Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, a flagbearer candidate for theNew Patriotic Party (NPP), is optimistic about his chances of being chosen to stand in for the ruling party in the 2024 presidential elections.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, Mr. Agyepong said his message resonates “very strongly with Ghanaians.”
“I am the one who is known better in the party, my roots are deeper in this party than most. And I am very confident of what I am doing.”
He, however, admitted that the journey won’t be a walk in the park, and is willing to give it his best shot.
” Of course, we don’t take anything for granted in this elation. I respect the sanctity of our electoral system and I do believe that Ghanaians will not mortgage their future. They will listen to us, evaluate us and will be able to make a choice.”
The former Press Secretary of former President John Kufuor added that Ghana is better off having some ministries consolidated.
He said not only will this be economical but will go a long way to send a strong moral message to Ghanaians that leadership is indeed tightening its belt and is serious about working towards attaining economic recovery.
“Ghana’s government is too big, and I have said this a long time ago, I think it has become a bit more fashionable for other people to say. As far back as 2015 when I was General Secretary of the NPP, I said that the framers of the constitution did not put in the 19 limits for cabinet ministers for nothing, they were giving us an idea of the size of government.”
The general secretary of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Janet Nabla, has stated that while Ghana has a solid constitution, its implementation requires strong men and women in positions of leadership.
Contributing to a discussion on the 30th anniversary of Parliamentary Democracy in Ghana, on TV3’s Big Issue, Thursday, February 23, she said “we need strongmen to implement our constitution and Ghana will be better.”
She further indicated that Ghana does not need Regional Ministers.
“We don’t need regional ministers,” she stressed.
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Parliamentary democracy, Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin has said that Ghana has had eight successive elections and four government change-overs between the two major political parties.
On account of that, he said that Ghana is now a consummate democratic dispensation.
However, he said elections and successful government changeovers are not the only determinants of a working democracy.
“We must focus on strengthening our democratic institutions if we want to have a sustainable democracy.
“Hon. Leaders of the House, Hon Members of Parliament, the Clerk to Parliament and staff of the Parliamentary Service, distinguished guests, I wish to declare the 30th-anniversary celebration of Ghana’s parliamentary democracy duly launched,” Mr Babin said during the launch of the anniversary ceremony in Accra on Wednesday, February 22.
The Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu for his part called for an amendment to the 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana.
Although the Constitution has served well, he said, there are aspects that are no more relevant to the current realities.
“The 1992 constitution has no doubt served some good in the last three decades, I must, however, admit that some assumptions underpinning some reformations no longer hold or are not supported by current social-political realities,” the Minister for Parliamentray Affairs said while speaking at a ceremony to mark 30 years of Parliamentary Democracy in Ghana.
He added “This underlines the calls by various stakeholders for the review of the 1992 Constitution. It is time to re-engineer our constitutional architecture to conform to today’s realities.
“We need a constitutional order that frowns on a winner-takes-all syndrome and promotes collaboration, collectiveness and consensus building,” he said on Wednesday.
“We need a constitutional order that would mitigate the winner takes all attitude and prevent the do-or-die combat associated with our elections. We need a new constitutional order that would prevent the constant increase in the number of seats in Parliament.”
The Suame lawmaker stressed that “We need a new constitutional order that would put a cap in the number of ministers of state. We need a new constitutional order that would ensure that the Speaker of Parliament is a serving member of Parliament.”
The 1992 constitution, as the supreme law of the land, provides for the sharing of powers among a president, a parliament, a cabinet, a Council of State, and an independent judiciary.
Through its system of checks and balances, it avoids bestowing preponderant power on any specific branch of government.
A flagbearer candidate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, has said that it would be better for Ghana if some ministries were consolidated.
The former General Secretary of the NPP, in an interview with Bernard Avle on the Citi Breakfast Show, said not only will this be economical but will go a long way to send a strong moral message to Ghanaians that leadership is indeed tightening its belt and is serious about working towards attaining economic recovery.
“Ghana’s government is too big, and I have said this a long time ago, I think it has become a bit more fashionable for other people to say. As far back as 2015 when I was General Secretary of the NPP, I said that the framers of the constitution did not put in the 19 limits for cabinet ministers for nothing, they were giving us an idea of the size of government.”
“When I become President, I will not exceed this limit. A lot of the ministries have to be consolidated to reduce the numbers. There are others I think should not exist in the first place, Parliamentary Affairs, and even Chieftaincy used to be a secretariat at the Presidency.
“I think the natural home of Youth and Sport is Education, Transport should have Aviation and Railways. We can isolate Roads and Highwaysbecause of their central role in the development of the country. Fisheries should be a department under Agriculture.”
He also said Ministries do not need more than one deputy.
“The President even has just a vice. So, 38 ministers, if we add the 16 regional ministers, we have 54 ministers. This is something any President should be able to work with.”
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary Kwabena Agyei Agyeponghas revealed that he purposefully chose not to publicly address his 2015 suspension from the party in order to protect the NPP’s chances in the general elections of 2016.
He described the suspension as illegitimate and unfortunate which had the potential to mar the party’s fortunes in the 2016 elections adding that his silence at the time largely cemented the gains of the party prior to his suspension.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, February 23, Mr Agyepong said “we all know what happened in 2015 with my illegitimate and unfortunate suspension from office as General Secretary and I chose not to speak at the time not because I endorsed what happened but because of my love for this party and also because we had done all the groundwork with our internal arrangements and successful campaigns across the constituencies with just five constituencies left to cover.”
The former Press Secretary of former President John Kufuor stressed that he wasn’t hurt by the party’s disregard for its constitutional provisions but was hurt by the lies that were spewed just to legitimize the illegitimate decision of the party’s leadership.
“The fact that there was a lack of adherence to our party’s constitution is what hurts. What hurt me was the dirty propaganda and things that were said about me when they were clearly not true and this gave me the opportunity to speak to the party people who love me and had voted for me massively and trusted me and so I had to go round and explain to them what had happened because I didn’t want to endanger our victory in 2016.”
“When you’re a General Secretary, you’re a full-time employee of the party and you’re not expected to do anything other than dedicating all your time to the party,” he added.
In order to put the “School Placement for Sale” scandal to rest, the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) is urging the Education Ministryand GES to release the findings of its probe.
This follows the disclosure by the Public Relations Officer of the Education Ministry, Kwasi Kwarteng, that janitors and security personnel who were captured as middlemen in the investigative documentary by The Fourth Estate, are not employees of the Education Ministry, but that of the GNAT Hostel.
He made this revelation while contributing to discussions on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Monday, February 20.
But reacting to the claim, the General Secretary of GNAT, Thomas Musah, said the allegation by Mr Kwarteng that a staff of the Association was identified as one of the brains behind the unfortunate happening, is inaccurate.
GNAT insists that no staff of the Association was involved in the scandal.
“No GNAT staff was involved. Let Kwasi Kwarteng come and tell us, let him come and tell us,” he stressed in an audio aired on Joy FM’s Midday news on Wednesday.
According to him, the Education Ministry must reprimand Kwasi Kwarteng for peddling falsehood.
“We demand that the Minister together with the DG must reprimand him, he must be rebuked. It is becoming the hallmark of Kwasi Kwarteng,” he said.
“And this one, we want to tell the Ghana Education Service that should they keep quiet on this particular one, we as an organisation will give them a response,” he added.
Itwould be recalled that in January, a Fourth Estate‘s investigative piece uncovered some rot in the placement into senior high schools.
The investigation discovered that instead of the resolution centre serving as a spot to correct certain anomalies, it was turned into a marketplace where officials linked to the placement executed their trade through a network of intermediaries, mostly security guards and cleaners.
Even though only two individuals – the Education Minister and the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES) – were the ones given access and passwords to approve protocol placement into Category A senior high schools, it has not stopped people from defrauding parents
On Wednesday, February, 22 two tipper trucks clashed at Bankyim, a Tarkwa neighborhood leaving one person severely injured.
One of the tipper trucks with registration number GN 2106-22 belonging to Western Transport Services, Tarkwa was conveying manganese from Nsutato Takoradi while the other truck with registration number GN-8954-18 was heading towards Tarkwa from Takoradi when the accident happened.
The truck belonging to Western Transport was heavily destroyed with blood spilling on the road.
In an interview with GhanaWeb’s Western Regional Correspondent, the driver heading towards Tarkwa, Nicholas Agyemang, said upon reaching Bankyim, near Tarkwa he realized that the driver of the Western Transport truck was veering off the road towards him.
“I, therefore, decided to give him way by moving to the shoulder of the road towards the gutter, but he still came close and crushed into the bucket of my car. I suspect he was dozing off while driving that is how come this happened,” he added.
A resident of Bankyim, Stephen Koffie noted that “it was the fault of the driver from Nsuta because he was sleeping at the same time while carrying heavy loads from Nsuta.
The driver was trapped in the car so the fire service had to cut and remove him from the car, we are even praying to God that he would not die because his leg was trapped in the car,” he narrated.
He explained that most of the time, accidents happen on that stretch, and need the attention of authorities construct speed humps there in order to reduce the rate of accidents there.
Another resident, Bright recalled another incident that happened around the same place where a truck went into a drug store and destroyed other stores and property.
To assist the family of the late Christian Atsu’s family, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) leadership has donated GH10,000 in cash.
General Secretary of the NPP, Justin Kodua, alongside National Organiser of the party, Henry Nana Boakye, Nasara coordinator, Aziz Haruna Futah and other officials commiserated with the family of the late footballer.
The remains of former Ghana international footballer Christian Atsu who died in a devastating earthquake in Turkey arrived on Sunday.
Atsu, 31, was caught up in a 7.8-magnitude quake that rocked Turkey and Syria on February 6, killing more than 44,000 people in both countries.
Meanwhile, former Black Stars Captain, Stephen Appiah led a host of his national team players to visit the grieving Atsu family.
Ghana players, Rabiu Mohammed, Jerry Akaminko, Kwadwo Asamoah, Derek Boateng and actress, Lydia Forson were all in attendance.
Others include the Uncle of Stephen Appiah, Nii Kwadwo Appiah (Father of Jamestown Stool) and wife of Appiah, Hannah Bentil.
Earlier, ex-Black Stars coach, CK Akonnor paid his respect to the Atsu family.
The Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council has announced that the Tema Metropolis, which will host the regional celebration on March 6th, would launch Operation Clean Your Frontage on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th of 2023.
The council says the initiative which is in preparations for the 6th March celebration will see to the closure of shops to get everyone involved in cleaning their frontages.
Speaking during a stakeholder meeting with all Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the region, the Regional Minister,Henry Quartey courted the support of all stakeholders to ensure its success.
He said the decision of the RCC to take the operation to Tema is a result of consistent calls for the operation to be replicated there to facilitate neatness across the Municipality.
“We would want to fully operationalize Operation Clean Your Frontage in Tema and I have seen a lot of posts on my Facebook pages where the people of Tema keep saying that they have been left out of the operation and so the message is that we are here in Tema and Operation Clean your Frontage is going to come from March 2 to March 4, and it is going to be massive, and we will appeal to the traditional council to assist us in appealing to residents, businesses and churches to join the exercise.”
He however stressed and explained that the Operations team is not going t clean people’s frontages, but that is going to be done by residents as pair the by-law that established the initiative.
“We will not come and clean people’s frontages for them, the by-laws are clear, and the residents are expected to clean their immediate frontages and up to the middle of the streets.
Mr. Quartey also outlined a few series of programmes that will be undertaken as part of the initiative.
“We will be doing a series of activities which will include a football tournament at Tema New town Park but more importantly, there will be a cleanup exercise.”
On Wednesday morning, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, had the privilege of hosting the leadership of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ghana, led by the Moderator, Rt Rev Lt Col Bliss Divine Kofi Agbeko (Rtd).
The delegation was at Jubilee House to among others, express appreciation for his active participation in the launch of the Church’s 175th Anniversarycelebrations, and to pray for the nation.
Harmonious religious diversity and acceptance is vital for our nation’s development. I commend the leadership of the EP Church, and all religious leaders, for their continued efforts in nation-building.
The Vice president assured religious bodies of government’s preparedness to collaborate with them in ensuring the development of the nation.
The Abossey Okai Spare Parts Dealers Association has refuted assertions that it urged former president John Dramani Mahamato run for president.
Some news portals across the country reported on February 21 that some four unions including theAbossey Okaispare parts dealers had visited the former president to petition him to run for president in the 2024 general elections.
Denying the reportage in a statement, the Association wrote that, “our attention has been drawn to a publication in some of the print media and on the radio that Abossey Okai Spare parts Dealers Association and some Union leaders have petitioned the former President ,His Excellency John Mahama urging him to contest for the Presidency in the 2024 general elections.”
The Association explained that the supposed executives of the Association that visited the former president are neither leaders of the group nor its members.
“We wish to state that those people who joined the group to meet the former President are not either the Executives or even members of the Abossey Okai Spare parts Dealers Association. It was some people from Abossey Okai who decided to join the group to meet the former President. And so, we are surprised that they paraded themselves as Abossey Okai Spare parts Dealers Association.”
“We wish to state that, Abossey Okai Spare parts Dealers Association is a non-political Association and will not embark on that action. Our office is open to every political party and that is the reason why in every election year, all the political parties troop to our office and have deliberations with us,” the statement added.
The Association further stressed that “we don’t dabble in politics and will continue to engage with every party in government to come out with policies that will have a positive impact on our business as it has always been.”
The father of Evans Wireku, the 22-year-old, who was stoned to death over a robbery incident at Denkyira Fobinso in the Upper Denkyira West Districtof the Central Region, calls for justice.
Peter Wireko believes a reprisal attack is imminent and fears delay on the part of thepoliceto arrest anyone related to the crime may spark violence.
The father who was speaking to Citi News says even if his son was indeed a robber as it’s been alleged, he doesn’t deserve to die in the manner in which he did.
He is also worried that traditional authorities in the area have turned a blind eye to the issue.
“The Traditional Authorities have turned a deaf ear to the issues, and we know they matter in cases like this. I went to see the Police Commander yesterday and I saw the chief who ordered for my son to be stoned but ‘m only hoping that they will interrogate him.”
“My worry is that if authorities don’t arrest anyone it will spark a reprisal attack and I fear for what will happen. I want authorities to give us justice in this matter.”
The Minister of State-Designate for local government and decentralization, Osei Bonsu Amoah, was probed by theAppointments Committee of Parliament on Tuesday.
The Akuapim South MPmade life quite difficult for the Committee Members as he was on top of issues and was also quick to express his disagreement with some of them on certain issues.
Most of the questions came from the Minority Members including the Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza and Alhassan Suhuyini on a variety of issues with respect to the ministry the nominee was being elevated to as the Minister of State.
The nominee defended the establishment of the six additional regions and the payment of property rates, demolishing of property and the keeping of the green belt.
Mr Agbodza asked a question about the reduction of ministers, citing an interview the nominee is purported to have granted the media about the minimum qualifications of Members of Parliament.
In his answer, he referred to the NDC’s press release directing their MPs to boycott and reject President Akufo-Addo’s ministerial nominees.
That didn’t sit well with the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, who registered his reservation to the Chairman, Joseph Osei Owusu.
“Mr Chairman, Our Colleague is before us, he should answer our questions and stop bringing up NDC’s press release. Stop bullying us,” he rebutted.
The leader of the majority party inParliament, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has asked for a new constitutional provision that would impose a limit on the number of ministers that the President may designate.
His call follows demands by the Minority caucus in Parliament for President Akufo-Addoto downsize his government in the wake of the economic challenges.
Speaking at the launch of the 30 years of parliamentary democracy, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu outlined a series of benefits to be achieved with the consideration of constitutional reform.
“We need a constitutional order that would mitigate the winner takes all attitude and prevent the do-or-die combat associated with our elections. We need a new constitutional order that would prevent the constant increase in the number of seats in Parliament.”
“We need a new constitutional order that would put a cap in the number of ministers of state. We need a new constitutional order that would ensure that the Speaker of Parliament is a serving member of Parliament,” the Suame MP said.
The Dean of the Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Prof. Vladimir Antwi-Danso has also called for an entirely new constitution contrary to calls for the 1992 constitution to be amended.
Prof. Antwi-Danso holds the view that a new constitution written by a committee so established will repair any defects that currently plague the country’s democratic dispensation.
“I believe that if we have something new (new constitution), politicians will jump to it to serve a better purpose,” he stressed.
On proportional representation, he believes it will be the best for a true representation of the people in parliament, but fears implementing it may be fraught with challenges.
An International Civil Society Organization, Solidaridad, has stated that the activities of churches in Atiwa East in theEastern Region that facilitate child marriages are rare.
The Ghanaian Times in its Wednesday edition reported that activities of churches and other religious centres in mining communities have been cited as being one of the promoters of early marriage and child labour in the communities.
According to the report, since teenagers could afford flashy marriages and naming ceremonies, church leaders in mineral communities allow and officiate weddings of persons under the age of 18 and naming ceremonies of children of underage parents.
The report further stated that such social events make illegal mining activities attractive to the teens and the children in the mining communities had led to social competition among them.
The research, which was conducted within a four-month period between October 2022 and January this year, had respondents mainly from Atiwa East District in the Eastern Region as well as inputs from other stakeholders in mining communities across the country.
But speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, Yaw Britwum Opoku said more studies are being done to determine whether churches in all galamsey-prone areas encourage marriages of children.
“As part of the findings of the consultants, we realised that some churches were trying to facilitate some children getting married and that was one isolated case, but we have to validate that, and we must talk to other stakeholders so that we can then generalise, so, for now, we see it as an isolated case in the Atiwa East District.”
He, however, confirmed that the study revealed that an estimated 5,677 children were engaging in galamsey activities across the country.
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has expressed displeasure over Baffour Owusu Amankwatia VI, Bantamahene’s, actions which he said humiliates him as the overlord of the Asante Kingdom.
Bantamahene appeared on February 20, 2023, before Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the Kumasi Traditional Council (KTC) over double sales of land to one Mr. Amponsah and a church, creating confusion between the two.
After resolving the land dispute betweenBantamaheneand the parties involved, Otumfuo directed Bantamhene to release all documents on the land to one Mr. Amponsah, whom he first sold the land to, and again directed him to return the money he took from the church within 14 days, as he promised before the traditional council.
Otumfuo further instructed Bantamahene to ensure that by 10 a.m. on February 21, 2023, all documentation on the land should be released to Mr. Amponsah.
Otumfuo, who did not mince words with Bantamahene, said, “Baffour, with the stature of the stool you occupy, if such cases come before me, it means you are disgracing me. This is not the first and second time, Baffour, be careful. If you don’t repent you will supervise your own destoolment; tomorrow I will not forget to dismiss you. Bantamahene don’t deserve this prosecution. You are lowering the stature of the Bantama stool.”
“Baffour, what are you looking for in this world, how much debt do you owe for this too much rush for money, why ? Because of your father, you are making things very difficult for me,” Otumfuo stressed in anger.
Otumfuo further stated that “this is the same way your elder brother came to disturb me until his demise; you are also repeating the same. You are making me regret something. This is not how your father managed things when he became the Bantamahene. Your father was never petitioned before the Kumasi Traditional Council but why always you? So I gave you the inheritance because I knew you would walk in the path of your father. Now look at what you are doing. As we are speaking, there’s another pending charge against you now: on land, you used my name and sold it out.”
Otumfuo stated that Bantamahene doesn’t know the value of the Bantama stool he occupies.
“The stool you sit on as Bantamahene you don’t understand the meaning and the value. If you don’t take care, the stool will sack you. You lose your reputation any time you appear before the traditional council for such wrongdoing.”
Prior to the elections on May 13, 2023, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has suspended the parliamentary primaries in 27 constituencies.
General Secretary Fiifi Kwettey did not give any reasons for the suspensions in two separate releases on February 21 and 22, 2023.
“The National Democratic Congress wishes to announce…that all is set for the opening of nominations for the election of its Presidential candidate and Parliamentary Candidates for the 2024 General Elections.
“As such, effective, midnight of 22nd February, 2023, Nomination Forms for Parliamentary candidateswill be accessible to all persons for purchase on the official website of the party; www.ghanandc.com,” portions of the press statement said.
The General Secretary explained in the statement that the decision to suspend the parliamentary primaries in 27 constituencies was taken by the Functional Executive Committee (FEC).
NDC supporters in a festive mood at previous party functions. Source: Facebook/@OfficialNDCGhana
The first list contained 23 constituencies but on Wednesday, February 22, four new constituencies were added to the suspension list.
Here are the 27 constituencies where the opposition has suspended the parliamentary primaries in alphabetical order:
Adansi Asokwa
Afram Plains South
Ahafo Ano North
Ahafo Ano South West (Aduagyman)
Akontombra
Akwatia
Amasaman
Amenfi East
Asante Akim Central
Assin North
Ayawaso Central
Ayensuano
Binduri
Bosome Freho
Efutu
Evalue Gwira
Fomena
Gomoa Central
Gomoa East
Manhyia South
Manso Adubia
Odododiodio
Offinso North
Pusiga
Sekyere Afram Plains
Subin
Tarkwa Nsuaem
The NDC released another statement on February 22, 2023, announcing suspensions in 4 more constituencies.
In violation of Sections 56(a) and (b) of Act 851, the Public Health Act, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has detained 15 people for dumping refuse at prohibited areas and engaging in open defecation 2012.
Among the offenders arrested for dumping waste at unauthorised places were Rebecca Barnor Owuah 46, a sanitation worker under the Sanitation Model of the Youth Employment Agency (YEA) supervised by Zoomlion Ghana Limited and Akuley Tagoe 25, a Trader.
The rest who were arrested for open defecation are Bright Ayala 25, a boxer with the Wisdom Academy Gym in Jamestown, Suleman Yakubu 56, a Scrap dealer, Robert Quartey 52 years, Nii Quaye Isaac 37, a Driver, Abdul- Rashid Ayuba, 37, a Carpenter, Fuseini Alhassan, 31, a head porter, Ebenezer Nyarko 26, a coconut seller, Asamoah Dennis, 39 unemployed, Jesse Bills 27, unemployed, Kwaku Jacob 20, a staff of Sikkens, Kwame Ametordzi, 30 years unemployed, Ayetey Ayequaye, 40 unemployed and Adu-Gyamfi Bismark 32 a labourer.
The offenders who were arrested between the hours of 4:00 am and 6:00 am at different locations within the Central Business District (CBD) of Accra according to the Head of the Environmental Health Department of the AMA, Florence Kuukyi would be made to sign a bond and pay the cost of abatement or risk court action.
Touching on the issue of open defecation, she stressed that the drains and open spaces were not places to attend nature’s call adding that it was against the AMA’s sanitation bye-laws.
“Open defecation leads to contamination of water sources and food…This can also cause typhoid fever, diarrhoea and cholera, this is why according to the bye-laws, every household must have a “place of convenience” or “toilet” and if it’s absent in a home, its occupants should visit the public toilets,” she said.
She used the opportunity to call on all residents and households to patronise the household toilet facilities being constructed by the assembly.
She warned that the Assembly had intensified its enforcement exercise and would not countenance any breach of the assembly’s bylaws on sanitation, and food safety.
The Parliamentary Minority caucus is still committed to its stance that none of the ministerial nominations should be approved.
The Minority had stated on Monday that they will not approve any of the nominees selected by President Akufo-Addo to fill some vacant positions in government.
The decision followed a directive by the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Kwetey, for Minority members on the Appointments Committee to reject all the nominees.
A section of the public had, however, hoped that the position of the Minority will be altered after participating in the two-day vetting process and particularly grilling some of the appointees for long periods.
The Majority caucus in Parliament on Tuesday also appealed to the National Democratic Congress as well as the Minority caucus to rescind the decision not to approve the new ministers.
Addressing the media, the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh appealed to the NDC and its members in Parliament to support the approval of the ministerial nominees.
“I just want our colleagues to understand that for the sake of unity, and the desire for us to forge a working relationship, this is their major decision. In terms of the fact that they are coming into leadership, this is the first time more or less they are going to make such a significant decision”.
But speaking to the media on Tuesday, Minority Chief Whip, Governs Kwame Agbodza, said their position remains the same.
The Adaklu MP added that their decision was based on principles and not personal interest.
“We stated earlier initially that it has nothing to do with the personalities. We also stated that it was based on principles and that the country’s debt levels were unsustainable and government should find a way of realigning ministries.
“As we speak there is no movement in terms of our decision not to support at this stage, so nothing has changed in our position about approval or disapproval of the nominees.”
The nominees vetted include Bryan Acheampong, who will head the Ministry of Food and Agriculture replacing Dr Afriyie Akoto who resigned to pursue his presidential vision; Stephen Asamoah Boateng will also oversee the affairs of the Chieftaincy Ministry.
The rest are OB Amoah, the MP for Akwapim South now Minister of State at the Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development Ministry and Dr Mohammed Amin Adam, MP for Karaga now Minister of State designate at the Finance Ministry.
In order to achieve the required and maximum benefits, African states should enhance their negotiating skills while working with China, according to SIGA Director General Edward Boateng.
The former Ambassador to China debunked the claim that the Chinese have ripped off African states and overburdened them with unsustainable debts and said contracts between China and African states are often negotiated so all that is needed is strong negotiation skills from Africa.
Appearing on Face to Face on Citi TV, the SIGA boss said the presence of the Chinese in Africa and their infrastructural development on the continent is laudable but poor negotiations on the side of African states often demonize the Chinese as rip-offs.
“What the Chinese have done well in the last twenty years is the development of infrastructure in Africa. Travelling across Africa was difficult, and the Chinese came with the mindset of infrastructural development of Africa and many countries have benefitted.”
Mr. Boateng noted that “Bui Dam was in the books for a long time and then the Chinese came, and today we have Bui and there are so many examples of these projects dotted across Africa. I think where Africa needs to do better is the negotiations because we are often weak in negotiations and therefore something that may cost $100 to do in China may cost $500 in some African countries.”
He further called for strict measures to regulate the stay of Chinese in Africa to ensure that they follow and respect local laws to prevent them from taking advantage of the loopholes in our systems.
“They come from a very regimented society and when they come into our communities that are so relaxed, we allow them to take advantage of us, and so we have to make sure that when they come in, they have to play by our rules.”
The Deputy Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has been urged by the Minority inParliamentto apologize to the group for his remarks regarding their decision to reject ministerial nominees.
The Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah speaking to journalists said the Minority caucus will stop working with Mr Afenyo-Markin if he does not apologise and proceeds on the tangent of insulting members of the minority group.
“We believe that we are in a serious time of crisis and thisHouse is a serious House. It is not a house of insults, and we are not going to descend into that gutters with him. If he is going to be serious in engagements, then he should, if he goes on this path then we will not deal with him as a leader.
“We will urge him that he should apologise, so we can move on because clearly, our focus is basically to fight for the people of Ghana.”
Mr Armah-Kofi Buah’s comment comes after the deputy Majority Leader, Afenyo-Markin described as political immaturity, the position of the Minority not to approve any of the ministerial nominees.
“We in the Minority wish to make it clear that we remain committed to ensuring greater scrutiny and will spare no effort to protect the public purse. In line with this, we are taking part in the vetting process so that at the very minimum, we can scrutinize the President’s decision in bringing up those nominees. However, the Minority will not subscribe to a consensus vote at the level of the Appointments Committee.”
According to President Akufo-Addo, the country’s crime rate has drastically decreased as a result of increased police visibility.
In the president’s view, the visibility has brought discipline on the roads and made communities safer.
Speaking at the presentation of some 100 Toyota Hilux Pick Ups and 600 motorbikes to the Police Service, President Akufo-Addo said the government will continue to support the police to reduce crime in the country.
“We are all witnesses to the increase in police visibility which has contributed to improved police response time. Instilling discipline on our roads is one of the areas the police have made a lot of gains.”
The one hundred (100) pickup vehicles, six hundred (600) motorbikes and six (6) APC vehicles are to be used by the Formed Police Units (FPUs) in all regions of the country.
Until recently, the FPU was only stationed in Accra.
However, through support from the government, the Unit was extended to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region and is now being formed in all the other regions. All regions across the country are soon going to benefit from the services of this specialised unit.
These Regional FPUs will be spread across one hundred and forty (140) bases in various communities in all the regions. Without any doubt, their presence will enhance greatly security, law and order in the country.
The President added that “all of these are evidence if any were needed, of Government’s commitment to the continuous retooling of the Police, a responsibility my government takes very seriously”.
“It is borne out of the fact that the police play a critical role in the development of our country, hence the need to ensure that the Police Service is adequately resourced to discharge its duties for the safety and security of all of us, as well as for the growth of economic activity.”
The Director-General of theState Interests and Governance Authority(SIGA), Edward Boateng, has attributed the public sector’s low performance and productivity to a lack of discipline.
The SIGA boss intimated that, unlike the private sector which sanctions people for low performance and productivity, same cannot be said for the public service which is often left unguarded without targets expected of staff.
Bemoaning the situation on Face to Face on Citi TV, Mr. Boateng said “there are no sanctions for non-delivery in Ghana and that is a problem. There are KPIs [key performance indicators] but people don’t enforce the KPIs and what we are doing now is to ensure that we enforce the government’s KPIs.”
He added that the government has adopted a new approach where workers in the public service sign a performance contract that is reviewed yearly to put low-performing state-owned enterprises and their staff in check.
He however acknowledged that “there are genuine problems that we have to consider, and we are working through them by instituting an award scheme to reward those who are doing well and also shame those who are not doing well.”
“Like the president said to us in Kwahu, he congratulated TDC [Tema Development Council] and the others at the top but also those who are at the bottom five are expected to move up,” he further stressed
He also disclosed that “the responsibility matrix we use is helping to push people who are put in charge SOEs to realize that they have to perform or the torch will be shone on them and so this is making people to move away from the kiosk mentality to a corporate mentality and we are making headways”.
The white lady who was previously identified as Christian Atsu’s wife can be heard sobbing in the video as she mourns the death of her husband, who died in the earthquake.
Many online blogs took the video and made various articles out of it – All in solidarity with the Atsu family because it was initially assumed the crying woman was the wife of the deceased player.
Unfortunately, the woman in the viral video isn’t Clarie Rupio who happens to be Atsu’s wife.
Reacting to the publication of the video on various news portals,Christian Atsu’s wife has cautioned all the blogs that shared the video to immediately take it down because she’s not the one in the clip.
According to Rupio, this isn’t the right time to publish fake stories about her because she’s still mourning her late husband who was found dead inside the rubble last Saturday.
Meanwhile, with a sobbing voice in a trending video – Clarie has revealed that she misses her late husband so much but for the sake of their three kids, she has to remain strong.
The former Chelsea player who until his demise played for Turkish-based Hatayaspor met his wife Marie-Claire Rupio in Portugal nearly a decade ago when he was playing for Porto.
The pair got married in 2012 and have since welcomed three kids into their lives.
Atsu has previously said to Tv3 Sports: “I met my wife in Portugal and you can see we have a beautiful family. We’ve been together for nine to ten years and I just love her.”
International Mother Language Day was first established byUNESCO in 1999, and was formally endorsed by the United Nations in 2002 as a component of its broader effort to protect all languages.
Every year on February 21, the day is observed to highlight the significance of protecting and fostering the usage of mother languages in all areas of human development.
This year’s theme is “Multilingual Education: a Necessity to Transform Education”.
In a world where most countries are challenged in some way by migration, it is essential to focus on multilingual education to enable societies to develop the best kinds of education for development.
Most developing countries with a history of colonisation have had to decide what their official language would be: whether an indigenous language or a language of the colonial era.
All 16 countries in West Africahave an official language tied to their colonial history (English, French, Portuguese Creole). However, some countries have a widely spoken indigenous language, such as Akan in Ghana and Hausa in Nigeria, that can be regarded as a shadow national, indigenous language.
The language of power
Ghana has 81 indigenous languages, which are spoken by roughly 30 million people. Of these, 11 languages (Akuapem Twi, Asante Twi, Dagaare, Dagbani, Dangme, Ewe, Fante, Ga, Gonja, Kasem and Nzema) are taught in schools. English is the sole language of instruction beyond lower primary level in government basic schools.
Research by Grace Afrifa et al published in 2019 showed that the English language “exudes so much power and prestige in Ghana”. It is seen as the “language of the elite and the gateway to success”.
Previous research by Kofi Agyekum in 2009 and Jemima Anderson and Gladys Ansah in 2015 shows that English is fast becoming the language spoken at home among many Ghanaians, especially in urban and peri-urban areas. The Population and Housing Census (PHC) of 2010 shows that 20.1% of Ghanaian children below the age of 11 can speak only English. It is worth noting that urban dwellers are more inclined to shift to English than rural dwellers, who are generally more conservative.
The 2021 PHC shows that about 96% of the literate population is literate in English. Roughly 90% of the literate population in the Greater Accra Region can read and write Asante Twi, Ewe and Ga. It shows further that about 45.8% of the literate population aged six or older can write two languages, English and a Ghanaian language being the dominant tongues.
Ghana’s National Literacy Acceleration Programme (NALAP) was implemented across 20 districts as a pilot project in the 2009/2010 academic year to facilitate a comprehensive and innovative multilingual approach to education. The programme sought to teach children from kindergarten to lower primary in the indigenous language common to their school’s locality. The aim was to help children acquire skills in any one of the 11 main indigenous language and to improve understanding and academic performance. Research by the educational psychologist Tuntufye Mwamwenda in 2014 shows that NALAP recorded tremendous improvement in the learning abilities of children who took part in the programme.
This supports theories which suggest that when children are taught in their indigenous language, they understand better because they have acquired more vocabulary in the language from home and interaction with other speakers in the community. The current language policy promotes a transition from the indigenous language as the sole medium of instruction in lower primary school to English. This means children get to learn a second language (English) using their first language as a base.
Research shows that children who are supported to master their mother language “tend to encounter fewer problems with regard to speech, listening, reading and writing when it comes to learning a second language”.
Valuing heritage
Many children in urban and peri-urban homes watch cartoons in English at home after school and at the weekend. Preschool children learn children’s rhymes in English from TV and phones/tablets. This extends the usage of English from school to home. It leaves children with little time to interact with others in their indigenous language.
One question that comes to mind is this: is it possible to produce cartoons with indigenous characters from folk stories who speak Ghanaian languages? Can such cartoons be promoted on national and private television and online platforms?
As an element of cultural heritage, language is an integral part of cultural identity, history and traditions. For instance, a study of the English language involves studying the grammatic and other features of the language as well as literature in English. This has helped to spread English culture across the globe. Similarly, a conscious effort to give priority to indigenous Ghanaian languages will help preserve Ghanaian culture and help Ghanaians understand it better.
The argument comes that Ghanaian languages have a limited vocabulary to describe complex concepts. My question is, what prevents us as a people from creating new words to describe these complex concepts? Just as the English language borrows words from other languages to describe concepts, dishes and so on that are not indigenous to its culture – think kwashiorkor, pizza, rendezvous, kindergarten and ballet – indigenous Ghanaian languages can also borrow from other languages for enrichment.
Picture courtesy USAID
As the government implements language policies to improve education in schools, what can we do to make learning easy for our children and also preserve indigenous languages? Some suggestions:
Parents should make a conscious effort to teach their children their mother tongue at home, especially in urban and peri-urban communities. I was born to an Nzema father and an Akuapem mother. That makes me Akan but gives me two different dialects. My siblings and I missed out on learning Nzema because Daddy was almost always busy with work and Mummy was a housewife who did petty trading. Quite the same story for most adults of my generation. We got to learn only Akuapem as our mother tongue. Daddy tried to speak Nzema with us when we were much younger but he stopped at a point because he was mostly away from home. In our adult years, we are Nzemas by name but Akuapem in practice. I am married to an Akuapem woman. We both love to speak what I call “Twinglish”, a fine blend of English and Akuapem Twi. We decided that we would speak Akuapem Twi with our children at all times. This has been helpful. We make a conscious effort to speak as much Akuapem Twi with our children, although Twinglish finds its way in there often when we are speaking with each other. To make their Akuapem skills better, they get to spend holidays with their grandparents in the countryside. Their Akuapem Twi is always improved by the time they return. I noticed that when they bring a school assignment home, we are able to help them through it using Akuapem Twi and English. This helps them to understand the concepts better. Our children (the eldest is six years and the youngest 18 months old) speak and understand both English and Akuapem Twi quite well. If they run short of vocabulary in either language, we are always available to help them out.
I have noticed over the years that many musicians, especially those who do gospel, are incorporating indigenous languages into English to gain more international appeal and at the same time share our rich culture. Artists such as Joe Mettle, Celestine Donkor, Diana Hamilton and Wiyaala are doing an amazing job in this regard. The same can be said of pop artists such as Kuami Eugene and KiDi, who use pidgin English and patois French mixed with Ga and Twi. This should be encouraged more widely.
Media houses such as Asaase and Citi FM, which are generally anglophone radio stations, have indigenous languages beautifully incorporated into their main morning shows and other programmes. These are ways we promote the speaking of Ghanaian languages and let the public know that it is okay to speak English fluently and also speak an indigenous language fluently with pride.
I remember when I was in primary school back in the 1990s, we were punished for speaking “vernacular” – that is, our indigenous language. This caused a measure of fear of speaking vernacular in school even as we struggled to express ourselves properly in English. English not spoken properly attracted teasing by colleagues and sometimes punishment from teachers. This discouraged some pupils from speaking at all in school. It affected their sense of self-confidence and self-worth. The situation is better now, but it can be improved. Beyond the school environment, we need to appreciate that people who do not speak English are fully capable of expressing valuable ideas in their indigenous language.
Language is an important part of our heritage. It would be such a breakthrough to have a national policy which acknowledges, in addition to English, at least one indigenous language as an official language that could be used across all levels of education as a medium of instruction. It is never too late to start.
Former President, John Dramani Mahama has officially announced his plans to run for President in the 2024 general election.
Mr. Mahama made the formal announcement when he met with the Minority caucus at his Cantonment office on Tuesday.
All NDC MPs in Parliament have unanimously endorsed John Dramani as flagbearer.
Present at the meeting were former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, former NDC Campaign Manager for the 2020 general elections, Professor Joshua Alabi and former Information Minister, Kofi Totobi Quakyi.
It is expected that the former President will make a public declaration in the coming days.
On Monday, leadership of four unions – Motor Riders Union, True Drivers Union, Concerned Drivers Union and Abossey OkaiSpare-part Dealers Association – petitioned John Dramani Mahama, urging him to contest for the Presidency.
If elected President, John Dramani Mahama will, in the opinion of the unions, be the finest person to address the nation’s current economic problems.
Presenting the petition to the office of the former President, the Public Relations Officer of the Motor Riders Association, Setsofia Quashie said Ghanaians are desirous of a change in administration that will result in the transformation of the economy.
NDC Greater Accra Chairmen endorse Mahama; promise to pay his GH¢500K filing fee
Constituency Chairmen of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Greater Accra Region had earlier declared their support and endorsement for former President John Dramani Mahama, should he decide to contest the party’s presidential primaries.
The Greater Accra Chairmen Caucus during a courtesy call on Mr. Mahama asked him to lead the party to the 2024 election.
According to the 33 chairmen, it is only President John Mahama who can lead and win the elections for the NDC in 2024.
The caucus, led by Dome Kwabenya Chairman, Isaac Lamptey, also promised that they will raise and pay the filing fee of GH¢500,000 for Mr. Mahama to contest the NDC primaries.
NDC youth in the Volta Region also want John Dramani Mahama to run unopposed for the flagbearership race of the party ahead of the polls.
The group believes that there “is no need for flagbearer elections, but instead the party should directly endorse the former president as flagbearer of the party for the 2024 presidential elections.”
The minister-designate for Chieftaincyand Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng (Asabee), has described witchcraft accusations as demeaning.
He said it is unfortunate that the vulnerable in our society are mostly the people tagged with such disturbing identity.
“I was a former local government minster. I visited one of those sites inGambaga, and I noticed that it dehumanizes people,” he stressed.
According to him, although there is a need for sensitization and education to tackle the challenge, much of the responsibility falls on traditional authorities to clean up traditional practices and customs.
“It calls for a lot of sensitizations, but the traditional authorities have the responsibility under the Chieftaincy Act to try and take out all these archaic practices and customs that may not be relevant to our modern development,”
The minister-designate was responding to a question on whether he will support a private member bill that seeks to criminalize witchcraft accusations, after he appeared before the Parliament’s Appointments Committee to be vetted on Monday, February 20, 2013.
Responding to the question, he said he will work closely with the traditional authorities, and with ministries like local government, culture and tourism and collaborate with my colleagues to bring a lot of sensitizations to the situation.
Several suppliers that providePantang hospitalwith medical supplies like food and chemicals have ceased their services due to the hospital’s GHC 2.8 million debt.
According to Daily Graphic report, these suppliers have stopped delivering their services to the Pantang hospital for a year now and as of 2023, Pantang hospital has still not received any supplies from their clients.
The report added that the hospital owes close to 25 suppliers including Ghana Oil Limited (GOIL), Alliance Waste Limited and Auto Clinic.
These actions taken up by these suppliers have affected the modus operandi of the mental hospital.
The hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Frank Baning, explained that the Ministry of Health is aware of the ongoing issue and has also done their part by writing to the Ministry of Finance.
“And so, the hospital has done as directed by its parent ministry and we are, therefore, hopeful that Finance Ministry will settle suppliers soon in order for them to resume their work efficiently”, he explained.
Dr. Frank Baning also disclosed some issues that are attributed to their debts.
According to him, there are some laws that have made payment of hospital bills free to treated patients and this somehow hinders the hospital from getting money.
These laws include the Mental Health Act (Act 846) as well as a solicit appeal from the Commission of Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
He further stated that, with the Mental Health Act (Act 846), the law has made some of their health services free to a number of patients they treat.
The Medical Director for the hospital also addressed his concern about mental health services not being under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and calls upon the government to treat this issue as an emergency.
He said, “We are appealing to the government to move mental health services under NHIS to reduce the financial burden on the national purse. Under the NHIS, we can make claims for every patient that seeks services at the facility.”
The designate minister for chieftaincy and religious affairs, Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng (Asabee), has appealed for inter-faith harmony.
The Minister-Designate made the appeal when he appeared before the Appointment Committee ofParliamentfor vetting on Monday.
“We are supposed to also harmonise our religions to bring peace to ourselves and to also help in national development,” he said.
“Yes, unfortunately, there are religious groups that spring up, sometimes nobody knows who they are and what they do. So, there is the need for the Ministry to embark on research and also to get data collected and make sure we have database and ensure sanity,” he added.
Mr Asamoah Boateng noted that the 1992 Constitution of Ghana also provides for freedom of religious practice.
He said once Ghanaians were conscious of the provision in Article 21 of the 1992 Constitution, they must ensure to live in peace.
He said Moslems, Christians, Traditionalists and other religious bodies in the country, must endeavour to live in peace and harmony with each other.
The Minister-Designate said the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs existed to develop an effective interface between Government, Religious Bodies and Civil Society on matters relating to Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs for the promotion of peace and good governance.
He said when given the nod by the House, he would make sure that traditional authorities were lifted higher to the dignified and noble status.
Touching on the issue of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning (LGBTQ), Mr Asamoah Boateng, said he was opposed to same-sex marriage in the country.
The Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has bragged about his ability to revamp Ghana’s food and agricultural industry.
Speaking during his vetting for the position on Monday, February 20, 2023, Bryan Acheampong said that as Food and Agriculture Minister, he will champion the vision of the government and ensure that, together with the staff at the ministry, all the targets set are attained.
He added that his ability to solve the challenges facing Ghana is evident by his creativity, which helped the country resolve the age-old problem of ghost names on the payroll of the government.
“My job principally is to ensure that the vision of government is sharpened, the objectives so set explained, and I lead a team in the ministry to attain a different much higher productivity.
“In fact, if you look at my background, I did a project at the Controller and Accountant General’s Department. It was not possible to solve this ghost names problem; it has bedeviled this country for so many years.
“In the last 8 years, my software has removed about 60,000 people (ghost names) from the payroll. Before we started it looked impossible but we studied the problem, we designed a solution and we implemented it with the same people at Accountant General Department and we achieved the results,” he said.
He reiterated that just like he helped solve the problem of ghost names on the government’s payroll, he will work with the same public servants at the Ministry of Agriculture to find solutions to the problems in the sector.
The minister-designate for food and agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has referenced God’s omnipotence to support his claim that he qualifies for appointment as a minister.
Speaking during his vetting before the Appointments Committee of Parliament, the Member of Parliament for Abetifi, who was also the Minister for National Security during the time the violence of the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye-election happened, said that he has been vindicated of any wrongs.
He explained that he has always known a day like this would come up when he would have to clarify his involvement in the matter.
Indicating that he has a clear conscience, he referred to the God of the Presbyterian Church to make his case.
“The Presbyterian God is a powerful one and I knew that a day would come when I’d get the opportunity to explain, and lift the veil surrounding the Ayawaso West Wuogon, and I’m grateful that I have the opportunity today.
“For those who want to believe me, I’m sure they’ve moved on, and for those who don’t want to believe me, I don’t think this will even provide the opportunity, but as long as I’ve been heard and my conscience is clear, I think I will be able to move on.
“But, secondly on the matter of me being indicted, I think that I applied to become a candidate of the New Patriotic Party in the 2020 elections and I was accepted, and it pre-supposes that nothing holds me from becoming a minister of state,” he said.
The Finance Ministry in a statement disclosed that: ”In anticipation of the settlement of the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) on 21St February 2023, the Government announces the aggregate principal amount of each series of New Bonds, which amounts, together with the corresponding ISINs, are set forth in Appendix A attached hereto and organized by the category of holders set forth in the Amended and Restated Exchange Memorandum dated as of 3rd February 2023 (the “Exchange Memorandum”).
The statement clarified that New Bonds will be credited to the holder’s securities account at the Central Securities Depository (CSD) from which their Eligible Bonds were tendered.
The minister-designate for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng (Asabee), has stated that the ministry will work to create a database of all the nations’ religious organizations.
He said this will ensure sanity in the country’s religious affairs. The minister-designate was responding to a question on how he intends to sanitize chieftaincy and religious affairs in the country, when he appeared before the Parliament’s Appointments Committee to be vetted on Monday, February 20, 2013.
“Unfortunately, there are religious groups that spring up and sometimes nobody knows who they are and what they do. So, there’s a need for the ministry to embark on research and also to get data collected, to make sure we have a database and ensure sanity,” he told the committee.
He said while the constitution provides for freedom of religious practice, there is a need to be conscious of the provision and Article 21, to ensure peaceful co-existence among religious bodies.
“Don’t also forget that constitution provides for freedom of religious practice. So, while we are conscious of the provision and Article 21, we also have to sanitize it and make sure we all live in peace, with Muslims, Christians… other religious bodies, and traditional religion. Hindus are here, Rastafarians are here, so we need to harmonize that,” he said.
The nominees who appeared before the committee included Member of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa, K.T. Hammond, the Minister-designate for Trade and Industry and the MP for Nhyiaeso, Stephen Amoah (Sticka) who would be serving as his deputy.
MP for Abetifi, Bryan Acheampong was also nominated as the Minister for Food and Agriculture while Stephen Asamoah Boateng is going to the Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Ministry as minister.
Karaga MP, Mohammed Amin Adam, was named by the president as Minister of State at the Finance Ministry while Herbert Krapah was nominated deputy Minister for Energy.
To represent and safeguard the country’s Domestic Bondholders, the Pensioner Bondholders Forum has advocated the creation of a Domestic Credit Committee.
The group added that the committee will offer independent advice to the government to ensure that it churns out good policies that will be in the interest of pensioners.
Addressing the media, the convenor for the group Dr Adu Anane Antwi said the move will help increase investor confidence and force the government to honour its debt obligations.
“The committee will serve to represent and protect the common interest of Ghanaians and bondholders and people holding treasury bills.”
Dr Anane Antwi disclosed that the committee will be made up of two representatives each from the Ghana Association of Bankers, Ghana Insurers Association, Ghana Securities Industry Association, Chamber of Pension Trustees of Ghana and Individual Bondholders.
The Pensioner Bondholders were exempted from the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme after days of picketing at the premises of the Finance Ministry.
The group demanded that they rely on their bonds for their upkeep hence the call for their funds to be exempted from the debt exchange.
Minister-designate for Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Stephen Asamoah Boateng has emphasized the importance and necessity of his ministry.
This was his response to a question posed to him during his appearance before the Appointments Committee.
He was asked if the Ministry was relevant enough to have the status of both a ministry and a minister.
He noted that “it is a ministry that must be taken seriously. If you forget your traditions anywhere in the world, you will never develop. Civilization has grown out of cultural practices, values and norms, and taboos, and through improvements, civilization comes out. Unfortunately for us, colonization has cut short some of it.”
The nominee stressed the need for traditional authorities to be given dignity, honour, and power through government intervention so they will help preserve our cultural values.
When asked his view on whether he agrees with calls on the president to cut down the size of his appointees in the wake of the economic challenges and whether the Ministry could merge with another ministry we have, he said ”I am not the appointing authority, but I do understand the reason behind that especially when you consider that the Ministry started as the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Cultural Affairs and now Culture is moved to Tourism”.
He stated that he would leave that to the President and concentrate on his duties.
The Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana, Reverend Victor Kusi Boateng, is allegedly evading his lawsuit against the North Tongu Member of Parliament, according to Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah.
His comment comes after the contempt case against Mr Ablakwa was adjourned by the court.
TV3’s Laud Adu Asare who was in court reported on Tuesday, February 21 that the case has been adjourned “Till the service is done properly.”
Speaking to journalists after the adjournment, Mr Kofi Buah who is also Lawmaker for Ellembelle said “you should have seen Mr Adu Gyamfi in court but instead, you know who was in court? The man who was fighting for the right thing for Ghana, Okudzeto Ablakwa.
“The people of Ghana are committed to supporting all the right things he is fighting for. The Minority in Parliament stands strongly behind him. Today, we went to court and it was obvious that the people who took us to court are running away from their own application.
“This is really a victory for the people of Ghana. We are very clear in our mind, we are going to stand by Okudzeto Ablakwaand fight for the right thing for the people of Ghana.”
Reverend Victor Kusi Boateng, filed a motion, praying the court to commit Mr Ablakwa to prison for his conduct.
The opposition lawmaker had kicked a writ meant to be served on him by a court bailiff on Friday, February 3.
He had given the pretext that he was on his way to Parliament when the bailiff approached him at the forecourt of Accra-based Metro TV to be served Rev Kusi Boateng’s writ.
The writ was to restrain the lawmaker from further making pronouncements on the clergyman’s case of double identity because the matter was before the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ).
The motion is to draw the attention of the court over a possible contempt case against the lawmaker.
“When the Bailiff of this Honourable Court reminded the Respondent that Parliament was in recess, the Respondent then claimed that he was on his way to a meeting of one of the committees of Parliament, an allegation which has since turned out to be a falsehood told by the Respondent merely to evade service of the court processes on him.
“I am informed by my Counsel and verily believe same to be true that the immunities available to members of Parliament from being served personally with court processes can only be invoked when that member of Parliament is either on his way to or way from Parliamentary proceedings or activities; an immunity which the Respondent could not have invoked on the 3rd of February 2023 because the Parliament of Ghana was on recess at that time.
“. . .dissatisfied with the excuses that the Respondent was giving to evade service of Exhibits VKB1 and VKB2, the Court Officer proceeded to discharge his statutory duty of serving court processes personally on the Respondent by leaving the processes as close as possible to the Respondent.”
It was after this that the MP kicked the documents on the floor and drove off.
Rev Kusi Boateng, also known as Kwabena Adu Gyamfi, prayed thus: “I am informed by my Counsel and verily believe same to be true that this Honourable Court has the power to commit the Respondent to prison for his conduct to protect the whole administration of justice and serve as a deterrent to other persons.”
Security expert Adam Bonaa has stated that some politicians are directly profiting from theBawkuturmoil.
The youth of Nalerigu thronged the palace of the Mamprugu Overlord to fight off attempts by the military to arrest the traditional ruler. This followed a failed military operation to arrest the King who enskinned the Bawku Naba.
The military forces arrived in Nalerigu at midnight with loaded rifles in four armored vehicles and a pickup truck for the operation following a warrant granted by a High Court in Bolgatanga.
Commenting on the development on Morning Starr with Francis Abban, Mr. Bonaa indicated that there have been successful moves at Bawku with dialogue but the government failed to continue.
“If you continue to push security in Bawku or send all your arsenals to Nalerigu, Garu and all those places you can’t stop it. It is not possible. You have to look for a more multifaceted approach to dealing with Bawku. The security element is one, and also catching the bad guys who are profiting and selling weapons. Some politicians are involved, catching them with evidence.
“So weeks ago someone smuggled military uniform and some weapons to Bawku and they were intercepted and sent to the Bawku police station. Everybody has been quiet on this. I don’t know the security official to whom this case was confined, we don’t know what is happening,” Mr. Bonaa stated worriedly.
The security analyst further stated that if the government allows some serious incidents to be swept under the carpet in Bawku there cannot be peace in the area.
“People will take the law into their own hands, yes there is a chieftaincy issue there. But the truth is that it becomes fertile ground for people to make ends meet and some politicians to stay in power, if you ask me,” Mr. Bonaa disclosed.
The minister-designate for trade and industry, Kobina Tahir Hammond, has denied any illegality in the sale of a drill ship owned by the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation(GNPC) in 2001.
He found it worrying that most critics continue to hold him responsible for the transaction when he was only assigned the duty of leading the negotiations just three months after becoming Deputy Minister of Energy in charge of Petroleum in the Kufuor administration.
Speaking during his vetting on Monday, February 20, the Adansi Asokwa Member of Parliament (MP) explained that notwithstanding the circumstances, he was able to convince the creditors in Paris to reduce the debt from $47 million to $19.5 million for which the drill ship was sold.
He said for that outcome, he should have been conferred with a national award for saving the country over $27 million.
“They were asking for $47 million. Of the $47 million, following my arrangement and my going around and the compromise which the special commissioner states over there, they decided that instead of the $47 million that we had accumulated, they decided to charge $19.5 million.
“I think I need a national award for that. $47 million and we managed to get it to $19.5 million.”
The controversy over the sale of the GNPC drill ship has come up over and over again especially when Mr KT Hammond comes into the fray.
He appeared before the Apau Commission in 2015 over the issue, particularly on the disbursement of about $900,000 as remainder after GNPC’s debt were defrayed from the drill ship sale.
But KT Hammond, at the vetting, said he wants to put paid to the matter because no courts found him guilty over the transaction.
“Mr Chairman, when a report like this is presented to the government, the government comments on the back of the report, and not to make its own findings. That part over there was an addition by the government which had have no reflection in the report presented by Mr. Justice Appau. Actually, it is really unfair,” he said after he was queried by Minority Chief Whip Kwame Governs Agbodza over the $900,000.
Following an unsuccessful attempt to apprehend the Nayiri and the recently skinned Bawku Naba atNalerigu, security analyst Adib Sani is urging government to use diplomatic means instead.
There’s uneasy calm in the area after the youth on Sunday night fiercely resisted moves by soldiers to arrest the two chiefs acting on the warrant issued by a High Court inBolgatanga in the Upper East Region.
Adib Sani in an interview with Starr News said the military arrest was dead on arrival and advised the government to resort to diplomacy to avoid an escalation of the already fragile situation in the enclave.
“…There absolutely no way, either the Nayiri or the enskinned Bawku Naba can be accessed without the use of brute force, and the people are not willing to back down. So what it means is that lives might be lost if they are to indeed access any of these chiefs.
“We are really in disturbing times but I’m hoping that immediately government engages the two sides. Inasmuch as we sometimes have to use force, for now, the government has run out of options and the only one there is the use of diplomacy so government should use this opportunity to meet the two sides and see how we can amicably come together and address the insecurity that is brewing.”
Traders at Western Regional Market and lorry station in Agbogbloshie Marketin Accra, have petitioned the Member of Parliament(MP) for Jomoro to intervene in the alleged construction of hostels and toilets for head porters (Kayayei) at their premises.
As a result, the market’s residents risk losing their sources of income.
The foundation is currently being dug in more than half of the land in preparation for the start of the project.
The traders and drivers claim to have lived on that plot of land for over 40 years, only to arrive at work on Monday to discover that their properties on the land had been destroyed.
Five vehicles stationed on the land at the time of the operation were towed to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s office (AMA).
The drivers claim they had to pay 5,000 Ghana cedis (GHc5,000) each before they were released.
They had no choice but to seek assistance from two of their members of parliament, Dorcas Afo Toffey for Jomoro and Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah forElembelle.
Madam Afo Toffey explained to traders and drivers in Accra that when she received the call about their ejection without notification, she called the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, who denied knowledge of the ejection.
She said the Minister told her the location is not under his jurisdiction, but rather that of Accra’s Mayor, Elizabeth Sackey. She assured them that what is happening to them is affecting her as well, and that she will do everything she can to get to the bottom of the problem, and that even if the land is taken, they will be relocated.
“What the government wants to do by building a hostel and toilet on the land is not a bad idea,” Madam Afo Toffey said in Twi.
She stated that over 2000 women are trading on that parcel of land, and if such land is taken away from them, they will be unable to provide for their families, as women are the ones who take care of their homes.
“If the government is doing such things for the Kayayei, then traders and drivers also need a befitting place to do their business and not to push them away”. She promised to meet with the Mayor of Accra to resolve the issue amicably.
Brigadier-General Nana Adu, a retired Army officer and truck owner who operates at the station, said he does not understand why the government must take such action. He admitted that the government can take land for such development, but taking it by force is not the right way to go about it.
He said that there should have been a dialogue with the people for peace to reign. Brigadier-General Adu stated that an arrangement should have been made as to where the occupiers would be taken, but for the government to wait until Friday when the area is calm before storming in with police and military to take over is not the right way.
“We know the army and the police are controlled by the government and so the moment these people came to take over the place for the construction of the project, we are convinced the government has a hand in it”.
National Secretary for Coconut Oil Dealers Association, J. B. Gbolor, called for an injunction on the project until the determination of the matter.
He said day in and day, the contractor is bringing construction equipment unto the lord which is not in their interest. The Chairman of the Drivers Union who gave his name as Life explained that the station receives trucks from the Ivory Coast and Nigeria with goods and as such taking over the place would affect such businesses.
He stated that because of what has occurred, all of the women are stranded, which will have an impact on them. The Chairman stated that those who arrived were armed, but they do not want any violence and preferred an amicable resolution to the issue.
Some of the traders have petitioned President Akufo-Addo and Dr. Bawumia, whose names have been mentioned, to halt the project because the location is vital to their livelihood.
Executive Chairman of AB & David Law Company, David Ofosu-Dorte, has stated that Ghanaiansshouldn’t have high expectations for an economic revival this year.
Furthermore, given the ongoing debt restructuring, citizens should also be measured in their confidence in the financial sector rebound.
That is not all. For David Ofosu-Dorte, he anticipates more lay-offs and downsizing by cash-strapped organizations.
“I mean, a lot of organizations who will not have access to money to expand including those in the banking sector who have had the payments of their bonds deferred in the debt exchange will downsize. So expect a lot of lay-offs and tougher times”, he told Bernard Avle on the Point of View on Citi TV on Monday.
The government exchanged existing bonds for new ones with a more flexible interest payment plan as part of ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary (IMF) Fund to secure $3 billion in economic support for Ghana.
Following an economic downturn and difficulties in servicing its debt, the governmentimplemented the domestic debt exchange programme to give itself more time to meet its fiscal obligations.
The programme has faced stiff opposition from groups and individuals since its announcement.
A staff-level agreement between Ghana and the IMF was achieved in December, opening the door for the $3 billion rescue.
Before the Bretton Woods institution’s board would evaluate Ghana’s request, one of the requirements is the domestic debt restructuring scheme.
Without the debt exchange programme, the government warns that the nation’s economy would collapse severely.
David Ofosu-Dorte however believes the financial industry and the lives of Ghanaians do not seem to look good at the moment.
“But this time, the tougher times will not be because of IMF conditionalities. It is the reality of the situation. The financial sector will suffer more because people will keep money outside the banks. People will keep money under the bed at home, in forex or in properties like real estate. Now, there is a trend of increasing purchases in safes and the price has even gone up so it means people are keeping their own money”, he stressed.
Calm restored atNalerigu, in the North East Region after some youth gathered on Monday at the palace of the Mamprugu overlord to await attempts by military authorities to arrest their chief.
A purported enstoolment of the new Bawku Naba, Alhaji Seidu Abagre, took place on Wednesday, February 15, under the supervision of the Overlord of Mamprugu, Naa Bohagu Mahami Abdulai Sheriga.
This move has been condemned by the government and declared null and void.
The High Court in Bolgatanga subsequently issued a bench warrant to arrest the Mamprugu Overlord and the purported Bawku Naba.
The security officers were, however, resisted by some youth who had a hint of their intention.
A journalist with a local radio station, Nobya FM in the region, Jadam Yaw Boakye tells Citi News police officers are currently patrolling the area.
Citi News contacted Lawyer for the Mamprugu Overlord, Mohammed Tahiru Nambe who said his client is willing to avail himself to the court if invited.
He, however, condemned the forceful invasion of the Palace to arrest the Paramount Chief of Mamprugu.
The representative for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has lauded President Akufo-Addo for traveling toGermanyand Ethiopia in Ghana’s presidential jet.
In a tweet shared on Monday, February 20, 2023, the MP said that the president’s decision not to use a luxury private jet for his recent trip has saved the country almost GHC6.5 million.
He added that if Akufo-Addo had been consistent in using the presidential jet for his travels, he will have saved Ghana a lot of money and possibly averted the current economic crisis in the country.
“I can confirm from our unimpeachable tracking that for President Akufo-Addo’s latest travel to the Munich Security Conference and AU meetings in Addis Ababa, he used Ghana’s Presidential Jet (Dassault Falcon 900 EX) for the entire 17hr:53min flight time. He returned to Accra at 11:40 pm last night.
“By this commendable conduct, and having regard for the current luxury VIP private jet market rate, the President has saved the suffering Ghanaian taxpayer some €480,000 (GHC6.5 million) by avoiding his favourite profligate luxury chartered jet.
“This is the prudent presidential conduct Ghanaians have been demanding for years- a sensitive and frugal leadership which could have saved Ghana over GHC100million and perhaps averted the current economic crisis,” parts of the MPs tweet read.
Ablakwa added that it is his hope that President Akufo-Addo will continue to use the presidential jet till he leaves office for the sake of the country.
View the MPs’ tweet below:
Our unimpeachable tracking of Prez Akufo-Addo’s latest foreign travels to Germany & Ethiopia reveal that he used Ghana’s Presidential Jet for the entire duration.
His commendable conduct saves the suffering taxpayer some GHS6.5million.
This is what Ghanaians have been demanding pic.twitter.com/4QgfCrxo18— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) February 20, 2023
As the municipality gets ready to hold the 66th Ghana Independence Day parade, the Ho Municipal Assembly and theElectricity Company of Ghana(ECG) have joined forces to improve the street lighting system in the area.
The two organizations have strengthened their collaboration to ensure that the streets of Ho are properly lit.
As a result, over two thousand street lights have been replaced within the Municipality and extended to adjoining roads leading to the Ho township.
A walk within the Ho Municipality especially in the evening now shows well lit streets which hitherto was not the situation.
The strengthening of the collaborative efforts between the Electricity Company of Ghana and theHo Municipal Assemblyis aimed at providing residents and visitors with a well-lit and safer environment to celebrate the independence day parade which will be held within the Ho Municipality of the region. Its also seeks to enhance the beauty of the city and make it more attractive to tourists, thereby boosting the local economy.
GBCNEWS learnt that ECG has committed to providing supervisory works on replacing, installing and helping to repair street lights in key areas within the municipality. Over two thousand street lights have therefore been replaced within the Municipality while additional street lights have also been extended to adjoining roads leading to the Municipality.
A walk within the Municipality especially in the evening now shows well-lit streets which hitherto was not the case. The situation has also resulted in improved security within the municipality and an improvement in night life in Ho.
In an interview with the Volta Regional Engineer for the ECG, Engineer Michael Buabin, said adequate measures have been put in place to ensure that the Municipality enjoys stable power in the run-up to the event on March 6, 2023.
“We have spoken to our colleagues the GRIDCO people that before, during and after this all important celebrations they should make sure that there is no outage from their side” he noted.
“This communication has gotten to our head office and the head office of GRIDCO. Over 2000 street lights have been replaced within the Municipality and even extended to adjoining roads leading to the ho township and it’s environs” he added.
A co-chairman of the Grounds and Event Committee of the Local Organizing Committee who is also the Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Mr. Divine Richard Komla Bosson, in an interview with GBCNEWS expressed his excitement at the partnership and emphasized the importance of proper lighting in creating a safe and attractive environment for residents and visitors.
“I have entered into an MOU with ECG that operation lets lighten all the street lights in town. All these things will add up to the beauty and the development that we are yearning for” he opined.
It is believed that the collaboration between the Ho Municipal Assembly and ECG is a promising step towards a brighter and safer future for the residents of Ho.
In order to resolve the ongoing dispute between the Northern Electricity Distribution Company’s (NEDCo) employees and management over the continued stay of the managing director, theNational Labour Commission (NLC) has ordered the Ministry of Energy to consult with both groups.
Staff groups of NEDCo had been on strike since February 8 but called off the action on February 16 upon a receipt of summon from the NLC.
The staff has been demanding the removal of the Managing Directorof the company, Osmani Aludiba Ayuba for poor financial performance and unsustainability.
In an interview with Citi News, the Executive Secretary of the National Labour Commission, Ofosu Asamoah said the Commission recommended further engagement between the major stakeholders after listening to all the parties.
He lauded the staff for their demands which he said are largely in the interest of the power distribution company.
“They [the staff] are not self-seeking but looking for the interest and development of the company and that is a good one.”
When asked what the Commission makes of the demand for the dismissal of the MD, Mr. Asamoah said that is solely the decision of the staff, but especially when the staff’s resolution is not far from that of the MD, it is only further recommendation proposed.
“It is their demand and I don’t think that is the way to go because from their resolution and their presentation before the committee, they kept mentioning the management, and we have looked at that, and we have seen that it goes beyond that, and we have asked them to engage the Ministry to find a workable solution especially when the MD is talking about sustainability and the staff are also talking about sustainability.”
Over 364, 762 public schools in theNorthern region do not have desks, according to the Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch).
A report cited by GhanaWeb, Eduwatch, noted that 80% of pupils in kindergarten, making a hundred and four thousand, four hundred and forty-five (104, 445) children, did not have desks per data provided by the Ministry of Education.
The report further revealed that “70% (213,352) of Primary, and 50% (46, 965) of JHS pupils did not have desks.”
Eduwatch is therefore calling on the minister of education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, and the regional minster, Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, to intervene in the disturbing situation.
To provide healthcare to the residents of in the Volta region, several medical professionals and health specialists are on outreach.
The move championed and sponsored by the Edem Agbana Network.
The team comprises of physicians, doctors, pharmacists, therapists, and nurses with a wide range of specializations.
They will be screening and treating beneficiaries for common and complicated health snags.
Thousands of constituents have so far been treated for hypertension, diabetes, high blood sugar, TB, and hepatitis B among other conditions in such communities as Dzodze, Penyi, and Ehi in the Ketu North Municipality.
The team leader of the outreach scheme, Dr Patric Fynn, says chronic malaria has been the most prevalent ailment his team recorded.
Dr Fynn has expressed happiness over satisfactory patronage of the activity, and has, however, bemoaned the bad healthcare-seeking behaviour among the patrons.
He has called for a priority of healthy lives through regular checks on the health of individuals.
Media liaison for the Edem Agbana Network, Eyram Kingsley Ameshi, in a media briefing said the outreach forms a part of Mr Agbana’s move to impart lives of venerable constituents especially those in the rural and hard-to-reach zones of the Country.
According to him, the scheme will be extended to other parts of the Ketu North constituency and the Volta region in the coming days.
He has been doing this exercises aimed at helping the needy since 2015.
Eric Edem Agbana is among 17 young leaders and changemakers selected from across Africa to benefit from the maiden edition of the Young African Leaders’ fellowship of the European University Institute.
He is the immediate past Deputy National Youth Organizer of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, and now aspires for the parliamentary seat for the Ketu North.
The chief weather forecaster at the Ghana Meteorological Agency(GMet), Felicity Ahafianyo, has revealed that the organization is now unable to test the air quality in the environment since the necessary equipment is not available.
The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) exists to provide efficient and reliable meteorological information by collecting, processing, archiving, and disseminating meteorological information to end-users.
“Currently we are supposed to be measuring the air quality at the point of GMet but we don’t even have the equipment. I remember we used to have one but I am trying hard to see if we can have access to see if it is still working” Felicity Ahafianyo disclosed on 3FM Sunrise Morning Show.
According to the chief forecaster, the harmattan condition is going to persist for a while. Thus, it is going to be dry and hazy, with poorer visibility, warm temperatures around 36, 37 for the north and around 34, 35 for the middle sector whereas the coastal strip is going to be around 31, 33 degrees Celsius.
She noted that the air is polluted and on a normal day, dust is very hazardous tohumans because of its solid minute particles which can be easily inhaled into the lungs alongside other toxic substances such as carbon monoxide.
Felicity also advocates that given the current state of the air within the atmosphere, people should go back to wearing nose masks for self-protection for the time being because it is not yet established if it is acidic or something else.
“I am advocating that we all go back to the nose mask to protect ourselves for the time being because we don’t even know whether it is acidic, so let’s try our best as much as possible to limit our outdoor activities for now” she appealed
The military’s attempts to detain the recently skinned Bawku Naaba by the Nayiri have sparked tension in various areas of the North East Region as youth took to the streets to protest.
In the Nalerigu and Walewale communities, the youth burnt lorry tyres amidst chanting of war songs to drum home their anger.
Some New Patriotic Party (NPP) billboards were also destroyed by the youth.
Sources within the youth groups indicate their disappointment in government and the military for the recent peaceful instability in Bawku and Nalerigu.
They have warned they will use every available means to protest any attempt to arrest the Nayiri and the rival Bawku chief.
The King of the Maprugu Traditional area, Naa Bohugu Mahami I, on Wednesday, February 15 reportedly enskinned Alhaji Seidu Abagre as the new chief for Bawku at the Nayiri Palace in Nalerigu.
But government declared the installation as null and void, ordering the arrest of the new chief.
Attempts by the military to effect the arrest Sunday evening was met with fierce resistance from the youth.
On Monday morning, the youth expressed their anger by hitting the streets.
