The Ghana Health Service has recommended the introduction of Rapid Diagnostic test kits at all entry points of the country, as part of efforts to control the spread of COVID-19.
Addressing the media after a two-day crisis meeting in the Ashanti Region, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, said the test kits will ensure that “the trucks and the cargo which come in, which carry people, will also be tested on arrival at a manageable cost.”
“We want to ensure management of the situation at the Kotoka International Airport as cases arrive,” he added.
In addition, Dr. Kuma-Aboagye said surveillance at seaports and land beaches will be increased.
“We are encouraging our fisherfolk to assist us and the district to work with them. We will also be working at the seaports to ensure that all people working at the seaports are tested on arrival.”
Dr. Kuma-Aboagye also warned of a major third wave of the virus in the country if the non-adherence to the protocols continues after the recent surge in cases.
“COVID is still around, and while the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service work to prevent and control the outbreak, we urge the public to observe all the safety protocols to avert a major third wave of COVID-19 in Ghana.”
Ghana currently has 3,466 active cases of the virus.
This has more than doubled from the beginning of July when Ghana had 1,573 active cases of the virus.
Overall, it has recorded 99,734 cases of the virus with 817 deaths since March 2020.
The highly transmissible strain of COVID-19 which originated from India, the Delta variant, has also been detected in Ghana.
The country began its vaccination drive and so far, 1,271,393 doses have been administered.
Of the doses administered, 405,971 have received first and second doses of the AstraZanca Vaccine
Member of Parliament (MP) for Yendi in the Northern Region, Alhaji Farouk Aliu Mahama, has said Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON) which is the tertiary institution’s wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), will play a leading key role in breaking the eight during the 2024 elections and must be well-resourced to enable them to do so.
The NPP has come out with a slogan ‘Breaking The 8’ , a political cycle which has always changed ruling parties since 1992 after two consecutive four-year terms, and the ruling party wants to set that record in 2024, when President Akufo-Addo is exiting power after serving the constitutionally-mandated two terms.
Farouk, son of the late former Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, said TESCON has become an important pillar in the NPP and the youth must always be encouraged to spread the ideals of the NPP government.
Speaking at the handing over and swearing-in ceremony of new executives of the TESCON at University of Professional Studies (UPSA), Accra, the Yendi MP reminded them of their previous critical roles in NPP victories and urged them to sustain the good works.
“TESCON owes it a duty to ensure that the youth of the party are positioned well to become the main pillar that will drive us towards breaking the eight. I have been part and parcel of TESCON and engaging them at Legon and other tertiary institutions. We must appreciate the hard work TESCON plays and the critical role for the future of the NPP,” the young MP said.
He said “breaking the eight requires recognition among ourselves. We have a herculean task. We the youth should prepare our minds and be part of the decision-making process so that ‘breaking the 8’ will not just be a cliché but a reality.”
He reminded them not to undermine their own education whilst doing politics on campus, and urged them to prepare themselves well for future engagements.
“Ensure that what you have set out to achieve becomes a reality despite the impediments that will come your way. If my late father who is the son of a porridge seller rose to become a Vice President of Ghana, what can you not achieve? Hon. Abu Jinapor, Hon. Francis Asenso Boakye, Sammi Awuku and others, all aspired as TESCON members and are in enviable positions today so don’t give up,” he added
Captain Smart says he is not afraid of Kennedy Agyapong and has told him to refine his attitude as a Member of Parliament.
Captain Smart has called the bluff of Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong for his pronouncements. He says unlike other media houses and journalists, he is not afraid of the legislator’s brags.
Following the Member of Parliament’s (MP’s) call to get a journalist assaulted for testifying before the Commission of Inquiry probing the Ejura killing incidents, Mr. Smart says it was time Ken Agyapong lived to the Honourable title attached to his office as a member of the legislative arm of government.
“It’s like every media house in Ghana is afraid of Ken Agyapong, but me, I’m not afraid of you”
On the Smart Show streamed live on YouTube Monday, July 18, 2021, Mr. Smart said there hasn’t been any iota of wisdom in most of the MP’s comments, one of the reasons he has not been responding to him.
“You’ve said so many things but because there is no sense in any of them, that’s why I don’t respond”
He also said “I don’t like personal beef so I usually don’t do those things” adding that Ken Agyapong “started so well from 2013 defending the ordinary Ghanaian –one other reason I usually don’t respond to things you say because I admire anybody that stands and speak for the ordinary Ghanaian”
He added that Ken Agyapong’s benevolence exhibited towards the needy whenever he came to Multimedia won his heart, even though he later preached every good deed offered people to the public.
Like the MP saying “if he were the president” during his threats to Mr. Asare Donkor, Captain Smart said he would have lashed Ken Agyapong and got him impeached as an MP if he had his way.
He, however, advised him to stay off the media for one month and reflect over his actions and come back as an honourable man.
His Committee, the Defence and Interior, Smart noted is the heart of Ghana and the reason he should be weary of his actions rather than always “disgracing the president.”
There has been a reported attempt to stab the interim President of Mali, Assimi Goita.
He was targeted in an attempted stabbing attack after Eid al-Adha prayers at the Grand Mosque in the capital, Bamako, his office announced in a tweet.
“The attacker was immediately overpowered by security. Investigations are ongoing,” the tweet read on Tuesday
A report by AFP says Goita was whisked away,
A Malian Government official is believed to have told AFP that Goita was “safe and sound”. The president arrived at the military camp of Kati, outside Bamako, “where security has been reinforced”.
The Member of Parliament for the Ablekuma West Constituency, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, as part of her “Work and Pay taxi scheme” has handed over taxis to beneficiaries who have completed payment.
Mrs Ekuful, considering the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy, removed the 30% interest on the cost of the vehicles. Drivers who had already paid the interest also received a refund.
She presented documents transferring ownership to the said beneficiaries.
The Member of Parliament also met senior citizens from the Mampong Okai electoral area to show her gratitude for their support during the 2020 elections. She discussed with them issues concerning the development of the constituency and also visited the sick amongst them.
Mrs Ekuful later inspected ongoing renovation works on the Dansoman Children’s Park and the Tunga Islamic School building.
The Dansoman Children’s Park is being renovated into a state of the art recreational facility and would have a playground, an amphitheatre, basketball court, volleyball court, and an astroturf upon completion
President Nana Akufo-Addo has said the rising number of active COVID-19 cases shows that “we’ve let our guard down”.
Currently, the number of active cases is 3,124 after falling to almost 1,000 a few weeks ago.
A total of 815 people have died.
Some 343 new cases were recently confirmed, according to the latest figures from the Ghana Health Service.
Since mid-March 2020, a total of 99,160 people have had the virus in Ghana.
Out of that number, 95,221 have recovered.
Addressing Muslims at the Eid-ul-Adha celebration at the National Central Mosque at Kanda, Accra, President Akufo-Addo said: “The COVID-19 pandemic is still with us – unfortunately”.
“As we continue to count on the grace of God to protect our country from the ravages of the pandemic like he has since its outbreak, we can only minimise its health effects and avoid a full-blown third wave if we continue to be responsible and observe the safety and hygiene protocols.”
He noted: “The recent increase in the number of infections is a source of worry for me and, indeed, for all Ghanaians”.
“From the rising numbers, it is safe to conclude that we have let our guard down and are beginning to live our lives and conduct our businesses as though we are in normal times”.
“It is important to repeat that the virus is still with us and until each one of us receives a dose of the vaccine, the protocols must continue to be a part and parcel of our daily activities,” he added
Students of St Louis Senior High school in the Ashanti region last night staged a protest over the seeming confusion about their midterm break.
The angry all-female students say they are fed up with the inconsistencies in the Senior High school education calendar. They say the current situation makes it difficult for both teachers and students to plan for their academic work.
During the Monday night protest, students massed up at the headmistress’ residence with the intent to stage their protest on campus over the cancellation of the midterm break.
However, the police were called in by the school authorities thwarting the protest.
According to the Ashanti Regional Police Public relations officer, ASP Godwin Ahianyor, it took the police some time to convince the students to accept that their headmistress had nothing to do with the midterm break cancellation.
He added, “currently calm has returned to the school and the students are going about their normal duties”.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has lauded the measures put in place by his government in putting the country’s economy back on the recovery track.
Despite showing promise in the period prior to the coronavirus, Ghana’s economy was hit by the global pandemic with the gains made receding drastically.
However, the president promised in March, 2020 that his government cannot bring lives lost back but knows how to bring the economy back in one of the classical statements made by a head of state during the pandemic.
“We know how to bring the economy back to life. What we do not know is how to bring people back to life,” he stated on Saturday, March 28, 2020.
Addressing Muslims at the National Mosque Complex at Kanda on Tuesday, July 20, President Akufo-Addo stated that the economy is recovering at a faster rate than many countries across the world.
“Our country is making a faster economic recovery in comparison to many around the world with our economy expanding by 3.1 percent in the first quarter of 2021,” he said.
“In many economies around the world, due to the effects of COVID-19, governments are finding it difficult to attract the needed investment in the productive areas of their economies.”null
He indicated that Ghana’s situation appears to be different.
“The investor community continues to cast a vote of confidence in our economy and several companies are making investments in our economy that will create jobs for the young people of our country.”
The fifth president of the Fourth Republic said the love of the country is still burning hot within him and he will do everything possible to get the youth job opportunities in the country.
“We are determined to pursue our agenda of job creation in order to give opportunities to our youths to nurture their talents for the development of our country.”
President Akufo-Addo also admonished all to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols to save Ghana from a potential third wave.
The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has implored Muslims to say special prayers for the world and Ghana, in particular, to contain and ultimately defeat the novel coronavirus.
The NPP made the appeal in a statement signed by its General Secretary John Boadu on the occasion of Eid al-Adha on Tuesday, 20 July 2021.
The NPP also reminded the Muslim community that the day is not just for celebrations, but more importantly, a day for them to reflect on their sacrifices, first of all, to their Maker, and then to their fellow humans and to society at large.
Below are details of the full statement:
Today marks the day of Arafah signalling the commemoration of Prophet Muhammed’s (SAW) final sermon and the completion of the Message of Islam.
Ordinarily, this day would see some millions of Muslims worldwide who have made it to the Holy land of Makkah move from Mina to mount Arafat, also known as the “Mount of Mercy” for the most important part of the Hajj pilgrimage.
However, owing to the extraordinary times we find ourselves occasioned by the deadly Covid-19 outbreak, the holy pilgrimage to Makkah, this year, just like last year has been restricted to only the Muslims who are within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are not in normal times indeed.
The climax of Arafah on the ninth day of Dhu-Hijjah paves way for the observance of Eid-Ul-Adha the following day by the rest of the Muslim Ummah. Tuesday, July 20, 2021, is, therefore, the Eid day.
Eid-Ul-Adha, in essence, marks the culmination of the holy pilgrimage and significantly, it is a commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim’s famous sacrifice to Almighty Allah.
As these two historic events are being observed, the NPP is pleased to wish all Muslims the very best in these celebrations both of which mark important milestones on the Islamic calendar.
Whilst at it, the party also reminds them of the fact of this day not just being a day for celebrations, but more importantly, a day for them to reflect on their sacrifices, first of all, to their Maker, and then to fellow humans and to society at large.
Finally, the NPP, while appealing to the Muslim Ummah to use these two solemn occasions to renew their covenant with Almighty Allah also implores them to say special prayers for the World and Ghana, in particular, to contain and ultimately defeat the novel coronavirus.
We are in this together, and certainly, in the name of Almighty ALLAH, (Subhaanahu Wa Ta Aala), this too, in the words of His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo SHALL pass to the glory of Allah and country.
A 16-year-old boy has been hit by a stray bullet at Aboabo Number Two in the Asokore Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region.
The bullet came from guns brandished by a group of young men as they made Eid ul-Adha fanfare.
The incident happened right after Eid prayers on Tuesday, 20 July 2021.
The police has launched an investigation into the incident.
The teenage victim, Abdul-Gafar Kassim, was first rushed to the Manhyia Government Hospital but later pronounced dead at the Manhyia Government Hospital.
Another person sustained gunshot wounds and on admission at the hospital
The Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, has asked Muslims to pray for the country as “these are not the best of times for our country.”
Mr Bagbin said the challenges of the country in various aspects of national endeavour are pronounced.
In his Eid al-Adha message on Tuesday, 20 July 2021, Speaker Bagbin noted: “Our economy needs an urgent boost if we are to experience growth and development. We have been propagating a paradigm shift in the management of our economy, which never seems to materialize. We cannot continue down the route on which we are currently, with very little effort at industrialization: it has not been helpful.”
He stated that within the Ghanaian social setup, education and health facilities are overstretched.
“The growth in our population, which I believe will be borne out by the ongoing population and housing census, has not seen a reciprocal attempt to improve upon infrastructure for health and education. The result is there for all to see: lack of hospital beds and schools under trees continue to be challenged,” he added.
On top of all these, the Speaker said Ghana remains sharply divided along political lines.
He said: “We strive to find the political coloration of citizens who raise issues with where our country is headed, instead of finding out the reasoning and the logic in the issues raised. We cannot continue like this. In addition, we see very little attempt to punish corruption and inefficiency among the political class, thereby creating the perception of political clubbing at the highest level of the political superstructure of this country.”
In his view, these are what “we must pray for during this solemn occasion, so that the Almighty Allah will properly order our steps as a country and place us on the path towards national reconstruction and restoration.”
He called on leaders of the country to exhibit a lot more sacrifice whilst working at resolving the many challenges that confront the nation.
Below is the speaker’s full message:
MESSAGE FROM THE RT. HON. ALBAN SUMANA KINGSFORD BAGBIN, SPEAKER OF PARLIAMENT, ON THE OCCASION OF THE CELEBRATION OF EID AL-ADHA
I extend my warmest compliments and well wishes to the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, and the Muslim Community in the country on the occasion of the celebration of the feast of Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Adha is a festival that commemorates the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and the sacrifice of Abraham. It is celebrated to remind us of Abraham’s obedience to Allah.
The Islamic community has instituted this festival to remind us of the need for sacrifice, obedience, sharing, and thanksgiving. It is a period for introspection and reconnection with the Almighty Allah. During this solemn period, I urge all Muslims to pray for Ghana and the welfare of our people as you come together for the congregational prayer to mark this special day. I believe when we approach Allah together in supplication, He will listen to our prayers to guide our dear country along the path of truth and righteousness.
These are not the best of times for our country. The challenges we have in the various aspects of national endeavor are pronounced. Our economy needs an urgent boost if we are to experience growth and development. We have been propagating a paradigm shift in the management of our economy, which never seems to materialize. We cannot continue down the route on which we are currently, with very little effort at industrialization: it has not been helpful.
Within our social setup, education and health facilities are overstretched. The growth in our population, which I believe will be borne out by the on-going population and housing census, has not seen a reciprocal attempt to improve upon infrastructure for health and education. The result is there for all to see: lack of hospital beds and schools under trees continue to be challenged. On top of all these, Ghana remains sharply divided along political lines. We strive to find the political coloration of citizens who raise issues with where our country is headed, instead of finding out the reasoning and the logic in the issues raised. We cannot continue like this. In addition, we see very little attempt to punish corruption and inefficiency among the political class, thereby creating the perception of political clubbing at the highest level of the political superstructure of this country.
These are what we must pray for during this solemn occasion so that the Almighty Allah will properly order our steps as a country and place us on the path towards national reconstruction and restoration. We need to demonstrate a lot more care for one another in the decisions we make as government and in the care that we demonstrate towards each other. Leaders of this country need to exhibit a lot more sacrifice whilst we work at resolving the many challenges that confront us. This is where my admiration for Eid al-Adha comes to the fore: the spirit of sharing and the sacrifice that the Islamic faithful exhibit during this period is legendary. This is particularly towards the elderly, loved ones and to the deprived in society.
I pray that this same spirit will guide us all to reduce the unnecessary tensions and divisions in our country so that together, we can build a safe and a prosperous nation for ourselves and for generations to come. I wish all Muslims a very joyous and reflective Eid al-Adha. Barkah da Sallah and may Allah make us live to see another Sallah.
• Kweku Baako has responded to Kennedy Agyapong’s statement of corruption against him
• Baako insists Agyapong has no concrete evidence as he wants the public to believe
• The veteran journalist challenged the MP to provide the evidence he claimed to be in his possession
The Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Kweku Baako Jnr, has responded to Kennedy Agyapong’s utterances barely a day after the legislator questioned his integrity as a veteran journalist.
Kweku Baako has described the comments as “crude nonsense”.
Kennedy Agyapong had in a submission on ‘The Seat Show’ on Net2 TV, Monday, July 19, cautioned members of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to stay away from Kweku Baako and investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, claiming that the two had planned the downfall of the party.
“I’m warning the NPP to be careful with Kweku Baako and Anas else they will topple their government. What has he achieved in this country? He moves around and speaks like he knows more than anyone in this world,” the Assin Central MP said while threatening to show a video to back his claim.
The legislator also served a notice that his legal tussle with Kweku Baako will not see an end soon as he believes the charges levelled against him by the journalist holds no water.
It will be recalled that Kweku Baako sued Kennedy Agyapong at the High Court on charges of defamation. The court ruled in Baako’s favour but Kennedy Agyapong has appealed the case with a ruling yet to be delivered on the matter.
Without any equivocation, Kennedy Agyapong said he will not make any payment to Baako as he remains convinced that he has a strong defense.
Responding to the allegations that he seeks the downfall of NPP, Kweku Baako in a Facebook post said the accusations meted out by Kennedy Agyapong are only empty rants. According to him, Kennedy Agyapong has no piece of evidence to substantiate his claim.
The veteran journalist further stated that the MP, despite suffering a humiliating defeat at the High Court appears to have “grown some balls” by dragging his name and seemingly attempting to cause enmity between himself and the Akufo-Addo-led government.
Parts of the statement on Facebook read, “After suffering a humiliating defeat at the High Court, and pending the outcome of his weak and incompetent appeal at the Court of Appeal, this man appears to have grown ‘some balls’ and has re-started spewing the usual ugly noises of allegations of me being involved in corruption and clandestine activities to undermine the Akufo-Addo Administration; similar allegations he proved chronically incompetent and unable to substantiate in the Court of Competent Jurisdiction.”
Pending the appeal in court, Baako indicated in the post that he [Baako] is immune to Agyapong’s “useless, ugly and noisy public stunts.” He dared that if truly the Kennedy Agyapong was a man of courage and conviction, he should make his evidence public for all to see.
“I am told he claims he has some “video evidence” of my involvement in some corrupt, illegal and criminal activities. He had none to support his bogus, malicious and mischievous allegations at the High Court. If he is truly a man of COURAGE OF CONVICTION, I challenge him to make his so-called evidence public for all to see and hear!”
The Eastern Regional Manager of Glo Ghana has been arrested for allegedly defiling a 14-year-old Junior High School student in Koforidua.
The accused, Awoseni Akinyemi, 30, a Nigerian, allegedly defiled the JHS2 student three times in his house at Abrewa-Nkwata, a suburb of Koforidua, and gave her contraceptive each time he had sex with her.
The suspect married with children in Nigeria was put before Koforidua Circuit Court “B” Monday, July 19, 2021.
He said on July 9, 2021, the father of the victim based upon a tip-off that a man has been picking the daughter with his private car almost every day to an unknown destination after school, came to Koforidua quietly to survey.
On the day, the accused did not show up. however, the father searched the school bag of the victim where he retrieved tablets of ‘Lydia emergency contraceptive’.
The alleged victim confided in the father when interrogated that, in June 2021, the accused met her at koforidua -Asokore and told her she was beautiful and that he wanted her to become his friend. She said in the same month, the accused invited her to his House at Abrewa -Nkwanta, a suburb of Koforidua on three occasions where he had unprotected sexual intercourse with her on each time she visited.
The alleged victim said the accused bought her Lydia Contraceptive anytime he had sexual intercourse with her. The father of the victim lodged a formal complaint at the Eastern Regional Office of the Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVSSU) where a medical report form was issued to the alleged victim.
The medical doctor who examined the victim confirmed the sexual abuse stating among other things that the hymen of the victim was broken. The accused was subsequently arrested by Police.
The accused admitted the offence but said the victim visited him twice and that he had consensual sexual intercourse with her only during her first visit.
He told investigators that he gave the contraceptive to her to prevent pregnancy.
The accused has been charged with defilement contrary to section 101 (2) of the Criminal Offences Act 29/60 as amended by section 11 of Act 554/98.
The defense counsel prayed the court to admit the accused to bail but the Prosecuting officer Chief Inspector Bernard Annor raised objection stating that the accused has no permanent place of abode in Koforidua besides has credible information that the accused was preparing to leave Ghana to Nigeria to visit his wife and children nd, therefore, may jump bail.
The Court Presided by Her Honour Mercy Addei kotei upheld the position of the prosecuting officer and remanded the accused to reappear before court on July 26,2021.
A former Chief of Defense Staff, Brigadier General Joseph Nunoo-Mensah, has attributed the massive number of Ghanaian youth turning up for military recruitment to the high unemployment rate in the country.
He believes this could have dangerous implications for the quality of personnel in the army.
“There are no jobs for the youth, so whatever job is available, they are going for it not because they want to serve the nation in that capacity, but because they are jobless and hungry.”
“That is a very dangerous thing because when you do that, you don’t get quality people to serve the nation in either the police or the military,” Nunoo-Mensah stated.
On Monday, thousands of Ghanaians thronged the El Wak Sports Stadium in Accra to participate in a documentation and medical screening process for recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces.
This has been the trend for some years now.
From as early as 4:00am applicants started a queue that stretched for over four kilometres.
This was after the announcement from the Ghana Armed Forces informing the public of the commencement of a recruitment exercise back in May.
The Army is expected to recruit some 1,000 personnel from the applicants in the Greater Accra Region.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has asked the Muslim Ummah in the country to pray for wisdom for him and his members of government so they can govern and get Ghana out of its economic challenges.
Nana Akufo-Addo made the appeal on Tuesday, 20 July 2021 when he joined the National Chief Imam Dr Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu and the Muslim community in the country at the national mosque in Kanda, Accra, to celebrate Eid-al-Adha.
Eid al-Adha is a festival of the sacrifice.
It is one of the two official holidays celebrated within Islam
It honours the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God’s command but before Ibrahim could sacrifice his son, however, God provided a lamb to sacrifice instead.
In his address, Nana Akufo-Addo said: “The sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim which we celebrate today, must spur us on to sacrifice for the progress and prosperity of our country. Sacrificing for our country means giving off our best in our various areas of endeavor and making the national interest paramount in whatever we do.”
“I ask the Muslim Ummah in Ghana to remember our nation in prayer and also pray for wisdom and guidance for me and for members of my government so that we can steer the ship of state in a manner that allows us to navigate the stormy and turbulent economic challenges that confront our nation and the world,” the President stated
The new network codes are; 059-7, 059-8, 059-9, 025-6, and 025-7. These new network codes come to add to the existing codes of 024, 054, 055 and 059
Telecommunication firm, MTN has announced the addition of new network codes after it received new blocks of numbers from the National Communications Authority (NCA).
The new network codes are; 059-7, 059-8, 059-9, 025-6, and 025-7. These new network codes come to add to the existing codes of 024, 054, 055, and 059.
Commenting on the addition of the new codes and block of numbers, the Chief Corporate Services Officer of MTN Ghana, Sam Koranteng said the addition will help meet the needs of customers who require numbers for their personal use, businesses, mobile money business as well as other digital devices.
The new number block according to him will also help MTN Ghana in optimizing its services with high-quality Data, Voice, and Mobile Money services.
“We are excited about these new blocks of numbers because it will facilitate the fulfillment of our belief that everybody deserves the benefit of a modern connected life which starts with gaining access to a SIM card that connects you to the network”. Sam Koranteng urged customers acquiring these new numbers to ensure that they register their sims using valid documents as required by law,” he said.
Abubakar Mohammed, the Acting Chief Sales and Distribution Officer of MTN indicated that the new numbers are available at all MTN Service Centers and Connect Shops across the country.
“Customers will enjoy the opportunity of Dynamic Numbering Service where the system generates a list of random numbers for the customer to choose their preferred number.”
The public is advised and reminded to take note of the addition of the new network codes to the list of MTN codes and to accept them for their activities.
The format for making calls with these blocks of numbers remains the same. To make calls or send SMS customers are required to add a relevant prefixes to the number being dialed e.g. 025 and the customer’s unique number (0257000000).
Omar Radi was convicted of sexual assault and spies – charges that he denied
A Moroccan court has sentenced a prominent journalist and critic of the government to six years in prison.
Omar Radi was convicted of sexual assault and spies – charges that he denied.
Rights activists have accused the authorities of using the justice system to target and silence dissident voices.
Mr Radi’s work has involved investigations into corruption, and he’s condemned Morocco’s human rights record.
Shortly before charges were brought against him, Amnesty International found that the authorities had used Israeli-made spyware – called Pegasus – to tap into his phone. Morocco denies this.
• Daughter of Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah was presented a one million dollar cheque at her wedding
• According to the Apostle General, it was a dummy cheque
• He said news surrounding the presentation of that particular cheque was blown out of proportion
The general overseer of the Royal House Chapel International, Rev. Sam Korankye Ankrah has established that the million-dollar cheque presented to his daughter as a wedding gift by some individuals is not real.
It was reported that some friends of the bride gifted her a US$1 million cheque during the wedding ceremony which took place on July 10, 2021, and this singular act has since caused a stir on social media.
Scores of individuals reacted to the presentation which according to them is unprecedented, especially at a time Ghana has witnessed series of plush wedding ceremonies from influential homes.
To them, some of Ghana’s richest business moguls such as Dr. Osei Kwame Despite, Dr. Ernest Ofori Sarpong among others could not pull such an honorable act.
But to clarify issues, the Apostle General has asked the public to desist from giving themselves unnecessary pressure as the one million dollar cheque presented at her daughter’s wedding is only a ‘fake’ dummy cheque.
Describing the cheque as a ‘faith cheque’, Mr. Korankye Ankrah said;
“They presented the dummy cheque of $1 million but people did not get the idea behind the presentation. They thought it was real money. What these people are saying is that one day during occasions like these, they will be able to present a cheque of $1 million and that is the statement they are making.”
“I thank God that they are prophesying that one day, I’ll be able to gift my daughter I million dollars. The cheque is a faith cheque. I am being very careful at the moment how to choose my words because I do not want to present them in a manner that looks like they are joking. Because what you think is fun today, will become a reality tomorrow.” he added.
Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddy Blay is advocating for unity among the party to win the 2024 general elections.
He made the statement when addressing chairpersons from all the 275 constituencies in Koforidua.
In his speech, he stressed the importance of strengthening the foundation of the party in sustaining their vision to continue winning the mandate of Ghanaians to govern the country.
According to him, the chairpersons are the cornerstone of the party and therefore charged them to lay a better foundation for the party.
He said the party can operate effectively with a sustainable source of income. He said there was the need to develop effective plans that can encourage and coordinate contribution and donation.
Mr. Freddie Blay also encouraged them to be independent and resourceful to continue to sustain and help the party.
“It’s understandable that since 1992, our attention has been to fight to win power and sustain power and we’ve been able to do that for two terms continuously apart from the two times that President Kufuor was in power. We must therefore sustain party politics and to sustain it, we must be financially independent to help the party,” he said.null
“Since 2016, we’ve won two elections on a roll and we have to be proud of our achievement but how do we ensure sustainability and break the eight-year cycle and ensure twelve years and beyond?” He quizzed.
“As we prepare ourselves not just 2024 and for the future of the party generally, if all constituency chairpersons are to commit themselves fully for us to achieve our goal for 2024 and beyond then we must work to enhance the welfare of everyone. As good and loyal members of the party we must all times defend government initiatives and policies,” he added.
He entreated chairpersons to work closer with the MMDCE’s who are appointed in their districts and the constituency executives.
He said the core value of the party is the commitment and dedication to public service insisting their dedication to delivering to the people of Ghana remain paramount rather than their interest as he strongly believes that can keep the party in power and build a sustainable future.
Mr. Blay implored the chairpersons to put Ghana first in whatever they do to build a sustainable future.
He urged them to come together and dialogue on issues to help sustain the party and not just winning power
Captain Smart has told Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong to season his utterances.
Assin Central Legislator, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, has been asked to apply wisdom in his utterances as an Honourable Member of Parliament (MP).
Captain Smart, who made the statement on his YouTube lived-streamed Smart Show said the MP’s position as Chair of Parliament’s Select Committee on Defence and Interior requires “much sense” to handle due to the sensitive nature of it.
Captain Smart said a fool, even when appointed for such office needs to recognise the sensitivity of the portfolio and acquire wisdom to man it well.
He made the statement based on the MP’s comments to get Luv FM’s Erastus Asare Donkor physically assaulted for his testimony at the Committee of Inquiry on the Ejura disturbances that claimed three lives.
“We govern a nation with intelligent people not educated people. But in Ghana, the fools keep multiplying whilst the wise become scarce.”
“Even if you’re a fool, there are certain positions you need to acquire wisdom to handle. You don’t open your mouth just to say anything,” furious Captain Smart stated.
Speaking further, he said Mr. Agyapong’s statement disgraces the president who is the leader of the party that brought him to power and it was time he seasoned his tongue.
On Friday, July 9, 2021, Mr Agyapong was reported to have verbally abused and threatened to attack Mr. Asare Donkor, “for the journalistic work that the latter undertook during the recent shootings and killing incident at Ejura” on Net 2 TV, a television station owned by the MP.
The outspoken politician was filmed on a live programme which was widely published on social media platforms, stating that, “if he [Mr Agyapong] were President, he would have ensured that Erastus Asare Donkor is beaten mercilessly.”
Meanwhile, The Multimedia Group has filed a formal complaint against the MP for threatening the life of the journalist.
In the letter, dated July 13, 2021, addressed to the Deputy Regional Commander, Ashanti Region, the media group demanded security protection for Erastus Asare Donkor.
It also called for a thorough investigation into the threats issued by the legislator.
Former President, John Dramani Mahama has called on Muslims to be inspired to give back to society as they celebrate Eid-ul-Adha today.
This forms part of a message “from my wife, Lordina, and I” to all Muslims during the Islamic festivity.
“As we safely celebrate with family and loved ones, may our prayers be answered and our sacrifices be acceptable to Allah. May we be inspired by the sacrifice to give back to humanity, something that is bigger than ourselves,” he said in his Facebook post.
According to Mr Mahama, the celebration also “reminds us of the value of obedience, sacrifice and Allah’s divine mercy.”
“Above all, may Allah accept our prayers, heal our world and bless our homeland Ghana,” he noted on Tuesday.
Kenneth Koranchie, a phone repairer and witness in the J.B. Danquah Adu murder trial, says all his testimonies; either written or oral, are the same.
The witness told the court that in 2016, he had the opportunity to give a statement in connection with the murder of the Abuakwa North MP, after one of the accused persons brought two phones purported to belong to the late MP for decoding.
The witness, during a cross-examination by Yaw Dankwah, Counsel for the accused persons (Daniel Asiedu aka Sexy Dondon, and Vincent Bossu, aka Junior Agogo) said the evidence he gave in open court was the same as the written statement.
When asked whether he informed the police that the statement they took from him was a summary version of what happened, the witness said after reading the statement to him, he got the sense that it reflected the details of what happened.
He disagreed with the Counsel that he gave a statement to the Police last year and said it was last two years.
The case has been adjourned to July 21, 2021.
Asiedu and Bossu are being held for their various alleged roles in the cold bloody murder of Mr Adu at his residence at Shaishie, near East Legon, on February 9, 2016.
Asiedu is additionally being held over robbery, while both face a charge of conspiracy to commit robbery.
They have, however, denied the offences before a seven-member jury and remanded into lawful custody.
•Kennedy Agyapong insist that he has a good case against Kweku Baako
•He alleges that Kweku Baako is corrupt
•He has cautioned the NPP to be careful with Kweku Baako
The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong has signalled that his legal tussle with veteran journalist Kweku Baako Jnr will not see an end soon as he believes the charges levelled against him by the journalist holds no water.
The Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper sued Kennedy Agyapong at the High Court on charges of defamation.
The court ruled in his favour but Kennedy Agyapong has appealed the case with a ruling yet to be delivered on the matter.null
Speaking on ‘The Seat Show’ on Net2 TV on Monday evening (July 19), Kennedy Agyapong said he will not make any payment to Baako as he remains convinced that he has a strong defense.
“Kweku Baako, what help have you provided people in this country. You wish they charge me with treason so you are accusing the prosecutor of doing a poor job. Come and charge me with treason yourself. What happened when you took me to court? I said I won’t pay a dime so I have taken the case back to court. He knows we have a court case but he is always talking about me,” he said.
Kennedy Agyapong also warned leadership of the New Patriotic Party to be wary of their engagement with Kweku Baako Jnr.
“I’m warning the NPP to be careful with Kweku Baako and Anas else they will topple their government. What has he achieved in this country? He moves around and speaks like he knows more than anyone in this world,” he said.
Kennedy Agyapong touched on a number of issues including the claims of contempt of parliament levelled against him by the Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini.null
Suhuyini cited Kennedy Agyapong for contempt after which the case was referred to the Privileges Committee for deliberations and recommendations.
Kennedy Agyapong asserts that he is not innocent and will prove his innocence before members of the committee.
“What I said was that for such a person you beat the hell out of him. I said that if I were the president. Am I the president? It was a hypothetical statement that I made.
“I’m surprised the issue has been taken to the Privileges Committee but we will go there. There are discerning MPs who don’t just consume information. You are bringing that propaganda job to Parliament,” he hit at Suhuyini.
Kennedy Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central is adamant that his outburst on the reportage by a section of the Ghanaian media on the happenings in Ejura was justified.
According to him, the media plays a key role in maintaining the peace and order of the country and must at all times be wary of what it propagates.
Kennedy Agyapong on the Monday, July 19, 2021 edition of The Seat show on Net2 TV said that his tirade was borne out of his frustrations with how the reportage was in his view skewed to push certain narratives.
He maintains that he spoke from the viewpoint of truth and that he will eventually be vindicated.
“Because they have nothing to lose in this country, they want to plunge this country into chaos but that will not happen. The truth will prevail even if they hang me. All the things I said were true. They (Joy FM) have deleted the stories because of what I said,” he said.
Kennedy Agyapong insisted that he has nothing against Ghanaian media practitioners except that some practitioners deliberately churn out information to suit their narrative.
He urged his supporters not to lose sleep over him as he is convinced that what he believes to be justice will prevail at the end of the saga.
“We will continue to support the good journalists giving good reportage and condemn those giving bad reportage to create war in Ghana. Some media guys are doing very well. I’m not worried so people shouldn’t be worried about me. Once it’s truth, the truth shall always set me free,” he added.null
The Assin Central MP has been referred to the Privileges Committee of Parliament for allegedly inciting the public against Erastus Asare Donkor of Luv FM.
Alhassan Suhuyini, the Tamale South MP who raised the issue in Parliament accused Kennedy Agyapong of breaching the Standing Orders of Parliament.
“It is my hope that this [issue] will be looked at differently, and he will be seen as one that has engaged in many infractions and, perhaps, the mercies that he enjoyed previously may not be experienced. I also hope that the committee will approach this as a national issue and not a partisan issue,” he said on Citi FM.
“The aim is not to bastardise Kennedy Agyapong or portray him as a member of the NPP who deserves condemnation. The aim is to protect the life of Erastus Asare Donkor because when we failed to act in the case of Ahmed Suale, we all saw what happened and then again, encouraged responsible speech that brought about some respectability to the dignity of Parliament,” he added.
The Chairman of the Ghana Medical Association(GMA) for the Greater Accra Region, Dr Ernest Yorke, has called on the medical fraternity, especially his outfit to come with clean hands and inform the general public about the true situation on Covid-19 rather than churning out conflicting information on the virus in the media.
He said the medical fraternity needs to instill confidence in the public by relaying news about the true state and nature of the deadly pandemic and even among the health and frontline workers themselves, they need to believe what the health experts tell them about the Covid -19 virus.
Dr Yorke stated that if the health authorities are going to keep churning out conflicting messages in the media, then it is going to engender distrust among the general public towards the health authorities and what they tell about the deadly pandemic in the country.
He admonished the health authorities in the country to correct mistakes made in the past such as announcing that the new Delta strain was detected in the country only last month when in fact they have known about it in enclaves like Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region since December last year.
Dr Yorke entreated the health authorities in the country to go back to the basics when it comes to the coronavirus and inform the general public what the actual situation is on the deadly pandemic in the country.
He said when they look at the trajectory of the virus, the increasing number of infections, the positivity rate and the increase in admissions that they are witnessing, he can safely say that we are already on the brink of a third wave of the pandemic in the country.
Dr Yorke made this revelation in an interview with Komla Adom on Midday Live on TV3 Monday, July 19.null
He was commenting on the backdrop of the spike in active cases in the country in recent times, especially the detection of the new Delta variant in Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region and the revelation that the new variant has been in this country as far back as December 2020, according to the health professionals.
“I am surprised that the intensive public education in the observance of the protocols is not really being hammered and it beats my imagination. We saw what happened in December, January, February and we don’t want that to happen again so please, I call on the authorities to go down, drill down and continue educating people and enforce the protocols, the social distancing regimes and the funerals and weddings that goes on unabated. And at the individual levels, please Ghanaians, let’s take our destiny into our own hands and do what is right, mask up, wash your hands and maintain the necessary social distance,” he said.
On the question of the new presentation of patients with the virus to health officials in the country different from what is known in the country, the chair of the Greater Accra GMA said, “it’s not too different though but it’s not everybody who has Covid will present both flu-like and the cough, no. I saw one last week, she sat in my consulting room with just a headache and she said suddenly I’m well. Somebody had come home and we tested her using an antigen test which was negative and we asked her to do a PCR test in a recognized laboratory and it came out positive. So yes, it may not be your typical presentation but hey, the prevention methods are the same, it doesn’t change and I think that we should go back to basics to stem the tide”.
On the question of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly(KMA) in a statement confirming that Kumasi have recorded some of the new Delta variant as far back as December 2020 and other parts of the country, contrary to reports by the health authorities that the new Delta variant was only discovered in the country last month, he answered that “I hope that going forward that does not happen because we need to instill confidence in the public and even among the health fraternity, we need to believe what the authorities tell us.
“So if they are going to give us conflicting messages then it leaves doubts as to the information, going forward. So I hope the mistakes that we committed will be corrected going forward and let’s come with clean hands and inform the public what the actual situation is, let’s go back to basics, I dare say again.”
Head pastor of Glorious Wave Church International, Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently for some two failed prophecies about football.
The Founder and Leader of Life Assembly Worship Centre and also the 2020 Presidential Candidate for the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), Rev Christian Kwabena Andrew aka Osofo Kyiri Abosom says the two prophecies by Badu Kobi was from his own intuition and not God.
Speaking on Konongo based Kings Radio’s Royal Breakfast Show with the host Kingsley Owusu Brobbey (Scobonana), Rev Christian popularly known as Osofo Kyiri Abosom noted that the Holy Spirit never answers calls on sporting activities.
“It was just a self-acclaimed prediction but not prophecy revealed to him from God because the Holy Spirit will rather respond to those praying for salvation but not giving out prophecy about football”, he said.
Rev. Andrew urged the Government and stakeholders to put in more effort to sponsor the local football rather than supporting the foreign leagues.
The man of God had predicted that the Samba boys of Brazil will beat the Albiceleste of Argentina to win the Copa America title in Maracana but Angel Di Maria had other ideas.
Prophet Badu Kobi is famed for his heart wrenching prophecies about top personalities and political parties in Ghana but has now veered into the murky waters of football prediction.
His first two predictions hit the rocks as he has been a laughing stock after England failed to win the Euro 2020 after he said it will be an easy win for the English side.
England’s bid to end their 55-year wait for a major trophy ended in the familiar agony of defeat in a penalty shootout as Italy claimed the Euro 2020 crown at Wembley. He had also predicted that Donald Trump and John Mahama would win the USA and Ghana elections in 2020 but his prediction failed
The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called for enhanced national dialogue on the sustainable exploitation of Ghana’s minerals, forest and wildlife resources to ensure that the lives of the living and generations yet unborn are not adversely affected by unregulated exploitation.
Warning that the nation risks losing its forest cover, as well as the many beautiful rivers and streams if negative practices such as illegal mining and indiscriminate wood harvesting and burning are not curtailed, Dr Bawumia called for increased collaboration and engagements with stakeholders, especially those directly affected by such activities, to address the looming danger.
The Vice President made the clarion call at the 2nd Regional Consultative Dialogue on Small Scale Mining and Deforestation held in Tamale on Monday, 19 July 2021. The first dialogue was held in Kumasi, following the National Dialogue in Accra, opened by His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Organised by the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources under the theme “Sustainable Small Scale Mining and Forest Conservation for National Development”, the Dialogue brought together traditional authorities, Regional Ministers of all five northern regions, Members of Parliament, Leadership of the Parliamentary Select Committees on Lands, Forestry, Environment and Mining, representatives of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, the Ghana National Association of Small Scale Miners and Captains of the Mining and Forestry Industries.
“Many livelihoods depend on mining and the exploitation of forest resources. The contribution of the mineral and forest resources to our national development agenda can, therefore, not be over emphasized. However, the exploitation of these resources have not been without certain negative impacts on the natural environment because of the unsustainable practices that we employ, leading to pollution of water bodies, chemical pollution” he indicated.
“The northern sector of Ghana lies within a fragile ecological setting and, therefore, has its own peculiar challenges as far as natural resource exploitation is concerned. The north is particularly challenged with forest degradation as a result of over exploitation of trees, especially, rosewood for export, excessive reliance on fuel-wood, and charcoal production.
“These continue to be major challenges, including rampant annual fires which have dire consequences on climate change and its adverse impacts on our livelihoods and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he pointed out.
Politics
A discussion on sustainable exploitation devoid of politics is the best way to arrive at a national solution, Vice President Bawumia emphasised.
“Sustainability is key, in our quest to exploit our diverse minerals, forest and wildlife resources, to ensure that we are able to meet our present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
“Ghana has beautiful and majestic rivers and streams. Unfortunately, today, there is not much to celebrate about our water bodies and wildlife habitats because of unacceptable mining and logging practices and other drivers of deforestation.
“The call for the national dialogue is to enable us to have a national consensus on sustainable methods of using the minerals and forest resources of our country without appealing to partisanship. Indeed, issues relating to the exploitation of our natural resources are aspects of our national life which must be insulated from partisan politics.”
He reminded the participants that “Illegal mining and logging on our lands and in our forests happen within communities. We are aware of these illegal activities as members of these communities. While recognising that those engaged in illegal mining and logging activities have livelihood concerns, we should equally recognise that their activities have adverse impact on farmers, on our food security, and on our common survival. Everyone here today should be, and is, concerned about this dangerous menace
The Member of Parliament for the Damongo Samuel Abu Jinapor has opened an office complex for the member of Parliament with recitations of the Quran by Islamic Clerics from Laribanga Muslim community.
The office, made of 40-foot containers according to the MP should be an avenue to enhance his contact and interactions with constituents regardless of their political affiliation.
Mr Jinapor indicated further that the main purpose of building the office is to create the space for constituents to reach out to him their elected MP to enable him fully appreciate their concerns, preoccupations and aspirations.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources also indicated in a speech that until such time that the Damongo Constituency puts up a befitting community centre, his office will serve as a free centre for all social events.
Present during the opening of the office were the two deputy ministers of land and natural resources Benito Owusu Bio, Member of Parliament for Atwima Nwabiagya North constituency in the Ashanti Region and George Mireku Duker, Member of Parliament for Tarkwa Nsuem.
Also present were the regional and constituency executives of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Savannah Region
The #FixTheCountry campaigners can now go on their demonstration on Wednesday, 4 August 2021, the Ghana Police Service has said.
After a meeting with the conveners on Monday, 19 July 2021, the police said in a statement that it is “poised to provide the necessary security for the safety of the planned procession of members of the #FixTheCountry movement” on the agreed date.
The police said it will continue to deliberate with the conveners on the planned anti-government march.
The main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) went on a similar march a few weeks ago and accused the Akufo-Addo-led government of intimidating, harassing or killing #FixTheCountry campaigners.
According to the NDC, there is no hope for the Ghanaian youth under President Akufo-Addo’s leadership.
The party said the very people the president promised to protect are the ones being beaten and/or killed daily by thugs recruited into the security services adding that those he promised jobs have either been laid off, lost their investments or have not been employed at all.
The NDC said these in a petition signed by Mr George Opare Addo, National Youth Organiser of the party, presented to the Presidency and Parliament after its ‘march for justice’ in Accra on Tuesday, 6 July 2021.
The petition noted that today, more than ever in the history of the country, access to the few opportunities is solely based on possession of an NPP party card.
The NDC stated that the best thing about Akufo-Addo’s government is how far his family members and cronies are feeding on the national kitty to the chagrin of the rest of the population.
“The danger, Your Excellency, is that there is no commitment from you and your government that these life-threatening challenges facing our country will be, at least, reduced. Instead of teaming up with those who have taken inspiration from your edicts to be citizens and not spectators to fix the country, your government is surprisingly averse to calls asking for the fixing of our beloved country. Those crusading for the country to be fixed have become enemies of your government as they are either being intimidated, harassed or killed,” the petition said.
It further noted that although the country was riddled with some age-long challenges issues of corruption, unemployment, nepotism, cronyism and insecurity among other things, have increased unimaginably.
The framers of the 1992 Constitution were spot on when they made provision in clause 1 of article 1 that “the Sovereignty of Ghana resides in the PEOPLE OF GHANA in whose name and for whose welfare the powers of government are to be exercised in the manner and within the limits laid down in this Constitution.”
In the strict adherence to the meaning of this provision, Your Excellency, you took the presidential oath on January 7, 2017 when you were first elected President of the Republic. Although our party, the NDC contested the general elections which was subsequently decided in your favour by the Supreme Court of our Republic, you took the same oath on January 7, 2021 to serve another four-year term.
The Presidential oath, as we know it, was not and cannot be fanciful words said for purposes of formality. Despite the polarized nature of our country, Ghanaians who voted for you, and indeed, those who voted for your opponents succumbed to our Constitutional arrangements and entrusted their will and aspirations in your hands.
The hopes of every Ghanaian, including your political adversaries was to see you uphold the tenets of our Constitution, sustain the peace you inherited from your predecessor, improve upon the economic wellbeing of Ghanaians, fight corruption ruthlessly, provide decent employment for the youth in particular, and ensure the safety of everybody, amongst other things; needless to say, these were the very teething issues you campaigned on and promised to deliver. Your Excellency, without mincing words, it is heart wrenching to state that your government has so far delivered the antithesis of almost all what you promised Ghanaians. It cannot be gainsaid that if you objectively and sincerely looked back, reflect on the state of the country bequeathed to you and what you have done with it in five years, you have eroded almost all the strides our country have made. If our country was a clock, you have rolled it anti-clockwise.
Though our country was riddled with some age long challenges before you took over; issues of corruption, unemployment, nepotism, cronyism and insecurity among other things, have increased unimaginably. You will agree with us that our country needs fixing and there cannot be any good time to fix it than now. The danger, Your Excellency, is that there is no commitment from you and your government that these life threatening challenges facing our country will be, at least, reduced.
Instead of teaming up with those who have taken inspiration from your edicts to be citizens and not spectators to fix the country, your government is surprisingly averse to calls asking for the fixing of our beloved country. Those crusading for the country to be fixed have become enemies of your government as they are either being intimidated, harassed or killed.
Respectfully Mr President, it is not out of place to point out to you that, though Ghanaians signed a social contract with you to resolve their problems, your government has become an insurmountable challenge that they are struggling to resolve. Objective minds in our nation and those in your own government whispering on corridors have growing apprehension about where you are leading this dear country of ours. The leadership you have provided so far is one of “let’s finish everything today because there is no tomorrow.” There is no hope for the youth under your stewardship. The very people you promised to protect are the ones being beaten and/or killed daily by thugs recruited into our Security Services, those you promised jobs have either been laid off, lost their investments or have not been employed at all. You have failed to build a just society.
Today, more than ever in the history of the construction of our State, access to the few opportunities is soley based on possession of an NPP party card. Those you promised infrastructural development have either have what your predecessor started abandoned by you or not seen any infrastructure at all. Perhaps, the best thing about your government is how far your family members and cronies are feeding on the national kitty to the chagrin of all of us. The case of students, nurses, teachers, tailors, carpenters, Okada riders, trotro drivers, doctors, Masons, lawyers, traders, civil servants, farmers, to the last man on the street, has been of agony, pain and sorrow. There is simply no hope in sight.
In the world all over, governments are elected to work for people and not otherwise. Your Excellency, your government is not working for the generality of Ghanaians but a select few, mainly family members and cronies.
With each passing day, you and your government manifest more examples of insensitivity to the cries of Ghanaians. The latest being your decision to pay your wife Rebecca and Samira Bawumia salaries equivalent to Cabinet Ministers at a time like this. Clearly, you have lost it. The Country our forefathers labored at the peril of their lives to build for us cannot be gambled with and treated this way. Without sounding exaggerative, where you have led the country to, points to a direction that we urgently need liberation from the ills of state powers which must start from the seat of government; we are not lost at all of the powers allocated to the executive arm of our government and it’s authority to change things for the better.
The ills of your government are just too many to mention but of course you cannot be bothered. You fulfilled a long held ambition to be President and that is what appears to matter to you most. Though it sounds needless to remind you of your pledge and campaign messages to the good people of Ghana, it is worthy to make the following demands:
1. Immediately, implement recommendations of the Emile Short Commission of Inquiry Report forthwith. In particular, pay compensations to all victims and direct the Attorney General to prosecute all culprits.
2. Beyond investigating all acts of violence perpetrated by officers of the security agencies under your watch, ensure that all victims get justice as required by law. Victims of acts of violence from Ejura, Ablekuma Central, Odododiodioo, Banda etc must all not be denied justice. 3. Make provisions towards providing decent jobs for the teeming youth of the Country through proper structural economic reforms and business support for enterprises of young people.
4. Ensure the safety and security of all Ghanaians
5. Stamp out corruption by prosecuting corrupt officials in your government other than shielding them. We ask that there is a fierce urgency to halt the hopeless nature of cronyism that has crept into the Government.
6. Take steps to fulfill campaign promises to the good people of Ghana and be respectful and truthful to the citizenry. 7. De-politicize the Security Services introducing reforms to give true meaning to its independence. We charge that these reforms be led by experts in our country and not partisan appointees.
8. Instruct the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice to improve the justice system and Wean the Judiciary off partisan political influence. We count on your fail-safe commitment to our nation as its President in this historic moment. Thank you. Written for and on behalf of the Youth of Ghana.
Under my hand,
George Opare Addo, Esq. National Youth Organizer, NDC
Private legal practitioner Akoto Ampaw has said colleague lawyer Kwasi Afrifa, who has named him (Ampaw) in an alleged $5 million bribery scandal purportedly demanded by Chief Justice Anin Yeboah, “must have his own diabolical reasons for trying to implicate me in this crazy judicial bribery scandal, which manifestly does not add up”.
“Even more preposterous is the infantile idea that I would collude with anyone, much more the Chief Justice of our Republic, to subvert the cause of justice. I will, therefore, not permit anyone to sully my name on the altar of politics or personal convenience,” Mr Ampaw said in a statement refuting the allegations pertaining to him.
He said he has kept his distance from the Chief Justice ever since he became a judge, noting: “I have adopted this attitude in order to avoid the slightest insinuation that I may be using my personal relationship with judges to subvert the cause of justice. I have never even stepped into the Chief Justice’s official residence since he was elevated to the high office”.
CONCERNING AKWASIAFRIFA’S ALLEGATIONS IN THE OGYEEDOM CASE
My attention has been drawn to the social and political raucous occasioned by a petition by Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI of Gomoa Afransi to the General Legal Council complaining of the conduct of a certain Akwasi Afrifa, a lawyer who had acted for him in his case against the Lands Commission and Ghana Telecommunications Limited. The case is currently pending before the Supreme Court.
According to Ogyeedom, he had engaged the professional services of this lawyer Afrifa, as additional lawyer to prosecute his case in the Supreme Court and had paid him GH$300,000 for his brief.
I had originally taken the view that the oblique insinuations in lawyer Afrifa’s response, which fortuitously became public almost immediately after he had written to the Council were so infantile and preposterous that they did not deserve the dignity of a response from me.
But Ghana being what it is, tomorrow, people might say, but Akoto Ampaw did not deny the allegations. So, my reaction.
As is now well known, Ogyeedom complained about the failure of Akwasi Afrifa to return the full sum of USD100,000 that he had paid to Afrifa, following Afrifa’s demand of his client, Ogyeedom for same in order to get a favourable judgment(through ‘ways and means’) in his case before the Supreme Court.
According to Ogyeedom, lawyer Afrifa had, at the time of his petition, refunded only USD25,000.00 of the total sum of money he had given to Afrifa, leaving an outstanding sum ofUSD75,000.00, and that all efforts on his part to retrieve the balance had proven unsuccessful. In his response dated 7th July 2021, lawyer Afrifa categorically denied asking for and receiving any USD 100,000.00 from Ogyeedom, and stated further that the only sum he had received was for his professional services as a lawyer and was the sum of GH$300,000.00, together with his travel and hotel accommodation and other incidental expenses he incurred whenever he travelled from Kumasi, where he resided, to Accra to prosecute his client’s case before the Supreme Court. Having categorically denied the complaint of his client, lawyer Afrifa then proceeded to craft the story, now the daily sauce of political gossip, presumably to explain how come he refunded the GH$300,000 to his client, not in cedis but in US dollars.
Never mind that there is absolutely no sense or reason in Afrifa refunding GH$300,000 in its dollars equivalent; not even if, by the side, he were a forex bureau owner! Furthermore, it least accords with reason how a miserly USD50,000.00 could in any meaningful way assist in meeting an alleged demand of Five Million US dollars. And, what, may we ask, would be the motive of Ogyeedom in petitioning the General Legal Council for a return of money he never gave to Afrifa? What, by the way, is the track record of professional integrity of lawyer Afrifa? These are, in my view, valid questions we must ask before rushing into taking his allegations seriously. Briefly, according to lawyer Afrifa, his client, Ogyeedom, had informed him that he (the client) had been taken to see the Chief Justice by a friend, and the Chief Justice, allegedly promised to procure a favourable outcome in Ogyeedom’s case before the Supreme Court, provided that he, Ogyeedom, agreed to pay him the whopping sum of Five Million US Dollars (USD5,000,000.00) and further to replace him, lawyer Afrifa, by me, Akoto Ampaw.
Lawyer Afrifa must have his own diabolical reasons for trying to implicate me in this crazy judicial bribery scandal, which manifestly does not add up. That is his problem. What I know as the facts are the following:
1.Some time at the end of July, 2020, Ogyeedom came to see me at our office sat Kojo Thompson Road, Adabraka, Accra, with a request that he wanted me to take over the prosecution of his case in the Supreme Court. I indicated that it would be foolhardy on my part to take over a case before the Supreme Court that was to be heard in some two to three days’ time. I, therefore, urged him to still rely on his current legal team in the pending application and, if thereafter, he still wanted my professional services, I would be ready to hear him out. 2. Sometime later, during the legal vacation, last year, Ogyeedom came back to consult with me, and, with much reluctance, I agreed to take up the brief, upon the very clear understanding that if he wanted me to take up the case because he thought I was politically connected or had friends within the judiciary, then he was at the wrong place, as I did not carry on my work as a lawyer by such dishonourable means. Indeed, I have had to make similar caveat to many potential clients when they seek my professional services, as, alas, these days, virtually everything seems to be for sale in our country and ethical standards have gone to the dogs.
Fortunately, my junior, Nicholas Lenin Anane Agyei, was present in my office when I laid out this standard for my professional relationship with Ogyeedom, and he can testify to same.
3. Eventually, I agreed to take up the brief and filed notice of change of lawyer in the Supreme Court sometime in October. I have since been in the Supreme Court on a few occasions in respect of the matter to move an application to adduce new evidence in response to the Court’s grant of an earlier application by the appellant to adduce new evidence. On 31st March 2021, the Supreme Court granted our application by a four to one ruling. Incidentally, the Chief Justice, who, according to lawyer Afrifa’s yarn, wanted me to be engaged as lawyer in the matter to facilitate an outcome favourable to my client, was the dissenting judge out of a panel of five. The records are there for anyone to access, including the media.
4. For the record, I wish to state, without any equivocation, that the only dealings I have had with the Chief Justice in this matter have been in open court as the lawyer for Ogyeedom. Beyond that I have had no dealings whatsoever with the Chief Justice in this matter. Furthermore, even though, of course, I have known the Chief Justice since his law student days in the 70’s, once he became a judge, I have kept my respectful and studious distance from him, as I have from other justices of the Supreme Court, past and present, even if they may have been my friends in school. I have adopted this attitude in order to avoid the slightest insinuation that I may be using my personal relationship with judges to subvert the cause of justice. I have never even stepped into the Chief Justice’s official residence, since he was elevated to the high office. Yes, I know ethical values are in short currency in our dear country these days, and, so, people are cynical about almost everything and everyone, and are ready to believe the worst in any person. I am also well aware that almost everything is now reduced to ugly partisan party politics, and that the main political parties will not lose an opportunity to have ago at each other, on the slightest of occasion, however tenuous the evidential basis. I can, however, assure Ghanaians that I am definitely not one of those who have lost their values and are ready to sell their soul to the God of money and political power. I have been involved in national life for over forty years now, and if it had been my desire to make money out of politics at the expense of the interests of our people, I would have done so long, long ago. Even more preposterous is the infantile idea that I would collude with anyone, much more the Chief Justice of our Republic, to subvert the cause of justice.
5. I will, therefore, not permit any one to sully my name on the altar of politics or personal convenience. I take this opportunity to serve notice to any political group or commentator and also media practitioners that I would not have anyone drag my good name and reputation down the slimy mud of corruption in order to curry political favour or boost audiences. In particular, I wish to have it on record that I reserve all my legal rights and options occasioned by lawyer Afrifa’s scandalous and defamatory publication of, and concerning me.
Akoto Ampaw
Accra. Cc: The Chairperson, Disciplinary Committee, General Legal Council, Accra.
Mr Afrifa was expected to meet officials of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) today, Monday, 19 July 2021 at the police headquarters over the allegation after the CJ referred the matter to the police for a probe.
Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI recently revealed, through his lawyer Alexander K. K. Abban of Porta Legis Consultancy, that Mr Afrifa of O&A Legal Consult, Kumasi, has a long-standing “deep-seated” aversion toward Chief Justice Anin Yeboah – who, he (Mr Afrifa), recently claimed had demanded the bribe from the chief so as to engineer a favourable outcome for him (Ogyeedom) at the courts in a case in which the traditional leader is slugging it out with Ghana Telecommunications Limited.
Mr Afrifa made the allegation in response to the chief’s resort to the General Legal Council to compel the Kumasi-based lawyer to refund the remainder of some $100,000 he paid him to grease the palms of some judges. In his allegations, Mr Afrifa claimed Ogyeedom had told him that the CJ needed the money to buy some very expensive properties in Kumasi, thus, his (CJ’s) demand for the bribe.
Also, Mr Afrifa claimed the CJ had suggested to Ogyeedom to replace him (Afrifa) with a different lawyer, Mr Akoto Ampaw.
In his official response to the allegations, however, the chief’s lawyers said: “We have our client’s instructions to deny these baseless allegations as the effusions of a bitter lawyer whose deep-seated animosity against the person of the Chief Justice cannot be placated and who would seize the slightest opportunity to denigrate him”.
Adducing further evidence to buttress this particular claim, the lawyers recounted a story told them by their client about how Mr Afrifa had always expressed negative emotions and made disparaging comments at the mention of the name of the CJ, to the extent that he even masterminded a media onslaught against the chief of the judiciary service. “Since he [Afrifa] decided not to censure the information he put in the public domain, but rather open a can of worms, our client has instructed us to recount the story of the respondent’s deep-seated animosity towards the Chief Justice: According to our client, during his encounter with the respondent as his lawyer, he realised, to his amazement, that the respondent had no regard for the person of the Chief Justice. Our client recounts with vivid recollection how he had expressed his frustration over the Chief Justice’s decision to enlarge the panel of Justices from five to seven in one of the many interlocutory applications that were filed in this case”.
“Our client avers that in his [Afrifas’s] response, the respondent advised him [Ogyeedom] to report the matter to Kevin Taylor of Loud Silence fame to run down the Chief Justice and put the offending story on the social media. Indeed, in a WhatsApp chat with our client, the respondent went ahead to send a footage of Kevin Taylor denigrating the Chief Justice and strongly suggested to him to follow a similar course of action. Thankfully, our client refused”, the lawyers noted.
“We believe that we have exhaustively responded to the respondent’s baseless allegations. In the respondent’s interest and calling as a lawyer, we repeat the call on him to refund the entire hundred thousand dollars render unqualified apologies to the Honourable Chief Justice and Mr Akoto Ampaw and control his temper next time. We end this submission believing that it would assist the General Legal Council to quickly dispose of this matter”.
Read Ogyeedom’s full response to Mr Afrifa’s allegations below: RE: PETITION AGAINST LAWYER KWASI AFRIFA ESQ
OGYEEDOM OBRANU KWESI ATTA VI v. GHANA TELECOMMUNICATIONS LTD CML SUIT NO. JB/96/2020
We act for Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI (hereinafter referred to as our client) at whose express request, and on whose instructions we write this in reaction to the respondent’s baseless allegations dated 8th July 2021 and addressed to the secretary of the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council in answer to our client’s petition against him before the General Legal Council. We have our client’s instructions to respond generally at the outset that the respondent’s response is a pack of untruths designed to denigrate the person of the Chief Justice, against whom the respondent has cultivated a deep-seated animosity, and collaterally calculated to court disaffection of the Supreme Court, particularly the Chief Justice against our client, knowing very well that the case from which the petition arose is still pending before that court. We now turn to respond directly to the specific allegations made in his response as follows:
Legal fees In his response, the respondent stated that legal fees for his services was set at a million Ghana cedis (GH ¢1,000,000) out of which our client made an initial payment of three hundred thousand Ghana cedis, leaving a balance of seven hundred thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢700,000). We have our client’s instructions to repeat in response his earlier assertion that the agreed legal fees were set at three hundred thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢300,000) which he paid in full. It is needless to emphasise that our client engaged his services at the invitation of Lawyer Joseph Sam, who was then the substantive lawyer on record to assist him in the prosecution of the case. This was at a time when the High Court, Agona Swedru had found for him and the Court of Appeal had affirmed the decision of the High Court without the respondent’s involvement.
We are further instructed to state that the agreed fees between the substantive lawyer and our client was far below the amount of one million Ghana cedis quoted by the respondent in his letter as the fees he agreed with our client. We daresay that it would be preposterous for anyone to believe that his fees would be much higher than the fees of the substantive lawyer who had successfully prosecuted the case at the High Court and the Court of Appeal. Our client instructs us to state with emphasis that the agreed legal fee set was three hundred thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢300,000) and nothing more, which was fully paid.
Representation at the Court of Appeal and the National House of Chiefs
In paragraph 4 of the respondent’s response, he stated categorically that he represented our client at the Court of Appeal, Cape Coast and also performed other duties for him particularly at the National House of Chiefs. We have our client’s instructions to respond that by reason of the respondent’s stay in Kumasi, he once requested him to write a letter to the National House of Chiefs to request for a copy of the minutes of a meeting of a standing committee which was considering a chieftaincy matter affecting the Gomoa Afransi Stool. It is important to stress that 011 110 other occasion did our client engage his services to represent him at the National House of Chiefs as alleged by him in his letter to the General Legal Council. With regard to his allegation that he represented our client at the Court of Appeal in Cape Coast, we state on the instructions of our client that it is a palpable falsehood. Let it be known to him that we have fully perused the entire record of appeal when the matter was in that forum and have never come across the respondent’s name as having represented our client on even one single sitting or occasion. Indeed, the record shows that at the Court of Appeal, our client was mostly represented by Mr Joseph Sam with occasional presence in court of our Alexander K. K. Abban with Mr. Sam. And even for him, there was only one occasion when he appeared in the Court of Appeal alone without being in the company of Lawyer Sam.
The respondent’s assertion that our client was so impressed and satisfied with his services that he wanted to dispense with his substantive lawyer is not true, we have been instructed to say. Our client’s case is that on the recommendations of Mr. Sam, he agreed to engage the respondent’s services as an additional lawyer to assist Lawyer Sam in the prosecution of the case. This suggestion came about because Mr Abban who was rendering some assistance had become so engaged with official duties that it was almost impossible for him to render such assistance to Lawyer Sam who felt burdened to prosecute the appeal alone. Our client avers that he was also informed by Lawyer Sam that the respondent was his friend who had just resumed practice after being suspended from practice and so he probably had the time to assist in the prosecution of this case. Our client avers that until that engagement, he had never met the respondent before. It would have been unthinkable for him to suggest that the respondent should take over the case from Lawyer Sam who recommended that he should be included in the legal team. It would even be more unthinkable to suggest that he would dispense with the services of the lawyer who had successfully prosecuted the case at both the High Court and the Court of Appeal. Our client avers in response that he engaged the respondent to assist Lawyer Sam to prosecute the case at the Supreme Court.
Chief Justice’s alleged directive for change of lawyer and demand for USD5m bribe
In his 5th and 6th paragraphs, the respondent alleged that our client informed him that he had been taken to see the Chief Justice who had agreed to assist him to succeed in the case on condition that he dropped Lawyer Afrifa and engaged the services of Mr Akoto Ampaw in his stead. He stated in addition that our client informed him that the Chief Justice had demanded a bribe of five million United States dollars (US$5,000,000) for a successful outcome of his case. We state on the instructions of our client that he never had any such conversation with the respondent. At any rate, it is our client’s case that apart from the courtroom where he sees the Chief Justice on the bench from a distance, he has never had any personal encounter with him anywhere in his life. We reject and condemn in no uncertain terms the respondent’s allegations which seem to suggest obliquely that Mr Akoto Ampaw, one of the finest lawyers in the country, is in league with the Chief Justice in an unholy alliance to pervert the course of justice. In any case, without any such assistance, our client had received favourable verdicts from both the High Court and the Court of Appeal. Without discounting the fact that the apex court could reverse the judgment of the Court of Appeal if the justice of the matter so demands, it is unthinkable to suggest that a party who had succeeded in both the trial High Court and the Court of Appeal would be in a haste to pay a bribe to the Supreme Court to affirm the decision of the said two courts below. Furthermore, given the quantum of our client’s claim of sixteen million dollars (US$16m), it will defy logic for the client to part with a whopping sum or chunk of (US$5rn) to the Chief Justice to improve the petitioner’s chances at the Supreme Court. How was he going to account to the members of his family given the Ebusuapanyin and his elders are in court on all occasions that the case is heard? Be that as it may, we have our client’s instruction to asseverate that he has not had any such encounter with the Honourable Chief Justice.
The respondent also alleged in his letter that our client informed him that he had already paid five hundred thousand United States dollars (UD$5 00,000) to the Chief Justice and that he was hard-pressed to raise the remainder of that amount, so the respondent should refund some of the fees he had already paid to him in order that he could discharge this rather dishonourable obligation. According to the respondent, he agreed, “out of sense of dignity” to refund the entire amount of three hundred thousand Ghana cedis and bear his own cost of air travel, hotel bills and other incidental expenses. We have our client’s firm instructions to state that this part of the respondent’s story is too sweet to be true.
In the first place, our client avers that he fully bore all the expenses of the respondent’s air travel, hotel bills and other expenses any time that he travelled from Kumasi to Accra on his account. He states in further emphasis that for each visit, he paid him an amount of ten thousand Ghana cedis to cover these heads of expenses. To prove this point, our client says that on the day he paid him the legal fees, he included this recurring fee of ten thousand Ghana cedis. For this reason, he drew a cheque of three hundred and ten thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢310,000) for his benefit. He will seek to tender in evidence his bank statement showing this amount for the consideration of the General Legal Council.
Second l y, with regard to his withdrawal of the respondent’s services, he never informed him that he did so on the advice of the Chief Justice. On the contrary our client avers that he felt impelled to dispense with the respondent’s services after he had arrogantly engaged the Supreme Court in a banter which had the potential of courting disaffection for his case. This was on 27th July 2020. In order to expose the fallacies in thought, the fabrications, the inaccuracies and the blatant untruths in the response, we have our client’s instructions to recount in a chronological order some events that took place subsequent to the engagement of the respondent by our client to provide some assistance to Lawyer Joseph Sam, the substantive counsel on record in the case, and that have a bearing on the allegation of bribery.
Our client avers that on 27th July 2020, on the instructions of our client, the respondent appeared before the Supreme Court for the hearing of an application filed at the instance of the 1st Defendant / Appellant/ Appellant/ Applicant for leave to adduce fresh evidence on appeal. We would like place on record that during this period, the substantive counsel on record was indisposed. The onus had therefore fallen on the respondent to argue the application. The respondent must recall further that on that day, he appeared in court only to realise that the 1st Defendant had filed a supplementary affidavit which had not been served on either lawyer Sam or our client. The respondent then sought leave from the Court to grant him a short adjournment to study the supplementary affidavit and, if need be, give a response thereto. Believing that the contents of the supplementary affidavit was not materially different to warrant an adjournment, the Court in its wisdom urged lawyers on both sides of the case (respondent and Mr Ace Ankomah) to argue the application. This salutary directive tripped the respondent off and, in a belligerent posture, he quickly engaged the court in a rather useless banter, compelling the court finally to reluctantly grant his request.
Our client avers that he quickly realised that a repetition of those unhealthy exchanges may ultimately jeopardise his case. The Justices of the Supreme Court are human beings!!! Bruised badly by the respondent’s unwholesome conduct in the courtroom, our client avers that he quickly dispensed with the respondent’s services immediately they stepped out of the court. This occurred after he had had his own doze of the bitter pill of the respondent’s arrogance. On 30th July 2020, the case was called. Lawyer Sam was still indisposed. Our client, therefore, went to the court unrepresented by counsel. Indeed, even a cursory perusal of the court record on that day would show that our client informed the Court that he had dispensed with the services of the respondent and was then in the process of procuring the services of another lawyer to assume the conduct of the case, having regard to the ill-health of Lawyer Sam at that time. In the end, the application was heard without any opposing argument by counsel on the side of our client’s case. The application was determined in favour of the 1st Defendant.
Our client avers that on 6th August 2020, he filed a petition to the Chief Justice, requesting him to recuse himself from further hearing of the matter. This is because, in his estimation, the Chief Justice had made what our client considered a prejudicial comment about the case. Our client avers that the respondent was very much aware of all these events. It is, therefore, surprising that our client would turn around to tell the respondent that he needed to pay a bribe to the very person he was requesting his recusal from the case. How was the Chief Justice going to influence the outcome of the case when he himself was being asked by the very party to recuse himself? These events clearly demonstrate that the respondent’s story is not true. Our client avers that in October 2020, he engaged the services of Mr Akoto Ampaw Esq. of Akufo-Addo, Prempeh & Co to assume the conduct of his case. In line with this instruction, Mr Akoto Ampaw filed a notice of his appointment in the registry of the Supreme Court. Subsequent to the appointment, our client, by his new lawyers, filed an application to adduce fresh evidence on appeal. This was precipitated by the grant of a similar application by the Supreme Court to the other side of the case earlier. This application (Civil Motion JB/37/2021) was considered and determined favourably by a majority decision of the Supreme Court. Instructively, the Chief Justice, the alleged expectant recipient of the bribe, dissented!!! Indeed, he was the only dissenting voice!!! These events belie the assertion that our client was instructed by the Chief Justice to dispense with the services of the respondent and engage Mr Akoto Ampaw to create a fertile ground for the bribery plot to be executed. The dissent of the Chief Justice in the ruling of the court on the application brought by our client also tells a story contrary to the respondent’s assertion.
Our client avers that during the period of Lawyer Sam’s indisposition, the respondent employed his temporary authority as the apparent lawyer of the case to demand an amount of two hundred thousand United States dollars (US$200,000) from our client to proceed on a course of action which would ultimately inure to the benefit of our client and result in the success of the case. Our client avers that he initially declined to give the said amount, believing that it was a ploy by the Respondent to extract more money from him. Upon incessant demands over a period of about a month, our client reluctantly gave the respondent a hundred thousand United States dollars (US$100,000) in cash in or around October 2019 at the poll side of the Holiday Inn Hotel, Accra. Our client repeats with emphasis that this amount was completely different from the cheque for three hundred and ten thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢310,000) earlier drawn on his bank for the benefit of the respondent. We have initiated discussions with the management of Holiday Inn Hotel to make available the CCTV footage to show that the day he received the hundred thousand “ways and means” money was different from the day the respondent deposited the cheque in his account. We state on behalf of our client that the respondent had received the cheque and paid it into his account before the cash in the dollar currency was given to him.
The respondent has stated that he and our client aggregated or converted the amount of three hundred thousand Ghana cedis (GH¢300,000) paid to him as legal fees and agreed that it was the equivalent of fifty thousand United States dollars. We dare ask: if, indeed, the respondent was refunding the said amount, why would he trouble himself to refund it in dollars when our client gave him cedis? Couldn’t our client get his money in cedis, the original currency, and go to the forex market to change same? Why would the respondent assume such a burden?
He also said that he converted three hundred thousand Ghana cedis into dollars which came up to fifty thousand dollars. This was in July 2019. We note with conviction that at that time the rate of the local currency to the United States dollars was not six to one (6 to 1). To all intents and purposes, the refund he made was a return of part of the hundred thousand dollars he wrongfully received from our client for “ways and means” which our client understood was payment to ensure that justice is not denied him in his case. The respondent never converted any cedis to dollars. Indeed, our client insists that he gave the respondent that amount in dollars. That will be the only plausible explanation why the respondent was ready to refund the money in dollars. Our client admits receiving a total amount of forty thousand dollars from the respondent in part refund. He however denies that it is a refund of the three hundred thousand Ghana cedis paid to the respondent as legal fees. He insists that it is only a refund of a portion of the hundred thousand United States dollars paid to him for the “ways and means” expedition. Our client has never made a demand for the refund of the three hundred thousand Ghana cedis!!! It was the respondent’s legal fees, not meant to be refunded.
Alleged Investigations on the Chief Justice’s desire to acquire property
In paragraph 13 of his response, the respondent alleged that our client informed him that he had caused operatives of the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) to conduct investigations on the Chief Justice and had returned a finding to him that the Chief Justice was desirous of acquiring properties at certain plush residential areas of Kumasi and, therefore, needed the money to finance the realisation of that desire. In the first place, our client is not an employee or a member of any of the security agencies of the country including the NIB. He has no authority to cause any such investigations. Assuming without admitting the veracity of this spurious allegation, we are wondering how the said investigations were carried out. No such representations were ever made by our client.
We have our client’s instructions to deny these baseless allegations as the effusions of a bitter lawyer whose deep-seated animosity against the person of the Chief Justice cannot be placated and who would seize the slightest opportunity to denigrate him. Our client has cause to believe that the respondent is also actuated by malice to cause disaffection against our client and jeopardise his case in the process. Conduct of the lawyer
We note with clear appreciation the respondent’s fantastic description of our client. By respondent’s measure, our client is not a minnow; neither is he a novice in matters of litigation and the goings-on in the courts. We would like to proceed on the assumption, but certainly not the admission that our client is not as naïve as he portrayed in petition to the General Legal Council. Let us also assume that it was our client who initiated the discussion and the move to pay a bribe to the Chief Justice. Regardless of all the assumptions, we submit that by his training, the respondent was under greater responsibility and duty to protect the sanctity of the justice delivery system of the country. By his own showing, he collected the ‘money, regardless of the amount, for the purposes of influencing the Honourable Justices of the Supreme Court. At least, he conveyed such impression on our client.
We note with disappointment that the respondent could not censure his thoughts and information that he could churn out in such circumstances. Even if it is assumed, which is not admitted, that our client informed the respondent that he had caused to be conducted an investigation into the alleged desire of the Chief Justice to acquire some properties in plush areas in Kumasi, the respondent should have known, by his learning, that our client had no such power, and that any such representations, if made at all, were at best, mere puff of a bragging client.
We also observe with deep disappointment that in his answer, the respondent chose to go to town on almost anything and everything that our client may have told him during the period that the two of them were bound by lawyer-client privileges. The real issue here is whether or not the respondent had received money from our client for such an unholy assignment. The petition to the General Legal Council was simply for the respondent to pay the amount of money he had received on the pretext that he was going to soften the grounds for our client’s case to receive favourable consideration by the honourable court. Indeed, throughout his case from its inception, the respondent stood out as the only lawyer to have requested for money to do “ways and means ” in the matter and although the client found it very strange, he did not want his case to be jeopardised by his refusal to pay the said $100,000. He was constrained in the circumstances to reluctantly give the respondent the requested amount. It is our humble submission that by his training and learning the respondent should have dissuaded our client from any such filthy thoughts of bribing a judge and perverting the course of justice but he failed in that duty and rather goaded him into believing that he could pay his way through. In the alternative the respondent could have withdrawn his representation and report our client’s conduct to the police, the leadership of the Bar or to the Chief Justice.
In his anger, he threw caution to the wind and decided not to censure the information he could churn out in a situation like this. In the process, the respondent has succeeded in denigrating the good names of Mr. Akoto Ampaw and the Honourable Chief Justice. His decision to put the petition and his response in the public domain serves him no good. This is because, as a lawyer, he definitely must have been aware of the consequences the fabrications and lies he has peddled against an innocent seasoned lawyer as well at the head of the judicial arm of State.
Furthermore, since he decided not to censure the information he put in the public domain, but rather open a can of worms, our client has instructed us to recount the story of the respondent’s deep-seated animosity towards the Chief Justice. According to our client, during his encounter with the respondent as his lawyer, he realized, to his amazement, that the respondent had no regard for the person of the Chief Justice. Our client recounts with vivid recollection how he had expressed his frustration over the Chief Justice’s decision to enlarge the panel of Justices from five to seven in one of the many interlocutory applications that were filed in this case.
Our client avers that in his response, the respondent advised him to report the matter to Kevin Taylor of Loud Silence fame to run down the Chief Justice and put the offending story on the social media. Indeed, in a WhatsApp chat with our client, the respondent went ahead to send a footage of Kevin Taylor denigrating the Chief Justice and strongly suggested to him to follow a similar course of action. Thankfully, our client refused. We believe that we have exhaustively responded to the respondent’s baseless allegations. In the respondent’s interest and calling as a lawyer, we repeat the call on him to refund the entire hundred thousand dollars render unqualified apologies to the Honourable Chief Justice and Mr Akoto Ampaw and control his temper next time.
We end this submission believing that it would assist the General Legal Council to quickly dispose of this matter.
Respectively submitted.
Thank you. Yours faithfully,
Alexander K. K. Abban, Esq.
Porta Legis Consultancy.
cc. Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta VI (Chief of Gomoa Afransi) Kwasi Afrifa, Esq. (O&A Legal Consult, Kumasi)
.The National Youth Organizer of the NDC, George Opare Addo, popularly known as Pablo has admonished NDC youth in the Diaspora to return home and help the party win power in 2024.
The maverick politician made the call during a Youth Forum organized by the NDC Youth Wing-USA over the weekend at the Residence Inn Marriott Hotel in Atlanta.
The Forum organized in conjunction with the Tertiary Education Students Network (TEIN) of the NDC, sought to create a platform for the Youth and students in the Diaspora to engage and deliberate on how they can contribute their quota to the party in subsequent elections.
According to Opare Addo, financing the party from the Diaspora is good and worthwhile but they must also be on the grounds to help motivate people to vote for the NDC. He commended them for their financial contributions to the party over the years.
“I know you contribute money towards the elections but the truth is, your presence is needed on the grounds. Even manning a polling station or supporting party agents with food, water drinks etc is motivating enough.”
He also noted that those working in the Diaspora can seek permission or take their annual leave for a month to enable them join in election related operations till December 7.
He added that, “We play politics of association. So in our local communities when they find out that Opare Addo is NDC and the community respects me, there are many people out there who would not like the NDC but just by virtue of Opare Addo being there as an NDC person, they’ll want to associate with your party and do your bidding. So your presence alone at the poling station may give us a number of votes.”
On his part, Youth Organizer of the NDC Youth Wing-USA, Emmanuel Issah Abudu, assured the Mr Opare Addo of their preparedness to support the party both financially and with their presence.
Mr Abudu also used the time to express gratitude to the National Youth Organizer for honoring the invitation even at such a short notice. He revealed that in the coming days, the NDC Youth Wing-USA will unveil plans and activities to mobilize all NDC students and young people in the US for the cause of the party.
The Forum attracted participants from all across the USA including students and other people sympathetic to the cause of the NDC.
Present at the event was also the Chairman of the NDC Atlanta Branch, Alhaji Abdulai Musah, Eastern Regional NDC Youth Organizer, Okai Mintah, NDC Atlanta Youth Organizer, Comrade Godfred Amponsah among others
The management of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has said there is “astronomical upsurge” in the spread of COVID-19 on its campus.
In an alert signed by Mr Daniel Kumi-Djan, Deputy Registrar, General Administration, the school said: “I am directed to inform College Registrars/Deputy Registrars to ensure strict adherence to COVID-19 Health Safety Protocols at their various Colleges/Sections. There is an astronomical upsurge in the spread of the COVID-19 on the KNUST Campus. Consequently, all Veronica Buckets are to be filled and used constantly. Also, hand sanitation’ and the wearing of nose masks are to be strictly enforced.”
Meanwhile, Ghana’s COVID-19 death toll is now 810, the latest figures from the Ghana Health Service have indicated.
The active cases also stand at 2,601.
Some 156 new cases were recently confirmed.
Of the total active caseload, 12 are critical while 27 are severe.
The country has recorded a total of 98,435 cases since the virus entered Ghana in mid-March 2020.
Of that number, some 95,024 have recovered.
So far, Ghana has vaccinated 1,271,393 people with 865,422 having had their first dose and 405,971 taking their second dose.
Regional breakdown of COVID cases nationwide:
Greater Accra Region – 53,942
Ashanti Region – 16,805
Western Region – 5,968
Eastern Region – 4,519
Central Region – 3,552
Volta Region – 2,650
Northern Region – 1,661
Bono Region – 1,468
Bono East Region – 1,463
Upper East Region – 1,320 Western North Region – 923
The Accra Regional Police Command, as part of efforts to rid the metropolis of criminal activities and create an enabling environment for an incident-free Eidul Adha celebration tomorrow, has arrested 378 suspects in its recent operation.
The one-week operation, which begun on the 13 – 19 of July 2021, saw the arrest of 354 males and 24 females from various hideouts in Accra. The operation was conducted out simultaneously across all divisions and districts commands and in areas such as Sowutuom, Kwabenya, Osu, Kotobabi, Airport, Dansoman, Oyibi, Mamprobi, Abokobi Ayi Mensah, Darkuman, Cantonments, Kaneshie, Korle bu, Kokrobite, Adenta, Tesano, Legon and Nungua.
The suspects are between the ages of 19 to 57years and they are detained for screening and those found culpable will be arraigned before Court. Items retrieved include quantities of dried leaves suspected to be marijuana, sachets of liquid substances laced with narcotics, 33 motorbikes, laptops, mobile phones, knives, cutlasses, and other offensive weapons.
The public should continue to offer police the needed support in its crime-fighting efforts in the area of volunteering credible information
The Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association is urging poultry farmers to be cautious and vigilant to avert a further spread of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza disease, otherwise known as Bird Flu, in the country.
After the outbreak of Bird Flu in parts of Ghana, the association has said education will be key in overcoming this challenge to the poultry industry.
“First and foremost, we are going to educate our farmers on the need to heighten their biosecurity… then we are also going to educate people buying from [them],” President of the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association, Michael Nyarko Ampem said to Citi News.
“More importantly, we encourage our members to reduce the movement of birds especially as Tuesday is a holiday, and we are going to have Eid-ul-Adha,” he added.
Mr. Ampem also stressed the need for better vigilance of the affected regions.
“We are going to encourage that some of these things are really monitored so that we do not transfer the flu from one region to another, but it is contained in the districts and regions where they are found.”
According to the Veterinary Services Directorate, the Bird Flu was detected in the Greater Accra, Central, and Volta regions.
The outbreak of the disease follows the detection of similar cases in neighboring countries since January 2021.
Cases of the Bird Flu disease were previously recorded in Ghana in 2007, 2015, 2016, and 2018.
Following the recent outbreak, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture announced a total ban on the importation of poultry and poultry products from neighboring countries where the prevalence of the disease has been confirmed.
A ban on the movement of poultry and poultry products within and from the affected regions and districts to other parts of the country, and strict inspection and issuance of permits to cover the movement of all poultry and poultry products from unaffected parts of the country has also been put in place.
In addition, the ministry said it has intensified public awareness and sensitization by Regional Coordinating Councils and District Assemblies, especially in the affected areas
Deputy Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Assin South John Ntim Fordjour have justified the procurement of West African Education Council(WAEC) past questions from Kingdom Books because they have the sole right to reproduce past questions with the examiner’s report in the country.
He said the state decided to procure past questions for the final year students to give a level ground for all the students due to the inability of some parents to afford the luxury of buying past questions for their wards.
Mr Fordjour said the practice of procuring past questions for students is quite the norm even in advanced countries and their examinations, like in the Standard Aptitude Test (SAT) and the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) in the United Kingdom and the United States of America.
He said the 430-page booklet contains all the past questions and examiner’s report from WAEC, which has given the sole right to Kingdom Books in Ghana to reproduce the booklet in Ghana. This is the reason why the government is dealing with them to procure the past questions and not any other entity else in the country.
Mr Fordjour pointed out that the past question booklet was procured at GHS 71.25 in 2019 but has been raised by 9.47%, making it GHS 78 so it is justified for the government to procure the document for the best outcome of its students in the country. He said it is incorrect the figures that the minority are quoting as the price procured in 2019 at GHS 59 per unit is false due to a ‘typo error’ made on the document presented to parliament.
He said these ‘typo errors’ are commonplace in the House that is why a provision is made to correct errors on the floor of parliament and just yesterday he had corrected six pages on the document containing errors inadvertently made in printing it. He said it will be a mistake for the minority to hang on to these mistakes to doubt the legitimacy of the procurement.
Mr Fordjour disclosed this in an interview with Berla Mundi on the New Day show on TV3, Wednesday, July 15.
He was speaking on the back of the procurement of past question booklets for final year Senior High students by the government through the Ghana Education Service(GES) in 2019. The minority have raised concerns about the inflated price on the booklet and also why the government is dealing with Kingdom Books for the past questions and no entity else in the country.
“As students have been prepared for three years, it’s best practice everywhere that when you are going to write SAT, when you are sitting for IB when you are sitting for Cambridge, when you are sitting for GRE and any international exams for that matter, past questions and a comprehensive examiner’s report are made available at a fee to the user. In West Africa, five countries that make up WAEC, many countries are spending sufficiently to prepare their children to pass. This practice of compiling past questions and examiner’s reports to introduce to the children in their revision period on how they have to prepare for the exams that are ahead” he pointed out.
He added “we have had situations where particularly people from underserved communities and underserved backgrounds are not able to afford. We have had parents who are spending as much as GHS 1000, GHS 2000 just to be able to compile certain materials to aid their wards. And this time, for equity and across the board, a booklet that is 430 pages so when people are calling for value for money, let us have it in mind that that the booklet is 430 pages of all past questions and examiner’s report and you will not get it for GHS 200 or GHS 500 anywhere on the market. And so if it was procured at GHS 71.25 in 2019 and two years on it has been reviewed at 9.47% to 78% that is the matter”.
Mr Fordjour also submitted that aside from the free past questions for the students, the government supplied four core textbooks to the final year Senior High School students, a feat he says no government has done before.
“WAEC owns the copyright to all their questions, materials and examiner’s reports, if there is any publisher out there who without legal authority from WAEC is reproducing any WAEC material that publisher is doing so at the breach of the law. And this must be put in context, the only company that WAEC has given that legal authority to reproduce their past questions and examiner’s report is Kingdom Books. As and when other publishers are able to obtain the legal right to reproduce WAEC material, the competitive tender must be engaged. But as we speak the only company which has the sole right to reproduce is Kingdom Books,” he clarified on the New Day show.
Some civil society organizations (CSOs) have demanded an apology from Sarkodie for sharing a picture of himself smoking a cigar.
According to the five organizations, Sarkodie is expected to use his influence and platforms positively to educate and instill good morals including healthy living instead of promoting Vice.
A statement by the CSO’s – the Vision for Alternative Development (VALD), the Ghana Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance, Media Alliance in Tobacco Control and Health, Jaishi Initiative, and the Community Health Support Team] said “we are very disappointed in Sarkodie for circulating pictures of himself smoking a cigar on social media without considering the negative influence this singular act stands to have on the public, especially the youth, most of whom consider him as their role model.”
The statement was signed by the Director of Programmes of VALD, and National Coordinator, Ghana NCD Alliance Labram Musah.
It called on Sarkodie to desist from the act in both his pictures and music videos to avoid indirectly urging the youth into smoking.
“We are also by this statement calling on the singer to render an apology to all Ghanaians, especially the youth, for such a distasteful act that has the propensity of changing the behaviour of our youth from good to bad and pledge to support and promote the health and well-being of all,’’ the statement said.
It entreated, particularly those in the entertainment industry, to note that Ghana’s Public Health Act (Act 851) under part Six, which talks about tobacco control measures, prohibits tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship, and also bans its products in the entertainment media.
“We expect Sarkodie to use his influence and his platforms positively to educate and instil good morals including healthy living in his followers and the public,” it said.
The statement said already Ghana was faced with an increased rate of shisha smoking among the youth in second-cycle and tertiary institutions, which had a negative impact on their wellbeing, adding that some countries had banned its use completely.
“We find the act by the two-time BET Award winner as unprofessional, unethical and unhealthy. The youth by virtue of their youthful exuberance and experimentations follow the paths of individuals they have idolized, and such must not be led into deadly pits by these same idols,” it said.
It said tobacco use was one of the leading preventable causes of death in the world, with most occurring in low-and-middle-income countries, including Ghana.
It is estimated that annually about eight million lives are lost to tobacco use, while 600,000 people are also killed by exposure to tobacco smoke worldwide.
“Smoking also increases the risk for tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems of the immune system, including rheumatoid arthritis and many more. Cost of treatment for these effects are very high, which sends the majority of people to their early graves and leads families into abject poverty,” the statement said.
“It is important to note that smokers have a high risk of contracting COVID-19 due to weak immune system as a result of smoking.”
“Just a few weeks ago, during this year’s World No Tobacco Day commemoration, the World Health Organisation began a campaign; ‘Commit to Quit’ and so we find this act as a threat to all these efforts by well-meaning people
Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has asked constituency Chairmen of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to remain united and not indulge in anything that will divide the party.
Remaining united, he said, would make it possible for the party to be strategically positioned to retain power in 2024.
He stated that it was only by retaining power that the NPP would be able to continue with its good work to make life better for Ghanaians.
Dr Bawumia made the call in an address read on his behalf by a former National First Vice-Chairman of the party, Mr Fred Oware, at the inauguration of a seven-member steering committee for the constituency welfare fund and workshop in Koforidua last Saturday.
The meeting, which was on the theme: “Motivating the Base, the role of the party,” brought together constituency chairmen from all the 275 constituencies throughout the country to deliberate on their welfare.
The fund is to be generated through monthly contributions by constituency chairmen to be later extended to other party officials.
Members
According to the Vice-President, the constituency chairmen had taken a laudable initiative and called for the roping in of polling station executives of the NPP in order to generate enough funds to cater for many members in distress.
Dr Bawumia, who indicated that he would contribute to the fund, said there were many members who had been working tirelessly for the party at the base.
The National Chairman of the party, Mr Freddie Blay, said he was excited about the establishment of the welfare fund and indicated that it had come at the right time to cater for the needs of its members and called for its sustainability.
The National Organiser of the party, Mr Sammy Awuku, said he was worried about the use of funeral grounds as a platform to campaign for the party’s flag-bearer position and called for an end to such a campaign.
The Chairman of the NPP Constituency Officers Welfare Group, Dr Godfred Akyea-Darkwah, explained that the fund would welcome contributions of the base in order to reduce dependency of the party on government.
Party’s constitution
A former Energy Minister, Mr Boakye Agyarko, said it was necessary to take good care of party members, stressing that “the party must also understand the needs of the people.”
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, some of the constituency chairmen expressed their appreciation for the institution of the welfare fund which they said could cater for their medical needs.
Today marks the day of Arafah signalling the commemoration of Prophet Muhammed’s (SAW) final sermon and the completion of the Message of Islam.
Ordinarily, this day would see some millions of Muslims worldwide who have made it to the Holy land of Makkah move from Mina to mount Arafat, also known as the “Mount of Mercy” for the most important part of the Hajj pilgrimage.
However, owing to the extraordinary times we find ourselves occasioned by the deadly Covid-19 outbreak, the holy pilgrimage to Makkah, this year, just like last year, has been restricted to only the Muslims who are within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are not in normal times indeed.
The climax of Arafah on the ninth day of Dhu-Hijjah paves way for the observance of Eid-Ul-Adha the following day by the rest of the Muslim Ummah. Tuesday, July 20, 2021, is therefore the Eid day.
Eid-Ul-Adha, in essence, marks the culmination of the holy pilgrimage and significantly, it is a commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim’s famous sacrifice to Almighty Allah.
As these two historic events are being observed, the NPP is pleased to wish all Muslims the very best in these celebrations both of which mark important milestones on the Islamic calendar.
Whilst at it, the party also reminds them of the fact of this day not just being a day for celebrations, but more importantly, a day for them to reflect on their sacrifices, first of all, to their Maker, and then to fellow humans and to society at large.
Finally, the NPP, while appealing to the Muslim Ummah to use these two solemn occasions to renew their covenant with Almighty Allah, also implores them to say special prayers for the World and Ghana in particular to contain and ultimately defeat the novel coronavirus.
We are in this together, and certainly, in the name of Almighty ALLAH, (Subhaanahu Wa Ta Aala), this too, in the words of His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, SHALL pass to the glory of Allah and country.
The referral of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, to the Privileges Committee of Parliament, has triggered counter petition to the same committee.
Barely 24 hours after the opposition NDC instigated the action against the tough-talking NPP MP, a ruling party MP has also ‘returned fire’ by reporting the NDC Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi, who is not an MP, to be investigated by the same Privileges Committee.
It all started when the Speaker of Parliament, Alban of S.K. Bagbin, on Wednesday, directed the Privileges Committee to look into allegations of breach of parliamentary privileges against Mr. Agyapong.
It followed a submission by the NDC MP for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, that his colleague from the NPP had breached the privileges of parliamentarians for “continuously bringing the name of Parliament into disrepute through conducts that affront the dignity of the House.”
The NPP MP was said to have made statements which Multimedia Group have said it amounted to threats on the life of one of its reporters with Luv FM in Kumasi, Erastus Asare Donkor.
Following Alhassan Suhuyini’s report, the Speaker, Mr. Bagbin, then exercised his discretion under Order 27 of the Standing Orders of the House and referred Ken Agyapong to the Committee on Privileges which is chaired by the First Deputy Speaker, Joseph Osei-Wusu.
In the ensuing heat, the Second Deputy Majority Whip, Habib Iddrisu, NPP MP for Tolon, has drawn the attention of the House to “contemptuous” comments made by Sammy Gyamfi.
The young MP said the NDC Communication Officer made unsavoury comments against the Rt. Hon. Speaker, Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin and the leadership of the Minority group.
According to the applicant, Sammy Gyamfi stated in a Facebook post that Speaker Bagbin and the NDC MPs “defied the leadership of the party [NDC] and betrayed the collective good for their selfish interests” when they approved of the nomination of some Ministers of State.
During the vetting, the NDC MPs had served notice to oppose the then Ministers-designate for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Information, and Food and Agriculture, Hawa Koomson, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, and Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto, but all of them got approval after voting by the House, thereby angering Sammy Gyamfi who attacked the Speaker and the NDC Minority leadership, saying they did not have integrity.
The applicant said Sammy Gyamfi, by words of scorn and opprobrium, singled out the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, and the Minority Chief Whip, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka for the abuse.
The Second Deputy Majority Whip submitted that the comments by the NDC Communication Officer constituted an attack on the Speaker and leadership, and therefore contemptuous of the House.
He, accordingly, prayed the Speaker to refer the conduct of Sammy Gyamfi to the Committee of Privileges for investigation and report.
Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Amoako Asiamah, who doubles as Independent MP for Fomena, who was presiding on Thursday evening when the application was made, then took the decision to defer the referral on the matter.
Already, the Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has insisted that procedural process was not followed in the Assin Central MP’s case.
Pointing to an error in the procedural process, he prayed for the Speaker to request the applicant to ‘particulise’ the substance of the allegation of breach for a prima facie case to be established first before the referral, which request was turned down by the Speaker.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin said that the applicant, Alhassan Suhuyini, only made reference to a “supposed letter” from Joy FM to the police without procuring the substance of the breach of parliamentary privileges.
He then cautioned that the House “may be sacrificing procedure” to create a “new path” that might set precedence for the future, but the Speaker ignored him, intimating that he was compelled by the circumstances to direct that the matter be referred to the Committee on Privileges for investigation and report to the House.
“This is my first time hearing this matter. As it is now, I am compelled to refer it to the Privileges Committee. It is a matter the Privileges Committee will have to go into and then report to the House, and it is for the House to decide whether the Honourable Member is contemptuous of the House,” the Speaker stated.
He continued, “In the circumstances, I direct that this matter be referred to the Committee on Privileges for investigation and report to the House, I so direct.”
Before Mr. Babgin’s ruling, the NDC’s Deputy Minority Whip, Ahmed Ibrahim, had asked the Speaker to overrule the application for prima facie, saying, “I want to emphasise that it is the House that will take the decision
The leadership of the Tijaniya Movement of Ghana has asked its members across the country to observe tomorrow’s Eid Ul Adha prayers at the usual locations such as the regional and district parks or football grounds.
A statement by the Executive Secretary of the Movement, Alhaji Khuzaima Mohammed Osman stated that “our decision to observe this year’s Eid Ul Adha at the usual public gathering places stems out of the release we had from the National Chief Imam of Ghana, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu and which we respect.”
The statement added that all COVID-19 protocols will be adhered to during the prayers.
The President of the Tijjaniya Muslims Movement of Ghana, Zaeem Sheikh Abdul Wadudu Haruna has in a related development appealed to every adherent of the Sufi Order to continue to observe the COVID-19 protocols at all times until the restrictions are lifted.
The Tijjaniya Movement of Ghana is the mainstream Sunni Sufi Muslim family in Africa. The headquarters of the sect is located near Accra Girls’ Senior High School, with offices strewn across the country.
Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi has justified the government’s decision to provide US$ 100,000 as car loans for MPs but he [Defeamakpor] will not accept it because of the uproar among the Ghanaian populace.null
According to him, all the other arms of government with the exception of the legislature are provided with official vehicles for their use without going for a loan. “I think the criticism of MPs over the car loan is unfair, offensive, and creating enmity for MPs among the populace,” Mr. Dafeamekpor said.
There was a massive backlash from the public after the Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei Asare laid a document on the floor of Parliament requesting approval for the loan facility from the National Investment Bank to purchase the vehicles. In spite of the public uproar, the loan has subsequently been approved by the MPs.
On the back of the criticism, Rockson Dafeamakpor on the Happy Morning Show [HMS] with Samuel Eshun said, “as a second time MP, I won’t accept the MP’s car loan, this is solely because the talk about the car loan is too much.”
Mr. Dafeamekpor also explained that since January this year, monies were being deducted from MPs salaries towards the car loan but have not started using the vehicles yet.
“Even though we have not received the car loan, we don’t even know the colour of the car but they have started deducting the facility loan from our salaries since January. I’m not accepting it so they will refund it to me, this is a policy we have in parliament once it is inaugurated they will start to deduct.”
Mr. Dafeamekpor also explained that the vehicle to be bought with the US$100,000 would not be owned by the MP during the pendency of the loan and they only get the vehicles transferred into their names after they have finished paying for it.null
The deal, which has caused an uproar among the Ghanaian populace was unanimously approved by the house.
The House has also approved a tax waiver of 13.3 million dollars for the importation of the vehicles for the MPs and the Council of State members.
The Members of Parliament and Council of State have been given the 13.1 million dollars waiver despite the fact that they are paying only forty percent of the loan being facilitated through the National Investment Bank for the purchase of the cars.
The government will bear the other 60 percent of the loan with the accrued interest.
• Prophet Badu Kobi has established that no amount of hate can send him to his early grave
• He said he won’t allow his enemies to kill him as they did to the late Prophet TB Joshua
• Prophet Badu Kobi has been subjected to criticisms for his numerous failed prophecies
General Overseer of the Glorious Wave Chapel International, Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi, has warned that he won’t let people frustrate him to the point of death as they did to the late Prophet TB Joshua.
In a bid to hit back at critics, Prophet Badu Kobi said the Synagogue Church of Nations’ Founder was killed for speaking the truth but he (Badu Kobi) won’t allow such a thing to happen to him.
The man of God has been under attack on social media for his failed prophecies in recent times.null
He was labelled a ‘fake prophet’ after his prophecy about England winning the ‘Euro 2020’ failed to happen. Also, his predictions that Brazil would win the ‘Copa America’ trophy failed to materialize as they lost to Argentina.
But reacting to the several backlashes from the general public, Prophet Badu Kobi said he has developed a thick skin against them.
During his sermon on Sunday, July 18, 2021, he established that:
“It is next week I’ll answer talkers. Today I won’t bother about anybody. They killed TB Joshua, they think I will allow them to kill me? Badu Kobi has gone through Tribal persecution, yet it did not affect him. I have faced political persecution yet I survived. People watch me on TV and speak against me. Badu Kobi this, Badu Kobi that and yet it couldn’t bring me down. So when it comes to societal persecution, I don’t even remember. I slept very well, I ate very well. You are wasting your time. I know what I’m doing. If people can do better than me, they won’t talk about me.”
In a similar light, it can be recalled that sometime in 2020, Badu Kobi was subjected to immense backlash after his predictions that Donald Trump and John Mahama would be re-elected as presidents failed to happen.null
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has said it disagrees with a directive from the Ghana Education Service (GES) to all Headmasters/Headmistresses to allow Form 3 Senior High School students to go home on mid-semester break.
The mid-semester break is scheduled from tomorrow, Tuesday, 20 July to Sunday, July 25, 2021.
But the GHS in a statement noted that in the midst of the current outbreak of COVID-19, the mid-semester break may present a challenge to the already precarious situation of COVID-19 in schools and in the general population.
Although the MoH stated that it acknowledges the importance of the mid-semester breaks, it is recommending that the schedule period for the break be maintained as planned but it should be restricted to campus and boarding students must not be allowed to go home.
These actions according to the GHS is necessary to prevent and control outbreaks in schools and in the general population.
As we all wait patiently for President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to name his Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives of all the MMDAs across the country, it is important for party members, and supporters of the various aspirants, to exercise circumspection and restraint when the list comes out.
Very much often, supporters of victors have the tendency to showcase their joy and overdo it. This has the potential to get supporters of the aspirants who weren’t successful angry.
To those who may lose out now, know that the President can appoint one person at a time to man an assembly. If today you are not mentioned, do not see it as the end of the world or your political career. Just accept it, support the confirmation of the victor and together, help him or her to succeed for the greater good of the party in particular and the country in general.
It is painful, no doubt, when you lose out in such instances after investing your time, energies and resources in the party but failing to win this position, take consolation in the fact that others have also made similar sacrifices for the party but are yet to be rewarded. They will be rewarded in time and so will you.
I entreat everybody to accept the decision of the President when the list comes out. It is for the good of the party as well as the country.
Let’s strive to build a better party and that starts with accepting the outcomes of the committee’s work as submitted to the President for consideration.
I believe in the President, I believe in you, let us all believe in the party and work towards making it great and strong.
Our collective positive and reconciliatory reaction will immensely contribute to our effort to break the 8 in 2024.
May God bless the President. May God bless the NPP. May God bless Ghana
The West Africa Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP) says there exists some 43 different variants of the Covid-19 in Ghana.
Data collected by the Center indicate that out of the 43, not all of them have been classified to be extremely of concern to Ghana.
“The variants of concern and of interest in Ghana, we have the Alpha, Beta, Kappa, Eta and Delta. There are several of them but out of the 43, these are of major concern and that is why I am very worried and from the data that we have currently, from our sequencing we have currently, the Delta variant is picking up speed.”
Dominic S.Y. Amuzu, a Research Fellow at WACCBIP revealed on 3FM‘s Sunrise morning show Monday.
According to Mr. Amuzu, funding for research work has become a major challenge in dealing with the new variants.
“As a scientist, you don’t know what is going on so you want to be careful and bring back all the protocols and stringent measures to bring it down and more importantly as we keep saying you need to fund research.
But WACCBIP said they have extreme challenges getting samples across the country due to lack of funding.
“There used to be 10 regions, now there are 16, we should be able to sample all these 16 regions and create a database. We are trying to do this on our website but without much funding. To bring more hands and expertise, you might not be able to do this quickly. It will take us time,” he told host Alfred Ocansey.
Meanwhile, a major stakeholders’ conference scheduled to take place in Accra n Wednesday is expected to highlight these concerns in the research gap.
Speaking on the theme ‘Building Sustainable Research Capacity in Africa: Lessons Learnt from the Pandemic’, Dr. Gloria Amegatcher, who is also a Lecturer at the West Africa Center for Cell Biology and Pathogens, said, “Research is really expensive so if we don’t invest we lose.
“Aside from the sequencing that we do, we are also looking at the exposure in the community and now with the variants that are in, there are asymptomatic people in the community….We are checking the level of antibodies they are producing and the host immune in response. All these will have to be studied in detail and we need money for that.”
• Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, appeared before Parliament last weeknull
• He gave reasons to as why he procured the Russian Sputnik V through a middleman at $19
• The minister said he took that step to save the lives of dying Ghanaians
Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, has noted that he procured the Russian Sputnik V vaccines from a middle man, Sheik Ahmed Dalmook Al Maktoum out of frustration.
He explained that at the time of the procurement of the vaccines, the number of Ghanaians dying from coronavirus was on the high, hence, his action, to protect the lives of Ghanaians.
Appearing before the parliamentary committee to answer questions on the overpriced vaccines, the Health Minister said, “February, 78, March 56, these were the numbers [of people dying] and if you, any of us here were the Health Minister at the time, I think you might have taken certain decisions that on hindsight or going forward you may not have done those things. This was the environment that I found myself in. Out of desperation, frustration, so many things and people were dying we needed to protect our citizens.”
The contract has however been terminated after the middleman did not meet the obligations required of him.null
Background
Ghana government through Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman-Manu reportedly entered an agreement for the supply of 3.4 million doses at a unit cost of $19 after the initial cost of $25 was negotiated.
The factory price for the Sputnik V vaccine is $10 but several factors contributed to pegging it at $19.
Some of the factors that contributed to the $19 price tag included; land transportation, shipment, handling and special storage charges.
A teacher has allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself with a piece of cloth at Tinkong in Akuapem North Municipality in the Eastern Region.
The incident occurred Sunday afternoon.
The body of the deceased identified as John Atta Asamoah Duodu (a twin) alias ” O-Level ” has been conveyed by the Adawso police to the morgue for preservation and autopsy.
The deceased did not leave behind any note stating reasons for his action. However, Starr News has gathered that he was allegedly deceived to take a loan to invest in an online network marketing business which turned out to be a scam.
He incessantly complained of hardship as a result of the huge deduction of his monthly salary
His brother Benjamin Boateng told Starr News “apart from the fact that he complained that he only takes home ghc500 after deduction of his loan. He was hallucinating too so it seems there were evil forces haunting him”.
Samuel Abokyi Assembly Member for Tinkong Electoral Area told Starr News “it is true. Yesterday we had a big funeral at Tinkong while at the funeral we had information that someone has committed suicide later the police called me that the family had reported so I went there and the body was conveyed to morgue. He hanged himself with a piece of cloth in a room”.
A misunderstanding between an elderly couple has ended in tragedy in the farming co
mmunity of Kyenkyenase, in the Dormaa East District of the Bono Region.During a quarrel on Wednesday, July 15, Nyamba Ayenliwuli, 64, allegedly picked a pestle and hit her 100-year old husband, Aponwuni Ayenliwuli, leaving him in a state of unconsciousness. He later died on arrival at the Dormaa Presbyterian Hospital, and his body has since been deposited at the Hospital’s morgue for autopsy. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Frank Asante, the Dormaa East District Police Commander, confirmed the story to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in a telephone interview, saying the incident happened around 0900 hours. He said the Police received a distress call and rushed to the community where the suspect was arrested, adding she had since been placed in custody to be arraigned for trial on Monday, July 28.The incident reportedly threw the community into a state of shock and disbelief, with many wondering what could have unsettled an otherwise peaceful relationship.GNA
Head pastor of Glorious Wave Church International, Prophet Emmanuel Badu Kobi has explained why his two football prophecies failed to come to pass.
Recall that the Ghanaian cleric suffered a backlash after his prophecy about England winning Euro 2020 failed to come to pass. He had also prophesied that Brazil would win the Copa America trophy but it failed as Brazil lost to Argentina.
Preciously, Kobi had prophesied that Donald Trump and John Mahama would win their reelection campaign, but the prophecies never came to pass.
In a new sermon in his church, Kobi asserted that his football prophecies failed to come to pass because it was used for betting. He averred that all his prophecies has come to pass because he is “God’s agent” and is not perturbed by criticisms.
Kobi also disclosed that his prophecy about Accra Hearts of Oak winning the Ghana Premier League came to pass.
He said; “When I prophesy about football and you want it to come to pass, don’t use God’s words for betting. The prophecy will fail, God’s word is not for betting. God is laughing at some people.
Don’t fight for me, all you can do it promote me because I am his agent. If God sent me and you don’t understand, face God.”
A Nigerian man, Eluemunor Richard Okasia, exchanged his life for a drowning lady at a beach in Kaliningrad, Russia.
The unfortunate incident is said to have happened on Saturday, July 17 when he was enjoying a beach date with his newly-wedded wife.
Reports suggest that Mr. Okasia, who is a student of a Marine University, noticed one of the revelers struggling to stay afloat.
He is said to have attempted diving in, but his wife begged him not to go into the water. He, however, did.
According to a witness, among the group of four boys who tried to rescue the lady, Mr Okasia was the first to reach her.
They added that he managed to push her out of the strong current and handed her over to the other rescuers.
He is said to have been very focused on the lady that he failed to see another deep wave approaching, and he was swept away by the current.
“The others were then able to get the girl to the beach but Mr. Okasia himself was then carried deep into the sea by the current. He couldn’t get out. He was above the water for few minutes and then went under the water,” the witness said.
THE NKAWIE Circuit Court in the Ashanti Region presided over by Micheal Johnson Abbey has sentenced three armed robbers to a total of 75 years in hard labour.
Akwasi John, aka Sergeant, 25; John Fordjour, aka Meadow Shadrack, 23, and Abdul Razack, aka Shatta Movement, 19, who engaged in series of armed robberies pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against them.
Facts of the case indicate that on July 1, 2021 at 9pm suspect John Fordjour aka Kwadwo Fordjour who was wanted in a case of robbery, attempted to commit robbery and robbery was arrested by group of people in a failed robbery operation and handed over to the Manfo Police together with 13 wraps of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp and 50 tablets of Dizepam in his possession.
Suspect confessed to police during interrogation that prior to his arrest, he together with one remand prisoner, Akwasi John, and Abdul Razak alias Shatta Movement who was at large attacked and robbed a victim of his single barrel gun, mobile phones and other valuables.
He continued that few days afterwards, he together with the same gang attacked another complainant, Sulemana Mohammed at Kwaem Cottage near Asuhyiae with the said gun in the midnight and attempted to force his door open and rob him of his money and other valuables but the complainant in the process slashed his face with cutlass, sustaining wounds on his face and fired one warning shot and they escaped. He later led police to the whereabouts of his accomplices, Abdul Razak and John Fordjor who were also apprehended.
They were charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and robbery. They pleaded guilty with explanation to all the counts and after their explanation, the court found all the accused persons guilty on all the counts and convicted them accordingly.
The court sentenced accused Akwasi John to 15 years on each of the counts whereas accused John Fordjour and Abdul Razack were sentenced to 10 years each of the three counts but sentences shall run concurrently.
Additionally, convicts Akwasi John and John Fordjour were further arraigned before the court for the charges of conspiracy to commit robbery and attempt to commit crime to wit robbery.
They pleaded guilty simplicita to the two counts and were convicted on their on plea of guilty and sentenced convict Akwasi John to 25 years each of the two counts and convict John Fordjour was sentenced to 15 years on each of the two counts and again sentences shall run concurrently.
The court ordered that exhibit being a locally manufactured gun with butt No.8417-72 retrieved be handed over to complainant, Kwame Twumasi.
Convicts were handed over to Kumasi Central prisons to serve their sentences
The Attorney-General (A-G), Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, has filed a petition at the Accra High Court seeking an order to wind up (dissolve) a network marketing company known as Quest Net Limited (QNET).
In the petition filed at the Commercial Division of the Accra High Court last Monday, the A-G accuses the company of engaging in dishonest, illegal and fraudulent business activities.
“Investigations by the National Security Council Secretariat disclosed that the respondent (QNET) operates in a manner akin to a Ponzi scheme by luring clients to make deposits and investments with them which they eventually lose,” the petition said.
“Petitioner avers that to become a member of the false schemes put in place by respondent, respondent requires prospective subscribers to purchase various online items for various sums ranging between GH¢5,000 and GH¢15,000,” the petition said.
The principal legal advisor to the government further avers that investigations indicated that QNET also took money from people with the false representation that it could help them find jobs.
“The respondent lures unsuspecting members of the public to pay the sum of about GH¢5, 000 for the purpose of placing them in various jobs which turned out to be a hoax,” the petition added.
After taking the money, the A-G said the company would then orchestrate the arrest of its victims who try to make noise about its “fraudulent activities.”https://71f43fd1004d36d6fa83bd0688e5ea29.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Alleged money laundering
Mr Dame further contends that the activities of QNET are mostly dominated by Nigerians, Burkinabes, Ivorians , Malians and Togolese, who launder the proceeds from their illegal activities.
“The petitioner says the widespread criminality and illegality for which the respondent is being operated has grossly undermined its existence in the Ghanaian community,” the petition added.
According to the A-G, investigations have shown that QNET is part of Quest International also known as QI Group which is located in Hong Kong, a company operating in many countries.null
However, the A-G said owing to its “illegal activities”, the company has been banned in the USA, Canada, Australia, Rwanda, Iran, Sri Lanka, Syria, Afghanistan and La Cote d’Ivoire.
Legal basis
The petition was filed under the Corporate Insolvency and Restructuring Act, 2020 (Act 1015), Section 84 (1) of Act 1015 allows the A-G, the Registrar-General, a creditor of a company or a member of the company to present a petition to the High Court for the official winding up (dissolution) of a company if (a) the business or objects of the company are unlawful, the company is operated for an illegal purpose, and (c) the business being carried out by the company is not authorised by the constitution of the company.
Based on the above provision of Act 1015, the A-G is seeking an order from the High Court for the official winding up of Quest Net Limited, and order restraining the directors, members and officers of the company from exercising any powers that pertain to the running of the company.
Mr Dame also wants the court to “appoint the Registrar of Companies, in her capacity as an Official Liquidator to exercise the powers of a liquidator including manage the assets of the respondent Quest Ney Limited pending the making of a winding order by this Honourable Court.”
The management of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), says it has begun engagement with private hostel owners over the high cost of rental fees.
This follows a protest by the students on Friday, July 16, 2021, to demand reductions in the hostel fees.
The students, during the protest, lamented some owners have increased their fees to as high as 90 percent.
The management in a statement said those hostels were not part of the Private Hostels Association (PHA), whose members review rental fees in collaboration with the university,” parts of the statement read.
It added: “Management wishes to assure the general student body and the public that every effort is being made to provide decent and secured accommodation for students on campus.”
However, it has assured these owners have been identified with efforts underway to bring about reductions.
“Consequently, discussions are ongoing with three(3) private investors for the construction of hostels beginning next academic year,” parts of the statement read.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has sent a letter to Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt ES Okraku, congratulating Accra Hearts of Oak for emerging as Champions of the 2020-21 Ghana Premier League.
In his letter, the FIFA President hailed Hearts of Oak’s victory, putting it down to the hard work, passion, and commitment exhibited by every member of the team towards their triumph.
“Please allow me to congratulate Hearts of Oak for having been crowned 2020/21 champions of Ghana!
This title is, no doubt, the result of hard work, passion, and commitment, and everyone at the club can be proud of this important achievement. I would be grateful if you could please extend my congratulations to everybody involved, whom I encourage to continue working with team spirit, passion, and determination.
On behalf of the international football community, I finally take this opportunity to thank you and your Association for your contribution to the development and the prosperity of football in Ghana, in your region, and around the world.
I look forward to seeing you again soon”,the FIFA President wrote.
Hearts of Oak were handed the league trophy at the WAFA Park in Sogakope on Saturday despite their 1-0 loss to WAFA in the last round of matches
In accordance with Article 36 Clause 5 of the 1992 Constitution, the National Development Planning Commission has said it is almost done with Ghana’s Medium-Term National Development Framework.
The four-year strategic document details how the Government intends to deliver on its promises to Ghanaians.
Director-General of the National Development Planning Commission, Dr. Kodjo Essien Mensah-Abrampa speaking at a press conference on Sunday, 18 July 2021 announced that the document which focuses on lifting the economy out of the shackles of Covid-19, creating jobs for the youth and generating wealth, when completed will be sent to Parliament for approval.
According to Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, cabinet last weekend also completed its internal review on the Government’s progress for the first half of this year.
Key highlights according to him was that the economy was gradually seeing a rebound with current growth rate pegged at 3.1% for the first quarter of the year.
He noted that other issues of the increasing rate of piracy and terrorism along the country’s northern borders and on the Gulf of Guinea were also critically analyzed.
He stated that there is a need for the government and citizens to collaborate to ensure that “we safeguard the peace we have and protect the state from any foreign insurgency
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has charged Ghanaians to jealously guard Ghana’s peace and refrain from acts that threaten the stability of the country.
Speaking at the Millennium Excellence Awards over the weekend, Otumfuo noted that the current politically polarized nature of the country is a worrying situation that can ignite unrest at the least provocation.
He, thus, urged all and sundry to refrain from acts that have the potential of destroying the peace.
The Asante monarch said: “Ghana has a legion of problems but by the grace of God we have every reason to be thankful for peace in our land and I pray with all heart, let no one, man or woman, young or old, politician or whoever, put at risk the sacred peace we have enjoyed for decades
One of the Groupe Nduom companies, Gold Securities Company Ltd now BlackShield and Ghana Growth Fund Company Limited, members of Groupe Nduom, an indigenous Ghanaian business conglomerate, have won a massive GHS174 million judgment against Health Network Company Limited.
The ruling was given by the Commercial Division of an Accra High Court on Thursday, July 15th, 2021.
The ruling, according to Groupe Nduom owners and other stakeholders, “proves regulators acted hastily in revoking licenses of the Groupe’s banking and investment companies”. The Groupe Nduom companies that have suffered regulator closure are Gold Coast Securities/Blackshield and GN Bank/GN Savings & Loans.
The actions of the regulators have also caused huge collateral damage to related companies as they have been starved of deposits they placed with their sister companies. The judgement, the Groupe owners contend, absolves them of wrong doing and confirm their long held position that “customers’ funds were invested in Ghana with private and government institutions and government projects”.
It was based on the prudent investments that till today, Groupe Nduom still stands by its claim that government agencies and the contractors they gave legitimate contracts to owe the Groupe, more than GHS3 billion that is continuing to attract interest. Interestingly enough, a lawyer who claimed to represent a “Receiver” waited until judgement was rendered then got up to ask to be allowed to join the case. She was promptly shut down by the judge.
The ruling further proves the point that if those who had taken money placed with them had paid even 15 % of what was due GN Bank/GoldCoast/Blackshield, the companies would still have been in operation.
The suit was commenced by Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim issued at the Registry of High Court, Accra, Commercial Division dated 11th October, 2019. Justice Shiela Minta was the presiding judge in the matter brought before the court.
After failed attempts to get all the four (4) Defendants to be served in the ordinary manner prescribed by the Court Rules, an application was brought before the court for substituted service to enable the plaintiff to serve the defendants by substitution which application was granted.
All efforts through service of hearing notices to the defendants to attend pre-trial conference also proved futile until the matter was referred to a trial court. At the trial court, a motion on notice for judgment in default of appearance was first brought against the defendants. It was this application that forced the defendants to enter appearance through their solicitors.
Subsequent to this, the defendants with their lawyers engaged Plaintiff’s lawyers with Plaintiffs’ representatives also in meetings in an attempt to reach some settlement.
However, after the said meetings in which the defendants’ state of indebtedness was clearly established to satisfaction, the defendants failed to demonstrate any good faith and also to propose a payment plan as the Plaintiffs were made to believe they would.
This compelled a subsequent application for judgment in default of defence as they did not have any defence to the suit. In the morning on 27th May, 2021, before the motion for judgment in default of defence was to be moved, Counsel for Defendants handed over a cheque of GHS 2,000,000.00 to Counsel for Plaintiff.
This paltry sum of GHc 2,000,000.00 relative to Defendants’ debt of GHc 174,100,037.40 could not be used to influence Plaintiff’s lawyers’ resolve to move the court to enter judgment in default of defence at all cost.
After vain efforts by counsel for defendants to persuade Plaintiff’s lawyers to oblige them last adjournment, the court by itself formed the opinion that in the light of the fact before it and the defendants’ gesture that had come to its attention, it would exercise discretion to oblige the defendants the last adjournment to enable them respond more favourably to Plaintiff’s claim before the court.
Accordingly, the court granted a short adjournment beyond the maturity date of the cheque(4/06/21) to 14th June, 2021 to first ensure that the cheque would clear and also for defendants to show cause why the pending application for judgment in default of defence should not be granted on the next adjourned date.
According to a spokesperson for Groupe Nduom, this is the first of a number of court cases pending before the law courts. They involve private sector companies, government agencies and regulators. The belief is that when all is said and done, the wild allegations made against specific Groupe Nduom companies and shareholders will be put to rest.
It will be recalled that one senior official of the Securities and Exchange Commission when BlackShield appealed to the regulator for assistance to retrieve customer funds invested to support government infrastructure projects, retorted in a public interview that “…the Commission is not a debt collector”. The Commission turned around to revoke the license of BlackShield. That action emboldened private and state organizations to refuse to pay back what was legitimately owed. BlackShield until its license was revoked had paid over GHS600 million to some of its customers and still stands by its commitment to return funds invested as it is able to collect receivables.
The lawyer at the centre of the $5m bribery allegation against the Chief Justice Kwasi Afrifa will today meet officials of the CID who are probing his claim at the Police headquarters.
Chief Justice Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah last week referred the allegation against him to the CID for probe.
The lawyer, Akwasi Afrifa, who has fallen out with his client, claims his client told him the Chief Justice has requested a bribe of $5 million to tilt justice in his favour in his litigation with Ghana Telecommunications Company and Lands Commission.
The client, Ogyeedom Obranu Kwesi Atta, the chief of Efutu and Gomoa Adjumako, has petitioned the General Legal Council over the impasse with his lawyer.
“The attention of His Lordship the Chief Justice has been drawn to copies of letters from a Lawyer (Akwasi Afrifa, Esq) and his client, the plaintiff in the matter of OGYEEDOM OBRANU KWESI ATTA Iv v GHANA TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY & LANDS COMMISSION, to the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council, and which letters are making rounds on social media. His Lordship is saddened that without any shred of evidence, his name has been dragged into this sordid and potentially criminal matter,” the Judicial Secretary Justice Cynthia Pamela Addo wrote in a statement last Monday.
The statement added: “his Lordship confirms that he does not know the plaintiff and has not met or seen him anywhere, except in the court room when he rises to announce his name when his case is called. His Lordship asserts that he has had no personal interaction either with the plaintiff or his lawyer on this matter or in any other matter. His Lordship further asserts that he has not demanded or received any money from any person to influence any decision in this matter or any other matter.”
The statement stressed: “to ensure that this matter is fully investigated, His Lordship has directed that a formal complaint be made to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service for investigations and any necessary action. He has further directed that a Petition be lodged with the Disciplinary Committee of the General Legal Council in respect of this specific matter.”
Meanwhile, the Chief has denied the claims of his former lawyer saying he has never met the Chief Justice nor discussed any issue related to bribery with him.
The Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery has declared Tuesday, July 20, 2021 as a statutory public holiday to mark the Eid-ul-Adha celebration.
According to a statement signed by Mr. Dery, Eid-ul-Adha day should be observed as a holiday throughout the country.
The statement reads, “The general public is hereby informed that Tuesday, 20th July 2021 which marks Eid-ul-Adha, is a Statutory Public Holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country
The ruling New Patriotic Party has inaugurated the “Constituency Officers Welfare fund” to mobilize resources to improve welfare of the constituency executives of the party.
The constituency officers’ welfare was birthed by the Constituency chairmen of the party across the country and has been co-opted by national executives.
The interim National Chairman of the NPP Constituency Officers Welfare Dr. Akyea Darkwa also the Asuogyaman Constituency Chairman said the welfare is to serve as a special purpose vehicle to create a dedicated fund to address challenges at the base of the party to reduce overdependency on national executives and the Presidency.
According to him, the Welfare is structured to be financially sustainable to span many governments to help strengthen the base of the party.
“Some of us when we came into the seat we identified that there were so many challenges that were bedeviling the base of the party and we saw that most people are expecting that the Presidency or the government solves all our problems for us which we know is impossible. So we decided that there are some of the challenges that we can solve ourselves so why don’t we do it. so we solicited ideas from the Constituency chairmen for this welfare fund,” Dr.Akyea Darkwa said.
Inaugurating the Welfare in Koforidua Saturday, July 17,2021, the national chairman of NPP Freddy Blay said welfare scheme has always been part of the NPP tradition however regretted that the party has overly fixated on securing power in the fourth republic, therefore, lauded the creation of the new welfare.
He said strong and sustainable financial resources is critical to the success of every political party therefore in pursuit of the “breaking the 8” agenda, Constituency Officers’ welfare has been timely.
“In many other countries in the world- South Africa, Germany, in Morocco the parties are able to organize themselves such that they get themselves involved in commercial activities. To help assist each other when in problem. We don’t expect a party to be sustained from the Central government’s coffers, no. Ideas can be developed such that the party will have resources from ourselves and from our networks”.
He added “we must put Ghana first as a party to build a sustainable future. That is why we should discuss the welfare because it is linked to the survival of members of the party if the party remains unattractive because it is not in the position to help its members , if a party is unattractive because you who are members of the governing party can’t take care of yourselves or can’t be assisted to take care of members of the party and others it is difficult to sustain the party. It is important that we see ourselves as selfless; selflessly to build our party, selflessly for the welfare of the people”.
The Vice President Dr.Mahamudu Bawumia said in a speech delivered on his behalf by Fred Oware, a former National Vice Chairman of the NPP that good governance and unity can retain the party in power beyond two terms.
He pledged his full support to the Constituency welfare.
Dr. Samuel Annor who also delivered a solidarity message on behalf of Alan Kyeremateng stated that the welfare fund is apt and must be structured to live up to its intended purpose of helping the part take care of its members in need at the base.
The Eastern Regional first Vice Chairman of the NPP Alhaji Umar Bodinga on behalf of the regional executives across the country proposed that they must be enrolled into the scheme to broaden the scope of the welfare for optimized outcome.
Present at the event were Sammy Awuku, National Organizer, former Energy Minister Boakye Agyarko, Eastern regional Secretary Jeff Konadu who represented General Secretary John Boadu
Government says citizens should be assured of their utmost protection from piracy and terrorist attacks.
This is among the key issues discussed at the recently held cabinet retreat that had top government officials including President Nana Akufo-Addo in attendance.
The Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah while addressing the press on Sunday said the government has already put in place measures such as beefing up security at the country’s borders to forestall such occurrences.
The minister said government had taken note of the rising incidents of kidnapping, terrorism and piracy in the West African sub-region, with neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast being victims.
“If you have followed what is going on in the West African sub-region, the incidents of terrorism and piracy are on the increase [in the] south, which means [such activities are] closer to our borders here in the Republic of Ghana. The government will wish to assure citizens that it will continue to take all appropriate measures to ensure that Ghana is protected. In the last few months, countries that share borders with Ghana including Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire have experienced a series of terrorist attacks and there is now evidence that at least one Ghanaian [has been] confirmed to have been recruited by some of these terrorist groups to participate in their activities,” he said.
The Minister urged the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to security authorities for action.
“We request of the citizenry to be aware and to draw the attention of the security agencies to any activities going on that they may find abnormal,” he added.
The issue of terrorism in the sub-region has been top of the agenda in recent ECOWAS meetings, chaired by Ghana’s Nana Akufo-Addo.
President Akufo-Addo during a visit to Burkina Faso in June 2021 remarked that “the fight against terrorism must be a collective one, and, as such, it is incumbent on ECOWAS to pull together and assist countries, such as Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali that are at the frontline of the battle against terrorism and violent extremism, to win the fight.”
At the opening session of the 59th ECOWAS summit in Accra, he described reports of terrorism in the sub-region as troubling and must “reinforce our collective commitment to pursue and implement with renewed vigour the decisions taken at our extraordinary summit on terrorism on 14th September 2019. This concerted effort must be a major issue and a priority of objective for the community,” he stressed
The National Organiser of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Sammi Awuku, has warned the various camps of presidential hopefuls in the party that their subtle and veiled campaign activities at funerals, risked dividing the party ahead of the 2024 polls and destroying the NPP’s chances of breaking the 8-year jinx.
“There is a growing trend that as Constituency Chairmen, we have to be very tough on”, Mr Awuku said on Saturday, 17 July 2021 at the launch of the NPP’s Constituency Officers’ welfare in Koforidua, capital of the Eastern Region.
“Whoever is a beneficiary or victim, we just have to put our foot on the ground”, he urged, explaining: “There is a growing sense and strategy of turning funerals into campaigning grounds for would-be presidential candidates”.
“As much as possible, the constituencies are expected to preserve the unity of the party”, Mr Awuku noted.
He said “When it turns out that because you are active constituency executives, you play the ostrich, stand aside but send our youth organisers to mobilise people to cheer Mr ‘A’ or Mr ‘B’, chairmen, they make your work difficult”.
Mr Awuku warned that: “If we are not careful with the internal primaries and party discipline, we may end up breaking ourselves before breaking the 8”.
“President Kufuor’s statement still resonates in our ears: It is better to be a messenger in a party in government than to be a General Secretary for a party in opposition”, he said at the Constituency Officers Welfare Fund launch.
It’s interim National Chairman, Dr Akyea Darkwa, who is the Asuogyaman Constituency Chairman, explained the rationale behind the fund: “Some of us, when we came into the seat, we identified that there were so many challenges that were bedevilling the base of the party and we saw that most people are expecting that the presidency or the government solves all our problems for us, which we know is impossible. So, we decided that there are some of the challenges that we can solve ourselves, so, why don’t we do it. So, we solicited ideas from the constituency chairmen for this welfare fund”.
Inaugurating the fund, the party’s national chairman, Mr Freddie Blay, said in pursuit of the “breaking the 8” agenda, the fund was timely.
“In many other countries in the world: South Africa, Germany, Morocco, the parties are able to organise themselves such that they get themselves involved in commercial activities to help assist each other when in problem. We don’t expect a party to be sustained from the central government’s coffers, no. Ideas can be developed such that the party will have resources from ourselves and from our networks”.
“We must put Ghana first, as a party, to build a sustainable future. That is why we should discuss the welfare because it is linked to the survival of members of the party. If the party remains unattractive because it is not in the position to help its members, if a party is unattractive because you, who are members of the governing party can’t take care of yourselves or can’t be assisted to take care of members of the party and others, it is difficult to sustain the party. It is important that we see ourselves as selfless; selflessly to build our party, selflessly for the welfare of the people
Meanwhile, Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to visit the devastated Schuld, a village near Ahrweiler in the worst-hit Rhineland-Palatinate region, on Sunday. Some 110 people are known to have died in the region.
Some 65 people were evacuated from their homes in Germany‘s Berchtesgaden area after the Ache River swelled. At least one person was killed.
The floods have begun to spill over into Austria, where a flash flood swept through the town of Hallein late Saturday, although no casualties have been reported.
The military has been deployed to help aid the search and rescue mission and was seen using armoured vehicles to clear away cars and trucks overwhelmed by the floodwaters in Erftstadt, a town southwest of Cologne where the ground in a neighbourhood gave way
The 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC), which began on the night of Sunday, June 27, officially ends today, Sunday, July 18.
The nationwide exercise was originally scheduled to end on Sunday, July 11 but was extended by one more week to enable enumerators mop up in districts where data collection was not complete.
As of the initial end date, 80 percent coverage has been attained.
In mid-week, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) indicated that the figure has gone up to 85 percent with 15 out of the 16 regions of Ghana above 80 percent and 10 out of the 15 above 90 percent.
North East Region had attained 99 percent, according to GSS, with the Greater Accra Region at 64 percent.
“GSS wishes to assure the public who are yet to be counted that no one will be left behind,” it said on Wednesday, July 14.
“The 2021 PHC aims for complete coverage and generation of quality dtata for decision-making.”
•Boakye Agyarko has suggested ways the NPP can develop its youth wing
•He believes the youth must be at the centre of party decisions
•He says the party should teach and mentor them
Former Energy Minister, Boakye Kyeremateng Agyarko has emphasized the need for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to tap into the knowledge and exuberance of its youth wing and make it a crucial part of the party.
Agyarko in an address at the UPSA chapter of the Tertiary Students Confederacy said that it has become imperative for the party to establish mentorship programs for its youth.
He said that with the youth making up the majority of the country’s demographics, it is important for the party to develop a careful program that allows it to groom and develop the youth to serve the country.null
He is of the conviction that such an approach will work the magic for the party and allow it to stay in power and serve the country.
“If you look at the demographics of Ghana. 68% of Ghanaians fall under the age of 40 so if you are a serious politician and want to organize a serious political party, you cannot but focus on young people.
“It is not about calling young people to meet once a while, organizing parties to make them feel good about themselves and calling upon them when you need them. That is not a political organization of young people. I see the political organization of young people to be embracing them, teaching them, mentoring them and giving them an active role in all things that concern politics,” he said.
Boakye Agyarko counselled the students that their decision to enter politics should only be inspired by a genuine willingness to serve the country and not enrich one’s self.
He disclosed that serving the country, though difficult, should be the motivation for all persons involved in politics.null
“All of us participate in politics to build a nation. A nation that can provide a greater comfort that we are looking for. A better future for ourselves and our succeeding generations. That is why we all participate in politics. I can imagine that some of our friends from the opposite side may have a different reason for getting into politics. The NDC think differently but not us.
“We participate in politics for the full purpose of building a good nation that we can live in. The primary assumption here is that the goodness we are looking for comes from good governance. Indeed, the Bible teaches us that when the righteous rule, the people rejoice but when the wicked rule, the people groan. It is not only Christians who believe this. Muslims also have their teachings.
“May the Lord bless and not give us the rule of NDC. We are going to achieve good governance by having a party such as ours in power. If we are going to be in power, we have to look at our dynamics,” he said.
•Boakye Agyarko says serving the country must be the ultimate aim of any politician
•He says serving the country requires sacrifices and that every politician must embrace it
•He says the NDC unlike the NPP has not accepted this reality
Boakye Agyarko, the former Energy Minister has said the desire to serve and contribute to the development of the country should be the prime motivation for anyone who decides to venture into politics.
According to him, serving the country requires sacrifices and that before deciding to veer into politics, one should recognize that the national interest will at each reign supreme.
Addressing members of the UPSA chapter of the Tertiary Students Confederacy (TESCON), Boakye Agyarko said that while the majority of the members of the New Patriotic Party has embraced this concept, the same cannot be said for their opponent, the National Democratic Congress.null
He asserts that the NDC has not come to terms with this notion as their members, he claims to hold a divergent view to what he is advancing.
He beseeched Heaven not to entrust the running of the country into the hands of any NDC leader as they will act in ways that in his wisdom will delay the scupper the country’s progress.
“All of us participate in politics to build a nation. A nation that can provide the greater comfort that we are looking for. A better future for ourselves and our succeeding generations. That is why we all participate in politics. I can imagine that some of our friends from the opposite side may have a different reason for getting into politics. The NDC think differently but not us.
“We participate in politics for the full purpose of building a good nation that we can live in. The primary assumption here is that the goodness we are looking for comes from good governance. Indeed, the Bible teaches us that when the righteous rule, the people rejoice but when the wicked rule, the people groan. It is not only Christians who believe this. Muslims also have their teachings.
“May the Lord bless and not give us the rule of NDC. We are going to achieve good governance by having a party such as ours in power. If we are going to be in power, we have to look at our dynamics,” he said.null
Boakye Agyarko in motivating the youth to bear the cross of Ghana and NPP said that being a member of the party comes with its unique challenge but the willingness to serve should always take precedence.
“Serving this party I can tell you is not an easy task. It involves a lot of difficulties because you are working with humans with various interests,” he said
“Regardless of the challenges, I will rather belong to this party and be ill-treated or maltreated than join any other organization out there calling itself a political party. When I go to Boiling Point on Oman FM, I greet party people and I say my party is right or wrong I stand by it. When I say this, it doesn’t mean your party will not wrong you, for NPP they will wrong you but it’s your party and I urge you that anytime your party wrongs you, have it as your mantra that it’s your party,” he said.
Member of Parliament (MP) for South Dayi Constituency, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamakpor has debunked the assertion that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is challenging the allowances given to the 1st and 2nd ladies of the country.
According to him, the President and his Vice can decide to pay some allowances out of the huge budget that goes to the Presidency to their spouses without raising any eyebrow of the public.
Speaking on Okay FM’s ‘Ade Akye Abia’ Morning Show, Mr Dafeamakpor said that some of them are in court to rather challenge the clandestine move by the Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee to smuggle the spouses of the President and his Vice into the Article 71 officeholders.
He clarified that Article 71 officeholders are the reserve of the employees of the government who deserve salaries and some benefits at the end of every month for their services to the nation and not the spouses of the President and his Vice who do not hold any public office.
“If we pay allowances to the First and Second Ladies from the huge budget of the Presidency, it is in the right direction . . . I cannot sit here and call for an investigation if the President and his Vice decide to give some of their salaries and allowances to their wives as allowances because there is a budget for the Office of the President,” he noted.
” …but to use a dubious way and include the spouses in the Article 71 officeholders as if they are employees of the government who deserve salaries at the end of every month is the case we are challenging in court because it is illegal or unconstitutional,” he indicated.
Commenting on the Ntiamoah-Baidu Committee, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamakpor maintained that the mandate given to the committee was to review the emoluments and privileges of the Article 71 officeholders.
He added that the committee included in its recommendations that the spouses of the President and the Vice President should be paid a monthly salary; giving the options to either pay 80 per cent of the salaries of someone serving as MP and also a Cabinet Minister or MP who is also a Minister of State.
“The first option the Committee gave was that if you are the spouse of a one-term President, we give you a monthly salary which is 80% of someone who is MP and also a Cabinet Minister. And if your husband is a two-term President, the salary you are supposed to receive will be that of an MP who is also a Minister of State . . . meanwhile, the two wives are not part of the Article 71 officeholders and that is the substance of our case,” he explained
Member of Parliament for Assin Central Constituency Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has asked for the forgiveness of the Paramount Chief of Wa Traditional Area for the military and, by extension, the people of Ghana for the incident of Thursday, July 1.
Leading a delegation of members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence and Interior as Chairman, Ken Agyapong minced no words when he said: “We are coming here to plead with the Overlord and the Paramount Chiefs and queenmothers and elders of Wa Traditional Area and Upper West to forgive the military and forgive the country so that we can move.”
The incident on Thursday, July 1 saw some military officers brutalise innocent civilians in the Upper West Region capital of Wa.null
The officers, who are said to have passed out of service a couple of days prior to the incident, have since been sanctioned.
Government has announced Tuesday, July 20, as a Statutory Public Holiday.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Interior said the holiday is to mark the Eid-ul-Adha festivities.
“The general public is hereby informed that Tuesday, 20th July, 2021 which marks Eid-ul-Adha, is a Statutory Public Holiday and should be observed as such throughout the country,” the statement signed by the Interior Minister, Ambrose Dery, on Thursday, July 15, said.
Eid-ul-Adha (‘Festival of Sacrifice’) is one of the most important festivals in the Muslim calendar. The festival remembers the Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son when God ordered him to.
• Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has been offering clarity on his comments on the loans facility being acquired for MPs to buy cars
• He stated that never has he said anywhere that MPs do not deserve vehicles
• Instead, he said, he wants MPs to be treated as equally as other Article 71 officeholders in the distribution of benefits like vehicles
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has stated that he has never said anywhere that Members of Parliament do not deserve vehicles.
Rather, he said, his long time argument has been that while MPs deserve vehicles as well, it must be done in a way that offers equality to all officeholders under the Article 71 of the constitution.
Offering clarity on what he said concerning the recent loan facility of $28 million secured by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, for MPs, the lawmaker explained that his argument is not a new thing but one he has always argued for.null
He explained, while speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana, and monitored by GhanaWeb, that all he wants is for an equitable allocation of benefits for the officeholders.
“I have never said Members of Parliament do not deserve vehicles; I’ve never said that and I must emphasize this point. I have never said don’t give Members of Parliament vehicles to work with, to carry out public duties. I mean, why would I say that? I’ve never said that.
“What I have said is that let there be equity, let there be uniformity,” he said.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa further explained that the arrangement for other officeholders under Article 71 that grants them easy access to official vehicles is the kind of arrangement he expects MPs to receive.
“We cannot have a situation where Article 71 provides that the facilities and privileges for use of Article 71 officeholders should be provided by the State and charged on the Consolidated Fund. So, for ministers, MMDCEs, the CEOs of the State institutions, the judiciary, they are not given car loans, deductions are not made from their salaries. There is a pool of vehicles when you are appointed into those Article 71 positions, you access from the pool of vehicles.null
“And I said that it is clear to me that, that arrangement, which we have practised and implemented over the years, seems to be more comfortable for the Ghanaian public, you don’t hear a hue or cry about vehicles in a pool for ministers but for MPs, because our arrangement is different, where a car loan is secured or procured by the government, led by the Finance minister. So, I said let’s uniformity, let’s have equality,” he explained.
He however noted that if such an arrangement, on the part of the government will not be possible, then they (MPs) should be saved the trouble of loan deductions from their salaries, so they can focus on getting their own vehicles.
“However, if the government argues that they probably don’t have the money, or they can’t work towards that uniformity, then stop the deductions from our salaries and then free us so that we can have our own arrangements with the banks,” he explained.
The founder of the Ghana Union Movement (GUM), Christian Kwabena Andrew popularly known as Osofo Kyiriabosom has said his party will win the 2024 general elections.
According to him, the party is re-organizing to position itself well after the 2020 elections defeat to face the 2024 elections.
Mr. Kwabena Andrew who contested in the presidential race for the first time obtained 105,548 votes representing 0.805% out of the 13,119,460 votes cast.
He emerged the third force in the 2020 presidential polls as predicted by many pre-election surveys.
Speaking in an interview on Atinka FM’s AM Drive hosted by Kaakiyre Ofori Ayim, Mr. Kwabena Andrews admitted that his party could not win the 2020 elections due to the limited time it had for campaigning.
“We used just about eight months to campaign, unlike the other parties which have been in existence for over 30 to 40 years. So, we were going into it to capture certain areas but time was not on our side.”
He urged all party members to remain calm as they prepare for the 2024 elections adding that he is confident of doing more exploits in the next general election to be conducted in 2024.
The Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has revealed that the Assin Central lawmaker, Kennedy Agyapong has given his full assurance to assist the Privileges Committee as the committee looks into his utterances against a journalist.null
The Member of Parliament for Efutu said in Parliament on Friday, July 16 that Mr Agyapong has served notice that he will cooperate.
“I have received a message from him and I have no doubt on my mind that steps will be taken to deal with the matter appropriately so that there would be the need to even go into that long haul. I just needed to assure the house of these steps that have been taken by the leadership of the majority”.
“We will want to work together. The media is not our enemy. We are not enemies to ourselves. Sometimes we slip. What is important is for us to take steps to remedy or resolve when these things happen.”
Speaker Alban Bagbin has referred Mr Agyapong to the Privileges Committee of Parliament for his utterances against a journalist with the Multimedia Group, Erastus Asare Donkor.
Mr Agyapong on Friday, July 9, is reported to have allegedly threatened to attack Mr Asare Donkor, “for the journalistic work that the latter undertook during the recent shootings and killing incident at Ejura” on his television station.null
The Multimedia Group filed a formal complaint against Mr Agyapong.
On Wednesday, July 14, the former Broadcaster raised the issue on the floor of the house and asked the Speaker to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee.
He said “Mr Speaker, I think that as a former journalist I feel obliged to draw the House’s attention to this conduct of an Honorable colleague of this house which in my view, brings this house into disrepute.
“Mr Speaker, I urge you to exercise your powers under 27 and refer this conduct of the Honorable which is becoming unacceptable, to the Privileges Committee to ascertain the veracity of the comments that were made and recommend sanctions if possible that will act as a deterrent to other members who may be tempted to act like him.”
In response to his request, the Speaker accordingly referred Mr Agyapong to the committee.null
He said he cannot take a decision on Mr Agyapong over his utterances against a journalist in Ghana.
That decision to determine whether or not the conduct smacks of abuse of privileges, he said, rests with the lawmakers as a House, to take.
“As it is now, I am compelled to refer it to the Privileges Committee. I want to emphasize that it is the House that will take the decision, it is not the speaker, it is not any other person apart from the House.
“That will be your collective wisdom that come to the conclusion whether what is alleged is just a mere allegation or is supported by facts and whether those facts constitute contempt of the House and abuse of a privilege of members,
“It is important for me to emphasize here that the privilege and immunity of free speech applies in full force in plenary session and committee sessions, not when members are outside debating issues or on radio and TV. You don’t have that right, that privilege, that immunity to just say anything because you are a member of parliament”.null
“We are not above the law. It is for good reasons because you represent a large number of people, you should be given the full immunity to be able to say what the people say they want you to say. That is why you say it here and you are covered.
“That immunity doesn’t extend to you in anywhere else. So pleased the committee should go into the matter, submit the report.”
Meanwhile, reacting to this on his radio station Oman FM on Thursday July 15, Kennedy Agyapong said “You cannot use the media to and the Police to gag me. You make a statement that I should be referred to the Privileges Committee of Parliament.
“I want to insult. He is a foolish MP, Suhuyini is stupid. He hasn’t achieved anything in life so he wants Ghana to burn”.
“I’m so disappointed in him. He uses everything for politics. The privileges committee is made up of human beings or they think being an MP is all I have, they think being MP is the only thing I rely on. If they remove parliament, I will continue to say the truth, no one can stop me.”null
He insisted that the business owner of Joy FM told him that the workers had resolved to sabotage the government because the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration is taking care of them, a claim the management of Joy FM denied.
“I will continue to speak the truth and not let anyone silence me. The truth is that Joy FM has been disgraced, they should write an apology letter to the families that lost their relatives in Ejura incident. They should also write to those injured as well”.
“I still repeat that they are corrupt, I dare Kwasi Twum and he claims he didn’t say it, he should be ashamed of himself. He said in my office that the staff of Joy FM are threatening to sabotage the government because we don’t take care of them. If they push I will expose all the things about Joy FM.”
• John Dumelo has called for enforcement of Ghana’s Rent Control laws
• He has stated that rent laws have never worked in Ghana
• Landlords are not to charge beyond 6 months’ rent advance in Ghana
Ghanaian actor and politician, John Dumelo, has argued that rent law which is expected to regulate the relationship between tenants and landlords in the country do not work.
According to him, the rent laws must be enforced to lessen the burden tenants experience when in search of a space. In most cases, they are forced to pay 2 years rent advance, this is contrary to Ghana’s Rent Control laws who states that landlords are not to charge beyond 6 months’ rent advance.
Mr Dumelo reacting to a concern raised by one of his followers on Twitter, Kofi Okata, who after paying GH¢200 per month for a single room with a porch for a 1-year rent advance, had been informed by his landlord of an additional GH¢40 added to his monthly rent upon demanding an extension of time.null
Kofi Okata wrote: “@johndumelo1 Do laws work in this country at all?? I rented a single room with porch last year, 200 cedis a month and I had to pay 1year advance because that was what the owner asked. Now he has increased the rent to 240gh without reason and he’s demanding 2years advance.”
In Dumelo’s response, wrote: “The rent laws don’t work. It’s never worked. The only option you have left is to try and negotiate with him. Pay one-year advance now, then promise to pay the rest in some few months. All the best bro. Enyo Nyo gè.”
He however added: “Guys, don’t you also think that landlords take 1 or 2 yrs rent advance because they don’t trust tenants to pay on time if they(Landlords) were to take 6 months’ rent advance?”
See the post below:
The rent laws don’t work. It’s never worked. The only option you have left is to try and negotiate with him. Pay one year advance now, then promise to pay the rest in some few months. All the best bro. Enyo Nyo gè. https://t.co/cou4c9iufT— MrDumelo (@johndumelo1) July 15, 2021
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Friday, 16th July 2021, commissioned the National Mosque of Ghana Complex, at a brief ceremony at Nima.
The edifice contains a grand mosque which is the second largest in West Africa, an office complex for the National Chief Imam, a clinic fitted with laboratories and a pharmacy, a library and a morgue.
With the current and immediate past Presidents of the Republic of Niger, their Excellencies Mohammed Bazoum and Mahamadou Issoufou, and Professor Ali Erbaş, President of the Directorate of Religious Affairs of Turkey, present, President Akufo-Addo applauded the National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu, as well as the Government and people of the Republic of Turkey for its financial and technical support offered towards the construction of the Complex.
“The minaret of this mosque is very visible from many parts of Accra. For me, it is not just the beauty that it adds to Accra’s skyline that excites me necessarily. I am even more excited by the fact that, as a Christian-majority country, a symbol of Islam can beautifully adorn our landscape, and expose the beauty of religious harmony that we enjoy in Ghana, and which continues to be the envy of the rest of the world,” the President said.
Acknowledging the importance of a mosque in the theological architecture of Islam, he noted that Prophet Mohammed’s Mosque in Madina continues to be a site of pilgrimage for devotees from across the world.
The mosque, President Akufo-Addo explained, is not just a place of prayer, stressing that “it is a hub for social and cultural activities. In other words, a mosque is supposed to bring people together, and not divide them”.
He, thus, urged the National Chief Imam and members of the Muslim fraternity to use the occasion of the commissioning of the Complex to foster even further the unity of the Muslim Ummah in Ghana, and, by extension, the unity of the Ghanaian people.
“This beautiful Complex is a replica of the famous Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey, which has become one of the most visited mosques in the world for the purposes of tourism. I expect that we should also nurture and take care of this mosque, and build its profile as a tourist destination for travelers to our country,” he said.
President Akufo-Addo continued, “Fortunately, our Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture is a devout Muslim and an astute business man, and I expect him to craft an appropriate strategy to make this beautiful edifice a place of pilgrimage”.
On his part, the President pledged to continue to serve Ghanaians with all his strength and with all his heart.
“I shall continue to be faithful to my presidential oath, and, hopefully, I can count on your support and the support of the Ghanaian people to make our country great and strong,” he added.
For returning an amount of GHS2,000 he found even though nobody was in sight to confront him should he have kept it for himself, Constable Prince Fordjour of the National SWAT unit has been rewarded with almost six times the dispensed amount he chanced upon at the ATM of Abeka Total branch of Stanbic Bank.
Constable Fordjour handed over the money to his commander, Chief Superintendent Theodore Hlormenu, who, in turn, gave it back to the bank.
The bank and the police service jointly honoured and rewarded the young police officer at a ceremony at the police headquarters in Accra on Friday, 16 July 2021.
While the Inspector-General of Police, Mr James Oppong-Boanuh, gave Constable Fordjour a GHS5,000 cash reward, the bank gifted him a special investment fund of GHS4,000, a gift voucher of GHS 1,000, a current account credit of GHS1,000 and some corporate souvenirs of honour.
At the short honorary ceremony, Chief Superintendent Hlormenu said the reward is “not about the amount involved but the gesture of the constable, which personifies what the police represents in the community – which is the same as our motto – Service with Integrity’”.
The IGP urged otter police officers to emulate Constable Fordjour’s example
The ministerial committee investigating the circumstances leading to the shooting of two persons in Ejura during the youth protest of the murder of social media activist Ibrahim Kaaka has officially announced the completion of their fact-finding mission in Kumasi.
The Chairman of the committee Justice Kingsley Koomson has debunked claims that the inquiry set out to ridicule journalists after some witnesses blamed the media for escalating and misreporting events.
Justice Koomson instead commended the media and the people of Ejura for their cooperation in ensuring their job was smooth.
In the twelve days of the committee’s sitting, 22 witnesses appeared before them.
Three of the witnesses testified in-camera for security reasons. While 117 videos, 555 pictures, one audio, and 3 documents were submitted to the committee by various witnesses.
Addressing the media after the final proceedings, Justice Koomson said “we as a committee, we are a fact-finding committee and we have not come out to say anybody’s evidence is stupid or is irrelevant.”
“So, whoever will describe a piece of evidence as stupid or irrelevant, it is their personal opinion.”
On the controversial testimony by Multimedia’s Erastus Asare Donkor, he said “Erastus gave a lot of evidence, video and apart from that he offered oral testimony. And I don’t think any of his evidence looks stupid.”
He went on “one thing I have observed is that in the Ghanaian media, when people question some of your acts, it does not mean they want to embarrass you or ridicule you, no. If a media man comes, he testifies, he’s asked questions, he should be subjected to some form of questioning.”
“That doesn’t mean that you are being ridiculed. So, whoever thinks that the committee tried to ridicule any media personality, I would assure them we had no intention,” he added
YEAR-ON-year inflation for June 2020 – June 2021 was 7.8%.
Month-on-month (May 2021 – June 2021) inflation was 1.3%, while year-on-year variation between food (7.3%) and non-food inflation (8.2%) was 0.9%.
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) which made this known in Accra, said the month-on-month food inflation exceeds non-food inflation by 1.0 percentage point (1.8% vs. 0.8%)
Food and Transport were the dominant drivers for the higher rate of inflation in June 2021.
Inflation for June 2021 indicates that the six-month continuous decline in food inflation has been reversed by 1.9 percentage points.
Inflation for locally produced items has regained its dominance over inflation for imported items.
The Northern Region continues to record higher year-on-year food inflation (16.2%), closely followed by Upper West 14.8% and distantly next is Greater Accra 9.9%.
The inflation rate in May 2021 was 7.5%, one percentage point lower than the 8.5% recorded in April 2021.
Month-on-month inflation between April and May 2021 was 0.8% (0.7 percentage point lower than what was recorded in April).
Housing, Water, Electricity, and Gas which was 19.9% down from 25.0% last month, recorded the highest inflation.
At the regional level, the overall year-on-year inflation ranged from 2.6% in Western Region to 12.3% in Greater Accra Region.
Upper West Region recorded the highest month-on-month inflation (4.3%). Three regions saw a stark decline in food inflation as compared to last month
A man believed to be a century year old has been killed by his 70-year-old wife who hit him with a fufu pestle.
A 70-year-old woman is in the grips of the Dormaa East District Police in the Bono Region for allegedly killing her husband.
According to the police, she hit the head of her husband with a pestle during a confrontation in their home at Kyekyenase in the Dormaa East District, causing his instant death on Wednesday, July 14, 2021.
Speaking to Citi News, the Dormaa East District Police Commander, DSP Kwasi Asante, stated the incident happened after the couple had a misunderstanding which led to the wife hitting her husband on the head with a pestle.
“We had information from the Assembly Member of the area yesterday [Wednesday], so police proceeded to the place and met the lifeless body of an old man who looked like he was about 100 years old, and he had been hit on the head with a fufu pestle. According to youth in the area, the couple had a little misunderstanding and as he bent down to wear his shoes and head to the farm, his wife hit him on the head with the pestle, and he died immediately.”
The body of the deceased, Agya Gurusi, has been deposited at the Dormaa Ahenkro Presbyterian Hospital Morgue awaiting autopsy.
“The man’s body was moved to the Presbyterian hospital morgue for preservation. The woman is currently in the custody of the police, and we are preparing to put her before court,” he added.
The North East Regional Director of Health Service, Dr. Abdulai Abukari , has called for support from stakeholders to help end teenage pregnancy in the region.
According to him, one of the major challenges facing health service delivery in the region was high rate of teenage pregnancy which stood at 14.9% as at the end of 2020. However, the region recorded a marginal reduction of teenage pregnancies of 14.7% at the end of the first quarter of 2021.
He cited socio-cultural factor such as early marriage, lack of parental support , engaging in sexual activities for economic gains , peer and social media influence among others as part of the contributing factors of teenage pregnancy cases in the region.
Dr. Abukari made this known at a shareholders meeting to discuss issues of Teenage pregnancy, Child trafficking, Kayeye, Education, and Social protection among others.
The Regional Health Director commended the Health Promotion and the Reproductive & Child Health Units adding that the region has expanded Family Planning and Comprehensive Abortion Care services towards addressing teenage pregnancy issues in the region.
He appealed to the Municipal/District Assemblies, Traditional Authorities, Parents and Guardians, Political leaders, Religious leaders, Civil Society Groups, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Education Service, Ministry of Gender Children & Social Protection, NGOs and all major stakeholders to support the Ghana Health Service in addressing the issue of teenage pregnancy in the North East region.
Representatives from UNICEF, UNFPA, NORSAC and the Ministry of Gender Children & Social Protection together with some selected representatives of regional departments were part of the shareholders meeting at the North East Regional Coordinating Council
The objectives for which government coughed out so much to construct a four-tier interchange at Pokuase are being missed.
The story about two lanes of the lower level being usurped by plantain and cassava sellers and trotro drivers is unacceptable.
Indiscipline is getting out of hands otherwise this impunity would not be taking place on this brand new road in clear view of us all.
We commend the Greater Accra Regional Minister Henry Quartey who swiftly dispatched a rapid response team to the scene to restore normalcy.
We are worried however that the solution does not lie in knee-jeck reactions but rather consistently policing the location throughout the week for a year or so.
The traders and commercial vehicles will return and eventually entrench themselves there where policing of the place is relaxed.
The filth will soon pile up when at the end of the day the hawkers retire to their various homes and expect the state to ‘fix it.’
When the commercial vehicles some of them in various stages of malfunctioning start dropping engine oil on the asphalt road this will started developing potholes. Resorting to the public purse to fix a compromised road because of bad attitudes is unacceptable.
We can stop the nonsense now when we all show interest in addressing our poor attitude to public properties.
Stubbornness on the part of the drivers and the hawkers should be sanctioned by the application of the relevant bylaws.
Public disdain was not in short supply when the report about the invasion of the road by the hawkers and even MOMO vendors was posted on social media.
In other jurisdictions the public out of patriotism will move to reprimand the defaulting hawkers.
Fortunately the regional minister is one who is not apprehensive of addressing situations such as this but he still needs our support in various forms. After all he ejected onion sellers from Agbogbloshie the threats of black magic notwithstanding.
It behooves all citizens to ensure that the integrity of the Pokuase interchange is not compromised.
In our commentary even before the commissioning of the project we foresaw this eyesore coming and asked the authorities not to allow it.
A highway of this magnitude and status should not be degraded by acts of indiscipline by plantain sellers and trotro drivers.
Since the MCE for the jurisdiction has passed on and the municipality in which the interchange falls is now orphaned the regional minister and the coordinating council take up the enforcement of the relevant bylaws on the interchange.
We think that the regional minister can engage engineers to fashion out a means of making it impossible for commercial vehicles to park there and for hawkers to sell their wares on the interchange.
Allowing indiscipline to shorten the lifespan of the interchange will be morally iniquitous and should not be countenanced under any circumstance
The missing Gyaasehene who was reported to have been kidnapped has told the police he went into hiding.
The Gyaasehene of the Apinto Divisional Council, Dr Nana Adarkwa Bediako III, has denied being kidnapped as widely reported on Thursday.
On Friday, the Western Regional Police PRO, DSP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku, told the media the chief told them he went into hiding but was not kidnapped.
According to her, the chief denied the kidnapping allegation when he reported to the Tarkwa Police Command to give a vivid account of his disappearance from Wednesday to Thursday evening.
“Nana said he wasn’t kidnapped and honestly, doesn’t know who sent out the message of his kidnap,” she said.
Dr Nana Adarkwa Bediako III, the Gyaasehene of Tarkwa, went missing on July 14, after a suspect who threatened him was granted bail the day before.
Police and National Security officers launched a nationwide search for him. But on Thursday night, his family said the chief had been located.
DSP Adiku also stated Dr Nana Adarkwa Bediako III told them he went to the bank to cash out some money to purchase some instruments for the Church of Pentecost on the day of his disappearance at Tarkwa.
He said from the bank; there was an instrument shop close by, so he decided to walk to the nearby shop.
DSP Ewurabena Adiku said while the Tarkwa Gyaasehene was going there, a gentleman accosted and told him some people are planning to kill him.
She said he immediately took the next available taxi and went into hiding, but he couldn’t communicate with anyone because he has left his phones in his car.
“He did not disclose where he went but was emphatic he was not kidnapped,” the police PRO said.
The police say they have launched an investigation into the issue.
George Yaw Akanlo, Upper East Regional Chairman of ‘Friends of Bawumia’ (FOB), says the New Patriotic Party (NPP) cannot break the eight-year rule in Ghana without Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as Flagbearer in 2024.
The FOB is a philanthropic group which propagates the works of Dr Bawumia to galvanise support for him towards the Presidential and Parliamentary elections in 2024.
The Chairman said Dr Bawumia had defended the Party, stood the test of time, and was the most qualified and experienced to take over from President Akufo-Addo to continue the development agenda of the country in freedom.
Mr Akanlo said this at the inauguration ceremony of the FOB’s Bolgatanga Central Constituency Executives after similar ceremonies were done across many of the Constituencies in the Region, to mobilize support from the grassroots level for Dr Bawumia.
The newly inaugurated executives in the Bolgatanga Constituency included; Alhaj Baba Zakariya as Chairman, George Atabem Awulimbono, Vice Chairman, Mr Awudu Alhassan, Coordinator and Emmanuel Abaane, Secretary.
The rest were Michael Akanamba, Organizer, Felix Aduko Adugbire, Deputy Organizer, Baba Musah, Treasurer, Edith Atampobire, Women’s Organizer and Abingo Atinga, Youth Organizer.
Mr Akanlo told the new Executives that “Since 1992, the elections had clearly shown that after eight years, a different government is elected. So if there is ever any opportunity to break that eight-year rule, the only person that presents us that opportunity is Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.”
He reminded them that FOB was duly registered in 2012 at the Registrar General’s Department, and was not a new group, adding that their inauguration as Bolgatanga Central Executives of the group was critical.
“When you hold the centre properly, then it means that the other peripherals will follow. So Executives of the Bolgatanga Central are not only Constituency Executives, but Executives that must ensure that the team becomes appealing.
“We need to defend the name of Dr Bawumia with integrity, so that when he is finally elected as Flagbearer, every other Party member will join us to campaign and retain the seat for the Party in 2024,” he said.
According to Mr Akanlo, other opponents were working underground to take the Party’s Flagbearership position, and urged the Executives to work harder to ensure victory for Dr Bawumia when the Party opens opportunity for the contest.
Alhaj Zakariya on behalf of the newly inaugurated Executives thanked the Regional leadership of FOB for the confidence reposed in them to serve the group and galvanise support at the Constituency level.
“We are honoured to represent FOB in the Bolgatanga Central Constituency. We will continue to contribute our efforts and work hard to ensure Dr Bawumia is elected. We will bring more people on board as members of FOB,” he said. GNA
The Kennedy Agyapong-led parliamentary select committee on defence and the interior is expected to start probing the military brutalities that took place a few weeks ago in Wa, the capital of the Upper West Region.
The probe starts today, Friday 16 July 2021.
The committee visited the area on Thursday, 15 July 2021.
They met the Regional Minister and Regional Security Council.
The committee’s probe is at the instance of the Speaker of Parliament.
The military personnel who took part in the brutalities of the civilians have been punished.
Only the Duty Officer was spared.
The soldiers brutalised the civilians while searching for a stolen mobile phone of one of their colleagues.
A four-member committee that probed the incident has submitted it preliminary findings, which said a total of 86 soldiers were involved in the misconduct.
The Orderly was demoted from Staff Sergeant to Corporal.
Also, the Guard Commander and Sentry were demoted from Corporal and Lance Corporal, respectively to Private.
The Duty officer, a Lieutenant, is yet to be tried.
Eight others, all private soldiers, who were among 30 of the 86 identified soldiers, who have already been tried, were sentenced to a 30-day detention.
The erring soldiers passed out between April 30, 2021, and June 4, 2021, and were posted to the 10 Mechanised Battalion Aggrey barracks.
The four-member committee under the auspices of the National Security office, is made up of personnel from the military and the National Investigation Bureau (NIB).
Led by Colonel B. Z Ayorrogo, the other members include Lt Col George Eduah Beesi, Francis Aboagye and Maxwell Dassah.
They found that eleven civilians suffered various degrees of injury as a result of the assault.
One of the injured persons is Gafur Mohammed, who suffered fractures.
Also, the committee found that 13 mobile phones, a tricycle and an amount of GHS1,460 got missing during the raid by the soldiers.
So far, seven of the phones have been found and the rickshaw returned to its owner.
Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, per the business statement of parliament for next week, is expected to present the mid-year review of the Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government of Ghana and Supplementary Estimate for the 2021 Financial Year on Thursday, 22 July 2021.
He is also expected to provide an account of how much was expended by the state on President Nana Akufo-Addo’s nine-day international trip a few weeks ago.
When he appeared in parliament mid-June, Mr Ofori-Atta asked the house to give him more time to gather his figures so he could account to the people of Ghana about the trip to France, Belgium and South Africa.
The question was filed by North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul answered his part of the question on Wednesday, 16 June 2021 on the floor.
While answering the question, Mr Nitiwul said Ghana’s presidential jet is not fit for purpose for President Nana Akufo-Addo’s international trips, thus, the president’s resort to chartering a private jet.
The Bimbilla MP said: “This aircraft will carry a load of 11 persons minus the crew. When this aircraft is travelling to the eastern part of the USA or Asia, it will not load a crew of more than eight plus the luggage”.
“So, it depends on where it is going”, he noted.
Secondly, he added, “I have also said the aircraft has to do refuelling stops and, also, in this COVID-19 [era], when you are travelling to multiple destinations like the president’s recent travels, the Falcon couldn’t have been taken because he would have had to do technical stops, which are not desirable”.
“And when he is travelling with more than 20 people like he has been doing for business trips that brought huge sums of money to this country, he will need more than just a Falcon, otherwise, the others would have to go a day ahead before the president to prepare themselves.”
“In fact, the president would also have to go a day ahead because no president can shower in this aircraft. He cannot move from this aircraft straight into a meeting”, Mr Nitiwul said.
A few weeks ago, Mr Ablakwa accused the president of spending GHS 2.8 million on the trip.
In the heat of the controversy, the Minority in Parliament said President Akufo-Addo could have used Ghana’s “airworthy” presidential jet, Falcon 9Gexe, instead of chartering the £15,000-per-hour “lavish, ostentatious and extravagant” AJC320neo flight he recently used for his 9-day trip abroad that cumulatively cost the Ghanaian taxpayer £345,000 (GHS2,828,432.80).
“Today, we want to present to you further evidence that we are definitely certain that the presidential jet is available, in good shape”, Mr Ablakwa told journalists on Friday, 28 May 2021.
According to him, on 11 May 2021 – five days ahead of his 9-day trip – the president used the presidential jet to Uganda to attend the ceremony swearing-in of President-elect Yoweri Museveni.
Denying claims that the Falcon cannot travel long hours without refueling, Mr Ablakwa said the president’s Uganda trip on the presidential jet was 5h:4m while his Paris trip took six-and-a-half hours.
“The Minority insists that the Falcon could have been used”, Mr Ablakwa stressed.
“One, the Falcon is airworthy and it took this same president to Uganda only a few days prior to the 16th of May when the president departed to Paris with this rather luxurious monster; the most outstanding, extravagant, luxurious airbus aircraft to be manufactured – the Airbus AJC320neo, which originally was manufactured to take 150 people at the minimum but it has been reconfigured to take only 17 people so a luxurious empire can be created”, he said.
In the Minority’s view, instead of the president using the chartered flight, which has a master bedroom, an en-suite bathroom with showers, dining facilities for all 17 passengers and sophisticated IT connectivity installations, he could have opted for other chartered flights from the same company, Acropolis Aviation.
“First of all, our contention is that the Falcon is available”, he stressed, emphasising: “It’s airworthy”. “If it can take you to Uganda safely, it can take you to Paris safely and Brussels, Belgium safely”, he argued.
“So, the point we are trying to emphasise is that in this time of austerity, where the president himself has said: Times are rough; let’s bear with him’, … the president himself embarked on this trip to go and beg for debt forgiveness and this is how you go and beg for debt forgiveness when the person you are going to beg for debt forgiveness from doesn’t travel in such luxury, in such ostentation”, noting: “The level of extravagance, the extreme opulence that the president displayed is condemnable, unconscionable”.
“How do you think these western leaders will perceive African leaders? No wonder they have very little respect for a lot of our leaders but we cannot continue this way”, Mr Ablakwa said
A retreat by President Akufo-Addo’s cabinet and other appointees has stalled the work of Parliament.
All Ministers scheduled to answer questions from MPs on the floor since Thursday have been deferred to next week as a result of the cabinet retreat.
Attorney General and Minister for Justice Godfred Yeboah Dame who was scheduled to answer questions from North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on the murder of investigative journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale and other prominent Ghanaians failed to turn up.
Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation who had to answer a question from Ho West MP Emmanuel Kwasi Bedzrah was also absent prompting the MP to question the development.
Majority Whip Frank Annor-Dompreh explained the development is a result of the ministerial retreat. Second deputy speaker Andrew Asiamah who was presiding, disclosed the ministers have written to inform the house about their absence
• A lawyer has made a flurry of corruption allegations against the Chief Justice
• Baako says there is not truth in the allegations
• The Chief Justice has also denied the allegations
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako Jnr, the Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide newspaper has said the allegations made against the Chief Justice by lawyer Akwasi Afrifa are without merit.
Baako on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana (Thursday, July 15) said “in my candid opinion I think that allegation is useless. It’s my personal view but its malicious and useless but because it concerns a public office holder of the high level of Chief Justice I’m not about to say so throw it way.”
Corruption allegations have been made against the Chief Justice by lawyer Akwasi Afrifa who in a written response to a petition filed against him at the General Legal Council, alleged among other things that Chief Justice Kwasi Anin-Yeboah demanded $5million from a client of his to rule in his favor.
Akwasi Afrifa alleged that the Chief Justice also recommended that his client retains services of lawyer Akoto Ampaw as his counsel.null
“At the end of July 2020, the Petitioner informed me that friends of his who were highly connected politically had taken him to see the Chief Justice who had agreed to help him win his case on condition that he drops my goodself as the lawyer handling the case for him and engage Akoto Ampaw Esq in my stead,” Kwasi Afrifa said.
“He further informed me that the Chief Justice had demanded a bribe of US$5,000,000 for a successful outcome to his case and that he had already paid US$500,000 to the Chief Justice. He further indicated that he was hard-pressed to raise the remainder of the US$5,000,000 and so I should refund some of the GH¢300,000 paid me as fees because he had in line with the advice of the Chief Justice, engaged Akoto Ampaw Esq as solicitor to continue the case before the Supreme Court,” Afrifa added.
These allegations have been denied by the Chief Justice who has petitioned the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service and the General Legal Council to probe the issue.
“His Lordship is saddened that, without any shred of evidence, his name has been dragged into this sordid and potentially criminal matter. His Lordship confirms that he does not know the plaintiff and has not met or seen him anywhere, except in the courtroom when he rises to announce his name when his case is called. His Lordship asserts that he has had no personal interaction either with the plaintiff or his lawyer on this matter or in any other matter,” the Chief Justice said in the petition. Nana Ogyeedom, the man whose petition against lawyer Afrifa gave rise to the allegations has also denied them.
“I unequivocally deny all allegations of intended bribery or actual bribery against any judge including the Chief Justice whom I have never met or known personally apart from seeing him in distance from the bench,” the rejoinder said in part.
“I have since applied for a copy of the said response to my petition against Lawyer Afrifa in which those fabrications and allegations are said to be contained and will appropriately react to the General Legal Council upon receipt of same.”
The Alliance for Social Equity and Public Accountability (ASEPA) has filed a petition with the US Department of State through the US Embassy in Ghana, to invoke Visa Restrictions against Member of Parliament Kennedy Agyapong pursuant to Section 212 of the US Immigration and Nationality Act.null
Section 212(a)(3)(c) of the Act allows the US Government to impose Visa Restrictions against persons of members of a Foreign Government who threaten, surveil, suppress, harass or harm a Journalist.
Among other things ASEPA is also asking the US Government to extend the ban to the current Ghanaian Government and all its officials including the President until the Government resolves the Murder of Ahmed Suale, arrest and prosecute the culprits.
ASEPA is also asking for the ban popularly known as the Khashoggi ban instituted by the US Government after the murder of Saudi Journalist Jamal Khashoggi to be extended to Parliament of Ghana and it’s officials if they fail to remove Kennedy Agyapong as Chairman of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament.
The petition has since been filed at the US embassy in Accra this morning.
The Speaker Alban Bagbin has referred Mr Agyapong to the Privileges Committee of Parliament for his utterances against a journalist with the Multimedia Group, Erastus Asare Donkor.null
Mr Agyapong on Friday, July 9, is reported to have allegedly threatened to attack Mr Asare Donkor, “for the journalistic work that the latter undertook during the recent shootings and killing incident at Ejura” on his television station.
The Multimedia Group filed a formal complaint against Mr Agyapong.
On Wednesday July 14, Tamale North MP Alhassan Suhuyini raised the issue on the floor of the house and asked the Speaker to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee.
He said “Mr Speaker, I think that as a former journalist I feel obliged to draw the House’s attention to this conduct of an Honorable colleague of this house which in my view, brings this house into disrepute.
“Mr Speaker, I urge you to exercise your powers under 27 and refer this conduct of the Honorable which is becoming unacceptable, to the Privileges Committee to ascertain the veracity of the comments that were made and recommend sanctions if possible that will act as deterrent to other members who may be tempted to act like him.”null
In response to his request, the Speaker accordingly referred Mr Agyapong to the committee.
He said he cannot take a decision on Mr Agyapong over his utterances against a journalist in Ghana.
That decision to determine whether or not the conduct smacks of abuse of privileges, he said, rests with the lawmakers as a House, to take.
“As it is now, I am compelled to refer it to the Privileges Committee. I want to emphasize that it is the House that will take the decision, it is not the speaker, it is not any other person apart from the House.
“That will be your collective wisdom that come to the conclusion whether what is alleged is just a mere allegation or is supported by facts and whether those facts constitute contempt of the House and abuse of a privilege of members,null
“It is important for me to emphasize here that the privilege and immunity of free speech applies in full force in plenary session and committee sessions, not when members are outside debating issues or on radio and TV. You don’t have that right, that privilege, that immunity to just say anything because you are a member of parliament.
“We are not above the law. It is for good reasons because you represent a large number of people, you should be given the full immunity to be able to say what the people say they want you to say. That is why you say it here and you are covered.
“That immunity doesn’t extend to you in anywhere else. So pleased the committee should go into the matter, submit the report.
Vice president, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has revealed a proportion of the adult population representing 86 percent have registered as taxpayers following digital reforms introduced by government.null
According to him, this is a significant increase from an initial 4.1 percent earlier recorded amid the adoption of the Ghana Card numbers merging as Tax Identification Numbers.
Dr Bawumia speaking during a virtual forum organised by the African Centre for Transformation (ACET) said the implementation of the mobile money interoperability platform has also witnessed an increase from 30 to 90 percent among a proportion of the adult population.
“The last year demonstrated the relevance of digital transformation to delivering contactless payments, direct rapid transfers to the adult population and effective track and trace mechanism”
The Integration of the Ghana Card, Digital Address System, National Health Insurance. Passport Services and the National Pensions Systems enhances the delivery of public services, improve the convenience of citizens brings considerable cost savings and improves revenue generation capacity of service providers,” the vice president said
Tamale North Member of Parliament Alhassan Suhuyini has said Ghanaians are right in the criticism against the $28million MPs’ car loan because their condition of living is worsening.
Speaking in an interview with TV3’s Parliamentary correspondent Komla Kluste on Thursday July 15, he said “Let us take our time. People are right in the way they are complaining about the situation because they live in worse conditions . so they are right the way they are complaining but we as leaders must appreciate that it is within their right to complain as they do but it is our duty to take actions that will be better for the state
“To also go sentimentally to say because you are criticizing us we will go for an option that we all know on the face value is more burdensome on the state is not an act of leadership, with all due respect.”
Member of Parliament for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam Casiel Ato Forson has called on all legislators to support the decision to stop the MPs car loan arrangement.
He said on the floor of the House on Thursday July 15 that the time has come for such an arrangement to stop.
“Every four years, two vehicles are given to Members of Parliament are given loans to procure vehicles.
“That is why we have firmly recommended to this House. We want to urge members that the time has come for all of us to accept that going forward we will not accept this car loans , It shouldn’t be a car loan , we also deserve duty post vehicles. We want to urge members to reject car loans going forward,” the member of the Finance Committee said.
In Parliament on Thursday July 15 during a debate on the $28million car loan for lawmakers, Member of Parliament for Tamale Central Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed told some of his colleague MPs who oppose the facility not be pretend to be who they are not.
This comes after his colleague Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said in relation to the loan that the impression has been created as though the lawmakers in the house for their personal gains.
Contributing to a debate on whether or not this should be approved on Thursday July 15, Mr Ablakwa said “The impression is created as though the 275 Members of Parliament of this house are here just for ourselves. We are not here for ourselves, we are here for the people of Ghana.
“We went to the people and offered ourselves with a vision to serve them and to deliver on the hopes and aspirations of our people and to achieve for our collective good a country that is based on success on progress, on development that our people will be well and duly served and that their wellbeing at all times will be our focus.
“That is what we wake up every morning to do. We need to re-assure the good people of this country that it has never been about us.”
In reply, Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed said “In as much as I agree with such admonishing, I want to entreat myself and my colleagues we shouldn’t be pretentious over such admonishment. It shouldn’t just come from our lips, we must be seen demonstrating that.
“If the four wheel drive is a luxury to some members of parliament I say that it is not a ;luxury to others . It is not an idea of us being admonished that we should demonstrate that we love the people of this country.
“That is our responsibility and let us see that in our action. I will want to caution myself and caution my colleagues when the cameras are before you don’t tyr to play saint , when the cameras are before you don’t try to pretend to be who you are not because we know the conduct of everybody and if we begin to question the con duct of people , I don’t think that is what the people of this country want. I agree that don’t give us any car loan.”
Murtala Mohammed had told Mr Ablakwa to return the two cars he bought from loan facilities for legislators if he is a principled person.
He described the position taken by Ablakwa regarding the car loan facility for legislators as hypocritical.
He accused Mr Ablakwa of lacking principles relative to this matter.
Ghana’s Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta submitted to parliament for approval a loan agreement of $28 million pending consideration by the Finance Committee, a facility that has been approved by the House on Thursday July 15.
This is for the purchase of 275 vehicles for members of the 8th Parliament.
This move has divided opinions among members of the Ghanaian public and also the legislators themselves on whether or not this is a good decision in the midst of the severe economic hardship Ghanaians are saddled with.
Okudzeto Ablakwa on Wednesday July 14 revealed that he and some of his colleague lawmakers from across the political divide had made progress in getting parliament to reject the 28million car loan facility for the legislators.
He stated that he and his colleague from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Patrick Boamah cosponsored a private member’s motion which the Rt. Hon. Speaker admitted for urgent debate this week.
“Glad we made major progress today in our efforts to have Parliament reject the US$28million MPs’ car loan facility.
“Really elated that my colleague NPP MP, Patrick Boamah and I cosponsored a private member’s motion which the Rt. Hon. Speaker admitted for urgent debate this week,” he said in a tweet.
Mr Boamah who is the Vice-Chairman of Parliament’s Finance Committee has said in an earlier interview that if he has his way, he will tell the legislators to reject the facility.
“For me, if I have my way I will tell my colleague MPs to reject that facility for the simple reason that all the other arms of government vehicles are procured for them without having to go through this process where the media is always on the back of MP s for contracting a loan.
“I don’t see the reason why we should be the subject for this public bashing,” he told journalists on Wednesday July 7.
Commenting on this development, Mr Murtala said “I remember in the coffee shop he called me while he was standing with the contact person of one of the companies and he was asking me whether I will take my car from that company, so where is the principle in this? Since when did he realise that taking the car is unconscionable?
“He has gotten two cars and a new MP who is coming who doesn’t even have a motorbike, whose constituency is farther than his, whose constituency is broader than his, who also needs to discharge his responsibilities by being mobile, such an MP should not be given a car? Let us get serious in this country.”
“This is not a principle. Then he should retune the other cars two cars,” he told Joy Prime on Thursday July 15.
“Okudzeto is not just a colleague Member of Parliament, myself and him we have come a very long way. He has taken the loan two times. I went to Parliament with him the same time when he took the car loan. In the Seventh Parliament I wasn’t there but he took the loan.
“So where is the principle in this? Since when did he realize that taking the car was unconscionable . Who is he trying to deceive?
“This is not a principle position. I remember in the coffee shop he called me while he was standing with the contact person of one of the companies and he was asking me whether I will take my car from that company, so where is the principle in this? Since when did he realise that taking the car is unconscionable?”
Bernard Allotey Jacobs has subtly called on Mrs. Lordina Mahama, wife of former President John Dramani Mahama to return her allowances just as First and Second Ladies, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Samira Bawumia have done.
Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo has issued a Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited (CBG) cheque for GH¢899,097.84 as her refund of all allowances received since 2017.
Mrs. Samira Bawumia has also indicated she will refund an amount of ¢887,482 as allowances received from 2017 till 2021.
The First and Second Ladies made this decision after a public backlash.
As the two prominent women have returned their money, pressure mounts on Mr Mahama’s wife to follow suit but she has since not replied her critics.null
Discussing the matter on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ programme, Allotey Jacobs praised the two women saying their behaviour has attracted lots of respect from Ghanaians.
When asked if he wants Mrs. Mahama to follow their footsteps, Allotey answered; ”If they have refunded theirs, where is yours?” – to wit, if they have refunded their money, then Mrs. Mahama should perhaps do same.
Deputy Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Assin South, John Ntim Fordjour has justified the award of a sole-sourced contract to Kingdom Books and Stationery to supply West African Education Council (WAEC) past questions for Senior High School candidates.null
The government spent approximately 34 million Ghana Cedis in 2020 for this purpose and this is said to have informed a “tremendous” performance over the past years.
Speaking to Berla Mundi on TV3 New Day, the deputy minister said the government was compelled by some circumstances to sole-source the contract.
“WAEC owns the copyright to all their questions, materials and examiner’s reports, if there is any publisher out there who without legal authority from WAEC is reproducing any WAEC material that publisher is doing so at the breach of the law. And this must be put in context, the only company that WAEC has given that legal authority to reproduce their past questions and examiner’s report is Kingdom Books. As and when other publishers are able to obtain the legal right to reproduce WAEC material, competitive tender must be engaged. But as we speak the only company which has the sole right to reproduce is Kingdom Books”, he explained. Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Clement Apaak, who was also on the programme demanded for documents to back the Minister’s claim that Kingdom Books and Stationery has an exclusive right to produce WASSCE past questions.
•He is surprised that Kennedy Agyapong has not faced prosecution for his threats on Ahmed Suale
•He says President Akufo-Addo and Bawumia have emboldened Kennedy Agyapong
Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress has outlined the institutions and persons who should take the blame for the ‘criminal behavior’ of the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong.
Sammy Gyamfi believes that the actions and inaction of these institutions and persons have emboldened Kennedy Agyapong and elevated him to the level of demi-god.
He noted on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana program that the government is afraid to touch Kennedy Agyapong and deal with his criminal conduct.
“It appears some persons are sacred cows who cannot be touched. It appears the current government and their governance is one of an animal farm where certain people are more human than the others.
“The threats of harm made by Kennedy Agyapong on the life of Asare Donkor is reprehensible, condemnable and criminal. Because section of 74 of the criminal and other offenses act of 1960 makes threat of harm a crime so you cannot wake up and threaten somebody with harm or death.
“The reason why he has been emboldened to engage in this conduct with brazen impunity is because President Akufo-Addo, his vice Dr Bawumia and the NPP he belongs to have been encouraging and endorsing his reckless act. That’s what has emboldened him to engage in more of such criminal conduct with impunity. Let’s not blame this on the state.
“Those encouraging him are those who have been entrusted with the responsibility to fight crime. This is very similar to the same threats he made against Ahmed Suale. He had the effrontery to sit on television. The way the media has pampered this man makes them part of the problem,” he said.
Kennedy Agyapong was referred to the Privileges Committee of Parliament on Wednesday for making some inciteful statements against a journalist.null
The issue was raised before the house by Tamale North MP who claims that his background as a former journalist compelled him to make that move.
He is confident Kennedy Agyapong will be punished for his conduct and also has committee chairmanship position withdrawn.
“It is my hope that this [issue] will be looked at differently, and he will be seen as one that has engaged in many infractions and, perhaps, the mercies that he enjoyed previously may not be experienced. I also hope that the committee will approach this as a national issue and not a partisan issue,” he said in an interview.
“The aim is not to bastardise Kennedy Agyapong or portray him as a member of the NPP who deserves condemnation. The aim is to protect the life of Erastus Asare Donkor because when we failed to act in the case of Ahmed Suale, we all saw what happened and then again, encourage responsible speech that bring about some respectability to the dignity of Parliament,” he added.
The Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin has accused the Speaker of Parliament of setting a bad precedent over his decision to refer Kennedy Agyapong to the privileges committee.
In his view, he noted that the Speaker failed to take into consideration the parliamentary procedure.
The legislator said the motion for the MP to be referred to the committed was not seconded, then allowed to express their views on the matter but the Speaker failed to do all these things.
“I felt that as a House, we’ve established our own conventions and practices, and again, we are bound by our rules (standing orders),” he said.
“I am a student of parliamentary jurisprudence, and there’s no way that I would want to go on a path other than the known path of parliamentary jurisprudence. So that is why I felt that the approach is not consistent with the standing orders.”
“Did the speaker see the video, did the honorable member procure the video to mount his argument? That was not what happened,” he added.
The Speaker on Wednesday hauled the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, before the Privileges Committee for allegedly threatening the life of a Multimedia Group journalist, Erastus Asare Donkor.
The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, referred him to the Committee following a submission by the National Democratic Congress MP for Tamale North Alhassan Suhuyini that Kennedy Agyapong has called for serious beatings of the journalist and added that he would have ensured he is beaten mercilessly if he, Kennedy Agyapong, were the President.
Alhassan Suhuyini said that the comments of Kennedy Agyapong, which were at variance with the requirements in the Code of Conduct of Parliament, were an affront to the dignity of Parliament.
Tamale Central MP Ibrahim Murtala Mohammed has questioned the principle behind his colleague National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa’s comments that government must stop giving legislators car loans after the North Tongu MP has benefitted from the tradition twice already.
Mr Ablakwa recently urged his fellow lawmakers, to join forces to compel Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to withdraw the $28-million loan facility he tabled before parliament for approval as car loans for the 275 legislators, which got approved on Thursday, 15 July 2021.
As MPs, Mr Ablakwa wrote on social media, “let us also boldly confront and discontinue the practice of government loans to purchase vehicles for MPs”.
That will simply require, he noted, that the “government stop the monthly deductions from MPs’ salaries so we will be free to broker individual car loan deals based on our salary structure, constituency terrain and other personal preferences”.
“I honestly hope many colleague MPs will agree with me so we join forces and get Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta to withdraw his MPs’ car loan agreement from Parliament”, he noted.
He bemoaned that “MPs have been deliberately thrown under the bus and subjected to needless opprobrium one too many”.
Fortunately, he pointed out, Speaker Alban Bagbin “has been a longtime advocate for a uniform duty vehicle policy in the public sphere, which does not discriminate between Ministers, MMDCEs, CEOs, Judges and MPs”, adding: “I strongly believe we can count on his support as we pursue this mission”.
Mr Ablakwa said “deep reflection is needed on just how long the political class can keep stoking the anger levels of the masses beyond a boiling point?”
“We must not underestimate the people’s grave revulsion and its volcanic consequences on the stability and sustainability of our democracy”, he warned.
“Time to adopt a totally new and sincere paradigm”, the MP suggested.
He told Joy Prime on Thursday: “He [Ablakwa] has gotten two cars, and a new MP, who is coming, who doesn’t even have a motorbike, whose constituency is farther than his, whose constituency is broader than his, who also needs to discharge his responsibilities by being mobile … should not be given a car? Let us get serious in this country.”
“This is not a principle”, Mr Mohammed said, adding that if it were, “then he [Ablakwa] should return the other two cars.”
“Okudzeto is not just a colleague Member of Parliament”, he noted, pointing out that the two of them “have come a very long way” but insisted: “He has taken the loan two times”.
“I went to parliament with him [at] the same time when he took the car loan. In the Seventh Parliament, I wasn’t there but he took the loan”, Mr Mohammed said.
“So, where is the principle in this? Since when did he realise that taking the car was unconscionable? Who is he trying to deceive?” he wondered.
“This is not a principled position”, the opposition lawmaker emphasised, recounting: “I remember [being] in the Coffee Shop [when] he called me while he was standing with the contact person of one of the companies and he was asking me whether I will take my car from that company. So, where is the principle in this? Since when did he realise that taking the car is unconscionable?”
Second Deputy Majority Whip, Habib Iddrisu, has moved for NDC’s National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi to be referred to the Privileges Committee over his social media attacks on leadership of the Minority Caucus of the House and the Speaker.
He made the move in a sitting chaired by Second Deputy Speaker, Andrew Asiamah Amoako Thursday.
“Mr Speaker, I hereby draw the attention of the House to comments made by Sammy Gyamfi, the Communications Officer of the NDC. Mr Speaker, this is an attack on the Speakership and the leadership of this House. Under Order 27, I want to move that this should be referred to the Committee of Privileges as precedence in this House has already shown and latest was yesterday,” he stated.
Mr Gyamfi in a post on social media in March this year criticized the party’s leadership in Parliament following the vetting and approval of some minister-designates the party had opposed.
The party had directed its members to vote against some of the nominees especially those with security portfolios.
Below are details of the post on Facebook
Comrades, the betrayal we have suffered in the hands of the Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, the leadership of our Parliamentary group, particularly Hon. Haruna Iddrissu and Hon. Muntaka Mubarak, and dozens of our own MPs, is what strengthens me to work hard for the great NDC to regain power.
“They brazenly defied the leadership of the party and betrayed the collective good for their selfish interest. And we, must not let them succeed in their parochial quest to destroy the NDC, the party that has done so much for them and all of us. The shame they have brought on the party will forever hang like an albatross around their necks.
These are hard times for all of us but we should not let the betrayal of a few quench our love for the great NDC. Rather, let it strengthen us to fight for this party. We all have an equal stake in this party. They are few, we are many. Some have sold their conscience but ours is intact. And we, can work together to rebuild the party from the ashes of 3rd March, 2021, which I call “Black Wednesday ”- Our day of self-inflicted shame.
This is the time for us to insist on the right changes in the leadership of the NDC group in Parliament or forget about them completely. The current leadership have lost their moral authority to lead and are not fit to sit on the front bench of the NDC side of the house. More importantly, it’s about time we understood, that we don’t have any NDC Speaker of Parliament. No we don’t! We have a Speaker who rode on the back of the NDC into Office to pursue his own parochial agenda and nothing more. You trust them, at your own peril
The Judicial Service Staff Association of Ghana (JUSSAG) has mounted a strong defence against the allegations of bribery leveled against the Chief Justice (CJ) Kwasi Anin Yeboah.
According to JUSAG, it is impossible for the CJ Justice Anin Yeboah to demand or take any bribe because “he did not become a judge only just yesterday.”
Mr Alex Nartey, the president of JUSAG in an exclusive interview with EIB Network’s Court Correspondent Murtala Inusah, urged all staff members who maybe worried over the allegations against the CJ to be focused.
“My advice to staff who may be worried is that the Chief Justice who is heading the Judiciary is a man we can trust and he will prevail at the end of the day and so everyone should focus and work as we do always and at the end of the day, the Chief Justice would be vindicated,” Mr Nartey urged the staff.
Touching on how JUSSAG as an association and a stakeholder in justice delivery system received the allegations against the CJ, Mr Natey said, it is impossible for the “Justice Anin Yeboah we know to demand or take any bribe.”
He said, the CJ did not become a judge only “just yesterday,’ but he has been around for a long time.
He added “We us Judicial Service Staff have worked with him closely at various levels as clerks, at administrative and management levels, and we know the kind of person Justice Anin yeboah is.
“He (CJ) has an impeccable integrity – and has a high standard moral character. The ethical standards with which he goes about his work that we know, we are disputing this, we can’t believe it. It is impossible with him. I believe the lawyer who made that allegation himself knows very well that, what he said cannot be true. And so, I will urge and entreat Ghanaians not to place any premium on this allegation made against the Chief Justice,” the JUSAG president rallies.
On concerns that the matter should have been referred to the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice to investigate instead of the CID, the JUSSAG president said, “I don’t think that the demands people are making are all right.”
“The office of the Chief Justice is a constitutional creation and has all means for a swift investigations, so that everyone will become clear that indeed the man is a clean man, he can’t do that and he will never do that,” he intimated.
Asked if his members are worried about the situation, he responded by saying “not at all.”
But aserted that, “we are worried to the extent that an innocent man is being pulled into an unfortunate situation that is the only worry we have.”
To this end, he said, “we take consolation from the fact that, we know the man and he is of integrity.
“We are happy work is going on and we know that at the end of the day, people who are happy about it will be proven wrong, so we are not perturbed at all, we know that, our Chief Justice is a man of integrity, and will not be involved in any such thing.”
Political motivation
On if the allegation has any political motivation, Mr Nartey said, he will not be surprised if it has.
“Well, I will not be surprised if it has a political undertone because Ghana seens to be now moving by political sentiments but unfortunately most of these sentiments born out of politics are not premised on the truth, they are only emotional and propaganda and so yes, people can always do their politics, but the truth will always prevail and that is what we are happy with.
On the call by some political parties for the CJ to step aside pending investigations, the JUSAG president said, such calls are too early.
“It is early days yet to say the Chief Justice should step aside just because, this flimsy allegation has been made,” he responded.
According to him, “the lawyer himself knows that he ought not to have made that remarks and it humilate him the more.
He said the lawyer by making those allegation is shooting himself down because ‘it doesn’t present any responsible picture to any responsible mind.:
Asked if he will be surprised if investigations prove otuerswise, he said “investigations cannot lead to any other outcome than the fact that the allegation is baseless and so that is what we look forward for.”
• Kennedy Agyapong believes he is being gagged from speaking the truth
• The Assin Central MP says he is ready to face the Privilege’s Committee
• He has hurled some expletives at Alhassan Suhuyini
Embattled member of Parliament for Assin Central has launched a fresh attack on his colleague MP for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini for raising the issue of his threat against journalist Erastus Asare Donkor in Parliament.
Kennedy Agyapong in a radio interview went personal on Suhuyini and referred to him with some extremely harsh words.
Kennedy Agyapong flayed Suhuyini for what he believes to be his preference for politicizing every issue that comes before parliament.
After dealing with Suhuyini, Kennedy Agyapong damned the Privileges Committee where he has been referred to.null
Kennedy Agyapong said he will not be cowed into silence and will continue to speak the truth even if he is sacked from Parliament.
“You cannot use the media and police to gag me. You make a statement that I should be referred to the Privileges Committee. I want to insult him. He is a foolish MP. Suhuyini is stupid. He hasn’t achieved anything in life so he wants Ghana to burn down.
I’m so disappointed in him. He uses everything for politics. They have taken me to the Privileges Committee. I will insult him more. He is foolish. The Privilege Committee is made up of human beings or they think being an MP is all I have. They think MP is the only thing I rely on. If they remove from Parliament, I will continue to say the truth. No one can stop me,” he said.
Kennedy Agyapong insists he is acting in the interest of the country and will not allow the media house which Erastus Asare Donkor works with to plunge the country into chaos.
He has vowed to release some groundbreaking allegations against the media house daring them not to push him to a level else he will drop more secrets.
“I will continue to speak the truth and not let anyone silence me. The truth is that Joy FM have been disgraced. They should write apology letters to the families that lost their relatives in the Ejura incident. They should also write to those injured as well. I still repeat that they are corrupt. I dare Kwesi Twum and he claims he didn’t say it, he should be ashamed of himself. He said it in my office that the staff of Joy FM are threatening to sabotage the government because we don’t take care of them. If they push I will expose all the things about Joy FM. I’m going all out.”null
Kennedy Agyapong has been hauled before Privileges Committee of Parliament after he made some statements against Asare Donkor over his coverage of the Ejura incident.
Alhassan Suhuyini who initiated the process is hopeful that Parliament will take a decisive step on him. “It is my hope that this [issue] will be looked at differently, and he will be seen as one that has engaged in many infractions and perhaps, the mercies that he enjoyed previously may not be experienced. I also hope that the committee will approach this as a national issue and not a partisan issue,” he said in an interview.
“The aim is not to bastardise Kennedy Agyapong or portray him as a member of the NPP who deserves condemnation. The aim is to protect the life of Erastus Asare Donkor because when we failed to act in the case of Ahmed Suale, we all saw what happened and then again, encourage responsible speech that brings about some respectability to the dignity of Parliament,” he added.
Parliament has approved a $28 million loan facility for members to purchase cars for their official duties.
The House on Thursday, July 15 also approved a $13.36 million facility as tax exemption for all Members of Parliament and Council of State to purchase cars.
The Vehicle Loans Agreement was brought before the House by Finance Minister Kenneth Nana Yaw Ofori-Atta.
The facility will see the state paying 60 percent of the cost of the vehicles for the parliamentarians.
But the move has divided opinion in the House after public backlash.
MP for North Tongu Constituency Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on Tuesday, July 13 announced that he had co-sponsored a Private Member’s Motion with colleague member for Okaikoi Central, Patrick Boamah, who doubles as the Vice Chairman of the Finance Committee, to have the House reject Mr Ofori-Atta’s motion.
This was admitted by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana Bagbin, for urgent debate, according to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP.
However, on Thursday members voted overwhelmingly to approve the facility.
Nonetheless, this is going to be the last to be brought before the House as a recommendation by the Finance Committee to have such a move for each Parliament every four years discontinued was also approved.
Speaking on the floor of the House, Chairman of the Committee Kwaku Agyemang Kwarteng, who is also MP for Obuasi West Constituency, said lawmakers and Council of State members should have similar duty-post vehicle arrangements as other Article 71 office holders, who purchase cars from their emoluments.
“The Committee respectfully recommends that Parliament and the Parliamentary Service take the necessary steps to ensure that this happens,” he stated.
“The instant vehicle loan arrangement for MPs and Council of State Members before us today should therefore be the last one the state is sponsoring.”
The women’s wing of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) are on the heels of former First Lady, Lordina Mahama, to pressurize her to refund all allowances she received since assuming and leaving that position.
Some have said since becoming Second Lady in 2009, and subsequently First Lady in 2012, following the sad passing of then President John Evans Atta Mills, and also leaving office in 2016 when her husband, Mr. John Dramani Mahama lost the election, the state has spent over GH¢3 million on allowances for the First Lady, excluding the huge privileges she enjoyed.
Political Twist
Some members of the ruling party are even saying they are ready to go on demonstration to force the former First Lady to refund all allowances she received since January 2009.
According to them, the issue of the emoluments of First and Second Ladies, both past and present, was not supposed to be a political issue but her husband, Mr. John Dramani Mahama, and their party the NDC, started vile propaganda against President Akufo-Addo who was trying to elevate the allowances of the spouses of the President and his Vice, both past and present, to salary status.
The approval by Parliament of the Professor Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee Report as mandated by law, covering the salaries and allowances payable to Article 71 office holders, which also added both present and former First and Second Ladies, set the NDC propaganda machine in motion.
Mahama Diabolic
Former President Mahama then initiated attacks on President Akufo-Addo through a statement, creating the impression that the incumbent President is doing it for his wife alone.
Even though the Professor Ntiamoa-Baidu Committee Report did not recommend that the salary should be paid to First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Second Lady Samira Bawumia alone, Mr. Mahama mischievously skewed the facts and appeared to incite the public against the President and his Vice.
He said, “This week, a raging issue that has generated passionate debate among many Ghanaians, both on social media and in the traditional media space – TV and radio – has been in respect of a report, confirmed by Government that the spouses of President Nana Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia are to be placed on a monthly salary at the level of a Cabinet Minister.”
He then said, “We are told that the 7th Parliament of the Republic of Ghana, which was dissolved at midnight of January 6, 2021, approved the recommendation in the Report of the Presidential Committee on Emoluments for Article 71 Office Holders (January 2017 to December 2020), chaired by Professor Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu.
“The challenge, however, is that the spouses of the President and Vice President are not captured among Article 71 office holders and, therefore, there is no legal or constitutional basis for it,” he said, adding “it should be noted that the recommended salaries for the spouses in the Ntiamoa-Baidu report are captured as part of the emoluments of the President and the Vice President.”
He even accused the President and his administration as if they are trying “to sneak the First and Second Ladies into the Article 71 office holders’ group,” and also accused Parliament of approving the committee’s report without ‘a review’.”
Following Mr. Mahama’s statement, the NDC elements launched a barrage of attacks on the First and Second Ladies.
Bold Decision
Avoiding any controversy, Frist Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo, issued a statement on Monday night saying she was not going to accept the offer, and even said she would refund all allowances paid to her since she assumed office in January 2017.
Similarly, Second Lady, Samira Bawumia, followed with a statement saying she would also not accept the offer and said she was refunding her allowances as well.
Cheque Delivered
By Tuesday, Mrs. Akufo-Addo had refunded all the allowances she received for occupying the position of First Lady.
A letter to the Chief of Staff, signed by Mrs. Shirley Laryea of the Office of the First Lady, and copied to the Chief Director at Jubilee House (seat of government), had said, “I am directed to forward, herewith, a Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited cheque number 000002 for an amount of GH¢899,097.84 (Eight Hundred and Ninety Nine Thousand, Ninety Seven Ghana Cedis, Eighty Four Pesewas) being the full refund for monies received from January 7, 2017 to date as allowances given to Her Excellency the First Lady of the Republic.”
“As disclosed by the statement issued on July 12, 2021, Her Excellency the First Lady of the Republic, is refunding the amount stated above and also takes this opportunity to decline any allowances to be paid to her in the future,” the statement said, adding, “Her Excellency the First Lady remains committed to her role as First Lady and is devoted to her charity work championing the well-being of women and children in Ghana.”
NPP Women
Leading the chase, the NPP National Women’s Organiser, Kate Gyamfua, said yesterday that the vitriolic attacks unleashed on the persons of the First and Second Ladies were as a result of the Mr. Mahama’s unguarded utterances and once he, and the NDC, have decided to politicise the issue, there is no way the NPP will allow Mr. Mahama’s wife to keep her allowance.
She said, “If you go to the offices of the First and Second Ladies, you will understand the sacrifices they are making for the country. Look at the health institutions, the First Lady’s footprints are all over. The Second Lady is also empowering many girls to go up the ladder. They didn’t deserve these unprovoked attacks.”
She added, “Mr. Mahama should have known better since he was once President and knew what goes into the running of the office of the First Lady,” adding that once the NDC has decided to make the debate personal, the NPP women will also take on the former First Lady because “she was the biggest beneficiary.”
Minister of State, Freda Prempeh, also entered the fray and said the First and Second Ladies did not deserve the ingratitude being displayed by Mr. Mahama and his cronies.
She commended Mrs. Akufo-Addo and Mrs. Bawumia for the proactive steps they took to refund the allowances and said they will do everything possible to get Mrs. Mahama to return hers.
General Secretary
Already, the General Secretary of the ruling NPP, John Boadu, has said once the NDC and Mr. Mahama have mischievously created the impression that the approval by Parliament was for the benefit of the spouses of President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Bawumia, when that was not the case, the wife of Mr. Mahama should also refund allowances she has collected since 2009 till date.
“Let me say this emphatically. Former President Mahama’s wife, Lordina Mahama, must, as a matter of urgency, refund all monies paid to her since January 2017 till now. Those she received as far back as 2009 should also be refunded. The monies she has received from that time till now would amount to GH¢3.2 million,” he fired.
Apology Demanded
The Director of Communications at the presidency, Eugene Arhin said the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) Dr. Anthony Yaw Baah in his statement has claimed that the First and Second Ladies had been paid salary arrears.
He said it was never the case and the TUC boss needed to retract and apologise to the two personalities.
Mr. Arhin said on social media that “salary arrears dated back to January 2017 have since been paid to the wives of President Akuffo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia, in accordance with the Committee’s recommendation which was approved by NDC and NPP Members of Parliament. This is what the TUC General Secretary, Dr. Yaw Baah, said in a statement dated 11th July 2021. Clearly he was wrong, as no such ‘salary arrears’ have been paid.”
“Can he, therefore, do the needful and apologize to the First and Second Ladies for this false statement??”
Peace Mission
In the ensuing heat, a leading member of the NPP, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko called for calm and rather blamed Mr. Mahama for the mess that has been created.
He said on social media that “Leave Lordina Mahama alone! She doesn’t have to refund her alawa. Not her fault, her husband who says he believes in the 2011 Constitution Review Commission report’s recommendation to set up an Independent Emoluments Committee yet he never ever saw the need to attempt to do it.”
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