The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has launched a scathing criticism against Electoral Commission (EC) officials regarding errors in figures initially published during the ongoing Limited Voter Registration Exercise.
He expressed incredulity at the EC’s struggle with the basic task of tallying the total number of registered individuals.
The Electoral Commission encountered challenges in accurately reporting the total number of registered persons on Days 2 and 3 of the exercise across Ghana’s sixteen regions.
However, in a press release dated May 12, the EC acknowledged these errors and assured the public that they had been rectified.
Quoting the EC’s statement, which admitted mistakes in the cumulative totals for days two and three but clarified that regional numbers were accurate, Pratt criticized the commission’s competence on Peacefm’s “Kokrokoo” morning show.
He questioned how Ghanaians could trust an electoral body that struggled with basic arithmetic, especially during a simple registration exercise marred by numerous issues. Pratt raised concerns about the implications of such errors for future elections.
Expressing disbelief at the EC’s inability to perform simple addition, Pratt emphasized the importance of accuracy and competence in the electoral process. He highlighted the irony of an Electoral Commission unable to perform basic mathematical operations essential for its function.
“The Electoral Commission has corrected errors in the previously released daily voter registration numbers. The inaccuracies were in the cumulative totals for days two and three, though the regional numbers were correct. The Upper East’s day three’s total was mistakenly repeated for day four. These have been amended,” the EC’s statement read.
“Is the Electoral Commission saying that they cannot do simple addition? A whole electoral body like the Electoral Commission cannot do a simple addition. How can Ghanaians repose confidence in you?
“This is just a registration exercise which has been characterised by abysmal happenings. What then will they do about the general elections when it is held?
“These errors in the results by the Electoral Commission, how do you explain it? We’ve gone to register names. We have the tallies; simple addition, the Electoral Commission cannot do it…
“I can’t understand this; a whole Electoral Commission cannot do addition. There is no subtraction, division or multiplication and you can’t do this”, he charged.
The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has shed light on the historical origins of Ghana’s energy crisis, linking it to events that transpired after the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah’s government.
He emphasized that the crisis didn’t emerge during President John Agyekum Kufuor’s tenure, as commonly thought, but rather stemmed from decisions made post-Nkrumah era.
Pratt highlighted the significant influence of a British energy expert whose counsel led to the abandonment of vital energy projects initiated under Nkrumah’s administration.
Despite Soviet experts working on the Bui Dam project, measures like the Bui Dam and mini hydro projects were halted following the British expert’s advice.
Speaking on Good Morning Ghana on April 24, 2024, Pratt stressed the importance of understanding the history of the energy crisis, noting, “The issue of the history of the energy crisis has come up now, and I think it is important we get the history right. After the 1966 coup against Nkrumah, the government then brought in a British expert, who insisted we didn’t need to expand capacity.”
Expressing regret, Pratt lamented how Ghana missed opportunities due to project abandonment. “So, we stopped the Bui Dam project… The Bui Dam was delayed all this time because of the British expert,” he added.
Pratt elaborated that Nkrumah’s regime had proposed mini hydro projects, also discontinued. Additionally, plans for nuclear power generation, including agreements with the Soviet Union, were scrapped based on the expert’s advice.
“The issue of the history of the energy crisis has come up now, and I think it is important we get the history right. After the 1966 coup against Nkrumah, the government then brought in a British expert, who insisted we didn’t need to expand capacity.”
“At the time, we were considering a nuclear option for power generation and went into an agreement with the Soviet Union that the so-called British energy expert also stopped. That is where our problem began.
“The problems in our energy sector—some think it began in the Kufuor administration; it’s not true. The crisis was already there before it came. It only hit us in the Kufuor regime,” he added.
Ghanaian journalist and managing editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has voiced his concerns in response to news of a Convention People Party (CPP) representative attending the Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting.
Expressing astonishment, Pratt questioned the rationale behind CPP’s participation in the IPAC meeting amidst the party’s numerous internal challenges.
He highlighted the CPP’s ongoing political struggles, including internal disputes and court cases surrounding leadership positions.
Pratt emphasised the gravity of the situation, noting the significance of addressing internal issues before engaging in broader political discussions such as those held at IPAC meetings.
“I am shocked, CPP representative attending an IPAC meeting, with so many issues ongoing internally with the party, court cases, who from CPP went to IPAC meeting,” Kwesi Pratt quizzes during a panel discussion on Peace FM.
IPAC meetings serve as a platform for various political parties to review election-related activities and policies, formally voice their grievances, and contribute constructively.
The committee also acts as an advisory body to the Electoral Commission.
Veteran journalist and Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has expressed his shock and disbelief over the death of John Kumah, the deputy finance minister and MP for Ejisu, who reportedly died on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at the age of 45.
Speaking on Peace FM’s morning show Kokrokoo, Pratt said that he never saw Kumah unwell and that the last time he saw him, he was not sick and they had a good conversation.
“Our brother John Kumah’s death has shocked me. The reason is this. I never saw him unwell. The last time I saw him, he was not sick, and we had a good conversation. When I heard he had died, I could not believe it. I called the Ashanti Regional Minister Simon Osei Mensah for clarification because I know he was good friends with John Kumah. He confirmed it. John Kumah is dead. I consoled him. All of us who know John Kumah have been hit by this,” Pratt said.
He added that he was even more disturbed by the rumours and allegations that Kumah was murdered by some unknown persons who poisoned him.
“As I was still pondering on his demise, suddenly I heard rumours claiming he was murdered. Ah! Where from that too? There is even a gentleman who has come out to say he knows who killed John Kumah. So if you know who killed him, why have you not reported it? Why have you not reported it to the police? You claim to know who killed him, but won’t go and report it to the police.
So what at all is this? So in Ghana, no prominent person can die without being murdered? All of them have to be deliberately killed? I don’t understand. Must we politicize death, too? It is quite embarrassing. This is not the first time. Recently we had some big people claiming Professor Mills was also murdered and insisted on publicising his autopsy report. It is the same thing happening now,” Pratt lamented.
The real reason behind John Kumah’s deathhas been questioned by some recent statements from Captain Smart, a TV presenter, and Oheneba Asiedu, a friend of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chairman, Chairman Wontumi.
A common theme running through these submissions on John Kumah’s death is the claim that Kumah and Wontumi were poisoned some months ago in Tamale by some people who wanted to eliminate them for political reasons.
Resurfaced video excerpts of Captain Smart on his Maakye show on Onua TV, alleging the intentional poisoning of the late John Kumah.
He also claimed that there were attempts to poison other important people, such as Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the former Majority Leader and MP for Suame; Hon. Andy Appiah Kubi, the MP for Asante-Akim North Constituency; and Chairman Wontumi, the NPP Ashanti Regional Chairman.
However, these claims have been challenged by Kumah’s wife, Apostle Lilian Kumah, who has filed a complaint with the police and demanded evidence from Captain Smart to substantiate his allegations. She has also called for a thorough investigation into the cause of her husband’s death and urged the public to respect the family’s privacy and grief.
John Kumah was a lawyer and an entrepreneur who served as the first CEO of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme (NEIP) before becoming the deputy finance minister and MP for Ejisu in 2021.
He was widely regarded as a man of integrity who championed job creation and youth development. He was also a preacher and a family man who left behind a wife and six children.
As Ghana grapples with this perplexing situation, one thing remains clear: John Kumah’s passing is shrouded in uncertainty. Was it natural causes or foul play? The nation awaits an answer.
Ghanaian journalist and managing editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, emphasized the public acknowledgment that Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang will retain her role as Vice to NDC flagbearer John Dramani Mahama.
Pratt emphasised the pivotal role played by Professor Opoku-Agyemang during the 2020 election, underlining her significant influence as a key factor in the NDC’s increased parliamentary representation.
He argued that her continued leadership is crucial for the party’s success and that choosing an alternative candidate could lead to unnecessary controversy.
“Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang deserves to be chosen again; her influence cannot be underestimated. There would be too much controversy if another candidate was chosen,” Pratt stated during the interview on peace fm.
As anticipation builds for the NDC’s decision on their vice flagbearer for the 2024 elections, Pratt’s endorsement adds weight to the growing support for Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang’s continued role within the party, emphasizing her leadership and influence as instrumental to the party’s future success.
Managing Editor of The Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has criticized the US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer, for what he perceives as consistent interference in Ghana’s internal affairs, particularly regarding the controversial anti-LGBT+ bill.
During a panel discussion on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo on March 5, 2024, Pratt expressed his discontent with Ambassador Palmer’s frequent responses to statements made by Ghanaian government officials.
He emphasised that ambassadors, including Palmer, should not overstep their boundaries by attempting to dictate the policies of a sovereign nation.
Pratt questioned the ambassador’s authority to intervene in Ghana’s domestic matters, highlighting the need for respect for Ghana’s sovereignty. He stressed the importance of diplomatic relations being conducted with mutual respect and without undue interference in each other’s internal affairs.
“The US ambassador has no power to live in the country and dictate to us what to do and what not to do.
Can Ghana’s ambassador to the US go to America and tell them what to do there? Can he hold a press conference and tell Joe Biden to stop the things he has been doing?
“Why? Are we still going back to colonisation? I am even shy of the whole thing,” he said.
He urged Ghanaians to protect their autonomy, adding, “What I want to say is that whether you’re gay or not, I don’t care, but what I care about is for us to protect our freedom, not to allow the American ambassador to think she is more important than our president, for her to be giving our president instructions.
“It is horrible for you as an ambassador to be responding to our ministers and the president. Who are you? Who are you to dictate to us?” he lamented.
Virginia Palmer, in a post shared on X on Thursday, February 29, 2024, warned of dire consequences to Ghana’s economy and international reputation if the bill is signed into law, a claim she has previously stated.
She indicated that the bill passed by parliament infringes on the basic human rights of homosexual Ghanaians and the right to freedom of speech.
“I am saddened because some of the smartest, most creative, most decent people I know are LGBT.
“The bill Parliament passed takes away not only their basic human rights but those of all Ghanaians because it undermines their constitutional rights to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press,” she wrote on X.
The ambassador added, “It will be bad for public order and public health. If enacted, it will also hurt Ghana’s international reputation and Ghana’s economy.”
On Wednesday, February 28, 2024, the Parliament of Ghana approved the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, commonly referred to as theanti-LGBT+ bill.
This legislation, which is now pending presidential assent, prohibits activities related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals and criminalizes the promotion, advocacy, and funding of such activities.
Persons caught in these acts will be subjected to a six-month to three-year jail term, with promoters and sponsors facing a three to five-year jail term.
Ace journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr has voiced his concerns regarding the limited autonomy afforded to Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in the selection of his running mate for the upcoming elections.
Reportedly, over 10 influential figures within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are competing for the position, intensifying lobbying efforts across regional groups, particularly NPP opinion leaders in Greater Accra.
Supporters in the Greater Accra region specifically advocate for the presidential candidate to choose a Ga as the running mate.
However, Kwesi Pratt strongly criticized the emphasis on tribal considerations, asserting that competence should be the primary criterion. He labeled such lobbying practices as “foolishness” and questioned the significance of one’s tribal background, emphasizing the importance of intellectual capacity.
“Why are we indulging in tribalism? Whether the person is Ga or Frafra, what difference does it make? Let’s be serious!!! The main criteria should not be where the person is coming from but their capacity to think,” he exclaimed.
Kwesi Pratt expressed concern that the unnecessary pressure on the Vice President is detrimental to his candidacy for the 2024 general elections.
“This will not help Bawumia…why are you doing this to this man; no presidential candidate since 1992 has been treated this way. It’s as if Bawumia can’t make decisions of his own. Now we’ve got to the level of dictation; stop that,” he fumed.
The veteran journalist disclosed that a similar situation appears to be unfolding within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and called for an end to what he described as “foolishness” gripping all political parties.
Kwesi Pratt made these remarks during a panel discussion on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo.’
Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has expressed skepticism regarding Ghana’s 10% stake in the forthcoming Lithium agreement with Barari DV Limited.
He contends that the 10% royalties is nothing but a figure quoted to sound good in the heads of Ghanaians.
He asserted that, once lithium mining begins, the actual benefits to Ghana from the claimed 10 percent share may not be as advantageous as the sector Minister suggests.
He referenced the uranium renegotiation deal between Niger and France, illustrating how the country initially negotiated for 12 percent royalties but ultimately received a meager sum from the agreement.
Mr. Pratt voiced his dissent to the deal asking, “even in calculating the payment of royalties and so on, what methods are we using in order to ensure we avoid the process of the use of what they call ‘smart accounting’ which makes nonsense of the absolute figures?”.
He also downplayed the significance of Ghana’s representation on the Board of Atlantic Lithium Ltd, emphasizing its role in ensuring the company fulfills its commitments under the deal.
“Representation on the board does not necessarily guarantee equity. It does not guarantee us that our interest will be pursued,” Mr. Pratt asserted.
Kwesi Pratt delivered these comments while contributing in a panel discussion on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” morning show.
Managing Editor of Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has highlighted four potential political paths for Alan Kyerematen following his withdrawal from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential primaries.
Pratt emphasized the importance of Kyerematen making a prompt decision to prevent the dispersion of his efforts and to provide clarity to his supporters regarding his future plans.
Pratt suggested four among several options for the former flagbearer aspirant to solidify his political presence within the party and the nation.
Here are the options:
a. Withdraw from the party and contest as an independent candidate knowing that he could push the election into a runoff and become kingmaker of Ghana
b. He can put his full weight behind one of the four remaining candidates in the race
c. He can decide not to contest for presidency “and just stay and watch which has its meaning and implications,” Pratt submitted.
Editor-in-chief of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jr., is unable to comprehend a recent revelation that suggests that the top hierarchy of the Ghana Police Service requests the services of Malams to accomplish challenging tasks.
During one of the public hearings by a Parliamentary Committee tasked with probing a leaked tape on plans to oust the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr George Dampare, one of the accused noted that it was suggested that mallams be engaged to aid the removal of the IGP from office.
During his appearance before the parliamentary committee investigating the matter on Monday, Superintendent George Asare suggested that Bugri Naabu recommended the use of Mallams (spiritual practitioners) to aid in the removal of the IGP.
He claimed that Bugri Naabu advocated for both physical and spiritual measures to have the current IGP removed, citing previous instances where he had facilitated individuals in obtaining spiritual assistance for securing high-ranking positions.
“It was Chief Bugri Naabu who invited me to his office. I wasn’t lobbying for anybody. Chief Bugri Naabu made an emphatic statement about this thing, I want to quote him verbatim, but it will be difficult. All that he was trying to say was that this thing, we have to fight it, both physically and spiritually. And then he gave examples of people that he helped them fight for the positions spiritually. It was a private conversation, I don’t want to make it public here.
“But the spiritual one, he went further to show us which places he can go. So it was on the premise of this that I made the statement that Alhaji, this one, you are the spiritual controller. Because you [Bugri Naabu] made us understand that I didn’t even know that, when you are fighting for a position, you have to fight it in two ways, both spiritually and physically.”
He stressed, “I said that as for Master [COP Alex Mensah] I don’t think he will buy into this idea of fighting this spiritually, because he’s a Christian. He [Bugri Naabu] mentioned some Imams, that can help pray for him. Some Imams can help him with prayers. Chief Bugri Naabu insisted that he has to also see some Mallams. He recommended about three, some in the North, and some from his village. It was Chief Bugri Naabu himself that came forth with that suggestion,” Supt. Asare insisted.
Reacting to this information during an interview with Kwame Sefa Kayi on Peace FM, Kwesi Pratt Junior noted the laws have been discarded when it comes to the steps to be taken for the removal of the IGP.
For him, it is unbelievable the spiritual warefare that must take place for an IGP to be removed.
“This tape has got chills over my spine. I am shocked. I ask myself, in Ghana, if we are going to remove the Inspector General of Police, are the things being mentioned part of the things that happen?
“Even now Mallams are part. Is it not true, Kwame? Mallams can even be added. Ei. God damn it. Unbelievable.
“We have thrown away what the law says we should do when we want to remove the IGP. If not all, some Police officers have thrown it away completely.
“My own friend, Bugri Naabu, is an integral part of the removal of the IGP, ei Ghana,” he said.
A seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jr., has advocated for a reevaluation of the autonomy of constitutional institutions within the nation.
Speaking during a public forum on Thursday, hosted by Arise Ghana, the Pan Africanist emphasized that constitutional bodies, including the Electoral Commission, Bank of Ghana, and National Commission for Civic Education, should operate in alignment with the desires of the Ghanaian populace.
For this reason, he noted that “their independence does not matter. Their independence does not give them powers above those that express in the sovereignty of Ghana.”
In everything we do, he continued, the will of the people matters, not the interests of some elites.
“We elect a government, the leader of that government then decides to appoint somebody to go to the BoG to serve the interest of the people of Ghana and all of a sudden, we are told that those who were elected and mandated by the people of Ghana cannot tell the Governor what to do? What nonsense is that?
“This absolute nonsense of the independence of the Bank of Ghana and his governor and so on must be thrown into the dustbin. It has no relevance to us,” he said angrily.
This statement coincides with the recent demand by the Minority for the resignation of Dr. Ernest Addison, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), along with his two deputies, due to issues of insolvency and mismanagement within the bank.
Mr. Pratt suggests that the current situation at the central bank is merely an outward sign of a more fundamental underlying issue.
“So much has been said about the conditions in which all of us as Ghanaians find ourselves today and the conditions are dire. If we fail to do something now – today, this time all of us are going down so we need to see this as an emergency,” he said.
“The statistics have been thrown at us, we know that today, we need 128% of total national revenue to repay debt, to pay interest on debt and pay public sector workers. What else paints the picture of the situation in which we find ourselves today? We are in debt – broke. When we repay debt, service debt and pay public sector workers, we cannot buy a bottle of water – that is the state of the Ghanaian economy,” he posited.
The forum was on the theme; “The collapse of Bank of Ghana; a classical case of reckless leadership.”
Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, on August 9, 2023 celeberated his 70th birthday in a plush ceremony.
It was a bash, held in Accra at the Sky Bar where family and friends organized themselves to honor the veteran journalist.
Photos and videos displayed on social media shows the presence of affluent politicians from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Others were also recognized to be members of his own Convention People’s Party (CPP) and other minor parties were also present.
Also in attendance were, Chief of staff for the NPP, Akosua Frema Opare, represented the government, and the national chairman of the NDC, Asiedu-Nketiah, represented the party.
Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, a vice presidential candidate for the NDC, as well as Tsatsu Tsikata, investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, and TV anchor Kweku Sintim Misa were there.
Nyaho Nyaho Tamaklo, the father of the NPP, Kobina Ivor Greenstreet, a former CPP flagbearer, and Osei-Kwame Despite, CEO of Despite Media, are also among those detained.
A profound moment of transformation unfolded as the Mali government, with unwavering determination, made history by officially removing French from its list of official state languages.
For generations, French has been the language of administration, education, and official discourse in Mali, serving as a stark reminder of the colonial era when the country was under French rule.
This monumental shift has not gone unnoticed by pan-Africanists and scholars across the continent. Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, who is a respected Ghanaian pan-Africanist and influential voice in the media landscape, has turned his attention to the development.
As Mali takes a bold step in removing French from its list of official state languages, Pratt has raised pertinent questions, challenging Africa’s readiness to embrace this transformative linguistic shift.
“The Mali government has officially removed French from its list of official state languages, signaling a move away from the country’s colonial past. Is a wind of change blowing on the African continent, and are we prepared for the ramifications from the Western world?” he tweeted.
With its new constitution, Mali has dropped French, which has been the country’s official language since 1960.
According to reports, under the new constitution passed overwhelmingly with 96.91% of the vote in a June 18 referendum, French is no longer the official language. Although French will be the working language, 13 other national languages spoken in the country will receive official language status.
Mali has about 70 other local languages spoken in the country and some of them, including Bambara, Bobo, Dogon, and Minianka, were granted national language status under a 1982 decree.
Recall that Mali’s junta leader Col. Assimi Goita put the country’s new constitution into effect, marking the beginning of the Fourth Republic in the West African nation.
According to the Presidency, Mali’s military since taking power in an August 2020 coup, has maintained that the constitution would be critical to rebuilding the country.
Mali witnessed two subsequent coups in recent years, one in August 2020 and the other in May 2021.
The junta had initially promised to hold elections in February 2022 but later delayed them to February 2024.
The decision by Mali to drop French comes at a time of growing anti-French sentiment across West Africa due to its perceived military and political interference.
Managing Editor of Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has responded to the leaked audio recording purportedly involving discussions among senior police officials regarding the potential removal of Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare.
During an appearance on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana on July 12, 2023, the renowned journalist shared his apprehension about the potential impact of the leaked audio on the nation.
Kwesi Pratt disclosed that upon careful listening and repeated examination of the tape, he was able to recognize certain voices, affirming that those voices belonged to individuals who are widely recognized in the public sphere.
“After listening to the tape about three times, I felt convinced that I could identify some of the voices in the tape and some of the people who spoke on tape are people that we all know. I would like to say that we need to authenticate this tape just to take out the doubt,” he said.
He expressed concern about the fact that ‘senior’ police officers are endorsing electoral rigging and linking it to political affiliation in appointments to high-ranking positions such as Inspector General of Police (IGP).
The renowned journalist said the Council of State should take an interest in the development and address it.
“The main point is that you have a commissioner of police who can think the way that the person on the tape is thinking and still be in the service is frightening. It means you can actually have police officers who believed that elections should be rigged and that have police officers who believe that the appointment to the high office of Inspector General ought to be dictated by political affiliation. The council of state should be worried about this development.,” he said.
According to him, the subject of the leaked tape goes beyond the IGP.
“This is way beyond Mr Dampare and if I were to advise, I would tell him not to make any pronunciation, not take any action but wait for his superior authority. This is terrible, horrible,” he said.
The Managing Editor, Kwesi Pratt further expressed shock and disbelief at the audacity of pronouncement from one of the persons on the tape who posed as a Commissioner of Police.
“We have heard horrible statements before but this one is really frightening. One of the persons who is supposed to be a commissioner of police actually said that as for him, he gives the impression that he is actually the most qualified person to become IGP. But since that, if he doesn’t get it, it doesn’t matter. His main interest is to make sure that an NPP loyalist takes that position so that they can break the eight, that is the statement,” he emphasized.
Kwesi Pratt further expressed shock that the yet-to-be-identified persons in the leaked take are still at post and going about their duties without being called out or interdicted.
“Senior police officer, what kind of country is this, and he is still at post, he has not been interdicted? “I mean it’s frightening; this man is still at post. Today, he can order policemen to go and do anything” he added.
Background
GhanaWeb intercepted a series of secret recordings exposing details of a plot by some top officials of the ruling New Patriotic Party and the Ghana Police Service to displace the current Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare from office ahead of the 2024 polls.
Apparently threatened by his leadership style and alleged affiliation with the opposition National Democratic Congress, the group who were recorded in a secret meeting concluded that the NPP’s “Breaking the 8” agenda will be impossible with Dampare at the helm of the police.
“Alhaji, my only problem… this current IGP if we do a mistake and take him to the elections, it will not help us. It will not help us at all and I will not mind if the position is not given to me but that man is changed; because he will not help us, he will not help us at all… he won’t help the party at all.
“I know there are others who are also good for this position, if I don’t get and this man is changed and those people that we think they are our men get I (it is ok)t… Because we need to break this 8. That is important, we need to break the 8… Because I wouldn’t want doctor to become the flagbearer and then we lose the elections… ” one of the senior officers told the senior NPP members who is believed to be a former regional chairman of the party and now a traditional ruler.
The senior police officer who seemed interested in the IGP position but would not mind losing as far as a pro-NPP IGP is installed, went on to admit that elections sometimes require machinations to win.
“This IGP is not correct, he won’t help us. Alhaji you have done politics, you know elections is not… sometimes elections mafia work is inside,” he stated to which the party guru concurred saying “not just sometimes, mafia work is inside. As for elections mafia work is involved.”
Citing the recent by-election in Assin North, the senior officer complained bitterly about Dr Dampare’s security arrangement noting how it went against the NPP.
He alleged that Dr Dampare is an NDC person who was given promotions during NDC governments and served as aide-de-camp to late President John Evans Atta Mills.
“Alhaji whatever we need to do to get somebody else to supervise these elections (2024) we need to do. Because as we speak, this IGP is not fine with the military, he is fighting with the army. You find out, if any army officer is your friend, you call him and ask him that how do you see this IGP. He has been arresting military cars; commanders’ cars,” he said.
He further revealed that Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who is a flagbearer hopeful of the NPP was not in favour of Dr Dampare becoming the IGP and that the two have a frosty relationship.
“If you find out yourself, he is not in good terms with Dr Bawumia… find out if you are close to Dr Bawumia because he knows that Dr Bawumia did not recommend him as IGP… Dr Bawumia knows that if we take him to elections we’ll have difficulties,” he stated.
The senior party member expressed concern about how the matter has not been brought to the attention of leading members of the party and the government but was informed by the senior officer that such attempts have proved futile.
He further revealed that Dr Dampare enjoys the support of some close relatives of the president including his executive secretary Nana Asante Bediatuo and Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko.
The party official who was surprised by the information noted that having a fovourable security service has a major role to play in winning the elections stating that “without them we can’t do anything.”
GhanaWeb’s sources in the security sector reveal that the tape secret recordings which include videos some of which border on grave national security issues have been brought to the attention of the powers that be.
“There are even video recordings but due to national security issues they are being withheld,” the source disclosed.
Other portions of the recording include plans by the cabal to push their agenda through various fronts including spiritual means.
The former NPP party chairman at a point received a call which he informed his guests was from the president.
The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jr, has contrary opinions about the victory of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the just by-election that took place in Kumawu.
NPP’s Ernest Yaw Anim, emerged winner in the Kumawu by-election with 15,264 representing 70.91% of the valid votes, whereas the NDC candidate polled 3,723 representing 17.29%.
The independent, Kwaku Duah, an independent candidate secured 2,478 representing 11.51%, while the next Kwaku Duah who also stood as an independent candidate managed some 62 votes representing 0.29%.
According to Kwesi Pratt, the percentage clocked by the NPP cannot be described as a landslide victory after it lost up to about 10,000 votes in this by-election compared to the total votes in the 2020 election.
“Today, I was looking at the headlines and they are all talking about the landslide victory, I don’t see any landslide victory in this election. What is landslide about this election? If you do the analysis, clearly, more than 10, 000 people who voted in the last election did not vote in this election and NPP lost substantially,” he said.
He further explained that the third independent candidate on the ballot paper, Kwaku Duah, was a force that contributed to the loss of the NPP.
“In fact, all those who did not vote in this election if you look at the numbers, normally would have been counted as NPP voters. If you do the analysis of the last elections, you will realize that the independent candidate was getting his votes from NPP supporters and the guy who won was also getting his votes from the NPP supporters.
Then we will realize that more than 10,000 votes have been lost. What is interesting is that the NDC gained a little over 1000 votes so if you are trend analysis, that should inform you about the performance of the NPP in this election,” he added.
Kwesi Pratt Jr was speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana.
The managing editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jr., has called out the government for comments that suggest the IMF deal, when started, is going to reduce the high cost of living currently in the country.
He said the government is only interested in making all kinds of promises that have a temporary impact on the current economic challenges in the country.
Kwesi Pratt was speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana and was monitored by GhanaWeb.
According to him, the coming in of the IMF deal will only manage the economic challenge for a few weeks, then revert to what it was before.
“For example, we are being told that if we cringe this IMF deal that is being suggested in May, the high cost of living is likely to come down. How is that possible…the price of kenkey will come down, the price of fish will come down?… How is this IMF deal going to change that situation? So false hopes all the time?” he asked.
“The false hopes will give you respite for a few weeks then you come to face the reality. The reality is gravy,” he added.
Kwesi Pratt added that lots of activities on the global scene are affecting the cost of living here in the country, and it requires that the government focus its attention instead of raining all kinds of promises on Ghanaians.
“If you are looking at the value of currencies and so on, now the most important thing that is happening in the global scene is the de-dollarisation program which is being pursued vigorously by Russia, China, Brazil, the BRICS… Saudi Arabia is also now pursuing a de-dollarisation programme. What will be the impact of this de-dollarisation programme on our currency, who has done any analysis,” he said.
He bemoaned the government’s haste in announcing currency stability when it has done little to merit that credit.
“A few days after Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) have substantially cut production, government is telling us to expect petroleum prices to dip. Why is that coming from?” he questioned.
Pratt asserts that no civilized country in the world engages in such appointments since they compromise the EC’s neutrality and the democratic nature of the country.
He added that the role of the electoral commission is to oversee the conduct of free and fair elections, and it is crucial for the commission to remain impartial and independent of any political affiliations.
Speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme on April 12, 2023, he lamented: “From a low of 49%, we have now arrived at 10% public confidence in the EC.
“We should be worried…from 49% to 10% public confidence in the EC and this 10% public confidence in the EC was recorded before the appointment of Appiahene and co…everybody who is honest and sincere will have a problem with this appointment.
“…I am frightened, I’m really frightened. At a time when public confidence in the EC has dropped to 10%, this is the appointment we have made.
“This guy (Dr. Peter Appiahene) I don’t see how in any civilized country which is trying to practice democracy in any part of the world, a man like this will be appointed to the electoral commission, I don’t see how.
“But this one, we have gone a step further, …a card-bearing professor, swearing in as a member of the electoral commission. So, it gives more meaning to the threats of not handing over under any circumstance.
“Just imagine that Koku Anyidohu was appointed under former president Mills as an electoral commission member, or just imagine that under John Mahama, Allotey Jacobs was appointed unto the EC, just imagine. What do you think would have happened? How can we do this?” he lamented.
Kwesi Pratt added that the appointment of Dr. Peter Appiahene to the commission can lead to conflicts of interest and compromise the integrity of the electoral process.
He further argued that such appointments are a clear violation of democratic principles and can damage the credibility of the election results.
“If there is an election dispute and this gentleman is sitting on the electoral commission, how are we going to resolve it?
“So, when you listen to this gentleman who has just been appointed unto the electoral commission and you get a leading Member of the government, in fact, a cabinet minister says that we would never hand over power to the NDC, what conclusion comes to mind after listening to this gentleman?”
The veteran journalist’s remarks come amidst growing concerns over the appointment of a pro-NPP member, Dr. Peter Appiahene to the electoral commission.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo recently swore in three new members of the Electoral Commission (EC).
The three are Dr. Peter Appiahene, Madam Salima Ahmed Tijani, and Reverend Akua Ofori Boateng.
They took office at a short Jubilee House ceremony on Monday, March 20, 2023.
The appointments have, however, seen some criticisms by some factions in the public with members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) accusing President Akufo-Addo of packing the commission with members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has condemned the Military High Command sanctioning Tuesday’s operation at Ashaiman following the killing of a soldier, 22-year-old Imoro Sherrif.
Mr Pratt in an interview described the move by the military men as ‘senseless.’
The young recruit’s body was found in a pool of blood in the Ashaiman community on Tuesday.
His death caused the Military to invade the community, beating the residents mercilessly and capturing over 100 of them to their base.
Reacting to the military action, Kwesi Pratt emphasized that it was not their duty to storm the community and that their operation was absolutely needless.
To him, such operations shouldn’t be encouraged stating it doesn’t augur well for the nation.
“If we are to go by this principle that because a soldier has been killed and we find his corpse somewhere, soldiers have the right to go there and do what these soldiers went to do and so we extend this principle, can we live in Ghana? We can’t live here. What if we also find a doctor dead somewhere, does it mean doctors also have a right to load their syringes with poison and poison patients? Does it make sense?”, he snapped.
“In fact, the whole operation shouldn’t have taken place. They should have used proper investigative institutions and systems to investigate the matter,” he asserted.
To those arguing in favour of the Military exerting what they term as “minimum force” on the residents, Mr. Pratt asked; “Where from the minimum force? What’s the need for this minimum force when the person has surrendered, when the person is lying on the ground, when the person is not resisting?”
“Minimum force is applied when the person is resisting,” he stressed.
Veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has raised concerns over Akufo-Addo’s comments suggesting that prayers and divine intervention are the solutions to the challenges the country is currently facing.
According to him, the president; Akufo-Addo, has no business being at the Flagstaff house if that is the case because it will be better for those who speak to God regularly to occupy Flagstaff house.
He further stated that he is shocked the comment is coming from Akufo-Addo as he has never known the president to be one who exhibits such traits.
Speaking on Good Morning Ghana, he said;
“…I have never known him like this, there is a new Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, brand new Akufo-Addo. I never for one moment thought a day will come when Akufo-Addo will say publicly that all we need to do is to pray for out problems to go away and that the solutions to national problems like debt overhands and so on is divine interventions. I’m hearing a new Akufo-Addo.”
He said if prayer is the solution, then Akufo-Addo should vacate his for well known men of God like Archbishop Duncan William, Mensah Otabil and others to take over the Flagstaff House.
”The change in him is so dramatic and so phenomenal that it makes me worry. Let’s accept this is his current position, if this is his current position what is he doing in the Flagstaff House, if the solution to the national problem is divine intervention, then he is not qualified to be there. Because, when it comes to divine intervention, I don’t think he has the gravities of archbishop Palmer, I don’t think he has the credentials of Duncan William or Mensah Otabil, he should vacate the Flagstaff House for those who are in telephone with God every day,” he said in the show.
The managing editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has bemoaned the instance of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta staying at post despite the many calls for him to step down.
Speaking in an interview on Peace FM, monitored by GhanaWeb, Pratt wondered why the minister who claimed he resigned from the DataBank on health grounds is healthy enough to be a minister of state.
He added that Ofori-Atta should resign because the position in the finance ministry is not his personal business.
“If I were Ofori-Atta, I would have resigned long ago. He said he works for free but he is refusing to resign. He said he resigned from Data Bank because of his health.
“And so if you cannot do the work at Data Bank because of your health, how is it that you are healthy enough to be the finance minister of the whole of Ghana,” he said in Twi.
The veteran journalist further stated that he still holds the view that sacking Ofori-Atta will not make any significate difference but it is time for him (the finance minister) to go.
“The minister can choose not to resign but he must know that his decision must meet the demands of Ghanaians because he is not running a private business,” he said.
Meanwhile, the government has indicated that it will present the 2023 budget in Parliament on Thursday, November 24, 2024. However, the person who presents the budget has become an issue.
This is because 98 MPs of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have indicated that they will boycott the reading of the budget if Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is the one to present it.
Also, an ad hoc committee of Parliament set up to investigate a vote of censure motion against Ofori-Atta by National Democratic Congress MPs is expected to present its report to the house on Tuesday, November 22.
The managing editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has bemoaned the instance of Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta staying at post despite the many calls for him to step down.
Speaking in an interview on Peace FM, monitored by GhanaWeb, Pratt wondered why the minister who claimed he resigned from the Data Bank on health grounds is healthy enough to be a minister of state.
He added that Ofori-Atta should resign because the position in the finance ministry is not his personal business.
“If I were Ofori-Atta, I would have resigned long ago. He said he works for free but he is refusing to resign. He said he resigned from Data Bank because of his health.
“And so if you cannot do the work at Data Bank because of your health, how is it that you are healthy enough to be the finance minister of the whole of Ghana,” he said in Twi.
The veteran journalist further stated that he still holds the view that sacking Ofori-Atta will not make any significate difference but it is time for him (the finance minister) to go.
“The minister can choose not to resign but he must know that his decision must meet the demands of Ghanaians because he is not running a private business,” he said.
Meanwhile, the government has indicated that it will present the 2023 budget in Parliament on Thursday, November 24, 2024. However, the person who presents the budget has become an issue.
This is because 98 MPs of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have indicated that they will boycott the reading of the budget if Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is the one to present it.
Also, an ad hoc committee of Parliament set up to investigate a vote of censure motion against Ofori-Atta by National Democratic Congress MPs is expected to present its report to the house on Tuesday, November 22.
Kwesi Pratt Jnr, managing editor of the Insight Newspaper, has expressed concern about the composition of the ad hoc committee set up by Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin to investigate a censure motion against Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
Kwesi Pratt questioned the consideration that went into the selection of the committee members during a Good Morning Ghana panel discussion on November 16.
He also stated that the committee members have been engaging in unnecessary confrontations, which is sending the wrong message to the general public.
“…if you look at the members of the ad hoc committee… I’m sitting back as a citizen, and I’m just wondering what went into the selection of these persons as members of the ad hoc committee. And I can’t make up my mind. What went into the selection?
“What consideration went into the selection of KT Hammondas co-chairman of this committee… Normally, if you look at such committees as laypersons, you will be able to tell what went into the selection of certain people based on their background, their practices, and so on.
“Now I am totally confused. There is the other co-chairperson, and I am also asking why. A considerable amount of time on the committee is being spent on needless contestations. Why that is happening, I don’t know. All of us who are watching this drama play out have to be exceedingly careful about the signals we send out there into the public domain,” he said.
The 8-member ad hoc committee started work on Monday, November 14, and it is expected to make a determination on the removal of Ofori-Atta within 7 days.
The committee is co-chaired by Members of Parliament (MP) for Adansi Asokwa, Kobina Tahir Hammond, and Bolgatanga, Dominic Ayine.
The members of the committee from the minority caucus include the MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa; the MP for Korle Klottey, Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings; and the MP for Akatsi South, Bernard Ahiafor.
The other members from the majority caucus are MP for Okaikwei Central, Patrick Yaw Boamah; MP for Asante-Akim Central, Michael Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi; and MP for Sekondi, Andrew Kofi Agyapa Mercer.
It may be recalled that over 80 MPs on Tuesday, October 25, held a press conference to demand that Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu Boahen be sacked from their respective roles. This led to a meeting with President Akufo-Addo where he requested that the Finance Minister be allowed to conclude IMF talks and present the 2023 budget statement.
“Even though the issue started with a group of 80-plus, the caucus meeting aligned with the decision of that group. So it is no longer the cause of the 80-plus group. It is the agenda for the entire caucus,” Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said to journalists in Parliament.
Meanwhile, reports rife indicate that the NPP MPs have changed their minds about allowing the Finance Minister to present the budget statement. They want a different person to do it; insisting Ghanaians have lost confidence in him.
Vote of censure
Meanwhile, the Minority has moved the motion on a vote of censure against the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta.
The Minority in its motion cited the overall mismanagement of the economy, and incompetence, among others.
Why the Change?
Kwesi Pratt Jnr speaking in a panel discussion on Peace FM’s morning show ‘Kokrokoo’ wondered why the once acclaimed competent Finance Minister is now being ‘battered’
“These same MPs said the economic hardship is due to Russia/Ukraine war and covid. You praised him (Ofori Atta) for his competence so what has changed, to the extent that you’re now demanding for his head? We need answers. Apart from that, the Minority prior to Ofori Atta’s nomination said all sorts of things against him but in the end, they approved him excellently. So we need an explanation on why they’re now moving a motion of censure against him. If they knew they were going to level the same accusations against him, they shouldn’t have approved him in the first place…what kind of Kwaku ananse story is this? If they don’t take care, a time will come they will not be taken seriously,” he stated.
Veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr has said that he is very scared about what the current hardships in the country might lead to.
According to him, the government is failing to prove that our democracy is working to improve the livelihood of Ghanaians.
Pratt Junior, who made these remarks in a Good Morning Ghana interview monitored by GhanaWeb, intimated that the prevailing economic conditions are similar to reasons for coups he had witnessed.
“I am very, very frightened. The economic hardship is one thing; everybody is complaining about the hardship. People go to the market (and) prices are escalating; everywhere you go, you are hit with this (hardship), you can’t tell what is going to happen tomorrow and so on. That anxiety is there.
“But beyond that anxiety, I am very, very deeply frightened about the possible consequences of this development… I’m a little old; I saw 1972, I saw the palace coups in the Acheampong era, I saw 1979, I saw 1981. I saw them; I experienced them. And there are important lessons that hit me in the face,” he said.
The veteran journalistadded that the government must prove that it is working to resolve the challenges Ghanaians are facing to avert the possibility of any upheaval.
“…our focus ought to be, first and foremost, alleviating hardship. That should be an important part of our focus on alleviating hardships. Our next focus beyond alleviating hardship ought to be creating an atmosphere in which everybody feels that they have a contribution to make, they are making that contribution and that the contribution is valued. We need to do that.
“The third thing to do is simply to send out a signal that the current democratic order is capable of delivering when it comes to the needs and aspirations of our people. Because this democratic order is useless and meaningless if it does not deliver the needs and aspirations of our people. And we need to do that as quickly as possible,” he noted.
He added that, currently, he does not see these objectives being pursued by the government, “and that is where the danger is”.
Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has revived the calls for the dismissal of Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
Over 90 members of the Majority Caucus in Parliament have reportedly signed a petition to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to remove his Finance Minister and the Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen.
The Members of Parliament threatened to boycott the presentation of the 2023 Budget and all government business which willl be laid before the Legislative House if the President refuses to sack the two appointees.
Nonetheless, Mr. Ofori-Atta remains at post as the President, in an emergency meeting with aggrieved MPs, asked them to allow the Finance Minister to conclude the IMF deal.
Contributing to Peace FM’s morning show “Kokrokoo”, Kwesi Pratt called on the Finance Minister to do the needful.
“I wish Ken Ofori-Atta had resigned . . . I wish he wouldn’t wait for the President to tell him to leave before he does,” he emphasized.
The Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has taken a swipe at members of the majority caucus of Parliament after more than two-thirds of them reportedly demanded that President Akufo-Addo sacks his finance minister over the hardship in the country.
According to him, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament (MPs) have time and again argued that the current hardship Ghanaians are facing is a result of external factors, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic and not poor economic management.
He, therefore, questioned why the NPP MPs are now calling for the sack of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, whom they have continuously exonerated from being the cause of the hardship in the country.
“We have a situation where now; the so-called majority caucus has come to the realisation that… the economy is not doing well. That the economy is not doing well, at least partly as a result of the incompetence of the managers of the economy.
“Now pitch that against the singsong all this time that the real cause of the problem is the Russia-Ukraine war. I sitting here, and I am wondering how Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu-Boahen are responsible for the Russia-Ukraine war.
“If the Russia-Ukraine war is the main reason that we are here, why call for the removal of Ken Ofori-Atta and Charles Adu-Boahen, who have nothing to do with the Russia-Ukraine war,” he said.
According to the MP for Team West, Carlos Ahenkrorah, the NPP MPs came to the decision to demand Ofori-Atta’s sack after feedback from their constituents during their recess disclosed that most Ghanaians were unhappy with the government because the finance minister was still at post.
He said that most of the majority caucus MPs spoke about how their constituents were suffering due to the economic challenges in the country.
Speaking in a Neat FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Ahenkrorah intimated that they had to inform the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the difficulties of their constituents so that it does not affect the NPP’s fortunes in the future.
“There is a lot of pressure on us. If you go to your constituency office and you listen to the concerns of your constituents, it is very disheartening. Just yesterday, three women visited my office, and they were crying while narrating how they had lost their businesses because the price of a gallon of oil they used to purchase for GH¢60[600] is now selling for GH¢1000,” he said in Twi.
His statement followed the IMF’s affirmation that Ghana’s economy is doing well.
“I find it surprising when there is a lot of discussion about the IMF because their track record demonstrates that they are unreliable and dishonest.
During a panel discussion on the Peace FM morning show “Kokrokoo” in 2019, he said, “They didn’t speak the truth to President Kufuor and they didn’t speak the truth to former President Rawlings; they have never spoken the truth and whenever they praise you, you should be careful because it might be diabolical.
He is of the view that the financial organization is ‘untruthful and unreliable”.
His comment comes on the back of a commendation from the IMF that Ghana’s economy is in good shape.
According to Kwesi Pratt whenever the IMF praises you, you must take it with a pinch of salt.
“I get amazed when there is a whole lot of debate on IMF because there’s a history that shows they are not reliable and untruthful. They didn’t speak the truth to President Kufuor and they didn’t speak the truth to former President Rawlings; they have never spoken the truth and whenever they praise you, you should be careful because it might be diabolical” he said while contributing to a panel discussion on Peace FM morning show ‘Kokrokoo’.
He went on further to give examples and instances to back his claim.
Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., has expressed disgust over the way the government andpoliticians are treating the Chinese galamsey queen, Aisha Huang‘s case.
Aisha Huang was arrested in Kumasi for engaging in illegal mining activities, although she was repatriated to China in 2018.
The galamsey queen re-entered Ghana slyly and continued her activities until her recent arrest.
She has since been arraigned before court and refused bail.
However, the Aisha Huang story has dominated discussions on illegal mining in the country.
But to Kwesi Pratt, Aisha Huang is not the solution to the illegal mining menace in Ghana, “so, why have we reduced everything to Aisha Huang?”
Making his submissions on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” programme, he further questioned; “Will imprisoning Aisha Huang end galamsey?”
“The problem is not Aisha Huang . . . I can’t understand it. Now, wherever you go, it’s Aisha Huang. When you buy newspaper, it’s Aisha Huang. On radio and television is Aisha Huang. It’s like Aisha Huang is the problem. She has now become shortcode for galamsey . . . Before Aisha Huang was born, we knew the problem in the gold industry,” he added.
He charged the government to stay focused on the fight against the menace and stop making the galamsey queen appear like her arrest is the end to galamsey.
Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has reiterated his position on Ghana seeking financial help from the International Monetary Fund(IMF).
Ghana seeks IMF bailout of US$3 billion to help the country navigate through her economic crisis resulting from the adverse effects of the deadly coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Monday, 5th September 2022, met with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The IMF boss expressed the institution’s determination to work with government and the Ministry of Finance and ensure an agreement before the end of the year.
“We have started very constructive discussions already and to the people of Ghana, like everybody on this planet, you have been hurt by exogenous shocks.â€
“We have to support Ghana because your strength contributes to the strength of your neighbours; it contributes to a stronger world,†Kristalina Georgieva pledged.
But Mr. Pratt maintains his position that IMF deal is not, has not and will never be a good deal for the country in terms of development and progress.
He replied; “The President said that our proposal to the Kwesi PrattIMF is ready. As at that time, it had not been submitted. As at the time of the closed-door meeting, that proposal has not been submitted . . . So, what is basis for the IMF Managing Director’s statement that the deal will be finalized by December?”
He further alluded to the stringent conditions that accompany the IMF help to the country which do not benefit the citizenry.
“We have gone to the IMF for seventeen (17) times and it didn’t help us. What’s the assurance that going for the 18th time will help us?”, he questioned.
He made these submissions on Friday’s edition of “Kokrokoo” on Peace FM.
Seasoned Journalist,Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has empathized with teachers on strike for an increase in their Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).
Four teacher unions commenced a strike action on Monday, July 4 and presently remain on strike demanding a 20 percent increase in their allowances to better their living conditions.
Meanwhile, the government is said to hold talks with them today to reach an amicable end.
Speaking to host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM’s morning programme “Kokrokoo”, Mr. Pratt bemoaned the treatment meted out to the teachers as he expressed disgust over how much they earn for their services.
Narrating a story about a friend of his who is a University lecturer, Mr. Pratt called on the Akufo-Addo government to streamline the incentive structure for public sector workers with particular emphasis on teachers.
“A friend of mine who lectures at the University showed me his pay slip and I shockingly asked is this the reason why he went to school to do a first degree and did a second degree to the extent of acquiring a PHD? In fact, if you hadn’t even gone to school, you would still make this money. Even a wayside mechanic makes more than the salary you are receiving (as a lecturer)…So, the whole incentive system needs to be restructured” he said.
Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt says corruption is not the cause of Ghana’s problems.
As the nation returns to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) despite calls on the President not to consider such move, especially when he promised Ghanaians he wouldn’t take that route, government officials and members of the governing New Patriotic Party(NPP) have begun to build a defence for this decision.
According to Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Akufo-Addo government is going to the IMF for a “balance of payment” support, therefore shot down arguments that the President and the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) should apologize for deceiving Ghanaians as they berated the previous Mahama government for doing same.
The Minister argued that the former President John Mahama and his government went to the IMF because they had messed up the economy, but President Nana Akufo-Addo is going for a bailout due to external factors; referring to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine/Russia war among others.
” . . when the country was handed over to former President Mahama, there was no external global crisis. It was his own domestic management but at the end, he said to us that they have chewed the meat to the bone, so they are going to the Fund for bailout.
“This is his words, not mine. What tended up happening is that when they went for the bailout and we came into power, from 2017 to 2019, we saw how the Ghanaian economy performed.
“Today, our economic state has called for us to also go for bailout but it’s a different scenario. It’s not our internal domestic management that is the cause but the external issues and external pressures that have necessitated our decision to go for this facility,” he said in an interview on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” Monday morning.
Contributing to the Tuesday edition of ‘Kokrokoo’ programme, Kwesi Pratt spoke against the IMF bailout saying the government should spare Ghanaians the stories about external factors affecting Ghana so bad that the government must resort to the IMF.
“Did the external factors jump over Togo, Burkina Faso and La Cote D’Ivoire to affect Ghana alone? . . . How is that possible?”, he queried.
He also opposed the notion in the minds of Ghanaians that the country’s progress is crawling because of corruption.
To him, he doesn’t believe “corruption is the cause of what we are facing today”.
He stressed; “Corruption is a problem, no doubt but it is not the main cause of the problems we are facing today”.
Mr. Pratt stated emphatically that “the problems we are facing today are a structural economic problems; fundamental structural economic problems”.
Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has condemned the use of invectives on the airwaves by some media practitioners and people who appear on radio and TV shows.
Kwesi Pratt wondered how a person could go on the radio or Television and denigrate others or peddle falsehood with sheer alacrity.
He was commenting on the arrests of Accra FM’s Presenter, Kwabena Bobie Ansah.
Mr. Bobie Ansah has been charged with offensive conduct over his allegations that the First and Second Ladies, Rebecca Akufo-Addo and Samira Bawumia have stolen State lands.
The Police also arrested some persons who took to social media and traditional media to vent their spleen.
The leader of the #FixTheCountry demo, Oliver Barker-Vormawor, was arrested and is charged with treason felony following his comments on social media about wanting to plot a coup.
NPP Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe, popularly called ‘Abronye DC’, was also not spared as the Police apprehended him over his claims that former President John Mahama is involved in a coup plot.
He has been charged him with two counts of publication of false news and offensive conduct conducive to the breach of peace.
Speaking on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, Kwesi Pratt seemingly blamed the media for the abusive language on the airwaves.
He vehemently rebuked the persons who have resorted to insults when addressing issues in the media.
” . . When I listen to discussions on radio, it looks like I should cry . . . sometimes, they even talk about how someone sleeps women. I become very sad when I listen; a lot of things we say on the radio and TV most are not true,” he told Kwami Sefa Kayi.
Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has called on the government to put all mining activities in Ghana on hold for half a year.
A joint team of Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Navy and the Ghana Air Force have commenced an operation dubbed ‘Operation Halt’ aimed at ending galamsey.
Their operation has been sanctioned by the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor and Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul.
This follows the president’s directive to the soldiers to remove all persons and machinery involved in illegal mining.
To deter the illegal miners, their excavators are seized and burnt by the joint military team.
Addressing the galamsey menace and the government’s approach to end it, Kwesi Pratt advised the government to stop all mining operations, whether large-scale, small-scale or galamsey, for six months and restrategize to find ways of conducting gold mining appropriately.
According to him, this method will help to resolve the illegal mining menace.
“The gold mining should be halted. Whether small-scale or large-scale mining, let us stop it for about six (6) months and patiently put the right measures in place to ensure the gold mining is done in a way that won’t cause any destruction,” he told stand-in host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ programme, Tuesday.
Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt says Ghana’s power sector will be in debt of 24 billion dollars in 2024.
According to him, the indebtedness of the power sector is a major cause of the power cuts in the country.
He made this revelation during a panel discussion on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”.
Ghana Grid Company Limited, GRIDCo, announced to Ghanaians that some areas of the country, particularly in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions, will experience erratic power supply in the months ahead.
The energy provider says this is due to some maintenance works it is undertaking on some lines.
Kwesi Pratt expressed worry over the impact of the power outages on businesses.
”Those of us who you force to use generator to power our business, it increases our electricity cost sometimes by ten times. So, it is not the name that’s important to us.
”To call it dumsor or not, it’s insignificant to us. We need electricity for the nation’s development. If we want lights to work for the nation to develop, the CPP is not in power, GCPP is not in power, NDC isn’t in power; it’s the NPP that’s in power. It’s the NPP that has the authority to make a change,” he said.
He disclosed that, if the problem persists, the nation may have to brace itself for something worse futuristically.
He told host Nana Yaw Kesseh that he had an interview with the Chief Executive of the Africa Centre for Energy Policy, Benjamin Boakye who told him that the power cuts ”is about indebtedness. He told me that the debt at the power sector is overwhelming.
He said, if we’re not lucky, by 2024, the debt will reach 24 billion dollars. That’s part of the problem. That’s why we’re experiencing dumsor. He stated that clearly; that the level of indebtedness is part of the problem”.
Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has called on the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor and the general public to vehemently fight the menace of illegal mining in the country.
Kwesi Pratt bemoaned the activities of illegal miners stressing they have been destroying the water bodies and forest reserves as well as polluting the environment where their activities are based.
Making submissions on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”, Kwesi Pratt pointed out how illegal mining, otherwise called galamsey, is impacting the youth of today.
”The youth who are to go to school to become our engineers, doctors, good lawyers, Members of Parliament and so forth in the future, today have lost interest in going to school. What are they going to school for? Why would the person spend two, seven to eight or 10/12 years and complete to receive 300 cedis a month when he or she can earn much here (illegal mining)?”, he stated.
Mr. Pratt asked Ghanaians to have a collective aim in addressing and stamping out illegal mining.
”As we have all accepted this is not good, we should come together and device ways to fight against this menace to help develop the country”, he also stressed.
Seasoned Journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr has disclosed that he recently received death threats from someone who spoke “impeccable English’.
Some journalists prior to and after the December 7 polls have been receiving death threats and attacks from unknown persons.
Top on the list is Afia Pokua aka Vim Lady of Despite Media, morning show host of Accra-based Angel FM, Captain Smart, investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni and GTV journalist Abdul Hayi Moomen.
Describing the phenomenon as unfortunate, the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, narrated how he also received death threats from a 0508590799 number.
“I had a call last week from someone who spoke impeccable English and he said I looked like the devil’s incarnate and that people like me should be eliminated. “He said I looked like the devil and that people like me should not be alive ..what was my crime; I only expressed my mind. Even under Emperor Bokassa these things were not happening,” he fumed.
Kwesi Pratt who was contributing to a panel discussion on Panafrican TV’s Good Morning Africa added: “I’ve seen personalities sitting on television threatening to kill…these are frightening and the police have not invited them. The level of impunity is shocking; it doesn’t even happen in a banana republic”
Meanwhile, Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah has charged the police to deal with these threats.
“It is of critical importance that our security agencies get to the bottom of these complaints and use all the legitimate means at their disposal to unmask the identities of the culprits; whatever their motives; and arrest and prosecute them with speed,†he said in a tweet.
Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has said the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) shouldn’t think their Free SHS policy is their trump card into the December elections.
The NPP is upbeat about their Free Senior High School (SHS) policy giving them victory during the general elections on Monday, December 7.
The party believes, with the successful rollout of the policy, their candidate, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will be granted a second term in office.
But Mr. Pratt has asked the NPP not to bank their hopes on the free education policy.
He explained that free education is not the main incentive to influence the votes of Ghanaians in favour of a particular candidate.
Speaking on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, he chronicled events in the history of Ghana where political parties promised free education but it didn’t translate into votes.
To him, winning an election has got a lot to do with the choice of the electorate of a suitable candidate than it has to do with who introduced or implemented the free education programme.
“They are the first political party that didn’t only promise but also showed how they were going to raise the money. The Convention People’s Party also brought about this policy in the year 2000…but nobody voted for them. So, when you take a critical look at it, it doesn’t mean necessarily you will be voted for because the pioneers were not even voted for.”
“From the 1950s, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah introduced free compulsory basic education; enrollment in Secondary schools went up about nearly 1000 percent in the space of five years and so on but he was even overthrown,” he said.
Seasoned Journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has backed Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu’s resignation.
Mr. Martin Alamisi Burns Kaiser Amidu announced his resignation yesterday.
Reasons for Resignation
He forwarded his resignation letter to the President citing lack of operational independence as one of his reasons.
”The one condition upon which I accepted to be nominated as the Special Prosecutor when you invited me to your Office on 10th January 2018 was your firm promise to me that you will respect and ensure same by your Government for my independence and freedom of action as the Special Prosecutor,†he stated.
“I should not ordinarily be announcing my resignation to the public myself but the traumatic experience I went through from 20th October 2020 to 2nd November 2020 when I conveyed in a thirteen (13) page letter the conclusions and observations on the analysis of the risk of corruption and anti-corruption assessment on the Report On Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions and Other Matters Related Thereto to the President as Chairman of the National Security Council cautions against not bringing my resignation as the Special Prosecutor with immediate to the notice of the Ghanaian public and the world . . .
. . The events of 12th November 2020 removed the only protection I had from the threats and plans directed at me for undertaking the Agyapa Royalties Limited Transactions anti-corruption assessment report and dictates that I resign as the Special Prosecutor immediately. Fear is the enemy of change and I am prepared from the vacuum created on 12th November 2020 to meet the threats of my demise as the price to pay for serving my country without fear or favour affection or ill will. I acted professionally throughout in the discharge of my duties and my conscience is the anchor of my strength to face any consequences.”
He also revealed his appointment letter was given to him in February 2020 which means two years after his appointment by President Nana Akufo-Addo.
He further stated that he and his Deputy have not received their salaries since assuming office two years ago.
“It is essential for me to state for the purpose of the records, and contrary to public perceptions, that my appointment letter was received on 5th February 2020 (almost two (2)-years after my appointment). The copy addressees made no efforts to honour any of the conditions of appointment in terms of emoluments and benefits of the appointment ever since my warrant of appointment was issued on 23rd February 2018 to the date of my letter of resignation. I accepted the offer on 10th January 2018 to be nominated to be Special Prosecutor because Mr. President, and Ghanaians knew I have been an anti-corruption crusader all my life and not an anti-corruption entrepreneur.
”This explains why I have never put the emoluments and benefits of the Office as central to my commitment and my passion for the establishment of an independent, effective, efficient and impartial anti-corruption Office of the Special Prosecutor before the end of the first term of Mr. President. This has not been possible for several reasons. The Deputy Special Prosecutor has also not been paid any emoluments since her appointment, and there is the need to redress that situation for her now that I am out of the way,” he said.
Martin Amidu Had No Special Powers
Addressing the issue during a panel discussion on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”, Kwesi Pratt argued that the Special Prosecutor (SP) didn’t have the right to prosecute, believing it’s part of Mr. Martin Amidu’s frustrations.
He stressed that the power of prosecution is constitutionally vested in the Attorney General which places a limit on the job of the Special Prosecutor and so questioned the logic in setting up the SP’s office if he cannot prosecute people.
“The right to prosecute is still the preserve of the Attorney General . . . the constitution gives an unfettered right of prosecution only to the Attorney General . . . Article 88 of the constitution, what it states and how; the Special Prosecutor has no special powers beyond the powers of the Attorney General.”
To Kwesi Pratt, the establishment of the Special Prosecutor’s office was set up in haste.
“Why did we rush to set up the office of the Special Prosecutor especially as the Special Prosecutor doesn’t wield any special power over the Attorney General? Why the haste? Even when you look at the mode of appointment, it’s the same. So, why did we rush?” he questioned.
Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has called on the government and health authorities to pump fear into Ghanaians to minimize the impact of the second wave of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic.
Ghana’s COVID-19 active case count has risen to 1,519.
The country recorded confirmed cases of 50,018 with 48,179 have recoveries/discharge, according to the Ghana Health Service.
320 patients have unfortunately died of the disease.
As UK, France, Germany, Italy and others are experiencing a second wave of the pandemic disease, it is feared that Ghana’s situation might turn worse as well.
Commenting on the COVID-19 situation on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo”, Kwesi Pratt held that it is about time the authorities adopted a “fear” approach to change the behaviour of Ghanaians.
He was of the view that many Ghanaians have blatantly disregarded the COVID-19 protocols because they doubt the dangers of the disease, hence the need to cause fear and panic.
“Let us tell the truth and if people panic, they panic because it will help us . . . the disease is real and killing people, you say we should not cause fear and panic. We have to fear this disease and it will really help us,” he said.
He also advised Ghanaians to stop trivializing the COVID-19 safety protocols stressing until there’s a vaccine for the disease, the only remedy is behavioural change.
“The behavioural changes are that you will wear the nose masks, wash your hands with soap and use hand sanitizer, practice social distancing,” he said.
Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt has asked for new laws to be enacted to ensure impartiality in the appointment of Heads and officers of the Police Service.
Kwesi Pratt has consistently bemoaned the political interference in the security services.
His concern has to do with the fact that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and other members of the management of the Police force are appointed by the government, the hierarchy keeps reshuffling personnel every time there is a change of government.
Kwesi Pratt is of a strong view that the government appointment in the Police Service breeds security biases and therefore called for the laws governing the security sector to be reviewed.
”As we move forward, there is the need to reconsider the laws and enact laws to ensure the appointment of Heads of the security services won’t create the impression of bias. As we go forward, we must adopt measures that won’t create the impression of bias in the recruitment of personnel into the security services and so on”, he insisted.
He spoke to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM’s ”Kokrokoo”.
As the general election is nearing, Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has cautioned Ghanaians to desist from the act of selling their votes to presidential and parliamentary candidates.
According to him, those who engage in such acts are selling their future in exchange for money.
Speaking on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo show, he said: “Some people would ask to be given something to campaign or cast their ballot for a particular candidate. If you do this, remember you’re selling your future.”
“How many days can selling your future for GHC 50 or 1 million buy for you?” he quizzed.
Mr Pratt therefore advised Ghanaians to listen to their (candidates) messages carefully and vote based on that judgement.
On December 7, 2020, Ghanaians will go to the polls to elect a President and Members of Parliament who will lead the country for the next 4 years.
Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has slammed President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government over their response to the Western Togoland secession brouhana.
Some residents in the Volta Region have engaged in violent attacks days ago to demand freedom from Ghana.
Popularly called the Western Togoland Secessionists, the group has attacked the State Transport Corporation (STC) and some Police stations in the Region.
They set some buses belonging to the STC ablaze, calling on the government to grant them independence to become a country.
Recently responding to the group, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in an interview on Hello FM during his tour in the Ashanti Region, stressed that he has left the issue in the capable hands of the appropriate security personnel.
“I have to be calm because institutions are in place. The security agencies are doing their work. They’ve started already and we’ll see results. If I panic, the country panics. It’s like the COVID-19 disease, if I had panicked, fear would have gripped all of us. But I know the work that God has appointed me to do, if I panic, the entire nation will also panic. That is not the purpose of leadership. I’m supposed to assure people that our country will work. What is happening in the Volta Region in the time of these handful – it’s just a handful of people, these secessionists – we’ll deal with it. I have no doubts about it,” he said.
“I trust the security agencies. I trust the Armed Forces. I trust the Police. I trust their leadership. The intelligence agencies, I know they are all working very, very, very hard to make sure that this matter is dealt with as quickly as possible”, the president added.
But Kwesi Pratt Jnr is of a strong opinion that the government is not treating the issue with the required seriousness.
“I’ve seen the Police situation report. Twenty-four (24) hours before the incident, the Police report indicated that these things were going to happen. According to the report we have, the attacks took place around 1:30 am. The security agencies got on the ground at 12 noon. What is happening?
“Take a look at the number of Ministers responsible for security; we can count about four or five (5). When you add the Defence Minister, it’s about five and all this can still go on. What are you telling us? Do you think we’re children or what? All this happening with all this security architecture, why?” he questioned.
He revealed that the government knew about the plans of the secessionist group beforehand but stood aloof for it to happen.
“Government knows; the security knows who they are, where they are. What is happening? Somebody must be telling us something sensible.”
He also wondered why the President has not taken drastic actions against the group.
“One of the duties of the President is that he signs death warrant…You have a huge responsibility when we hand over the reins of the country to you…Is everything we do in government good? Is espionage a good thing? Is war a good thing? Governments declare war; people die and so on. The litmus test is whether or not the actions being taken by the government are in the national interest or they’re not in the national interest”, he said on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’.
Some armed men believed to be members of the Western Togoland secession group on Friday, September 25 attacked the Aveyime and Mepe Police Stations in the North Tongu District of the Volta Region.
The group is said to have attacked the Police stations as a warning signal because they have been yearning to become a sovereign nation but all their attempts have been foiled.
The armed men blocked some major roads amidst claims that parts of the Oti and Volta Regions are within their territory.
The group wants the Volta Region to be an autonomous country known as “Western Togoland”.
Commenting on the issue on Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo”, seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, condemned the protesters for carrying out such actions.
He registered his displeasure with the behaviour of the group saying “I don’t support this trans-Volta Togoland issue. It won’t help Ghana. It won’t help the residents and all of us. There is no sense in it; it’ll have dire consequences on Ghana.”
Mr. Pratt also called on all Ghanaians to unite and kick against the secessionist group, stressing “this is not something to be tolerated”.
Meanwhile, the Police have arrested about 20 persons associated with the attacks.
Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr, has called on the striking health workers in the country to resume work in order to save lives.
The Ghana Registered Nurses and Midwives Association (GRNMA) consisting of all public sector nurses, midwives, Physician Assistants (PAs), and Anesthetists (CRAs) have embarked on strike, therefore seeking better conditions of services from the Akufo-Addo government.
The nurses and midwives have refused to return to work until their grievances are resolved but Kwesi Pratt is pleading with them to consider the innocent Ghanaian who may become a casualty due to the strike.
“If His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo falls sick today and we have to take him for medical treatment for even a month, we will do it. If we have to charter an ambulance jet to fly him outside, we will take him. The people who will suffer are the poor people,” he said.
Making his submissions on ‘Kokrokoo’ on Peace FM, Mr Pratt empathized with the health workers in the country saying, “I admit that you’re being cheated and in fact, it’s not only you who feel cheated but a lot of Ghanaians as well…So, we are all cheated and should we all decided to take an action, we shouldn’t think about ourselves only but have a plan that will help ease all of us. My dear nurses, you have a good case. You have been cheated for too long but we plead with you to resume work so that the innocent pregnant woman won’t lose her life”.
Meanwhile, the National Labour Commission (NLC) has secured an interim injunction to restrain the nurses and midwives from the strike.
The Fair Wages and Salaries Commission (FWSC) has also asked them to back down on the strike and return to the negotiation table.
Ghana’s laws permit lactating female workers to take a maternity leave of three months, in other words, 12 weeks (84 days) with full salary.
The three months maternity leave has however become a bone of contention as some critics argue it’s too short a period for the lactating mothers while others are tossed between how many months or weeks that they want the mothers to embark on their leave.
One strong opponent to the three months leave is seasoned journalist Kwesi Pratt.
Kwesi Pratt Jnr, who is the Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper, is of a strong view that women should be allowed to go on a year maternity leave.
His reason is very simple and that is to say, it will give the mothers ample time to spend looking after their babies.
”In fact, the addition of one month is small. Any person who’s seen a six-week baby and the measures we have say that when your baby is six weeks old, leave the baby home and go to work; then you are wicked,” he maintained during a discussion with sit-in host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ programme on Friday, September 18.
Kwesi Pratt has also pledged to cast his ballot for any Presidential candidate who will promise a year maternity leave for female workers.
Although Kwesi Pratt’s allegiance lies with the Convention People’s Party (CPP), by virtue of his pledge, any political party whose manifesto captures his request will automatically have his vote.
It appears Kwesi Pratt has already found the party and Presidential aspirant he will be voting for in the December 7 polls.
The party is the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP).
The founder and Presidential candidate for the GFP, Akua Donkor has launched her manifesto and in the manifesto, one of the things on her heart is to extend maternity leave from three months to one year.
Juxtaposing the words of Mr Pratt and Akua Donkor’s promise, it may be right to say the veteran journalist will vote for Akua Donkor and her Ghana Freedom Party.
However, the EC has pegged its filing fee for Presidential candidates at Ghc 100,000 which means Akua Donkor’s ability to pay the fee will determine whether or not Mr. Pratt will honour his word to her and not a different aspirant.
Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has berated the Electoral Commission (EC) for pegging its filing fee at GH¢100,000 and GH¢10,000 for presidential and parliamentary aspirants, respectively.
He held rather strongly that the filing fee is “exorbitant”.
Speaking at the Commission’s “Let The Citizen Know” press conference in Accra on Monday, September 14, the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa said individuals or parties willing to contest the elections must first make a deposit of the aforementioned amount in a form of a bankers draft to the Commission after downloading, filling and submitting their forms within 5 days.
“The Presidential Candidate will be required to deposit an amount of GH¢ 100,000 in a form of a Bankers draft to the Commission, Parliamentary Candidates will be required to deposit GH¢10,000 in a form of a Bankers draft as well. We wish all candidates for both presidential and parliamentary elections well, we trust that the nomination process will be efficient, seemless and orderly…” she said.
The aspirants are to pick the forms via the EC’s website.
Nominations were opened from 6pm Monday, September 14 with the deadline being from Monday, October 5 to Friday, October 9, 2020 between the hours of 9am and 12noon, and 2pm and 5pm each day.
However, the EC’s filing fee has become a bone of contention for many concerned stakeholders.
At least 4 major political parties; the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Convention People’s Party (CPP), the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) as well as the All People’s Congress (APC) have launched scathing attack on the electoral body, describing the filing fee as “outrageous”
Contributing to a panel discussion on ‘Kokrokoo’ on Peace FM, the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr opined that the payment of such huge sums for nomination forms is one of the major contributors to corruption in Ghana.
According to him, there are some parliamentary aspirants and sitting Members of Parliament who, in order to pay the filing fee, will have to rely on donors for funds, but in return, offer them contractual favours when they come into government in order to appease them.
In his candid view, this and other reasons he cited are why the Electoral Commission should have reduced the fee.
“This filing fee is too much…If we want corruption to escalate, let’s continue to do what we’re doing. But if we don’t want corruption to increase, let’s take decisions that will ease the financial pressures…We will all benefit if we get a good President. Getting a good Parliamentarian will also affect us; the same way if we get a bad person, it will also affect us. The fee is too excessive,” he said.
Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has condemned the unprovoked attacks on albinos in the country.
According to Kwesi Pratt Jnr, the lynching of a 90-year old woman accused of being a witch and the murder of people with albinism are not isolated issues as they both connote inhumane treatment.
Speaking on ‘Kokrokoo’ on Peace FM, the seasoned journalist wondered why some people believe albinos have magical powers and could magically make one prosperous.
Mr. Pratt noted that the death of the elderly woman in Kafaga in the Savannah Region should be a wake-up call to all Ghanaians not to entertain any acts of barbarism on any person.
“if an albino indeed has magical powers to make one prosperous which makes people murder them, then why don’t you let the albino stay home and produce the money for you to become rich? Why would you kill them? If the body parts of albinos can give one power, then all albinos should have become Presidents…We have to stop such discrimination and backwardness.”
Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has called on the Ghana Police Service to expedite their hunt for the culprits in the murder of a 90-year-old woman at Kafaba near Salaga in the Savannah Region.
A video surfaced on social media showing some unidentified persons mercilessly whipping the elderly woman who they accuse of being a witch and lynched her.
The woman was condemned to death in full glare of people who looked unconcerned for such babaric act to be carried out.
The assault on the elderly woman is said to have been ignited by a female Priestess in the area who claimed the 90-year-old woman is a witch and, as part of measures to exorcise her, incited the ‘beating’ parade.
Speaking on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ programme, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. wondered why no suspect has been arrested by the Police Service yet, saying if it were a different incident, the security personnel would have been swift in their investigations.
He stressed the perpetrators of this heinous crime were clearly seen in the viral video and so wants the Police to quickly swoop down on them.
Seasoned journalist, Kwesi Pratt has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and former President John Dramani Mahama to come to a consensus over the upcoming general elections due to the threat of COVID-19 in the country.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) has had a devastating impact on Ghana as the country’s case count keeps increasing on almost a daily basis.
Ghana began with two (2) cases of the disease in March and four months later, it has shot up to over 25000 cases. Specifically, Ghana has recorded 25,252, 21,397 recoveries and 139 deaths.
Despite the spike in the COVID-19 cases, the Electoral Commission (EC) continues to conduct the voters’ registration exercise aimed at compiling a new register for the 2020 elections.
Some political figures and Ghanaians have raised red flag over the ongoing exercise, arguing that the EC is risking the lives of citizenry and called on the Commission to suspend the exercise.
The EC also holds that now is the opportune time for the exercise and postponing it might affect the upcoming elections or as some political analysts indicate, it might call for the old voters’ register to be used for the elections which is impossible because it will have judicial consequences.
Making his submissions on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’, Kwesi Pratt called on the election stakeholders to prioritize the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic over any other thing.
He told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that the disease is “an emergency of extraordinary proportions. It’s a national and international emergency of extraordinary proportions”.
According to him, since Ghana is not in normal times, it is prudent to set aside the 1992 constitution which makes provision for the Presidential elections to be held on December 7th every four years.
He admonished the leaders in the country to take critical decisions to protect the people of Ghana.
“This constitution, we can even decide to set it aside . . . If, as a people, we cannot think beyond our political parties, then we should die. The reality is that by 7th January, 2021, if we don’t vote, there will be no government. There will be a vacuum. When you look into the constitution, the constitution does not make adequate provision for that vacuum. So, we should have started thinking long ago.”
“Are we not the ones who made the constitution? So, if we can get to a point where Parliament, all political parties, Chiefs and all the national institutions will come together and we all have a unanimous decision; why can’t we make an interim arrangements?” he questioned.
“But this issue of Mahama wanting to be a President and this or that person doesn’t want to abdicate his seat and so on, is this what is going to guide us face this pandemic? If that is the issue, then let stay in the pandemic and die,” he fumed.
Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt says government should stop boasting about the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients in the country.
Ghana has currently recorded 25,252 with 139 deaths.
Out of the total number of cases, 21,397 have recovered/discharged, according to the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
This, therefore, means active cases of COVID-19 in the country stand at 3,716.
Although the virus infection case has increased since Ghana’s first case was recorded, the good news is that there is less mortality rate as compared to number of recoveries.
But Kwesi Pratt says the government shouldn’t pride itself because there are more people recovering from the disease.
According to him, it is scientifically proven there will be a permanent damage to the organs of the recovered persons.
”The World Health Organization tells us that for a lot of the people who recover, they’ll permanent get damage to their organs for the rest of their lives. So, the people who have been declared recovered, a lot of them will have permanent damage to their organs. It’s not that easy at all. So, we should stop boasting about recoveries,” he said on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’.
