A former president of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, has blamed the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for destroying farmlands in mining zones through illicit mining (galamsey).
The galamsey report by Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, according to Mr. Mahama, is clear evidence of this assertion.
Speaking to delegates in Sefwi Wiawso as part of his tour of the Western North area, John Mahama stated that the NPP government’s galamsey activities have destroyed important agriculture fields.
“The former Minister and Chair of the Committee leading the fight against galamsey has in the report revealed that the galamsey activities are done by NPP bigwigs. Since the NPP assumed office, most of the country’s farms have been destroyed because of illegal mining.”
The aspiringNational Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential Candidate, also said the country’s cocoa sector is on the verge of collapse because of the mismanagement of the sector by the Akufo-Addo government.
Mr. Mahama maintained that the government’s failure to adjust the producer price of cocoa annually and the delayed payment of farmers for cocoa beans are part of the factors destroying the sector.
“Under the previous NDC administration, we ensured that there was an upward adjustment in the producer price [of cocoa] every year. But that is not the case with this government. Price adjustments are taking place after four years. This is what is collapsing the sector”, he stated.
Mr. Mahama added that the sector must be supported, noting that some farmers no longer find farming cocoa lucrative.
He referred to a farmer who said he will give out his land for galamsey because the returns are far better than farming.
“He doesn’t mind selling his farm for galamsey because there’s no profit from the cocoa business today. Payment of farmers for their cocoa purchases is no longer instant, and they do not get any bonus. Farmers must now wait for three to four months to receive payment”, he added.
The former president is visiting all nine constituencies in the region and is expected to continue to the Ashanti Region.
A former representative for Tema East, Titus Glover, stated that all parties involved must work together to combat unlawful small-scale mining (Galamsey).
The government is involved, Chiefs, the media and civil society are all involved, he said while speaking on the Big Issue on TV3 Wednesday April 26.
He further admitted that fighting the menace has been a daunting task however, the President and his government are determined to continue to war against the practice.
The former Deputy Transport Minister further urged the president to sack “all persons who are making his work difficult.”
He indicated the criticisms aroundgalamsey do not go to the people who making the work of the President difficult rather, they go to the President and the Vice President.
Titus Glover said he is not comfortable when the President and the Vice are constantly attacked for the galamsey menace.
Former president, John Dramani Mahama has advised the Health Minister, Kwaku Agyeman-Manu to resign after he publicly acknowledged that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) does not function anymore.
According to the health minister, he no longer uses the service and prefers to pay for his medical treatment.
According to him, treatment given to NHIS card holders at the various facilities is below par, complaining bitterly that patients who are unable to pay are being denied access to medical services.
Responding to the Minister’s admission of failure, the former president said Mr Agyemang Manu must resign.
“He himself has admitted that he has failed. He has not been able to grow the NHIS and he says it has failed… he has no business being the minister for health. He should resign”,
Mr Mahama said to wild applause at a meeting with branch and constituency executives of his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Sefwi Adobokrom, in the Bia East Constituency.
Providing some more detail, Mr Mahama said NHIS cards are being turned away from most health facilities because government is not paying their claims.
“Health facilities have not been paid since last year for services provided to cardholders. How do you expect them to continue treating them?” he quizzed.
Many have questioned the Minister’s public complaints instead of taking responsibility to make the Scheme functional.
A social media commentator, sharing her thoughts on the minister’s statement said, “he appears to be talking like an outsider who is merely observing the situation without any ability to effect change within the system”.
If the NHIS is not functioning as it was before, who should take responsibility, Mr Mahama continued, restating his position that Mr Kwaku Agyeman Manu must resign.
“It is unacceptable for a Minister to act as a passive observer on the sideline. The collapse of the Scheme occurred during his tenure and under his leadership. Accepting that the system is not working should be accompanied by a resignation.”
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has reacted to a recent Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) report authored by Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.
The leaked report on the activities of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) has been labelled by the NDC as “an obituary of President Akufo-Addo’s monumentally failed fight against illegal mining”.
The party at a press conference on Tuesday, April 25, chronicled various highlights of the report to support its claim that the fight against illegal mining was not a genuine one from the very outset.
Citing the decision by both the Lands Ministry and the Forestry Commission to grant mining and entry permits into Ghana’s forest reserves in 2018 when there was still an active ban on all forms of large and small-scale mining activities in the country, the NDC argued that government’s fight against the illegal mining menace was a ruse to enable some persons in both government and party to appropriate the illicit trade for themselves.
Addressing the press at its ‘Moment of Truth Series’, the National Communication Officer of the party, Sammy Gyamfi, named officials at the seat of government whom he alleges, were cited in the 37-page report to have acted in ways that promoted illegal mining activities in some parts of the country.
Of particular reference were Lord Commey, Director of Operations at the Presidency, Frank Asiedu Bekoe, Special Aide to the Chief of Staff and one Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe, a Presidential Staffer, who have been faulted by the report for one wrong or the other.
The party also called out legal practitioner and nephew of President Akufo-Addo, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, for placing a call to former Environment Minister, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng and engaging in what they termed influence peddling, when he sought to defend the work of his client, one Donald Entsuah over the activities of Heritage Imperial Mining Limited in the Diaso, Kobro and Apaprama forest reserves. The party chided the President’s nephew for defending wrong-doing and urged Ghanaians to condemn his conduct.
A recent 37-page leaked report on the activities of the defunct Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), has placed on the front burner, various issues that have plagued Government’s fight against illegal mining, leading to the eventual dissolution of the Inter-Ministerial Committee. The NDC believes there is some collusion among high-profile government and New Patriotic Party officials who have been complicit in promoting the activities of illegal mining for their own benefit, hence the failed fight.
The party has therefore called on the Special Prosecutor, Kissi Adjabeng and Parliament to activate a full-blown probe into the report into to establish the truth and punish all who are found culpable.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, held a press conference on recent disclosures about illegal mining, smuggled gold as well money laundering in the country.
During the address, National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, on behalf of the party registered his dissapointment over the claims in the documentary.
He, thus, called on the Office of the Special Prosecutor, as well as Parliament to launch investigations into the matter.
Below is the full text:
THE SPECIAL PROSECUTOR AND PARLIAMENT MUST PROBE FRIMPONG BOATENG’S “GALAMSEY” REPORT AND ALLEGATIONS OF MONEY LAUNDERING INVOLVING PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO IN THE LATEST “GOLD MAFIA” UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION BY AL JAZEERA.
AL JAZEERA’S GOLD MAFIA INVESTIGATION
Good morning to you, our media partners here present, in the sixteen regions of Ghana and across the world.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has sighted an undercover investigative work that was recently broadcast by international news network, Al Jazeera. The said documentary forms part of a four-part investigation by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit (I-Unit), which uncovered an international Gold Smuggling mafia and Money Laundering racket operating in various parts of Africa.
Friends from the media, of particular concern to us and indeed, the people of Ghana, is the reference to a relationship between the deadly racket and the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and other high-ranking officials of the ruling NPP government.
In the One-hour, thirteen-minute video documentary, one Alistair Mathias who has gained notoriety for designing money laundering schemes for corrupt African Leaders, could be seen boasting about his close relationship with President Akufo-Addo and other high-profile African leaders.
In the particular portion of this new investigative documentary that has got many tongues wagging, the said Alistair Mathias who is described as a Canadian citizen and a financial architect operating a gold smuggling syndicate in Ghana called Guldrest, confided in Al Jazeera undercover reporters who posed as Chinese Businessmen, about his constant dealings with President Akufo-Addo.
Some of the underhand dealings this shady character revealed include how the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government for instance can award his company, Mathias Holdings an inflated contract worth $100 million, which he in turn subcontracts to another company for a value of about $80 million, thereby making a staggering profit of $20 million on the contract.
Friends from the media, the mastermind of these crimes further revealed how the padded amount on such deals is then shared among the parties – corrupt officials in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government on the one hand, and Mathias Holdings on the other hand.
Under this criminal scheme, Mathias further undertakes to bank the share of his corrupt collaborators in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government in offshore accounts until such a time that the money is needed by them.
This is how grand corruption is created by elements in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, who inflate contracts and then deposit the stolen funds in the form of “commissions” with this devious individual whose operations span across other African countries. And by the way, commissions in this gold smuggling, money laundering and illicit business context simply means bribes.
As if the above dealings were not scandalous enough, we further gleaned from the documentary how supply and procurement contracts are awarded to this knavish partner of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia Presidency, who constantly returns kickbacks from these inflated contracts through their elaborate corrupt network at the expense of value for money and the good people of Ghana.
Ladies and gentlemen, the nefarious Alistair Mathias further confessed to how he manages to smuggle one ton of gold with a face value of $40 million from Ghana, every month, with the active collusion of high-ups in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government and in collaboration with one Kamlesh Pattni, an Indian man domiciled in Kenya, who is described as the grandmaster of the Gold Mafia.
This development, my fellow countrymen and women, adds to a litany of similar acts of grand corruption and collusion involving President Akufo-Addo, the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and other high-ranking NPP government officials.
Ghanaians have not forgotten about the Number #12 documentary by ace Investigative Journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas, in which former President of the Ghana Football Association, Kwesi Nyantakyi was nabbed in similar fashion negotiating kickbacks from supposed investors for President Akufo-Addo and other government officials.
Again, and of very recent memory is the “Galamsey Economy” undercover investigation by the same Anas Aremeyaw Anas, in which a serving Minister of State at the Finance Ministry, Charles Adu Boahen was captured on video negotiating bribes and “Appearance Fees” to the tune of $250,000 from supposed investors for and on behalf of the Vice President, Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia.
The question every objective Ghanaian should be asking, is how come the names of the President and his Vice, keep popping up in such shady deals and corruption scandals? Why always them? It could neither be mere speculation nor influence peddling any longer. This trend that has now received such unenviable global publicity, must worry every well-meaning Ghanaian.
We in the National Democratic Congress are deeply concerned about the damning revelations about our President in this latest documentary by Al Jazeera. The continuous naming of the President and his Vice in all manner of bribe-taking syndicates, must be a cause for concern for every patriotic Ghanaian who cares about the image of the Presidency.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, Al Jazeera’s earth-shaking findings also give currency to the justifiable concerns raised about government’s opaque Gold-for-Oil deal which many experts, civil society organizations and the NDC have had legitimate grounds to criticize and demand transparency and accountability.
Never in the history of our country has the Presidency been reduced to a criminal Mafia as we are witnessing today.
As has become standard practice under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government, the Presidency has kept a deafening silence on this matter in the wake of the damning revelations contained in the Al Jazeera documentary. Given the record and penchant of this government to coverup graft, Ghanaians cannot and must not accept silence or the usual flippant denials emanating from the Presidency or government corridors on this matter.
It is against this backdrop that the NDC hereby calls on the Special Prosecutor to take keen interest in this matter and launch a full-scale investigation into this matter with the aim of prosecuting anyone found culpable.
Given the considerable public interest in this matter and what it portends for Ghana’s image among the global comity of nations, we wish to call on Parliament to set up a publicly-televised and bi-partisan probe into this matter in order to ascertain the truth.
We hold the view that a Parliamentary probe is imperative to establish:
1. The number of companies owned by Alistair Mathias in Ghana.
2. Which government contracts have been awarded to companies owned by Alistair Mathias since their inception in the country?
3. The propriety or otherwise of the activities of companies owned by Alistair Mathias, among others.
We invite President Akufo-Addo, his handlers and the people at the corridors of power to whole-heartedly embrace our call for a bi-partisan probe into this serious matter, if indeed they so believe nothing untoward has been occasioned the State and that, they have nothing to hide.
FRIMPONG BOATENG’S GALAMSEY REPORT
Ladies and gentlemen, it is our well-considered view that the explosive revelations contained in Al Jazeera’s Gold Mafia investigative piece explain why the President’s supposed fight against galamsey has been a spectacular failure. It explains why Ghana has become the epicenter of gold smuggling in Africa.
Galamsey was obviously bound to flourish under the corrupt Akufo-Addo/Bawumia regime because it was a central source of the illegal gold purchases used in this complex money laundering scheme orchestrated by powerful political dark forces in high places.
As we in the NDC have always maintained, President Akufo-Addo’s proclaimed fight against galamsey was the biggest scam ever to be perpetrated on Ghanaians. Today, the NDC stands vindicated as a report authored and presented by the former Minister of Environment and Science and former Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee against Illegal Mining, Prof. Frimpong Boateng has all but confirmed our long-held position that there has never been any genuine commitment or any attempt to fight galamsey by this government.
The said report by the German-trained Cardiothoracic Surgeon shows clearly that the so-called fight against galamsey was a charade calculated to enable top government and NPP functionaries to appropriate and take over the illicit galamsey trade.
Ladies and gentlemen, for the sake of brevity, we shall only highlight eight (8) of the several damning revelations contained in the Frimpong Boateng report today and deal with the rest in subsequent media engagements:
1. Friends from the media, you would recall that President Akufo-Addo placed a moratorium on April 1, 2017, suspending artisanal and small-scale mining in the country for a combined period of one year, three months. Strangely however, Frimpong Boateng’s galamsey report tells us that in 2018, this same Akufo-Addo government acting through the Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, somehow contrived to give out all forest reserves in Ghana for mining activities.
During the period that the ban on small-scale mining was in force, more illegal miners, including Chinese gangs invaded our forest reserves with the help of government officials and caused unprecedented destruction to our forests, water bodies and environment.
As the former Environment Minister puts it in his report, never in the history of Ghana have the nation’s forest reserves been subjected to such obscene rape and wanton destruction in the name of Galamsey as we have witnessed under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government.
2. Fellow countrymen and women, the former Environment Minister and Chairman of the defunct IMCIM, has provided further and better particulars of persons, both high and low, who are neck-deep in this nation-wrecking business of ‘galamsey’.
The report specifically names appointees at the Jubilee House, such as Laud Commey, Director of Operations at the Presidency, a Presidential Staffer, Charles Nii Teiko Tagoe and Frank Asiedu Bekoe aka “Protozoa”, Special Aide to the Chief of Staff who have been actively supporting and promoting illegal mining.
We in the NDC have always known, that the political economy of galamsey in this Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government, is made up of the high and mighty in places of power and influence, who will stop at nothing to sabotage any effort at fighting the canker, because of what they benefit from it.
Time without number, Anas Aremeyaw has exposed this cabal, you in the media have done the same. Civil society and the political divide have all provided one form of evidence or the other, but President Akufo-Addo has simply refused to act. You know why? The President has refused to act because he is the chief mastermind and ultimate beneficiary of the nefarious galamsey activities of his government and party functionaries.
3. Ladies and gentlemen, the Prof. Frimpong Boateng report is also categorical about the very well-known illegal mining activities of former Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie aka Sir John and his erstwhile Aide, Charles Owusu who doubled as Director of Operations at the Forestry Commission.
The report avers that, these two men while at the helm of affairs at the Forestry Commission, did everything to sabotage the fight against illegal mining, and instead granted forest entry permits to small and large-scale mining companies, including Chinese gangs who were brought in to mine on their behalf, at a time there was an active ban on such activities.
4. Ladies and gentlemen, the report further cites the “unwholesome behaviour” of some Members of Parliament and Government Appointees, who are all neck-deep in promoting the galamsey menace for selfish gain.
Of specific mention was the activities of Former Member of Parliament for Manso Nkwanta, Hon. Joseph Albert Quarm, who is reported to have used his position as then member of the Minerals Commission Board to acquire several dozens of large-scale mining concessions in his district under the guise of community mining. He is reported to have sold these concessions to private individuals, including his party members for about Two Hundred Thousand Ghana Cedis per concession (GHS200,000).
5. Perhaps the biggest obstructionist to the fight against illegal mining cited by the report is nephew of President Akufo-Addo, Gabby Asare Otchere Darko.
The report recounts how Mr. Otchere Darko placed a call to the then Minister and Chairman of the IMCIM to intervene on behalf of a company known as Heritage Imperial Limited, which was destroying the environment and causing havoc to the River Offin in the Kobro and Apaprama forest reserve in the Amansie area of the Ashanti Region.
The owner of the company in question, one Donald Entsuah, was co-owner of another company by name C&J Aleska, which had previously caused extensive damage to the Diaso forest reserve in the Central Region, under protection from men of the Ghana Armed forces.
The report reveals how the late Major Maxwell Mahama lost his life while offering protection to mining concessions owned by this C&J Aleska company in the Denkyiraboase area in 2017. Our sympathies go to the late Major Mahama’s widow, children and family.
Having been successfully dislodged from the Diaso forest reserve by the task force of the IMCIM, the Frimpong Boateng report notes that this same Donald Entsuah quickly formed his latest company, Heritage Imperial Limited, which has equally been at the heart of extensive destruction of the Kobro and Apaprama forest reserve in the Amansie area, operating with a prospecting license and under heavy military protection.
We are talking here about a company and its owner with a history of engaging in illegal mining under the pretext of prospecting. On 29th November 2016, Mr. Toni Aubyn, then Chief Executive Officer of the Minerals Commission during the NDC administration, wrote to C&J Aleska that the Company was “seriously engaged in illegal mining on its prospecting licence”. On 30th January 2017, Mr. Aubyn wrote again to C&G Aleska for “undertaking mining activities illegally without obtaining all the requisite permits and approvals”.
Again, on 2nd October 2017, Hon. John Peter Amewu, the first NPP Minister for Lands and Natural Resources wrote to G&G Aleska regarding the Dwuabo concession and directed that “in view of the fact that C&G Aleska does not have a valid Mining Operating Permit, and that the Ministry has not yet ratified your mining lease, you are directed NOT TO CARRY OUT ANY MINING OPERATIONS in the concession until your mining lease has been ratified.”
Ladies and gentlemen, the mining activities of this company have resulted in the destruction of these two forest reserves, and the diversion of the course of the Offin River. Yet, this is the company the President’s nephew, Gabby Otchere Darko sought to shield and defend.
What Gabby Otchere Darko sought to do was to essentially use his influence in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government, to defend a company which has been responsible for the destruction of the Diaso, Kobro and Apaprama forest reserves.
Mr. Otchere Darko’s impunity must be called out and condemned by every well-meaning Ghanaian. Here is a company destroying our environment, yet enjoys protection from the military and no less a person than President Akufo-Addo’s nephew.
What is even more condemnable but unsurprising, is the fact that Otchere Darko’s behaviour was said to have been reported to President Akufo-Addo, yet he failed to rein in his errant and obstructionist nephew. How could the President have reined Gabby in, when his actions and inactions clearly show that he is himself an enabler, promoter and beneficiary of galamsey?
6. Ladies and gentlemen, the Frimpong Boateng report also fingered very senior and leading figures within the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government, for allegedly acting in ways that essentially compromised the fight and rather promoted the activities of people who were engaged in illegal mining.
Former Senior Minister and now Presidential Advisor, Hon. Yaw Osafo Maafo, for instance is cited by the report to have allegedly used his influence to rather defend and whitewash an alleged money laundering activity by one Seth Mantey, a journalist who was arrested for laundering money from the sale of seized excavators. This he did on behalf of one John Ofori-Atta, then Regional Security Coordinator for the Central Region and Horace Ekow Ewusi, former Vice Chairman of the NPP in the Central Region, who was indicted by Frimpong Boateng for the 500 missing excavators.
In similar vein, Mr. S.K Boafo, a leading member of the New Patriotic and then Board Chairman of the Minerals Commission, was also cited for allegedly sabotaging the work of the IMCIM relative to the implementation of a successful community mining programme.
7. Friends from the media, it is sad to note that the Frimpong Boateng galamsey report identifies the Eastern Region, President Akufo-Addo’s own backyard, as the headquarters of almost intractable and uncontrollable illegal mining activities. At the center of these activities are several New Patriotic Party bigwigs and government functionaries, notable among whom is alleged to be Capt. Kodah of the Presidential Security detail. He is reported to have demanded the release of excavators being used by illegal miners at Anyinam, who discharged mining residue directly into the Birim River. The said illegal mining site allegedly belonged to the MP for Asene Akroso Manso, Hon. George Kwame Aboagye, according to the report.
8. Perhaps, the height of impunity was when an NPP Youth Organizer for Kyebi was said to have been excavating for gold in the backyard garden of President Akufo-Addo’s house in Kyebi. Yet, President Akufo-Addo got no wind of this from National Security or his elaborate security detail. As I have already indicated, the only thing that can explain this scandalous revelation is that, President Akufo-Addo is himself complicit in the illegal mining menace.
CONCLUSION
Ladies and Gentlemen of the media, if there was any doubt that the so-called fight against illegal mining by the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP government has been a sham, then this is the clearest evidence, yet again.
The report confirms one truth – that illegal mining activities have been a free-for-all enterprise for many in the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP administration. From Ministers, Presidential Staffers and other associates in government, to National, Regional, Constituency and even Unit Committee Executives of the New Patriotic Party, their agents, Personal Assistants, relatives and financiers, many have been cited to have either engaged in or promoted illegal mining with reckless abandon.
The details of this report are simply scandalous, scary, sordid, pervasive and rotten to the core. We now know how the 500 seized excavators were sold by people entrusted to take care of those seized equipment.
There is now ample evidence about how military and police officers and other men in uniform who were funded by the state and tasked to help fight galamsey, were rather used to protect illegal mining sites belonging to government and NPP officials and their foreign collaborators. It is sad to note that, Ghana today has a Commander-in-chief who sends soldiers into harm’s way for parochial gain. Major Mahama’s death and misuse of Ghanaian soldiers by this “Galamsey” Government is another reason for the public enquiry.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Frimpong Boateng galamsey report has indeed shocked the conscience of the nation, and no amount of half-witted and half-hearted explanations from the Presidency or government can whitewash this great infamy.
President Akufo-Addo’s complicity in this whole scandal is further magnified by the fact that this stinking report has been on his desk since 2021, yet he has woefully failed to act on same.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are of the view, that the only way to establish the truth and get to the bottom of the issues contained in the Frimpong Boateng report, is for Parliament to institute a publicly-televised and bi-partisan enquiry into this report, which essentially is an obituary of President Akufo-Addo’s monumentally failed fight against illegal mining.
The Special Prosecutor on his part, must act with alacrity by probing the Frimpong Boateng Galamsey report and prosecute all government officials, NPP functionaries and persons who have perpetrated serious crimes against the State as contained in the report.
The Ghanaian people deserve this probe, because millions of tax payers’ money has gone down the drain in the name of fighting illegal mining. Now that it has been confirmed that all the so-called fight was a charade, our nation stands united in crying for justice. Anything short of a bi-partisan enquiry into this matter, will be fiercely resisted.
Any country that has no firm grip over the protection of its forests, nature reserves, wet lands and biodiversity, is one that is doomed to extinction. It is sad to say, that Ghana is fast approaching this scary reality under the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia NPP administration, who are busy destroying all our vegetative buffers to satisfy their greed and selfishness.
As a further step to back our demands, the NDC shall formally submit a request to both the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana and the office of the Special Prosecutor to initiate the necessary investigations into the Gold Mafia documentary as it relates to Ghana and the Galamsey report of Prof. Frimpong Boateng.
It is our fervent hope and firm belief that, these very serious issues will not be swept under the carpet, and that the Special Prosecutor and Parliament will rise to the occasion in order to stop the continuous desecration of our Presidency and environment by President Akufo-Addo, his Vice, Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia and the ruling New Patriotic Party.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) to launch a full-scale investigation into gold smuggling and money laundering claims about Ghana in Al Jazeera Gold Mafia documentary.
National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, who made this call on behalf of the party said this is imperative to establish the facts and bring culprits to book.
“We in the NDC are deeply concerned about the damning revelations in the latest documentary by Al Jazeera. This trend has now received such unenviable global publicity and must worry every well meaning Ghanaian.
“It is against this background that the NDC hereby wishes to call on the Special Prosecutor to take keen interest in this matter and launch a full-scale investigation it with the aim of prosecuting anyone found culpable,” he said during a press conference on April 25, 2023.
It comes on the back of the Al Jazeera documentary dubbed ‘Gold Mafia’ which revealed, among other things that gold worth $40million is smuggled out of the country annually.
This has been described by the NDC as very disturbing considering the fact that the country loses heavily as a result of this.
“Never in the history of this country has the Presidency been so depraved and reduced to criminal mafia as we are witnessing today as has become standard practice under this administration,” he lamented.
Mr Gyamfi further condemned the President’s “deafening silence” on the issue, and also called for a Parliamentary probe into the matter.
“The Presidency has kept a deafening silence on this matter in the wake of the damning revelations contained in the Al Jazeera documentary. Given the record of this government to cover up graft , Ghanaians cannot and must not accept silence or the usual flippant denials emanating from the corridors of power,” he said.
“Additionally, given the considerable public interest in this matter, and what it portends for Ghana’s image among the global committee of nations we wish to call on Parliament to set up a publicly televised and bipartisan probe into this matter in order to ascertain the truth
“We in the NDC hold the view that the Parliamentary probe into this matter is imperative to establish the number of companies owned by this shady character, Matthias Alistair, which government contracts have been awarded to him since their inception in the country and three, to establish the propriety or otherwise of the activities of companies owned by the said Alistair Matthias and the others.
“We invite President Akufo-Addo , his handlers and the people at the corridors of power to wholeheartedly embrace our call for a bipartisan probe into this serious issue of indeed they so believe has been occasioned in the state and that they have nothing to hide,” he added.
The school feeding program’s caterers have stated they won’t submit to threats to restart work.
For about three weeks, the caterers have withdrawn their services in demand for payment of arrears and an increase of the cooking grant per child from 97 pesewas to three cedis.
They want leadership of the programme to desist from issuing threats in addressing their challenges.
About a week before the group withdrew their services, they received the first term payment of the same year, an amount they say does not cover the full term.
Most caterers say they are being chased by their suppliers and banks where they secured loans for the contract.
They are unwilling to return to cooking for the pupils.
Many of the caterers were contracted to serve hot meals in schools in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some of the caterers are still owed by the government.
Meanwhile, the caterers are pointing to some anomalies in the school feeding programme and have called for an audit.
The opposition National Democratic Congress is holding a press conference in reaction to a recent development on illegal mining.
Key among the issues addressed is the Al Jazeera documentary which reveals that over $40 million worth of gold is smuggled out of the country annually.
The NDC is also speaking on the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) report authored by former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.
The conference is being held at the party’s National Headquarters in Accra.
A security analyst has accused Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, the Inspector-General of Police, with establishing a team of Ghana Police Service officers known as the “Dampare Boys.”
Emmanuel Mawanye Kotin, who is also the Executive Director of African Center for Security and Counterterrorism, said these special officers do not respect their seniors and do not take orders from any of their line commanders except Dr Akuffo Dampare.
He said the situation has dampened the spirit of many senior officers, leading to disillusionment among the top hierarchy.
Mr Kotin made this known on TV3 on Tuesday, April 25 while speaking about the alleged shooting of a lady, 26, in Adum, Kumasi by an Inspector with a service rifle.
The security analyst said the so-called Dampare Boys are quickly promoted as against the very regimen of the Service.
He disclosed that most of the Dampare Boys have been promoted as Inspectors.
He said the situation should be questioned “whether under the law the IGP has the right to create such a body”.
According to Mr Kotin, senior officers who are against this group of officers have been cowed into silence as “they are afraid to talk”.
He called onParliamentto summon the IGP to answer questions on this breed of officers he is keeping in the Service.
Prior to the National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) May 13 presidential primaries, former president John Dramani Mahama is campaigning in the Western North Region as part of his 16-region political tour.
This forms part of his political initiatives ahead of the upcoming 2024 general elections.
The potential NDC presidential flagbearer has already met with nearly 251,000 delegates while touring 179 constituencies in ten regions.
Before moving on to the Ashanti Region for phase two of his campaign there, Mr. Mahama would spend two days touring nine constituencies in Western North.
The former president is campaigning on the theme, ‘Building the Ghana we want Together’, assuring the rank and file of the NDC that the campaign for victory,2024 will be anchored around the party’s branches and wards.
“I will do all I can, as I have always done, to provide the necessary campaign logistics and it will be your duty and responsibility as branch executives to work hard and mobilise all the votes in your electoral areas for a decisive win in December 2024”, Mr. Mahama has stated.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has pledged to resuscitate the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) if elected again as president.
Mr. Mahama says the once vibrant refinery is gradually collapsing under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration.
Speaking to NDC delegates in Ashaiman to wrap up his campaign in the Greater Accra Region, John Mahama said he will ensure TOR returns to its former glory.
“Since we (NDC) left office, TOR has never processed crude oil again. I remember before we left office, we sent to TOR the first batch of Ghanaian crude oil from our own oil fields for TOR to process.
“That oil sat there for several years, eventually, they discounted the oil and sold it out without processing it. I can assure you, when NDC comes back, TOR will stand on its feet again,” he said.
Director of Communications for the opposition National Democratic Congress, Sammy Gyamfi has hit back at NPP stalwart, Gabby Otchere-Darko over his response to the IMCIM report authored by Prof Frimpong-Boateng.
Mr Gyamfi rubbished the justification given by Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko in response to allegations of interference made against him by the former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Frimpong Boateng.
According to him, Mr Otchere-Darko’s argument of acting professionally as a lawyer when he called Prof. Frimpong-Boateng on phone does not conform to the ethics of the legal profession.
“He said he is a lawyer and that if his client had been asked to stop work because they are engaged in alleged illegality he had a right to act through a phone call. Which law school or course thought you that as a lawyer when a minister stops your client, a mining company from working for going beyond what their prospecting licences permit you pick a phone to call the minister?” he questioned during an interview on Adom TV.
Prof Frimpong-Boateng in a 36-page report recalls how Gabby Otchere-Darko, a cousin of the president and an influential member of the ruling NPP, called him on phone to question his decision to order for the dislodgment of equipment of a Mining Company Imperial Heritage which Prof. Frimpong Boateng argues was mining illegally with a prospecting license in forest reserves.
In response however, Gabby pointed out that he was only acting in his capacity as a senior partner of Africa Legal Associates and legal representative of the company.
But according to Sammy Gyamfi, Mr Otchere-Darko’s decision to call the then minister on phone was nothing short of influence peddling.
“[As a lawyer] you write a letter to the institution that stopped your client. Once you start picking up phones and calling… If he was not the cousin of President Akufo-Addo would have been able to call Prof Frimpong-Boateng on phone? Lawyers we don’t work with phones when it comes to government, you write a letter. The phone call he made was just to peddle his influence, he was flexing his power; he was trying to show the minister that the people you were touching are my clients, my peopled and I am the president’s cousin, the de facto prime minister,” Sammy Gyamfi who is also a legal practitioner argued.
The report by Prof. Frimpong Boateng was authored in March 2021 and details the challenges he faced during his tenure as chairperson of the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).
The former minister in the report submitted to the Chief of State alleged that some officials of the government and political actors were actively involved in illegal mining,
He further accused some individuals of interfering in the fight against galamsey.
Meanwhile, the presidency despite failing to act or respond to the report which was submitted to the Chief of Staff some two years ago has reacted to the former minister’s claims after the report was recently leaked to the media.
According to the presidency, the document authored by the former minister is without supporting evidence despite the various allegations implicating government officials as being involved in illegal mining or interfering in the fight against same.
“Indeed, the allegations contained in the document are at best hearsay. It is instructive that since Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s meeting with the Chief of Staff in March, 2021, he has taken no step nor acted in furtherance of the matters contained in the document,” the presidency said in a statement dated April 22, 2023.
The presidency in the rejoinder dated Saturday, April 22, 2023, said “The document being discussed was not an official report formally delivered to the Office of the President. On the contrary, it can only be rightly referred to as a catalogue of personal grievances and claims made by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, intended to respond to some issues he faced as Chairperson of the IMCIM.
“The document was handed to the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President on March 19th 2021, in an informal meeting, where Prof. Frimpong-Boateng complained about public attacks and criticisms made about his tenure as Chairperson of the IMCIM.”
According to the presidency, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng’s report did not have any official status and was not supported with any evidence despite the allegations contained in it.
“The document did not have a transmittal or cover letter nor, indeed, an addressee, such as to suggest that it was submitted to the Chief of Staff for action. It is noteworthy that the IMCIM was a creature of Cabinet, and any formal report on its activities would, normally, be submitted to Cabinet through the Cabinet Secretary, or directly to the President of the Republic as Chairperson of Cabinet. Till date, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng has done neither.
“It is important also to point out that, whilst Prof. Frimpong-Boateng makes serious allegations against some government appointees, as having been involved in, supporting or interfering with the fight against illegal mining, not a single piece of evidence was adduced or presented to enable the claims to be properly investigated,” the presidency noted.
Henry Sarfo Asamani-Yiadom, a parliamentary aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Krachi East Constituency, has pledged to create more jobs for the youth in the area if given the nod as MP.
He said he will engage the services of a consultant to prepare an employment creation plan for the Constituency.
He said this master plan would help to profile the large army of unemployed people for easy placement when the opportunity availed itself.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the aspirant promised to introduce youth mentorship programmes to the area for many young ones could learn to become great men and women in the future.
He again emphasized some key areas including creating decent and sustainable jobs for the youth and investing in young ones to have access to free sponsorship.
The aspirant also promised to tackle healthcare to ensure the observance of good sanitation and environmental hygiene throughout the Constituency to solve the problem of both liquid and solid waste disposal in the area, which posed a health risk for the people.
He mentioned road infrastructure, potable water, sustainable jobs for the constituency, and rural electrification as areas of major concern of the people.
Yiadom told the GNA that he would work hard to justify the mandate given to him after the primaries and lead the NDC to victory in the 2024 general elections.
Former Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Joseph Yammin says he longer has trust in the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. Akuffo Dampare
He stated that he used to be a fan of current IGP Dr. Akuffo Dampare but has now fallen out with him.
He says his kit gloves attitude towards the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and his iron fist approach to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) had made him dislike him there more.
Mr Yammin who is now the National Organizer of the NDC suggests he will not sit in any meeting with the IGP if it’s under his behest as he cannot be trusted.
He was speaking to Julius Caesar Anadem of the Ultimate Breakfast Show in Kumasi monitored by MyNewsGh.com.
“I was a fan of him, I know him, the NDC worked with him at the castle under John Atta Mills, may his soul rest in peace. We know him and how professional he is, but now I am disappointed with his performance. I Joseph Yammin with a little security background I am disappointed in him”
“I won’t waste time sitting in any meeting with the IGP, because the IGP is not there to play the game . I don’t trust him. He is bad in my eyes. Is it the IGP who determines which statements are good or bad?”, he wondered.
“He started so well but he will end up being the worse if he continues to play the game according to the dictates of the NPP”, he lamented.
A member of New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) communications team, Ellen Ama Ofosuaa Daaku, says the ruling party is working to resolve all of its challenges before the 2024 elections.
Speaking on TV3, she said this is to ensure “Ghanaians vote for us again.”
She noted that in a worse case scenario, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) cannot be considered an alternative.
According to her, “the NDC must put themselves together and make themselves a credible alternative.”
Madam Ellen Ama Ofosuaa Daaku asserted that the NDC has already accepted defeat, linking this to the presence of the Electoral Commission Chair, Jean Mensa.
The NPP is putting everything in place to make sure Ghanaians vote for us again in 2024. The NDC is not a credible alternative – Ellen Daaku#TV3NewDaypic.twitter.com/Ks51E0V1VS
“As it is now, it looks like they have already psyching their party followers because of Madam Jean Mensa who is still the EC chair, we are going to lose,” she said.
Former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, has disclosed that some astute Members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) including a former Deputy Minister and MP for the Wassa East constituency, are into illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
He said these persons are mostly financiers of the party as well as financiers of independent candidates.
In a latest report released by the former Minister who was then Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining, he noted that “it is well known in the small scale mining circles that NDC members and sympathisers were well established in small scale mining, especially in the Western Region.”
“They acquired several concessions in mineral-rich areas during the long periods of NDC reign. They had the money and other resources to not only sponsor NDC candidates but also support independent candidates in the supposedly strongholds of the NPP. This is what happened in Evalue Dwira and Tarkwa constituencies,” he said.
He cited for instance that “in the Wassa East District, a former NDC Deputy Minister who is also MP for the Wassa East constituency [Isaac Adjei Mensah] has been actively mining in the Subri forest for years.”
“When NPP party officials complained and the army component of Operation Vanguard was withdrawn almost two years to the 2020 elections, the NDC was given an advantage in terms of access to resources from mining. This is because there are far more NDC people engaged in illegal mining than NPP members in the region,” he added.
The document dubbed “Report on the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM)” made captivating revelations about the (gold) mining industry, especially persons involved in illegal mining and the works and gains chalked by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM) during the Professor’s tenure as the chairman.
The 37-page report byformer Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has revealed that some New Patriotic Party (NPP) officials at Jubilee House are engaged in small-scale unlawful mining (galamsey).
According to him, these individuals prevented him from addressing the issue, as well as the committee he headed.
Minister of information, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has denied claims made in a 37-page report on illicit mining that he engineered a plot to assassinate Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the former minister for science, environment, technology, and innovation.
According to the report written by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah organised a meeting of NPP and NDC journalists in Dodowa on February 8, 2020, to discuss a plan to assassinate Prof. Boateng.
According to Frimpong-Boateng, the outcome of the meeting led to subsequent negative media reports about him.
But in a response, Mr Oppong Nkrumah described the claims as completely false.
According to him, he only attended a PRINPAG (Private Newspaper Publishers Association of Ghana) event, jointly organised with the Bank of Ghana on financial reporting and never held any meeting to oust anybody from the government.
“Indeed, the facts are that it was Prof Frimpong-Boateng himself who wrote to the Ghana Police Service in January 2020 reporting the loss of some excavators and calling for an investigation.
It was Prof. Frimpong-Boateng himself who in subsequent media interviews mentioned that the number of excavators missing was about 500.
Again on or around February 20, 2020, it was Prof Frimpong-Boateng himself who at Parliament House (During interviews on the SONA) engaged in exchanges with the media about the said excavators and promised that they will be recovered”.
“For the record, these are the matters that occasioned the media reports about Prof Frimpong-Boateng and the said excavators. Further, it was Prof. Frimpong-Boateng himself who was later to be seen in a video making comments about the anti-galamsey fight and the release of excavators.
“I Kojo Oppong Nkrumah was not responsible for his initial police report, his subsequent interviews, or any of the claims he made.
To be clear, it was Prof Frimpong-Boateng’s own reports, interviews and videos that generated his media challenges around the time. I am thus disappointed that he would, in this document, seek to blame me for the media reports.”
“Over the years, I had nothing but great admiration for Prof Frimpong-Boateng’s public-spirited works and as an inspirational citizen.
I feel gravely offended over the false claims he has made and the hurtful conclusions he has sought to exact about me precisely because of the great esteem in which I have held him.
“I trust that in the coming months and years, he will reflect deeply upon his own actions and comments which have led to his challenges. He should kindly leave me out of his personal fights. I am utterly disappointed but I forgive him.”
Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng has accused the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, of plotting to run him down in his report to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo.
The purpose of the 37-page report, dated March 19, 2021, submitted by the former minister of environment, science, and technology was to inform the president about the Committee’s efforts to combat illicit mining and the “path forward.”
As sighted by GhanaWeb, the former minister in his report made several allegations against some government and political party officials who made various attempts to thwart his efforts in clamping down on illegal mining.
One of the big names indicted in the report is the Minister for Information who according to Mr Frimpong Boateng gathered and incited a team of journalists to attack him.
“On Saturday the 8th of February 2020. Mr. Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, the Minister for Information assembled a group of journalists from both NDC and NPP-affiliated media houses at the Forest Hotel in Dodowa to discuss a strategy to bring me Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng down.
Whilst they were there a journalist from among the group called a friend of mine, also a journalist, and informed him about the plot that was being hatched.
He further informed my friend to watch out for headlines in some newspapers in the days following the meeting,” he stated in the report.
Subsequent to the said meeting, the report to the president captured that various stories were published in the media against his person and that beyond that, the minister for information sought to run him down during cabinet meetings.
“On Monday, 10′ February 2020, the INFORMER Newspaper, whose Editor was at the meeting had the Banner Headline on its front page as reproduced below:
“As if that was not enough on Thursday, 13th February 2020 at the 71st Cabinet Meeting, Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah in his regular report to Cabinet talked about news that was trending in the week.
As part of his report, Prof. Frimpong Boateng alleged that some members of the Committee including Kojo Oppong Nkrumah sabotaged his work.
“It must be noted that Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah, as Minister for Information, was a member of the IMCIM and he never called me to find out what I knew about ‘missing excavators’ but he found it worthwhile to magnify it in press and also present the falsehood before Cabinet for reasons best known to him and his co-conspirators.
If Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah and the likes of him have presidential ambitions they should pursue it on merit and not attempt to destroy a hard working patriot, whose only ambition is work to achieve a Ghana Beyond Aid,” the report captured.
“After the 2020 general election, Oppong-Nkrumah on many occasions attributed the below expectation performance of the NPP to the Government’s management of the ‘banking crisis and the galamsey fight’.
The fact is that those who did not vote for the NPP in the galamsey areas were not the miners but rather the hundreds of thousands of people living in the communities bordering the forests reserves, who were being harassed by mining companies such as Heritage Imperial,” he added.
Following his removal from office by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in 2020, Prof. Frimpong Boateng disclosed that his exit from the Science and Technology Ministry was a grand scheme orchestrated by some elements in the government and the New Patriotic Party.
According to him there were people in government that wanted him out because of his stance on illegal mining activities in the country.
In his report on illegal mining, formerenvironmentminister Prof. Frimpong Boateng expressed his horror at what he claimed to have learned through a phone call from attorney Gabby Otchere Darko, who allegedly instructed him to permit a mining business to operate in the Krobo and Apaprama Forest Reserve.
According to the report, which was allegedly written by the former minister, he was horrified because the lawyer who was closer to the president and should have supported his fight against Galamsey was the one fronting for the company to engage in illegality.
Prof. Boateng, in the said report, revealed that the lawyer had called claiming to be the legal representative for Donald Entsuah and his friend Simon Ayman, a Candian national, whose company C&J Aleska had reportedly caused havoc to theDiaso Forest Reserve.
The portion of the report read: ”The major pronouncement made by the President, when he took office in January 2017 that touched the hearts and rekindled the enthusiasm of many Ghanaians, including me, was about his preparedness to put his presidency on the line to fight the menace of illegal mining.
I took this statement literally and seriously and I was determined to do everything I could to protect the environment and biodiversity.
I was expecting people such as Mr. Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, Captain Kodah and others like them, who knew the President better and certainly had his interest and success at heart, to support the fight against illegal mining. I was thus horrified to receive a telephone call from Mr. Otchere Darko telling me he was the legal advisor to Mr. Donald Entsuah and his Imperial Heritage Mining Company and that the company should be allowed to work in the Kobro and Apaprama Forest Reserves.
It was this same Donald Entsuah and his friend Simon Ayman, a Canadian national, whose company C&J Aleska caused havoc in the Diaso forest. These two gentlemen were close allies of the Mahamas and soldiers from the Ghana Army gave them protection. Captain Mahama died in the course of his duty protecting Donald Entsuah’s interests.
The IMCIM was able to dislodge E&J Aleska from Diaso. Shortly thereafter Donald Entsuah established Imperial Heritage Mining Company and was given a prospecting licence to work in the Kobro and Apaprama forests in Amansie Central. Here again, he managed to get military protection contrary to all directives from government. Worse still, an important NPP member also provided legal advice.”
It added ”Going forward, if there will ever be such an undertaking, I expect the President’s pronouncement and wishes to be respected and supported, especially by those close to him.
For four years there were directives from the President and his Cabinet that were designed to help fight illegal mining. These directives were to be respected and carried out by Ministries and some agencies.”
Secretary-General of the Ghana Trades Union Congress (TUC), Dr Yaw Baah, has lamented the country’s poor economic state which has been worsened by successive governments.
According to him, Ghana should have been at a good place since its Fourth Republic but that has not been the case due to deliberate mismanagement.
He alleged that both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) have sabotaged Ghana by selling her assets to foreigners.
“We know that even though we have been stable for the past 30 years politically, economically we are down to the extent that Ghana can now not pay our debts.”
“These two parties – NPP and NDC – have sold all our assets to foreigners such that we now have to rely on debt to develop our country,” he said.
He said there is nothing good to write home about when Ghana is compared to her sister countries in Africa.
“Our incomes are terrible and even if we compare with our neighbours within the region, our incomes are among the lowest.”
He called for a rethink, asking civil society to take up the responsibility of developing a roadmap for Ghana.
A parliamentary candidate hopeful of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Keta constituency, Dr. Emmanuel Jones-Mensah, dismissed claims that he is not eligible to contest the seat.
He, however, has stated that he remains focused on his goal and will not budge to any cheap propaganda.
According to a statement issued by Livingstone Pay-Charlie, Jones-Mensah’s campaign manager, publications that have been made to the effect that his candidature has been put on hold due to eligibility are false.
“Dr. Emmanuel Kojo Jones-Mensah and his campaign team are focused and resolute on campaigning towards an emphatic victory on May 13 in Keta.
“It has come to our attention that some individuals within the NDC who have a personal vendetta against Dr Jones-Mensah are behind fake media publications purporting to state that his eligibility to contest in the Keta NDC primaries as a parliamentary aspirant has been put on ice, pending further investigations.
“We want to state that there’s no iota of truth whatsoever in these media publications,” the statement said.
The camp of Dr. Jones-Mensah also indicated that, contrary to claims that there is a question about the eligibility of their candidate, that matter has actually been resolved.
The statement added that the determination by the Volta Regional NDC Vetting Committee also found that the legal issues being thrown at their candidate had also been determined to be unfounded.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Volta Regional NDC Vetting Committee sitting in Dzodze on April 5 established that Dr. Jones-Mensah has valid NDC membership, dismissing an initial petition filed by one, Eric Detologo. At the national headquarters of the NDC last week Thursday April 13, the Appeals Committee heard two appeals against Dr. Jones-Mensah from Eric Detologo and Kwesi Djokoto, an aspirant in the Keta race. While the NDC 2023 guidelines guiding the internal parliamentary primaries preclude the two from appealing, the special Appeals Committee decided to hear them on the basis that they are party members.
“The two appeals were found to be frivolous, without material fact and vexatious, and same were dismissed. A full report of the Appeals Committee has since been published via a communique. Per the structural workings of the NDC, the clearance by the Appeals Committee for Dr. Jones-Mensah to contest has brought finality on this matter. The scurrilous fake media agenda is an exercise in futility,” the statement added.
Background:
A close source of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Keta constituency has told GhanaWeb that the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has confirmed that the name of a parliamentary hopeful for Keta, Emmanuel Jones Mensah, is not in the official database of the party.
The source explained that it has been confirmed by the party that the candidate’s name does not appear in its database.
“The Functional Executive Committee at its meeting today, Tuesday 18th April, 2023 deferred its decision on the eligibility of Mr. Emmanuel Jones Mensah, an aspirant in the Keta Constituency Parliamentary primaries of the party.
“This was after FEC considered the report of a special committee that has been set up to determine certain special appeals emanating from the decisions of vetting committees of the party.
During deliberations on the findings of the special committee by FEC, it became apparent that Mr. Emmanuel Jones Mensah’s name is not in the official Ashaiman database of the party as at 2018,“ the source said.
The party, the source added, has since put the decision on the eligibility of Emmanuel Jones Mensah on hold.
Read the full statement issued by Dr. Emmanuel Jones-Mensah below:
Thursday 20th April, 2023
DR. JONES-MENSAH FOCUSED ON VICTORY DESPITE FAKE NEWS ATTACKS
Dr. Emmanuel Kojo Jones-Mensah and his campaign team are focused and resolute on campaigning towards an emphatic victory on May 13 in Keta.
It has come to our attention that some individuals within the NDC who have a personal vendetta against Dr Jones-Mensah are behind fake media publications purporting to state that his eligibility to contest in the Keta NDC primaries as a parliamentary aspirant has been put on ice, pending further investigations.
We want to state that there’s no iota of truth whatsoever in these media publications.
For the avoidance of doubt, the Volta Regional NDC Vetting Committee sitting in Dzodze on April 5 established that Dr. Jones-Mensah has valid NDC membership, dismissing an initial petition filed by one, Eric Detologo. At the national headquarters of the NDC last week Thursday April 13, the Appeals Committee heard two appeals against Dr. Jones-Mensah from Eric Detologo and Kwesi Djokoto, an aspirant in the Keta race. While the NDC 2023 guidelines guiding the internal parliamentary primaries preclude the two from appealing, the special Appeals Committee decided to hear them on the basis that they are party members.
The two appeals were found to be frivolous, without material fact and vexatious, and same were dismissed. A full report of the Appeals Committee has since been published via a communique. Per the structural workings of the NDC, the clearance by the Appeals Committee for Dr. Jones-Mensah to contest has brought finality on this matter. The scurrilous fake media agenda is an exercise in futility.
We are therefore inviting the Disciplinary Committee of the NDC to call to order the media sponsors of this needles fake news and propaganda with the aim of twisting and slanting decisions of the Vetting and Appeals Committees to cause disaffection and opprobrium.
Despite the attacks and vile media propaganda, the campaign of Dr. Jones-Mensah is focused on taking the message of unity, hope and transformation to the delegates in Keta Constituency. No amount of distraction will sway our attention until resounding victory is delivered on 13th May.
What is needed at this crucial moment of our reorganization is to be united as one family and concentrate on capturing power from the NPP in 2024 to liberate Ghanaians from their suffering and long standing hardship. Ghanaians are looking up to us and we must not fail them.
To all sympathizers, loved ones and supporters of Efo Kojo, we emplore all of you to remain calm and focused, for the victory of Dr. Jones-Mensah is perfected by the Almighty God. The victory of the NDC is coming again! Eye Zu !!! Eye Za !!!
Issued by: Livingstone Pay-Charlie, CAMPAIGN MANAGER, TEAM JONES-MENSAH
Comments by Abetifi MP and Agric Minister, Bryan Acheampong, have been described by the Ghana Police Service (GPS) as ‘not criminal.’
According to the police, comments ‘do or die’ comments made by Former President, John Mahama; and Chairman of the NDC, Aseidu Nketiah, also do not qualify as ‘criminal comments.’
The Inspector General of Police, Dr. Akuffo Dampare, said this following a meeting held with the leaders of both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
It will be recalled that the Minister for Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, during the NPP’s Arise and Build Health Walk in Kwahu, was captured saying that the governing National Patriotic Party (NPP) will not hand power over to the opposition party, the National Democratic Congress, in 2024.
The former president on a campaign platform is also reported to have said in 2020 that the NDC was ready to match the NPP ‘boot-for-boot’ and in another instance, that the upcoming elections will be a do-or-die affair.
On his part, the chairman of the NDC in his victory speech, was also captured saying that the NDC is prepared to sacrifice everything, including their lives, to achieve victory.
Ever since, both parties and other individuals and groups have written to or called on the police CID, to arrest the people involved for making what they describe as inciteful remarks.
It is on the back of this that the IGP said the comments as made by the politicians, failed the criminal threshold test thereby making it unlawful to arrest the persons involved as it’s been demanded by both parties.
In a newspaper report by the DailyGuide, on April 20, 2023, stated that the police briefed both political parties on initiatives it has taken to ensure a safe election environment leading to the 2024 election.
Key among them are the National Election Security Task Force Secretariat (NEST) and the Legal Unit to probe all politically related incidents to determine if it warrants arrest or not.
John Dramani Mahama, a prospective 2024 presidential contender for the opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC), claims that party agents who will be taken to the National Collation Center, often known as the “strongroom” of the Electoral Commission (EC), will bring their own tea and purchase their own biscuits.
In the 2020 Presidential election petition filed by NDC’s Presidential candidate John Dramani Mahama at the Supreme Court, Rojo Mettle- Nunoo and Dr. Kpessah Whyte who were representatives of the party at the collation Center were blamed for dereliction of duty.
This was after the duo accused the Electoral Commission boss Jane Mensah of ‘tricking’ them to leave the premises to go and see Mr Mahama after which she announced the results on their blind side.
In one of the instances of cross-examination by Justin Amenuvor, the lead counsel of the Electoral Commission (EC), the former Deputy Health Minister Rojo Mettle- Nunoo said “I was offered tea, I wasn’t offered any biscuit” while he waited for the Electoral Commissioner for clarity on some anomaly observed in some of the results.
The Supreme Court stated in its verdict that Rojo Mettle -Nuno and Dr. Kpessah Whyte both second and third witnesses respectively for the petitioner John Mahama should rather blame themselves for leaving the National Collation Centre, that, they did not do their job of strict observation of the collation process therefore must accept the consequences.
Addressing delegates of the NDC at Ashaley Botwe in Greater Accra Region, on Tuesday as part of nationwide campaign tour ahead of the NDC’s Presidential Primaries, John Mahama said the party is going to be extra vigilant in 2024 election adding [on lighter note ] that, the party’s representatives at the strongroom will be provided their own tea and biscuits.
“We are not going to sleep. We are going to match them at the collation centers. We will be in the collation centers until the last ballot is accounted for. e are going to Match them in the EC’s strongroom. This time we don’t want tea we don’t want biscuit. Those we select to go to the strongroom we will give them our own tea and we will buy them digestive Biscuits to go to the strongroom”.
Mr. Mahama strongly stated that packing EC with activists of the ruling New Patriotic Party will not deter the NDC’s resolve to police the election results.
“Because they are afraid of losing the 2024 election they have started putting NPP activists as members of the Electoral Commission so that they can control the referee but when I say it is a Do or Die affair it means that it is a critical election whether they put NPP chairman on the electoral commission we shall match them boot for boot. We are going to match them at the polling stations we don’t Wana cheat anybody, but we don’t want anybody to cheat us. So we are going to mark them at the polling station and make sure that no extra ballot papers come from somewhere into that ballot box”.
Mr. Mahama charged branch and constituency executives of the NDC to actively get involved in the electoral processes in their respective polling stations and be very vigilant .
“Elections are won or lost at the polling stations..and in all your branches you have polling station. Vigilance at the polling stations is going to be in your custody. Campaigning in the polling station is going to be in your care and so we are going to rely on you to make sure that the election in your polling station is going to be free, fair and transparent. And we are putting in a robust system to be able to transmit out results and you the branch and constituency executives are going to be involved. It is a new system we will come and explain it to you”
Member of Parliament for the Ningo Prampram Constituency, Sam Nartey George, says the National Democratic Congress, will not drag any political party or the Electoral Commission to court over electoral malpractices.
He said the party will be vigilant at the various polling stations and ensure that they (NDC) win the elections.
“We will win our elections at the polling stations and we will protect and secure the ballot boxes at the polling station. Nobody has the intention of going to court. We will settle the scores in 2024 at the polling station,” he said.
He made the remarks on the Good Morning Ghana show, where he said the opposition NDC will use what it takes to win and protect the ballots boxes in the 2024 general elections and is prepared to go against match anyone who tries to rig the elections.
“Look, this is a message to our national chairman and general secretary, we are not going to court in 2024. So, nobody in the national executive should think that anybody will follow anybody to court. The courts in 2024 are going to be at the polling station. And that’s why I call for parliamentary candidates who have what it takes to secure the ballot boxes,” he said.
“Those with investment beating the war drums, they should continue, it doesn’t take a lot to raze down people’s investment. Fifty cedis fuel and one matchstick is what is needed,” Sam George added.
Meanwhile, Sylvester Tetteh, the New Patriotic Party (MPP) Member of Parliament for Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfro dismissed the threats from his fellow lawmaker, describing them as ‘threats of a cockroach.’
Sly interjected with his rebuttal stating: “This is a threat of a cockroach, and like William Shakespeare said, cowards die many times before their death. Cowards die many times before their death. Please, stop this.”
When host of Good Morning Ghana, Randy Abbey intervened asking that Sam George finishes, his point, he took a swipe at agric minister Bryan Acheampong who recently vowed that the NPP will match the NDC in 2024 and that they won’t hand over power to them ever.
“When your boss was standing there ‘ensi da’ (it won’t happen), even him you were hailing him. We will call a spade a spade in 2024, we will settle it at the polling stations,” Sam George added.
Inspector-General of Police,Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, has demonstrated his will to ensuring that the country is free from criminals.
Dr. Dampare says with the help and assistance of other security agencies, the fight against crime will be relentless.
He gave this assurance during the commissioning of a police barracks at Kwabenaya in Accra.
“My colleagues and I are working in partnership with other security agencies to give you the biggest of assurances to the government and the people of Ghana that we will never sleep nor rest until this country is at peace with itself,” Inspector-General of Police assured.
In a similar move, the police administration engaged the leaders of the two major parties on how best to defuse political tensions as part of efforts to maintain decorum on the country’s political landscape.
On Monday, April 17, 2023, the Ghana Police Service met with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the oppositionNational Democratic Congress (NDC) to discuss some political disagreements at the meeting called by the Inspector General of Police.
This was said in a statement issued by the Service after the engagement urging the parties to be decent in their operations.
“They should do their politics and allow the Police to do policing. We, therefore, called on them to support us including by criticizing us constructively to do a professional job in line with our constitutional mandate”, the Ghana Police Service mentioned in its release signed by its Director of Public Affairs, ACP Grace Ansah-Akrofi.
The Council of State has been urged to reconsider its recommendation about the appointment of Dr. Peter Appiahene and Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani to the Electoral Commission (EC) by the leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Despite the objections voiced by numerous stakeholders in Ghana’s democracy, President Akufo-Addo nevertheless swore in these two.
Article 70(2) of the 1992 Constitution dictates that such appointments be made in consultation with the Council and the NDC believes the Council has a role to play to get the President reverse the appointments.
In its petition dated Monday, April 17, the NDC argued that these appointments if not reversed will hamper the public confidence in the EC.
“Prior to his appointment to the Electoral Commission, Dr Peter Appiahene had played various roles for the New Patriotic Party in the Bono Region. Indeed, he touts himself in his political profile and personal credentials as a ‘strong NPP man with a lot of experience in election issues in Ghana.’”
“It is our considered view that the appointment of a personality with such overwhelmingly partisan credentials into the Electoral Commission will hamper public confidence in the constitutionally independent body and undermine the conduct of free, fair, and transparent elections in Ghana.”
“On the appointment of Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani, our background search reveals that she has well-known New Patriotic Party leanings. Aside from the fact that Hajia Salima Ahmed Tijani is herself an activist of the ruling New Patriotic Party, she is married to one Sheikh T.B. Damba, a former Second National Vice Chairman of the NPP, and Ghana’s immediate past ambassador to Saudi Arabia, from 2017 to 2021,” excerpts of the petition said.
The party stated among his political positions in the NPP as follows: • Member of the 2022 Bono Regional Election Committee of the NPP; • Bono Regional IT Director for Election 2020 for the NPP; • Bono Regional D-Day Coordinator for Election 2020 for the NPP; • Member of the National Research and Data Analysis Team for Election 2020 for the NPP; • Regional Collation Officer for NPP Internal Collation for Election 2020; • Member of the Bono Regional Communication Team of the NPP.
Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, Ben Ephson, has predicted that many Muslims will not vote in favor of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the upcoming 2024 elections.
He claims this is because Muslims feel the party has taken them for granted.
“The Muslims have now noticed that the NDC has taken them for granted for far too long because they don’t take Muslims for even running mate,” he said during an interview on Onua TV.
He further projected a landslide victory for Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in the general elections should he be given the nod as the NPP flagbearer, over two main reasons.
“If Bawumia is made the flagbearer of NPP, he comes with two main advantages; that is many Christians feel comfortable with him even though he is a Muslim and Muslims who used to vote for the NDC would switch and vote for NPP,” he asserted.
In another on Hello FM, Mr Ephson mentioned that former President John Dramani Mahama may win the NDC flagbearership position although he is most likely to lose the 2024 election bid.
“Mahama will win but it is 2024 that will be his problem. Mahama will win the NDC slot, he will win easily but 2024 is going to be his problem,” he said.
Pollster Ben Ephson has predicted a landslide win for Vice President in the 2024 election should he be given the nod as the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“If Bawumia is made the flagbearer of NPP, he comes with two main advantages; that is many Christians feel comfortable with him even though he is a Muslim and Muslims who used to vote for the NDC would switch and vote for NPP.
“The Muslims have now noticed that the NDC has taken them for granted for far too long because they don’t take Muslims for even running mate,” he asserted.
He also stated that former President John Dramani Mahama will have it difficult winning the 2024 presidential election.
According to him, the former president will most certainly win the flagbearership of the opposition National Democratic Congress but will face a bigger challenge in winning the presidency.
“Mahama will win but it is 2024 that will be his problem. Mahama will win the NDC slot, he will win easily but 2024 is going to be his problem,” he stated during an interview on Hello FM.
Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party, the two main leading political parties are set to elect their flagbearers.
In the NPP race, Mr Ephson has predicted a landslide win for Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who is one of the lead contenders.
In an interview with Onua TV in early April, Ben Ephson said Dr Bawumia will go ahead to win the presidency if he is elected the flagbearer of the NPP.
Member of parliament for Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfro, Sylvester Matthew Tetteh, has criticized member of parliament for Ningo Prampram, Sam Nartey George, for chastising the Akufo-Addo-led administration over the current state of the economy.
Speaking on a panel discussion on TV3’s ‘The Big Issue’ programme, on Monday, Sam George said that the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government are full of thieves, whose only aim is to steal from the people of Ghana.
He said that after stealing all the country’s resources, the government is now going into the pockets of Ghanaians to also steal them through its domestic exchange programme,
“The recklessness and callousness of these bunch of kleptocrats that we have running this country are…,” Sam George was saying before he was interjected by Sylvester Tetteh.
The MP for Bortianor-Ngleshie-Amanfro described Sam George’s comments as uncivilised and urged the host of the programme to check him.
“The words being used are not the best… We should have a very civil conversation… you come to a programmeand all you get is insults,” he said.
Sam George rebutted; “there can be no civility when you are stealing from me, you are stealing from my parent, you are stealing from our grandparents and you say I should be civil”.
Sylvester Tetteh, who was getting frustrated, berated Sam George for his comments saying, “a lot of people are watching including our kids. You don’t come on TV and come and insult people.
“We come and sit on national television and all we heap on the good people of this country is full of insults. Why are you not discussing issues, the content of the subject matter you are not discussing it and you come here and insult people? What kind of attitude is this.”
The Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira Constituency branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Western Region is embroiled in a dispute following the suspension of some of the constituency executives by the Regional Executives.
The executives have been suspended for allegedly hooting at the incumbent MP for the area, Kofi Arko Nokoe, during a recent visit by former President John Dramani Mahama.
According to a report by Dailyguidenetwork.com, the suspended executives include the Chairman, Emmanuel Ennor Kwofie, the Secretary, Gideon Ansah Mensah, and Organiser, one Obosu.
They have been accused of showing indiscipline during the former president’s visit when some members of the party in a particular T-shirt allegedly hooted at the sitting MP, causing those present huge embarrassment. The chairman’s wife’s supporters, who reportedly want to contest the upcoming parliamentary primaries, were among those who hooted at the incumbent MP while he was with the former president.
In a statement issued by the Regional Secretariat of the party and signed by its Secretary, Joseph Nelson, confirmed the suspension. The statement noted that the campaign tour of ex-President Mahama in the area on March 26, 2023, witnessed an unfortunate incident, and a circular was issued from the Regional Secretariat cautioning that no parliamentary aspirant should be allowed to use the occasion to campaign for themselves.
The statement added that as the Constituency Chairman, Emmanuel Ennor Kwofie, had the responsibility to ensure compliance with the party’s directive and protect the party from public ridicule, which did not happen.
Therefore, the Regional Executives at their meeting on April 6, 2023, and in reference to Article 48 Clause 8 subsection ‘C’ of the party’s constitution, took a decision to suspend him for a period of three months. The chairman’s suspension takes immediate effect, and his case will be referred to the Disciplinary Committee of the region for adjudication.
It is noteworthy that some branch executives of NDC in the constituency previously expressed their displeasure with the regional executives for allegedly trying to let the incumbent MP go unopposed in the party’s upcoming parliamentary primaries.
Meanwhile, the constituency chairman according to the Daily Guide report has refused to comment on the matter.
Themilitary shouldn’t be a part of the primary security taskforce for the 2024 general elections, according to security analyst Dr. Adam Bonaa.
He said they should just be on standby for support if need be.
“They should not be part of the core tasksforce for the elections, they should be on standby,” he said on the Big Issue on TV3 Tuesday April 18.
Dr Bonaa was commenting on the meeting that the Police held with the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Monday.
The meeting which was called at the instance of the Inspector-General of Police was necessitated by press statements issued by the parties and subsequently followed by petitions to the Police Service with each party calling on the Police to arrest certain individuals of the other side for some alleged offences.
At the meeting, both parties were given the opportunity to air their grievances.
The main issue raised by them was in respect to comments by some political actors from both sides of the divide considered to be inflammatory.
The Police told the leadership of NDC and the NPP not to interfere with their job.
The Police said in a statement after a meeting with the leadership of the two parties that they “should do their politics and allow the Police to do policing. We therefore called on them to support us including by criticising us constructively to do a professional job in line with our constitutional mandate.
As we commend the leadership of the two political parties for availing themselves and contributing to the success of the meeting, we would like to call on Ghanaians to help us in our effort to build an independent Police service which will serve the greater good of the Ghanaian people and not the interest of any individual or group of people.
“Once again, we wish to assure the public that we remain committed to ensuring peace, security, law and order in the country at all times including before, during and after all elections in the country,” the statement said.
Flagbearer aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed concern over the state of second-cycle education in the country following reports of a school converting a toilet facility into a washroom.
A recent report of students of the Ghana Secondary School (GHANASCO) in Tamale using toilet cubicles for accommodation has triggered uproar across the country.
Dr Duffuor has added his voice to the issue describing it as heartbreaking.
The former Finance Minister finds it difficult to fathom that “at this stage in the life of Ghana, after 66 years of Independence, some of our Senior High School children are being compelled to sleep in toilets because of the destruction of school facilities as well as the inability to rapidly replace/repair dilapidated structures.”
“Ghana Secondary School (GHANASCO), Tamale, is nothing short of, sordid,” he explained.
The headmaster of the school has since been asked to step aside.
But in an April 18 communique, Dr Duffuor insisted that it should not end there.
“While the rod is not being spared vis-a-vis the interdiction of the Headmaster, let the Policy Makers honestly work towards providing adequate facilities to support the educational transformation process.
A member of the National Democratic Congress‘ (NDC) publicity team, Margaret Ansei, has accused government of failing to address infrastructural challenges in Senior High Schools (SHS).
Her comment comes after it was reported that a toilet facility at the Ghana Senior High School(GHANASCO), a coed second-cycle institution in Tamale, Northern Region, has been converted into a dormitory.
According to her, accommodation challenges in schools have long existed, but the coming of the Free SHS should have prompted the government to address the infrastructural deficit before implementation.
“So, if today there is a policy that all children must go to school, it is a good thing. But in seven years, at least we should put all the parameters in place,” she said.
To her, the headmaster of GHANASCO acted to convert the toilet into dormitories because there wasn’t enough infrastructural development in the school as promised by the government.
“I don’t know how many dormitories the government under the Ministry of Education has built for the school in question and I do not really think that there will be a dormitory lying there and a rational person will convert toilet cubicles into dormitories for pupils,” she said
“I really think that the headmaster, as rational as he is, gone through the process to become a headmaster, will not just get up and say I am converting toilets into dormitories for human beings to go and sleep there” she went on to say.
Margaret Ansei further added that the government, prior to coming into office, promised to address the education challenges in the country, but it has failed woefully over the years.
“I remember prior to 2016, when Nana Addo was campaigning, he said he was going to build 350 schools from scratch. John Boadu amplified it, Nana Akomea also said the same thing. So, the 350 schools, if they are built, they are in their seventh year now at least… Ghanasco could get at least a 10-unit dormitory which can contain 50 students each. If we are seeing this today, then there is a challenge,” she added.
Margaret Ansei said this on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana, monitored by Ghanaweb.
The Majority leader cum Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has refuted claims that the Akufo-Addo led administration has bloated the number of Justices at the Supreme Court.
Setting the record straight, he said what the President has done is to replace potential Justices of the court who are due for retirement soon.
Responding to questions posed by the host of Kumasi-based Ashh Fm, Oderfour Quasi Kay, on Thursday April 13, 2023, the leader of Government Business linked the president’s nominations to the Supreme Court to that of effective delivery of justice rather than political expediency as speculated by the opposition NDC.
He mentioned names such as the Chief Justice, H.L Justice Annin Yeboah, H.L Justice Dotse, and some other Justices of the Apex Court who are due for retirement in few months from now.
He emphasized that, for effective and efficient administration of justice, and to ensure continuity of cases, the president could not have waited until the final exit of those due before he could nominate others to replace them.
The leader of Government Business, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, took time to engage the grassroots on what had pertained during the last session of Parliament.
Political pundits, and the grassroots would attest to this undeniable fact that Ghanaians would grossly miss the astute legislator when he finally bows out of Parliament for his constant interactions with the grassroots which keeps them informed at all times.
Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has, over the years, made conscious effort to engage the grassroots and to educate them on the happenings in Parliament with the slightest of opportunities available for him to do so without hesitation.
This is in spite of his busy schedules as the Majority Leader, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Leader of Government Business and the Vice Chairman of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, amongst others.
He concluded by extending his heartfelt condolences to the families of the two departed souls of the Members of Parliament who have joined their ancestors in Eternity.
Former president John Dramani Mahama has expressed the highest hope of becoming the country’s next President.
He boasted about being the first occupant of the Jubilee House as president of the republic.
Mahama related to the tradition of outgoing presidents hosting the incoming president usually at the presidency to show them around the place, that is the home and new office of the new president.
Speaking to party supporters in the Eastern Region last week, the presumptive flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) recounted how Rawlings hosted Kufuor at the Castle in 2000 and how Atta Mills got a similar treatment from Kufuor in 2008 at the yet to be completed Jubilee House.
“7th January 2017, I showed Akufo-Addo around the Flagstaff House, where he will sit, his vice president, cabinet office, his meeting and conference rooms, I am the one who showed him around.
“So, I was asking a question, on 7th January 2025, who will show John Mahama around the Flagstaff House?” he asked party faithful at the St. Martins Secondary School in Nsawam.
Mahama was in Nsawam as part of his National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearership campaign which was in the region during the week. He is seeking to lead the NDC into the 2024 election, which will mark his fourth consecutive run for the seat.
“I opened Flagstaff House and I am the first president to have worked from there, it is true it was built by president Kufuor but I was the first president to stay at Flagstaff House.
“So, after my inauguration, I will drive straight to Flagstaff House and start work,” he said in jest to cheers from the supporters.
TheEvalue-Ajomoro-Gwira constituency chairman, wife, the constituency secretary, and the organizer have all been suspended for suspected indiscipline and violating party rules during former president John Mahama’s regional trip.
According to the party, a group of party supporters wearing the T-shirt of the constituency Chairman’s wife hooted at the sitting Member of Parliament during the campaign tour, causing embarrassment to former President Mahama, the dignitaries present, and the party as a whole.
The party says the Chairman’s wife, who is seeking to become the Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency, should have known better and ensured that those wearing her T-shirt conducted themselves well to avoid such incidents.
The Chairman, Secretary, and Organizer have also been held responsible for their failure to ensure compliance with party directives and protect the party from public ridicule. The party has cited Article 48 of its constitution in justifying the punitive measure against them.
“Additionally, you would recall that in the lead-up to his tour, a circular was issued from the regional Secretariat to you, cautioning that no aspirant should be allowed to use the platform so created to campaign for him or herself.”
The embattled party members have been referred to the region’s National Disciplinary Committee for further action. The decision to suspend them has caused a stir within the party, with many questioning the severity of the punishment and the impact it could have on the NDC’s electoral fortunes in the constituency.
Former president, John Dramani Mahama has made light-hearted remarks about how his first day in office would be if he is sworn in as President of Ghana.
He asserts that he will hit the ground running because he is acquainted with the presidency having been the first occupant of the current location.
“7th January 2017, I showed Akufo-Addo around the Flagstaff House, where he will sit, his vice president, cabinet office, his meeting and conference rooms, I am the one who showed him around.
“So, I was asking a question, on 7th January 2025, who will show John Mahama around the Flagstaff House?” he asked party faithful at the St. Martins Secondary School in Nsawam.
Mahama was there as party of his National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearership campaign which was in the region during the week.
“I opened Flagstaff House and I am the first president to have worked from there, it is true it was built by president Kufuor but I was the first president to stay at Flagstaff House.
“So, after my inauguration, I will drive straight to Flagstaff House and start work,” he said to cheers from the supporters.
John Mahama campaign tour | Interacts with Nsawam Delegates || WoezorTV live https://t.co/VFlCLeRXe3
— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) April 12, 2023
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Party School would be dispersed across the various regions to train and reorient branch and constituency executives on the principles and history of the party, according to former president John Dramani Mahama.
Speaking at a campaign event in Suhum in the Eastern Region on Wednesday, Mr. Mahama who is expected to lead his party to the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections said, “it is not enough to say you are an NDC executive. You must understand what the party stands for.”
Mr. Mahama says because the NDC’s 2024 campaign will be anchored around the party’s branch executives across the country, it will require that they are not only resourced to carry out an effective campaign but also equipped with continuous training.
“We will therefore send all branch and constituency executives to the Party school to learn about the party, our ideology, its origins, Jerry Rawlings and about the Revolution, and the party constitution.”
According to Mr. Mahama, the plan is to decentralize the operations of the Party School into the regions, adding that the training will also focus on the functions of the executives, the NDC’s policies, campaigning, voter mobilization and canvassing among others.
The former president is on a three-day campaign tour of the Eastern Region. The ‘Building the Ghana we want Together’ tour is visiting 31 out of the 33 constituencies of the region in this phase of the campaign.
He has visited 7 other regions and is expected to receive an overwhelming endorsement from the party’s delegates to the May 13, 2023, presidential primaries.
Former president John Dramani Mahama has pokedPresident Akufo-Addo for failing to provide Ghanaians a stable economy despite claiming ‘we have the men’.
According to him, the NPP lacks the credibility to be trusted to turn around the economy.
During the 2012 and 2016 electoral campaigns, the then-presidential candidate Akufo-Addo that his team had the human resource to develop Ghana.
But, speaking to delegates during his visit to Kpone Katamanso on Friday, Mr Mahama stated that the NDC has come to the conclusion that this is not the case.
“In 2016, our colleagues, the NPP told a lot of lies about us. They labeled us as incompetent and they came with a lot of big and sweet promises to the people of Ghana and use that to persuade people that there will be a better government than we were.
“And so the people of Ghana tried them by voting for them. They said they should try them, ‘try me and see’. And that was a mistake the people of Ghana made because we have come to realise that after all, we have the men, we have the men. They were station boys, they don’t know anything,’” Mr Mahama said.
According to former President Mahama, the ministers who served during his administration performed better than the current administration.
Mr Mahama commented on the power purchase agreement, noting that the NDC had been chastised by the NPP for signing too many power purchase agreements.
As a result, he questioned why the government is adding to the power purchase agreement if there are so many.
“Just last week, they signed another power purchase agreements were signed to many power purchase agreements. Why are you signing another one today?”
He went on to say that the government promise of one district, one factory – one village, one dam was a hoax to sway Ghanaians’ votes. This, he explained, is because the factories are currently not operational.
“Recently, I was watching a documentary on Joy and most of those factories are not even working,” he added.
He also described as troubling the findings of a recent US State Department report on human rights violations in Ghana.
“The US Human Rights Report has come out and it makes it very bad reading, human rights abuses, corruption, torture, so many things, discrimination, everything go and read that report.”
According to him, when he assumes office, his government “will set up a governance Advisory Council. And that governance advisory council would include civil society organizations, religious leaders, chiefs, and ordinary grassroots people.
And every year, that council will release a report on the state of human rights corruption and everything in Ghana.”
John Dramani Mahama, a former president, claimed that the energy challenge (dumsor) was something he inherited.
However, he said, he took responsibility for the problem and solved it before leaving office in 2016.
Mr Mahama indicated that the dumsor was a generation problem therefore his government invested in power generation as part of the solution.
Speaking to delegates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Friday, April 14, Mr Mahama who is seeking to be elected flagbearer of the NDC said “In 2016, I wouldn’t say Ghana was a paradise but our situation was far better than it is today.
“In 2016 our colleagues the NPP told a lot of lies about us, they labelled us as incompetent and they came with a lot of big and sweet promises to the people of Ghana and used that to persuade the people that they will be a better government than we were.
“And so the people of Ghana tried them by voting for them, they said they should try them and that was the mistake the people of Ghana made because we have come to realise that after all the ‘we have the men. we have the men’ it was station boys, they don’t know anything.”
He added, “If you take our ministers who were running this country in 2016 and compare them with their ministers who are running Ghana today pound for pound, our ministers were far better than any of them.”
He further indicated that “We solved many difficult challenges, dumsor was not created by us, it was lack of generation capacity over the years, and so when we came into office we were confronted with it, we did not run away, we did not shift the blame to somebody.
“I could have said Presidents Rawlings and Kuffuor and President Mills did not add new generation but what we did was, we took responsibility, I went to Parliament and said yes you elected us to take responsibility, we take responsibility and we shall fix it.
“Truly, by the time we left in 2016, we had fixeddumsor, we had fixed the generational challenges Indeed, they accused us of putting in too much generation than we needed.”
Kennedy Agyapong, a member of parliament for Assin Central district in the Central region has spoken out against the notion that people from the north are violent.
Kennedy Agyapong who claims to have family ties to that part if the country stated that northerners are simply quick to defend themselves and their rights when they are being cheated or taken advantage of. Hence, the stereotype that they are violent is untrue.
In a video shared by Oman Channel on April 7, 2023, and sighted by GhanaWeb, the NPP flagbearer hopeful while speaking to members of the party in the Ayawaso East Constituency of the Greater Accra region, explained that because bortherners are quick to defend themselves, they are often labeled as violent. However, he stressed that this is not an accurate characterization of the people from the northern region of Ghana.
“…and the truth is, for my household, I celebrate both Salah and Christmas, in fact, my grandmother was a Muslim before she married. So, she was ‘Asante kremo’ but all my grandfathers are Muslims, I have Seidu, Abass, Siaka, and Yakubu, and all of these people are in my family who are Muslims.
“They settled more at Ajumako Anyan Asiam, whereby one of them married a Muslim there, so, all my family people are full of Muslims, except a few of us whose grandparents married Christians.
“You don’t know where I got my braveness from, my father used to teach at Wa, so I was always fighting and there was a certain day when I went to beat a certain lady. So, my mother was crying lamenting about what a man gave her during her pregnancy to mix with her meals and eat.
“So, I asked her about what she was lamenting about? and she replied that a certain man used to give her some powder to mix with her porridge and drink so that her son will become strong after delivery.
He added “So, for me, I am a ‘Wawula’ person, I come from Wa, and that is where the braveness comes from. That is why whenever I see the Northerners, I become happy because we all have the same character, we all hate nonsense … if you want to cheat us and we don’t give room for such things then you conclude we are not good.
“Do you understand? I know you don’t like cheating, so when it happens then you just say your mind, then they will conclude that they are violent people. So, I should sit down for you to cheat on me and go scot-free, no, is not possible. So, for me, I am one of you,” he said.
The race for the NPP flagbearership slot has top party members including Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia; former trade and industry minister, Alan Kyerematen; former food and agric minister, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto; former NPP General Secretary, Kwabena Agyapong among others.
November 4, 2023, has been slated as the date for the NPP presidential primaries to elect a flagbearer for the general elections in 2024.
The alleged approval of popular musician, Keche Andrew’s wife is causing chaos in the Amenfi Central constituency.
The National Democratic Congress(NDC) parliamentary primaries in the Amenfi Central district are expected to grant Joana Cudjoe, the wife of well-known musician Keche Andrew, permission to run.
However, she has been disqualified by the Regional Vetting Committee over allegations of forgery.
This was after the Committee established that, the aspirant’s name was not in the 2008, 2012, 2016 or 2020 voters register of the Electoral Commission in Bantama constituency after testifying before the vetting Committee that she started voting there in 2008.
Joana Cudjoe is one of five other seeking to challenge incumbent MP, Peter Kwakye-Ackah in the Amenfi Central primaries.
Also, the Committee noted that, Ms. Cudjoe only registered in 2020 in Amenfi Central which is far below the four-year mandatory period for aspirants wishing to contest as MP.
But a report by the vetting committee chaired by NDC Director of Communications, Kakra Essuman said the matter has been referred to Accra for further deliberation and advice.
Information available to us indicates that, Joana Cudjoe in spite of the allegations against her will be cleared to contest in the primaries.
A former president and flagbearer candidate for theNational Democratic Congress(NDC), John Dramani Mahama, will visit the Oti Region beginning on April 16 to meet with party members, officials, activists, and supporters.
During the visit, the flagbearer hopeful would engage with Branch, Constituency and Regional executives to enlighten them on his vision and plans for the nation.
A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) urged the nine constituencies’ chairmen to strictly adhere to the agreed programme schedule to ensure a successful event.
It said the leadership of the region, led by MrKwadwo Gyapong, had already engaged with the constituency chairmen to deliberate on the visit.
It said Mr Mahama would interact with some economic and social groups in Guan, Buem, Biakoye, Krachi East and Krachi West constituency on day one.
He is also expected to engage Krachi Nchumuru, Nkwanta North, Nkwanta South, and Akan constituency executives.
Former Central Region Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs, has mounted a strong defence for Abetifi MP, Bryan Acheampong over some comments he recently made.
He says he finds nothing wrong with Mr. Byran Acheampong’s controversial statements that have aroused political sentiments.
The Minister for Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, speechifying before a mammoth NPP supporters, stated emphatically that there is no way the NPP will hand over power to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“If the NDC dares to use threats, violence and foolishness in the 2024 election, we will let them know we have the men. We will show them that we have the men,” he stated.
He also stressed the “NDC party will collapse…We will show them that we have the men. We have the men!…We will make sure NPP remains in government at all cost”.
After making these statements, Mr. Bryan Acheampong has been bombarded with a barrage of criticisms with particularly the NDC petitioning the IGP to arrest him.
Reacting to the issue during Peace FM’s “Kokrokoo” morning show, Allotey Jacobs exclaimed that he doesn’t “see anything wrong with what Bryan Acheampong said”.
To him, Mr. Bryan Acheampong was possessed by what he called “gbeshie” to pep his party supporters up.
“It could be that he was possessed by ‘gbeshie’ and in one way or other was motivating their footsoldiers because of their large crowd which the other party never expected the NPP, their Unity walk, would have such a crowd,” he stated.
He also described Bryan Acheampong’s comments as a political strategy to debilitate the National Democratic Congress.
Narrating how he used to mobilize NDC footsoldiers to politically attack their opponents, Allotey Jacobs said; “We can group our footsoldiers and brief them as to what to say on a particular station. We tell our serial callers to tow a certain line. I mean it is organizational strategy; communicational strategy. So, Bryan Acheampong also felt that let me motivate my people because sometimes when you see the crowd, something we call in Ga ‘gbeshie’ could arrest you.”
A deputy communications officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Anthony Kweku Boahen, has alleged that New Patriotic Party (NPP) members who participated in the party’s unity walk at Mpreaso-Kwahu in the Eastern Region, were paid GHS 100 each.
According to him, a source privy to the organisation of the walk dubbed “Walk to Build A Better Ghana”, which took place on Saturday, April 8, 2023, informed of the said payment.
Speaking in a UTV interview on Thursday, April 14, 2023, monitored by GhanaWeb, Kweku Boahen berated the ruling NPP government for squandering Ghana’s resources.
“They are just wasting our money; they don’t know what they are doing. Look at what they went to do in Kwahu.
“I was told everybody who went there was paid GHS 100. The over 2000 people who went for the walk were paid GH¢100 each.
“You bussed these people to Kwahu, you gave them water and food and you gave them GH¢100 each for Easter, where did you get this money from? he said in Twi.
The NDC deputy communications officer said that money used for the walk could have been used for a project which will benefit the people of Kwahu.
“Couldn’t you have built a huge marker in Kwahu for people to get jobs? Because of your wickedness and inability to govern you just squandered the money.”
“… what crime did we commit for us to have such a cursed government,” he added.
Jennifer Oforiwaa Prempeh (Jennifer Queen), the deputy national communications director of NADMO, refuted Kweku Boahen’s allegations.
“He is telling lies… How can we give the over 2000 people, GH¢100 each? Was the money taken from your room?” she said.
Aspiring flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Kwabena Duffor has promised to treat grassroots consultation with the utmost importance should he be given the nod.
According to him, the party was founded primarily because the founding father of the NDC, the late Jerry John Rawlings, was passionate about the poor and needy, as well as issues confronting delegates at the grassroots level.
Thus, Dr Duffour indicated that grassroots levels are the pillars of the party and need to be prioritised.
“We must take care of the grassroots. You are the bedrock of the party, the foundation of the party. How do we make appointments without consulting you?
“In my administration, when I become the leader, yesterday I mentioned it, we have to link the government and the Party. And the Party structures must be well-formed. Right now, the government is here, the party is somewhere.”
“That’s why Yendi, all these years have not seen the place of a minister, deputy minister as ambassador or the CEO. It has to change immediately,” the aspiring flagbearer emphasised.
He made these statements at Yendi in the Northern Region on Thursday, April 14, 2023.
Subsequently, Dr Duffour emphaised the essence of consulting people from the grassroots level in the appointment of persons for some positions.
He also assured that should he become flagbearer of the NDC, he would ensure that there is a unit designated for such purposes is created.
“In my administration, there will be a unit within the party headquarters that will also be involved in the appointment of ministers and other jobs, ambassadors. We have do it from the grassroots.”
He also hinted at a pension scheme for cadres who formed the party have dedicated their lives to the service of the NDC.
“We owe it to them to provide them with the financial security they deserve in their retirement years. The Pension Fund is a symbol of our commitment to serving the party and its members, both in the present and in the future,” he added.
Aspiring flag bearer for NDC, Dr Kwabena Duffuor brings his tour of the Northern region to an end Thursday, April 13, 2023.
During his tour in the Kumbungu District, some of the delegates vowed to vote for him.
According to them, Dr. Duffuor has a proven track record that he can leverage to win the hearts of many Ghanaians as well as change the current economic challenges of the country in a short period.
The Kumbungu delegates said this when Dr. Duffuor took his campaign tour to the constituency.
During his tour of the Volta region, the former Minister indicated that he will restore the country’s economy if he wins the NDC’s flagbearer race and ultimately becomes President of the country in 2025.
He believes the NDC is a party that knows how to better manage the country’s economy stating that his tenure as the Finance Minister under the Atta Mills administration was the time the country made the most significant economic achievements.
It was during this period that the country also recorded the longest single-digit inflation rate.
He said, “When we left office in 2012 we had built a very strong economy, the best not only in Africa, the whole world talked about that. Now is on the ground because the current managers of the economy don’t understand how to manage an economy, they only know how to borrow -they have borrowed so much and now they are going about asking for more, now they are saying that we can’t pay our loans, can you help us.”
The former Bank of Ghana Governor indicated that the Atta Mills-led NDC administration did not borrow a dime from the Eurobond market but performed creditably.
“During our time, between 2009-12 we never borrowed a dime from the Eurobond market yet our performance has been the best since independence because we had a team that knew how to manage an economy.”
A former National Women’s Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Anita De Soso, has slammed the party’s Members of Parliament (MPs) over their complaints following the “NPP will never hand over power to NDC” statement made by the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.
Speaking in an XYZ TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, De Soso said over 30 NDC MPs took bribes to approve Bryan’s appointment as agriculture minister against the wishes of Ghanaians and the party’s orders but are now crying over his comments.
She added that the NDC MPs should be ashamed for approving Acheampong because their voting for him, in their numbers, is what has emboldened him to speak the way he did.
“We spoke to these MPs, but they did not listen. We suffered and got them to Parliament, but they refused to listen to us when we told them not to approve this man (Bryan Acheampong).
“About 31 NDC MPs voted to approve this man. This is the consequence of your taking bribes to approve him. And I’m praying that at least 10 of you will lose the upcoming primaries so you can come and confess.
“…you think being in Parliament is an opportunity to make money, and you took money to approve him. Today, he is the one paying you back as you deserve. I told you that God would punish you,” she said in Twi.
The former NDC women’s organiser added that if the NDC MPs intended to embarrass former President John Dramani Mahama and the party’s national executives by their decision to approve the government appointees, today they are reaping the seeds they sowed.
She also urged members of the NDC not to worry about Bryan Acheampong’s comments because the NPP can never use violence to win the 2024 elections.
What Bryan Acheampong said:
Bryan Acheampong, after a walk dubbed “Walk to Build A Better Ghana” with a multitude of New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters at Mpreaso-Kwahu in the Eastern Region on Saturday, April 8, 2023, stated that the ruling NPP will never hand over power to the opposition NDC in 2025.
He cautioned that the NPP would show the NDC that they have the “men” should they try to use threats and violence in the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections.
“The NDC party will collapse. If the NDC dares to use threats, violence, and foolishness in the 2024 election, we will let them know we have the men. We will show them that we have the men.
“We have the men. It will never happen that we, the NPP, will stand on a platform to hand over power to the NDC. It will never happen! We will make sure NPP remain in government at all cost,” Acheampong, who is also the MP for Abetifi, said.
NDC MP’s voting to approve Bryan Acheampong, others:
Parliament on Friday, March 24, approved all six ministerial nominees as well as the nominees of the Supreme Court of President Akufo-Addo after a heated debate, 24 hours earlier and a tense voting process.
Final results declared by Speaker Alban Bagbin showed that all nominees got more votes than the minimum of 138 votes required because out of the 275 eligible voters, there were three absent.
Some Members of Parliament (MPs) of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) did not adhere to the decision of the party to vote against the approval of the nominees.
Kobina Tahir Hammond (MP for Adansi Asokwa) was approved as the Minister of Trade and Industry and Bryan Acheampong (MP for Abetifi) as the Minister of Food and Agriculture.
Other nominees who were approved include Stephen Asamoah Boateng, as Ministry of Chieftaincy; Mohammed Amin Adam, Minister of State (Ministry of Finance), and Osei Bonsu Amoah, Ministry of Local Government.
Stephen Amoah, the Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, was also approved as the Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry.
The Supreme Court nominees who were approved include George Kingsley Koomson, Justice of the Court of Appeal, and Justice Ernest Yao Gaewu, Justice of the High Court.
Leading figures in the NDC, including former President John Dramani Mahama, slammed the MPs who broke ranks and have accused them of betraying NDC supporters and Ghanaians for their selfish interest.
The MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has challenged the said MPs, who were allegedly bribed, according to Cape Coast South MP, Kweku George Ricketts-Hagan, to come out and tell Ghanaians why they voted to approve Akufo-Addo’s nominees.
Ghana’s political terrain has recently seen a new trend. Call it mere political talk or comments that incite violence or not, one cannot help but notice how the two main political parties: the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP), have been in the news for the past few days over derogatory comments made by some individuals in their respective parties.
These individuals include ministers, statesmen, party executives, among others, with the latest of such controversial utterances made by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, at the NPP’s Arise and Build Unity Walk.
The minister was captured saying in Twi, “We will show the NDC that we have the men if they want to intimidate, harass us, or do anything foolish during the 2024 elections…It will not happen that we will hand over power to NDC. We’ll use any means for NPP to stay in power.”
Since then, the two parties have thrown jabs at each other. Whereas the NPP supports the minister, the opposition NDC has made several calls for the police to have Bryan Acheampong arrested.
The NDC has described the comments by the minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Abetifi, as offensive, treasonable, and a catalyst for violence.
But the NDC has not been alone in this, as a lot more individuals and groups have also called Bryan out over the controversial comments he made.
Experts, analysts, and even the National Peace Council have all added their voices to the conversation.
Yet, the use of comments with subtle ‘war inviting’ meanings is not new to Ghana’s political arena.
More than once, some known faces in the governing party NPP, while on different platforms, have made comments deemed troubling and ones that have the tendency to incite political tensions.
Giving a little background to this, in 2012, when the sitting president, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, was the flagbearer of the NPP, he made a comment that, for a long time, became a mantra around him.
“… They [NDC] have intentions to intimidate us in 2012 because they believe that we are soft and cowards. If they are thinking, then we shall see. At least, during the Atiwa by-elections, we showed a little of our colours there. You must understand that this party was formed by courageous people. Our leaders who formed this party that has now becomes the biggest political movement in Ghana were not cowards. So, in 2012 we need to be courageous, because all die be die…all die be die…” he said during a campaign event.
The infamous ‘All Die Be Die’ became a reference point for a lot of conversations about violence and war-mongering for so long thereafter.
And then more recently, in 2022, during the NPP’s Delegates Conference in Kumasi, the Director of Operations at the Presidency, Lord Commey, also made a similar statement.
“… this is the time. If we can’t say these things in conference, I don’t know where else we would say them. I charge you… break the eight, break the eight… it has become a slogan… I, who stand before you now, so far as I live, I am not breaking any eight… the power, I say, I will not hand over to them today nor tomorrow…” he chanted to the teeming supporters of the party.
As expected, those comments also received a lot of backlash and condemnations, but that did not stop others in the party from also choosing to follow in this line.
Just a year later, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has become the newest culprit.
The National Democratic Congress’ John Dramani Mahama may have also recently said that he and his party would match the NPP ‘boot for boot’ in lead up to the 2020 general elections, but it is not enough justification for the ruling party to still want to maintain a stance on comments that fuel tensions in the country.
It is, therefore, worrying that the only justification the NPP continues to make to, especially, the recent comments by Bryan Acheampong, is their reference to Mahama’s comments, and those of the National Chairman of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, during his victory speech in 2022, where he said ‘we are prepared to sacrifice everything… including our lives.’
What remains an unanswered question is, if members of the NPP are not comfortable with other politicians making similar utterances, why make them yourselves?
The tradition of campaigning has been that candidates or parties sell their messages and achievements to the citizens with the aim of getting their votes.
The warmongering comments must be rebuked, called out and stopped before they escalate into full-blown violence in the country.
Political parties must note that power comes with responsibilities. Whether you retain it or hand it over to the next, utterances with subtle ‘war inviting’ meanings and controversial comments must be made with a pinch of salt.
According to Richard Ahiagbah, the director of communications for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), the effects of Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war on the world economy are visible.
He told Ghanaians not to be deceived by the main opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) to think otherwise.
Despite the effect of these two exogenous factors, he said, the government of Ghana continues to pay salaries and provide essential public services.
“Ghanaians, we are going through difficulties, but we continue to pay salaries and provide essential public services.
“The impact of Covid-19 and Russia-Ukraine war on the global economy is real. Let’s not be deceived by NDC to think otherwise,” he tweeted.
Ghanaians, we are going through difficulties, but we continue to pay salaries and provide essential public services. The impact of Covid-19 and Russia-Ukraine war on the global economy is real. Let's not be deceived by NDC to think otherwise. #CitiCBS #CitiNewsroom #JoyNews… pic.twitter.com/1krde4mSex
— Richard Ahiagbah (@RAahiagbah) April 13, 2023
The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva has also repeated her comment that Ghana’s economy has been negatively impacted by the Russia-Ukraine war.
She described Ghana as an innocent bystander that has been hit by the Covid pandemic and the war.
Speaking at the ongoing IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, she said “we have been in constant contact with authorities in Ghana, we have worked very hard and very swiftly to have the programme, $3bn support programme, for Ghana in place.
“We have been urging Ghana’s creditors to act swiftly. My appreciation also for the proactive role of the Minister of Finance of Ghana in reaching out to the creditors. We are expecting that next week there will be discussions among creditors.”
She further indicated that the Fund has asked Ghana’s creditors to act swiftly to ensure that the deal that the country is seeking with the Fund is approved.
“I can tell you that I use every opportunity myself to urge them to act swiftly. Let us remember that Ghana for a long time has done really well to tap markets to finance its growth paths.
“It has been like all innocent bystanders hit by Covid, hit by the war in Ukraine. it caused complicated domestically, the ability to Finance the budget. So a country that has a long track record of sound macroeconomic management.”
