that the ministry would work
“closely” with the Regional Coordinating Councils to “ensure the President’s vision is achieved.”

The minister said this when he met the leadership of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council and the Ho Municipal Assembly while on a working visit to the Volta Region, and shared with them the ministry’s plan to sink decentralisation to the deepest roots.

He said local governance would become more effective with deeper stakeholder participation if the assemblies led the efforts at sensitising the public and empowering them to undertake advocacy for development.

“Central Government would together ensure that we all follow the laws and make sure the assemblies get the people sensitised. Stakeholder participation is necessary and the President’s representatives in the local assemblies must deepen stakeholder engagement”, he said.

“Assemblies must create awareness on local level decentralisation and grassroots participation. It is important that as we lead the people we also educate them to understand the sets of relations that exist between us”, he added.

“We should seek their understanding and support to further our drive for development,” Mr Botwe said.

The minister noted that the Local Government Act provided for the public key stakeholder roles, and, therefore, encouraged all acquainted with its provisions to pursue active participation in the local governance process.

“It is important that all of us address ourselves to the functions that are under the Act. Government intends to make sure we all go by the Act,” he said.

Local governance

Mr Botwe added that the government was keen on transforming the local governance structure, and had, therefore, opened a portal to provide the public with information as outlined in the passage of the Right to Information law.

“We give meaning to decentralisation when we do all these,” he stated.

The minister, during the visit, inspected ongoing projects being provided under the Secondary Cities Project from a $100 million grant from the World Bank for 25 top performing municipalities in the country.

Source: 

The Kaneshie District Court has fixed Monday, August 16 to conduct committal proceedings of the two Kasoa ritual boy killers.

The court presided over by Her Worship Rosemond Douduaa Agyiri fixed the date after the accused persons and their lawyers were served with the bill of indictment.

A juvenile offender, Nicolas Kani, and one Felix Nyarko have been held for the death of 10-year-old Ishmael Mensah.

On July 29, the Chief Justice Anin Yeboah ordered the case to be transferred from Kasoa to Accra.

Before the Kaneshie District Court for the first time, the accused persons were present with their lawyers.

When the case was called Nana Adoma Osei, a Senior State Attorney told the court that, they were ready for the committal but she has been informed that the exhibits to be tendered were with Investigator who was on his way to the court.

Though the State Attorney pleaded that case be stood down, the court adjourned the matter to Monday, August 16.

At the Kasoa District Court on July 29, the prosecutor Chief Inspector Ernest Agbo told the court the prosecution has received the bill of indictment and summary of evidence from the Attorney General’s Office for committals to be held.

He however added that he has received an order signed by the Chief Justice requesting for the transfer of the case to Accra.

The court presided over by Her Worship Mr. Oheneba Antwi-Bosiako has since transferred that case to Accra

The Acting Inspector-General of Police (Ag. IGP) Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has today August 12, 2021 launched the “Horse Patrol operations” at the National Joint Operations Headquarters,Accra.

The patrol, which is part of the Ghana Police Service’s method of crime prevention and detection, will provide security in a friendly and interactive manner, with officers on horseback, to augment other patrol duties such as Community Foot Patrol, Motorbike Patrol, Visibility Patrol, and recently deployed Motorcycle Traffic Management and Mobility Teams in Tema and Accra, among others in our communities.

In a brief remark, the Director-General Information Communication Technology (ICT), COP. Mr. Edward Tabiri assured the officers of communication logistical support during their duty tours in order to communicate efficiently for assistance.

Speaking on behalf of the Acting Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General National Patrols Department (NPD), COP Mr.Yaagy Akuribah, advised the Police Officers (Troopers) detailed for such duties to demonstrate professionalism in all aspects of their work for excellent services. He reiterated that the Troopers should assist in building the trust and public confidence within the communities since they are among the first point of call when it comes to security.

Present at the launch were the Director-General Research and Planning, Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr. Paul Awini Manly, the Director-General National Protection Directorate, COP Mr. Patrick Atampugre Akolgo; the Director-General Special Duties, COP Mr. Vincent Redeemer Dedjoe; and the Director-General Operations, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr. Mohammed Fuseini Suraji, and other senior officers.

Kofi Mills and bride

The Son of the late former president, John Evans Atta Mills, Kofi Mills, has tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, Michelle Nash in London.

The marriage ceremony as gathered was held at 12 Flotilla House, 12 Cable Street in London Tuesday afternoon.

It was graced by some close friends and family of the late President’s

Picture Shows a crowd at the Gas Filling Station after the Incident

The Royal Gas Filling Station at Tegbi-Xekpa in the Anloga District of the Volta Region has suffered a robbery attack that left one person dead.

The news of the robbery attracted a large crowd to the scene to see the deceased who was in charge of security at the facility at the time of the robbery.

The deceased, 53-year-old Edem Kpodogah, is the security man of the facility which is reported to belong to Makafui Woanyah, the Volta NPP Chairman.

Reports from the staff of the facility say the incident happened on Monday, August 9, 2021.

The deceased who was initially nowhere to be found was later found behind the gas filling station in a pool of blood with his mouth and arms tied with pieces of cloth. The robbers also took away a safe containing an unquantified amount of money.

The Manager of the gas filling station, Innocent Kwasi Havor speaking to the media said one of the staff who arrived that morning at about 6:10 am a noticed break-in. He said the doors to the facility appeared to have been forced open.

“He quickly searched around for the security man. He could not find him; even in his room. Instead, he saw bloodstains on the floor of the room.

He then went into the room that housed the safe of the company. The safe was gone. The staff then called the manager and informed him of the suspected robbery,” he said.

Mr Havor said he rushed to the facility and realized all their money was gone. He then conducted another search for the security man. This time he found the security guard lying motionless in blood behind the facility.

The Police were alerted and they came to inspect the crime scene. A preliminary assessment showed that the security guard might have been hit in the head.

The Keta Divisional Police Commander, Chief Superintendent Leonard Abakah called for calm and assured that a thorough investigation is being conducted to track down the perpetrators. He said a team from the Regional Police Command will be working with those on the ground to get to the bottom of the case.

A bounty of Ghc30, 000.00 has been placed on the head of the perpetrators. The public was urged to provide prompt information to assist in the investigation.

Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has been deposited at the Keta Municipal Hospital morgue pending an autopsy

President Nana Akufo-Addo says the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has endured a lot of suffering at the Ministry.

President Akufo-Addo made the remarks when he lauded Mr Agyeman-Manu as one of the illustrious sons from the Bono Region who has served well in his administration.

The President was addressing the chiefs and people of Sunyani in the Bono Region as part of his two-day working visit in the area.

The Minister is currently under intense criticism for breaching procurement processes in his quest to secure the Sputnik V vaccines for Ghana.

Though President Akufo-Addo did not emphatically comment on the deal, his statement, which cracked ribs at the durbar, came barely 24 hours after the Minister proceeded on two-week work leave.

The President at the durbar also commended other appointees from the region who have also served in his administration.

“There are a lot of people from the Bono Region in my government; including the Minister of Health, who is currently receiving slaps from Ghanaians. He is an indigene from Dormaa.

“He has really suffered in that Health Ministry and is still suffering,” he said amid laughter.

Source: adomonline

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Tuesday reminded Ghanaians to continue adhering to the COVID-19 protocols, as his government ensures majority of the populace are vaccinated against the virus.

He said at least about 20 million Ghanaians would be vaccinated by the close of the year to prevent the spread of the disease.

President Akufo-Addo gave the advice when he paid a courtesy call on the Berekum Traditional Council as part of his two-day working visit to the Bono Region.

Responding to a request by Daasebre Amankona Diawuo II, the Paramount Chief of Berekum Traditional Area, the President said next week, he would cut the sod for the construction of 101 district hospitals in the country to improve healthcare delivery services.

He explained the government had already allocated funds, while contractors had also been selected for the projects.null

Describing Berekum East and Berekum West as strong NPP territories, President Akufo-Addo rallied the support from the people so that the NPP would retain power in 2024 and continue with good governance.

The President commended the chiefs and people of Berekum for the prevailing peace in the area and asked them to preserve the peace, saying without peace the country could not progress.

Daasebre Diawuo II, indicated Berekum had equally benefited from the national cake under President Akufo-Addo’s government, but added that the Municipality required more development projects.

He appealed to the government to facilitate the establishment of a university in the area and assured that the people of Berekum would continue to support the President to achieve his vision for the nation.

Source: GNA

•The Accra-Tema railway service is expected to resume by the end of August

•The rail-line has had to go through some concrete drain works along a route at Avenor

•The resumption of the shuttle service is expected to reduce travel time and traffic congestion

Railways Development Minister, John Peter Amewu has disclosed the resumption of shuttle services on the Accra-Tema rail line.

The service is expected to resume by the end of August 2021 after the completion of concrete drain across the railway track.https://28c0b0a624cbfa4fb46aa3616292c654.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

Providing an update before Parliament last week, the Railway Minister revealed the top slab on the concrete drain along the route at Avenor had been completed with a curing period beginning.

“After the completion of the construction, the approaches of the culvert will be filled and the tracks will be laid back to allow for test runs and certification by the Ghana Railway Development Authority before the commencement of shuttle services,” Amewu told lawmakers.

The rehabilitated Accra-Tema railway system is expected to reduce travel time significantly.

It is estimated that many passengers will be recorded annually as they use the train service, which will in turn help reduce traffic congestion, accidents and pollution

.Source: www.ghanaweb.com

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has said that despite government’s creation of thousands of jobs through various initiatives in the past four years, creating more opportunities for the youth remains a top priority of the Akufo-Addo government.

Speaking at the launch of University of Ghana Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme (UGIEP) at the University’s campus on Friday, the Vice President said majority of Ghana’s population (about 52%) is made up of the youth, and with a growing number of young people joining the job market in search of jobs every year, government cannot relent in its efforts at creating jobs and enabling environment for more entrepreneurial opportunities for the youth, especially in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Some 250,000 young people enter the job market every year, putting pressure on the limited employment opportunities. Getting this population employed remains our major socio-economic challenge. We need to create new jobs or help provide access to existing job vacancies,” Dr. Bawumia noted.

“The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the realities exposed, show us that creating gainful employment for young people now more than ever is crucial to our development.”

The UGIEP is a non academic programme, under the auspices of the Vice Chancellor’s Office, which seeks to foster entrepreneurship and innovation in the University of Ghana by developing knowledge and capabilities necessary to create and grow products and services that add social and economic value to society.

The Vice President commended University of Ghana for the initiative, adding that the UGIEP should collaborate with government’s employment and youth development agencies to create more opportunities for the youth.

“At the heart of the UGEIP is empowerment, leverage and value creation. These objectives are in line with our government’s strategic focus for the economy and human capital development within this COVID-19 era,” Dr. Bawumia said.

“It is the expectation of government that the UGIEP, being launched today, will work with existing initiatives like the National Youth Authority, Youth Employment Authority, Youth Enterprises Fund, National Entrepreneurship and Innovative Programme, Ghana Enterprises Agency and others, to help our young people create sustainable jobs opportunities.”

“Government’s strategic anchors of Human Capital Development, Entrepreneurship, Skills development, and education will also provide a platform for this and similar programs to be scaled up leveraging on our digitalization agenda.”

Stressing on the importance of digitization in entrepreneurship, Dr. Bawumia said entrepreneurship will not thrive in an environment with difficulties in doing business, hence the government’s
digitization drive to eliminate all bottlenecks in doing business as fast as possible.

“The use of National Identification Card as a unique identifier, the digitization of the processes at the Registrar General Department and the passage of Act 992, give specific focus to business as part of the institutional innovation to grow and support entrepreneurship.”

“Our pledge as a government is to continue to create the right environment to allow the initiatives and companies started through this program to thrive. In so doing I am optimistic that this program will unearth innovations and support and grow companies.”

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Tuesday, 10th August 2021, opened the $16 million Weddi Africa Tomato Processing Factory, a company operating under the 1-District-1-Factory initiative, at Domfete, in the Berekum West District of the Bono Region.

Government, through Ghana Exim Bank and ADB Bank Ghana, facilitated the acquisition of the loan facility to support the establishment and operations of the factory owned by Weddi Africa Limited, a wholly owned Ghanaian company.

According to President Akufo-Addo, the establishment of the factory is an example of the critical role the private sector can play in Ghana’s industrial transformation, adding that the setting up of this manufacturing facility, outside the traditional areas of Accra, Tema and Takoradi, underscores the commitment of Government to decentralize industrial development, and, thereby, stimulate economic activity in the rural areas.

He explained that Domfete was chosen for the siting of the factory because the town happens to be one of the major catchment areas for the cultivation of fresh tomatoes, and will help in reducing rural-urban migration.

The factory will process some 40,000 metric tonnes of fresh tomatoes per annum, and also has a 500 metric ton cold room facility to store fresh tomato fruits. In addition, a model farm and research centre designed to conduct seed trials and train farmers on best farm practices, as well as an agric-input Shop to supply inputs to the farmers at affordable prices, have been established by the company.

This, the company explains, will boost the profitability of the factory and improve income levels for the farmers engaged by the company.

Additionally, a 2,400-acre farmland as nucleus farm has been set up by Weddi Africa, with the company also spearheading the establishment of a Tomato Outgrower Farmers Association in Tano North and Berekum West districts, with 2,000 registered farmers from Ahafo and Bono regions.

These 2,000 farmers are on schedule to receive seeds, fertilizers, other inputs, and technical services from the relevant MDAs. These Government supported mechanisms have been put in place to provide the requisite support services to ensure the profitability and sustainability of the factory.

Thus far, the factory has created some one hundred and fifty-eight (158) direct jobs, with some two thousand, one hundred (2,100) indirect job opportunities also created for the people of Berekum West District and surrounding communities.

Government, President Akufo-Addo assured, is committed to supporting private sector operators like Weddi Africa Limited to position themselves to become globally competitive, and, thereby, take advantage of market integration frameworks, such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), whose Secretariat has been established in Accra.

Indeed, the Ministry of Trade and Industry in collaboration with relevant MDAs, has established an institutional mechanism to provide strategic support and assistance to the local private sector operating at the district level.

This is in reference to the establishment of Business Resource Centers as one-stop enterprise support centers in 67 districts across the country, 37 of which have already commenced operations and 30 are under construction. The 1D1F companies will benefit from the assistance to be provided by these BRCs.

The President commended the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), Food & Drugs Authority (FDA) and various Stakeholders for the support they have provided to the company.

He also commended the Chief Executive Officer of Weddi Africa Limited, Mr. Yaw Boahene, and his Team for establishing such a modern manufacturing facility in Domfete near Berekum in the Bono region, in support of Government’s Industrial Transformation Agenda

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) from Saturday, August 21, 2021, to Friday to August 27, 2021, will hold Constituency Annual Delegates Conferences in all the 275 Constituencies in reference to Article 7(27) of the Party Constitution.

The Party General Secretary John Boadu in a statement has therefore directed that all Party Executives, Members, and for that matter Delegates ensure that the Conferences are held in strict compliance with the following guidelines.

“In order not to spread the Covid -19, the party has directed that all delegates/Attendees to each Constituency Conference should not exceed 250 people.

In other words, the Conferences shall be held in groups of 250 on the average, at the same or different venues within the constituency depending on its peculiarities,” the statement said.

The statement noted that each of the conferences should be held in an open and airy environment, and also in strict adherence to social distancing protocols.

It further urged the members to wear a nose mask, ensuring that all members who storm the venue, washed their hands with soap and use hand sanitiser.

The Party further instructed them to hold the conference for only two hours in line with the President’s recent Covid-19 directives.

The statement concluded that “the Party is assuring its members and the general public that it is taking all the necessary steps to ensure strict adherence to these guidelines in the conduct of the Constituency Conferences across the country”.

Below is the statement 

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey, has directed all security councils in the various assemblies, to embark on routine checks at public places, including schools, lorry stations, markets and in commercial transports, especially trotros, to ensure strict compliance to COVID-19 protocols.

He also called for the mandatory adherence to all COVID-19 safety protocols at all events at all times in the region.

In a statement issued in Accra on Monday, 9 August 2021, Mr Quartey, who doubles as the Chairman of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), said the directive was in compliance with the 26th presidential address on COVID-19 given by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Mr Quartey also tasked all Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to collaborate with their respective police commanders and other security apparatus in ensuring that all activities associated with funerals were held in open-air spaces and not exceed the two-hour duration, as part of efforts to ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols in the region.

He, therefore, assured that the Regional Coordinating Council would continue to play its supervisory role with random spot checks on all public places.

“However, we appeal to our revered traditional, political, religious and opinion leaders to be at the forefront of this drive and campaign in order to curtail this steep increases of COVID-19 cases in the region,” he added

On Tuesday, 10th August 2021, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo commenced a two-day working visit to the Bono Region, with visits to Sunyani, Berekum, Domfete and Wamfie.

Amongst others, he paid a courtesy call on the Sunyani Traditional Council and visited the palace of the Omanhene of the Berekum Traditional Area, Dasebre Dr. Amankona Diawuo III.

Nana Akufo-Addo also opened the $16 million WEDDI Africa Tomato factory in Domfete in the Berekum West constituency; paid a courtesy call on the Omanhene of Wamfie; and inspected ongoing work on the construction of the 36km Wamfie-Adiembra road

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has resigned after an inquiry found he sexually harassed multiple women and prompted efforts to remove him.

“The best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing,” the 63-year-old Democrat said on Tuesday.

His resignation goes into effect in 14 days. Power will then be transferred to Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul.

He faced rising pressure to resign in recent days, including from Joe Biden.

More Soon

Supreme Court Judge Samuel Marful-Sau has died, Starr News has learnt.

The judge is reported to have passed Tuesday afternoon. He was 64.

His recent high profile case was the 2020 election petition where was sat as a member of the 7-member bench that affirmed President Akufo-Addo’s victory in the polls against former President John Mahama.

He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2018 by President Akufo-Addo.

Marful-Sau was admitted to practice in Ghana as a Barrister-at-Law and Solicitor in 1984 and served briefly as a prosecutor in the office of the Special Public Prosecutor from August 1984 to July 1986.

In 2002, he was appointed a Justice of the High Court and was elevated four years later to the Court of Appeal where he served until he was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2018.

Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM

Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare has granted a 2-week leave to the health minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu to attend to some personal needs, according to Accra-based Citi FM news.

The minister has been in the news with calls for his resignation or he is fired by the president after it emerged that Ghana paid $2.8 million to Sheikh Al Maktoum for the procurement of Sputnik V vaccine despite his earlier claim that the state has not expended any money towards the procurement of the vaccine through the Dubai-based businessman.

A letter dated August 2, 2021, and signed by the Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, and addressed to the businessman requested a refund of the amount paid for undelivered doses of the vaccine, to which he has agreed.

Mr. Kwaku Agyemang Manu in the letter said, “By this letter, I also wish to formally request for the refund of the remaining amount for the non-supplied doses, which should be the total amount paid to your office minus the amount due for the 20,000 doses you already supplied, in line with your earlier e-mail dated 25th July 2021 in which it was affirmed that on the 13th of April 2021, funds were transferred into your accounts as fifty percent (50%) advance for the initial batch of 300,000 doses.”

The letter was in reference to an earlier one dated August 5, 2021, from Sheikh Al Maktoum to the Ministry of Health.

“The Private Officer of His Highness, per the correspondence has honourably agreed to refund an amount of two million four hundred and seventy thousand dollars (US$2,470,000.00) being the balance left on the 50% advance payment of two million eight hundred and fifty thousand United States Dollars (US$2,850,000.00),” portions of the Health Ministry’s letter to the Finance Ministry read

The Ghanaian football fraternity has suffered a devastating blow with a confirmation of the death of one of the top brains in the country’s game, Jones Abu Alhassan in Abidjan.

The top Ghana football official, who is a luminary in the country’s game passed away in Abidjan where he was accompanying Hasaacas Ladies to the Wafu B Champions League qualifiers.

The man, who is credited for bringing the Ghana FA President Kurt Okraku into office two years ago, passed away in Abidjan on Tuesday morning. He was 64.

The Black Stars management committee member fell ill on Friday evening as he prepared to return to Ghana following Hasaacas Ladies’ annexation of the WAFU B Clubs Championship title last week.

He was immediately hospitalised as his condition deteriorated but could not survive after spending just three days in hospital.

Alhassan, who was the long time manager of legendary Ghanaian footballer Abedi Pele, was an astute football administrastor and football agent for several top players in the country.

He served in various capacities of the giants of the north Real Tamale United before branching out to play a major role for Tamale City Football Club

Workers of Ghana Airport Company are demanding the immediate release of their locked up deductions for Staff Welfare, Insurance, Credit union, and SSNIT benefits.

The demand follows a physical assault of a worker by the Managing Director for the company Yaw Kwakwa during a staff meeting over their 13-month arrears.

The said assault which was captured on video in possession of Starr News has heightened the agitations from the workers who have been demanding the removal of Mr. Kwakwa over mismanagement for a while now.

SSNIT has, however, sued the Ghana Airport Company over its failure to pay the contribution of workers.

Speaking to Starr News about the development, the chairman for the local chapter of the Public Services Workers Union, Abdul Isaka Bamba described the physical assault on the worker as unfortunate.

According to Mr. Bamba failure to release the funds has brought untold hardship on staff who are unable to access loans from their credit union

Former member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Stephen Atubiga has questioned the rationale behind members of his former party criticizing Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s for his strategic appointments.

He says when the NDC was in power, they could not take advantage of the opportunities to empower party loyalist who had in the past sacrificed for the party.

He disclosed that if an experienced politician like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is awarding loyalty, the NDC needs to keep quiet and learn from his wisdom.

Atubiga was sad because he was aware of several unoccupied positions during the period NDC occupied power but because of greed and wickedness, those positions were not occupied.

“Those hypocrites who have soon forgotten the number of unoccupied jobs vacancies rotting away till the NDC lost, should be ashamed of themselves criticizing the president for his strategic appointments towards 2024.”

Kwame Sefa Kayi was appointed to the board of the National Petroleum Authority. His appointment has raised a number of questions with a number of persons confirming their suspicions of him being a sympathizer of the NPP.

Read His Writeup Here

Atubiga writes :

Any powerful strong government with a weaker political party can never win election. Especially wanting a second bid. Example is how the NDC incumbent lost 2016 to the npp as opposition.

Same as a weaker government with a very strong formidable and strategically positioned political party will always win power anytime, any day. Example is how npp won election 2016 from incumbent NDC, and how they won 2020 election as incumbent.

The greediness and selfishness leadership of today’s NDC, failed to create jobs to employ the youth and rewarding loyalty when they were in power. They should rather be learning and complimenting our able President Nana Addo for showing them how loyalists and hardworking supposed to be rewarded.

Those hypocrites who have soon forgotten the number of unoccupied jobs vacancies rotting away till the NDC lost, should be ashamed of themselves criticizing the president for his strategic appointments towards 2024.

What is wrong with individuals working at private institutions getting an appointment?

Ask incomeir national executives, members, and former appointees are board members today of the NPP-affiliated businesses?

Not talking of those holding shares in their companies and deals to guarantee them protection in case of power overturns.

Most of you NDC-affiliated jobless professionals hoping for the same opportunities under NDC should be applauding him for rewarding loyalty. Especially those in the media being hypocritical hoping to also be rewarded under NDC when power overturns in their favor

I can only agree to we calling on them to be professional on the jobs, and putting the interest of the nation first when delivering their national duties.

We should all remember, the winners takes it all will always kick others out of a job.

NPP inn NDC out or NDC inn, NPP out.

Or NLC inn, NPP/ NDC out after victory.

Love you all.

Note

—————————————-

The Constitution gives the president the powers to appoint anybody, anyone he deems fit in helping him.

Source: mynewsgh.com

• Muntaka is of the view that the health minister is mocking Ghanaians

• He said, as the chairman for PAC, he surcharged public officials who do not follow procurement processes

• He said the health minister lied when he told the committee that he had no idea of the 50% negotiated money paid

Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, Minority Chief Whip, says the health minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu is mocking Ghanaians over his actions which saw the country paying 50 per cent of some ‘overpriced’ Sputnik V vaccine.

Muntaka explained on Joy FM, “Are they not making a mockery of all of us? I mean, with the greatest of respect, even the common trader in Makola or Kejetia market will tell you that when they want to buy things abroad, they would rather raise letters of credit so that when the person pays, the person is assured that his or her money is held, so that upon delivery, pays the money.

Now we have a government system that goes ahead to pay money when they’ve not received the product and now they are telling the private individual to return the money. This strengthens our belief that the health minister is deliberately acting.”

He indicated that Kwaku Agyeman-Manu as the Chairman for Public Accounts Committee surcharged public agency heads and individuals from government institutions “for failing to adhere to procurement practices” so, he as the health minister “knew everything he was doing. He is exactly knowledgeable about everything he was doing.”null

Muntaka Mohammed further stated: “The Minister of Health is a very Senior Member of Parliament, he has been Deputy Minister, he is a Chartered Accountant, He has Chaired our Public Accounts Committee and later he became the Chair for four years… they’ve surcharged public agency heads and individuals… to refund money in some instances recommended for them to be prosecuted.

The 20,000 Sputnik V vaccines, when was it received? Where was it stored? Where was it administered? Where is it as we even speak? We didn’t find answers to that” so, he [health minister] claiming that he had no idea that the money has been paid is “an absolute lie”.

“If they are claiming that so far as his knowledge was concerned, he was not aware it was paid, then that opens us more for further investigations on who authorized the Ministry of Finance to make the payment, why didn’t the Ministry of Finance follow through to ensure the documentations were right? Why did the Bank of Ghana move ahead to transfer the money,” he asked.

A letter has emerged following the revelation by the nine-member parliamentary ad hoc committee that some 50 per cent of the negotiated amount has been by the Ministry of Health to Sheikh Al Maktoum. The letter is requesting a refund of the money paid for the non-supplied doses of the Sputnik V vaccines.

In the letter, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu wrote, “by this letter, I also wish to formally request for the refund of the remaining amount for the non-supplied doses, which should be the total amount paid to your office, minus the amount due for the 20,000 doses you already supplied, in line with your earlier e-mail dated 25th July, 2021, in which it was affirmed that on the 13th April, 2021, funds were transferred into your accounts as fifty per cent (50%) advance for the initial batch of 300,000 doses.”

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

• Several Ghanaians hit the streets of Accra on August 4 to demonstrate

• They held placards to relay their grievances

• But Sam Pyne has accused the NDC of being behind the writings on the placards

Ashanti Regional Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sam Pyne, has alleged that the placards displayed by #FixTheCountry demonstrators on August 4 were written by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

He indicated in an interview that he has evidence to buttress his claim.

“I have evidence that the NDC wrote the placards,” he said on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’ on Monday, August 9, 2021.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: “Where are the 88 hospitals Nana Addo?. I may not return home alive from this demo and if I don’t, Mama, remember I died fighting for the betterment of the next generation.”

“We are suffering, we need jobs. Young people cannot pay rent, Fix the country. Reduce fuel and gas prices”, other placards read.

Over hundreds of Ghanaians joined the protest to register their displeasure with some occurrences in the country which the government has been silent about.

They were also demanding accountability, good governance, and better living conditions from the government.

Sam Pyne who was reacting to the protest said the group will soon transform into a political party.

“I can assure you that after this round, they will form a political party; mark it!!! If you claim both the NDC and the NPP are not options which political party is?” he queried.



https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/UCqwNWsc-eqk5XVg5.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

•Sheikh Maktoum has agreed to refund US$2.4 million to Ghana

•This comes after the health minister made a request for the refund

•There have been growing calls for Kwaku Agyeman-Manu to resign from his position as health minister

A Dubai based businessman, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum, who has been at the centre of the botched controversial Sputnik V vaccine deal has agreed to refund an amount of US$2,470,000 of the US$2.8 million paid to him as he only supplied 20,000 doses to Ghana from an expected 300,000 before the contract was terminated.

The development comes after the health minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, in a letter made a request for a refund of the money.

In a letter sighted by GhanaWeb, Sheikh Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum asked the Health Ministry to provide account details necessary to undertake the refund.null

“We acknowledge receipt of your letter, Ref No. MOIVOM/LL1/7/2I, dated 2nd of August 2021, with a formal request to refund the remaining amount of the non-supplied doses from the 50% advance transferred to our accounts.”

“We, hereby, request to kindly acknowledge and confirm the above-mentioned amounts to be refunded, further to which we shall initiate the refund process to your bank account. Please share with us the bank details where the refund needs to be processed,” the letter read in part.

See Sheikh Al Maktoum’s letter below:

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Vice President Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has subtly replied the #FixTheCountry campaigners by stating that “many things” have been fixed in the country.

“And we are fixing more,” he insisted.

The Vice President made these remarks over the weekend when he addressed leadership and members of the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON), the student wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), at the University of Cape Coast in the Central Region.

He noted that the first term of the Akufo-Addo-led government saw to “competent” work done, leading to the victory in the elections of December 7, 2020.

“We have begun our second term which is a build-up on what we did in the first term,” he noted.

“As our 2020 manifesto indicated, this term will see to the consolidation of the many laudable initiatives we undertook in the first term, many of which have led to solutions that have never been seen since independence.”null

On that score, he insinuated that many of the ills the government inherited are being fixed by the policies and programmes of the current administration.

“We have implemented some bold policy initiatives and fixed quite a number of things that needed fixing. In fact, we have fixed many things in the country and we are fixing more.”

He cited policies and programmes such as the Free SHS, banking sector clean-up, restoration of teacher and nurse trainees allowances, ambulances for each constituency, digitalization agenda, One District One Factory, jobs and end to dumsor as being fixed, if not fixed, by the government.

“Ladies and gentlemen, as indicated earlier, many of these challenges we have fixed had not been addressed since independence,” he stated.

“Yes, there are a lot more to fix but we are proud of what we have been able to achieve in the first term and we will build on them.”null

This comes days after a youthful group of patriotic Ghanaians took to the streets to demand improvement in the living conditions of Ghanaians.

Dubbed #FixTheCountry, the street protest, which began at the Obra Spot near the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange and ended at the Black Star Square on Wednesday, August 4, saw hundreds collectively demanding a new constitution.

Similar protests at the regional level are planned to be held in the next few days.

Source: 3news.com

The Paramount Chief of the Prang Traditional Area in the Pru West District of the Bono East Region, Nana Kwadwo Nyarko III, has expressed his gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for establishing a starch processing factory in his district under the “One District, One Factory” initiative.

In his speech, following the President’s visit to his palace, on Sunday, 8th August 2021, at the commencement of his 2-day working visit to the Bono East Region, Nana Kwadwo Nyarko III expressed his profound joy and appreciation to the President for the establishment of the factory.

According to the Chief, “Pru West District is a proud host of a gigantic starch processing factory that we are confident that very soon you will be back with us again to commission. Personally, I feel proud and privileged to see such a project in my lifetime.”

Nana Kwadwo Nyarko III continued, “Since ascending the throne, as the Paramount Chief of Prang, it has been my desire to attract industries and companies to my area, which would become my legacy by posterity. Lo and behold, Mr. President, now I can say that this long-burning desire and dream has become a reality in my lifetime. The youth will be employed and hopefully, vices will reduce.”https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-4549410436183225&output=html&h=250&slotname=4705176708&adk=1921530005&adf=2366005940&pi=t.ma~as.4705176708&w=300&lmt=1628535511&psa=0&format=300×250&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmobile.classfmonline.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2F1D1F-starch-factory-a-dream-come-true-for-me-Prang-chief-hails-Akufo-Addo-26348&flash=0&wgl=1&dt=1628535511122&bpp=4&bdt=1273&idt=858&shv=r20210803&mjsv=m202108060101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&prev_fmts=0x0%2C300x250&nras=1&correlator=3222336667879&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=553946908.1628535512&ga_sid=1628535512&ga_hid=309694517&ga_fc=0&u_tz=0&u_his=1&u_java=0&u_h=892&u_w=412&u_ah=892&u_aw=412&u_cd=24&u_nplug=0&u_nmime=0&adx=56&ady=1696&biw=412&bih=797&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=42530672%2C20211866%2C31060032%2C31060475%2C31062165&oid=3&pvsid=1718231793030826&pem=241&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F&eae=0&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C412%2C0%2C412%2C797%2C412%2C797&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7CEebr%7C&abl=CS&pfx=0&fu=0&bc=31&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=Uspo19ZHCJ&p=https%3A//mobile.classfmonline.com&dtd=889

The Paramount Chief also thanked the President for solving their perennial water shortages that have plagued the Traditional Area.

“Mr. President, as part of improving the perennial water shortage that was a nightmare in Prang, you have successfully constructed the Prang Small Town Pipe Water System Project. The people of Prang now have running water in their homes, all year round” he said.

He also indicated that several mechanized boreholes and hand pumps have also been constructed across the district, supplying potable water to the people in Pru West.

The chief was also full of praises for President Akufo-Addo for ensuring that, under his government, “Pru West District has witnessed historic developments across the district. These include all the governmental flagship programmes; first under your able leadership, Pru West constituency was made a district on 15th March 2018. This was after several years of failed attempts. It was a dream come true for us” he stressed.

Touching on agriculture, the Paramount Chief noted that the Pru West District has received two farm tractors and other farm implements, and has started an Agriculture Mechanization Centre, which is helping farmers plough their fields at subsidised rates.

“Mr. President, with the free SHS education program, Planting for Food and Jobs and Planting for Exports and Rural Development, my people who are mostly farmers are grateful to you”, he added.

Thanking President Akufo-Addo for the citing of an office of a state institution in the district, the Prang Chief stated that “we are grateful, once more, that you were generous to make Pru West District the host of an ultra-modern regional office of the Department of Feeder Roads. The construction of the two-story office complex is fully completed and we understand that you are here today to commission it. We say thank you, and God bless you.”

On the fight against COVID-19, he congratulated the President on the “remarkable leadership” shown in the battle to defeat the disease.

“It is without doubt your industrious leadership efforts and abilities have earned you the Chairmanship of ECOWAS, and, I must say through your dedication and commitment to duty, we shall defeat the pandemic. This too shall pass”, he stressed.

With the pandemic having ravaged even the most resourced countries, Omanhene Kwadwo Nyarko III said, “we are certainly very fortunate that Ghana has you as our President and leader in these very trying times.”

Acknowledging the inclusion of the Pru West district as a beneficiary of the “Agenda 111”, in which a district hospital will be constructed for the area, he indicated that, “a team of consultants from Accra have already visited the site to undertake an assessment of the land provided for the construction of the district hospital. I know we soon be commissioning the district hospital and will no longer have to travel to Atebubu or Mampong to access healthcare

The Minister for Energy, Hon. Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh has officially confirmed his attendance at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 2021 in Houston, Texas, the USA from 16th to 19th August 2021.

OTC ranks among the largest 100 tradeshows held annually in the United States and is among the 10 largest meetings in terms of attendance. 

Ghana has significant investment opportunities arising out of its oil and gas sector and these opportunities position the country to be a leading player on the African energy market, with significant implications for her industrialisation, jobs, technology and skills transfer and ultimately her economic agenda.

The areas that will be highlighted during the conference include;

Acreages for exploration: Ghana has four (4) sedimentary basins namely:  Voltaian Basin, Central Basin, Eastern Basin, Western Basin. All of the country’s current production comes from the Western Basin. This presents an opportunity for investors to invest in the other (3) basins. GNPC has conducted seismic surveys over the Voltaian basin, and these will provide potential investors with adequate data to make favourable investment decisions concerning Ghana. Plans are also underway to acquire data on the other two under-explored basins to ensure data availability for similar reasons.

Farm in opportunities: Farm-ins present an opportunity for prospective investors to operate in Ghana through an existing Petroleum Agreement without having to go through the application process. There are opportunities in the following Petroleum Agreements: West Cape Three Points Block-2, Central Tano Block, East Keta Block, Deepwater Cape Three Points West Offshore Block, Expanded Shallow Water Block Offshore and Offshore South West Tano Block.

Gas Market: The natural gas sector is relatively new in Ghana, however, the sector has experienced some significant infrastructure development e.g the Western Corridor Gas Infrastructure Development Project. The Gas Processing Plant (GPP) at Atuabo has an installed capacity of 150 mmscfd. However, given the potential for increased associated gas production from the offshore fields, plans are underway to upgrade the GPP’s Capacity to 300 mmscfd as part of the Phase 2 of the WCGIDP. There is also the opportunity for private sector entities to partner Ghana Gas to construct pipelines that will transport natural gas to various demand centres across the country.

Petroleum Hub: Ghana aspires to become a hub for refined petroleum products in the West African sub-region and beyond by the year 2030. Government will provide land and basic infrastructure such as roads, water, electricity etc. but will require private sector participation to provide the facilities within the hub. Investments are therefore required in the following areas:

·      Crude oil refining (3 refineries to be established. Each with a capacity of 300,000 bpsd)
·      Storage of petroleum products (tank farm to be constructed for storage of crude and refined products)
·      Bulk distribution infrastructure throughout the country (2 or more Jetties with multiple berths to be constructed)
·      Establishment of a petrochemical industry (five petrochemical plants to be constructed)
 
Ghana’s delegation includes senior officials from the Ministry and various sector agencies as well as the oil giants, Tullow and Kosmos.

Among others, the Ghanaian delegation shall be joined by Ghana’s Ambassador to the US, H.E. Hajia Alima Mahama. Meetings with high-ranking personalities from companies in the oil and gas sector in Texas are also on the agenda.

The OTC also provides for an exhibition by various countries and institutions and Ghana is not left out, with key exhibitors including the Ministry, GNPC, Petroleum Commission, and the Ghana Gas Company Ltd, among others, all with a view to attracting investments into the country in the sector.

One of the events among several to take place during the conference is the West Africa Oil & Gas Forum. West Africa’s offshore deep and ultra-deep space has continued to attract oil explorers and producers in increasing their operations, especially in Southern and Western Africa, where major projects have either stated or have been unveiled, awaiting resource appraisal and development.

The growth of West Africa’s offshore exploration and production activities have been mainly driven by efforts of governments in their region, to provide key incentives and supporting policies to unlock the investment opportunity, as well as a growing number of international oil and gas companies interested in exploring alternative fields to replacing the maturing offshore producing sites in countries such as Nigeria and Ghana. Nigeria is the leading gas producer in West Africa and has 99% of the region’s total proved resources.

The West Africa Oil & Gas Forum will address some of the issues emanating from the oil and gas industry in the sub-region. Dr. Prempeh will deliver the keynote speech.

Ghana’s participation in the OTC will afford international financiers and potential investors the opportunity to engage the country’s energy sector leaders on the energy investment opportunities available, together with the supporting infrastructure such as legal and fiscal regimes, telecommunications and Technology

Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has reiterated the determination of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to break the eight-year electoral jinx in the 2024 polls to sustain socio-economic gains.

That would be hinged on the Party’s commitment to accelerate socio-economic and infrastructural development across the country and the various social intervention programmes which were transforming the lives of all Ghanaians under the stewardship of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

He said President Akufo-Addo was determined to hand over power to NPP, hence his unwavering commitment to work tirelessly at all times to make sure the party succeeded in governance.

Dr Bawumia was addressing the Central Regional Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) conference at the University of Cape Coast.

The conference which was on the theme: “Breaking the eight, the role of TESCON”, assembled scores of TESCON members, Members of Parliament (MPs) and party stalwarts including; Mr John Boadu, National Secretary, Mrs Marigold Assan, Central Regional Minister among others.

Dr Bawumia, said the NPP was determined to build upon the solid foundation it had laid and as well, complete all innovative initiatives in fulfilment of its 2010 manifesto pledge.

The foundation includes; some bold social interventions such as free Senior High School, free utilities, banking sector clean up, NABCO, one constituency, one ambulance, public sector employment, digitalization among others.

He said even though development achievements provided great assurances for the NPP, the party was not going to be complacent but would continue to work hard to win the 2024 election.

The NPP was committed to building a prosperous country with a resilient economy, free and fair trade, efficient public sector to support the growth of the private sector to create jobs.

“Ghanaians will continue to give the mandate to NPP to continue governance beyond 2024. We will deliver and we will break the eight-year electoral tenure in Ghana with our strong foundation.

“The NPP will not disappoint Ghana,” Vice President Bawumia assured, as he called on the youth of the Party to rededicate themselves in that pursuit saying “let’s see ourselves as collaborators and agents of break the eight.”

Mrs Marigold Assan, the Central Regional Minister called for support of the youth of the Party to sustain its electoral feat in the 2024 polls

Source: GNA

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has rejected the recent upward adjustment of salaries for public sector workers pegged at four and seven per cent for 2021 and 2022 respectively.

“That is not what we expected. The ongoing discussions on various social media platforms indicate clearly that workers are understandably unhappy with the outcome of the negotiations,” National President of GNAT, Philippa Larsen, said.

She was speaking on Thursday during the opening session of the sixth Quadrennial Eastern Regional delegates’ conference of GNAT, themed: GNAT@90 surviving as a reliable and vibrant teacher union in the 21st century – teaching the journey, explicating the essence and examining the prospects.

Ms Larsen said, “We are not happy either. We had to settle on the relatively low rates of increments reluctantly after intense negotiations spanning many weeks.”

She also said the association’s leadership were so sad and that explains why they could not muster courage to inform members about the outcome of the negotiations with the tripartite committee.

“I am sad, all leaders are so sad and that is why we didn’t have the courage to disclose the initial outcome of the negotiations to you,” she said.

She noted that the current system of remuneration in the country’s public sector was not fair and that it only favoured some categories of office holders, saying, “And we are not going to agree. We will not agree to that”.

She called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to intervene swiftly, otherwise there would be no industrial harmony in the coming days, insisting, “Otherwise there will be no peace and the country will become ungovernable”.

“For industrial harmony in the country, the four and seven per cent, we are never happy,” she added.

She urged the president to initiate a process towards the establishment of a commission made up of experts from various fields to advise government on salaries for all jobholders in the public service to guarantee fairness.

“After all we all go to the same market and there should be fairness in the salaries of all public sector workers,” she stressed.

Ms Larsen also urged the Ghana Education Service (GES) to continue to work on all outstanding issues of teachers such as promotions for industrial peace and harmony.
“We have a lot of unresolved issues and we called on the GES to factor in concerns of teachers, otherwise we will not agree and before the close of the week, they are going to hear from us,” she added.

Eastern Regional Minister, Seth Acheampong, also told the delegates that prioritising the welfare of teachers remained a key objective of the government. “Without teachers, government education policy implementation is practically impossible”.

He said Government was ready to implement a robust education policy and entreated all stakeholders to support it.

He also promised to convey concerns of the teachers to the President, saying, “I will certainly make sure all your sentiments expressed will be carried to the Education Minister and the President”.

John Appoh Selby, Eastern Regional Chairman of GNAT, called for the need for teachers to be adequately remunerated, cautioning that, “a frustrated and ill-motivated teacher is a virus in the knowledge dissemination chain”.

He said the title “teacher” brought with it huge responsibilities that did not appear in most job descriptions.

“The teacher is charged with that exclusive function of sculpting young minds and preparing young people for positive, active and productive participation within the community.”

GNAT is considered as the largest teachers union with more than 230,000 members countrywide.

GNA

• Akufo-Addo took freedom of speech to its pinnacle in Ghana

• Talk of a return of culture of silence under his administration are unfounded

• These are the view of former NPP National Chairman, Peter Mac Manu

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s credentials relative to promoting freedom of speech has been celebrated by the New Patriotic Party’s former national chairman, Peter Mac Manu.

According to the NPP’s director of elections during the 2020 elections, talk of the Akufo-Addo government superintending over a perceived return of the culture of silence was untenable.

GhanaWeb monitored comments Mac Manu made on the August 8, 2021 edition of Joy News’ ‘The Probe’ programme answering an array of questions around the party’s 29th anniversary.

“I cannot understand how a party in government led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the man who brought freedom of speech to its peak in this country, will turn his back against the same thing he has fought for.

“Early this year, in Africa, in terms of freedom of speech, Ghana placed third, so why are people saying all manner of things?” he quizzed.

He touted the NPP’s role in breaking the culture of silence in Ghana through its first flagbearer, the late Professor Albert Adu Boahene.

The subject of culture of silence gained traction months back when Sir Sam Jonah in a public lecture alleged that there seemed to be a creeping culture of people and insititutions being overtly and covertly gagged from expressing dissenting views.

Government roundly rejected Jonah’s position touting strides made in engendering public discourse and critique of the administration.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

There was a near exchange of physical blows between controversial musical satirist, Kwame A Plus and a journalist cum radio presenter, Halifax Ansah Addo, at the studios of UTV during last Saturday night episode of United Showbiz hosted by Abeiku Santana for Nana Ama Mcbrown.

The whole scene was created when Halifax asked A-Plus a critic of the government why he didn’t join the #Fixthecountry demo since he (A-Plus) once stated he was not interested in the demo describing it as ‘jogging exercise’.

This got A-Plus infuriated, throwing insults at Halifax which he equally responded in kind.

However, Abeiku Santana who was in charge of the show virtually lost control leading to the two guests clashing that nearly ended in trading of physical blows.

A-Plus even got up at a point to pounce on Halifax, after using harsh words and insults on live TV.

Even the ‘F word’ was used by A-Plus at a point but he was made to apologize in the end.Video Player00:0006:55

The police has arrested two suspects in connection with the murder of Lance Corporal Sarah Adjei, a policewoman at Nkawkaw in a hotel room.

They are Timothy Dampare, a lotto agent who also happens to be the boyfriend of the late policewoman and the manager of the hotel in which the cop was found dead, one Richard Nimo.

A statement issued by the police said they are on a manhunt for a third suspect, an unknown male, who answered the mobile phone of the deceased policewoman and said the late officer owed him GHS28,000 and for that, he had to seize her car, a Hyundai Elantra.

Among other things found in the late policewoman’s purse was a handwritten note to Timothy Dampare, which read: “Dear Mr Timothy Dampare, I told you that I owed people money, and you decided to help me, and you have been with me in my house for one week now, and you have refused to help me, so if anything happens you cause it, Mr Timothy Dampare. Thank you [phone number]”.

Her body was found with swollen cheeks and blood in her nostrils on Saturday, 7 August 2021.

She served with the Stores unit of the Nkawkaw Divisional Headquarters.

An earlier police report said they received a call from Mr Richard Nimo, the manager of Misiho Hotel at Akwasiho near Nkawkaw that the late policewoman, believed to be in her mid-twenties, booked the hotel at about mid-day on Saturday but was found dead around 7 pm as he checked up on her.

Apart from the handwritten note found in her purse, a mirror, blue pen, padlock key and a cash sum of GHS11.60 were retrieved.

There were also eight envelopes, all addressed to Mr Dampare, including the one with the handwritten note.

The body has been deposited at the Holy Family Hospital at Nkawkaw for preservation and autopsy as the police investigates the matter.

Source: classfmonline.com

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Saturday, 7th August 2021, commissioned the GH¢7.3 million Savelugu rice processing factory, as part of his 2-day tour of the Northern Region.

The rice factory is a state-of-the-art rice facility, with the capacity to produce between 1.5 and 2.8 tonnes of processed rice per hour. The processing plants installed at the factory include modern parboiling, milling and packaging plants.

It has a standby generator plant and a mechanised borehole to supply the facility with water. It also has a fully furnished office accommodation for staff, a conference room, laboratory and a canteen/kitchen.

The Savelugu Rice Factory was constructed under the 1-District-1-Factory Common User Facility (CUF), which is an agro-industrial factory established by the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP) under the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

The factory, President Akufo-Addo was told, will employ some employ about 118 people including management professionals, factory floor workers and plantation workers who will work on a nucleus rice farm.

In addition, over 600 farmers from Savelugu Municipality and neighbouring communities will be directly engaged to supply paddy rice for processing.

With funding from the African Development Bank, the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP) has established five (5) of these CUFs nationwide.

The 1D1F CUF factories are located in Savelugu (rice processing; Nkran Nkwanta in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region (rice processing); Akontombra in the Sefwi Akontombra District of the Western North Region (rice processing); Dompim in the Tarkwa Nsueam Municipality of the Western Region (Oil Palm processing); and in Nsuta in the Sekyere Central District of the Ashanti Region (Maize processing).

Savelugu Technology Solution Centre
President Akufo-Addo also commissioned the GH¢6.04 million Savelugu Technology Solution Centre (TSC), which is one of 5 new facilities being established by the Rural Enterprises Programme (REP). The other four are located at Kumawu, in the Ashanti Region, Hohoe in the Volta Region, Elmina in the Central Region and Dormaa Ahenkro in the Bono Region.

The five new TSCs are an upgraded version of and an addition to the original 26 Rural Technology Facilities (RTFs) established by REP, across the country in collaboration with GRATIS and the host District Assemblies.

The TSCs are set up to support the Government’s Industrialization Agenda particularly the 1D1F initiative.

The key functions include production of spare parts and repair services for district factories and the oil & gas industry, manufacturing of agro-processing equipment, provide training for human resource capacity building. To enhance the increased number of trainees, hostels facilities have been provided for both males and females at five of the older TSCs; and to admit trainees from within and outside the districts/municipalities they are located

Ghanaians seeking to travel to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can now do so unhindered following the approval of visa free deal between the two countries.
An agreement to offer visa free entry to Ghanaians and UAE passport holders has been approved by Parliament.

The visa waiver agreement, which was contained in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Ghana and the UAE on mutual exemption of entry visa requirements, is in respect of diplomatic, service/special and ordinary passport holders.

The agreement was executed on November 18, 2019 with the object of waiving the visa requirements for these passport holders in Ghana and the UAE, who can stay for a period not exceeding 90 days.

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, presented the MoU to the House on May 26, 2021, which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs for consideration and report in accordance with Order 140(4) and 183 of the Standing Orders of Parliament.

Chairman of the Committee, Bryan Acheampong indicated that during a presentation of their report that Ghana/UAE had had fruitful cooperation, indicating that the two countries were desirous to take the bilateral relations to another level.

According to him, the agreement constitutes a comprehensive framework on visa regimes for both countries and does not impose obligations on the two parties to admit people who are considered to be of questionable character into their territories.

He reported that neither did the MoU impose any financial obligation on the two countries nor provided direct financial gains from its implementation.

The Abetifi MP said the agreement had been fashioned in a way to create a win-win situation for both countries, and added that relaxed visa entry requirement is expected to yield tremendous benefits to citizens of Ghana and UAE through improved relations, trade and bilateral co-operation.

Mr. Acheampong stated that visa waiver arrangements to facilitate the movement of diplomats and government officials are common, except that this one makes ordinary passport holders beneficiaries

Ghana on Saturday received 177,600 doses of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccines under the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT).The doses are part of a total of 6.4 million vaccine doses to be shipped to African Union Member States in August 2021.

Ghana is among the first ten African countries to receive vaccines through the partnership.

The Deputy Minister of Health Tina Gifty Mensah and the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye were at the airport to receive the vaccines.

The vaccine deliveries are part of the historic COVID-19 vaccine advance procurement agreement signed on 28 March 2021 by AVAT for the purchase of 220 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine, with the potential to order an additional 180 million doses.

“The agreement and the start of deliveries mark the first time that the African Union Member States have collectively purchased vaccines to safeguard the health of the African population,” a joint press release announcing the arrival of the vaccines at the Kotoka International Airport said.

In total, the 400m vaccines acquired by AVAT are sufficient to immunise a third of the African population.

The Member States who have ordered vaccines through AVAT will continue to receive shipments for the next following months.

World Bank financing has been mobilized to support both the acquisition and equitable deployment of vaccines.

Under the additional credit of $200 million for the Ghana COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Project, the World Bank is contributing towards financing a total of 16.9 million vaccine doses through AVAT.

In addition, the project is helping to strengthen vaccine deployment, so that doses translate into effective and equitable vaccinations.

This includes support to logistics and cold chain, needed supplies to carry out vaccination, training vaccination teams, and demand generation activities.AVAT was established by the African COVID-19 Vaccine Acquisition Task Team, set up in November 2020 under the African Union chairmanship of President Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa.

It is part of the African Union’s COVID-19 Vaccine Development and Access Strategy, and its goal of vaccinating at least 60 per cent of the African population with safe and efficacious vaccines against COVID-19.

The agreement with Johnson & Johnson was made possible through a USD 2 billion facility provided by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), who are also the Financial and Transaction 

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has hit back at the opposition National Democratic Congress over management of debt levels and its impact on key economic indicators, and also exposed the NDC in the process.

In a two minute and 49 seconds video, Dr Bawumia defended the government’s management of the economy and made a comparative analysis between the NPP and the NDC, of records of debt management levels and their impact on the economy – analysis, which will surely rile the NDC, as it showed the NPP as better managers of the economy.

The video was recorded during the Vice President’s address to the NPP’s students group (TESCON) branch of the University of Cape Coast over the weekend during their annual conference.

The Vice President, a former economics assistant professor and central banker, took the students, and perhaps, the NDC, through the rudiments of economics, by telling them the relationship between maintaining prudent debt levels and its impact on positive economic indicators.

Dr Bawumia’s riposte was in response to the NDC’s claims of increasing debt levels under the NPP administration, but the Vice President told the NDC of jow prudent the Akufo-Addo government has managed Ghana’s debt levels, which is proven by positive economic indicators, unlike the NDC who couldn’t manage the debt levels and left the economy in ruins with declining indicators.

“I want to let you think about one thing; you hear the NDC saying aah, the debt level has gone up. Sure, the debt level has gone up, but economic levels have not gone down. The debt level has increased yes, but why do we want to maintain prudent debt level?,” Dr Bawumia noted

“When you teach economics, you have to ask your students that question; why is it that we want the debt levels maintained at prudent levels? The reason is that, if you do not manage your debt levels properly, it will affect your exchange rate, it will affect your interest rate, it will affect your inflation and it will affect your growth.”

“You’re managing the economy in a way to look at its impact on these variables; exchange rate, interest rate, inflation and growth rate. That is the issue.”

Having explained that economic principle in simple terms, the Vice President then switched his focus on the NDC and exposed their “incompetent” economic management record, in typical fashion.

“When the NDC was in government, well way before, they took us to HIPC. They had mismanaged the debt levels such that we had very high inflation, very high exchange rate depreciation, very high interest rate and low growth. That was the legacy they left us,” Dr Bawumia said.

“By the time we were going towards 2016, the debt levels had increased such that inflation was going up, the interest rate was going up, exchange rate depreciation was going up and growth also coming down, and they had to run to the IMF for a bailout. Wasn’t that the case? That was NDC economic management.”null

Unlike the NDC, Dr Bawumua indicated, economic levels and growth are up, which, he said, shows the clear difference between the competence of the NPP and the incompetence of the NDC.

“Our debt levels have gone up, but what has happened to inflation? It has come down. What has happened to exchange rate depreciation? Depreciation has come down. What has happened to the interest rate? It has come down. What has happened to growth? It is going up.”

“That is a difference in economic management. There is one that is incompetent and there is one that is competent. If you choose the NDC, you go to the incompetent path, and if you choose the NPP, you have competent economic management.”

VERDICT

Indeed Dr Bawumia is right with what he describes as prudent management of debt levels, and its positive impact on economic levels, or indicators.null

According to data from international and local economic institutions, the rate or average rate for every indicator in the past 4 years, and ultimately, growth, show that the NPP recorded better figures than the last NDC administration led by John Mahama.

For instance, Fact Check Ghana data indicates that the economy under the Akufo-Addo government in 2017, 2018 and 2019, before covid-19, registered a growth rate of 8.144%, 6.263% and 6.478% respectively (before Covid-19 ruined it down to below 1%), while under the NDC between 2013 and 2016, the economy shrank from 7.313% in 2013 to 3.448% in 2016 before the NPP assumed office.

For the depreciation rate of the Cedi, which is the most talked-about indicator, Dr Bawumia is right that there has been a better indicator. The average depreciation rate of 7.52% in the first term of the Akufo-Addo administration between 2017 and 2020, is the best depreciation rate for any first-term government in the 4th Republic, and it is second only to the best of 6.77% depreciation rate, which was recorded in the 2nd term of the Kufuor administration between 2005 and 2008.

And in spite of the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, the cedi, recorded a 3.9% depreciation rate in 2020, which remains the best in any year in the 4th Republic.

The Ghanaian economy is one of the few economies projected by international analysts as being on track to getting out of the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic.null

According to global economic analysts, Ghana’s economic growth in 2021, is projected to increase to about 4%.

Watch the video below

https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/DO6GtFmM-eqk5XVg5.

Source: ghanaguardian.com

Apostle Daniel Adjei

The Evangelical Methodist Church International has dissociated itself from comments made by its Head Pastor for the Asylum Down branch in Accra at the #FixTheCountry protest march, insisting that his loose talk does not represent its position.
The church also indicated that going forward, it is reviewing its association with the beleaguered pastor.

Apostle Daniel Adjei told journalists during the #FixTheCountry demonstration last Wednesday that he joined the protest march because members of his church were no longer able to pay tithes and offerings because they are broke.

But the Church in a statement signed by its Administrator, Samuel Ampadu, is calling all and sundry “to disregard those loose utterances” since they do not represent the position of the Evangelical Methodist (Mission) Church.

The church said it does not resort to public demonstration to demand something but rather advocates “change of mind” through education.

“The Evangelical Methodist Mission wishes to make this public announcement and to all concerned regarding the public utterances of Apostle Adjei during the recent “#FixTheCountry” demonstration on 4th August, 2021,” the statement urged.

It continued that “his public utterances do not represent the position of Evangelical Methodist (Mission) Church.”

The statement noted that Apostle Adjei’s association with the church had been put under review, pointing out that “the Evangelical Methodist Mission is a Christian foundation for the promulgation of the gospel we advocate for change of mind through education not public demonstration.”

“We have built schools (Obo Methodist JSS); we secured the Tail Experimental School property,” the statement indicated and added that the church does not rely on tithes and offerings for its finances.

The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has said that despite government’s creation of thousands of jobs through various initiatives in the past four years, creating more opportunities for the youth remains a top priority of the Akufo-Addo government.

Speaking at the launch of University of Ghana Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme (UGIEP)  at the University’s campus on Friday, the Vice President said majority of Ghana’s population (about 52%) is made up of the youth, and with a growing number of young people joining the job market in search of jobs every year, government cannot relent in its efforts at creating jobs and  enabling environment for more entrepreneurial opportunities for the youth, especially in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Some 250,000 young people enter the job market every year, putting pressure on the limited employment opportunities. Getting this population employed remains our major socio-economic challenge. We need to create new jobs or help provide access to existing job vacancies,” Dr. Bawumia noted.

“The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the realities exposed, show us that creating gainful employment for young people now more than ever is crucial to our development.”

The UGIEP is a non academic programme, under the auspices of the Vice Chancellor’s Office, which seeks to foster entrepreneurship and innovation in the University of Ghana by developing knowledge and capabilities necessary to create and grow products and services that add social and economic value to society.

The Vice President commended University of Ghana for the initiative, adding that the UGIEP should collaborate with government’s employment and youth development agencies to create more opportunities for the youth.

“At the heart of the UGEIP is empowerment, leverage and value creation. These objectives are in line with our government’s strategic focus for the economy and human capital development within this COVID-19 era,” Dr. Bawumia said.

“It is the expectation of government that the UGIEP, being launched today, will work with existing initiatives like the National Youth  Authority,  Youth Employment Authority, Youth Enterprises Fund,  National Entrepreneurship and Innovative Programme, Ghana Enterprises Agency and others, to help our young people create sustainable jobs opportunities.”

“Government’s strategic anchors of Human Capital Development, Entrepreneurship, Skills development, and education will also provide a platform for this and similar programs to be scaled up leveraging on our digitalization agenda.”

Stressing on the importance of digitization in entrepreneurship, Dr. Bawumia said entrepreneurship will not thrive in an environment with difficulties in doing business, hence the government’s digitization drive to eliminate all bottlenecks in doing business as fast as possible.

“The use of National Identification Card as a unique identifier, the digitization of the processes at the Registrar General Department and the passage of Act 992, give specific focus to business as part of the institutional innovation to grow and support entrepreneurship.”

“Our pledge as a government is to continue to create the right environment to allow the initiatives and companies started through this program to thrive. In so doing I am optimistic that this program will unearth innovations and support and grow companies.”

Source: Office of Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia

• A-Plus has criticized #FixTheCountry protest leaders for not having a plan

• He described their protest as a mere form of exercise

• He beleives their demands are already being fixed

Avid social commentator, Kwame Asare Obeng popularly known as A-Plus has intimated that the Fix The Country demonstrators just went for jogging and had no plan for their August 4 march.

After several months of battling in court to hold the demonstration, hundreds of Ghanaians on Founders Day, August 4, took to the streets of Accra to demand accountability, transparency, good governance and better living conditions from the government.

Although some notable personalities joined the movement on social media when it commenced, a lot of them did not join the street protest that started from the Obra spot and ended at the Independence Square where some of the protestors outlined issues that needed fixing.null

A-Plus who has been a major critic of government over the years and who’s agenda many perceive was in line with the Fix The Country demonstrators, did not show up for the protest.

Explaining why he exempted himself, A-Plus stated emphatically that in his view, government has already begun the process of fixing the country which includes roads.

According to him, people who joined the protest only went for jogging because the leaders of the campaign had no goal in mind.

“The era of shouting has ended. I don’t go for jogging or keep fit, my understanding of exercising and demonstration are two different things,” A-Plus said on the United Showbiz show on Saturday.

He added, “Let’s get serious in this country, if you know your enemy and yourself, you are always going to win. The event that took place, what was the plan, what was the plan game?“

“They just went for jogging, that is it. You cannot change a constitution by holding a placard and standing on the roadside. I agree that there must be a demonstration but it must have an end goal,” the founder of The People’s Project said.

He quizzed: “After Fix The Country what next? When they started this thing, the road in front of my office was getting fixed. There must be a constitutional change in the country but it does not change by marching. The march must have a plan.” he added.

Watch the video below from the 30-minute mark

https://www.youtube.com/embed/deFaSdp1bMM

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

• Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta says embattled Health Minister deserves empathy

• According to him, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu meant well in his efforts to secure jabs for vaccination

• The Health Minister has been mired in a vaccine procurement scandal for months now

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, has come to the defence of his embattled colleague minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, whose role in a botched vaccine procurement has been raging for the past weeks.

Ofori-Atta insists that the Health Minister meant well when he entered the now abrogated agreements for the supply of Russia-made Sputnik V vaccines.

“I kind of have listened to the argument and sort of on hindsight…I think there is so little empathy in appreciating what my colleague minister must have been going through,” he told Asaase Radio on August 5.

He recounted how Agyeman-Manu in his opinion had gone out of his way to ensure the safety of Ghanaians at the time of a raging pandemic and when vaccine supply lines were heavily constricted against most African countries.null

Ofori-Atta also praised the efforts of the Ministry in securing the initial doses of AstraZeneca and spearheading the successful rollout by the Ghana Health Service.

He added: “To be so unsympathetic to someone who felt like what can I do to ensure that there is continuity and to sit now comfortably …. I am empathizing with him and I expect that others will realize the type of pressure that he was under and his commitment to ensure that the Ghanaian people are safe.”

The latest on the Sputnik V saga is a Parliamentary committee report that has tasked Ofori-Atta to retrieve in excess of 16 million cedis Ghana paid to an Emirati vaccine contractor. The Minister is on record to have said: “We will always get our monies back.”

Agyeman-Manu came under enormous pressure when during his appearance before the committee last month, he said he wasn’t thinking properly when he entered the deal for the vaccines.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

• Kwaku Baako Jnr. describes health minister’s breach of procurement processes as a mess

• A committee probing the deal says due process was not followed

• Baako believes it will do the minister a lot of good to resign

By and by, people are mounting pressure on the minister of health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, to resign.

The latest is Kweku Baako Jnr, the Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide who says the minister committed “unmitigated disaster”.

According to a report by myjoyonline.com, the celebrated journalist stated that on NewsFile that it would be welcome news for him should the minister decide to step down now.

“It is an unmitigated disaster. [There was] No cabinet approval, no PPA approval, and no parliamentary approval. It is a mess. It was an unmitigated disaster. He must do the honorable thing and resign because he cannot defend it. If he was minded to resign, I will vote for him,” he said.null

The controversial subject of the procurement of Sputnik V vaccines by the government, led by Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has been exacerbated after the minister appeared before the ad hoc committee constituted by parliament to look into the matter.

It was established that the minister, besides telling lies even under oath, breached processes involved in such procurements, as well the constitutional requirements for such contracts.

In its words, the committee said that “The Agreements ensuing from the negotiations have been submitted to the PPA for ratification… Indeed, at the time of completing its work, PPA was yet to do the ratification.

“The committee urges the Minister for Finance to take steps to recover the money due to the Republic in respect of the amount of US$2,850,000.00 (Cedi equivalent of GH¢16,331,640.00) being the cost of the Sputnik-V vaccines that were proposed to be procured.”

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

• Former Minister E. T. Mensah touts his time as minister of government

• He says he was least worried when in 2012 ex-president John Dramani Mahama ‘retired’ him

• He has recently been making critical remarks of the state of the party

Former Water Resources, Works and Housing Minister, Enoch Teye Mensah, popularly referred to as E. T. Mensah has disclosed that he wasn’t bothered that then president John Dramani Mahama stripped him of his ministerial post when he won the 2012 elections.

GhanaWeb monitored comments he made when he appeared on Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana program late last week to discuss issues around the Saglemi Housing project, which issue is currently the subject of criminal prosecution.

Asked by host Paul Adom-Otchere if he was “unhappy that President Mahama changed you from the Ministry of Works and Housing?”

E. T. Mensah replied: “No, I wasn’t at all, why should I be unhappy?”null

A follow up question about whether he wished that Mahama “should have let you finish the Sege project before you exited the Ministry?” elicited the response: “Wish that? Wishes are not horses, otherwise everybody will ride.

“So if the man says this is the man I want to work with, you have to just handover and walk away.”

President Mahama after winning the 2012 election redeployed three Mills-era top ministers to the presidency with the trio later becoming known as the ‘Three Wise Men.’ Aside Mensah, the other two were current speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin and Cletus Avoka.

E. T. Mensah has been defending his role in birthing the Saglemi Housing project whiles belieing claims by some party members that the project was meant to be executed in phases.

Following his recent critical remarks about the party and some members, a petition has been submitted with the party hierarchy to probe the former Accra Mayor and Youth and Sports Minister for anti-party conduct.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Suame, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has been elected Acting Vice-Chairperson of the Commonwealtth Parliamentary Association, CPA.

He beat his only opponent, Gerry Brownlee of New Zealand by 16 votes to six in an election held to fill the vacant position.

An August 6, 2021 letter sighted by GhanaWeb announced the outcome of the vote stating: “The voting of the CPA Acting Vice-Chairperson was undertaken in accordance with Article 21(6) of the Constitution, which allows for an election of Acting Vice-Chairperson in the absence of a formal meeting, an election to determine the successful candidate with a simple majority vote will take place by an email ballot of the Executive Committee Members.

“The votes for the two candidates were counted and the results are as follows:

Candidate A – Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (Ghana) – 16 votesnull

Candidate B – Hon. Gerry Brownlee (New Zealand) – 6 votes

“As such, I am delighted to confirm that Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu from the CPA Africa Region, has been voted by the Executive Committee to be the CPA Acting Vice-Chairperson.”

Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu will join his colleague lawmakers in late September when next the Executive Committee Meeting takes place.

He is leader of business in Parliament and also Minister for Parliamentary Affairs. The 64-year-old stands as one of the longest serving lawmakers having served in all eight Parliaments in the fourth Republic except the first session i.e. between 1992 – 1996.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Ernest Owusu Bempah

Convener of the ‘Fixing The Country Movement’ Ernest Owusu Bempah, has called for the immediate arrest of Oliver Barker-Vormawor, leader of the ‘FixTheCountry’ group for allegedly inciting protesters to overthrow the 1992 constitution.

According to Mr Owusu Bempah, on Wednesday, August 4, 2021 during the ‘FixTheCountty’ protest in Accra, Oliver Barker-Vormawor purportedly called for the overthrow of the 1992 Constitution.

Mr Owusu Bempah described the comments by the leader of the #FixTheCountry group as treasonable and flagrant breach of Section 180 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act (Act 29).

He said Barker-Vormawor’s position as the leader of the public pressure group, required that he would be more circumspect in his public utterances.

He noted that the impression of impunity may encourage others to take the same route and it may ultimately lead to violence and the destruction of the fabric of the state.

He said the “Fixing The Country Movement” is of the view that by making that bold declaration, Oliver was imperilling the life of the fourth republican constitution.

He stated that the impression of impunity may also encourage others to take the same route and it may ultimately lead to violence and the destruction of the fabric of the State.

He has therefore called on the Acting Inspector General of Police, George Akuffo-Dampare and the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB), to arrest Mr Barker-Vormawor with immediate effect for investigations.

He also called for the arrest of every single person who is involved in conniving to have the fourth republican constitution overthrown and hauled before court for sedition or treason.

The Convener of ‘Fixing The Country Movement, Owusu Bempah indicated this in a statement he issued last Friday, a copy of which was given to DGN online.

He said “We cannot let these people get off without any consequences to their actions,” the ‘Fixing The Country’ Convener said in the statement.

He said it is stipulated in the country’s constitution that “Any person who by himself or in concert with others by any violent or other unlawful means, suspends or overthrows or abrogates the Constitution or any part of it, or attempts to do any such acts commits the offence of high treason and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to suffer death

The Landlord says he will eject the government agency from his property after collecting his rent from them.

The landlord of a building occupied by the Rent Control Department of Ghana at Amasaman has locked the space due to the latter’s inability to pay its rent.

Joseph Nsiah Abugri, the landlord whose building the Rent Control Department inhabits, stormed the office and demanded payment of rent debts owed by the government institution.

According to Mr. Abugri, the Rent Control Department has failed to pay for its rent for the past five months. He said the Department initially made a two-year advance payment to rent his place; and per an agreement between both parties, they were supposed to make monthly payments after the two years advance had expired.

This, he said, has been a real challenge for the past five months after the two years advance expired. Mr. Abugri said all efforts to collect his money have yielded no positive result.

According to him, he reported the issue to the Rent Control Department at Ministries as the law requires of him as a landlord but they directed him to make an official report to the Amasaman branch – the same people who owe him.

“When there is a dispute between a landlord and tenants, it’s the Rent Control Department that settles it. As the law requires of me as the landlord, I made an official report at the head office at Ministries. They asked me to direct it to the Amasaman office since that’s where my property is situated. In effect, they asked me to report to the same people who owe me,” Mr. Abugri said.

He continued, “I was left with only one option – to buy padlocks and lock the facility. I’m demanding the full payment of the five months arrears.”

When asked if that’s the only way he would unlock the office for them to work, Mr. Abugri said “I do not want them in my facility anymore. They should look elsewhere. There are plenty of houses in Amasaman that they can rent.”

The Rent Control Department is a division under the Ministry of Works and Housing that works co-operatively with landlords and tenants to promote optimum peaceful co-existence through education, reconciliation while also providing on rent matters in compliance with the Rent Act 220.

Source: GhanaNewsPage

Founder of the Atta-Mills Institute, Koku Anyidoho, has reiterated the need for Ghana to reconsider the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Commission set up by late Prof. Atta-Mills.null

Mr. Anyidoho said one of the issues raised by the #FixTheCountry demonstrators was for the constitution of Ghana to be reviewed because it has contributed to the challenges of the nation.

The former director of communications at the presidency under Prof. Atta-Mills is demanding answers as to why the recommendations and white paper issued by the late Atta-Mills was not implemented after he passed on.

“As an integral component of his avowed pledge to build a Better Ghana, visionary Leader and Unifier President Atta-Mills, set-up a Constitutional Review Committee (CRC), to seek the views of Ghanaians for appropriate amendments to be made to the 1992 constitution of the Republic of Ghana.

A report was submitted and a Government White Paper was issued before the death of President Atta-Mills. What happened to the White Paper after the death of President Atta-Mills?.”

He said the Atta-Mills Institute is asking what has happened to the White Paper that was issued by the NDC Government under President Atta-Mills as regards the work of the Constitution Review Commission set-up by President Atta-Mills- when John Mahama took over as President?”null

He averred that in the wake of the fix Ghana’s call for a review of the constitution of Ghana, the Atta-Mills Institute is putting it out that President Atta-Mills began the process but it was truncated after his death.

The CRC was set up by a Constitutional Instrument 2010 (C.I.) 64 as a Commission of Inquiry to conduct a consultative review of the Constitution by the late President John Evans Atta Mills.

The CRC was mandated to ascertain from the people of Ghana, their views on the operation of the 1992 Constitution and help identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Constitution; articulate the concerns of the people of Ghana as regards the amendments that may be required for a comprehensive review of the 1992 Constitution; and make recommendations to the Government for consideration and provide a draft Bill for possible amendments to the 1992 Constitution.

The CRC embarked on activities including District and Community Level Consultations; Specialized Consultations with Identifiable Groups; Diaspora Consultations in Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cote D’Ivoire, Libya, Botswana, USA, Netherlands, Canada, Italy, and UK.

The commission finally held a National Constitution Review Conference before submitting the Final Report to the late President John Evans Atta Mills on December 20th, 2011.null

The late president also issued a white paper but the country was yet to implement the recommendations of the report.

This Mr. Anyidoho believes was unfortunate especially when the umbrella family had made it clear that it was committed to reviewing the 1992 constitution.

He wondered why the party failed to deliver on these promises after the death of Atta-Mills who was succeeded by former President John Dramani Mahama

.Source: rainbowradioonline.com

The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) National Youth Organizer, Henry Nana Boakye, has waded into discussions over the just-ended “#FixtheCountry” protest held by some aggrieved Ghanaians on Wednesday, August 4, 2021.

Hundreds of Ghanaians trooped into the streets of Accra to register their displeasure with President Nana Akufo-Addo’s governance.

They wielded placards with some reading; ‘Ghana is the most religious yet most corrupt’, ‘If Ghana was your personal property, would you run it like this?’, ‘No to Nepotism, Family and Friends Government’, ‘Fix Dumsor’ among others.

Speaking to host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”, Henry Nana Boakye, popularly called Nana B strongly opined that the President is fixing the country already, therefore questioning the logic in embarking on such a protest.

Nana B noted that the President has done exceptionally well looking at the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the World’s economy and the ravages of the pandemic on the growth of Ghana.

”His Excellency, the President, he is fixing the country and everyday, he’s working…I will pray God to continually give Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo the wisdom, the strength, the courage and divine direction to effectively execute his duties,” he said.

He added that, under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo, ”Ghana’s economy presently is one of the best in the world…because they assess the economy with the negative impact of COVID-19 and the COVID-19 has affected every nation…I was proud to be a Ghanaian but how we managed this COVID-19 has made me super-proud to be a Ghanaian”.

Nana B believed the ”FixtheCountry” campaigners have an ulterior motive.

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called on President Akufo Addo to initiate processes to establish a Commission to look into the poor condition of service of public sector workers.

The President of GNAT Philippa Larsen said there is an imminent disturbance in the labour front over unfairness and disparities in conditions of service in various categories of officeholders which requires immediate redress.

“The current system of remuneration in the public sector is not fair. It favours some categories of office holders in the public service and we are not going to agree. We will not agree to that. We are asking the President of the Republic H. E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo to as a matter of Urgency initiate a process of setting up a Commission to look at salary levels of public sector workers in the country.

“We are calling on the President otherwise there will be no peace and the country will become ungovernable” Phillipa Larsen warned during the 6th Quadrennial and 53rd Delegates Conference of Eastern Regional Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNA) in Koforidua on Thursday, August 5, 2021.

The President of GNAT expressed the disappointment and displeasure of the association over the recent paltry 4% increment in public sector salaries by the government which has sparked outrage.

“I cannot conclude my message without establishing my greatest displeasure about the paltry 4% and 7% salary increment given to public sector workers for 2021 and 2022 respectively. That was not what we were expecting. And that is why my General Secretary doesn’t want to talk about it. He is so sad within him and I am also sad. All teachers are so sad. The ongoing discussion on various social media platforms indicates clearly that workers are understandably unhappy with the outcome of the negotiation. We are not happy either. We have to settle on the relatively low rate of increment reluctantly after intensive negotiation spanning many years ”

The Eastern Regional Minister Seth Kwame Acheampong who was a guest of honour reiterated the government’s efforts to maintain the welfare and the development of teachers as a major priority in its education policies.

He said teachers remain the fulcrum upon which government education policies revolved, affirming that without them the success of government policies would be impossible.

Speaking on the theme “GNAT at 90: Surviving as a reliable and Vibrant Teacher Union in the 21st Century- Tracing the Journey, explicating the essence and examining the Prospects “, the Regional Minister said urged teachers to build their capacities to meet the changing demands and dynamics in teaching and learning.

He, therefore called on them to used the occasion of the Delegates Conference to discuss thoroughly measures that would ensure job satisfaction and improve teaching and learning.

Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Kojo Ansah

South Africa’s jailed former President Jacob Zuma has been admitted to hospital, less than a week before he is due in court on further charges of corruption.

The South African prison department said a routine examination at the jail in Kwa-Zulu Natal, where Mr Zuma is being held, prompted the authorities to take him to a hospital outside the prison for further observation

As a former head of state Zuma was being treated at a military facility, the authorities said.

His foundation said it was an “annual medical routine check-up” and there was “no need to be alarmed… yet

Zuma has been serving a 15-month prison sentence since 7 July for contempt of court.

Next week, the former president is scheduled to appear in person in court on a separate issue – an arms deal corruption case.

He has pleaded not guilty to involvement in the $5bn (£3bn) deal.

More than 300 people were killed during violence and looting sparked by his arrest last month.

Source: BBC

Staff of the Petroleum Commission have been cautioned against leaking sensitive information to key players in the petroleum sector.

The sector minister, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, described the act as unacceptable adding that delicate information made public are usually used against government negatively.

Making the call during the inauguration of Governing Board of the Petroleum Commission, the energy minister urged the board to remain responsible in the management, regulation, and utilisation of petroleum resources.

“If we all look at the gas and oil sector and we are not happy then it means the regulator is either not strong or is not asserting itself, but of more importance is the staff that work at the commission and those passing on confidential information to their friends. Instead of being patriotic, they are rather letting the country down. I hope that you [board] will look into it and the commission will find out what is going on,” Opoku Prempeh cautioned.

“Those who are leaking information and hurting government and the state, we are watching and you must know that there is no ‘sacred cow’ within the Petroleum Commission. Because when the whole of Ghana has decided to go a certain direction, nobody in the commission should feel so knowledgeable that they can outwit the board,” he warned.

Opoku Prempeh further tasked the Board to examine meaningful ways to ensure that the local content law allows for more Ghanaian participation in the petroleum industry

.Source: www.ghanaweb.com

The University of Ghana has denied media reports that a US court has awarded a judgment debt of $165 million against the school in connection with an erroneously abrogated contract with Africa Integras LLC in 2018.

The school, in a statement, described the reports as “misrepresentations and falsehoods”, adding: “The circumstances of the project and its termination are being falsely represented”.

“Further, the nature of the New York petition has similarly wrongly been described”, the school added.

The statement, signed by the Registrar, Ms Emelia Agyei-Mensah, said, “Contrary to certain reports seen in the media, the university can categorically confirm that no court judgment has been issued against the university in relation to the project”.

“The New York petition does not, in any way, comprise a judgment, the school insisted.

“Rather, the New York petition simply represents an initial step directed at commencing proceedings before the New York courts. Such courts will allow the university full opportunity to respond to and contest the contents of the Petition.”

“The New York petition presents an inaccurate and one-sided account of the project. Further, the petition is ill-founded and fundamentally flawed,” the school noted.

Further, it said: “The New York petition now represents an attempt to avoid setting out and substantiating a proper claim against the university, and avoid the contractually-required arbitration process, by proceeding in an inappropriate forum – the New York courts,” it said.

“The university is confident that it will prevail and that the New York petition will be dismissed,” it noted.

Background

It was widely reported on Thursday that a US court awarded the judgment debt against the school after Global Insurer Chubb Ltd. asked a New York federal judge to confirm the $165 million arbitration award against the university after it defaulted on a US-backed flagship agreement to construct and maintain four new facilities and a dormitory on the campus of the Ghanaian state-run university.

According to a petition filed in the Southern District of New York, W.P Carey investment trust won the award in 2018 after the University of Ghana terminated the deal.

The award reflects the value of rent income that the new campus facilities would have generated, Chubb told the court.

“SEC reports show that the $64 million partnership was signed in 2016, with a mortgage financing agreement from the U.S. State Department’s Overseas Private Investment Corp. (now Development Finance Corp.) of up to $41 million”, a Law360 report said.

“The project was insured with a Chubb corporate country risk policy. According to a public information summary filed with OPIC, the project would help meet a demand for higher education in Africa”, it added.

“University press releases said the expansion would help attract and accommodate Ph.D. students, transforming the school into a first-class research institution,” the report noted.

University of Ghana, the initial report said, was unable to procure a contractually required letter of credit, according to the Chubb petition, and moved to terminate the contract, triggering arbitration in 2018.

The W.P. Carey trust settled with Chubb for $45.6 million later the same year — $10 million more than what it spent on the project — transferring its right to collect tenant default damages, according to company financial records.

The report said while Chubb’s petition stated that the agreement was terminated because of the university’s failure to procure a letter of credit, the deal appeared to go sour earlier, when a new vice-chancellor took office and openly voiced his opposition to the contract in a series of inflammatory letters and statements to the press.

According to W.P Carey’s partner, Africa Integras, the companies had already poured tens of millions of dollars into the expansion, and the project was only a year away from construction completion. Andrea Pizziconi, founder and managing principal, told Law360 that new chancellor, Prof Ebenezer Owusu, was “actually offered several options to obtain the letter of credit. However, against the strong advice of his own advisers, Owusu refused to proceed with any of the options presented to him.”

Pizziconi noted that his actions seemed “personally motivated as even the Ghanaian government, at times, attempted to intervene to avoid the disastrous termination of the project that ensued.”

In a 2019 press release, the university denied being subject to any arbitration award.

Meanwhile, Owusu personally attacked his predecessor and Pizziconi in the press. The project would have expanded the university’s facilities by 60%, Pizziconi said.

“As it stands today, I estimate that at least 20,000 additional Ghanaian students were prevented from enrolling at UG because those facilities were not finished,” she said.

The financial default also cast a chill over development projects across the region, “since UG was a flagship project for education public-private partnerships in Africa generally,” Pizziconi added. “This impact exacerbated the losses felt across the continent with so many universities keen to access private finance to address their own infrastructure constraints.”

“Now, to make matters worse, if this claim is not paid, the entire insurance industry will become more reticent to insure key infrastructure projects in Ghana, which will impact the country’s entire development agenda,” she continued. “Also, with an unpaid insurance claim, the U.S. government’s Development Finance Corp. will struggle to proceed in financing other projects in Ghana that require government commitments, which could cost Ghana billions in development financing.” The University of Ghana did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Counsel for Chubb declined to comment.

According to Chubb’s petition Thursday, the court has no basis to refuse confirmation of the award, which falls under the New York Convention.

Chubb is represented by Kurt W. Hansson, Joshua M. Bennett and Jonathon C. Drimmer of Paul Hastings LLC. Counsel information for the University of Ghana was not immediately available.

Former President John Dramani Mahama, on his first public outing after the December 2020 elections, has assured Ghanaians of comeback and victory of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the next polls in 2024.

‘I want to thank you,” the former President said, adding,” let’s not be disappointed and discouraged. They say he who fights and loses, lives to fight another day.”

The former President gave the assurance when he joined the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Volta Region Caucus in Parliament on Wednesday on a visit to the chiefs and people of some coastal communities recently affected by tidal waves in the Ketu South Constituency.

Former President was taken round and saw the extent of destruction of the tidal waves in the face of a stalled sea defence wall project.

Addressing the chiefs, elders and people of the Some Traditional Area, at Agavedzi, near Aflao, the former President thanked the people of the Volta Region for their support and vote for the NDC in the last election and asked them not to be discouraged with the party.

“I want to take this opportunity thank you all, our Brothers and Sisters in the Volta Region, for the strong support you showed me during the election.

“You didn’t disappoint me at all, you did your best; you did your part. Let’s not be disappointed and discouraged. They say he who fights and loses, lives to fight another day,” the former President said.

He added: ”And so what we need to do is to focus on re-organising the party, selecting a new leadership and getting a flagbearer to lead us back into the next battle.

“And I’m sure that in 2024, by the grace of God, by the grace of Mawu Sogbolisa, by the grace of Mawu Sogbolisa, NDC will come back into office.”

President Mahama noted the effects on economic activities on the area as a result of the closure by the Government of Ghana of the border, in nearby Aflao, due to health threats posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

He praised Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah, Chairman of the Volta MPs in Parliament and a Member of the ECOWAS Parliament, for adding his voice to discussions on the effects of the closure of borders of countries of the sub-regional group.

On the stalled progress of work of the sea defence wall project that started under his administration, the former President observed that, the abandonment of projects by former government by current ones was a major problem.

He told journalists, after the meeting with the chiefs and people, at Agavedzi that, ‘it’s a major problem. Everywhere you go in the country, you find projects left by previous governments that were not continued.”

Former President Mahama announced that the next NDC Government would use its first year in office to complete abandoned projects.

He said: “We’re going to use the resources to continue and finish all the projects that have been abandoned by previous governments
“I think that’s what we should do. You don’t go building a new secondary school where you have a secondary school that has been abandoned.

He gave assurance that though not in power, the NDC would continue to respond to the plight of the people as they awaited the intervention of government.

“Our elders say that if the housefly has nothing at least it can rub its hands,” former President Mahama said, implying that, the NDC as a government in waiting would continue to respond to the plight of the people even with scanty available resources.

Togbega Adama III, Paramount Chief of Some Traditional Area, expressed appreciation to former President Mahama and the Volta Regional NDC caucus in parliament for their presence, donation and encouragement.

The Paramount Chief said the quality of the donation was an expression of the strong love that the NDC had for the people.

GNA

National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay, is set to continue in his role as chairman of the seven member board of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC).

Freddie Blay served in the same role during the first term administration of President Akufo-Addo, between 2017 and 2021.

Kwabena Kwakye, who also served on the seven member GNPC board through the first term government of President Akufo-Addo, is expected to remain on the board.

Noted absentee

Noted absentee on the GNPC board this time round would be Nana Adjoa Hackman, Managing Partner of Africa Legal Associates (ALA), and a Director at Asaase Broadcasting Company Limited (owners of Asaase Radio). She served as the chairperson of the legal & governance sub-committee on the GNPC board.

As a result of her outstanding performance, she received high praises from the CEO and head of the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA), Stephen Asamoah Boateng, for her dedication to the course of GNPC.

Recent GNPC Achievement

The state-owned oil company in the areas of transparency and accountability was recently ranked the best governed national oil company (NOC) in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as the fifth (5th) best governed NOC globally.

Furthermore, GNPC according to the 2017 Resource Governance Index (RGI) of the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) is adjudged the 8th best state-owned enterprise globally out of 74 state-owned enterprises assessed by the RGI.

GNPC, Aker Energy, AGM partnership

Government through the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), has initiated the process expected to lead to the acquisition 37% interest in the Deep Water Tano Cape Three Points (DWT/CTP) operated by Aker Energy Ghana Limited and 70% stake in the South Deepwater Tano (SDWT) operated by AGM Petroleum Ghana Limited which will ultimately result in the establishment of a joint operating company between Aker Energy, AGM and GNPC Explorco.

GNPC acknowledges that it will need some capacity building in order to become an operator on its own. The process requires a major oil company willing to travel on this learning route with GNPC. Partnership with AKER Energy and AGM, with proven deep water capabilities, provides such opportunity for the national oil company to develop operator capabilities.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-9851803229604827&output=html&h=343&adk=3559006387&adf=3229197991&pi=t.aa~a.2816640267~i.33~rp.1&w=412&lmt=1628275052&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=1604435693&psa=1&ad_type=text_image&format=412×343&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.peacefmonline.com%2Fpages%2Fpolitics%2Fpolitics%2F202108%2F449573.php%3Futm_source%3Ddlvr.it%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook&flash=0&fwr=1&pra=3&rh=319&rw=382&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&sfro=1&wgl=1&fa=27&dt=1628275051948&bpp=34&bdt=5232&idt=-M&shv=r20210803&mjsv=m202108060101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D86df3f380efe390e-22de95ea94c90072%3AT%3D1628274916%3ART%3D1628274916%3AS%3DALNI_MZow7ukcQuGzkdS4ZlBNYHCVFQRlA&prev_fmts=0x0%2C412x343%2C412x343&nras=2&correlator=1894886452952&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=910119415.1628274917&ga_sid=1628274917&ga_hid=834488793&ga_fc=1&u_tz=0&u_his=1&u_java=0&u_h=892&u_w=412&u_ah=892&u_aw=412&u_cd=24&u_nplug=0&u_nmime=0&adx=0&ady=2893&biw=412&bih=797&scr_x=0&scr_y=1431&eid=44739547%2C20211866%2C31062064%2C31060475&oid=3&pvsid=2700293281524249&pem=962&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C412%2C0%2C412%2C797%2C412%2C797&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&ifi=8&uci=a!8&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=PDMlb4XXZp&p=https%3A//www.peacefmonline.com&dtd=80

GNPC proposes to partner with Aker Energy/AGM to jointly develop the DWT/CTP and SDWT blocks. The two companies, with a wealth of deep water experience and the requisite technology, are keen to entering into this arrangement with GNPC.

The existing discoveries by Aker Energy and AGM (the Pecan and Nyankom fields) are by far the largest discoveries in Ghana, and the only ones that can be developed as stand-alone developments. This partnership has the potential to add more than 200,000 barrels of crude oil to Ghana’s current production within the next 4 to 5 years.

The mission ahead

The Freddie Blay board is expected to  support the management of GNPC, led by the Chief Executive Officer, Dr K.k. Sarpong, to ensure that the mandate of the GNPC which is to undertake the exploration, development, production and disposal of petroleum and their objectives which are to promote the exploration and the orderly and planned development of the petroleum resources of Ghana, to ensure that Ghana obtains the greatest possible benefits from the development of its petroleum resources, to obtain the effective transfer to Ghana of appropriate technology relating to petroleum operations, to ensure the training of citizens of Ghana and the development of national capabilities in all aspects of petroleum operations and to ensure that petroleum operations are conducted in such a manner as to prevent adverse effects on the environment, resources and people of Ghana, are achieved.

GNPC

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) is Ghana’s National Oil Company (NOC), established in 1983 by PNDC Law 64, to support the government’s objective of providing adequate and reliable supply of petroleum products and reducing the country’s dependence on crude oil imports, through the development of the country’s own petroleum resources.

The Petroleum [Exploration and Production] Law, 1984, PNDC Law 84, was subsequently enacted to provide the regulatory framework for the exploitation of the country’s hydrocarbon resources. PNDC Law 84, establishes the contractual relationship among the state, GNPC and prospective investors in upstream petroleum operations.

This law also grants GNPC the right of entry into any open acreage to undertake exploration activities. The corporation, which started operations in 1985, is partner in all petroleum agreements in Ghana. GNPC is also the national gas sector aggregator in Ghana, and aims to supply efficient fuel to meet Ghana’s increasing energy needs.

After the inception of GNPC in 1983, technical assistance was sought from Braspetro, the international subsidiary of the Brazilian National Petroleum Corporation (Petrobras) under UNDP sponsorship in 1985 for the preparation of a strategic organizational plan and recommendations for institutional capacity building.

The organizational plan approved by the Board of Directors involved five main functional divisions and four staff departments. Reviews of the structure have since taken place and currently incorporate a wider scope of activities consistent with our current strategy.

The current staff strength is 300. GNPC has a seven-member Board of Directors, appointed by the Ghana Government, which exercises oversight responsibility over the corporation, giving it policy direction.

Frederick Blay

Frederick Armah Blay, popularly called Freddie Blay, is a Ghanaian lawyer and a politician. He was a Member of Parliament for the Ellembele constituency in the Western Region for years, and served as the First Deputy Speaker in the Fourth Parliament of Ghana.

He lost his seat in the general elections held on 7 December 2008 to Armah Kofi Buah of the NDC. He was a member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), but resigned to join the New Patriotic Party after being criticized by some CPP stalwarts for not campaigning for the CPP flagbearer Paa Kwesi Nduom, instead endorsing the NPP’s presidential candidate then, Nana Akufo-Addo. Between 2017 and January 2021, he served as the board chair of GNPC even though issues were raised over a party chairman chairing the national oil company.

Source: asaaseradio.com

On Wednesday, August 4, scores of aggrieved Ghanaians hit the streets of the Capital City in protest against the governance of the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

The protesters have been complaining bitterly about how the citizens’ living conditions have been aggravating day by day, particularly under the President’s second term.

They embarked on a demonstration dubbed ‘#FixtheCountry’ to petition the President to up his performance with regard to improving the lives of Ghanaians and developing Ghana’s economy.

Some of the placards that the protesters held during their street protest were inscribed, ‘Ghana is the most religious yet most corrupt’, ‘If Ghana was your personal property, would you run it like this?’, ‘No to Nepotism, Family and Friends Government’, ‘Fix Dumsor’ among others.

Touching on the ‘#Fixthecountry’ campaign during a panel discussion on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ programme, the former Acting General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), James Kwabena Bomfeh lauded the conveners and participators for not rioting on the streets.

He applauded them for the peaceful protest saying, “you can’t control all the voices but largely you want to applaud the demonstrators for comporting themselves”.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Bv6mulQD6E

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana

This is “the most important moment for Africa’s economic emancipation and the entrepreneurial empowerment of its young men and women”, Pastor Mensa Otabil has said.

Delivering a message titled, “It’s Coming Down,” on the second day of Greater Works Conference 2021, the pastor and motivational speaker recalled the biblical account of God leading the Israelites through Joshua to defeat the Amorites by raining hailstones and yet protecting Israel.

Pastor Otabil referenced Joshua chapter 10 v 7-14 from where Joshua and his army fought the Amorites to possess the land.

He described how the passage used anthropomorphism – the use of human language – to describe an act of God.

According to him, God routed the Amorites and moved them noisily to break and destroy their camp.

He said, the hailstones, though universally deployed, were intelligently manipulated to protect and give Israel an advantage.

“Peradventure, COVID-19 is a hailstone that could give Africa an advantage and we need to seize the opportunities it presents”, he said.

The highly respected theologian posited, “The time to motivate Africa to raise captains of industry is here because a new opportunity has been opened.”

The General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church prayed that African leaders would seize the opportunity to position the continent to catch up with the rest of the world and bridge the developmental gap.

“This is not a time for discouragement, this is the time for encouragement because a door of opportunity has been opened to us”.

He challenged Africans to avoid a self-defeating mindset, but rather strive to increase wealth.

Pastor Otabil wondered how the African continent appears not to have been overrun by the coronavirus pandemic, as previously predicted, compared to other more endowed countries with superior health infrastructure.

He said, having copiously read literature that seek to explain the phenomenon with various theories, his only possibly conclusion, albeit not scientific, is that God’s hand of mercy is on a people who comparatively seem to have nothing.

Pastor Mensa Otabil believes God is telling the rest of the world that this is Africa’s season and it is time for a shift.

The night also saw musical performances by Harmonious Chorale, Lumina, the Greater Works Hymns Choir and the ICGC Praise Team

Nine suspects have been arrested by the Accra Regional Police Command in connection with the chaos that erupted at Teshie, which resulted in the burning of the chief priest’s palace (Wulomo shrine).

The incident occurred on the night of Thursday, 5 August 2021.

All properties in the shrine have been destroyed.

Over 50 occupants of the building have been displaced.

The clashes that led to the fire outbreak began when some two gun-wielding men allegedly stormed the residence and started firing indiscriminately, as a result of a chieftaincy dispute in the area.

The Secretary to the Osabu-Ayiku clan, Mr John Adjetey Commey, suspects those involved in the incident are persons involved in the chieftaincy dispute.

According to him, in an earlier confrontation between the warring factions (Mantse and Shikitele) after embarking on a fishing expedition to mark the harvesting of fish, one person from one of the sides was shot, leaving him with a serious wound on his leg.

This angered the injured person’s faction (the Mantse side) and they followed their rivals to retaliate.

He alleged that the Mantse group proceeded to the family houses of the rival group and burnt two funeral parlours to the ground

Residents of the Budumburam camp in the Central Region have been asked to move from the area by 30 September 2021 to pave the way for a planned demolition.

This was contained in a letter signed by the District Chief Executive for Gomoa East, Mr Solomon Darko Quarm.

The camp, which, for over two decades, has served as a refuge for Liberian refugees, will be demolished and redeveloped.

The place will be gentrified to have a senior high school, a residential community, and a modern market.

The camp, which was decommissioned as a refugee base by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in June 2010, has become a settlement and now bears the infamous credential as a hideout for social deviants, including alleged robbery gangs

A pregnant woman believed to be in her 40’s has been killed while the unborn baby was removed from her belly at Ekumfi Akwakrom in the Ekumfi district in the Central Region.

Reports say the woman is not known in the community and was only seen in the area on Thursday evening suspected to have visited a resident.

The woman’s unborn baby was placed beside her with one of the baby’s legs chopped off lying in a pool of blood.

Eyewitnesses said they saw the deceased on Thursday evening only for them to see her lifeless body early Friday morning around 6:00 am.

They believe she was knocked down and run over by a runaway driver.

Other accounts also suspect some unscrupulous people killed her and removed her unborn baby.

Meanwhile, the case has been reported to Ekumfi Esuehyia Police for investigation.

Source: Ghana/Kasapafmonline.com

Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu (left) inspecting the cold chain facilities.

The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has taken delivery of vaccine storage facilities to help in the expansion of immunisation services in the country.

The storage facilities including vaccine freezers, vaccine fridges, Ice pack freezers and cold boxes, puts the country in a better position to receive larger quantities of ultra-low Covid-19 vaccines like and Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna which have recently been approved by the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) for use in the country.

The facilities are therefore expected to help accelerate the country’s Covid-19 vaccination programme target of reaching 20 million people by the end of 2021.

Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, at a brief handing over ceremony in Accra, said the cold chain storage facilities were procured by the government at an estimated cost of $8m.

He indicated that the entire consignment comprised 58 ultralow temperature vaccine freezers, 50 normal vaccine fridges, 3000 Ice pack freezers and 300 cold boxes.

He said an additional 18 distribution cold vans are expected to arrive in the coming days to support the nationwide vaccination programme.

Mr. Agyeman-Manu indicated that the freezers were equipped with real time monitoring systems to track performance adding that they also had protection against damage caused by power fluctuations.

“In events where power supply is interrupted, the freezers could maintain their set temperature for at least 10 hours. They are also equipped with systems that uses carbon dioxide or dry ice to maintain the temperature where there is no power or during fault condition,” he stated.

The sector minister pointed out that the fridges and freezers would be deployed to all 16 regions to store the vaccines at the right temperatures.

He disclosed that some Covid-19 vaccines were expected by close of the week with about 1.2 million Pfizer vaccines expected before the end of the month.

The Director-General of the GHS, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye lauded government for the move which he believed would go a longer way to boost healthcare delivery.

“Vaccination is something that will stay with us for a long time so these fridges will go a long way to harness immunization and help in storing new vaccines that will come into the country,” he said

Peter Mac Manu, Sammi Awuku, Mike Oquaye

The list of appointees to serve on boards of government organisations continues to grow as many people expect appointments from the Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration in its second term.

The latest to be appointed is Peter Mac Manu, the campaign manager for President Akufo-Addo in both 2016 and 2020 elections, who is going to become Board Chairman of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD).

He will replace Hackman Owusu Agyemang who had served as the Board Chairman in the first term of the Akufo-Addo administration.

Mr. Mac Manu and other members of the board are expected to be sworn in on Friday by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto.

COCOBOD’s functions among other things include the initiation of programmes aimed at controlling pests and diseases of cocoa, coffee and shea nut, undertake and encourage the processing of cocoa, coffee, shea nut and cocoa waste with the aim of adding value for export and local consumption, encourage scientific research aimed at improving the quality of cocoa, coffee, shea nut and other tropical crops.

President Akufo-Addo has appointed Michael Oquaye Jnr as the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA), replacing Michael Okyere Baafi who was elected as the NPP MP for New Juaben South in the Eastern Region and subsequently became the Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry.

Until his appointment, Mr. Oquaye, a lawyer, was Ghana’s High Commissioner to India with concurrent accreditation to the Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

The free zones organisation has been designed to promote processing and manufacturing of goods through the establishment of Export Processing Zones (EPZs), as well as to encourage the development of commercial and service activities at sea and airport areas.

Already, NPP National Organiser Sammi Awuku has been appointed as the new Director-General of the National Lottery Authority (NLA).

Mr. Awuku, who takes over from Mr. Kofi Osei Ameyaw, is expected to inject some massive transformation into the state-owned institution.

Until his appointment as the NLA boss, Sammi Awuku was the Board Chairman of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA).

Also, the immediate past Minister of Zongo Development, Dr. Mustapha Hamid has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of National Petroleum Authority (NPA).

Dr. Hamid who was the Information Minister in the formative days of the NPP administration took over from Hassan Tampuli, who has been elected as the Member of Parliament for Gushegu and subsequently became Deputy Minister of Transport.

Dr. Hamid was the Deputy Campaign Manager for President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2020 general election

Captain Smart has called on the spirits of Ghana’s leaders to spiritually put to book, any leader that steals from the nation.

TV and radio presenter, Blessed Godsbrain Smart, who is a leading member of the #FixTheCountry picketing has invoked the spirit of Ghana’s ancestors to grease the revolution Ghanaian youth are calling for.

At the Independence Square Wednesday, August 4, 2021, Captain Smart poured libation with two bottles of gin, calling the spirits of some of Ghana’s former presidents and kings to champion the revolution.

Whilst calling for the vision of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and heart of J.A. Kufuor, he prayed for the boldness of J.J. Rawlings, not forgetting Otumfuo Osei Tutu I and Ga Mantse, King Tackie Tawiah I, the warrior traits of Yaa Asantewaa as well as departed heroes and heroines of the country to come and support the agenda, and put on track any thief that intends to dry the nation’s coffers. 

He asked that the life of any leader who intends and steals the sweat of the ordinary citizens be taken by the river gods of their land.

The #FixTheCountry protest was a registration undertaken by some Ghanaians to spell their displeasure over state of affairs, calling for the overthrow of the 1992 Constitution. 

 Source: SmartMediaGh.com

Tamale North MP Alhassan Suhuyini has described Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong as a “coward” after travelling outside the country while, thus, making it impossible to be served to appear before the committee for threatening the life of Multimedia Group journalist Erastus Asare Donkor.

Mr Suhuyini, who drew the attention of the Speaker to the alleged threat, told journalists on Thursday, 5 August 2021 that it was baffling Mr Agyapong has not made himself available to be served.“How come they couldn’t find him to serve him?” the opposition MP wondered.

“I have interpreted it to mean he only shows bravery in his comfort zone in Madina but in actual fact, he is a coward because if I were in his shoes and heard the chairman talk about a sitting today, I would have approached the committee to find out if there is an invitation available for me so that I will plan my schedules appropriately and if he didn’t do that then I take it that he deliberately avoided the committee and that’s why they haven’t been able to find him to sever him and I think that’s an act of cowardice”, Mr Suhuyini noted.

The Privileges Committee was expected to start hearing the case against Mr Agyapong today, Thursday, 5 August 2021 for stating on his Net 2 TV programme ‘The Attitude’ on 9 July 2021 that: “We should beat the hell out of Erastus Asare Donkor” and also threatened that if he (Honourable Agyapong) “were the president of Ghana, he would have ensured that Erastus Asare Donkor is beaten mercilessly”.

The TV programme was streamed live and widely published on social media platforms.

The Multimedia Group has made a complaint to the police in the Ashanti region and called on the law enforcement agency to protect Mr Asare.

According to The Multimedia Group, Mr Agyapong threatened their reporter “because of the journalistic work that Mr Asare undertook during the recent shootings and killing incident at Ejura, and his appearance before the Kingsley Koomson Committee investigating the incident.

Speaking on the matter on the floor of Parliament on Wednesday, 14 July 2021, Speaker Bagbin said: “This is my first time of hearing this matter and as it is now I am compelled to refer it to the privileges committee. It’s a matter the privileges committee would have to go into and then report to the house and it’s for the house to decide whether the honourable member is contentious of the house

One person has been shot dead by suspected armed robbers at Akyem Asuom near Kade in the Eastern Region.

The deceased, believed to be a 62-years-old man, was a labourer helping a popular food vendor in the community.

The man identified only as Congo was sleeping on the corridor of the house during the robbery attack which occurred at 2:30am Thursday, August 5,2021.

Starr News has gathered that the alleged robber alleged to be wielding an AK47 rifle fired multiple gunshots and broke into the room and demanded monies from the woman who was with her three children in the room.

” I was sleeping when I heard some noise and suddenly the dogs started barking so I peeped through the window and started asking who was there. Then suddenly I heard two gunshots so I run into the room. Then the robber entered and demanded money I gave him all that I have but he said it was not enough. He fired gunshots six times in the room,” Daavi said.

The body of the deceased has been deposited at the Kade Government Hospital

Member of Parliament for Tamale North MP Alhassan Suhuyini has labeled Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong a coward for running away from service from the privileges committee.

The committee hearing over inciteful comments from Mr Agyapong against journalist Erastus Asare Donkor scheduled for today(Thursday) had to be canceled because the MP could not be served because he’s left the country.

Speaking Kasapa News, Mr. Suhuyini who caused the Speaker to refer the Assin Central MP to the Committee said the NPP firebrand deliberately left the country to avoid appearing before the committee.

“It came to me as a surprise when the committee indicated to me that they have not been able to invite him yet due to the fact that he’s outside of the country. I find it unfortunate, I think that it amounts to an act of cowardice because we’ve all known about this case for some time now, and given the bravery he shows in his comfort zone, one would have thought that he’ll be eager to make himself available to the committee to serve him and for this matter to be dealt with by the committee and by extension the House. So I find it quite disappointing that his bravery is only exhibited in that comfort zone around him at Madina.” 

Responding to a tirade from Ken Agyapong who described him as a nonentity after the matter was referred to the Privileges Committee, Alhassan Suhuyini questioned the upbringing of the Assin Central MP

New Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has said he will suppress and repress corruption, which he describes as a pandemic.

As far as fighting corruption is concerned, Mr Agyebeng said after President Nana Akufo-Addo swore him into office on Thursday, 5 August 2021: “We are confronted by two pandemics: one is a health crisis and its outlook, macabre”.

“The other is not a health crisis but it is also a pandemic, which is corruption itself and corruption-related activities.”

“The zeal with which your administration has approached the fight in respect of the health crisis, I also see in respect of the other pandemic which is corruption, and, as, I come to this office, I pledge to the people of Ghana, as I said exactly two weeks ago that, I am going to work assiduously with deliberation to suppress and repress corruption.”https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-4549410436183225&output=html&h=250&slotname=4705176708&adk=1921530005&adf=2366005940&pi=t.ma~as.4705176708&w=300&lmt=1628182526&psa=0&format=300×250&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmobile.classfmonline.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2FCorruption-is-a-pandemic-I-ll-suppress-repress-it-Kissi-Agyebeng-26290&flash=0&wgl=1&dt=1628182526170&bpp=6&bdt=1744&idt=701&shv=r20210802&mjsv=m202108040201&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&prev_fmts=0x0%2C300x250&nras=1&correlator=8054576197703&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=620817129.1628182527&ga_sid=1628182527&ga_hid=65972562&ga_fc=0&u_tz=0&u_his=1&u_java=0&u_h=892&u_w=412&u_ah=892&u_aw=412&u_cd=24&u_nplug=0&u_nmime=0&adx=56&ady=1438&biw=412&bih=797&scr_x=0&scr_y=457&eid=20211866%2C31060475&oid=3&pvsid=2604843851767755&pem=398&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F&eae=0&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C412%2C0%2C412%2C797%2C412%2C797&vis=1&rsz=%7Co%7CEebr%7C&abl=NS&pfx=0&fu=0&bc=31&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=1&fsb=1&xpc=pNkoo3ww8q&p=https%3A//mobile.classfmonline.com&dtd=726

“I said two weeks ago at parliament that I will not be naïve to assume that I am coming to stop corruption”.

“It is innate in humans but as much as possible, my office is going to drive it down and repress it to its barest minimum”.

He also thanked President Akufo-Addo for considering and appointing youthful persons like him into public office.

“When my name was mentioned as a nominee for this position, much was shared about my nomination. Nothing negative was said about my competence”, he observed, adding: “Everything had to do with my youthfulness – my age”.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-4549410436183225&output=html&h=250&slotname=4705176708&adk=1921530005&adf=520316108&pi=t.ma~as.4705176708&w=300&lmt=1628182526&psa=0&format=300×250&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmobile.classfmonline.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2FCorruption-is-a-pandemic-I-ll-suppress-repress-it-Kissi-Agyebeng-26290&flash=0&wgl=1&dt=1628182526176&bpp=3&bdt=1750&idt=752&shv=r20210802&mjsv=m202108040201&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&prev_fmts=0x0%2C300x250%2C300x250&nras=1&correlator=8054576197703&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=620817129.1628182527&ga_sid=1628182527&ga_hid=65972562&ga_fc=0&u_tz=0&u_his=1&u_java=0&u_h=892&u_w=412&u_ah=892&u_aw=412&u_cd=24&u_nplug=0&u_nmime=0&adx=56&ady=2228&biw=412&bih=797&scr_x=0&scr_y=457&eid=20211866%2C31060475&oid=3&pvsid=2604843851767755&pem=398&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F&eae=0&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C412%2C0%2C412%2C797%2C412%2C797&vis=1&rsz=%7Co%7CEebr%7C&abl=NS&pfx=0&fu=0&bc=31&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=G4N7VuCV5c&p=https%3A//mobile.classfmonline.com&dtd=812

“And, if that is so, Mr President, I can only express the thanks of the youth of this nation that you have given youthful persons the opportunity to serve just as my friend and mate, the Hon Attorney General and Minister of Justice”, Mr Agyebeng said.

In his view, “the youth of this nation should feel proud that they have their own represented in such high offices”.

“This is our time – the youth of this nation – to carry on the development of our nation”, Mr Agyebeng added.

“Mr President, thank you very much and I express my profound gratitude”.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-4549410436183225&output=html&h=250&slotname=4705176708&adk=1921530005&adf=387235050&pi=t.ma~as.4705176708&w=300&lmt=1628182527&psa=0&format=300×250&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmobile.classfmonline.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2FCorruption-is-a-pandemic-I-ll-suppress-repress-it-Kissi-Agyebeng-26290&flash=0&wgl=1&dt=1628182526180&bpp=3&bdt=1754&idt=916&shv=r20210802&mjsv=m202108040201&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&prev_fmts=0x0%2C300x250%2C300x250%2C300x250&nras=1&correlator=8054576197703&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=620817129.1628182527&ga_sid=1628182527&ga_hid=65972562&ga_fc=0&u_tz=0&u_his=1&u_java=0&u_h=892&u_w=412&u_ah=892&u_aw=412&u_cd=24&u_nplug=0&u_nmime=0&adx=56&ady=2989&biw=412&bih=797&scr_x=0&scr_y=457&eid=20211866%2C31060475&oid=3&pvsid=2604843851767755&pem=398&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F&eae=0&fc=1920&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C412%2C0%2C412%2C797%2C412%2C797&vis=1&rsz=%7Co%7CEebr%7C&abl=NS&pfx=0&fu=0&bc=31&ifi=5&uci=a!5&btvi=3&fsb=1&xpc=R0GVlPMMSC&p=https%3A//mobile.classfmonline.com&dtd=956

Citing the new Special Prosecutor’s extensive educational and professional legal background, President Akufo-Addo stated that “it is clear that Mr. Kissi Agyebeng is eminently qualified to occupy the Office of Special Prosecutor. He has the capacity, the experience, the requisite values and intellectual strength to succeed in this vital position”.

Congratulating Mr Agyebeng on his appointment, the President stated that the “wide acceptance of his nomination by the Ghanaian people, and the nature of his performance during Parliament’s approval process are, for me, indications that the confidence I reposed in him, to discharge one of the most critical functions of State, was not misplaced.”

Addressing the gathering, which included Chief of Staff Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Attorney General Godfred Yeboah Dame and MP for Mpraeso Davis Opoku Ansah, the President reiterated that the creation of the Office of Special Prosecutor was borne out of the commitment to fashion an additional instrument to fight the canker of corruption.

“The genuineness of that commitment to create an independent, non-partisan body with the relevant professional capability, to lead the fight, and hold public officials, past and present, accountable for their stewardship of public finances, was made manifest in the appointment of a very senior figure from the opposite side of the political divide to establish and head this very significant Office. This appointment, as you would all recall, was met with stiff opposition by some members from both sides of the aisle,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo continued, “In spite of the unfortunate events that led to the departure of the first occupant of the Office, I do not regret making that appointment. On my part as President of the Republic, I ensured that the Office was adequately resourced to enable it carry out its mandate. I am, however, consoled by the oft-cited statement that there is no use crying over spilt milk”.

Thus, when the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, on 16th April 2021, moved to nominate Mr Kissi Agyebeng, under section 13(3) of Act 959, for consideration as the second occupant of the Office of Special Prosecutor, the President indicated that he had little hesitation in accepting the nomination.

He, therefore, urged Mr Kissi Agyebeng to bear in mind at all times that the Office carries an extraordinary responsibility to fight corruption independently and impartially, describing the remit of the Office as broad and challenging.

“I want to assure Mr Kissi Agyebeng, like I did his predecessor, that not only will the Executive, including the Attorney General, respect scrupulously the independence of his Office, but will also provide him with whatever assistance is required to enable him discharge his high duties effectively, in the interest of the Ghanaian people. Indeed, all institutions of state will work and co-operate with him in the same spirit, which he articulated at his approval proceedings in Parliament,” President Akufo-Addo assured. While acknowledging that the activities of the Office of Special Prosecutor, no matter how vigorous, cannot provide the entire panacea to the problem of corruption, the President urged other institutions of State to co-operate with the new Special Prosecutor.

“Government will continue to give stronger budgetary assistance to the other constitutionally mandated institutions that hold government accountable, and help fight corruption, i.e., the Auditor General, Parliament, Judiciary, the Police Service, the Ministry of Justice, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO),” he added

The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Thursday, 5th August 2021, swore into office the second occupant of the Office of Special Prosecutor, Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, at a brief event at Jubilee House, the seat of the nation’s presidency.

Citing the new Special Prosecutor’s extensive educational and professional legal background, President Akufo-Addo stated that “it is clear that Mr. Kissi Agyebeng is eminently qualified to occupy the Office of Special Prosecutor. He has the capacity, the experience, the requisite values and intellectual strength to succeed in this vital position”.

Congratulating Mr. Kissi Agyebeng on his appointment, the President stated that the “wide acceptance of his nomination by the Ghanaian people, and the nature of his performance during Parliament’s approval process are, for me, indications that the confidence I reposed in him, to discharge one of the most critical functions of State, was not misplaced.”

Addressing the gathering, which included Chief of Staff, Hon. Akosua Frema Osei- Opare; Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame; and MP for Mpraeso, Hon. Davis Opoku Ansah, the President reiterated that the creation of the Office of Special Prosecutor was borne out of the commitment to fashion an additional instrument to fight the canker of corruption. 

“The genuineness of that commitment to create an independent, non-partisan body with the relevant professional capability, to lead the fight, and hold public officials, past and present, accountable for their stewardship of public finances, was made manifest in the appointment of a very senior figure from the opposite side of the political divide to establish and head this very significant Office. This appointment, as you would all recall, was met with stiff opposition by some members from both sides of the aisle,” he said.

President Akufo-Addo continued, “In spite of the unfortunate events that led to the departure of the first occupant of the Office, I do not regret making that appointment. On my part as President of the Republic, I ensured that the Office was adequately resourced to enable it carry out its mandate. I am, however, consoled by the oft-cited statement that there is no use crying over spilt milk”. 

Thus, when the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, on 16th April 2021, moved to nominate Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, under section 13(3) of Act 959, for consideration as the second occupant of the Office of Special Prosecutor, the President indicated that he had little hesitation in accepting the nomination. 

He, therefore, urged Mr. Kissi Agyebeng to bear in mind at all times that the Office carries an extraordinary responsibility to fight corruption independently and impartially, describing the remit of the Office as broad and challenging. 

“I want to assure Mr. Kissi Agyebeng, like I did his predecessor, that not only will the Executive, including the Attorney General, respect scrupulously the independence of his Office, but will also provide him with whatever assistance is required to enable him discharge his high duties effectively, in the interest of the Ghanaian people. Indeed, all institutions of state will work and co-operate with him in the same spirit, which he articulated at his approval proceedings in Parliament,” President Akufo-Addo assured.  

Whilst acknowledging that the activities of the Office of Special Prosecutor, no matter how vigorous, cannot provide the entire panacea to the problem of corruption, the President urged other institutions of State to co-operate with the new Special Prosecutor. 

“Government will continue to give stronger budgetary assistance to the other constitutionally mandated institutions that hold government accountable, and help fight corruption, i.e., the Auditor General, Parliament, Judiciary, the Police Service, the Ministry of Justice, the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO),” he added. 

CEO of Menzgold, Nana Appiah Mensah, has responded interestingly to a Menzgold customer who asked for his money.

The customer went under his post asking him for his locked money. The customer posted; saying “won’t you pay me my money?.”

In a reply by Nana Appiah Mensah, he said, he doesn’t owe anyone and anybody but the company does because he Himself is heavily owed by the company.

Screenshot below

President Nana Akufo-Addo has said from the educational and career backgrounds of the new special prosecutor, “it is clear that Mr Kissi Agyebeng is eminently qualified to occupy the office”.

“He has the capacity, experience, requisite values, and intellectual strength to succeed in this vital position”, Mr Akufo-Addo said when he swore the 43-year-old law lecturer in as Mr Martin Amidu’s successor.

“I urge the new special prosecutor to bear in mind at all times that the office carries an extraordinary responsibility to fight corruption independently and impartially”, the president noted.

The president also reminded Mr Agyebeng of his mandate.

“The special prosecutor, as the Act says in its preamble, shall: ‘Have full authority and control over the investigation, initiation and conduct of proceedings of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption-related offences involving public officers and politically-exposed persons in the performance of their functions as well as persons in the private sector involved in the commission or alleged of suspected corruption and corruption-related offences’”.

The remit of the office, the president noted, “is broad and challenging”.

Mr Akufo-Addo also assured Mr Agyebeng of the independence of his office and the necessary assistance.

“I want to assure Mr Kissi Agyebeng, like I did his predecessor, that not only will the executive, including the attorney general, respect the independence of his office, but also will provide him with whatever assistance is required to enable him discharge his high duties effectively in the interest of the Ghanaian people”.

“Indeed, all institutions of state will work and cooperate with him in the same spirit which he articulated in his approval procedure in parliament”, the president added.

During his vetting, Mr Agyebeng told the committee that he intends to guard his independence jealously in carrying out his mandate in terms of investigating, preventing, prosecuting corruption cases and managing seized, frozen or confiscated properties.

In his view, the relevance of the OSP cannot be overemphasised and, thus, warned: “…The day we scrap this office is the day we say goodbye to our fight against corruption”.

“Its relevance is borne out by its attributes and its uniqueness”, he argued, adding: “It is unique, as compared to all the other law enforcement agencies in respect of its mandate because no other institution has been carefully designed and thought-out to fight corruption specifically as Act 959 has done and Hon Chair, in respect of this, the office of the special prosecutor is the gold standard under the UN convention against corruption and the AU convention on the prevention and combatting of corruption”.

“The international community, including Ghana ratified these conventions in the early 2,000s, I think 2002 if I’m not wrong, that every jurisdiction requires such a specialised agency, it should be made independent with a specialised trained staff to focus on the fight against corruption”, he observed.

According to him, the OSP is relevant because the Attorney General “is a member of cabinet, he’s part of the government. How independent would he be in terms of certain individuals if they were to fall foul of the law if, for instance, they are also members of cabinet or members of the government?”

“But in respect of the OSP, the person manning it, who is not part of the government machinery, who is independent; and Hon Chair, if given the nod, I’m going to guard my independence jealously,” he said.

Mr Agyebeng also admitted to the committee that: “I am not naive to assume that I am coming to stop corruption”, adding: “There’s no way I can stop corruption”.

“God himself will not acclaim to that but I am going to make corruption very costly to engage in”, Mr Agyebeng told the committee.

Mr Agyebeng is the Chairman of the Electronic Communications Tribunal.

Mr Agyebeng was nominated as Ghana’s second Special Prosecutor following the resignation of Mr Martin Amidu.

Mr Amidu resigned from the position on 15 November 2020 citing interference by President Nana Akufo-Addo in his job. In a letter to the Presidency, Attorney General Godfred Dame said: “Kissi Agyebeng possesses the requisite expertise on corruption and corruption-related matters and is of high moral character and proven integrity and satisfies all the other requirements stipulated in section 13(1) and (2) of Act 959.”

Section 13(8) of the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959) requires the President to appoint a person qualified for appointment as Special Prosecutor to that position, within six months of the Office of Special Prosecutor becoming vacant

New Special Prosecutor Kissi Agyebeng has thanked President Nana Akufo-Addo for considering and appointing youthful persons like him into public office.

Speaking after the president swore him into office on Thursday, 5 August 2021, the 43-year-old lawyer said: “When my name was mentioned as a nominee for this position, much was shared about my nomination”.

“Nothing negative was said about my competence”, he observed, adding: “Everything had to do with my youthfulness – my age”.

“And, if that is so, Mr President, I can only express the thanks of the youth of this nation that you have given youthful persons the opportunity to serve just as my friend and mate, the Hon Attorney General and Minister of Justice”, Mr Agyebeng said.

In his view, “the youth of this nation should feel proud that they have their own represented in such high offices”.

“This is our time – the youth of this nation – to carry on the development of our nation”, Mr Agyebeng added.

“Mr President, thank you very much and I express my profound gratitude”.

As far as fighting corruption is concerned, Mr Agyebeng said: “We are confronted by two pandemics: one is a health crisis and its outlook, macabre”.

“The other is not a health crisis but it is also a pandemic, which is corruption itself and corruption-related activities.”

“The zeal with which your administration has approached the fight in respect of the health crisis, I also see in respect of the other pandemic which is corruption, and, as, I come to this office, I pledge to the people of Ghana, as I said exactly two weeks ago that, I am going to work assiduously with deliberation to suppress and repress corruption.”

“I said two weeks ago at parliament that I will not be naïve to assume that I am coming to stop corruption”.

“It is innate in humans but as much as possible, my office is going to drive it down and repress it to its barest minimum

The Minority leader in Parliament Haruna Iddrisu has described as selective Justice the manner in which the Attorney General department rushed to court to press charges against Collins Dauda and four others.

While wondering the rush in putting the accused persons before a vacation court when the Judicial service is observing a two months break, Mr Iddrissu said, persons who made similar payments in 2017 have been left out.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-8731784857660975&output=html&h=343&adk=2759439306&adf=3955101594&pi=t.aa~a.86673156~i.5~rp.4&w=412&lmt=1628177996&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=6320142137&tp=site_kit&psa=0&ad_type=text_image&format=412×343&url=https%3A%2F%2Fkasapafmonline.com%2F2021%2F08%2Fsaglemi-case-trial-of-collins-dauda-4-others-selective-justice-haruna-iddrisu%2F&flash=0&fwr=1&pra=3&rh=310&rw=372&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&sfro=1&wgl=1&fa=27&dt=1628177996197&bpp=16&bdt=4206&idt=-M&shv=r20210802&mjsv=m202108040201&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D2bf90cffccbd1778-22b7379296c9003d%3AT%3D1628177995%3ART%3D1628177995%3AS%3DALNI_MYlsn0kWin3j1QyQkXNO3M9Depytg&prev_fmts=0x0%2C300x600&nras=2&correlator=3539326959025&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=2145562043.1628177995&ga_sid=1628177995&ga_hid=2018313991&ga_fc=0&u_tz=0&u_his=1&u_java=0&u_h=892&u_w=412&u_ah=892&u_aw=412&u_cd=24&u_nplug=0&u_nmime=0&adx=0&ady=947&biw=412&bih=797&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=42530672%2C20211866%2C31062065%2C31060475&oid=3&pvsid=4465379201185135&pem=900&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C412%2C0%2C412%2C797%2C412%2C797&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&ifi=3&uci=a!3&btvi=2&fsb=1&xpc=alQw1bBUp7&p=https%3A//kasapafmonline.com&dtd=147

Addressing journalists after the sitting, Mr Iddrissu said, it baffles minds when persons who made payments in 2018 in respect of the Saglemi Affordable Housing project case were not arraigned.https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?client=ca-pub-8731784857660975&output=html&h=343&adk=2759439306&adf=24769314&pi=t.aa~a.86673156~i.7~rp.4&w=412&lmt=1628177996&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=6320142137&tp=site_kit&psa=0&ad_type=text_image&format=412×343&url=https%3A%2F%2Fkasapafmonline.com%2F2021%2F08%2Fsaglemi-case-trial-of-collins-dauda-4-others-selective-justice-haruna-iddrisu%2F&flash=0&fwr=1&pra=3&rh=310&rw=372&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&sfro=1&wgl=1&fa=27&dt=1628177996197&bpp=13&bdt=4205&idt=-M&shv=r20210802&mjsv=m202108040201&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D2bf90cffccbd1778-22b7379296c9003d%3AT%3D1628177995%3ART%3D1628177995%3AS%3DALNI_MYlsn0kWin3j1QyQkXNO3M9Depytg&prev_fmts=0x0%2C300x600%2C412x343&nras=3&correlator=3539326959025&frm=20&pv=1&ga_vid=2145562043.1628177995&ga_sid=1628177995&ga_hid=2018313991&ga_fc=0&u_tz=0&u_his=1&u_java=0&u_h=892&u_w=412&u_ah=892&u_aw=412&u_cd=24&u_nplug=0&u_nmime=0&adx=0&ady=1431&biw=412&bih=797&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=42530672%2C20211866%2C31062065%2C31060475&oid=3&pvsid=4465379201185135&pem=900&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com%2F&eae=0&fc=1408&brdim=0%2C0%2C0%2C0%2C412%2C0%2C412%2C797%2C412%2C797&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=3&fsb=1&xpc=3z3n0cnbZx&p=https%3A//kasapafmonline.com&dtd=276

“Is it not interesting that they’re being charged for financial loss to the state when we have evidence that as at May, 31, 2018 some payments were made to the same contractor yet the persons who made those payments are not being charged. It only can be a matter of selective justice,” he told Journalists on Thursday.

The former Minister of Works and Housing Alhaji Collins Dauda has been admitted to a self-recognizance bail in the Saglemi Affordable Housing project case.

He was granted bail after he pleaded not guilty to charges including causing financial loss to the state and was ordered to deposit his Ghanaian passport to the registrar of the court.

Kweku Agyeman Mensah, also a former Minister of Works and Housing, and Alhaji Ziblim Yakubu, Chief Director of the Ministry were granted bail in the sums of $65 million each.

In addition, they are to produce three sureties one of whom should be a public officer.

Andrew Clocanas Executive chairman of Constructura OAS Ghana Limited who is the fourth accused person was also admitted to bail in the sum of $179M with three sureties one of whom should be a public servant.

Nouvi Tetteh Angelo, the fifth accused person was admitted to bail in the sum of $13M dollars with three sureties.

The court presided over by Justice Comfort Tasiame ordered all accused persons to deposit their Ghanaian passports to the registrar of the court

The case has been adjourned to October 13.