The Member of Parliament (MP) of North Tongu has called out some state institutions for their silence over the issue of Rev Victor Kusi Boateng, the founder and leader of Power Chapel International, illegally having multiple statutory documents under different names.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said that the state agencies that Rev Kusi Boateng scammed to illegally acquire multiple documents including the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Registrar Generals Department, Passport Office and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), must explain to Ghanaians how the blunders happened.
In a Citi TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb, the MP posited that these agencies should be conducting internal investigations to find out how they issued the same person with multiple documents under different names.
“All these institutions should be issuing statements by now (and) carrying out investigations. How is it that they are (so quiet)? Is it that they are complicit?
“How did they take advantage of them so easily. GRA, Registrar General Department, Passport Office, DVLA. How did this happen?” he queried.
The MP in his latest corruption exposé on the National Cathedral made some allegations against Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, who is the secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana.
In an earlier revelation about the National Cathedral, Okudzeto Ablakwa said that a whopping GH¢2.6 million was dished out to a company named JNS Talent Centre Limited.
In his latest exposé, Ablakwa said that further investigations into the alleged payment led to the discovery of one Kwabena Adu Gyamfi as a director of JNS Talent Centre.
Having confirmed the identities of two out of three directors of the centre, Ablakwa dug deeper in a bid to discover the identity of the third director, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
According to his findings, citing a number of statutory documents including passports, Tax Identification Numbers and driver’s licenses, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi was the same as Reverend Kusi Boateng, who has allegedly been operating under the pseudonym Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
New Patriotic Party (NPP) hopeful Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen has advised the government against adding specific bondholders in the Domestic Debt Exchange Program (DDEP).
According to him, vulnerable groups may lose their “appetite and desire” to save if the government goes ahead to include individual bondholders adding that this would be a dangerous thing that could happen in the country.
“When they invest money in bonds, it’s basically savings because instead of them putting the money under their mattresses, they are putting their money in secured instruments.
“If we touch the investments from these vulnerable groups, we are also making them lose the appetize and the desire for saving and that is the most dangerous thing that could happen to a country,” myjoyonline quoted the aspiring flagbearer.
He added that having a debate about including individual bondholders scheme is creating a platform for very serious negative discourse.
“In my view, having a debate about including individual bondholders and those involved in this collective scheme is creating a platform for very serious negative discourse which could potentially create both domestic and international problems for us,” he said.
Meanwhile, convener of the Individual Bondholders forum, Senyo Hosi, In a statement on January 24, 2023, commended the government for reaching an agreement with the government.
The government of Ghana and the Ghana Association of Banks announced that an agreement had been reached to make some amendments to the terms of the domestic debt exchange programme.
The amendment includes an agreement to pay a 5% coupon rate for each of the twelve new bonds, resulting in an effective coupon rate of 9%.
It also added “the removal or amendment of all clauses in the Exchange Memorandum that empower the Republic to at its sole discretion, vary the terms of the exchange.”
The individual bondholders stated that “with the banks onboarding the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, the government is set to reach its 80% target.”
“The development reaffirms the need for government to exclude individual Bondholders, including individuals and Collective Investment Schemes (CIS), who account for less than 11% of the eligible bonds. Unlike the banks and other institutions who are set to benefit from various regulatory incentives, Individual Bondholders have no fallback nor incentives and will be condemned to shackled penury,” parts of the statement read.
A GH50,000 bail with two sureties have been granted to the three defendants who are on trial for their roles in the unrest at the NDC Youth and Women’s Congress.
Lawyers of the accused assured the court that their clients will not absent themselves from court nor interfere with investigations.
Though the prosecution did not oppose the bail, the judge noted that the sureties should be residents within the jurisdiction of the court and be civil servants who earn not less than GH¢ 2,000.
The court also directed that the accused must report themselves to the police twice a week specifically on Mondays and Fridays.
Meanwhile, the National Youth Organiser of the NDC, George Opare-Addo has described as unfair the resolve by the police to prosecute the matter.
Background
The police declared 16 people wanted for violent disturbances at the National Democratic Congress Youth and Women’s Congress held at Cape Coast on December 10, 2022.
“While proceedings were ongoing at the Congress two rival groups violently clashed throwing stones, blocks, sticks, clubs, chairs among others, causing injury to three persons and destruction to property,” the police said in a statement.
“The intervention of the Police brought the situation under control for the processes to continue to the end without any further incident.”
After an initial review of Police-specific video footage of the event, 16 suspects were identified as some of the people involved in the violence and were declared wanted.
Mr Ignatius Baffour-Awuah, the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, Tuesday launched a Post-COVID Skills Development and Productivity Enhancement Programme (PSDPEP).
The PSDPEP is a five-year project, which seeks to build health-related skills in higher education, restore livelihoods, strengthen public communication, and create jobs among the youth and women.
It is also aimed at promoting technical and entrepreneurship for job creation.
The project is being funded from a grant facility of US $31.34 million, comprising $28.5million from the African Development Bank (AfDB), and 2.8 million from Government of Ghana.
The Minister said the project was in line with critical government development policy frameworks, such as the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda, Government Coordinated Program of Economic and Social Development as well as the Country Strategy Paper (2019-2013).
This reflects the development aspirations of the Government of Ghana as required by the 1992 constitution.
The PSDPEP beneficiaries are: the Ghana News Agency, Social Investment Fund, Microfinance and Small Loans Centre, the Biotechnology Centre, the School of Nursing and Midwifery, and the Microbiology Centre.
The rest are the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Vocational Training Institute.
The project will be implemented in seven regions in Ghana – Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, Bono, Northern, Central, and Upper West.
Mr Baffour-Awuah stressed the need for beneficiaries to own the project by mainstreaming it into their programmes.
That, he said, was necessary for its successful implementation.
Mr Kofi Frimpong, the Executive Director of the Social Investment Fund and Project Coordinator, indicated that the pandemic disrupted livelihoods at the individual, household and entrepreneurial levels due to lockdowns.
The project, he said, would, therefore, help to alleviate the plight of those affected.
Mr. Emmanuel Fordjour, Desk Head of AFDB at the Ministry of Finance, said the Bank was committed to assisting Ghana to recover from the hardships the people suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Steering and technical committees were inaugurated before the programme launched to supervise its successful implementation.
A member of parliament representing Afigya Kwabre North, Collins Adomako-Mensah, has indicated that some minority members had been attempting to remove Haruna Iddrisu as minority leader for a long time.
According to him, he is not surprised by the removal of Haruna Iddrisu because members of the minority caucus have been disrespecting him for a long time.
The New Patriotic Party MP, who made these remarks in a Good Morning Ghana interview monitored by GhanaWeb on Wednesday, January 25, 2022, added that the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC’s) national leaders have not been happy with Haruna Iddrisu because of some of the things that transpired in Parliament under his leadership.
“This is a coup; I mean, you don’t miss words; this is a complete coup. And anybody who has been following the NDC’s politics in parliament will not be surprised.
“The disrespect toward Haruna didn’t start today; it has been there in Parliament, everybody knows this. And the plan to get him out has been staged for a very long time, it has just got to the climax.
“And let me read Sammy Gyamfi’s tweet or Facebook post when the ministers were approved by parliament: “Comrades the betrayal we have suffered in the hands of the Speaker of Parliament … the leadership of our parliamentary group, particularly Haruna Iddrisu and Hon Mubarak Muntaka, and dozens of our MPs, is what strengthens me to work hard for the great NDC party,” he said.
The NDC leadership has appointed the former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, as the minority leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
According to the NDC, Kofi Armah Buah, MP for Ellembele, will take over as the Deputy Minority Leader.
While Kwame Governs Agbodza, MP for Abaklu, will replace Asawase MP Muntaka Mohammed as the Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Whip.
This was contained in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, from the National Democratic Congress, dated January 23, 2023.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) National Executives have been asked by Cletus Avoka, the outgoing Zebilla Member of Parliament, to revert the Minority Caucus in Parliament’s leadership back to the previous arrangement.
Avoka speaks on changes
Avoka, a one-time Majority Leader and veteran lawmaker, has affirmed in an interview on Joy FM (January 24) that Members of Parliament (MPs) were not consulted before the changes were made.
The most significant move, according to a January 23 letter from the NDC to Speaker Alban Bagbin, is the replacement of Haruna Iddrisu (Tamale South MP) with Cassiel Ato Forson (Ajumako Enyan Essiam MP) as Minority Leader.
“It was not anticipated; it was not expected, and it is untimely as at now. Without prejudice, the gentlemen who are now in the helm of affairs… are very decent Members of Parliament.
“Without prejudice to that…I don’t know what informed the National Executives of the NDC to do this. Without an iota of consultation with some of us who are seniors in Parliament and in the party.”
He described the move as “most ill-timed, it is unstrategic, and it didn’t need to come at this time at all,” adding “I think that the National Executives should eat humble pie and withdraw the change.”
He lamented the ultimate impact of the changes, even on the upcoming primaries in May this year, stressing that “we are going to jeopardise them (removed leaders) in the quest to wrestle power from the NPP in 2024.”
Other changes and retentions
Other changes included Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembele, who is the new deputy Minority Chief Whip.
While Kwame Governs Agbodza, MP for Adaklu, will replace Asawase MP Muntaka Mohammed as the Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the first deputy minority chief whip, while Comfort Doyoe Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is also retained as the second deputy minority chief whip.
The students have pleaded with the Ashanti Regional Security Council (REGSEC), and the Ghana Education Service (GES) to allow them back to school.
The school was shut down temporarily by REGSEC after students went on rampage on Sunday destroying school properties including six vehicles.
The students caused a power outage and broke into the storerooms of the school and scattered food items.
The students have since been sent home with authorities finding solutions to the problem
Speaking to OTEC News Jacob Agyenim Boateng, on January 24, 2023, some female students of the school said they were worried the situation may affect their future.
While condemning the acts of their male colleagues, the students have appealed to authorities in the region to help re-open the facility for them to continue their education.
“Like any unqualified apology, the first step is to acknowledge that you were wrong. Then all you have to do is look in that person’s face and say we are truly sorry for what happened and we hope our teachers and the public will forgive us”.
“We would like to render an unqualified apology to all especially our tutors for the inconveniences caused by the excesses of the protest that resulted in the destruction of school properties and the consequential closure of the school”.
“We are grateful to all relevant stakeholders for the steps taken already to restore calm in the school, but we are still pleading with them to save our educational career,” they added.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, has stated that the party sought advice from former president John Dramani Mahama before opting to alter the leadership of the party in parliament.
Describing it as an apt decision that would inure to the long-term benefits of the NDC party, Fifi Kwetey said that contrary to claims that some key persons were not consulted over the decision, they actually did.
According to a report by myjoyonline.com, the NDC General Secretary explained that John Mahama was informed and he is aware of why there was the need to make those changes.
“This decision was taken after wide consultation. If you look at the apex leadership of the party, that consultation was done. In terms of parliamentary, the group that is widely consulted, that consultation has been done.”
“What needed to be done about this reshuffling was done and the people duly consulted. All the key leaders have been consulted. The former President, Mahama was consulted and his views were duly reflected. The new and old leaders were informed and consulted,” he said.
In a release signed by Fifi Fiavi Kwetey on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, it stated the new changes that had been made to the leadership of the Minority in parliament.
Replacing Haruna Iddrisu, who has been Minority Leader since 2017, the NDC named Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, while Mohmammed-Mubarak Muntaka, who was the Minority Chief Whip, has been replaced by Kwame Governs Agbodza.
Emmanual Armah Kofi Buah will now be the new Deputy Minority Leader, replacing James Klutse Avedzi.
In a widely circulated video, two young women who are allegedly University of Development Studies (UDS) students can be seen arguing over a chair.
In this fast-circulating footage, the tertiary students are seen struggling for the occupancy of a desk in the classroom while lectures were ongoing.
One of the ladies clad in a black and white striped blouse and a pair of blue jeans is captured frantically trying to eject her seated colleague who resisted her force.
Apparently, the one standing is said to have brought the chair to the lecture hall but left moments later only to return to it being occupied by her coursemate.
Rather than reaching an amicable understanding, she resorted to aggression to settle their differences.
The video has elicited a number of reactions from netizens who are perplexed by how the two adults were behaving like primary school pupils.
Pictures and a profile of Mrs. Belinda Afriyie Nimako, the wife of the embattled First Atlantic Bank CFO, Mr. Ernest Kwasi Nimako, have surfaced.
Many people were outraged by the gentleman’s decision to date a National Service Personnel when he clearly had an adorable woman at home.
“How do you cheat on such a prestigious woman?” “What do men really want?” This is one of the many questions people have been asking.
Her professional profile as posted by the US Embassy Ghana reads:
Belinda Afriyie Nimako is a medical doctor with nine years experience spanning clinical work, project management, research, undergraduate training and leadership, in the public sector. She is a product of Wesley Girls’ High School and The University of Ghana Medical School.
After graduating top of her Master of Public Health class, she chose to work in Ghana’s rural districts, using her knowledge and skills where they were needed most.
Now, as the Acting Director of Health Services for South Dayi, Belinda leads a 124-person team to design and implement policies and projects and provide clinical care for about 53,000 predominantly rural inhabitants.
She has been involved in developing an undergraduate program in public health for the University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana. Belinda also compiled a supplement on severe malaria for the World Health Organization. She currently serves on the Board of Ghana’s Food and Drug Authority.
Belinda believes the fellowship will enhance her capacity to contribute effectively to sustainable public health in Ghana and beyond.
On her return, Belinda Nimako hopes to use the competencies gained to provide effective leadership to improve the health of the people in her district and the larger community.
She also intends to build a network of peers with diverse backgrounds to mentor other young people to value excellence and to be social-minded.
Belinda Afriyie Nimako is also a 2015 Mandela Washington Fellow Ghana.
Dr. Dominic Ayine, a former deputy attorney general and member of parliament for Bolgatanga East for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has criticized party officials at the national level for the changes made to their parliamentary leadership.
He maintains that the National Democratic Congress leadership failed to consult its members of Parliament prior to the changes.
The legislator takes strong exceptions to the development describing it as one that is not only deeply worrying but also undemocratic.
“I am deeply worried that the party at Adabraka can just send a letter to the Speaker and say that these are the new leaders of the party, and we have to take it hook, line and sinker. It is totally unacceptable, it is totally undemocratic and does not conform to the principles regarding the running of the affairs of our party system”, he told Umaru Sanda Amadu on Eyewitness News.
The NDC in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament dated, Monday, January 23, 2023, announced a major reshuffling of its leadership in Parliament.
It named MP for Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson as its new Minority Leader taking over from Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu.
Ellembelle legislator, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah also replaces James Klutse Avedzi as Deputy Minority Leader while Asasawe MP, Muntaka Mubarak has been removed as Minority Chief Whip for Governs Kwame Agbodza to come to the scene.
The announcement has met mixed reactions amidst claims of lack of consultation which the party has refuted.
In Tamale South, for instance, party members massed up at the constituency party office demanding a reversal of the decision.
“This is where the problem is as far as the issue is concerned – absolute lack of consultation. It’s deeply worrying. We are a democratic party, democracy is our middle name, so we should conform to democratic principles in the decisions that we make as a party. It is true that there was no consultation, and there was no caucus meeting where we were told that a new leadership is being proposed for parliament. I find it deeply worrying”, Dr. Ayine stressed.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the representative for North Tongu, has described how he discovered the alleged dual identity of Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, secretary to the board of trustees of the National Cathedral.
According to him, he was intrigued when he saw Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng being the same as Kwabena Adu Gyamfi after securing a copy of the National Cathedral Secretariat’s Incorporation documents.
He explained that he started digging into the double identity of Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng when he sighted in the incorporation documents that he was one of the contractors for the project, with registration name Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
Kwabena Adu Gyamfi, as alleged by Mr. Ablakwa during his investigative piece unearthed that JNS Talent, which was paid GH₵2.6 million belongs to the appointed Secretary of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees, Victor Kusi Boateng.
JNS Talent Centre Ltd which allegedly runs a crèche in Dawhenya was paid some GH¢2.6 million to help build the cathedral.
Speaking on Face to Face on Citi TV with Umaru Sanda Amadu, the vociferous legislator explained, “I obtained a copy of the National Cathedral Secretariat Incorporations documents, I realised that JNS Talent Centre Ltd paid GH¢2.6 million as contractor mobilisation. We know of only one contractor, but I realised that JNS Talent was one of the contractors. You go through the entire documentation and there’s no contract, no agreements, no supporting documents at all for this payment, you get suspicious.”
“I discovered that JNS has three directors, Yohannes Eshun, Sheila Eshun and one Kwabena Adu Gyamfi. What services are they rendering under the National Cathedral project? I discovered that it was a skill and talent development, what are they doing here on this project? They are not contractors, engineers, or architects, very strange. I went deeper and realised that the only thing they have done is to set up a crèche at Dawhyena with few innocent souls,” he narrated.
He noted that he called the wife of Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, Sheila Eshun who admitted the company received the money but the husband who had travelled has more details on the payment.
“The document I intercepted, there was a number, so I called his wife, and she told me his husband who has the facts has travelled and will return back in two weeks, but the call never came. I sent my team to the church to verify if I was being told the truth. And there he was preaching, they had service with Johannes Eshun. The claim that he was out of the country was a lie,” he stated.
According to him, there was no footprint of Kwabena Adu Gyamfi who was cited as the third director.
The North Tongu legislator further said that the Secretary of the National Cathedral Board of Trustees’ expired driver’s license also bears the name Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng which was used to incorporate him into the Secretariat Board of Trustees.
“The third director was elusive, there was no digital footprint, no evidence, so I was like who is this guy [Kwabena Adu Gyamfi], he was so elusive. I said let me dig deeper as to how he was able to register his company and all that. What idea did this guy use? Lo and behold, I saw Rev. Kusi Boateng’s passport picture that was used for registration, and the name is Kwabena Adu Gyamfi. And I said what’s going on here? I thought it was a second conflict of interest, for money being paid to a junior pastor for no work done.”
The North Tongu MP doesn’t seem to be stopping his critiques of the National Cathedral’s building anytime soon.
He continues to maintain that, the project is needless and that the desire by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to continue with its building ought to be immediately reconsidered.
The legislator simply puts it, the “Cathedral revolution is long past”.
Mr. Ablakwa is not very much convinced by assertions that, building a Cathedral will spare the country of civil war.
He believes, it will rather be more appropriate to have a culture of honesty and Christian values which do not require a structure for such a purpose.
“Ivory Coast put up a very flamboyant Cathedral. Sadly, it did not stop them from suffering a civil war and conflicts. We are New Testament Christians. Let’s go back to pure and true Christian theology.”
“That doctrine is that, the Holy Ghost has been left with us, he resides in us, and our body is the temple of the Lord. So we should rather put emphasis on personal values and integrity. We are not in the Old Testament where it was about buildings. If you look at the international arena now, we are very late. The era of Cathedrals which shows that you have arrived as a country – the Cathedral revolution is long past”, the MP said.
According to Mr. Ablakwa his campaign to expose the infractions in the ongoing construction is not to run down the Christian community but rather, for the greater good of the nation.
“Let’s be clear, this is not an agenda against the Church. I am not seeking to bring down a religion that I will be nobody without. I have said time without number that where will I be without Christianity? I believe in the saving power, salvation, and grace of Jesus Christ. I am not a pagan or anti-Christ”, he emphasized in an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Face to Face on Citi TV.
He further makes the point, no attempts must be made to continue committing public funds and the little state resources to the project in these crucial times.
Despite criticism from its own members, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has defended the restructuring of its leadership in Parliament.
The party said the decision is apt and works best for collective other than individual interests.
Following the removal of Haruna Iddrisu as Minority Leader, many have described the news as surprising because they claim the party failed to broadly consult for a consensus to be reached accusing the leadership of taking a unilateral decision.
But General Secretary of the NDC, Fiifi Kwetey while speaking on Eyewitness News discredited such assertions insisting that those who mattered were contacted for the necessary inputs.
“This decision was taken after wide consultation. If you look at the apex leadership of the party, that consultation was done. In terms of parliamentary, the group that is widely consulted, that consultation has been done.”
“What needed to be done about this reshuffling was done and the people duly consulted. All the key leaders have been consulted. The former President, Mahama was consulted and his views duly reflected. The new and old leaders were informed and consulted”, he emphasized.
Several NDC MPs including MP for Bolgatanga East, Dominic Ayine and Tamale Central MP, Murtala Muhammed have described the leadership changes as undemocratic and deeply worrying since no consultations were held with the Minority caucus.
The former Majority Leader, Cletus Avoka has also called on the party to immediately reverse the decision, describing it as unpopular and unfortunate.
Some NDC party supporters in Tamale South have also given the party a 24-hour ultimatum to rescind the decision or face their wrath.
But Fifi Kwetey in response said the decision has been taken and will not be reversed.
He said the party will proceed with the leadership changes when Parliament resumes in February.
“The leadership of the party at the highest level has taken a decision and that is just what it is. You cannot set up a precedent where decisions by the leadership of the party are now going to be an issue of the caucus. The leadership of the party in Parliament is appointed by the leadership of the party. It is not something that is done by the caucus of the party”.
He added that the party only had to inform Haruna Iddrisu of the decision and not consult him on his removal.
Justifying the decision, the NDC chief scribe said the regional balance of swing regions and the economic issues ahead of the 2024 election, were highly factored in the decision.
“It is an integral part of the process of preparing ourselves for the next general elections. A process of reorganization has been ongoing. We are looking at having the process continue ahead of the parliamentary and presidential primaries. We believe that as part of the process, the next election is going to revolve around matters of the economy.”
“It’s going to be an economic battle and as part of the process, with consultation with leadership at the highest level, we thought that involves how best to even change the parliamentary leadership and have a leader whose domain and forte has to do with the economy to be able to lead that whole process. So this is a very important consideration.”
The NDC in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, dated Monday, January 23, stated that it had decided to replace Minority Leader Haruna Iddrisu with Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
Other changes include Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembelle who has been brought in to replace Ketu North MP, James Klutse Avedzi as the Deputy Minority Leader while Kwame Governs Agbodza has also replaced Asawase MP, Muntaka Mubarak as the Minority Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim and Comfort Doyoe-Ghansah have, however, maintained their positions as First and Second deputy Whips respectively.
The National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has said that the party’s 2024 election campaign message would focus heavily on the economy, which is why it has decided to reorganize its parliamentary leadership.
According to him, the know-how of the new leadership will best to propagate the message of the party.
The NDC in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin dated, Monday, January 23, 2023, stated that it had decided to replace Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu with Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
Other changes include Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, MP for Ellembelle who has been brought in to replace Ketu North MP, James Klutse Avedzi as the Deputy Minority Leader while Kwame Governs Agbodza has also replaced Asawase MP, Muntaka Mubarak as the Minority Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim and Comfort Doyoe-Ghansah were, however, maintained in their positions as First and Second deputy Whips respectively.
Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Asiedu Nketiah said the party has put its best foot forward in a bid to win the 2024 election.
“The 2024 election is going to be fought around the economy, so the debate is basically going to be about the economy. So if you are a serious party fighting to win an election. You must put your best foot forward to win the debate”.
“You can’t just tell people that the economy is in shambles when you have not been able to put your experts there to be able to communicate to Ghanaians how you will do things better. So this is the point where we need our finance and economic people around, and that is why we put them there,” Mr. Asiedu Nketiah explained.
Some supporters of the party in the Tamale South constituency on Tuesday after hearing the news besieged the party’s constituency office in protest of the changes in the party’s leadership in Parliament.
Former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini, has also described as surprising the leadership changes by the National Democratic Congress in Parliament.
Mr Fuseini believes the unexpected changes are part of a grand strategy by the party ahead of the 2024 general elections.
The Member of Parliament for Juaboso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh says President Akufo-Addo is likely to shield culprits implicated in the damning COVID report from the Auditor General.
The Auditor General’s special report on Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditures has recorded some violations in the use of Covid funds.
Among them, is the payment of over 10 million cedis in insurance premiums to cover 10,000 frontline health workers and allied health professionals without a binding contract detailing among others who the beneficiaries are.
The report, which spans between March 2020 and June 2022, scrutinizes how monies received from the various institutions including the World Bank, AFDB, the European Union and the Contingency fund summing up to GHC21.8billion were utilized.
Commenting on whether heads will roll following the infractions in an interview with Starr News, Mr. Akandoh said the President will do nothing to culprits involved in this incriminating act against the country.
“As if those people are not living in Ghana with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the President of the republic of Ghana, the clearing agent himself in the seat. What are you talking about, he will not do it. Is the Health Minister still not at post? What didn’t we reveal at the committee, is he not still at post?
“Is the Finance Minister still not at post? When members in his own party are saying that the man must be fired. In any serious jurisdiction and any serious or responsible President, the minister responsible for health wouldn’t have stayed for more than a second after the revelation but he is still at post. So, for me I think that it is one of the consequences of voting for the wrong person to steer the affairs,” he reiterated.
Nonetheless, the Juaboso lawmaker said: “.. we are set out to do what we can. And don’t forget that we have limitations as members of Parliament. So, I wouldn’t want to raise anybody’s expectations when it comes to firing at all. Because the evidence is clear that the man himself has been refusing to clear people even when evidence is enormous or when everybody thinks that he will do the needful”, he stated.
he Senior Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana (UG) Dr. Kwame Asah Asante says the shakeup in the leadership for the Minority caucus in Parliament was necessitated by disturbing issues in the house.
The opposition NDC has made changes to its leadership in Parliament with the appointment of Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson as the new Minority Leader.
The former Ranking Member of the Finance Committee of Parliament and Member of Parliament for Ajumako Enyan Essiam replaces Hon. Haruna Iddrisu.
Dr. Ato Forson is to be assisted by MP for Ellembele, Kofi Armah Buah who has been appointed as the Deputy Minority Leader.
Commenting on the changes made by the party on Starr News with Naa Dedei Tettey, the Political Science Lecturer said “political parties undertake such exercises in order to win power and form the next government. So, any rule that they will make in order to wrestle power from whoever is holding political power they will do it. So, for me, it doesn’t come to me as a surprise at all.
Mr. Asante also believes there might be some happenings within the opposition party that caused this immediate change of leadership with the Minority.
“It’s gradually appearing to me that there is something that is going on in Parliament that the leadership of the party is not happy of, for which reason they want to make this change and the time that they are meeting is more significant. More often than not, you tend to see such changes when Parliament is about to start a sitting. But now that they are in recess and this thing comes in then you realize that there is something that is pushing them into doing that”, the lecturer reiterated.
The NDC party has also appointed Adaklu MP, Governs Kwame Agbodza as the new Minority Chief Whip. He replaced Asawase MP, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak.
Both Ahmed Ibrahim and Comfort Doyoe Ghansah maintained their position as deputy Minority Whips.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in a statement signed by the General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey, on January 24, 2023, announced changes to the leadership of the minority in parliament.
The former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has been appointed as the Minority Leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
Kofi Armah Buah is also the Deputy Minority Chief Whip. Kwame Agbodza takes over as Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Chief Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip.
Some social media users are sharing mixed feelings concerning the new development of the NDC fraternity.
From around mid-Tuesday when the letter which was intended for Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin made it way into the media space, the NDC and some of its leading figures have been trending on social media.
The reactions have been diverse as some believe that the move is masterstroke from Asiedu Nketiah and his cohort whiles others say that the party has committed political suicide.
Haruna Iddrisu’s spell as leader of the National Democratic Congress caucus in Parliament came to an end on Tuesday, January 24, 2022 when the Asiedu Nketiah-led national executives announced that it had rang changes in the leadership of the minority caucus.
From January 2017, Haruna Iddrisu has served as the face of the NDC in Parliament but a palace coup as it could be described has seen him and two others being replaced in the minority leadership.
Even within the NDC, the decision which was signed by General Secretary Fifi Kwetey has shocked many as they had no idea what the executives were planning.
As confirmed by Murtala Muhammed, the members of the Minority caucus had no prior discussion with the party’s leadership about the decision to oust Haruna Iddrisu, Muntaka Mubarak and James Klutse Avedzi and replace them with Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, Kwame Agbodza and Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah respectively.
The decision has spurred heated discussions and GhanaWeb highlights the confirmed and reported reasons behind the move by Asiedu Nketiah and his cohorts.
Party Restructuring
According to the National Chairman of the party Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the move is part of a process of restructuring that has been going on for the past year.
“We started more than a year ago, we started at the branch level. We have since done elections in about 40,000 branches and then from there we proceeded to the constituency level. We are done largely with all the constituencies, we have done regional elections and we just completed our national election and the next is to look at our leadership in Parliament. That is what we have just done,” he said.
Election 2024
Asiedu Nketiah also explained that the alterations are necessary to keep the party in the driving seat for the 2024 elections.
“We know for instance that going into election 2024, the economy is going to be the major battle ground and so many of the debates will focus on the economy. So you better put your best man in economy forward that is what we have done.
“We also looked at energy. You know the petroleum and electricity challenges, so we needed to settle on Kofi Armah Buah, our former minister to be the Deputy Minority Leader.
“The other area is infrastructure, Kwame Agbodza being our man in infrastructure should play a key role that generally is what informed the changes,” he added.
Regional Balance
Asiedu Nketiah also said that the party wanted to ensure that there is regional representations in its leadership in Parliament .
He stressed that, “the Change has nothing to do with the performance of the leaders at all. What it has a lot to do about is that the environment is changing, so if you are a football coach and the team you are facing and the game style they are adopting is not in keeping with the players you have put out there, you will do yourself a lot of good.”
Reported Reasons
Whereas Asiedu Nketiah has made mention of the above reasons, GhanaWeb has also discovered some factors that might have influenced the decision to oust Haruna Iddrisu and his cohorts from the leadership.
Party elements, backbenchers unhappy with Haruna and Muntaka in hung parliament
Within the minority caucus and the party, there is a feeling that the impact of the hung parliament is not being felt and that is largely due to the decisions and indecisions of Haruna Iddrisu and Muntaka Mubarak.
GhanaWeb sources indicate that Haruna Iddrisu and Muntaka Mohammed were the main targets of this move and that the others were just collateral damages.
An NDC source told GhanaWeb that majority of the backbenchers in Parliament have not been satisfied with the how the ousted leadership have handled issues in Parliament.
There is a feeling within the backbenchers that Haruna Iddrisu and Muntaka Mubarak have in certain situations like the vetting and passing of the ministers particularly Ken Ofori-Atta as Finance Minister, appeared to have adopted a stance contrary to the viewpoints of the backbenchers and the leadership of the party have been made aware of the growing disaffection.
Muntaka’s position had become untenable
According to reports, from the moment Muntaka sparred with Alban Bagbin, the Speaker of Parliament and followed up with that explosive interview on Joy News, his position became untenable.
Reports say that the party’s hierarchy was furious with the conduct of Muntaka Mubarak and coupled with his struggles back in his Asawase constituency, the party thought it wise to relieve him of his role to make him focus on his dealing with those issues.
Asiedu Nketiah settling scores with Haruna Iddrisu
This narrative is being pushed largely by Paul Adom-Otchere and Titus Glover. According to them, Asiedu Nketiah is using his office to victimize Haruna Iddrisu who did not back in the national chairmanship elections.
It will be recalled that Haruna Iddrisu issued a rejoinder to a statement by Ahmed Ibrahim, the Deputy Minority Chief Whip that the caucus had settled on Asiedu Nketiah as their choice for the chairmanship position.
There is also a feeling within the NDC that Haruna Iddrisu was becoming too powerful and had to clipped before he became a threat to the interest of the those in decision-making positions.
The National Democratic Congress’s General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey, has said that the party’s leadership will not change the adjustments it has made to the minority in parliament’s leadership.
Speaking in an interview with Citi News on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, Fifi Kwetey said that the decision was made after consulting with party members and national executives so the party will not reverse the decision.
He added that the party will proceed with the leadership changes when parliament resumes in February.
“The leadership of the party at the highest level has taken a decision and that is just what it is. You cannot set up a precedent where decisions by the leadership of the party are now going to be an issue of the caucus. The leadership of the party in parliament is appointed by the leadership of the party. It is not something that is done by the caucus of the party,” he said.
The NDC in a statement signed by the General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey announced that it has made changes to the leadership of the minority in parliament.
The former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has been appointed as the Minority Leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
Kofi Armah Buah is also the Deputy Minority Chief Whip. Kwame Agbodza takes over as Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Chief Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip. Meanwhile, The Tamale South Constituency Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abdul Rauf, has said that he and his constituents will not accept the decision of the national executive of the party to replace Haruna Iddrisu as the minority leader.
According to him, if the party fails to rescind its decision, he will lead the party’s faithful in his constituency to vote against it in the 2024 general elections.
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson has earned congratulations from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Central Region leadership for his selection as the leader of the minority caucus in parliament.
In a press statement dated January 24, 2023, the leadership said that Ato Forson’s elevation offers ample testament to his hard work and dedication to parliament and Ghana.
“The leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Central Region wishes on behalf of the entire membership of the party in the region, to extend a very hearty congratulations to the new Minority Leader in Parliament, Hon Dr Cassiel Ato Forson on his elevation.
“Dr Ato Forson’s elevation offers ample testament to his hard work and dedication to the cause of the NDC in Parliament and in Ghana in general over the years,” part of the statement read.
The NDC in a statement signed by the General Secretary, Fifi Kwetey announced that it has made changes to the leadership of the minority in parliament.
The former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has been appointed as the Minority Leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
Kofi Armah Buah is also the Deputy Minority Chief Whip. Kwame Agbodza takes over as Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Chief Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip. Meanwhile, The Tamale South Constituency Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abdul Rauf, has said that he and his constituents will not accept the decision of the national executive of the party to replace Haruna Iddrisu as the minority leader.
According to him, if the party fails to rescind its decision, he will lead the party’s faithful in his constituency to vote against it in the 2024 general elections.
A 48-year-old businessman has been remanded into police prison following an alleged GH4,037,107.32 gold scam, according to an Accra Circuit Court.
George Essandoh has denied the charge and he will be brought back to the court on Wednesday, February 1, 2023.
Meanwhile, his accomplices: George Sarpong, Jerry Mohammed, Courage Ambush and Apostle Emmanuel Marwort are currently on the run.
Efforts are underway to apprehend them.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Evans Kesse told the Court presided over by Mr Kwabena Koduah Obiri Yeboah that Mr Rowland Noble Amedze and Mr Henry E. Paul, the directors of Infosight Global Resources Incorporation, experts in high tech, solid minerals and gemstone businesses, among others, were the complainants.
He said in 2021, Mr Paul met an account user on Facebook who had introduced himself as Apostle Marwort and during their engagement, he told the complainant he was a businessman who worked for Gold Park Mines, dealers of Gold in Ghana.
The prosecution said Marwort also introduced Sarpong, yet to be arrested, as the Chief Executive Officer of Gold Park Mines and Essandoh as the Company’s agent.
The Court heard that Essandoh in his engagement with the complainant demanded and collected USD 696,125 equivalent to GHC4,037,107.32 under the pretext of facilitating the exportation of 250 kg of gold to Thailand.
DSP Kesse said Essandoh after collecting the money failed to deliver the gold to the complainant.
He said the complainant made several efforts to recover his money or get the gold but all failed.
DSP Kesse said a formal complaint was lodged to the Police, which led to the arrest of Essandoh.
There is increasing pressure on the National Executive Council (NEC) of the National Democratic Congress to change its decision of reconstructing the NDC caucus in Parliament.
Some two MPs on the ticket of the NDC have spoken publicly against the decision by NEC and are demanding the immediate reinstatement of Haruna Iddrisu and Muntaka Mubarak as Minority Leader and Minority Chief Whip respectively.
The Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Ibrahim Murtala Muhammad was the first MP to issue an angry reaction to the decision by NEC.
Speaking on Asempa FM, Murtala Muhammaed expressed the hope that the decision will be reversed and that Haruna Iddrisu and Muntaka Mubarak will have their roles handed back to them.
According to him the caucus is happy with the performance of the Haruna Iddrisu and Muntaka and would want them reinstated.
“The timing is completely wrong. What is the basis for changing our parliamentary leadership?
“They are only taking away the most experienced leaders and bringing the less experienced ones. Nobody told them we are dissatisfied with the leadership. Who told them we are unhappy with their performance,” he said.
Cletus Avoka, the Member of Parliament for Zebilla East Constituency questioned the timing of the decision and rationale behind it.
“Our focus should be a collective effort against the NPP for the next two years. Now you are going to have low morale in Parliament. The new leadership will now have to learn to ride leadership both in Parliament and the outside world and that will require time. That will retard the progress of the NDC in its bid to regain power from the NPP in 2024.
“This is unstrategic and didn’t have to come out at this time. We need the effort of everybody to fight for the 2024 elections. The timing was not the best. I will recommend that the NEC will withdraw the letter and reinstate them and also want the new leadership to step down in the interest of the caucus.”
The Tamale South Constituency Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abdul Rauf has also rejected the decision of the NEC, demanding the immediate reinstatement of the Haruna Iddrisu.
“We would not accept this decision. Asiedu Nketiah is responsible for this. Asiedu Nketiah, I want to remind you today, when you became the general secretary, you did not have a pesewa to give to anybody but we gave the chairmanship to you.
“Now you are a big man, you want to punish people. What nonsense. If you are national chairman and so what. Asiedu Nketiah, I want to tell you, I am the constituency chairman, I don’t care about you or Fifi Kwetey,” he said.
Meanwhile Joy New is reporting that the National Executive Council of party will meet the minority caucus in the coming days to iron out issues arising out of the move.
The Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, has praised Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, for leading Ghana’s digitalisation drive.
Annoh-Dompreh was reacting to news of Ghana being ranked number one in the 2022 Digital Competitiveness Index in Anglophone West Africa.
Ghana scored 66 percent on the index, half a percentage point more than Cape Verde, which was ranked second-best. Nigeria completed the top three with a 65 percent score.
The index was compiled by the pan-African think tank Digital Foundation Africa, and it measures and ranks which of the West African states is implementing and adopting good digitalisation policies while mapping the growth of its digital development sectors for socio-economic transformations.
The index was compiled using about 10 variables, ranging from mobile money and online transactions, to digital infrastructure and policy implementation.
“The Ranking would guide ECOWAS states in their approach in the implementation and development of the digital sector hence translating into how citizens transact and use digital in their daily lives. After the release of the index, activities will be held to engage governments and other stakeholders per country to help in the direction and future of the digital sector,” parts of a statement announcing the 2022 Digital Competitiveness Index read.
Reacting to the development in a tweet shared on January 24, 2023, Annoh-Dompreh, the Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyiri, described Bawumia as an economic and digitalisation genius.
His tweet was a retweet of a feat as shared by a pro-NPP activist. He captioned his post, “The Economic & Digital Messiah.”
Cassiel Ato Forson has been appointed the Minority Leader in Parliament, replacing Haruna Iddrisu, who had been leading the caucus for the last six years.
Ato Forson is a known face in parliament with his role as the Ranking Member on the Finance Committee of the House.
His new position was announced via a January 24, 2023, statement signed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) General Secretary, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey.
GhanaWeb looks at 10 quick facts about the new Minority Leader
1. Ato Forson is in his fourth consecutive term as Member of Parliament for the people of the Ajuamko-Enyan-Esiam constituency.
2. His highest education qualification is a PhD in Finance attained in 2020.
3. He is touted as a financial expert and holds other certificates in Taxation, Economics as well as Accounting.
4. He is a former deputy Minister of Finance between 2013 – 2017.
5. He is currently a Ranking Member of Parliament’s Finance Committee and serves on the House and Foreign Affairs Committees.
6. He was born on August 5, 1978, in Ajumako Bisease, Central Region of Ghana.
7. He obtained a Master of Science in Taxation from the University of Oxford after a BSc in Accounting from South Bank University, London U.K.
8. His Ph.D. was in Business and Management (finance option) from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).
9. Ato Forson is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana, and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) replaced the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, as the leader of the minority caucus in Parliament.
In what appears to be his last interview as majority leader, which was with JoyNews on Monday, January 23, 2023, Haruna Iddrisu said that all incumbent NDC MPs who want to return to the house have his support as the minority leader.
He added that there are a number of MPs that he will impress upon the leadership of the NDC to ensure are the party’s candidates for the 2024 parliamentary elections.
“As a majority leader, I should have a fair assessment of some of the MPs that the party necessarily must consider returning to Parliament. Because this work is about experience.
“… as minority leader my first loyalty is to incumbent. I support every incumbent who wants to return back to Parliament,” he said.
Haruna Iddrissu went on to list a number of NDC MPs who he thinks must be in the 9th Parliament of Ghana, including the MP for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, and the MP for Ayensuano, Teddy Safori Addi.
The NDC appointed the former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, as the minority leader in the 8th Parliament of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
According to the NDC, Kofi Armah Buah, MP for Ellembele, will take over as the Deputy Minority Chief Whip.
While Kwame Governs Agbodza, MP for Abaklu, he will replace Asawase MP Muntaka Mohammed as the Chief Whip.
Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Banda, has been maintained as the First Deputy Minority Chief Whip, while Comfort Doyo Cudjoe-Ghansah, MP for Ada, is the Second Deputy Minority Chief Whip.
This, was contained in a letter to the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, from the National Democratic Congress dated January 23, 2023.
Alex Mould, a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), and Gavivina Tamakloe have been ordered to pay a bond of GHC5 million to the state for failing to produce Sedina Tamakloe Attionu.
The sureties, Alex Mould and Gavivina Tamakloe, secured a GHC 5 million bail for the former boss of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, who is standing trial for allegedly causing financial loss of GHC 90 million to the state during her tenure as the CEO of MASLOC between 2013 and January 2017.
The accused person was slapped with a forfeiture of recognisance today (January 24) when the case came up for hearing at the court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, Graphiconline reports.
Per Section 104 of the Criminal Offences (Procedure) Act, 1960 (Act 30), if the two sureties are unable to pay the GHC 5 million bail sum, the court can order the sale of their properties to recover the amount.
On February 7, 2023, the Court will decide whether or not to try Attionu in absentia.
Sedina Tamakloe Attionu failed to show up for the trial for the past 16 months after being granted permission by the court to travel to the USA for medical treatment.
In May 2022, The financial and economic high court denied the request of state attorneys to trial the former chief executive officer (CEO) of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, in absentia.
The presiding judge of the case, Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe, said that the case will not proceed until the two people who stood surety for her (guaranteed the bail application for her release) including the former CEO of Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC), Alex Mould, appear in court, asaaseradio.com reports.
The former MASLOC CEO, Sedina Tamakloe, who is accused of causing financial loss to the state and stealing around GH¢ 93 million from MASLOC coffers has been standing trial since 2020. She has, however, refused to return to Ghana after she was granted permission by the court to travel abroad on health grounds.
The Office of the Special Prosecutor has directed that the Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority, Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, be prosecuted for criminal offences.
The report also directed the similar criminal prosecutions of the two deputy CEOs of the NDA, Stephen Yir-eru Engman (Operations), and Patrick Seidu (Finance & Administration).
This, the report stated, is due to their respective roles in breaches of the Public Procurement Act 2003 (Act 663).
This was contained in the OSP’s Report of Investigation into Alleged Commission of Corruption and Corruption-Related Offences involving the Northern Development Authority and A&QD Consortium Limited, dated January 24, 2023.
It was based on a written complaint dated June 15, 2022, and addressed to the Special Prosecutor by Martin Luther Kpebu, a private legal practitioner, requesting for investigation into the operations of NDA and the actions of its Chief Executive and Board Chairman.
“The complaint alleged that NDA awarded a contract to A&QS Consortium Limited (hereafter, A&QS) on 28 January 2020 for consultancy services for the supervision of some constituencies in the Upper West Region under the IPEP for the contract sum of Five Million Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand cedis (GHC5,720,000.00). However, upon the exit of the then Acting Chief Executive who executed the contract, the contract sum was illegally increased to Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand cedis (GHC10,400,000.00) by the removal of the page containing the original figure of Five Million Seven Hundred and Twenty Thousand cedis (GHC5,720,000.00) and its replacement at page 25 clause 33.1 of the contract with a fresh page containing the bloated figure of Ten Million Four Hundred Thousand cedis (GHC10,400,000.00) to make it appear as if it is the contract executed by the previous Acting Chief Executive,” the report stated.
According to the OSP, it conducted the investigations over a period of six months, interviewing twenty persons over a period of four months before arriving at its conclusions.
It established that there were some major breaches in a contract that existed between the government organisation and A&QS and Associate Beaver Consult for the implementation of NDA’s Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) at a contract sum of Twenty-Nine Million Six Hundred and Forty Thousand cedis (GHC29,640,000.00).
The report also indicated how the outgoing CEO of the NDA had struck a deal with the companies, but upon his termination, the same was not communicated with the new management.
“In December 2019, Dr. Haroun’s appointment was terminated. At the time of his exit as Acting Chief Executive of NDA, the two (2) procured companies – A&QS and Associate Beaver Consult – had not been notified of any award of a contract, and no contract had been executed between NDA and either consulting entity for the commencement of the respective projects.
“There appeared to be a framework document which had the signatures of Dr. Haroun and the Chief Executive of A&QS, Mr. Andrew Kuundaari. However, the signatures were not witnessed. Then again, the document had no deliverables on the nature of the work to be performed by A&QS. It had no contract sum and it had neither a commencement date nor a date for the contract period. Mr. Kuundaari did not read the framework document and he did not know its contents since it had always remained in the custody of Mr. Stephen Yir-eru Engmen, the Deputy Chief Executive of NDA in charge of Operations.
“It was evident and clear to every relevant person that no contract had been signed between NDA and A&QS at the time of Dr. Haroun’s departure. However, Mr. Kuundaari and Mr. Engmen would subsequently point to the framework document in an attempt to justify their actions,” the report stated.
In its conclusion, the OSP report stated that it had directed the Controller and Accountant General to freeze payments to A&QS.
It further directed for the criminal prosecutions of the CEO, Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, and his two deputies.
“On 1 July 2022, the Special Prosecutor directed the Controller and Accountant General to immediately freeze payments to A&QS under NDA’s implementation of the IPEP until the close of the investigation. While lifting the directive in principle, the Special Prosecutor advises all public officers in the approval chain to advert their minds to the tenor of the 16 January 2020 PPA approval for the procurement by NDA of A&QS and to ensure value for money.
“On the basis of the findings, the Special Prosecutor directs the criminal prosecution of the persons named below for respective breaches of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663): Mr. Sumaila Abdul-Rahman, Chief Executive, Northern Development Authority; Mr. Stephen Yir-eru Engmen, Deputy Chief Executive (Operations), Northern Development Authority; and Mr. Patrick Seidu, Deputy Chief Executive (Finance & Administration), Northern Development Authority,” it added.
The founder and leader of Springs of Grace and Power Embassy International, Prophet Prince Elisha Osei Kofi, has alleged that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is under a spiritual attack.
According to the prophet, the seat of the president is cursed, and everything President Akufo-Addo does will go well.
“Some spirits have come together to fight President Akufo-Addo to make sure that he does not end well. The forces are more powerful than Nana Addo, now it is beyond him.
“The president’s chair in the Jubilee House has been cursed. No matter the good intentions you have, if you sit on it you will fail. That chair has been there since the era of Kwame Nkrumah, there are a lot of spirits surrounding it. It must be changed,” he said in Twi in an Onua TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb.
The pastor advised the incoming president of Ghana, after the 2024 election, to get rid of the presidential chairs that are used to swear in the president and his vice if s/he wants to be successful.
“Anybody who by the mercy of God becomes the president of Ghana on January 7, 2025 should remove the presidential chair and that of the vice president after the swearing-in. Take those chairs to the museum and let them make new ones,” he said.
A former female member of the national service has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the First Atlantic Bank and its Chief Financial Officer, Ernest Kwasi Nimako.
The plaintiff, Deborah Seyram Adablah, stated in her writ of summons that during her national service at the bank, she entered into a ‘parlor relationship’ as a result of persistent sexual harassment and abuse by Ernest Kwasi Nimako.
According to her, Ernest Kwasi Nimako was her superior in the capacity of the Chief Financial Officer at the bank.
Hence, failure on her part to accept Mr. Nimako’s sexual demands meant her days at the bank were going to be miserable.
In her writ, she also alleged that virtually every senior manager has a girlfriend in the bank, and they change the ladies at their will, to the knowledge of the managers of the bank.
She reiterated that failure on the part of the female staff to give in to their demands would mean they would be bullied by their bosses.
Miss Adablah narrated that she was convinced by Ernest Kwasi Nimako not to take up a contract with the bank after he assured her of “a lump sum of working capital, a car, paying her accommodation for 3 years; GHC3000 a month, a promise to marry her after divorcing his wife, and a ring, among others.”
The plaintiff alleges Ernest Kwasi Nimako stopped paying her rent and monthly allowance after they had some differences.
She is therefore seeking an order from the court to direct Ernest Kwasi Nimako to transfer the title of car no GC 7899-21 into her name.
She is also seeking a refund of the cost of repairs of over GHC10,000, which he promised to refund but failed to do.
She also wants Ernest Nimako to pay a lump sum of money to enable her to start a business to take care of herself, as agreed by her and the defendant, among others.
First Atlantic Bank is yet to respond to these allegations.
The government has been told to at least commit 10% of the Goods and Services budget and 33% of the infrastructure budget of the education sector to basic education.
Africa Education Watch (Eduwatch) said the government must do this if the country is to invest adequately to build new schools to replace the over 5,000 schools currently under trees and sheds, and provide education for the 1 million out-of-school children.
Eduwatch said on the occasion of the International Day of Education that although Ghana has made efforts to improve on child education, there is still more room for improvement.
the think tank noted that five (5) years ago, the United Nations proclaimed 24th January as International Day of Education, to acknowledge and celebrate the role of education as a tool for peace and development.
This year’s celebration marks the mid-point of the journey to achieve Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Ghana, like many countries, has committed to ensuring all children of basic school-going age, enroll and complete the full course of basic education with relevant learning outcomes by 2030.
“While Ghana has since made significant strides over the years to promote access to education for many children, there still remain 1 million children out of school – approximately 9% of children aged 4 -16. Quality in the delivery of education remains a challenge, as about 87% of children aged 10 could not read and understand age-appropriate sentences by 2018,” a statement issued by Eduwatch said.
It added that Ghana’s government has expressed its commitment to transforming education, and this requires adequate and equitable financing. However, the recent 40% budgetary cut to basic education (Goods and Services) does not support the transformation agenda of the government.
To transform education, the government must increase the current 12% allocation of the national education budget to 23%, in line with the President’s commitment at the 2022 United Nations Transforming Education Summit.
“At least 10% of the Goods and Services budget and 33% of the infrastructure budget of the education sector must be committed to basic education, if we are to invest adequately to build new schools to replace the over 5,000 schools currently under trees and sheds, and provide education for the 1 million out of school children.
“There is no better day to recommit to adequate and equitable financing of education than the International Day of Education 2023,” it said.
The minority in the House of Representatives has intimated that when the Parliament reconvenes in February, there will be further, embarrassing discoveries about how the government used COVID-19 funds.
It comes on the back of revelations in the Auditor General’s Special Report on Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditure which revealed serious procurement breaches and financial misappropriation.
According to the report, the Ministry of Health paid over 10 million cedis in insurance premiums to cover 10,000 frontline health workers and allied health professionals without a life insurance policy document.
But Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said this is the tip of the iceberg, adding that more damning revelations will come out when Parliament reconvenes.
“Nothing in this report is surprising, I think that there’s more to it than we are hearing or seeing at the moment. For me, it doesn’t come as a surprise at all. Let people get this clear, it is not as though the Auditor-General set out himself to uncover certain rot or to audit COVID expenditure. This is something we on the Minority side have fought for all this while. If you’ll recall there was a point in time when the Deputy Speaker was presiding and a motion in that regard was thrown out.
“We on the Minority side have control over what we can do to contribute to the development of this country. I can assure you on that note that we’ll do our best, very soon, the five-member bi-partisan committee will start sitting in public. We are inviting memoranda and we’ll do what we think must be done as a Parliament.”
The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has released new images of what he says is evidence that the JNS Talent Centre received an amount of GHC3.5million from the National Cathedral Secretariat to supply it with paper towels.
According to the MP, who has been on a recent campaign to uncover some alleged corrupt and dubious actions of the Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral, Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, this new detail makes matters worse for the preacher.
Earlier, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had provided documents to the effect that JNS Talent Centre, owned by a certain Kwabena Adu Gyamfi, is only an alias of Rev. Kusi Boateng.
In this latest document, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP said that the details show that indeed, the amount of GHc3.5million that was received by JNS Talent was not a loan but money for the supply of some items.
This, he added, is contrary to earlier claims made to the effect that the amount given to the company was a loan from the National Cathedral Secretariat.
“Evidence secured of how the ubiquitous JNS Talent Centre Limited, secretly & dubiously owned by Kwabena Adu Gyamfi AKA Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, received a staggering GHS3.5million of Ghana’s COVID-19 cash to supply paper towels. This further complicates his cathedral loan claims,” the MP wrote on Twitter.
It will be recalled that the Executive Director of the Cathedral project, Dr. Paul Opoku Mensah, earlier explained that an amount of GHc2.6 million was paid to JNS Talent Centre Limited because it was an interest-free loan the company helped it secure to meet some contractual obligations in 2021.
“We had signed a contract; we were supposed to pay them (contractors) mobilization and that was part of the seed money from the state, and the state had actually transferred the money to the Minister of Finance, but the Controller (and Accountant General) had asked for some time to pay it.
“We had already kind of postponed this payment to the contractors, so a board member said he could help us top-up because he had some money, and we could just top it off to pay the contractors,” he stated.
See the post by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa below:
Evidence secured of how the ubiquitous JNS Talent Centre Limited secretly & dubiously owned by Kwabena Adu Gyamfi AKA Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng received a staggering GHS3.5million of Ghana’s COVID-19 cash to supply paper towels.
Pastor for Harvest Chapel International, Reverend Edward A. Randolph-Koranteng has said that if the building of the National Cathedral is inspired by God, no man or entity can stop it.
According to him, the wrath of God was incurred on the Babylonians when they tried to construct a powerful city and a tower “with its top in the skies” to establish their own reputation.
He explained that God kicked against their ill-motivated vision and confused their language and placed the responsibility to trust God to do his will in this critical national agendum.
“If the National Cathedral is being built for the right reasons and is being inspired by God, then neither a mortal nor another entity can stop it from happening.”
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the Reverend noted “however, it will be a fruitless endeavor if it is not from God and would also be completed regardless of protest or how long it takes to finish if the building is of God, despite whatever opposition it may face and any allegations of scandals that may be connected to it.”
Building a National Cathedral can be difficult, as is being experienced now in Ghana, and such difficulties are nothing new.
He cited how the construction of St. Peter’s in Rome, which is considered the pinnacle of the high Renaissance, was marked by both the splendor and scandal of the time as referred in the (pages. [281]-284) of BASILICA by R.A. Scotti).
The most revered monument in Europe, the 2,000-year-old St. Peter’s Basilica constructed by Emperor Constantine over the apostle’s tomb, was destroyed in 1506 so that a greater Basilica could be constructed by the fiercely ambitious Renaissance Pope Julius II.
For two centuries, 27 popes, and the creativity of the finest painters of their time; Michelangelo, Bramante, Raphael, and Bernin were expended on the building of the new St. Peter’s while, Modern Rome also rose, as glorious as the city of the Caesars, as the Basilica did.
Rev Randolph-Koranteng said the Protestant Reformation was sparked by the new Basilica, dividing the Christian world for all time, but at an inconceivable cost.
He continued saying “let’s stay calm… do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
The Management of Ghana Water Company Limited(GWCL) has announced rationing of water supply as raw water bodies from various sources deplete due to the cut down of trees.
In a statement, the Ghana Water Company Limited revealed that consumers may encounter erratic flow of water in some parts of the country, especially the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central Western and Northern regions.
“With the onset of the dry season, the entire country is expected to experience challenges with water supply because of the depletion of raw water from the various water bodies,” the statement said.
Speaking on News Desk on Monday, the Head of Communications, Stanley Martey, said trees giving water bodies cover have been cut down.
“Trees that give our water bodies cover have all been cut away because of farming activities. We are also aware that the pollution in our water bodies has silted most of our water bodies and such rate of evaporation is high and we do not have huge volumes of water in our water bodies,” he said.
The Management has therefore called on consumers to play their role to minimise the impact of the situation as it cannot tell when the erratic supply could end.
“For now, because of the climatic changes as we know, it is a bit difficult to determine whether it will end in a month or two. The Ghana Water Company Limited has put in resilient measures and we also expect that consumers will also play their role so together we can minimise the impact.”
Read the full details of GWCL’s statement below:
DRY SEASON WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES
With the onset of the dry season, the entire country is expected to experience challenges with water supply because of the depletion of raw water from the various water bodies. As a result, consumers may encounter erratic flow of water in some parts of the country, especially the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central, Western and the Northern Regions.
The Management of the Ghana Water Company Limited wishes to assure the consuming public, that it has put in measures to ameliorate the situation. Management therefore wishes to call on all to be part of the solution, hence, consumers are advised to strictly adhere to the following conservation measures;
Cease indiscriminate watering of lawns with treated water,
Moderate the use of treated water for car washing by resorting to the use of buckets, instead of hosing,
shut all taps when not in use,
Repair all leakages in your homes, like overflowing reservoirs and dripping taps, valves, etc. (the little drops also swell your water bills.)
Report all burst pipes and leakages immediately to the nearest GWCL District offices, Customer Service Centers and Fault Offices.
Report all persons engaged in illegal connections, by-passes, and all malpractices against GWCL.
You can also send google GPS locations, pictures and videos of the burst and leakages on the GWCL WhatsApp lines 0555123393, 0555155524, (WhatsApp information only and not calls)
The public can call GWCL on these numbers; 0207385089, 0207385090. The toll-free line is 0800 40 000 for Vodafone cell and land lines only and 0302 218240 for all other networks.
The GWCL has currently resorted to Water Demand Management to ensure equitable distribution of the water from the various treatment plants. All District Offices have been requested to announce to customers, days on which water will be flowing so customers can store water.
During dry seasons, consumers resort to the use of treated water for keeping lawns green, for commercial washing of vehicles etc. currently the dry season is on and consumers with greater dependence on rainwater have also compounded the problem by taking to treated water use. These practices ease the pressures in the pipelines thereby causing low pressures and no flow in some areas, especially the hilly areas.
Management of GWCL is very much concerned about the impact of the dry season on the raw water sources, which has been compounded by the excessive pollution of the water bodies and wish to assure the public that, the company, together with the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, and allied Ministries, are working assiduously to improve on raw water resources in the Country.
The cooperation of the public is greatly appreciated.
Bice Osei Kuffuor, the Managing Director of the Ghana Post Company Limited is confident about the chances of the New Patriotic Party in the 2024 elections.
Obour, as he is widely known believes that the key element that will decide the 2024 elections is a government’s ability to wheel its citizens out of crisis and as far as he is concerned, the NPP government has done a good job of lifting Ghanaians from the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking on The Hard Truth show, Obour bragged that the NPP has already won the elections and that going to the polls on December 7, 2024, will be a mere formality.
“NPP has already broken the eight. For anybody who is making an assessment of a situation, we need to look at how you are able to come out of problems. COVID-19 was a major bomb everywhere in the world. The US, UK, and Italy all struggled with it. In Ghana, we managed it brilliantly.
“A problem will come but look at how people are able to manage themselves out of the problem. Problems happen all the time but depending on the government of the day, how did we solve the problem? Are we not solving the issues? Currently, we are going through a difficult time and it’s not a Ghana-limited problem,” he said.
Whiles Obour is sure of victory in 2024, the party itself is unsure of who will be standing on its ticket for the 2024 elections.
Former Minister of Trades and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, and Dr Owusu Akoto Afriyie are some of the persons who have already confirmed their decision to contest the elections.
Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is also expected to run for the position as he seeks to replace his boss, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Meanwhile, the party is yet to announce a date for the holding of it Presidential and Parliamentary congress.
The security at the University of Ghana has detained a man who was pretending to be a stranded student.
A statement from the university said the imposter confessed to the offence and said he was hired by some students to pretend he was one of them.
He said he resided at the Commonwealth Hall illegally in the last academic year.
He had a fake student ID number.
The imposter said he was put up to the ploy to court bad press for the school by sleeping in front of Commonwealth Hall.
“It has come to the attention of the management of the University of Ghana that some unscrupulous individuals are influencing students of the university and other persons to pose as stranded former students of Commonwealth Hall”, the statement said.
“One of such persons, being used to attract media attention, was arrested by University Security and has confessed to living in Commonwealth Hall illegally last academic year”.
“He confirmed that he was lured to pose as a stranded student and slept in front of Commonwealth Hall during the night of Monday, January 16, 2023, to gain media attention. He has been handed over to the police for further investigations.”
The university assured the students, their parents and the general public that all former legal residents of Commonwealth Hall and male students of Mensah Sarbah Hall have been duly assigned rooms at UGEL halls.
The school said “measures have also been put in place to assist students with genuine financial difficulty paying the residential fees in the UGEL Halls. Academic work is proceeding peacefully, and the university assures all students that adequate measures have been put in place to ensure their safety and well-being”.
“Students are encouraged to be alert and report to the appropriate authorities, individuals who seek to entice them to disturb the peace on the University campus”.
“Any student involved in such acts will face appropriate disciplinary processes. We look forward to a fruitful and productive academic year.”
Two respected clerics who are also board members of the National Cathedral project have demanded the immediate suspension and audit of the project.
The two; Archbishop Duncan Williams and Reverend Eastwood Anaba say their call is based on the controversies surrounding the project.
According to them, the suspension will pave the way for transparency and accountability to be provided to the Ghanaian people.
In a memo sent to the Board of Trustees on Monday, January 23, and sighted by MyJoyOnline.com, they called for independent audit into the expenditures of the project.
The two respected preachers said the auditor(s) must be one that is nationally recognised.
“That in the spirit and cause of transparency and accountability to the Ghanaian people, the current Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral shall appoint an independent, nationally recognised accounting firm to audit all public funds contributed to and spent by the National Cathedral.
“Auditors will also audit the overall cost of the project. This appointment of an auditor shall take place before the deferment of activities of the Board of Trustees,” excerpts of the memo said.
Meanwhile, the two Bible scholars also said the project should only continue until the economic conditions in the country improve.
“That current activities advancing the construction of Ghana’s National Cathedral shall be deferred until the atmospherics in Ghana are improved and the audit of the Cathedral account is done,” excerpts of the memo added.
The National Cathedral Project has been one of the most controversial public issues since the project was first announced by President Akufo-Addo.
Apart from questions of accountability which have been repeatedly raised by the Minority in Parliament, there have also been concerns about the relevance of the project, in the face of the country’s economic crisis.
Amidst the plethora of issues, founder of the LightHouse Chapel International, Bishop Dag Heward-Mills, resigned from the Cathedral’s Board of Trustee in August 2022.
In so doing, the preacher did not assign any specific reason for his departure; leaving the public to rely on their own conjectures and speculations about why the celebrated man of God left the scene.
However, after five months of his resignation, the Bishop’s justifications for exiting the Board have been revealed.
The seasoned Bible teacher noted in his resignation letter which appears to have been leaked recently that his unresolved concerns about the cost of the National Cathedral and other pertinent issues triggered his exit.
The said letter was addressed by the Bishop to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral.
“I feel that the treatment of the issues I have raised in my several letters has been unfortunate. My letters have been ignored in the past; not attended to for years, and at best addressed flippantly”, Dag Heward-Mills said.
“You may recall I have spoken passionately and written extensively about the costs, the design, the location, the fundraising, the mobilization of the churches, and the role of the trustees.
“These, if heeded, would have made our project more achievable. Generally speaking, my inputs, my opinions, and my letters have been trivialized and set aside”, portions of the letter further disclosed.
The University of Ghana’s management has refuted reports that some students, particularly former Commonwealth Hall tenants, have been left stranded on campus as a result of the implementation of the new housing policy.
In a press statement, the management said that the purported students who claimed to be stranded on its campus are individuals who have been hired to attract media attention to paint the institution black to the populace.
The statement furthered that one of such persons, being used to attract media attention has been arrested by the university security and upon interrogation, he has confirmed being lured to pose as a stranded student of the institution.
“It has come to the attention of the Management of the University of Ghana that some unscrupulous individuals are influencing students of the University and other persons to pose as stranded former students of commonwealth Hall.
“One of such persons, being used to attract media attention, was arrested by the university security and has confessed to living in commonwealth hall illegally last academic year. He confirmed that he was lured to pose as a stranded student and slept in front of the commonwealth hall during the night of Monday, January 16, 2023, to gain media attention. he has been handed over to the police for further investigations,” part of the statement read.
The statement added that all former legal residents of Commonwealth Hall and male students of Mensah Sarbah Hall have been assigned rooms at UGEL halls on its campus.
“Management assures parents and the general public that all legal residents of commonwealth hall and male students of Mensah Sarbah Hall Have been duly assigned rooms at UGEL halls. Measures have also been put in place to assist students who have genuine financial difficulty with paying the residential fees in the UGEL halls, “the Statements added.
Daniel Yaw Domelevo, the former Auditor-General has expressed disquiet about the use of state funds on the construction of the National Cathedral.
According to him, since the concept of the project stems from Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s promise to God for making him president, the funding should be from his coffers not through state funds.
In a Joy News interview, Daniel Domelevo also criticized how the Ministry of Finance used funds from the Contingency Vote to finance portions of the project.
In the wisdom of Domelevo, the practise was illegal and untenable and must be condemned by all.
“I find the expenditure for that transaction very unfortunate. At no point should we be using public funds to fund individual people’s needs or desires. If the president desires to build a cathedral for God, he should go ahead and use his money not public funds. Even if he wants to use public funds, the constitution has laid down procedure for the use of public funds especially from the Consolidated Funds. Article 1 states that it must be in the budget approved by Parliament,” he said.
The National Cathedral has been fraught in endless controversies with the latest allegation being wrongful payment made to Reverend Kusi Boateng, a member of the cathedral’s Board of Trustees.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu is on a crusade to expose what he views as wrongful payment of state funds to certain individuals and organizations concerned with the construction of the Cathedral.
After an initial allegation that a whopping GH¢2.6 million was dished out to a company named JNS Talent Centre Limited, Ablakwa embarked on a mission to discover the persons behind the company.
Ablakwa’s investigations into the alleged payment led to the discovery of one Kwabena Adu Gyamfi as a director of JNS Talent Centre.
Having confirmed the identities of two out of three directors of the centre, Ablakwa went on an expedition to discover the identity of the third director, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
According to his findings, citing a number of statutory documents, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi is the same as Reverend Kusi Boateng, who has allegedly been operating under the pseudonym Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
In an explosive set of allegations which he describes as the Tsar Bomba of all scandals, Ablakwa claimed that Reverend Kusi Boateng holds multiple passports and identification cards with some bearing the name Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
“You will recall that in my earlier exposé of the scandalous GHS2.6million cash transfer from the National Cathedral Secretariat to JNS Talent Centre Limited, I pointed out that incorporation documents reveal that the three directors of JNS Talent Centre Limited are Johannes Eshun, Sheila Eshun and Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
“I also later revealed that Rev. Johannes Eshun is a branch pastor of National Cathedral Executive Council Member/Director, Rev. Victor Kusi-Boateng’s Power Chapel Worldwide.
“Hitherto, the third director—Mr. Kwabena Adu Gyamfi has remained a mystery figure.
“I am now able to reveal the true identity of this mystery director of JNS, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
“Definitely, the code has finally been cracked and it shocks to the marrow!
“Unimpeachable and incontrovertible evidence confirms that Mr. Kwabena Adu Gyamfi is the famous Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng who still serves on the National Cathedral Board as an Executive Council Member/Director.
“For the avoidance of doubt, there is no distinct Kwabena Adu Gyamfi. Kwabena Adu Gyamfi is a criminal creation of Rev. Victor Kusi-Boateng. The two are therefore one and the same.
“Rev. Victor Kusi-Boateng AKA Kwabena Adu Gyamfi thought he had outwitted every Ghanaian, particularly our authorities whom he dribbled for many years; but the day of reckoning is finally here.
“From unassailable and irreproachable documents in my possession, Rev. Victor Kusi-Boateng AKA Kwabena Adu Gyamfi uses multiple passports and multiple identification cards with different names and different dates of birth as his special modus operandi,” he wrote on Facebook.
The Ministry of Health rented a building for 25 years for more than GH $15 million, according to the Auditor-General’s report on Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditures.
The report also stated that the ministry used over GH¢20 million to refurbish the building which was to serve as a COVID-19 isolation centre but was never used.
“The Ministry of Health entered into a 25-year Finance Lease Agreement at a total lease value of GH¢15,265,000.00 in 2020 to be used as a holding and isolation centre in Adaklu in the Volta Region.
“The works, we noted, include remodelling the existing buildings to be used as holding, treatment and isolation centres but could not use the facility for the intended purpose which resulted in an additional cost of GH¢20,382,247.70,” parts of the report read.
The A-G indicated that because of the huge amount of money spent on the building, it impressed the ministry to buy it.
“We recommended to the Chief Director to consider outright acquisition of the building,” it said.
The audit report also showed that nearly 50 percent of the money the state mobilised to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country was used for budget support and not issues related to the outbreak.
The report, which was prepared by the Auditor-General department, indicated that the government raised nearly GH¢22 billion, as of June 2022, to fight COVID-19 in Ghana through the Contingency Fund, the World Bank Group, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Union (EU).
However, out of the total amount raised to fight COVID-19 only about GH¢12 billion (a little over 50 per cent of the total funds raised) was used for activities geared toward fighting the spread of the virus and its impact in Ghana.
The member of parliament for South Dayi, Rockson-Nelson Dafeamekpor, has demanded the arrest and prosecution of any government employees who received Covid – 19 vaccines that were given to the state near to the time of their expiration.
According to the lawmaker, the government front-liners who were supposed to oversee the well-being of Ghanaians received over 1 million vaccines which were close to expiration.
“Officers that led to receiving these expired vaccines should be prosecuted, you see what has happened is a crime against humanity. You see the government declared a state of emergency that we’re sick and we gave them money to go and buy vaccines for us, and they went to get expired ones. That’s inefficiency and irresponsibility of public officers,” he said.
His comments follow the Auditor-General’s reports on the money the government spent to fight Covid -19 between the period of March 2022 and June 2022. The A-G’s report states that about 1,022,348 donated vaccines which were delivered to the state close to expiration.
The Auditor-General report added that the fear that the vaccines could accidentally be issued among the wholesome ones for vaccination which could pose a public health threat to the country, should be disposed of.
The Auditor-General further stated that the programme’s manager of the health directorate explained that the vaccines were donated vaccines that were delivered to them close to expiry.
The next flagbearer should be chosen by the delegates of the ruling New Patriotic Party, who have been urged to put the party first and support Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
Mr. Kwadwo Owusu, a campaign team member for Hon Kennedy Agyapong who made the call emphasized that NPP can only retain power in the 2024 Presidential polls if the Assin Central MP is made to lead the party.
Mr. Owusu in a press release copied to OTEC News on Monday, January 23, 2023, said Kennedy Agyapong remains the best choice for the NPP.
“The overwhelming support base of Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong alone, speak volumes and has registered hope in the minds of the discerning delegates and the Ghanaian populace to be up and alert against people painting false pictures of reality by always bending facts to suit just their interests”.
“The inclusion of Kennedy Agyapong in the flagbearership race of the NPP; a business mogul, philanthropically inclined;(constructed 80-bed cardiothoracic center at the 37 military hospitals, donation of a Cancer treatment machine to Komfo Anokye teaching hospital, Kumasi. Massive support in cash and PPEs for the fight against covid-19 and many changes he has, and still affecting the livelihood of the ordinary Ghanaian.”
“Such a results-oriented, apt, and always ready to help, has succeeded in transmogrifying today’s politics from ‘sweet talks’
and conjuring unrealistic stories unto a fair field of realists, that is; bringing your track record to bear for critical scrutiny to prove your realness to settle on as the best choice to lead the NPP and Ghana”.
Mr. Kwadwo Owusu noted that the name Kennedy Ohene Agyapong is not just a genius, but a positive straight-up man full of a can-do spirit, who is always eager and willing to effect changes positively in the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian.
He added that voting the Assin Central MP as the next flagbearer of the NPP will leapfrog the party’s votes come 2024.
Read the full statement below:
For Immediate release
22nd January 2023
NPP WILL MAKE KEN THE FLAGBEARER AND GHANAIANS MUST EMBRACE HIM AS THE NEXT PRESIDENT.
The overwhelming support base of Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong alone, speak volumes and has registered hope in the minds of the discerning delegates and the Ghanaian populace to be up and alert against people painting false pictures of reality by always bending facts to suit just their personal interests. Meanwhile, this agenda happens and changes only in the books and in the end, breeds nothing but political disheartening and jittering to survive.
The current political terrain does not support the usual deception people always drive through. And the sudden unleashed of political uneasiness in some quarters, is a result of the inclusion of the man Ken in the flagbearership race of the NPP; a business mogul, philanthropically inclined;(construction of 80-bed cardiothoracic center at the 37 military hospital, donation of a Cancer treatment machine to Komfo Anokye teaching hospital, Kumasi. Massive support in cash and PPEs for the fight against covid-19 and many changes he has, and still effecting in the livelihood of the ordinary Ghanaian.
Such a results-oriented, apt and always ready-to-help, has succeeded in transmogrifying today’s politics from ‘sweet talks’
and conjuring unrealistic stories unto a fair field of realists, that is; bringing your track record to bear for critical scrutiny to prove your realness to settle on as the best choice to lead the NPP and Ghana.
The name Kennedy Ohene Agyapong is not just genius, but a positive straight-up man full of a can-do spirit, always eager and willing to effect changes positively in the lives of the ordinary Ghanaian. Government does the higher rate of employment, yet, Ken with what God has blessed him with, keeps forcing day in, day out, to turn things around for the people of Ghana when he can, and Ghanaians nationwide attest to his kind-heartedness and altruistic nature of such character with a high level of benevolence.
Ken has done a lot for Ghana and the NPP and still bankrolls the party till today, and the little said about NPP’s days in opposition, the better, because, everyone knows that, NPP has been an albatros on the neck of Hon Ken and he must be supported with every support available.
In all of these; this same man has employed numerous Ghanaians and still employing.
Tt is only fair and proper to give him(Ken) the chance to lead and do more for the NPP and Ghana as a whole, and I encourage all and sundry to wake up and support Ken.
When you have the facts and can speak to them with evidence, you only explain to people and when questions emerged to that effect, you do justice to it with supporting evidence but you don’t dissipate time and energy campaigning, knowing very well that, you can push through lies, deception and propaganda to blackmail innocent Ghanaians to suit your personal interest.
Ghanaians are wild awake, we have to broaden our horizons and therefore Ken must be allowed without any hindrances to contest, win decisively to lead the NPP into the 2024 Presidential Election and win as well to become the president.
God bless our homeland Ghana and make us great and strong.
In order to support the activities of fire fighting in the nation, the administration of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has promised that by June of this year, all outdated fire tenders in the service’s possession will be replaced with some state-of-the-art fire tenders.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of GNFS, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Timothy Osafo Affum, gave this assurance while speaking on some of the challenges confronting the service in an interview with the host of the Ghana Yensom morning show, Odeyeeba Kofi Essuman on Accra 100.5 FM on Friday, January 20, 2023.
He said the government over the years has helped to get a partner who has taken all the specifications for the procurement of new fire tenders for the service.
He added that all the needed agreements have been signed for the fire tenders to arrive in the country by June this year.
According to him, the specification had been given to the partner because fire tenders are not sold on the open markets like ordinary cars.
“These are equipment that is country-specific so all these considerations had to be made when it comes to procurement of such equipment,” he explained.
He said the existing tenders in possession of the service are more than 10-years-old which is not supposed to be the case.
“Ideally, a fire tender should not be in use for more than five years,” he added.
He revealed that there are about 209 fire stations across the country with only 200 fire tenders.
He added that the situation is so because some of the tenders have broken down and others are obsolete.
He corrected the notion that the police and military are favoured when it is time to equip the security services.
He added that this notion cannot be the reality because one fire tender can procure several vehicles for the police and military.
“So when tenders numbering about 100 are procured for the fire service it comes with a huge cost because tenders are quite expensive and country-specific.”
He commended the government for the measures it is making to equip the fire service administration to live to the expectations of the general public.
The Auditor General’s special report on Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditure has revealed that the Ministry of Health paid over GH¢10 million in insurance premiums to cover 10,000 frontline health workers and allied health professionals without a life insurance policy document.
The report which spans between March 2020 and June 2022 scrutinizes how monies received from the various institution including the World Bank, AFDB, EU and the contingency fund summing up to the tune of 21.8 billion were utilized.
“General principles of insurance require that when an employer or organisation purchases Group Life Insurance Policy to cover employees in case of death, accident, temporary/permanent disability and critical illness, the employer or organisation may keep the master agreement, but the identified employees should receive Certificate of Coverage which could be used by the beneficiary or next of kin to apply for the claims when the need arises.
Additionally, the National Insurance Commission Guidelines on Life Insurance Products require that as a standard, all Life Insurance Policy documents must have the name of the person(s) insured by the policy and the name of the policy owner, the amount of insurance coverage (face amount and sum assured) provided by the policy and the effective date of the policy.
We observed that the Ministry paid GH¢10,309,919.94 as premium for Special Life Insurance Cover for 10,000 Health Workers and Allied Health Professionals working on the COVID-19 pandemic without any Life Insurance Policy document detailing the beneficiaries, their location, next of kin in case of death, nature of the benefit and the term of the coverage.” a portion of the report read.
This development according to A-G meant that workers could not have triggered any processes to get compensation if the insurance companies had defaulted in taking care of them in the instance where they had been infected by the virus.
“Health Workers and Allied Health Professionals working on the COVID-19 pandemic who have not signed any insurance policy document will find it difficult to access any benefit under this blanket premium payment arrangement. In the event of default by the insurance companies in payment of benefit, the employees will not have the legal capacity to seek legal redress in Court” the report added.
Other Infraction by the Ministry of Health cited in the report include;
Payment of an amount of US$81,870,379.80 to UNICEF/AVAT for the supply of 16,025,650 vaccines that have still not been delivered.
“In the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Health entered into an agreement with The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines and related supplies based on second additional credit financing of US$200,000,000.00 by the World Bank (Credit 6923-GH). Page 3 of the signed agreement stated that the Government intends to apply a portion of the proceeds of the financing, up to an amount of US$147,483,170.16 (the “total funding ceiling”) to eligible payments under this Agreement. We noted that the Ministry of Health on behalf of Government of Ghana paid an amount of US$120,192,379.80 to UNICEF/AVAT for the supply of 16,025,650 vaccines under the agreement. However, 5,109,600.00 doses of vaccines valued at US$38,322,000.00 were supplied to the National Cold Room, resulting in an outstanding amount of US$81,870,379.80 with UNICEF/AVAT” page 73 & 74 of the report captured.
The report also cited the Health Ministry for increasing the cost of five contracts with total contract sum of GH¢24,256,500.00 by GH¢4,017,000.00 through variation orders without approval of the Central Tender Review Committee and also entering into four contracts for the supply of PPEs at a cost of GH¢9,280,300.00 through single-source procurement without the approval of the Board of the Public Procurement.
Additionally, the Ministry also on 15 December 2021 entered a contract signed for the supply of 26 Toyota Hiace Deluxe Ambulances valued at US$4,049,460.12 out of which US$607,419.02 was paid on 2 September 2022 to be delivered by 15 January 2022. The ambulances remain undelivered.
The Ministry of Health is also cited for entering into a 25-year Finance Lease Agreement with QHC Project Limited at a total lease value of GH¢15,265,000.00 in April 2020 for uncompleted buildings in Adaklu in the Volta Region which was to be used as an isolation centre during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic without recourse to the Minister of Finance and financial assessment by the Debt Management Unit. The facilities were not used for the intended purpose and is therefore being remodelling at an additional cost of GH¢20,382,247.70 out of which GH¢13,726,079.86 had been paid.
Again, medical equipment valued at US$110,088.00 and GH¢27,895.00 were issued to a private hospital by name Christleads & Specialist Hospital belonging to Dr. C. K. Amenuveve in Madina which did not serve as a COVID-19 isolation centre or did not receive any COVID-19 patient.
Also, Medical equipment valued at US$247,404.79, procured and received at the Temporary Central Medical Stores and subsequently issued to some specific health facilities between January 2021 and June 2022 are yet to be received by the health facilities.
One Isolation centre, the report reveals that three treatment, isolation and holding centre completed at a total cost of GH¢29,173,259.90 was yet to be put to use while seven isolation and treatment centres being constructed at a cost of GH¢158,072,331.23 had not been completed at the time of the audit, 30 months after the construction had commenced in April, 2020.
Meanwhile a Contractor for the design, construction and equipment of Nalerigu treatment and holding centre in North East Region awarded on 11 May 2020, at a cost of GH¢15,000,000.00 abandoned site three months after starting work after an advance mobilisation of GH¢4,500,000.00, constituting 30 percent of the contract had been paid from GoG sources.
A former minister of education, says it might have been a mistake for him to run against former president John Evan Atta Mills in the 2006 National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer campaign.
According to him, he took the decision to contest after the late president, who was his good friend, convinced him he had his support.
He added that he, however, later discovered that the late Professor Mills had also said the same to a number of people, which was then used against him.
“It may have been a mistake. I did that partly because my own very good friend, Prof. Mills, had been telling me, for about five years, Ekwow you are the only one I support, and unfortunately, he also said that to a number of people who then used that against me with him.
“And so even though the jury is out until the day of my departure from earth, I think that decision may have been an error just because I didn’t need to put myself in a conflicting situation with a very good friend. But fortunately, President Mills did not find that offensive at all…” Asaase radio quoted Ekwow Spio-Garbrah.
In December 2006, the late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills polled 1362 votes, representing 81.4% of the total votes cast, to win the National Democratic Congress flagbearership slot for the 2008 election. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah polled 146 votes representing 8.7%, Mahama Iddrisu had 137 votes representing 8.2% and Eddie Annan had 28 votes representing 1.7%.
When asked if he would contest in the upcoming NDC flagbearship race, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah said the NDC has not really invited any contestants to show their faces, even though some people believe he (Ekwow Spio-Garbrah) will be a good president.
“Some people believe I can be a good president…The jury is out. I think now there are a lot of wonderful people already putting themselves up, but the party [NDC] has not really invited any contestants to show their faces.”
“We’ve seen some pictures of others who are likely to contest, so we will watch out for them…my view is that whereas in the past I have listened to the advice of a small group of people to put myself forward, I would rather ask for more rigorous analysis to see because there is no point in running [for flagbearer] if you know you are not going to win. And if there is a better person who can do the job better than you, why not?”
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has set May 13, 2023, as a date to elect their flagbearer.
This was announced by the NDC General Secretary Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, at a press conference at the NDC headquarters in Accra on Wednesday, January 18, 2023.
So far, former President John Dramani Mahama, Kojo Bonsu, and Dr. Kwabena Duffuor are tipped to contest the elections.
Recently, a University of Ghana student visited the White House and met with President Joe Biden.
Sekou Berthe was captured in a photo with Biden at the Oval Office at the American presidency.
In the photos, Berthe, clad in traditional African attire, shakes his host, with both men beaming with smiles.
The photos were shared by the University of Ghana’s International Programmes Office on Twitter.
The caption of the tweet identified Berthe as a “PhD student” of the university, adding that he had “recently presented his credentials to H.E. Joseph Biden Jr., President of the United States of America, as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.”
Sekou Berthe is a Malian diplomat and the country’s ambassador to the United States.
See the tweet below:
H.E. Sekou Berthe, Ambassador of Mali to the U.S.A and PhD student @univofgh, recently presented his credentials to H.E. Joseph Biden Jr., President of the United States of America, as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation between the two countries. #UGIS75@leciadugpic.twitter.com/bSDqkCczRr— UG International Programmes Office (@UofGhanaGlobal) January 23, 2023
On the announcement of his death on January 23, 1998, the Washington Post reported it as “Hilla Limann, 64, who was ousted as president of Ghana in a 1981 coup after a brief rule, and who tried to reclaim the post in elections 11 years later, died Jan. 23 at a hospital here.”
He is reported to have died of a heart ailment.
Twenty-five (25) years on, GhanaWeb looks back on the life of Ghana’s only elected president in the third republic.
Who was Dr. Hilla Limann?
Former president Hilla Limann, who died at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, was born at Gwollu in the Upper Region in 1934.
Dr. Limann, a career diplomat, was born to Mr. Limann and Madam Hayaba. He had his elementary education at Lawra Confederacy Native Authority Primary Boarding School from 1941 to 1945 and the Tamale Middle Boarding school from 1946 – 1949.
He taught as a pupil teacher at Tumu for one year after receiving his standard seven leaving certificate. Dr. Limann entered the government teacher training college at Tamale and passed out with the teacher’s certificate “B”. At the college, he took part in local and district council politics. From 1952 to 1955, he served on the Sissala District Council as a local and district councillor, and he was the council’s chairman for two years (1953-55).
Dr. Limann studied at the London School of Economics from where he obtained his B.Sc. Economics. He also studied at Sorbonne University – Cours De La Langue Et De La Civilisation Francaise (School of French Language and Civilisation) and obtained a Higher Diploma in 1962.
From 1962-65, he studied at Faculte De Droit Et De Sciences Economiques (Faculty of Law and Economics) at Paris, France, and obtained a doctorate et Science politique et de droit constitutionnel (Doctorate in political science and constitutional law) in 1965.
From 1965 until January 1979, Dr. Limann was foreign officer. He was head of chancellery at the Ghana Embassy in Lomé from 1969-71. From 1971 to 1975 he was counsellor for the Ghana permanent mission in Geneva.
Dr. Limann was elected the presidential candidate of the People’s National Party (PNP), the successor of the CPP, for the 1979b elections.
He polled 631,559 votes (35.32 percent) in the June 18 elections to beat nine other candidates. He went into a run-off with Mr. Victor Owusu, the Popular Front Party (PFP) candidate who had 533,928 (29.86 percent) of the votes.
During the second round in July 1979, Dr. Limann convincingly beat Mr. Owusu to be elected president of the third republic. He was sworn into office on September 24, 1979, and took over from Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings and the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC).
He was plagued by internal squabbles in the party, leading to his overthrow by Flt. Lt. Rawlings on December 31, 1981. Dr. Limann formed the People’s National Convention (PNC) to contest the 1992 elections when the ban on political activities was lifted. He came a distant third to President Rawlings of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Professor Albert Adu Boahen of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Dr. Limann surprised many people when he stepped down for Dr. Edward Mahama as the presidential candidate of the party during the 1996 polls. He was in and out of hospital for heart ailment of over the past couple of years. Dr. Limann is survived by a wife, Fulera, and six children – Sibi, Sammoi, Hagommie, Leda, Danni-Hasi, Habuguwie.
The Chamber for Bulk Oil Distributors (CBODs) wants government to urgently develop a framework to direct the gold-for-oil policy to prevent unfair treatment.
Some members of the chamber have already been engaging the Bulk Oil Storage and Transportation Company Limited (BOST), to access the product, a week after the government received the first consignment under the arrangement.
But speaking to Citi News, CEO of the chamber, Dr. Patrick Kwaku Ofori, indicated that the framework is needed to avoid discrimination.
“I think the first consignment has already been there, some of our members were already trading with BOST. Those who already have an existing arrangement with government I think something can be done. Because we are looking forward to a potential or proper framework that will guide the whole process.
“I know the regulator met to solicit our views in terms of ensuring that they create a level playing field so that nobody is actually disadvantaged. And also the gains from the pricing advantage that can happen through the process can also trigger down to the pumps,” Dr. Patrick Kwaku Ofori opined.
Ghana on January 15, 2023, took delivery of 40,000 metric tons of the first consignment under the policy from the United Arab Emirates.
The move by the government is meant to tackle dwindling foreign currency reserves coupled with the demand for dollars by oil importers, which is weakening the local cedi and increasing living costs.
Parents whose children attend senior high schools in the area have been urged by the Savannah regional education directorate to make sure their children show up for class.
The call by the directorate has become necessary because three weeks after reopening schools, most students are yet to report.
The Savannah regional director of the Ghana Education Service, Hajia Katumi Natogmah Atta who made the appeal through Citi News said the situation is very worrying.
Hajia Katumi reminded parents that the timetable will not change for Senior High Schools in the Savannah Region.
“I am appealing to parents in the Savannah Region to allow our students to come to school. We have reopened and as of Friday the attendance wasn’t encouraging. So I want to tell parents that we have reopened, and we are prepared to teach, so parents should allow their children to come to school.
“The academic calendar will not change for Savannah. The time they write WASSCE will be the same time that students in Savannah will also write WASSCE…so if they don’t come it will be difficult for the teachers to cover the syllabus.”
