Flagbearer of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has reaffirmed the party’s commitment to its role in national development as former President John Mahama continues to make appointments.
Speaking to the media, he stressed that the PNC’s focus extends beyond ministerial positions, highlighting the party’s enduring relevance in Ghana’s political landscape.
“Indeed, the point is for John Mahama to determine whether he wants to appoint somebody from the PNC, the NPP, or any other place. Failing to do that, it is his burden to carry,” Mr. Mornah remarked.
He noted that the PNC has always played a significant role in governance, whether or not its members held government positions.
“The PNC remains a resolute political party. We have a duty to critique and to support government policies and programs where the need is, and so we will continue to play our role,” he stated.
Reflecting on the party’s history, Mr. Mornah pointed out, “It is not the first time a PNC member has been in government. Under President John Kufuor, PNC members served in his government; under President John Atta Mills, PNC members served; in fact, in the first term of President John Mahama, PNC members served in his government.”
He further explained the PNC’s decision to support the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the last elections, clarifying that it was not about seeking appointments.
“Obviously, the PNC took a solid decision to back the NDC to ensure that we were able to get change. But that is not to say that the NDC is under compulsion to appoint us,” he clarified.
Concluding his remarks, Mr. Mornah expressed a pragmatic view on appointments. “If you appoint us, it is good; but if you don’t appoint us, probably, it’s even better,” he said, emphasizing that the PNC’s mission goes beyond holding government positions.
The PNC remains committed to contributing to Ghana’s progress by actively engaging in national discourse and supporting policies that benefit the populace.
The High Court has dismissed an application by Bernard Mornah, the flagbearer of the People’s National Convention (PNC), aimed at overturning the Electoral Commission’s decision to disqualify him from the upcoming presidential election.
The ruling, delivered on Monday, October 21, leaves Mornah without any legal recourse to contest his disqualification, posing a significant setback for the PNC as the December elections draw near.
The EC disqualified 11 candidates, including Mr Mornah, citing errors in their nomination forms that went uncorrected.
Mr Mornah, one of three individuals who have filed lawsuits against the EC, claims that his constitutional rights were violated as he was not given the chance to amend these errors.
The EC maintains that while it informed candidates of certain errors, it did not communicate those that were deemed criminal in nature.
In court on Wednesday, Mr Mornah’s lawyers argued that the EC overstepped its discretionary authority.
Mr Mornah’s attorney, Harold Atuguba, requested that the EC halt all electoral activities concerning the presidential election until the court makes its decision.
The High Court in Accra has postponed its ruling on a motion by Bernard Mornah, the flagbearer of the People’s National Convention (PNC), to October 21.
Bernard Mornah is challenging the Electoral Commission’s (EC) decision to disqualify him from the 2024 presidential election.
The EC disqualified 11 candidates, including Mr Mornah, citing errors in their nomination forms that went uncorrected.
Mr Mornah, one of three individuals who have filed lawsuits against the EC, claims that his constitutional rights were violated as he was not given the chance to amend these errors.
The EC maintains that while it informed candidates of certain errors, it did not communicate those that were deemed criminal in nature.
In court on Wednesday, Mr Mornah’s lawyers argued that the EC overstepped its discretionary authority.
Mr Mornah’s attorney, Harold Atuguba, requested that the EC halt all electoral activities concerning the presidential election until the court makes its decision.
People’s National Convention (PNC) has disclosed that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia reached out to comfort their flagbearer, Bernard Mornah, following his disqualification from the 2024 presidential elections.
PNC Chairman Samson Asake Awingobit noted that the party had expected sympathy from the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), considering the political affiliations often linked with the PNC.
However, the anticipated support from NDC leaders, including former President John Mahama and prominent figures like Johnson Asiedu Nketia, Fifi Kwetey, and Omane Boamah, did not materialise.
During an appearance on Asempa FM on October 9, 2024, Awingobit expressed his astonishment at Dr. Bawumia’s gesture, as he had not expected the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer to reach out.
“Could you imagine that since the time we did our election, the filing of our nomination and the Electoral Commission disqualified us, people who believe that my candidate, Bernard Mornah, is an ally to the NDC… could you believe nobody from the NDC, not even President Mahama… called Bernard Mornah to sympathise with us?” onuaonline.com quoted him to have said.
Awingobit further stated that they had initially thought the NPP was responsible for their disqualification, suggesting a potential conspiracy involving the Electoral Commission (EC).
However, he acknowledged that the party was surprised when Dr. Bawumia reached out personally to Mornah to extend his condolences.
“You know who called? I had a cold when he [Bernard Mornah] told me. He said it was the New Patriotic Party presidential candidate, HisExcellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.Even I and my leader were saying that it was NPP that made Jean Mensa disqualify us.
“But the one you think is your enemy is not your enemy. Dr. Bawumia could pick up his phone and say, ‘My younger brother, it is well with you,’” Awingobit recounted.
The People’s National Convention (PNC) has expressed deep disappointment with the National Democratic Congress (NDC), accusing the party of betrayal and neglect following the disqualification of their flagbearer, Bernard Mornah, from the December 7 presidential race.
Samson Awingobit, the National Chairman of the PNC, voiced frustration over the lack of support from the NDC, which they had perceived as an ally. He revealed that none of the NDC’s top leadership reached out to the PNC after their disqualification by the Electoral Commission.
“Can you imagine, since the time we conducted our election, filed our nomination, and were disqualified by the Electoral Commission, not a single person from the NDC – not even President Mahama, Asiedu Nketia, Fifi Kwetey, or Omane Boamah – reached out to Bernard Mornah to sympathize with us,” Awingobit said during an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosisen with Philip Osei Bonsu.
Awingobit further mentioned that the PNC initially believed the New Patriotic Party (NPP) had influenced the Electoral Commission’s decision to disqualify Mornah. However, they were surprised when the NPP’s flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, called to offer his support.
“You know who called? I was shocked when Bernard Mornah told me. It was the New Patriotic Party’s presidential candidate, His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. He picked up the phone and called,” Awingobit revealed.
He added, “Even I and my leader thought it was the NPP that had pushed Jean Mensa to disqualify us, but it turns out the one you think is your enemy is not your enemy. Dr. Bawumia could pick up his phone and say, ‘My younger brother, it is well with you.’”
The former Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has suggested that the efforts of the presidential candidate of the People’s National Convention, Bernard Mornah, to pursue legal action against his disqualification by the Electoral Commission are in vain.
Mr Mornah, who was not among the 13 presidential candidates approved by the Electoral Commission for the upcoming December 7 general elections, has filed a lawsuit, claiming that his disqualification was unlawful.
In response to the news, Allotey Jacobs implied that Mornah’s fate regarding the election is already determined.
“What is written is written; what is written is that you will never be part of this election,” he stated during a panel discussion on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo morning show on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.
Despite his remarks, Allotey Jacobs expressed his willingness to accompany Mornah to court in his pursuit of justice.
“I wish to see him so I can escort him to court,” he stated.
Mornah contends that his disqualification constitutes a violation of his rights, is illegal, and did not adhere to the due process mandated by law.
In a court filing obtained by GhanaWeb, he requested, “An order of mandamus compelling the 2nd respondent to declare the 1st applicant as duly nominated to contest the 2024 public presidential elections.”
On Friday, September 20, 2024, the Electoral Commission announced that out of 24 aspirants who submitted nominations for the 2024 presidential elections, 11 were disqualified for failing to rectify errors on their nomination forms.
Disqualified presidential candidate Bernard Mornah is alleging that the Electoral Commission (EC) has unjustly prevented him from participating in the upcoming December 7 elections, despite his thorough efforts to meet all nomination requirements.
The flagbearer of the People’s National Convention (PNC) expressed confusion over the EC’s decision, particularly since they approved the nomination of Akua Donkor, the Ghana Freedom Party candidate.
“It’s amazing that my mother Akua Donkor, seems to be more proficient than me,” he told Citi FM’s Umaru Sanda Amadu during an interview on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.
“She went and picked 3 and she turned the 3 into F, and she is more qualified to be on a presidential ballot paper,” he further commented on the qualification of the farmer over him by the EC.
In response to his disqualification, Bernard Mornah has filed a lawsuit against the EC, claiming his rights have been violated and that the disqualification is both illegal and contrary to due process.
His court documents, include a request for “An order of mandamus compelling the 2nd respondent to declare the 1st applicant as duly nominated to contest the 2024 public presidential elections.”
On September 20, 2024, the EC announced that 11 out of 24 candidates had been disqualified for not correcting errors in their nomination forms. However, Mornah asserts that he fulfilled all necessary criteria, deeming his disqualification an injustice.
“… that is why I am calling for a forensic audit of all the other people that the EC qualified; their forms,” he argued.
He shared during an interview with Peace FM that his uncle, upon hearing the news on September 20, 2024, fell into a coma.
Mornah mentioned that, as of that afternoon, he was unsure if his uncle had regained consciousness.
“As we speak, my uncle in the village is in a coma because of the news that I have been disqualified.
I do not know as of now if he has recovered, but that is the situation with people who are very hopeful of my presidency,” he disclosed.
He faulted the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Madam Jean Mensa, for deliberately disqualifying him without considering the corrections they made in their nomination forms.
“Other candidates were called to come and make some corrections on their nomination forms, and I was also called. We rectified those errors and sent the forms back to the EC, but I am shocked Jean Mensa, whom I have worked with since 2003, could do this to me.
You realised that when she was giving reasons for the disqualification of others, when it got to my turn, she appeared to be fumbling and could not even mention my name.
Someone I have worked with for that long no longer knows my name?” he wondered.
Mr. Mornah hinted that the matter has been referred to his lawyers and is optimistic he will be on the ballot for the 2024 polls despite machinations to remove him.
On September 20, the EC announced the approval of 13 candidates for the December 7 presidential race, but Mornah, along with 10 others, faced disqualification after the vetting process.
In response, Mornah expressed his determination to challenge the decision, threatening legal action if necessary.
“It is a terrible afternoon but you can be assured that I am a fighter and I will fight this to the end, I will not accept this kind of disrespect and we will not accept the fact that the electoral commission does not want to play according to the rules.
“The EC received our forms on 13th of September. By 12: PM we had submitted our nomination forms and at 6:35 AM on Saturday I got a call from one Samuel Quoao, I don’t know him, he said he had sent a letter from the EC that there were some anomalies with the forms,” he said in an interview on Accra-based TV3.
Mornah recounted the timeline of events leading to his disqualification, indicating that his nomination forms were submitted on September 13.
He received a call from a person named Samuel Quoao, informing him of purported discrepancies in his forms just hours later.
He believes the EC’s basis for disqualification is unfounded, as he had promptly corrected any errors identified in the documents.
“I counted about seven different pages and the EC claimed that we have some anomalies. I immediately sent that the forms should be picked in accordance with the EC’s directive and the forms were completed on Saturday and returned. Mr Quauo called that our forms had been rectified,” he explained.
Bernard Mornah, the former chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), has revealed that he only received official communication regarding his disqualification from the 2024 presidential race after his legal team had engaged the Electoral Commission (EC).
Speaking in an interview with JoyNews, Mornah explained that he had attempted multiple times to get clarity from the EC but received no response.
“I reached out to the EC Chair three times, but she could not pick. I called Sammy Tetteh, whose signature is said to be on the release, three times, he also didn’t respond. Then I call Quiaquoe, and he says the committee has finished its job and they have given it to the commission.”
Mr Mornah said his legal team had written to the EC seeking clarification on his disqualification. “On the basis of that, I made my lawyers write to the EC today to demand any information of why we have not received a letter. My lawyers sent the letter to the Electoral Commission, and we have receipt of the EC receiving the letter. Then at 1:17 pm, Asante Kissi now sent me a letter via WhatsApp.”
He further noted that the EC had initially contacted his team regarding some errors in his Nomination Forms, which were rectified immediately. “The EC had earlier reached out to us concerning some errors in page 9, 10, 32 up to 50, and those errors were rectified.”
Despite the corrections, Mornah said he received verbal confirmation from the EC during a phone call while in the Volta Region that the corrections had been received. However, he only officially learned about his disqualification after engaging the EC through his lawyers.
In a communiqué released on Friday, September 20, 2024, the EC disqualified Bernard Mornah and Janet Nabla of the People’s National Party (PNP) following a thorough examination of the Nomination Forms filed between September 9 and September 13, 2024. The EC emphasized that all candidates must meet the legal requirements to contest in the December 2024 elections.
The Electoral Commission (EC) has disqualified Bernard Mornah of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and Janet Nabla of the People’s National Party (PNP) from contesting in the December 7, 2024, presidential elections.
In a communiqué released on Friday, September 20, 2024, the EC announced the disqualification following a thorough examination of the candidates’ Nomination Forms, which were filed between September 9 and September 13, 2024. The review was conducted to ensure that all legal requirements were met.
Twenty-four aspirants filed their nominations.
The EC further confirmed that several other candidates have successfully completed the nomination process and are qualified to contest in the upcoming presidential election. They include John Mahama, Dr Bawumia, Alan Kyerematen, Kwame Bediako, among others.
The Presidential candidate of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has officially submitted his nomination forms ahead of Ghana’s December 7 elections.
Mr Mornah was joined by two other candidates, independent aspirant Desmond Afrifa and Dr. Daniel Lartey Jnr, flagbearer of the Great Consolidated People’s Party (GCPP), who also filed their nominations at the Electoral Commission’s (EC) headquarters in Accra.
The submission of the forms by Mr Mornah and his fellow candidates brings the total number of presidential hopefuls to 19 as the country gears up for the national polls.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Mornah expressed optimism about the PNC’s chances in the elections, stating, “We are confident that we will make a significant impact in this election.”
Desmond Afrifa, an independent candidate, laid out his vision, promising to tackle illegal mining and create employment opportunities for the youth, stating his intention to utilize the military to address the menace if elected president.
Dr. Daniel Lartey Jnr, on his part, called on the EC to ensure that the elections are conducted with fairness and transparency.
“The integrity, sincerity, and honesty of the polls are paramount for our democracy,” Lartey emphasized.
Earlier in the week, on Monday, September 9, other prominent candidates, including Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and former president John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), also submitted their forms.
They were accompanied by Dr. Hassan Ayariga of the All-People’s Congress (APC), Samuel Apea-Danquah of Yellow Ghana, and independent candidates George Twum Barima Adu and Nana Kwame Bediako, popularly known as Cheddar.
Thursday, September 12, saw three more female candidates file their nominations. Akua Donkor, leader of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), Janet Nabla of the People’s National Party (PNP), and Nana Frimpomaa Sarpong Kumankumah added their names to the growing list of candidates vying for the presidency.
Bernard Mornah has successfully clinched the position of flagbearer for the People’s National Convention (PNC) in a pivotal moment for the party.
The announcement was made by Electoral Commission representatives on September 7, 2024, at the UDS Guest House in Accra.
During the party’s congress, held to elect new national executives ahead of the December general elections, Mornah dominated the race with 1,138 votes. His rival, David Apasera, managed to secure 216 votes.
In his victory address, Mornah extended a hand of cooperation to Apasera, emphasizing the importance of collaboration to strengthen the PNC ahead of the general elections.
He underscored the need for unity to elevate the party’s chances of gaining political influence.
Despite an earlier delay caused by an injunction from Apasera’s camp, the congress proceeded smoothly after the legal issue was resolved.
Former People’s National Convention (PNC) Chairman Bernard Mornah has vowed to lead the party to victory in the December elections, aiming to break the duopoly of the NPP and NDC.
Mornah highlighted his commitment to prioritizing the youth in his administration, focusing on job creation to address high unemployment rates.
Launching his presidential bid, the outspoken politician expressed his confidence in his ability to move the country forward with innovative ideas and extensive experience, telling JoyNews:
“Among the presidential candidates that have come out now, none of them understand the times we are in. What is it that the Vice President and now leader of the New Patriotic Party will be bringing that he couldn’t do in eight years in office? What is it that President Mahama wants to bring that four years with Atta-Mills and four years as president, he could not do?
“The new face with new ideas bubbling to explode to lead our continent and our country is Bernard Mornah,” he stressed.
Earlier, Mornah, the former National Chairman and aspiring presidential candidate for the PNC, stated he would not delay in selecting his running mate if confirmed as the party’s presidential candidate.
In a conversation on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning on July 8, he promised a swift announcement, unlike the prolonged selection processes of the NPP and NDC.
“I have a vested interest in becoming the president of Ghana and will be choosing and announcing my running mate exactly a week after the party confirms me as the presidential candidate, and that is my promise to you,” he said.
The presidential hopeful for the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has revealed his intention to establish Akan as the official language of Ghana if he is elected on December 7.
During an interview on Adom TV’s Badwam morning show, Mr Mornah outlined a multilingual language policy.
According to him, Akan would be the national language, Ga would be predominantly used in Accra, and Hausa would be the chosen language for regional communication across West Africa.
He also proposed that English and French be made optional under his leadership.
“My government will have three languages, one is Akan as the national language. And if you are in Accra, Ga the mother tongue will be the focus and Hausa can be spoken across West Africa. English and French will be optional,” he said.
Bernard Mornah contended that Ghana’s dependence on English, a foreign language, as the official language has impeded national progress.
He advocated for adopting an indigenous language like Akan, suggesting that it could foster greater cultural unity and development.
Mr Mornah points to developed nations like Japan, France, China, Germany, Belgium, and India, which have embraced their native languages officially, as examples of how this approach can benefit a country.
The former National Chairman and aspiring presidential candidate for the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, stated that he will promptly select his running mate if he is confirmed as the party’s presidential candidate.
Speaking on Joy Prime’s Prime Morning on July 8, Mornah emphasized that, unlike the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), he will announce his running mate within a week of his confirmation.
“I have vested interest in becoming the president of Ghana and will be choosing and announcing my running mate exactly a week after the party confirms me as the presidential candidate, and that is my promise to you,” he said.
He noted that he is particularly attentive to the flagbearers and running mates of the NPP and NDC, stressing the importance of their ability to improve the country’s economic situation.
Mr Mornah mentioned that this focus reassures him that even if he does not win the election, the country will be governed by competent individuals.
“I’m interested in the personalities. In the unpalatable situation where I don’t become president, one of them should be able to transform our economy for the good.”
Discussing which team might be best suited to lead the country, he remarked that while the NPP’s running mate, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, known as Napo, was ‘solid’ in opposition, he has shown ‘arrogance’ in power.
The NPP recently announced Dr. Opoku Prempeh as the running mate for its flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, following extensive deliberations within the party’s executive ranks.
The party’s National Council unanimously approved Dr. Opoku Prempeh’s nomination as Dr. Bawumia’s running mate for the 2024 presidential election.
Former National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and presidential hopeful, Bernard Anbataayela Mornah, has raised serious concerns about the sale of state-owned institutions to government cronies.
In an interview with Citi FM on Saturday, June 22, the convener of the Arise Ghana Movement questioned the rationale behind selling these assets to private individuals, advocating for the reform and revitalisation of non-performing state agencies instead.
Mr Mornah described the idea of selling off unprofitable state institutions as “myopic and midget thinking,” stressing that revamping these agencies would be a more effective way to optimise their potential and benefit the nation.
He emphasised the need for sustainable solutions to improve these institutions rather than resorting to privatisation.
He argued that state assets are entrusted to appointed officials for proper management and maintenance, not for personal enrichment through indiscriminate sales.
According to Mr Mornah, these assets should be managed with the nation’s best interests in mind, ensuring their long-term viability and contribution to national development.
“We select people so that they will be able to build upon the assets we have, to be able to add unto the wealth of our nation and not to come and steal the wealth of our nation,” Mornah stated.
“And so, when people are appointed into office, and they meet assets of the state, the least we expect of them is to maintain those assets and manage them. The more we expect of them is to actually increase the assets stock of our nation.”
Mr Mornah expressed his bewilderment at the actions of government appointees who, instead of focusing on growing and improving state assets, opt to sell them off for personal gain. He accused these officials of perpetuating a form of ‘state capture’ that benefits themselves at the expense of the nation, undermining public trust and accountability.
He continued, “But when you elect people to office and all that they do is to deliberately appoint persons that will see or supervise the seeming collapse of state assets, to serve as fodder for the sale of these assets to themselves, then society has to rise.”
The former national chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and convener of AriseGhana, Bernard Mornah, has asserted that he is well-equipped to serve as Ghana’s next president.
He attributed this belief to his capacity to confront the pervasive greed within the country’s leadership and his determination to implement policies that will propel national progress.
During an interview on Eyewitness News with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Thursday, Mr. Mornah stated “There are many reasons because I see that first and foremost the greed of our leadership has collapsed our economy and actually blurred the future of our nation.
“I have also seen that because of lack of courage, our leaders have acquiesced to policies and programmes from Western and Breton Wood institutions that tend to undermine our forward growth as a nation. Thirdly I also see that it appears that sometimes we went [go] to school, and we only learn not to come and apply what we have learnt within the confines of our environment.”
Former National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has declared his candidacy for the presidency.
He cited widespread encouragement from various demographics nationwide, including the elderly, women, persons with disabilities, and youth, who view him as the most capable leader to guide the nation.
According to graphic.com.gh, Mornah expressed that his decision to run stems from a desire to combat corruption and injustice, longstanding barriers to progress and sources of hardship for many.
He stressed the importance of electing a leader untainted by greed, emphasizing his own commitment to service and justice. Mornah asserted that his candidacy represents a commitment to fulfilling the aspirations of Ghana and Africa for self-sufficiency and equitable governance.
In outlining his campaign strategy, Mornah highlighted plans to revitalize PNC structures and collaborate with like-minded individuals nationwide, leveraging their support and resources to actualize his presidential ambitions.
“The increasing number of people from all corners of the country: the aged, women, people with disability, but more importantly, the youth—have been calling and waiting for my declaration so that they will commence mobilisation of both resources and votes for the project”.
“That greed leads to unquenchable corruption, so to turn the tide, we need someone whose background dictated that greed was an abhorred terminology. Becoming president for me is to fulfil the dreams of our forebears of Ghana and Africa capable of managing its own affairs.
“I have been around for a considerable period of time and those who have known me can attest to the fact that my whole being has been about service. I abhor injustice, it does not matter who is affected. I have fought for my enemies,”
Former National Chairman for the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has called for President Nana Akufo-Addo to acknowledge his shortcomings and offer an apology to Ghanaians during his last State of the Nation Address (SONA) before Parliament on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.
President Akufo-Addo is scheduled to deliver the State of the Nation Address (SONA) to Parliament on February 27, 2024, as required by Article 67 of the 1992 Constitution.
This constitutional provision mandates the President to deliver a message on the State of the Nation at the beginning of each session and prior to the dissolution of Parliament.
The address is expected to outline the government’s key policy objectives for the upcoming year and provide insights into strategies aimed at improving the current economic conditions.
In response, Mr Mornah said “In the last statement of the State of the Nation’s address, I expect the President, Akufo-Addo to come and say ‘Fellow countrymen and women, I have failed you. I apologise, I thought I could do better but I have not. This is not the state of the nation I envisaged but it is my prayer that whoever succeeds will build on the positives that I have left’”.
Former Chairperson of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has criticized both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for what he describes as a waste of Ghanaians’ time over the past 32 years.
Speaking on UTV, Mr Mornah pointed out that the two major parties have been in power for a total of 32 years, with each serving two terms of 8 years.
Mr Mornah lamented that despite this long period in power, the focus of both parties seems to be on petty issues rather than on pushing a substantive agenda for the country.
He cited examples such as the NDC’s proposal for a 24-hour economy, which was dismissed by the NPP’s Vice President, Dr. Bawumia, as not feasible.
Mr Mornah called for a more constructive approach, urging politicians to focus on policies and solutions rather than engaging in petty disagreements.
“For 32 years, you have worsened the lives of Ghanaians. NDC through Rawlings served for 8 years, Kufuor served with the NPP for 8 years, John-Atta Mills also served for 8 years and today Akufo-Addo is serving 8 years. That is 32 years.
“But everyday it is about someone not doing this or that. It is not about we are pushing an agenda and a spirit to continue what has been started and we are introducing this. This pettiness doesn’t add to anything for me.
“Mahama says he is introducing a 24-hour economy, and Bawumia says it is not possible. But what else are you suggesting? Let us interrogate the policies and stop this pettiness,” he said.
He emphasized the need for a shift in political discourse towards more substantive issues, highlighting that continuous bickering and personal attacks do not benefit the country.
A video shared by Okay FM on Facebook revisits a tense interaction between Chief of Staff Akosua Frema Osei-Opare and former PNC chairperson Bernard Mornah during the late Theresa Kufour’s funeral at Heroes Park in Kumasi.
The footage captures the Chief of Staff questioning Mornah about his participation in a protest against the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government.
In the emotional exchange, the Chief of Staff refers to Mornah as her son and expresses her disappointment, while Mornah explains his attempt to meet her privately.
The video was accompanied by the caption “Bernard Mona my son why carry placards against my NPP party, see me in my office. You can stand in front of Jubilee, we don’t do that. He is my son, and I don’t have any bad intentions against him, so why would he think of evil against me? Chief Of Staff, at the late Former First Lady Theresa Kufuor’s funeral.”
Mornah responds, explaining that he had attempted to visit Opare at her residence but was unable to meet her.
“Mum, I came to your house but I didn’t meet you.”
This incident follows Mornah’s recent involvement in the #OccupyJulorbi House protest aimed at demanding government accountability.
Former National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Anbataayela Mornah, has recounted the times he went through while growing up in his village of Sankana in the Nadowli-Kaleo District of the Upper West Region.
This is the first time the Nkrumahist is detailing his life story and how hard things became for him to the extent that he had to devise his own means of survival to cope with the hunger at the time.
Detailing his struggles with Ohenewaa Kesse Boahen on CTV, monitored by MyNewsGh.com, the youth activist and by far one of Ghana’s serial demonstrators disclosed that he had to hunt and cook lizards for a meal.
“I had to go round with a cane looking for lizards, hunt lizards and go and roast or cook it and use that as my meal to survive” he disclosed to the shock of the hostess and reiterated “I ate lizards to survive”.
“When you get the lizard, you look for millet and go to the grinding stone to mill the millet and mix the stock of the cooked lizard with the millet. We call it ‘kankale’; then you eat it”, he explained.
“It was an experience but that shaped my growing up”, he said, adding: “You can understand the humanity in me that when it comes to suffering, I went through it, I lived it and, so, when I see people, I can feel what they are going through and that is how come I’m so passionate when I’m making my national conversations because I lived these circumstances”. He stressed.
Regarding his approach to studying, he revealed that he never had the privilege of studying with electricity or even locally made lanterns. Instead, he had to rely on the illumination provided by the moonlight.
“My mother will not give you her ‘Bobo’ lamp to study because she will complain that the oil may finish. So you have to read with the moonlight and when it enters the clouds, you sit and wait for it to come out. I had to be reading very fast when the moon was up”, he recounted.
A convener of the Arise Ghana movement has aligned with the calls made by several civil society groups and Ghanaians urging the government to relocate the victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage to the unfinished Saglemi Housing Project.
According to Mr. Bernard Mornah, these nearly completed houses would offer a more suitable alternative to the current living conditions of the displaced victims. He stressed that the government bears full responsibility for the plight of the people in the Volta Region and should therefore take significant measures to alleviate their suffering.
Mr. Mornah expressed these views during an appearance on the JoyNews AM Show.
“It is government’s decision to spill and government went around saying they did stakeholder engagement. You are asking people to move and evacuate. They should move to where? Have you made any alternative arrangements? Evidently, the government failed. Now you are telling me that I should relocate, so I should relocate to where?
“Even the chiefs have said we were swept away by the water, give us Saglemi houses so that we can live there. Saglemi housing is over 90 % complete in some of the areas. Those places will even serve as five-star hotels for the people given their current state of living and if you are failing to do that and you are failing to declare a state of emergency one will think that government is deliberately punishing the people for no crime of theirs particularly when the President said they have not been voting for him. So I will conclude that for not voting for the NPP, this is your punishment.”
Saglemi Housing project
Mr. Mornah’s statement is in line with the numerous pleas from individuals and various organizations for the government to contemplate the permanent relocation of the victims.
Many have argued that, given the housing project’s capacity and proximity, it represents the most viable solution. However, the government has not yet responded to this request.
Addressing this matter, the former People’s National Convention (PNC) National Chairman suggested that the government’s handling of the situation appears to be influenced by partisan considerations.
“We are being partisan in this particular instance because politics is about the general well-being of our society but in this instance partisanship has taken place, where the President can utter that you have not been voting for me, but I know one day you will vote for me.
“In crisis of this nature the President is thinking about future votes and not thinking about the conditions of our people, then it has moved from being political to the realm of being extremely partisan to inflicting more harm and pain on the suffering people of the Volta Region.”
Bernard Mornah also emphasized the necessity for the government to declare a state of emergency.
“In such circumstances, no one should come and tell you to declare a state of emergency. In declaring a state of emergency, it also brings international attention on you and given the fact that NaDMO in particular is under-resourced then we can use that to launch an international appeal to support our brothers and sisters to overcome their current situation.
“Failing to do that means, that we deliberately did this. We deliberately did the spilling of the water and knew that the volumes will consume our people in the manner that it has and that is why government is not ready to declare a state of emergency,” he added.
On September 15, the Volta River Authority (VRA) initiated the release of excess water due to rising levels at the Akosombo and Kpong hydro dams.
Several weeks after the spillage began, numerous residents residing along the Lower Volta Basin have witnessed the loss of their homes and farmlands to the floods brought about by the spillage.
At present, nine districts are grappling with the impact of the swift-moving spillage, and the people living in these areas are confronting a significant humanitarian crisis.
Communities like Battor, Tefle, Mepe, Sogakope, Adidome, and Anlo have been submerged, with their existence nearly engulfed by the relentless floodwaters.
It’s important to note that this year’s spillage exercise is not the first time that the VRA has released water from the Akosombo Dam. Similar exercises, per reports, were carried out in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, and 1991, with the most recent one taking place in 2010. These releases were made to prevent water from overflowing the dam.
Former National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has criticized president Akufo-Addo for allegedly relying on false information, such as the impact of credit rating agencies’ downgrades on the local economy.
Mornah asserts that the economic challenges are clearly evident to everyone.
President Akufo-Addo previously described the downgrades by credit rating agencies as reckless, linking them to exacerbating challenges faced by African countries, including Ghana.
For example, Fitch Ratings downgraded Ghana’s Long-Term Local-Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to ‘RD’ from ‘CCC’ in April of this year.
However, Mornah argues that the agencies provided positive ratings to Ghana when the economy was performing well, so it cannot be deemed incorrect if they are now issuing negative ratings.
“One of the lies is to blame the rating agencies for the economic challenges, clearly, we are in a crisis,” he said on the Big Issue on TV3 while contributing to a discussion on the state of the economy.
Former National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC) Bernard Mornah, has said that the pensioner bondholders are partly to be blame for their current state.
He said he warned them about the Finance Minister but the pensioners ignored his warning and rather heeded to a meeting with Ken Ofori-Atta.
“[They] put a hold at that time when we were telling them Ken Ofori-Atta should not be believed.”
Mr Mornah said this on Tuesday, May 9, when sharing his thoughts on the recent picketting by the pensioner bondholders.
The retirees who decided not to subscribe to the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) returned to the Ministry on Monday, May 8 to demand payment of their mature coupons and principals.
According to them, government and, for that matter, the Finance Ministry has failed in payment on almost all the timelines given.
Convenor Dr Adu Anana Atwi on Monday told journalists that until they are paid they will continue to hang around the premises of the Ministry
Speaking about the action and plight of the pensioner bondholders, Mr Mornah said when they staged the first picketting in February, Arise Ghana Movement, the group he is Convenor for, joined forces with #FixTheGhana Movement to back the pensioner bondholders.
But he said the pensioner bondholders ignored their advice to speak with Mr Ofori-Atta when the minister called for a meeting with the protesting retirees.
Mr Ofori-Atta, according to the former National Chairman of the PNC, wanted the pensioners out of his premises in order to make a good case to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“Because Ken Ofori-Atta needed their absence at the Ministry to go and say my people have accepted.”
He expressed sympathies with the pensioner bondholders but said Mr Ofori-Atta cannot be trusted to pay their mature coupons and principals.
According to Bernard Mornah, a former national chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo appointed NPP members who have remained devoted to him as ministers.
According to him, all the people who were appointed are people who have defended President Akufo-Addo and his appointees no matter how unpopular their actions were.
Mornah, who made these remarks in an XYZ TV interview, on Wednesday, said that the Trade and Industry minister-designate, Kobina Tahiru (KT) Hammond, once called Ghanaian youth, ‘coconut heads’ after the president was booed at a Global Citizens event in 2022.
“All these people who have been appointed, which of them have not defended the indefensible? KT Hammond insulted young people that they have coconut heads after Akufo-Addo was booed at a Global Citizen event.
“And when Ken Ofori-Atta was under the motion of censure, KT Hammond’s theatricals lead to Ofori-Atta being freed. That (his appointment) is the reward for ensuring that we continue to harbour thieves. So, KT Hammond has been rewarded for insulting young people.
“Stika (Dr Stephen Amoah) championed the passage of the E-Levy, he has now been rewarded. Bryan Acheampong sent people to beat and kill people at the Ayawaso West Wuogon and other places, he has been rewarded,” he said in Twi.
President Akufo-Addo, on February 7, 2023, appointed Kobina Tahiru Hammond (MP for Adansi Asokwa) as the minister-designate for Trade and Industry and Bryan Acheampong (MP for Abetifi) as the minister-designate for Food and Agriculture.
Other appointments the president made are Stephen Asamoah Boateng, for the Ministry of Chieftaincy; Mohammed Amin Adam, Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Osei Bonsu Amoah as Minister of State for Local Government.
Stephen Amoah, the Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, was also appointed a Deputy Minister-designate for Trade and Industry.
These new appointments by the president, which were announced by the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, come following the recent resignations of Alan Kyerematen as Minister of Trade; Afriyie Owusu Akoto as Minister of Food and Agriculture; Ebenezer Kojo Kum as Minister of Chieftaincy as well as the sacking of Charles Adu Boahen as Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance.
The appointment is, however, subject to parliamentary approval.
Former Chairperson of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), Bernard Mornah, has accused President Akufo-Addo for demeaning the reputation of the Ghanaian presidency.
According to him, President Akufo-Addo has now resorted to begging world leaders to help Ghana with the county’s huge debts.
Speaking in an XYZ TV interview, on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, which was monitored by GhanaWeb, Mornah alleged that President Akufo-Addo recently begged the foreign minister of Germany to plead with the Chinese government to give Ghana more time to repay its debts.
“It is so sickening that when you have messed up the economy to this extent, the president will again decide to debase the Office of the President.
“When the finance minister of Germany came to Ghana for a visit, our president told him to go and beg China so that they will forgive some of Ghana’s debts. This is what the president told the finance minister of Germany.
“He did not even call the Chancellor of Germany who is his counterpart… when you (Akufo-Addo) were going for the loan did you call the German foreign minister? When you were telling us that you were doing bauxite for infrastructure did you go to tell the Germans,” he said in Twi.
The former CPP chairperson said that rather than the government engaging the Chinese directly on its debts, the president is “going round calling subordinate ministers to go and talk on his behalf”.
“You (Akufo-Addo) are reducing the presidency,” he reiterated.
A former national chairman of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has hinted that Ghana’s bars are the only progressive businesses in the country.
According to him, the hardships and frustrations in the country have made people stick to drinking in order to forget about their transgressions.
He mentioned that before the president assumed office, he promised citizens to move the country away from taxation into production, saying “that was a major policy statement Akufo Addo has made.”
“The only industry that is booming in the country is the beer bar industry; people go there to drink away their frustrations, that’s why Akpeteshi and the rest are moving fast,” he told Don Kwabena Prah on Happy 98.9 FM’s Epa Hoa Daben show.
He further noted that most young people in business cannot meet their clients “due to the difficulty they encounter, and by the time the person would get there, they are drunk, and the client must leave in frustration.”
When asked if the government had demonstrated any form of local production within a reasonable time frame, the managing partner of Ndaana Ghana Limited responded, “What are you producing?” The increase of Value Added Tax by 2.5percent is that production, the introduction of a thievery tax called the electronic transfer tax or levy is that production, the imposition of Covid -19 tax on citizens is that a tax or it’s a production?” he quizzed.
The Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta and his Deputy John Kumah must also leave office immediately, a member of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) Bernard Mornah has said.
In his view, Mr Ofori-Atta is not the answer to the economic challenges facing Ghanaians.
“Investors don’t have confidence in the economy because of Ofori-Atta,” he said on the Big Issue on TV3 with Berla Mundi on Tuesday November 15.
He added ” John Kumah said they will not go to the IMF but today we are at the IMF.”
He was contributing to a discussion on the sacking of the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry Charles Adu Boahen.
President Akufo-Addo has sacked Mr Adu Boahen.
“The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has terminated the appointment of the Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Charles Adu Boahen, with immediate effect.
“After being made aware of the allegations levelled against the Minister in the exposé, ‘Galamsey Economy’, the President spoke to Mr. Adu Boahen, after which he took the decision to terminate his appointment, and also to refer the matter to the Special Prosecutor for further investigations.
“The President thanked Mr. Adu Boahen for his strong services to his government since his appointment in 2017, and wished him well in his future endeavours,” a statement issued by the Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin said on Monday November 14.
He said: “Economic policy after policy ever since Ghana subscribe to International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Ghana has seen, what they have done is that they gave us omnibus policy; what they have done in some country, they would bring it here and the evidence abound. IMF and World Bank have not been able to salvage any economy anywhere in the World.”
Read the full story originally published on November 11, 2017, by ghanacrusader.com
His response comes on the back of a press conference on Wednesday, 8th, November, 2017 held by the Minority in Parliament at which they proposed that government’s inability to raise the initial amount ($2.25 billion) was due to its mismanagement of the economy.
Sharing his thoughts on the Energy Sector Bond, he stated that, ”Economic policy after policy ever since Ghana subscribe to International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Ghana has seen, what they have done is that, they gave us omnibus policy; what they have done in some country, they would bring it here and the evidence abound. IMF and World Bank have not been able to salvage any economy anywhere in the World.”
”So evidently the IMF has never been the solution to a nation’s difficulty. So it was at this point Gov’t of Ghana decided that may be needed policy confidence from the IMF and decide IMF gave us thumbs up in the raising of a loan from the International Community,” Bernard Mornah stated.
He said: “Economic policy after policy ever since Ghana subscribe to International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Ghana has seen, what they have done is that they gave us omnibus policy; what they have done in some country, they would bring it here and the evidence abound. IMF and World Bank have not been able to salvage any economy anywhere in the World.”
The National Chairman for the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah has stated that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has not been able to save any economy of a country across the world.
His response comes on the back of a press conference on Wednesday, 8th, November, 2017 held by the Minority in Parliament at which they proposed that government’s inability to raise the initial amount ($2.25 billion) was due to its mismanagement of the economy.
Sharing his thoughts on the Energy Sector Bond, he stated that, ”Economic policy after policy ever since Ghana subscribe to International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Ghana has seen, what they have done is that, they gave us omnibus policy; what they have done in some country, they would bring it here and the evidence abound. IMF and World Bank have not been able to salvage any economy anywhere in the World.”
He stated that,”They will praise you for good policies that are treason and in no time you will see that the consequences on your nation are so telling.”
”So evidently the IMF has never been the solution to a nation’s difficulty. So it was at this point Gov’t of Ghana decided that may be needed policy confidence from the IMF and decide IMF gave us thumbs up in the raising of a loan from the International Community,” Bernard Mornah stated.
Pressure group Arise Ghana has announced its decision to demonstrate over the severe economic hardship visited on Ghanaians by president Akufo-Addo’s administration.
The group made the announcement to demonstrate in a statement jointly signed by Mr Rex Omar, Mensah Thompson, Bernard Mornah and Bobie Ansah.
The demonstration is expected to come off on November 15, 2022.
Below is the full statement:
“Arise Ghana observes with grave concern the current trend of severe economic hardship that has been visited on Ghanaians.
“We are of the view that such degree of suffering visited on Ghanaians are as a result of the recklessness, incompetence and greed of President Akufo-Addo, Ken Ofori-Atta and Dr Mahamadu Bawumia.
“Arise Ghana also notes with even greater concern the recent spate of insults thrown at Ghanaians at the mere attempt to complain about the severe economic hardship they are forced to endure under President Akufo-Addo, not only from the President himself but from his family and close acquaintances.
“Arise Ghana as the most vibrant pressure group that has led Ghana’s economic struggles in recent past deem it very important to yet again rise to the ocassion and bring some hope to struggling young people and the good people of Ghana.
“Arise Ghana, therefore, wishes to use this medium to announce its plans to lead a massive demonstration in the capital on 15th November 2022.
“Ahead of this massive demonstration, Arise Ghana will also engage various groups such as trade unions, labour groups, youth groups and other stakeholders.
“Again we want to use this medium to commend people like lawyer Martin Kpebu, Prof Ransford Gyampo, Prof Bokpin and others who have been fearless in pointing out the current crisis that we find ourselves in.
“We wish to assure them that they enjoy unflinching support from Arise Ghana and we shall stand with them through thick and thin.
“But finally, we wish to use this opportunity to call on young people of this country to remain calm as we prepare to provide them a platform where they can express their frustrations in a democratic manner.
“We also call on the Ghana Armed Forces to remain calm as we explore democratic avenues to put this country back on the path of prosperity and bring relief to the people.
He said that Akufo-Addo had given the economy to Databank, a private finance company co-founded by the Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta, during a panel debate on TV3 last week.
He named four people associated with the group in his explanation of the overall impact Databank officials had on the economy, saying how their deliberate placement in various economic sectors showed a “capture” of the industry.
He cited Ofori Atta himself as Finance Minister, his Databank co-founder Keli Gadzekpo, a one-time board chairman of the Bank of Ghana now board chair of the Electricity Company of Ghana; Rev. Daniel Obgarmey Tetteh, the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC and Yoofi Grant of the Ghana Investment Promotions Center, GIPC – all of whom are linked to Databank.
“They are meddling with the finances of this country… so if you take this sector and just give it out to Databank, President, something is wrong. If no one is telling you, you should know, you should see it.
“If these men pushed us into a ditch, they are incapable of pulling us out because their legs are wobbly,” he stressed.
In his view, the fact that the economy has been suffering distress and for the President to keep the Finance Minister who plunged the country into that mess, shows that he is insensitive to the plight of the citizenry.
With respect to the economic downturn, he submitted: “The major problem we have in this country is President Akufo-Addo, who thinks that the mindset that took us into this problem is capable of lifting us out of the problem.”
Analysts and politicians alike have been calling for government to take pragmatic steps to deal with the current economic downturn.
Rising cost of living, galloping inflation and a rapidly depreciating Ghana Cedi are some of the main pointers to the economic crisis that Ghanaians are putting up with.
The government is in talks with the International Monetary Fund, IMF, for a reported US$3 billion rescue facility to help stabilize the economy and reset it on the path of growth.
Government has partly blamed the Russia-Ukraine war and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for the headwinds, insisting that all was being done to stem the tide.
A leading member of the Arise Ghana movement, Bernard Mornah, has indicated that despite the chaos that erupted during the first day of their protest, they will still go ahead with the day two protest.
According to him, the violence that occurred during their protest was premeditated by the police as they fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protestors without provocation.
“The police started firing rubber bullets and tear gas towards us… We were addressing the demonstrators, only for us to realize that they had started shooting into the van. The bullet hit people. Asiedu Nketiah laid flat in the vehicle. Ofosu Ampofo fell when he attempted to go off the track… We did everything to contain the situation, but the police did everything to scatter us, and they succeeded. We are continuing with our demonstration. We have a two-day demonstration.
“Why will you come at us with such violence? The public order act does not allow you to tell us where we should use and what time to start. The demonstrators did not move and the police shot at them,” Citinewsroom.com quoted Bernard Mornarh.
Arise Ghana began a historic two-day demonstration on June 28 to primarily protest persistent and astronomical hikes in fuel prices by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government that has imposed excruciating economic hardships on Ghanaians.
In a statement by Sammy Gyamfi, it adds that the protest is to also oppose the imposition of the obnoxious E-Levy on the already-burdened Ghanaian people by the insensitive Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government and demand a full-scale and bi-partisan parliamentary probe into COVID-19 expenditures.
Others are to protest the grabbing of state lands by officials of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, particularly the de-classification of huge portions of the Achimota Forest Reserve.
The rest are to protest the increased rate of police brutalities and state-sponsored killings of innocent Ghanaians, as well as the growing culture of human rights abuses under the watch of President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, and demand the total cancellation of the fraudulent “Agyapa†deal.
The group started its first day of demonstrations on June 28, 2022, starting from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle Interchange/Obra Spot, but chaos erupted when protestors pelted stones at the police.
— The Independent Ghana (@independent_gh) June 29, 2022
In retaliation, the police also fired tear gas and rubber bullets, injuring scores of protestors.
Despite these happenings, the group says it will go ahead with its protest, which is expected to start at El-Wak Sports stadium and end at Parliament House.
Meanwhile, the police have announced the arrest of 29 people in connection with violent incidents that marred the Arise Ghana demonstration at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle.
According to a statement dated June 28 and signed by Chief Superintendent Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Director of Public Affairs, the police were also reviewing available footage with the view to making more arrests if need be.
“The Police have arrested 29 demonstrators for their participation in violent attacks on the police and some members of the public, including school children, during the Arise Ghana demonstration in Accra,†the June 28, 2022 statement added.
The National Chairman of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, has said the Electoral Commission (EC) has wasted $130 million of the taxpayers’ money on an exercise that could have been conducted with just $30 million.
After the voters’ registration exercise, the EC claims it has detected minors on foreigners on the new voters’ roll adding that it’ll delete the names to ensure a credible.
Chairperson of the EC, Jean Mensa said steps have been taken to remove all illegal registrants before the December polls.
But Bernard Mornah speaking on the just-ended register said “They [EC] say the new voter roll has foreigners on it (Ivorians), they say there are minors on the register, they say there are dead people on the register, so, you [EC] lied”, adding that it is “deception and stealing of public funds for personal use.”
According to him, a survey conducted by the policy think tank, IMANI Africa “analyses show that we wasted $130 million on an exercise that we could conduct safely with $30 million.”
“Where did the $100 million go?” he asked.
Speaking on Accra FM, he said Jean Mensa must be prosecuted for causing financial loss to the state.
“So, I say that Jean Mensa and all the actors in this grand scheme to steal Ghana’s money are candidates for prosecution,” he said on Accra FM.
He alleged that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is conniving with the EC to delete names of Ghanaians from the new register in some specific areas.
“They have come out with another lie. This lie we uncovered. If you listen to the General Secretary of the NPP, they have already targeted some constituencies in which they are going to delete names from the voter register,” he added.
General Secretary of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Atik Mohammed has ridiculed the party’s National Chairman and a leading member of IPRAN, Bernard Mornah for participating in the ongoing new voters’ registration exercise.
It could be recalled that Bernard Mornah, prior to the registration exercise, vehemently opposed the Electoral Commission (EC) decision to compile a new voters’ register.
He threatened to cause mayhem should the Commission go ahead with the exercise stating emphatically that “people who are already Ghanaians and already registered are going to be taken out of the register, don’t you think confusion will come at the registration and if confusion comes there, you think the EC staff will be safe, we will beat each other there, we will kill each other there if that is what the EC wants to lead this nation to”.
However, Bernard Mornah was spotted registering his name during the exercise.
Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on ‘Kokrokoo’ on Peace FM, Atik Mohammed asked ”why didn’t he disrupt it like he promised he would?”
He fired salvoes at Bernard Mornah saying ”you know when the Electoral Commission says we should register, you’ll register your name and also nothing will happen. Why would you create such a tense atmosphere? You contaminate the political atmosphere with all your vicious utterances, such vile utterances. The antidote for that poison would be maybe some counter-reaction that, at the end of the day, will not end well. So, why do you even start such a thing in the first place when you know you will register your name?”
”He was busy enjoying the registration process. If you look at his picture, you’ll see everything was smooth where he registered. It was smooth. It was seamless as a matter of fact,” Atik teased the PNC Chairman.
General Secretary of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Atik Mohammed has ridiculed the party’s National Chairman and a leading member of IPRAN, Bernard Mornah for participating in the ongoing new voters’ registration exercise.
It could be recalled that Bernard Mornah, prior to the registration exercise, vehemently opposed the Electoral Commission (EC) decision to compile a new voters’ register.
He threatened to cause mayhem should the Commission go ahead with the exercise stating emphatically that “people who are already Ghanaians and already registered are going to be taken out of the register, don’t you think confusion will come at the registration and if confusion comes there, you think the EC staff will be safe, we will beat each other there, we will kill each other there if that is what the EC wants to lead this nation to”.
However, Bernard Mornah was spotted registering his name during the exercise.
Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on ‘Kokrokoo’ on Peace FM, Atik Mohammed asked ”why didn’t he disrupt it like he promised he would?”
He fired salvoes at Bernard Mornah saying ”you know when the Electoral Commission says we should register, you’ll register your name and also nothing will happen. Why would you create such a tense atmosphere? You contaminate the political atmosphere with all your vicious utterances, such vile utterances. The antidote for that poison would be maybe some counter-reaction that, at the end of the day, will not end well. So, why do you even start such a thing in the first place when you know you will register your name?”
”He was busy enjoying the registration process. If you look at his picture, you’ll see everything was smooth where he registered. It was smooth. It was seamless as a matter of fact,” Atik teased the PNC Chairman.
The usually quiet manager of multiple award-winning group, Praye, Kwabena Owusu Frimpong a.k.a Kobby Blackmoe, appears incensed by the apparent hypocrisy of Bernard Mornah, National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and his allies, and has subsequently called on the youth to disregard their hypocritical and inconsistent utterances and actions by going out in the numbers to massively register in the upcoming voter registration exercise.
“Didn’t Bernard Mornah recklessly expose Ghanaians to Covid-19 when he bused crowds of rented vulnerable youths in an obviously illegal march to the CID headquarters on 2nd June? It was a riotous rowdy and chaotic crowd. Where was the appropriate social distancing? Where were their nose masks?” He queried.
Kobby Blackmoe wants the Attorney General to prosecute Mornah and his NDC paymasters for putting the lives of police officers at the CID headquarters at risk by their rash action and for also breaking the Public Order Act. Mornah was accompanied by some NDC MPs in his action.
In an interview that Kobby Blackmoe granted on 3rd June 2020, he asked which of the two actions exposed Ghanaians to Covid-19 infection: “the riotous NDC rented crowd’s actions or the orderly pilot EC voter registration exercise that stringently followed all Covid-19 prevention protocols?
Incidentally, both events took place on the same day.
The NDC is seeking to prevent the EC from going ahead with the compilation of a new voters’ register claiming that it will expose Ghanaians to Covid-19 infection.
“If the EC can replicate this orderliness nationwide, and the NDC will replicate this riotous and illegal behavior nationwide with its rented crowds, then, which of the two is seeking to infect Ghanaians with Covid-19”, he asked rhetorically.
He, therefore, urged the youth to ensure that they get their names on the new electoral roll and to disregard the NDC and their haunted ghosts.
By registering the youth will be exercising their constitutional right to determine who rules them in the next four years. “The youth has a stake in who rules this country, when and how” and this, he reiterated, can only be done by ensuring that they have the right to vote in the first place.
“Again, what is the surest way of obtaining a free and nationally recognized identification card in a hassle-free manner? He quipped. “Obviously, by registering to vote, we all know!”
He believes the possession of a voter’s ID card will enable our teeming youths to easily access services with the banks, insurance companies, including mobile money and the GHS 600 million Covid-19 Alleviation Fund. All public offices accept the voter’s ID card as proof of identity since it is a nationally recognized ID card.
“As future leaders, you need to take your destiny into your own hands, to develop yourself and to sweep yourself into the commanding heights of Ghana’s socio-economic life”, he added.
He urged the youth to be law-abiding and not to allow themselves to be rented for any activity that will not inure to their future development and the development of Ghana.
He advised all and sundry to be law-abiding saying that “the beating of war drums by certain groups will bring us no good. The beating of one’s chest only hurts one’s chest. The Cambridge Analytics style of politicking using violent language helps no nation; it has destroyed many a nation” he asserted.
Quoting Chairman Rawlings in his September 1983 address to cadres of the revolution, he said that it is time
“Populist nonsense must give way to popular or unpopular sense”
It is time for every group and every Ghanaian to rally around for a peaceful electoral process, he entreated.
The National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Mr Bernard Mornah, has been granted police enquiry bail in connection with alleged threats he made against the Electoral Commission (EC).
He is to report to the headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on June 16, 2020.
The PNC chairman was granted bail after his bail condition of one surety was signed by the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the PNC, Mr Bala Maikankan.
Mr Mornah is being represented by a team of lawyers led by Professor Raymond Atuguba
This was after a meeting between some leaders of the PNC, National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other members of the Inter-party Resistance Against New Register (IPRAN) and top officials of the CID.
The closed-door meeting, which started at about 11:45a.m. ended at about 1:30p.m.
Some high-ranking members of the NDC, including its national chairman, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya and Mr Abraham Amaliba, arrived at the headquarters of the CID in connection with the invitation of Mr Mornah at about 10:52a.m.
After arriving at the CID Headquarters, they were seen holding some discussions at the second floor of the CID headquarters before they held a closed door meeting with the Deputy Director-General of the CID, Barima Tweneboah Sasraku II, the head of Operations, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Joseph Oklu-Gyamrah, and other top officials of the CID.
Supporters
Ahead of the meeting some supporters of the PNC, NDC and members of IPRAN defied the downpour to besiege the headquarters of the CID.
The supporters who were blocked at the headquarters of the National Fire Service managed to find their way to the entrance of the CID headquarters where personnel of the Formed Police Unit prevented them from entering the premises.
Video
After the meeting, Mr Amaliba told the Daily Graphic that a 37-second video in which Mr Mornah was purported to have made the said threats was shown to him (Mornah) and he confirmed making the comments.
They initially wanted to arrest him, citing the statement which were captured on the video and after the video was shown he was charged for offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace.
Mr Amaliba said Mr Mornah was then made to write a caution statement in which he said he was not prepared to make any statement beyond what was on the video.
The Chairman of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), Mr Bernard Mornah has said he only cautioned the Electoral Commission (EC) on the chaos that could come up should it decide to go ahead with the new voters’ registration exercise.
The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service has invited Mr Mornah to assist with an investigation it is conducting into an allegation of threat against the EC, should it decide to go ahead with the compilation of a new voter’s register in late June 2020.
The police have sent an invitation letter to him asking that he should report at the CID headquarters on Tuesday, June 2, 2020, at 10 am.
“The CID Headquarters is investigating a case in which you [Mornah] were alleged to have threatened to resist any attempt by the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new voter’s register for the 2020 general election.”
“You were also heard in a video interview to have threatened “that people who are already Ghanaians and already registered are going to be taken out of the register, don’t you think confusion will come at the registration and if confusion come there, you think the EC staff will be safe, we will beat each other there, we will kill each other there if that is what the EC want to lead this nation to,” the invitation letter dated May 28, 2020 and signed by Barima Tweneboah Sasraku II, a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) for the Director General of CID said.
But in a radio interview on Accra based Citi FM on Thursday evening, Mr Mornah said his statement was a caution to the EC if it was “intending to flip us [Ghanaians] through this dangerous path, they should know that there would be confusion.”
“And so it is a caution. If cautions become threats, I will not run away from it. But you know, I don’t know who thought the CID English in school because my English teacher when he sees this statement will know that it is a caution and that he taught me English well, and that a caution cannot represent a threat. But if they see it as a threat, then I may have to bring my English teacher to tell them that caution is different from threat.”
Mr Mornah who reiterated that he made the statement at a press conference on May 26, 2020, organised by the Inter-Party Resistance Against New Register (IPRAN) insisted that “I have nothing to run away from. The Electoral Commission is messing our democracy and we must do everything to resist and we will resist it. There is nothing that will allow us to sit down and allow this Electoral Commission to slip our democracy away from the peace and stability that we have enjoyed.”
“And so when we are telling the Electoral Commission and alerting that, oh! your action can lead us on a very perilous path and you come and say that we are threatening, I don’t know, so I will visit the CID, I’ve told my lawyer that I will be going there and if my lawyer wants to come fine, but if my lawyer wants to water down the words, I will ask him to go because I am responsible enough to own my words.”
Mr Mornah insisted that his polling station is Sankana and that the number of people who have passports there are not up to 10.
“The polling station is Sankana, those of us who have Ghana Cards, I’m not sure we are up to 100. Meanwhile there are over 800 people in my polling station, I’m not talking about the entire Sankana, because we have four polling stations in Sankana. And so when we go there and then we don’t have the Ghana Card, not because we don’t want it but because you [NIA] did not give us the opportunity to obtain it.”
“Even those who have registered, they don’t have the card because you [NIA] could not print it for them and so when they have to receive the cards, you don’t just bring the cards and go and stand in Sankana market and start mentioning their names to come for it, you’ll have to carry your equipment there so that they can come and place their fingers again to authenticate that they are the owners of the cards that you are talking about.”
“That processes alone, it will take time. So we don’t have the cards that you are using as source document and you are saying that you are going to compile a new register on that and I’m alerting you that there will be confusion and you say that I’m threatening you, there would be confusion la!,” Mr Mornah said.
General Secretary of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Atik Mohammed has asked The Ghana Police Service to immediately invite the party’s National Chairman, Bernard Mornah, over his seditious comments against the Electoral Commission.
Bernard Mornah, who is also a leader of the Inter-Party Resistance Against New Voter Register [IPRAN], reportedly threatened mayhem should the Electoral Commission (EC) proceed with its registration exercise to compile a new voters’ register.
He is said to have beaten ”war drums” saying the group will violently disrupt the process and won’t hesitate to ”kill” during the exercise.
Speaking on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, the PNC General Secretary described the statements by the party’s National Chairman as ”treasonable” and therefore called on the Police to swiftly swoop him up for interrogation.
He emphasized the mandate of the Police is not just ”to deal with criminals but to ensure that crimes are not even committed in the first place. So, if somebody is threatening mayhem in this country, the person’s insurance cannot be the fact that he is Chairman of a particular political party”.
Atik Mohammed stressed that Bernard Mornah is not above the laws of the country and so should not be left off the hook.
“Merely being the Chairman of a political party such as the PNC doesn’t mean you can say any gibberish. It doesn’t give you the licence to just say all kinds of things and I am on this occasion inviting the Police that they should invite Bernard Mornah…If you threaten mayhem, if you threaten violence, threat of violence and the visitation of violence on whoever are offences under the Criminal Offences Act. So, you cannot threaten mayhem against a State agency doing their work within the limits of the law,” he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi.
