TIG Post

Tag: New Patriotic Party

  • He knew the purpose of the photos – Ad agency behind ‘Remember Me’ billboards fights back

    The company behind the “Remember Me” political advertisement of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2020, which has become a subject of recent conversations, has come out to refute claims that they deceived and paid their actors only GH₵300.

    According to Riverblade Intuition, there appears to be an intentional plot by one of the models, Nicholas Teye, a former beneficiary of the Nation Builders Corps (NABCo), to misrepresent the facts of the matter.

    He claimed that Nicholas and 31 others, most of whom were not lucky enough to have had their pictures selected, each received GH₵500 as well as transportation of GH₵50 each.

    He added that the total amount paid to all of them came to GH₵17,050.

    He also refuted the claim that the actors had not been given the full details of what they were in for.

    “First of all, a simulated design of the billboard adverts was shown to him repeatedly during the photoshoot to get his expression and acting. Also, the intended purpose for his photos was expressly stated in the release form he signed before the shoot began,” Roman Boakye Gyinae, the Creative Chief and Director of Strategy at Riverblade Intuition, said, a report by mynewsgh.com stated.

    Earlier, GhanaWeb reported that Nicholas Teye had claimed that he was only paid GH₵300 for the photos he took.

    He added that his life is currently under threat because his face was splashed on the billboards without his knowledge.

    Speaking to TV3 in an interview, Nicholas stated that people blame him for the current economic hardship facing Ghanaians, as they believe that he also campaigned for the governing party.

    The SHS teacher stated that he has had to even disguise himself by wearing a nose mask and a cap whenever he wants to go out of his home, for fear of being noticed and attacked.

    “My major challenge is the threat. So, any time I have to go out, I have to put on a nose mask and sometimes a cap.

    “Sometimes, I will be in the room, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday without going out because I am afraid if I step out, I don’t know what will happen to me. The moment they see you [sic] they are angry and they want to beat you because you are part of the reasons why they are suffering. Sometimes they will call you and threaten you.

    “Sometimes my wife will tell me where I am going, if I have the money, I should take Uber,” Teye narrated.

    Riverblade Intuition also explained that the advertisements under the “Remember Me” campaign for the NPP had more than 85million impaction online, influencing voter decisions through the use of emotive themes.

     

     

  • Cedi is struggling because of speculation, stop it – NPP tasks media

    Richard Ahiagbah, the National Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party, (NPP) is concerned about the continued depreciation of the Ghana cedi.

    He is equally concerned about what he describes as ‘talking down’ the currency which is currently the worst against the US dollar globally according to a Bloomberg report.

    “The widespread talking down of the cedi is contributing largely to the struggle of the cedi. The technical word for it is speculation. The speculation must stop,” he tweeted on Friday, October 21.

    His tweet was in reaction to a description of the cedi as ‘worthless’ in a news reportage by Accra-based TV3.

    Ahiagbah was echoing a similar concern raised by a leading member of the NPP, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, who had in a series of Facebook posts warned against how journalists especially describe the cedi.

    Gabby holds that whenever journalists report negatively on the cedi, they become accessories to fuel speculation about the currency and thus become complicit in its depreciation.

    He wrote in a Facebook post on October 20 thus: “Journalists can report and influence. But where the default mode is to influence negatively, such media houses run the risk of becoming partners in speculation.

    “It is not the job of journalists and analysts to fix the cedi; but fixing it is not helped if they make it more their job to fuel speculations.

    “The cedi may be worth 60% less now than what it was to the US dollar last year. But it is not worthless! My sympathies go to the many, many businesses and consumers out there who simply do not know where to turn,” the post added.

    His comments come a day after Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta appealed against panic and unnecessary rush to get the dollar. he, however, described the depreciation of the cedi as ‘perplexing.’

    The widespread talking down of the cedi is contributing largely to the struggle of the cedi. The technical word for it is speculation. The speculation must stop.#BuildingGhanaTogether #developingghana #Ghana @tv3_ghana pic.twitter.com/lLziWhthAT

    — Richard Ahiagbah (@RAahiagbah) October 21, 2022

  • NPP’s ‘breaking the 8’ agenda is possible by deeds not words – Dr. Amoako Baah

    Dr. Richard Amoako Baah, a Political Scientist and a member of the governing NPP, is of the view that the governing New Patriotic Party‘s (NPP) ‘break the 8’ agenda is mere rhetoric.

    According to him, it will be difficult for the governing party to achieve that aim because going beyond the eight-year cycle as has been the case since 1992 can only be possible by deeds or performance and not words.

    “When people are saying that you cannot break the 8, that is what they are saying, you cannot. What are you going to do to break the 8 anyway? It is your performance that breaks whatever you want to break not you yourself saying it…it is others who are going to vote to look at your performance and they thought that they will break it for you. So, we see these things because there is a lack of performance,” Dr. Amoako Baah said on Joy FM, Friday, October 21.

    The political scientist was reacting to the Global InfoAnalytics survey report which revealed that 70% of eligible voters doubt the ability of the New Patriotic Party to win the 2024 general elections.

    To him, the survey is not scientific although it gives an idea of where the country is heading.

    He noted that the unpopularity of President Akufo-Addo is a clear testimony of the position of the NPP in the 2024 elections.

    “The party in power and especially when the leader, the President becomes this unpopular it is very easy to decide where this is going. You will know the outcome beforehand but this research is unscientific that is all it is.”

    Global InfoAnalytics survey in its October 2022 report stated that the majority of the voters have ruled out the possibility of the NPP ‘breaking the eight’.

    “On the question of whether the NPP can ‘Break the Eight’, approximately 70% of voters do not believe the NPP can win the 2024 election, whilst 19% believe so and 10% have no opinion”, a summary of the survey disclosed.

    The survey also revealed that former President John Dramani Mahama, if given the mandate as the NDC flagbearer, will beat any of the two frontrunners of the governing NPP in the 2024 elections.

    The report noted that Ghanaians are likely to vote for John Dramani Mahama as the next president over Dr Mahamudu Bawumia or Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen.

    “In the general elections, the poll shows Mahama (JDM) continues to lead his potential rivals from the NPP, Bawumia (DMB) and Alan Kyeremanten (AKK) by a significant margin if the elections were held today.

    “The poll shows further that among voters who are likely to vote in the 2024 elections, JDM leads DMB 62% to 33%, representing a 29% lead. 6% of voters prefer to vote for someone else (SO). In the race between JDM and AKK, JDM leads AKK 60% to 36%, representing a 24% lead. 5% prefer to vote for SO”, excerpts of the survey read.

    Global InfoAnalytics

    Global InfoAnalytics Ltd, is a research company based in Accra. The company describes itself as “the trusted foundation for decision making; we earn that trust through the application of sophisticated methodologies to the real-world problems of companies, political organisations and policy and strategic decision-makers.”

    Global InfoAnalytics has uniquely addressed the market demand for big data analytics solutions and services and provide clients with cost-effective and result-oriented service offerings that enable them to gain a competitive edge.

  • Only an NPP government can restore Ghana’s economy – Akufo-Addo

    President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has insisted that only a New Patriotic Party government has the requisite policies and programmes needed to restore Ghana’s current economic challenges.

    According to him, the governing party has over the years garnered a track record of implementing policies aimed at restoring economic growth and social development.

    Speaking at an event to launch the membership card of the NPP, President Akufo-Addo assured citizens of addressing ongoing challenges within the economy which is now seeking IMF support.

    “I’m saying to you today, join the New Patriotic Party. Those of you who are not part of it, join us so that we will be stronger as a party. But the problems we have in Ghana today, we will solve these problems in Ghana and put our economy back in a strong place. No party in Ghana has the programme to get the country out of these problems. We are the only ones who can.

    “And we will do it, we will do it to the surprise of everybody. We are going to do it and bring our country back onto the space of time,” President Akufo-Addo said.

    Meanwhile, since the beginning of this year, Ghana has been experiencing a wave of economic challenges which include revenue generation constraints, credit rating downgrades, cedi depreciation, and inflation hikes, among others.

    Although government has occasionally blamed the development on external factors such as the Russia-Ukraine war, fallouts from the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghana has now resorted to the International Monetary Fund for financial assistance.

    The Ghana cedi on the other hand has been ranked the worst currency in the world among 148 currencies tracked by Bloomberg, overtaking Sri Lanka’s rupee, having depreciated by nearly 50 percent so far in 2022.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Gabby Otchere-Darko fights TV3 over ‘worthless Cedi’ tag

    Gabby Otchere-Darko is the founder of the Danquah Institute and a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

    Gabby Otchere-Darko, a prominent figure in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has criticized Accra-based TV3 for calling the local currency “worthless.”

    Even though the Cedi is currently in decline, in his opinion, the TV station’s label is not appropriate.

    In a Facebook post on Friday, Otchere-Darko said that the challenges of the Cedi do not call for media speculations which only worsen the situation.

    Noting his reservations, ‘Gabby’, as he is popularly called expressed hope in the Cedi which has been losing its forex value steeply in recent times.

    “Even as reputable analysts, such as JP Morgan, are today describing the cedi in a mixed tone as at least ‘15% undervalued’ and its net risk as “positive”, but our forex market “distorted”, a big Ghanaian media house is busily and loudly describing the cedi as ‘worthless’.

    “Journalists can report and influence. But where the default mode is to influence negatively, such media houses run the risk of becoming partners in speculation”, he protested.

    Mr Otchere-Darko continued, “It is not the job of journalists and analysts to fix the cedi, but fixing it is not helped if they make it more their job to fuel speculations. The cedi may be worth 60% less now than what it was to the US dollar last year. But it is not worthless!”.

    “My sympathies go to the many, many businesses and consumers out there who simply do not know where to turn. There is hope because there is every indication that the new injection of more forex, should reduce the influence of black market operators on rates, giving the local currency a necessary relief from next week”, he concluded.

    The comments by the NPP bigwig comes at a time when the local currency is experiencing acute decline as compared to the US dollar and other major trading currencies.

    The situation has subsequently triggered widespread anxiety amongst the public, with many blaming the government for failing to salvage the economy.

    In a series of social media comments recently monitored by JoyNews, some sections of the populace are calling for the resignation of the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, in the wake of the economic crisis.

    Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo says there is no basis for him to sack the Finance Minister.

    According to him, Ken Ofori-Atta has discharged his duties “excellently” and therefore he cannot relieve him of his duties.

    Speaking on OTEC FM on Monday, he said he has full confidence in the Minister, who is his cousin.

    He insisted that Ofori-Atta cannot be blamed for the current economic woes the country is facing.

  • You can’t use Mahama to advance your vice-presidential ambitions – NDC jabs NAPO

    The National Democratic Congress (NDC), in the Ashanti Region have cautioned the Manhyia South Member of Parliament, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh to stay off joining issues with former president John Dramani Mahama.

    The party at an October 20, 2022 press conference said a recent attack on the former president by the MP, popularly referred to as NAPO, was to further his ambitions of becoming a vice-presidential aspirant of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).

    NAPO had earlier this week stated that he was going to match Mahama boot for boot given that he was the most likely presidential candidate of the NDC. He reportedly added that he was going to teach Mahama some sense.

    Responding to his claims, the NDC official who addressed the press conference stated: “We know you have aspirations of becoming a running mate, but if you think you will use Mahama to advance your aspirations, then we are battle ready for you.

    The NDC asked NAPO to advance any extra sense that he had to VP Mahamudu Bawumia to help him tackle the economic challenges the country is currently faced with.

    “We want to tell the Manhyia South MP that even if he has any sense as he claims, he should advance some to Bawumia to tackle the economic challenges so that people in his constituency – Alabar and Ashtown – to ameliorate the hardship and loss of livelihoods people are suffering.

  • Kumasi became ‘borla’ city after Kufuor left in 2008 – NAPO claims

    Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, alias NAPO, has restated why the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will forever remain the preferred party in the Ashanti Region.

    He holds that it is often during the NPP’s era that the region known to be its electoral world bank gets needed development.

    NAPO, while speaking at the flagging-off ceremony for work to begin on the Suame Interchange stressed that Asanteman had to be forever grateful to the party for its contributions to development.

    “When Nana Addo speaks, people take him on, I want to tell all of you gathered here that if you need a government that will come and help Asanteman, it is the NPP.

    “If God had allowed Nana Addo to succeed President Kufuor, Kumasi would have been known as the golden city. When that did not happen, we became known as borla city, there was refuse all over the place since Nana Addo came, have you seen the refuse?

    “We shouldn’t show ingratitude, Asantes are grateful, let us not be ungrateful. Asante has good memories…,” he stated before adding: “it is based on this that we will continue to vote for the NPP till God descends from the heavens.

    “I can say that anyone here who votes for the NDC does not mean well for Asanteman,” he added in a video clip sighted by GhanaWeb.

    President John Agyekum Kufuor completed his second term in office in 2008 having taken office in 2000 from the late Jerry John Rawlings.

    The election to replace Kufuor was between Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the late John Evans Atta-Mills. The latter contesting for the third consecutive time beat Akufo-Addo in a runoff vote.

    Imagine what’d happen if this came from any NDC member of parliament from the Volta Region. Just imagine???? pic.twitter.com/kcaZDECInV

    — General Marcus! (@marcusadampah) October 20, 2022

  • ‘The suffering is extreme’ – Sam George laments economic challenges

    Only God, according to Ningo Prampram politician Sam Nartey George, can revive Ghana’s faltering economy.

    The opposition NDC MP’s remarks were prompted by the nation’s present economic difficulties.

    For the sixteenth consecutive month, Ghana’s annual inflation rate increased to 37.2% in September 2022 from 33.98% in August.

    Also, prices of imported goods accelerated faster than domestic items. This is largely due to the weakening cedi.

    Mr Nartey George, who referred to one of the icons the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) used in the 2016 election campaign, Kalyppo, said despite the sweet taste of the fruit juice, Ghanaians are witnessing the opposite.

    “Kalyppo is supposed to be sweet but what we are seeing is a completely different ball game, oh”.

    “Even Akpeteshi would not burn us like this,” Mr Nartey George stated in a Facebook post on Monday, 17 October 2022.

    He added: “The suffering is extreme! Only God can save us now.”

  • ghanaweb.com Your legitimate concerns being addressed – Parliament Trade committee vice chair to GUTA

    Members of the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA), who are currently on strike, have received assurances from Alexander Akwasi Acquah, vice chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade and Industry, that the government will save the cedi.

    Due to the country’s high inflation and rising cost of doing business, merchants in the Greater Accra Region closed their doors on Wednesday, October 19, 2022.

    The vice chairman, who represents the Akim Oda Constituency in the Eastern Region as a member of parliament for the ruling New Patriotic Party, asserts that the traders have a real worry.

    He said the economic management team is working around the clock to address the issues of the financial difficulties.

    Mr. Akwasi Acquah gave this assurance while reacting to the second day of the traders’ shop closure in the Accra metropolis.

    He spoke to Emmanuel Quarshie (The Hitman) on Accra100.5FM’s morning show, Ghana Yensom, on Thursday, 20 October 2022.

    He said this is not the time to apportion blame over who did this and who did that.

    “As a member of the trade and industry committee of parliament, I know what is being done behind closed doors to have some of these issues addressed in record time,” he said.

    He said Ghanaians would soon see some of these measures being rolled out to have some of these economic challenges addressed.

    He stressed that very soon, some of these measures will bear fruits for everybody to see.

    He called on the traders to exercise some restraint in their demands amidst the economic challenges.

  • Factcheck: Owusu Bempah’s claim Cedi is 3rd strongest currency in Africa false

    Claim: ‘Cedi is 3rd strongest currency in Africa’ – Deputy NPP Communications Director

    “A simple google check and referencing the rate at which other currencies are depreciating against the dollar will have shown that the Cedi in terms of value is indeed the third strongest currency in Africa.”

    Verdict:

    GhanaWeb has verified Owusu Bempah’s claim and finds the statement inaccurate.

    Full Text:

    The Deputy Communications Director for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Owusu Bempah stated on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 through a press release that the Ghana Cedi is the third strongest currency in Africa.

    According to him, persons who described the Cedi as the worst-performing currency in the world are mere propagandists and therefore challenged them to name any currency in Africa stronger than the Cedi aside from the Tunisian Dinar and Libyan Dinar.

    Verification

    Data from global financial news, research and data organization, Bloomberg shows that the Cedi is currently the worst-performing currency against the US dollar in the world.

    Bloomberg measures the strength and performance of global currencies by comparing currencies against more stable currencies like the US dollar, UK pounds and the Euro in real-time.

    In its latest tracking of 148 currencies across the world, Bloomberg projected the Cedi depreciated by 45 percent this year and on Monday, October 17, 2022 alone, the Cedi depreciated by 3.3 percent to trade at GH¢11.2750 to $1 and currently stands at GH¢13.55 to $1.

    According to Bloomberg, this makes the Cedi the worst-performing currency in the world and Africa, overtaking the Sri Lanka Rupee.

    Specifically, on the African continent, Bloomberg in August 2022 tracking ranked the Cedi as the worst performing currency among African currencies with the “Worst Spot Returns”

    The cedi, at the time, recorded -28.82 percent depreciation to the dollar as of August 8, 2022, to sell at nearly GH¢9 to a dollar.

    The reports and tracking by Bloomberg have been corroborated by renowned Ghanaian Economist, Professor Godfred Bokpin in an interview with BBC Pidgin who revealed that the Cedi is even performing worse on the Black market where it is traded at over GH¢12 to $1.

    In addition to this, Checks by GhanaWeb Business at some forex bureaus in Accra show that the cedi is currently selling at GH¢13.65 to $1 as of October 20 while the Bank of Ghana is selling at a rate of GH¢11.31 as of October 19.

    According to AfriSwap, the UK Pound is selling at GH¢14.50 while the Euro is going for GH¢12.40 as of October 20, 2022.

    Professor Steve Hanke, a Professor of Applied Economics at Johns Hopkins University and famous for measuring the global economics and strength of global currencies rated the Cedi as the lowest-performing currency in the world.

    Conclusion:

    From the above data and figures provided, the GhanaWeb FactCheck team finds Owusu Bempah’s claim that the Cedi is the 3rd strongest currency in Africa inaccurate.

    The Cedi is currently the worst-performing currency against the dollar in the world, overtaking the Sri Lanka Rupee as of Monday, October 17, 2022.

    Source: Ghanaweb

  • Akufo-Addo, NPP’s popularity critically low in Ashanti region – NDC

    The Ashanti Regional branch of the opposition NDC has criticized President Akufo Addo’s just-ended tour of the Region describing it as full of tantrums and empty promises.

    It argued that the Ashanti Region is no more a stronghold for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), but has now turned into a strangling hold for the governing party.

    The opposition NDC said it observed a cold reception that turned into booing and jeering when the president visited the Ashanti region on his four-day working tour.

    Addressing the media, the Regional Communications Director of the NDC, Nurudeen Abass contended the president had nothing substantial to show to the Ashanti region for all the revenues and votes the Nana Addo administration enjoyed from the region.

    “Distinguished friends from the media, it goes without saying that President AkufoAddo’s latest tour of his favourite political backyard was nothing short of
    underwhelming. With nothing by way of any worthy accomplishments, President AkufoAddo went about inspecting and commissioning mediocre and mundane projects which ordinarily should be the work of DCE’s and other government officials. To imagine that the President was driven in a convoy of nearly 70 V8’s to commission a magistrate court building at Toase, sums up what miserable spectacle of a tour it was.

    “It is important to remind ourselves that when President Mahama and the NDC constructed a brand new High Court building at Obuasi in 2016, the then Regional Minister and MCE for Obuasi at the time did the honour of commissioning same. This is for us, the difference between the Nation-Builder, President John Dramani Mahama and the Family Builder, His Excellency William Akufo-Addo. Whereas one of them – President Mahama, built legacy projects in the Ashanti Region, such as the $234 million Kejetia Central Market project, the largest investment in the history of the Ashanti Region, the Kumasi Airport Phase II, Rattray Park, Konongo-Kumawu-Kwahu Water Project, the 500-bed Military Hospital at Afari, the 250-bed Regional Hospital at Sewua, the other – President Akufo-Addo, has very little to show for all his unprecedented borrowing and the huge votes he enjoys from the people of the region.

    “Indeed, the popularity of the New Patriotic Party and President Akufo-Addo for that matter is so low in their own stronghold that they have resorted to emulating the NDC’s hugely successful membership drive in the Ashanti Region in order to try and revive their sinking fortunes. For a party that garnered as much as 1.8 million votes out of a total of 2.5 million valid votes cast in the 2020 elections to be conducting a membership registration drive in their supposed comfort zone two years down, is clear indication of their waning popularity in the region.”

  • ‘Book Economist’ Bawumia has failed the cedi – NDC aspirant

    As the leader of the Akufo-Addo government’s economic management team, Vice President Mahamadu Bawumia has failed to stabilize the cedi, hence Mr. Henry Osei Akoto, a National Organiser candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has encouraged him to give up on his presidential aspirations.

    Dr. Bawumia, who previously said: “If the fundamentals are poor, the exchange rate will expose you,” has allegedly been severely undermined by the cedi, according to Mr. Akoto.

    On Thursday, October 20, 2022, during Ghana Yensom, a segment of Accra100.5FM’s morning program, Mr. Akoto gave the guidance to Emmanuel Quarshie (The Hitman).

    He said the cedi depreciation had made nonsense of the presidential ambition of Dr Bawumia.

    “The Vice President has, over the years, been touted as the economic wiz kid of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), [however], the current depreciation of the cedi has badly exposed his economic prowess,” Mr Akoto said.

    He said Dr Bawumia is a “book economist” who lacks practical skills.

    Mr Akoto warned the Vice President not to come close to the presidential race of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

    He urged him to pack his baggage and go enjoy his retirement.

    Mr Akoto argued that should Dr Bawumia become president of Ghana, he would plunge the country into an economic abyss.

    In his view, the economic wizard has now become a digitalisation poster boy.

  • Let’s put aside politics and save the cedi – Prince David Osei begs

    Actor Prince David Osei has once again called on Ghanaians to come together and save the country amidst the current economic crisis and the cedi’s poor performance against the dollar.

    Prince who campaigned for the sitting president and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) during the 2020 presidential elections has pleaded with citizens to put aside their political difference and suggest “ideas or in-depth knowledge on how to stop the further depreciation of our currency and stabilize our economy”.

    He maintained that he will speak against negative moves by the NPP although he campaigned for them.

    His tweet dated October 18, 2022 read: “Can we all put aside politics, humble ourselves and seek help from whoever has the ideas or in-depth knowledge on how [to] stop the further depreciation of our currency and stabilize our economy… Because at this point it’s all-inclusive.”

     

    His call comes after he proposed a demonstration to register citizens’ displeasure against the government’s poor management of the country.

    The statement was, however, shot down by a section of Twitter users who instead called him out for campaigning for the political party that has been blamed for the nation’s woes.

    Unperturbed by the backlash, the actor admonished such persons to have a “change of mindset”.

    “There is a country I know in Africa, if you speak positivity and try as much as possible to be honest they don’t like it, but if you speak tomfoolery, full of negativity and insults you will be glorified as a hero! How pathetic for such a nation… Folks need a change of mindset,” he said.

    Check out his tweets below:

     

  • It’s your problem if you vote for NDC – Akufo-Addo to residents of Kwabre and Manso

    President Akufo-Addo has stated that threats of voting against him or the New Patriotic Party(NPP)  due to unfulfilled promises or lack of development under his tenure, especially, is a personal decision which he cannot be bothered about.

    “People make those kinds of threats; they don’t frighten me. Somebody votes for you, and somebody supports you. It’s because they want you to do certain things for them. I understand that. But there is no need for people to say that if I am unable to do this and that… those are their own issues to deal with. Of course, I will do it (the road).

    “But if it comes to the election and you choose to vote for the NDC, that is your own issue that is not my worry because nobody holds your thumb to vote; it is your own work. The important thing is that I understand my responsibility, and we will deal with it,” the president said during an interview on Kumasi-based Otec FM.

    The president was reacting to a message sent into the radio programme by a listener who stated that residents of Kwabre and Manso would vote against the NPP if President Akufo-Addo’s government failed to construct their roads.

    The message, as read by the host of the programme, Captain Koda, stated that the residents of the area, being a stronghold of the NPP, voted massively for President Akufo-Addo.

    “Our plea through you (roads minister) to the Mr President is that when you look at the voting pattern, residents of Kwabre voted massively for Nana. They said I should tell the president that they will be pained if you don’t construct their roads for them in 2024; they will vote against the NPP,” the host, sending the message through the Minister for Roads and Transport, Kwasi Amoako Atta, who was in the studio with the president, said.

     

  • Watch how galamsey activities have destroyed an NPP sympathiser’s cocoa farm

    A new video has emerged of a farmer standing in water at the level of his chest, on his farmland, as he bitterly complains about the devastating effects of galamsey in the country.

    The man, who explained that he campaigned passionately for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to win political power, expressed his disappointment at how badly the situation of small-scale illegal mining has been.

    He also painted a picture of how much damage the activities of galamsey have caused to their livelihoods, as well as their farms.

    “In the era of the NPP, things have deteriorated so badly. Look at the cocoa trees I have planted for close to 13 years. To think that we worked for the NPP to come to power to make things better, then we should have just allowed the NDC to stay. Look at what galamsey has done to my cocoa farm..

    “Since we came to meet our forefathers on these lands, even when it floods, it does not come here… look at all these cocoa trees on about 10 acres of land that has been destroyed by water. Why? If this was what it was, then we should not have even gone into this type of farming,” he lamented.

    The man continued that there was even a time when they were unable to even salvage any of their harvested cocoa beans because the flood waters had washed through their lands.

    He further regretted giving all of his energy and time to working for the NPP to come into office, with the hope that their coming would help make his life better.

    “We even had cocoa bags numbering about ten bags here but they have all been washed away, and the little that was left behind, we came by only to see that it had also been washed away. Is this how we will continue to live on this land?

    “We all thought that we were helping the NPP to come to power so that our lives would be comfortable, but if we knew this is how it would come about, then what was the benefit? Since they came into power, galamsey activities have go on and on such that immediately there is small rain, then it rushes through our cocoa farms. The damage is all over this area,” he said.

    It is, however, unclear which part of the country the man was speaking from, but there is no doubting the extent of the damage that the activities of people engaged in the illegal trade in small-scale mining (galamsey) have caused to the environment in recent years.

    Galamsey, as it is widely known, has become a matter of great concern for many, with traditional rulers, politicians, social groups, and nearly every Ghanaian making it a point to contribute to discussions or calls for the menace to be stopped.

    The infiltration of foreigners, especially Chinese nationals, into the illegal trade, with the use of their heavy equipment, has further escalated the destruction of the mining activities in the environment.

  • NDC elections: Aspirants asked to engage in issue-based campaign

    The Deputy Communication Officer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Godwin Ako Gunn, has urged aspirants and members to engage in an issue-based campaign and avoid campaigns that will slur people.

    He said the call was necessary for a view of the fact that some supporters of aspirants are engaging in attacks on personality, which brings division after election and delays the healing process because the loser might have suffered character assassination.

    “Our ability to hold ourselves together, campaign devoid of insults and personal attack, will let losers accept that they lost on fairgrounds and they will also join the main campaign’

    “Most of the time, we spend too much time healing wounds and if that happens again, we may be hitting ourselves in the foot which may affect the fortune of the party at the 2024 polls,” Mr. Ako Gunn said.

    Mr. Ako Gunn stated this at the launch of a welfare scheme and awards ceremony organised by the NDC Okaiman East Ward under the Anyaa Sowutuom Constituency in Accra.

    The theme of the ceremony was “Empowering the Grassroot, a driving force for Success in the 2024 Election”.

    Mr. Ako Gunn said the 2024 election will be a choice between leadership that comes prepared and ready to lead from day one or a continuation of the current disastrous reality government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

    He charged the party faithful to remain united in rallying toward the success of the NDC at the 2024 general election.

    “I want to call on all our party members in the various branches to exhibit more loyalty, dedication and commitment so that our party can be victorious in the 2024 general election,’’ Mr. Ako Gunn urged.

    He further advised members not to deliberately demand access to the fund when they have no significant use of it. He encouraged other wards to emulate the leadership of Nii Okaiman East ward for introducing the welfare scheme that will cushion members.

    The Ward Coordinator for Nii Okaiman East, Mr. Jerry Zodano, stated that the welfare scheme is to address challenges at the branches and to reduce over-dependency on the constituency.

    He said the leadership at the ward has constituted a seven-member management board, formed from among members in order to ensure prudent management of the funds.

    These officers, Mr. Zodano explained, would attend to the welfare of members, based on sets of regulations and guidelines developed.

    Source: gbcghanaonline.com

  • Government, BoG working hard to stabilise cedi – Kafui Amegah

    According to Kafui Amegah, a member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) communications team, the government and the central bank are making great efforts to stabilize the economy and support the local currency.

    According to him, those who are skeptical about the effectiveness of newly announced steps to stop further cedi devaluation should give the Central Bank the benefit of the doubt.

    On “Adwenekasa” on Accra-based Original FM, Kafui Amegah claimed in a conversation with Kwaku Owusu Adjei that “there are concrete and sustained efforts being taken to shore up the economy and subsequently strengthen the cedi.”

    Kafui Amegah announced that the government is doing a lot to implement recommendations to restructure Ghana’s economy.

    However, he said the government is working on fixing the situation, having agreed with mining and gas companies to sell their forex to the Bank of Ghana to stabilise the currency.

    “We believe that there are a lot of speculative activities that are creating some unnecessary depreciation in the currency.”

  • FLASHBACK: Ghana’s credit rating still B negative, disregard reports of upgrade – Bawumia

    When then-President John Dramani Mahama and his Finance Minister, Seth Terkper, claimed that the nation had been upgraded by rating agencies, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia said in 2016 that this was untrue.

    He claimed that the nation’s creditworthiness condition remained poor.

    “Ghana’s outlook was recently changed from B- negative to B- stable (the equivalent of B3), turning the situation around from bad to stable.
    And as a result, the NDC government and President Mahama incorrectly believed that Ghana’s credit rating had improved,” he stated.

    Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, an economist, has challenged recent assertions by President John Mahama and Finance Minister Seth Terkper that international rating agency Moody’s upgraded Ghana recently.

    The former Central Bank Deputy Governor, speaking at the launch of the manifesto of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the weekend at the Trade Fair in Accra, said: “With the recent revision of Ghana’s outlook from B- negative to B- stable (i.e. the equivalent of B3), the outlook was revised from negative to stable. And this has resulted in a misinterpretation by this NDC government and President Mahama that Ghana’s credit rating has been upgraded.”

    Moody’s did not upgrade Ghana

    “This is in fact not the case. Moody’s did not upgrade Ghana. Ghana’s rating under Moody’s is still B-. It is only the outlook that has been revised and that is not equivalent to a change in rating, or ratings upgrade. The outlook is not equivalent to an upgrade in ratings. Sometimes one wonders whether they don’t read or they don’t understand,” he explained.

    Dr Bawumia stated that “without oil, Ghana was being rated at B+ positive, under the NPP. We’ve now come down with oil under the NDC and John Mahama, to B- with a stable outlook in 2016. So we’ve gone from B+ to B-.”

    Noting that international ratings agencies like Moody’s, Fitch and Standards and Poors now had basically the same credit rating for Ghana, he advised the President to desist from such erroneous interpretations and fall on his economic management team for explanation.

    Ghana worse off now

    “The Mo Ibrahim 2016 Report on governance shows that on virtually all key indicators such as safety, and the rule of law, human rights, economic opportunities, infrastructure, business environment, human development, health and public management, all these indicators, Ghana is worse off today than it was 10 years ago.

    “The IMF, in its recent review of the economy, has warned that Ghana is on the cusp of a financial and economic crisis. Notwithstanding this abysmal record, President John Mahama is actually asking Ghanaians where the economic crisis is. He is clearly out of touch. Mr President, the economic crisis is everywhere.”

    “Teachers are suffering. Teacher trainees are suffering. Nurses are suffering. Nursing trainees are also suffering. Patients are suffering. Students are suffering. Traders are suffering. Pensioners are suffering. Drivers are suffering, contractors are suffering. Civil servants are suffering and farmers are suffering. Fishermen are suffering and industries are suffering. Artisans are suffering and ‘kayayei’ are suffering. The disabled are suffering and men are suffering. Women are suffering and children are suffering, and Ghanaians as a whole are suffering.”

    Huge debts without substantial benefits

    The incumbent is on record as having received huge resources and yet accumulating as much as 66 percent of the country’s debt in the last 3 and half years.

    Some of its policies have driven the country’s industrial sector to register -5 percent in the second quarter of this year.

    The country’s total public debt as at August this year totaled GH¢110 billion but there is still massive unemployment among the youth and high cost of living.

  • Apologise and withdraw from Aisha Huang’s case – Former NPP chairman tells Freddie Blay

    Former New Juaben North Constituency Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwadwo Boateng-Agyemang, has lashed out at the party’s former National Chairman, Freddie Blay, over his involvement in the case of four foreign nationals facing trial for illegal mining activities.

    Three Chinese nationals and a Vietnamese national are facing trial in Accra High Court as accomplices of alleged galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang.

    During the trial on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, Lucy Ekeleba Blay announced in court that she was holding brief as counsel for the defence in the place of the former NPP National Chairman.

    This has led to widespread criticism over the decision of Freddie Blay to represent the accused persons in the face of the government’s fight against galamsey.

    Sharing such sentiments on Top FM’s Final Point hosted by Kwabena Owusu Agyemeng, the former constituency chairman accused Freddie Blay of making a mockery of the government’s fight against galamsey.

    He thus called on Freddie Blay to render an apology for his actions and withdraw his services as counsel for the accused persons charged with engaging in illegal small-scale mining.

    “How many people have had the opportunity of being a national chairman? And the benefits that you have got from the NPP as a party; from parliament as a second deputy speaker, as first deputy speaker and as a national chairman. God has been faithful to you. If he is listening to me now by tomorrow morning, he and his partners must issue a statement to apologise and withdraw from the case,” he said.

    He emphasised that the fight against galamsey is a collective fight which requires every official to play a role and not be left to only the president to deal with.

    “We need to address issues right; leadership is not only the presidency. Everyone has a role to play, so if we focus our expectations on one person, we have failed. That is why I allude that fighting galamsey is like fighting drug barons trading in cocaine,” he added.

    Gao Jin Cheng, Lu Qi Jun, Haibin Go, and Zhang Zhipeng have been charged as accomplices of Aisha Huang who is also facing charges in a separate trial on galamsey charges.

    However, for some critics, the former NPP national chairman’s representation of the accused persons is a decision that lacks discretion considering the fight against galamsey and its impact on Ghana’s water and forest bodies.

  • Limit political interference to make GRA effective – Tax Expert

    According to Dr. Alex Ampaabeng, a tax expert at OXFAM, political intervention is reducing the Ghana Revenue Authority‘s (GRA) ability to effectively carry out its duty.

    He claims that the country is paying a high price for the widespread political interference in the management and operation of extremely sensitive state institutions like the Ghana Revenue Authority.
    Further, Dr. Ampaabeng demanded that the appointment of the GRA’s head be made by the authority’s staff rather than by the president.

    “The political games we are playing are costing the country a lot. I look forward to a time when the president will not be the one to appoint the commissioner of the GRA so that the workers themselves will elect one of them to be the leader. This is my wish” he stated in an interview on 3FM Sunrise Morning Show on Wednesday 12 October, 2022.

    Dr. Alex Ampaabeng was reacting to the allegations by the National Organiser of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye that the GRA is deliberately burdening business owners in the Ashanti Region with nuisance taxes.

    Shop owners in the central business district of Kumasi have closed down their shops since Monday 10 October, 2022 as a registration of their displeasure over what they consider as harsh taxes by the GRA and the depreciation of the Cedi which is adversely affecting their business.

    The tax expert also opined that some of the taxes that could give the country revenue are not effectively collected because there are some powerful and influential people who are enjoying the benefits of the lapses in the tax regime in Ghana.

    “For example, the property fund is not collected because the big men themselves own the properties. If we put our house in order, we will be able to generate the money we look elsewhere for” Dr. Ampaabeng emphasised.

  • Congratulate the dollar, it has humiliated you beyond recognition – Omane Boamah to Bawumia

    Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, a former minister of communications, has criticized Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for the persistent devaluation of the Cedi versus the US Dollar.

    He poked fun at the Vice President on Facebook on October 13 by saying that the US dollar should be receiving his congrats instead.

    According to him, this is because the dollar’s overwhelming domination over the local currency has rendered the Vice President a laughing stock.

    Dr. Omane Boamah wrote: “Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia must be sending massive congratulations to the dollar. The dollar has humiliated him beyond recognition.”

    The Vice President together with the then-candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ahead of the 2016 elections berated the National Democratic Congress over what they said was the depreciation of the Ghana Cedi against major trading currencies.

    The duo indicated that they will implement policies and measures to curb the free fall of the Cedi when voted into office.

    Upon assumption of office, however, the Cedi has largely lost more ground against the dollar, only intermittently stabilizing against the dollar.

    It will be recalled that in 2017, Vice President Bawumia while giving an account of the first 100 days in office of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, indicated that they have been able to “arrest” the fall of the Ghana Cedi against the Dollar.

    But in recent times, the Cedi has fast depreciated crossing GH₵11.00 against the US dollar on the forex market. The situation has contributed partly in the surge in prices of goods and services as traders lament that without an increment, the exchange rate will erode their profit.

  • Cedi depreciation: We will stabilise the Cedi – Bawumia’s 2012 tweet resurfaces

    Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has received much praise for turning the political conversation away from personal jabs and onto issues, particularly economic ones.

    Prior to the 2016 elections, Dr. Bawumia ran on a number of issues and criticized the National Democratic Congress, which was in power at the time, for its handling of the economy.

    He claimed that the economy had been dragged down by the NDC under the leadership of John Dramani Mahama and promised a recovery under the Nana Akufo-Addo/Bawumia ticket if they were elected.

    On the Cedi depreciation, the NPP touted that former President Kufuor had done better in bringing the Cedi at par with the dollar however the NDC, whom they labelled as bad managers of the economy, had allowed it to depreciate when they assumed office in 2009.

    Dr. Bawumia, who was hailed as an ‘economic messiah’ however promised to restore it once NPP was elected into office.

    “We will stabilize the cedi and bring down interest rates. We will transform the financial sector,” he tweeted on August 25, 2012.

    Having assumed office in 2017, Vice President Bawumia while giving an account of the first 100 days in office of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, indicated that they have been able to “arrest” the fall of the Ghana Cedi against the Dollar.

    But the Cedi has largely lost more ground against the dollar, only intermittently stabilizing against the dollar in recent times.

    The Vice President has been the target of public criticism as he doubles as the head of the Economic Management Team (EMT).

    Felix Kwakye Ofosu, an aide to former President John Mahama, latched out at Dr. Bawumia describing him as a ‘liar in chief’ over failed promise to stabilize the Cedi.

    He said the EMT led by the Vice President has become “hopeless and hapless” as the Cedi has fast crossed GH₵11.00 against the US dollar on the forex market

    “The exchange rate is hurtling towards GHC12 to a dollar. The present managers of the economy led by Bawumia are both hopeless and hapless in the face of this unprecedented catastrophe,” Kwakye Ofosu wrote on his Facebook wall on October 13.

  • 2024 polls: I haven’t decided whether or not to contest for NDC flagbearership – Mahama

    John Dramani Mahama, a former president of Ghana, has not made up his mind regarding whether or not he will run for the National Democratic Congress’s flagbearer position and ultimately guide the party into the 2024 elections.

    However, he claims that a choice will be made on the matter early in the next year, in time for the NDC to choose a flagbearer.

    Mahama stated in an interview with VOA’s Straight Talk Africa that he has not made up his mind to run for flagbearer, but added that it is “good to keep your opponents guessing” as to who will be put up.

    “I haven’t,” Mahama responded amid laughter when asked if he has plans to run again in the 2024 elections.

    “It’s good to keep your opponents guessing so even if I’m not running, I’m not going to say I’m not running. So a decision will be taken early next year in the first quarter. That’s when we hold our party’s primaries for the presidential candidacy and then we will see,” he added in the interview which aired on Wednesday, October 12.

    Mahama’s name has come up as a strong contender in the NDC flagbearership race besides former Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffuor who is also reportedly readying himself to mount a challenge for the slot.

    Many keen watchers of the political space believe Mahama will ease past Duffuor if it ends up as a two-horse race.

    It will be recalled that the former president in May this year expressed his interest in leading the NDC into the 2024 elections if the party will allow him.

    Speaking in an interview with Ugandan-based NBS television, the 2020 flagbearer of the NDC mentioned that he is unperturbed if the party picks a different aspirant since the main priority is to win the 2024 polls.

    “My country has given me so much, educated me, and made me who I am. So if the party lets me stand, I will,” NBS TV quoted John Mahama as saying.

    “The main priority is winning the election come 2024, and if the party decides that I or someone else should stand, it’s all fine with me,” he added.

    While the governing New Patriotic Party plans to extend its tenure in office beyond 8 years in what it has christened as ‘Break the 8’, the NDC is also lacing up its boot to wrestle power from the incumbent party.

  • An immigration officer introduced me to Aisha Huang – Effah Dartey

    Nkrabeah Effah Dartey, a prominent member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has denied claims that his defense of Aisha Huang was a part of a larger scheme by the government and his party to have the alleged “galamsey” kingpin exonerated.

    He claims that Aisha Huang was brought to him by a former employee of the Ghana Immigration Service in 2017 to take the place of her prior attorney, who was departing the country.

    He continued by saying that he is defending Aisha because the supposed “galamsey” kingpin is paying for his services and because he took an oath when he became a lawyer promising to defend anyone who seeks his assistance.

    “Aisha Huang is a Chinese woman whom I first got in touch with in the year 2017. My friend, who used to be an immigration officer by the name Moses, called me one afternoon to meet him at Kempinski Hotel for some discussions.

    “So, I went to Kempinski, and when I got there, Moses was sitting with a Chinese woman. He then told me that the woman he was sitting with (Aisha Huang) was a Chinese woman who had a case in court and needed representation.

    “I accepted to represent the woman and charged her. After she had paid me, I became her lawyer,” he said in Twi in an interview on Kofi TV, which GhanaWeb monitored.

    Effah Dartey, who is a two-time Member of Parliament for Berekum, also maintained that his client was innocent and that the state was just harassing her for a crime she never committed.

    He added that the eight witness statements the Attorney General, Godfred Dame, has indicated he will be presenting will amount to nothing.

  • Bawumia enskinned as ‘Naa Lewa’ by Dombo family

    Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has been bestowed the chieftaincy title Naa Lewa by the family of one of the New Patriotic Party’s founders, Simon Diedong Dombo (meaning the chief has come back).

    As part of his official business tour to the Upper West Region, the Vice President paid a courtesy call on the family and was conferred the title.

    Dr. Bawumia has shown characteristics similar to their late father, according to Chief of Duori Naa Dombo III, who gave the justification for the enskinment.

    He charged the Vice President to continue blazing the trail of the late co-founder of the Northern People’s Party.

    Naa Dombo further commended Dr. Bawumia for reestablishing ties between the Dombos and Bawumias.

    “We acknowledge your intervention in re-establishing the link between the Dombos and the Bawumias. I am by this tasking you to pursue the vision of your father Dombo from where he left off. You have henceforth been tasked with the responsibility as a true son to achieve this dream that was birthed decades ago,” 3news.com quoted the Chief of Douri as saying.

    Additionally, Dr. Bawumia was made co-chairman of the SD Dombo Foundation. An elated Bawumia laid a wreath at the grave of the NPP founding member and prayed for his peaceful rest as a fitting tribute to him.

    Taking to his Facebook page, Bawumia expressed his profound gratitude to the family of S.D Dombo adding that it was nostalgic to have returned to the home of the NPP stalwart.

    “At Douri, it was nostalgic as I visited the home and family of our father, the selfless S. D. Dombo.

    “The Chief of Duori (Son of Chief S. D. Dombo), on behalf of the Dombo family, enskinned me a Naa Lewa (Meaning the chief has come back). I thank the Dombo family and the Chief of Douri for the honour done me, and also urging me to continue to be guided by the remarkable traits of our father and other stalwarts of our great party,” he wrote.

    Along with Mumuni Bawumia (the vice president’s father), S.D Dombo helped form the Northern People’s Party and served as its first chairman while Dr. Bawumia’s father was vice. Later on, the Northern People’s Party merged to become the United Party.

    Following his election in the 1969 Ghanaian general elections, Dombo served as a representative for the ruling Progress Party in the first Parliament during the Second Republic.

    During the Busia administration, he served as Minister of Health and later Minister of the Interior.

  • 400 SMEs to benefit from Women SME Innovation Programme

    About 400 women-led Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will benefit from the Women SME Innovation Programme – Digitalize for Jobs (D4J) to fully leverage the potential of digitalisation and to better organise their business information.

    The programme will also support the women with efficient record-keeping and financial management practices to facilitate their access to finance, expand their customer base and turnover and develop new products and services.

    Mrs Kosi Yankey-Ayeh, the Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Enterprises Agency (GEA) at the launch of the programme, said SMEs today were critical to the growth, employment, and poverty reduction in the country.

    The programme is supported by the special initiative on training and job creation, which operates under the brand ‘Invest for Jobs,’ an initiative of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

    Implemented by GEA and supported by “Invest in Jobs”, the project sought to provide capacity-building to women-owned/led SMEs on different aspects of digitalization and how their companies can grow from its use and increase their process efficiency and competitiveness by providing access to knowledge, and digital tools.

    It will create a digitalized business environment conducive to the rapid growth of SMEs in Ghana and this will ensure that they are creating jobs after the programme

    The SMEs will also be trained to build their online visibility via company-owned websites and social media to reach more clients.

    The CEO said the SMEs account for over 50 per cent of private output, nearly 70 per cent of employment, and 90 per cent of businesses in Ghana.

    “Consequently, the importance of the SME sector and the role it plays in national development and economic transformation cannot be underestimated,” she added.

    She said the Programme was a scale-up measure of the COVID-19 SME Innovation and Digitalisation Support Scheme, which helped 500 SMEs to ensure business continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby sustaining 6,750 jobs.

    Mrs Yankey-Aryeh said SMEs, with a focus on those that were women-owned/led, were faced with challenges that compromised their ability to function effectively and to contribute to the economy.

    He said over the years, GEA had encouraged SMEs, especially women-owned to adopt digital methods to augment business growth and competitiveness.

    “So far more than 11 million dollars have been utilized to train or support over 10,000 Women Entrepreneurs,” she said.

    Mr John Duti, Team Leader of Invest for Jobs at GIZ Ghana, said if SMEs were to remain competitive in the global world, they have no choice but to digitalise.

    He said focusing on women-owned and led enterprises represented an opportunity to reduce the digital gender gap, which brings social and economic benefits for the whole country given the significant role of women and their enterprises in Ghana’s socio-economic development.

    “Female empowerment is a powerful tool to make everybody’s life richer and successful,” Mr Duti said.

    He commended the entire GEA team which ensured the excellent delivery of the first phase and subsequently played a major role in securing the scale-up of our partnership.

    He said digitalisation involved a lot of investments in modern software and hardware, as well as capacities in its applications and these costs involved indeed, could not be borne by most of the SMEs.

    He expressed optimism that the programme would provide the tools and skills to benefit from digitalisation and harness SMEs’ potential for sustainable growth and job creation in the digital area.

  • Exorbitant tax policy killing businesses – Solomon Owusu

    A member of the communications team of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Solomon Owusu, has bemoaned the exorbitant tax policies which he says are slowly killing Ghanaian businesses.

    According to him, too much tax and the increasing exchange rate have left business people with sleepless nights as their businesses are struggling to survive.

    His comment comes on the back of traders in the Kumasi Central Business District having to close their shops in protest over what they say are exorbitant tax policies affecting their businesses.

    The traders have vowed not to rescind their decision until the Government intervenes to address their concerns.

    The traders have also been concerned with the strength of the cedi. The Ghana cedi has depreciated by 37.5% to the US dollar as of the end of September 2022 according to the Bank of Ghana.

    Commenting on the development on Ghana Kasa show on Kasapa 102.5FM/Agoo TV Wednesday, Solomon Owusu who himself is a businessman urged the governent to step up its efforts at stabilizing the Cedis while reviewing aspects of the tax policy to address concerns of business persons.

    “Taxes paid in this country are too much, and the exchange rate keeps increasing by the day and people are losing their capital. Businessmen and women are in great difficulty, where we find ourselves is very scary. No businessman is able to have a good sleep and because the policy rate increases, the loan repayment rate also increases. Business people are dying slowly, it is not funny, it’s very serious.”

    “The country will see the effect of the action of the traders between December to February 2023. It takes some time before vessels arrive with imported items, so if we don’t encourage traders to import early, but import later, it will take about a month or two before the items will arrive in Ghana. So between that period when the items will arrive in Ghana, how are people going to survive,” he asked.

  • Campaigning for NPP doesn’t prevent me from speaking – Actor Prince David tells critics

    Actor Prince David Osei has said that he will not let his affiliation with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) stop him from voicing his displeasure about the economic situation in the country.

    In a post on Instagram, he noted that his only aim is to help push for a better Ghana for everyone despite people’s political affiliations.

    Prince David Osei wrote “I speak to the issues that’s all, I am NPP just as others are NDC and other parties, but that doesn’t mean I will keep quiet when things are going bad in the country.  I wish to push the agenda of a better Ghana for all irrespective of party lines, so help me God!!”

    This comes after the actor was trolled by some social media users for threatening to organise a demonstration if things do not improve by December.

    However, many of his critics say the actor is now feeling the pinch of the economy, hence the change in his perspective in line with that of the majority of the youth.

    Some Twitter users recalled that Prince David Osei at the time the youth were calling on the government to fix the county was pushing the ‘fix yourself’ narrative.

    However, Prince David Osei stated that despite the criticisms, he is not perturbed and will continue to make his views about the government’s management of the economy known.

    “I stood on political platforms to campaign for NPP. If someone doesn’t get the drift then I am sorry, I can’t help you! Lastly, thank you Haters and those insulting me, bringing back my campaign videos and pictures, I no vex, it is part of the game, I love you all. Please keep trolls coming so we maintain no 1 on Twitter,” he added.

    Source:myjoyonline.com

  • Scrap Ex-gratia payments immediately — Kwabena Agyapong

    Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyapong, a flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has called for the scrapping of the four-year ex-gratia payments.

    He said the country did not have the needed resources to honour that arrangement.

    The former General Secretary of the NPP said there should be arrangements where Members of Parliament for instance could be offered “something little” at the end of their term in office instead of giving them lump sums every four years under the current system.

    “Ex-gratia should be like a parachute payment. When you have served your country like a member of Parliament…it’s a difficult assignment. I would say it is like marriage. When you elevate a lady to certain level as a wife and you want to leave, that’s why they let you pay alimony,” he said in an interview in Accra.

    “It cannot be right on any moral standing. We should stop it immediately. We don’t have the money as a country,” Mr Agyapong added.

    Ex-gratia payments are regarded as part of the end-of-service benefits for a certain class of public servants — and it is paid every four years.

    The category of workers who benefit from ex-gratia payment is Article 71 office holders made up of the President, the Vice President, the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice and other Justices of the Supreme Court of the country.

    The rest are Parliamentarians, Ministers of State, political appointees and public servants with salaries charged to the Consolidated Fund, but enjoying special Constitutional privileges.

    There have been conflicting arguments about the essence of the payment of ex-gratia to Article 71 Office holders, with some commentators and Governance experts describing the practice as an “unfair arrangement.”

    The debate resurrected when it emerged that Togbe Afede, the Agbogbomefia of the Asogli State, returned an amount of GHS350,000 paid to him as ex-gratia for serving as a Member of the Council of State.

    Togbe Afede described the amount as “outrageous” saying it was “inappropriate for a short, effectively part-time work.”

    Nana Adjei Ampofo, a former member of the Council of State also called for a review of the payment of ex-gratia to members of the Council to meet the economic realities of the day.

    Former President John Dramani Mahama recently pledged to implement recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee as well as review ex-gratia payments in the next NDC administration.

    Source:GNA

  • There won’t be a miscarriage of justice – NPP on Freddie Blay’s role in Aisha Huang trial

    The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) is of the view that justice will be served in the matter involving the state versus Aisha Huang and four others in a case involving illegal small-scale mining activities.

    This according to the party is despite the fact that lawyers affiliated with it are representing the accused persons.

    Speaking on Accra-based Joy FM, the party’s Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagbah maintained that the court will at all times deal with evidence put before it by parties to the case.

    He contended further that it was within the right of an accused person to get legal representation in court and consequently it was also right for the NPP-affiliated lawyers to render professional services to such persons.

    “If it is a matter of conscience then we should say that there shouldn’t be legal representation for criminals or for somebody who has killed somebody or is alleged to have killed somebody. As conscience will dictate, we should all abhor such behavior and therefore no lawyer as matter of conscience should want to defend any such act

    “I don’t think there will be any miscarriage of justice because the lawyers in the case are NPP related or have affiliations with the New Patriotic Party. The idea is that every client deserves a representation.

    “Our laws allows for that, so the client have exercised their right to have legal representation and those happens to be people affiliated with the NPP. I don’t think that necessarily changes the rules of the court which is evidence,” Ahiagbah said.

    It emerged that former NPP Chairman, Freddie Blay, is the main lawyer for Aisha Huang’s accomplices namely Gao Jin Cheng, Lu Qi Jun, Haibin Go and Zhang Zhipeng, in the prosecution.

    Aisha Huang together with her four other accomplices made a court appearance yesterday October 11 for the state to continue with their prosecution.

    Private attorney Lucy Ekeleba Blay said in court that she was holding brief for Freddie Blay in the case of the four accomplices. Another NPP affiliated lawyer, Nkrabea Effah Darteh is representing Aisha Huang.

    Meanwhile, Attorney General Godfred Dame has indicated his readiness to fast-track the prosecution of Aisha Huang for her past and previous crimes.

    Ms. Huang and her accomplices have been remanded into custody until November 24, 2022 following the judge’s refusal to grant them bail.

  • I haven’t commented on Wontumi’s Akonta Mining issue; produce my voice if you have it – Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi

    President of the National House of Chiefs Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II, has denied publications in a section of the Ghanaian media that he has asked persons claiming that mining firm, Akonta Mines, belonging to the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bernard Anwti Bosiako (Chairman Wontumi) is engaged in illegal small scale mining (Galamseny), to produce evidence to that effect.

    He dared persons who say he made that comment to produce his tape if they have it to back their claims.

    Ogyeahohoo Yaw Gyebi II is reported to have asked persons with evidence to back the claims that Chairman Wontumi is involved in galasmey.

    “I have heard that Wontumi is doing galamsey. Whether it is true or not, I don’t know and I don’t have any evidence, so how do I tell the president about Wontumi in such a forum or expect me to speak about an issue on national television when I don’t have any facts or direct evidence on Wontumi’s activities?

    “So, if you have the evidence or anyone has evidence that Wontumi is into galamsey, make it available to the president and he will act on it,” he is reported to have toldsaid after a meeting President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had with Chiefs in Kumasi last week Wednesday October 5 on the issue of galamsey.

    But speaking in interview with TV3’s Ato Kwamena Haizel on Tuesday October 11, he said he never made that comment.

    He said “After my statement, the press went out…on His Excellency’ statement with [the Chiefs]. The [President[ said ‘Every village has a chief, and then he, as a lawyer will want to have hard facts to add on. I even suggested that your Excellency, sometimes some of these rumours should be investigated, that was indoors. At no point did anybody including me mentioned Antwi Boasiako or Wontum’s name at the meeting.  So, if anybody has any evidence , my voice anywhere  that person  come out with it .

    “I remember one of the members raised the issue of Akonta Mines in Samroboe Forest and I intervened to say that yes, I was aware the paramount chief in the area had wanted to send a team there but he had a call somewhere and so had to stop them. Even at that point, I didn’t know the owners of Akonta Mining but what I said is that, people go under the guise of prospecting license to do mining, and so we were pleading with his excellency just as he is also pleading to [Chiefs], we will also plead with him to also involve his MMDCEs and politicians so that all of us will fight the menace of galamsey.

    “Because we are the custodians of the lands and all these forest reserves were given to Forestry Commission to manage for us. Again, I made the point the regulatory framework  of mining, [the Chiefs] are not part of it and so we were demanding that at least the small scale mining licenses regime should be handled at the MDAs offices instead of we getting  from Accra. This is what went on other chiefs also gave their dimensions.”

  • Judges’ residential complex in Kumasi to be commissioned on Monday – CJ reveals

    The Chief Justice, Kwasi Anin-Yeboah has announced the judges residential complex in Kumasi in the Ashanti region is going to be commissioned next week Monday.

    The Chief Justice said this when he was speaking during a meeting with the leadership of Judicial Service Staff association of Ghana in Accra on Tuesday October 11.

    Explaining why he appeared late at the meeting, he said “Please accept my apology for not being here on time. Indeed, yesterday I was unable to come to work because I had to attend to more pressing matter in Kumasi and I came just this morning. As some of you may be aware, we are going to commission the residential complex in Kumasi on Monday  and we have invited some of the Directors to be with us.

    “So, I had to spend the whole time with the consultant, the contractors, and the regional  Minister.”

    In April last year, President Akufo-Addo cut sod for the construction of 20 residential facilities for Court of Appeal judges in Kumasi.

    Supported by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the Chief Justice, Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, President Akufo-Addo cut the sod to signify the beginning of construction works for the accommodation facilities.

    “With the collaboration of the Ministry of Local Government and the District Assembly Common Fund, 20 townhouses and a guesthouse are being built to be used as permanent residences for Court of Appeal Judges based in Kumasi, who will be mandated to handle cases in the northern part of the country,” Mr Akufo-Addo said.

     

     

     

     

  • I will support Bawumia on the basis of competence if he decides to contest as flagbearer – Abu Jinapor

    Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Abu Jinapor has declared, in no uncertain terms, that he will support the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia when the “time comes, and he decides to run” for the flagbearership of the NPP.

    Speaking in Kpalbe on Sunday, in the Savannah Region, during the visit of the Vice President, as part of his working visit to the North, Abu Jinapor, who is also the Member of Parliament for Damongo, said, in his view, the best person to lead the NPP to the 2024 elections if he decides to contest when the time comes is none, but Dr Bawumia.

    “At this moment, considering many things, including his competence and hard work, there is no other person. When the time comes and His Excellency the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia decides to contest, I will support him fully and work hard together party stakeholders in the Savannah Region for his hard work, and competence.” Abu Jinapor said.

    The Lands and Natural Resources Minister noted further that the 2024 Election won’t be an easy battle and for the NPP to retain power, the party needs someone like Dr. Bawumua, who will be widely accepted and can effectively communicate everything the government and the party have done.

    “Dr Bawumia has served with humility and honour and I can say without a doubt that, he has Savannah, the north and Ghana at heart,” Abu Jinapor noted.

    The Vice President resumed his working tour of the northern regions on Sunday in the Savannah Region.

    As part of his programme, he paid courtesy calls on traditional rulers, and inspected government projects, including the Agenda 111 District Hospital in Kpalbe and the ongoing works on the Fufulso-Bunjai Road, before commissioning a market complex in Salaga.

    Part of the Vice President’s delegation are; Minister of Interior Ambrose Dery, Minister of Defence Dominic Nitiwul, Presidential Advisor on Health Dr. Nsia Asare, and Former Chief Whip Frederick Opare Ansah.

  • Bawumia’s visit to Savannah region wasteful – NDC

    The Savannah Regional branch of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has described as whimsical and unnecessary the recent visit by the Vice President, Mahammud Bawumia to the Savannah region.

    Vice President Bawumia during his tour of the region over the weekend indicated that the newly created Savannah Region has witnessed much development under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

    According to him, the creation of the region by the Akufo-Addo led administration was the strongest indication that the growth and development of the region was at the heart of government.

    Dr. Bawumia inspected some on-going projects in the region as part of his visit to the region.

    But, the NDC in the region says the tour by the Vice President is ‘hollow’.

    “The desperate attempt by the Vice President Bawumia to recover his lost integrity and redeem his bruised reputation by touring the country appears whimsical and a waste of the tax payers money,” the Communication Officer for the Savannah region, Malik Basintale said in a press release.

    He continued: “It is rather unfortunate that among the comic attitudes of the vice President Bawumia, he chose to travel several miles from the seat of government with over 25 luxurious land cruiser V8’s and over 100 staff just to commission an old rural market, an NGO-owned borehole and water system and the foundation of a building labelled “Female surgical ward”, “Laundry block” etc in the name of agenda 111. (Pictures attached).”

    Below is the full statement by Savannah NDC

    BAWUMIA’S DESPERATE VISIT TO THE SAVANNAH REGION WHIMSICAL AND A WASTE OF THE TAX PAYERS MONEY.

    We have keenly monitored the Vice President’s visit to the Savannah region and still find it difficult to comprehend the motive and rational behind his hollow tour around the region.

    The desperate attempt by the Vice President Bawumia to recover his lost integrity and redeem his bruised reputation by touring the country appears whimsical and a waste of the tax payers money.

    It is rather unfortunate that among the comic attitudes of the vice President Bawumia, he chose to travel several miles from the seat of government with over 25 luxurious land cruiser V8’s and over 100 staff just to commission an old rural market, an NGO-owned borehole and water system and the foundation of a building labelled “Female surgical ward”, “Laundry block” etc in the name of agenda 111. (Pictures attached).

    It is shameful, that after 6 years in office and with the failed promises, pledges absolutely nothing to show, Dr. Bawumia still finds comfort in campaigning to the people of the Savannah region after admitting himself that he was used for the “dirty works” by the NPP in a recently leaked tape which obviously leaves his reputation and credibility questioned.

    To zoom in, Let me request from Dr. Bawumia the whereabouts or current state of their old promises to the people of the Savannah region:

    1. Where is the Damongo water project you promised the people of Damongo in 2018 after truncating the contract signed by the erstwhile John Mahama government.
    2. Where is the Daboya bridge you promised the people of North Gonja in August 2021?
    3. Where is the regional house of chiefs you cut sod for in 2020?
    4. Where are the factories you promised the people of the Savannah region under 1D 1F?
    5. Where are the permanent jobs your government promised the Nabco retirees in the Savannah region?
    6. Why is the Busunu-Daboya road still in a deplorable state after funds were made available by the erstwhile John Mahama government and why is the contractor not being paid to go back to site?
    7. Where is the senior high school your boss, Akufo-Addo promised the people of the North East Gonja?
    8. What is the state of the Salaga -Makango road and why are works slowing on it?
    9. Why is the fufulso-Sawla road not being maintained after 6 years of being in office?
    10. Why has your government abandoned the Bole teacher training college started by H.E John Mahama.

    These are the first ten (10) basic questions we need answers to as we haven’t seen or heard the Vice President, Bawumia mention the state of all these promises they made to us, throughout his 2- day tour and just in case they have forgotten, we will always be here to remind them.

    Signed:

    Malik Basintale
    Communication Officer
    NDC- Savannah region.

  • NPP is like the mother in 1st Kings who wanted the baby divided – Fifi Kwetey

    The ex-Deputy Minister of Finance, Fifi Kwetey, has accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of being full of selfish individuals who do not have the country’s interest at heart.

    According to him, the party has never supported policies or agendas that will lead to the country’s development which they will not benefit from.

    In an XYZ TV interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Fifi Kwetey added that the party can be akin to the woman in the Bible who, after killing her child, wanted the child of another woman divided because they would rather see Ghana destroyed than implement the much-needed policies that do not benefit them.

    “The larger spirit that drives our friends in the NPP is the spirit that does not hold well for the country. They opposed independence. They opposed our effort to become a republican state. As far as they are concerned, if we are not going to have it, then nobody should have it.

    “You know the story of King Solomon and the two women, where one of the women slept on her child, which caused his death while the child of the other woman was alive. And the one who had slept on her child said the baby alive was hers and should be divided. Unfortunately, the NPP represents that woman that wanted the child to be divided.

    “NPP, unfortunately, has that behaviour; if we are not going to get it, let it be killed, let it be destroyed. So, they opposed the Akosombo Dam, they opposed that Motorway, in 1992, they opposed the Constitution of Ghana, they opposed VAT, they opposed GetFund, they opposed ESLA. It is like once we are not in charge, we don’t want it,” he said in Twi.

  • Gov’t must ban import of mercury if it’s serious about fight against galamsey – Abronye DC

    The Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, a.k.a. Abronye DC, has said that the government is failing in the fight against illegal mining because it has not stopped the factors that encourage it.

    Abronye said that one of the main things that fosters ‘galamsey’ is the easy access to mercury in Ghana.

    He added that if the government is serious about fighting illegal mining, it has to ban the import of mercury.

    “We say we want to stop galamsey, but people have easy access to mercury, which is used for galamsey. Without mercury, illegal mining will cease. Where do they get the mercury from? Does it fall from the sky for them to go and collect it?

    “We import the mercury from other countries. So, if we really want to stop galamsey, one of the main things we can do is to make sure that mercury is not imported into this country.

    “If mercury continues to be imported into the country, whether we like it or not, illegal mining will continue. So, if the lands minister is serious about fighting galamsey, he should make sure import of mercury into Ghana is curtailed,” he said in Twi.

    He also said that the soldiers and other people who have been tasked with stopping the menace are not taking it seriously because they know nothing will happen to them if they fail.

    Speaking in a Neat FM interview monitored by GhanaWeb, the NPP regional chairman added that the government should make sure the taskforce charged with stopping the menace swears an oath by the gods.

    “I said that from day one, the taskforce to fight galamsey should be made to swear by the gods. I said this because the members of the committee that was set in 2013 to fight galamsey have all of a sudden become rich. The committee that was set by this government has also been dissolved.

    “Soldiers are sent to protect water bodies, but the waters keep getting polluted, and nothing happens to them,” he noted.

  • Thirty more factories under 1D1F coming up in Ashanti – Regional Minister

    About 30 more factories are at various stages of completion under the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative in the Ashanti Region, Mr. Simon Osei-Mensah, the Regional Minister, has disclosed.

    The Minister, who was speaking at the 23rd Regional Annual General Meeting of the Ashanti, Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regional Branch of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI) in Kumasi, said the region was a beneficiary of 21 out of the 125 factories, already in operation under the initiative.

    The meeting, which was on the theme: “Investing in Ghanaian Industries to Leverage Opportunities in the Single African Market,” was held to take stock of the activities of the Association and to chart the way forward by addressing pertinent issues affecting the growth of industries.

    It was attended by representatives of AGI from the four regions and other relevant industry players.

    Mr Osei-Mensah said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government in its quest to change the nature of the economy from taxation to production, launched the 1D 1F initiate in 2017 to promote the manufacturing and service sectors through several policy initiatives.

    He said through the GhanaCARES ‘Obatanpa’ Programme, the Government supported many manufacturing and pharmaceutical industries to survive the COVID-19 impact.

    “One of the objectives of the GhanaCARES ‘Obatanpa’ Programme is to support the private sector particularly agribusiness, manufacturing, ICT and digitalisation,” he stated.

    The Minister urged the Association to strengthen and deepen collaboration with the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA) and take advantage of the Authority’s work to diversify its export base.

    The location of the Secretariat of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Ghana, according to the Minister, offered a perfect opportunity for the AGI to make deliberate attempt to create export-oriented companies to enhance the country’s industrialisation agenda.

    He said the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council had always collaborated with the private sector and that together with the AGI, his outfit was implementing projects that would grow the economy to promote businesses in the Ashanti region.

    Mr Akwasi Nyamekye, Regional AGI Chairperson for Ashanti, Ahafo, Bono and Bono East, called on the Government to take a second look at the current ECOWAS protocols on trade, saying in-spite of the protocols there was no free movement of goods within the sub-region.

    He said the association and its members had the capacity to support all government programmes that fell within their domain.

    Source:gna

  • NPP Chair accuses Ellembelle DCE of taking GHC70K bribe to aid galamsey

    The governing New Patriotic Party(NPP) Constituency Chairman for Ellembele, Samson Ndoli has accused the District Chief Executive for the area, Kwasi Bonzoh of collecting GHC70,000 bribe to facilitate illegal mining in the area.

    In an interview, he accused the DCE of taking the said amount from some illegal miners who had been arrested and allowed them back to the mining site to continue with their further destruction of the land.

    “The party held a meeting in our office which was attended by the DCE where we agreed that illegal miners in our area are destroying our water bodies and so we need to arrest them. We undertook the operation to arrest them led by the DCE during which 7 excavators were seized and five persons arrested. Three days after their arrested, we were informed that they’ve been released after the DCE held a meeting with them where he collected GHC70,000 allowing their machines to go back to the site. We were not happy with that news and so we went to the site the following day where we took videos. We realized that the illegal miners had gone further in the destruction of the land.”

    He continued: “We then went to inform the District Police Commander that those who were arrested have gone back to the site. We moved to the scene with the Police and the media where we saw them working. Many of them escaped but three were arrested, we seized their equipment and fuel and took them to the police station. In the evening, the DCE’s aide came and bailed out the suspects. One of the DCE’s boys told us that if we arrest the miners ten times, they will be released ten times because the DCE is the Chairman of the DISEC. After the media publication, the DCE decided to cover up, he teamed with the galamseyers to do a press conference. What we find unfortunate is that even if you the DCE will release them to go back to the site, he needed to inform us (Executives) because we took the decision together. The DCE should have even commended us for arresting the suspects but he rather called the Secretary and asked him what locus he had to lead police officers to go to a mining site.”

    He added: The party birthed the government. So if the government introduces a policy, the party must stand firmly and back that policy.”

    In September 2022, Police arrested the DCE, Kwasi Bonzo days after his personal assistant, and one other person were placed under police investigation for the disappearance of two mining excavators in the district.

    The arrest ensued when the DCE caught wind that the police had recovered an excavator similar to what had been reported missing. He moved in to supposedly identify the earthmoving equipment in the early hours of the day.

    Reports indicate that the DCE was ignored when he came in to try and verify the machines’ ownership. He then followed up to Ayisakrom in the district where he was said to have confronted the security officials resulting in a scuffle.

    He was arrested and transported to the headquarters in Sekondi.

    NPP Constituency Chairman of Elembele Constituency exposes the DCE for the area, Kwasi Bonzo for collecting bribes to facilitate illegal mining in the area. pic.twitter.com/MIGOjZ61D0

    — Sammy Gyamfi (@SammyGyamfi_) October 7, 2022

  • NDC has no moral right to criticize our galamsey fight – NPP

    The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken a swipe at the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) after the latter described its effort in fighting illegal mining in the country as a scam.

    The NPP Deputy Director of Communications, Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah in a statement said the NDC’s conduct is “like the pot calling the kettle black because their track record in the galamsey menace is horrible.”

    Mr. Owusu Bempah accused the NDC of enabling and festering galamsey when they had the opportunity to pull the plug.

    “We are talking about a party that shamelessly launched the Youth in Small Scale Mining programme in the Eastern Region, which apparently opened the floodgate for galamsey.”

    “Of course, the galamsey situation got so bad under Mahama in 2015, such that he had to hang his shame on the people of Kyebi, tagging the place as the headquarters of Galamsay in the country.”

    He further accused the NDC of enabling galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang to thrive in Ghana.

    “For those that may have missed this; the erstwhile Mahama government issued an infinite resident permit to Aisha Huang.”

    “Precisely on 28th March 2015, Aisha Huang was given an indefinite resident permit to live here in perpetuity and to engage in her illegal activities. This happened under the Mahama administration. Meanwhile, she was unsuccessful in getting the permit during the President Kufour era.”

    “So you see, any dastardly attempt by the NDC to rationalize the political economy of galamsay must be roundedly condemned. It is beyond dispute that under John Mahama-led government, the national record of the deleterious impact of galamsay left a lot to be desired. It was simply unprecedented.”

    He explained that all the Akufo-Addo administration has been doing is simply managing a very bad situation as well as it can by the deft and relatively constructive application of the statutory laws of the land.

    The National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi while addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday, October 6, 2022, said the President is not backing his efforts with action.

    He described the measures and strategies put in place by government to win the war against the illegality as a clear deception, alleging that some members of the NPP and government are behind galamsey in the country.

    Source:citinewsroom.com

  • Gary Nimako named NPP’s Director of Legal Affairs

    The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has appointed Gary Nimako, a lawyer, as its first Director of Legal Affairs.

    This is the first time the party is creating a Legal Directorate since its formation.

    The Directorate will be responsible for advising the General Secretary of the party in the performance of his functions on legal matters affecting the party, including members of the party and ancillary matters of legal nature in the day-to-day administration of the party.

    He is also expected to coordinate all legal cases for and against the party and defend the party in court.

    Mr. Nimako will work closely with the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee of the party.

    Prior to his appointment, Gary Nimako was a long-standing Member of the NPP Legal Team, and has been instrumental in the conduct of the party’s cases in court, including the various parliamentary election petitions.

    He has also served as a Member of the Constitutional and Legal Committee of the Party’s National Council.

    Source:citinews.com

  • NDC has no moral right to criticize our galamsey fight – NPP

    The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken a swipe at the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) after the latter described its effort in fighting illegal mining in the country as a scam.

    The NPP Deputy Director of Communications, Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah in a statement said the NDC’s conduct is “like the pot calling the kettle black because their track record in the galamsey menace is horrible.”

    Mr. Owusu Bempah accused the NDC of enabling and festering galamsey when they had the opportunity to pull the plug.

    “We are talking about a party that shamelessly launched the Youth in Small Scale Mining programme in the Eastern Region, which apparently opened the floodgate for galamsey.”

    “Of course, the galamsey situation got so bad under Mahama in 2015, such that he had to hang his shame on the people of Kyebi, tagging the place as the headquarters of Galamsay in the country.”

    He further accused the NDC of enabling galamsey kingpin, Aisha Huang to thrive in Ghana.

    “For those that may have missed this; the erstwhile Mahama government issued an infinite resident permit to Aisha Huang.”

    “Precisely on 28th March 2015, Aisha Huang was given an indefinite resident permit to live here in perpetuity and to engage in her illegal activities. This happened under the Mahama administration. Meanwhile, she was unsuccessful in getting the permit during the President Kufour era.”

    “So you see, any dastardly attempt by the NDC to rationalize the political economy of galamsay must be roundedly condemned. It is beyond dispute that under John Mahama-led government, the national record of the deleterious impact of galamsay left a lot to be desired. It was simply unprecedented.”

    He explained that all the Akufo-Addo administration has been doing is simply managing a very bad situation as well as it can by the deft and relatively constructive application of the statutory laws of the land.

    The National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi while addressing a press conference in Accra on Thursday, October 6, 2022, said the President is not backing his efforts with action.

    He described the measures and strategies put in place by government to win the war against the illegality as a clear deception, alleging that some members of the NPP and government are behind galamsey in the country.

  • Payment of ex-gratia must be halted immediately – Kwabena Agyepong declares

    Flagbearer hopeful of the New Patriotic Party, (NPP) Kwabena Agyepong, has advocated for the payment of ex-gratia every four years to Article 71 officeholders to be scrapped immediately.

    He stated in an interview with Accra-based Joy News that the country does not have the financial resources to support such payments.

    Agyepong contended that persons such as Members of Parliament can be given “something little” after serving their terms in office but it should not be in the current lump sum even for MPs who return to Parliament.

    He listed the Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin together with Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu (Majority Leader and Suame MP) and Kobina Tahir Hammond (Adansi Asokwa MP) as people who have benefited greatly from payment of ex-gratia over the years due to their long stay in the legislature.

    He said such payment were not right on any moral standing stressing that it should halt with immediate effect.

    “Ex-gratia should be like a parachute payment. When you have served your country like a member of Parliament…it’s a difficult assignment. I would say it is like marriage. When you elevate a lady to certain level as a wife and you want to leave, that’s why they let you pay alimony.

    “You have to support her. You cannot allow her just to drop because you are leaving. That’s not right. It is not fair. You make somebody an honorable Member of Parliament, he served when he is going home, something little. Maybe he can take the car away,” the former NPP General Secretary said on October 6.

    “…not after every four years. I never understood that. If you are coming back it cannot be ex-gratia. I see the Speaker and the likes of Kyei Mensah, they must have benefited a lot. My good friend KT Hammond…that is not right. It cannot be right on any moral standing. We should stop it immediately. We don’t have the money as a country,” he added.

    Mahama, NPP “clash” over payment of ex-gratia

    Former President Mahama while speaking to a gathering of NDC lawyers pledged to implement recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee as well as review ex-gratia payments in the next NDC administration

    “The next NDC government must commit to the implementation of the review of the 1992 Constitution, which was begun by President John Evans Atta Mills of blessed memory. This review should among others aim at reforming the judiciary and tackle head-on issues on ex-gratia payments and other matters of Article 71 emoluments” Mahama said.

    Bono Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC, however, said Mahama benefited from ex-gratia payment to the tune of GH¢14 million in 2013 – a claim the office of the former president has denied.

    Abronye DC also said Mahama cannot scrap the payment of ex-gratia because he “loves ex-gratia more than his wife Lordina”.

    The NPP in press conference also said the promise by Mahama was mere political rhetoric aimed at swaying voters.

     

  • NPP Communications Directorate pays Despite Media Group a visit

    The team chatted with the hosts and panellists on the morning show after stopping by UTV, Peace FM, Neat FM, and Okay FM. They seized the occasion to meet with the Despite Media Group’s management as well.

    The National Communications Directorate of the New Patriotic Party paid a working visit to the Despite Media Group on Wednesday, October 5, 2022.

    The team led by the Director of Communications, Mr. Richard Ahiagbah together with some of the Deputy Communications Directors in the persons of George Krobea Asante, Ernest Owusu Bempah, Kamal Deen, Jennifer Oforiwaa Queen, visited Despite Media Group to interact not only with the hosts of their various programs but also a staff of the outfit.

    Other members of the Communications Directorate who went with the team were Nana Ayimadu Bekoe who is in charge of Deployment and Emmanuel Yaw Mensah, Administrator of the Directorate.

    Also with the team as part of the media tour were Hon. Alexandra Akwasi Aquah, the Honourable Member of Parliament for Akim Oda, and Hon Ayepe, Former MP for Ayensuano are also members of the National Communications Team.

    The team after visiting UTV, Peace FM, Neat FM, and Okay FM, interacted with the hosts and the panelists on the morning show. They also took the opportunity to meet with the management of the Despite Media  Group to discuss some pertinent issues.

  • I will never do anything to hurt the NPP – Wontumi on ‘galamsey’ allegations

    Ashanti Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, a.k.a. Chairman Wontumi, has denied allegations that he is involved in illegal small-scale mining (‘galamsey’).

    He said that he will never do anything to hurt his company or ruin the image of his party, the NPP, adomonline.com reports.

    The regional chairman added that if he wanted to do illegal mining, he will not go through the trouble to acquire the mining licenses he has.

    “I won’t do things to hurt my company; I won’t do things to hurt this party (NPP). In 2017, I could have easily moved to the site to work but I waited untill I got the license before beginning my operations.

    “If someone wants to do galamsey, would the person apply for a lease? You can’t go to the police if you want to engage in a criminal activity,” he said.

    Wontumi added that his only intention in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve was to drive out ‘galamseyers’ as he awaits the permission of the lands minister to start mining.

    “It is like a man who has gone in for a woman and visited her family to perform the knocking ceremony. If another guy wants to rape the lady, you have expressed interest in, won’t you protect your lady? I have the gazette and this is law and if galamsey operators want to destroy my site, shouldn’t I protect the place?” he quizzed.

    Meanwhile, the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has directed the Forestry Commission to suspend the operations of Akonta Mining Company in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve of the Amenfi West Municipal Assembly.

    According to a statement issued by the Public Affairs office of the Ministry on Friday, September 30, 2022, the company owned by the ruling NPP Chairman for Ashanti Region has been engaging in mining activities in the forest without a permit.

    “The attention of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has been drawn to publications about certain operations by Akonta Mining Limited in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Amenfi West Municipality in the Western Region.

    “Records available to the Ministry show that while Akonta Mining Ltd has a mining lease to undertake mining operations in some parts of Samreboi, outside the Forest Reserve, the company has no mineral right to undertake any mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve,” the statement said.

    According to the Ministry, while Akonta Mining Company had applied for a permit to mine in the said forest reserve, the Minister had yet to give approval to any such application hence rendering the activities of the firm in the said forest reserve illegal.

     

  • Wontumi, Samertex PRO clash over rights to Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve

    The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi Boasiako, has clashed with the Public Relations Officer of the timber processing firm, Samertex, Vincent Torgah, over rights to be operating in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve.

    The clash comes after the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, directed the Forestry Commission to cease the operations of Akonta Mining Company in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve of the Amenfi West Municipal Assembly.

    According to a statement issued by the Public Affairs office of the Ministry on Friday, September 30, 2022, the company owned by the ruling NPP Chairman for Ashanti Region, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, alias Wontumi, has been engaging in mining activities in the forest without a permit.

    “The attention of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has been drawn to publications about certain operations by Akonta Mining Limited in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve in the Amenfi West Municipality in the Western Region.

    “Records available to the Ministry show that while Akonta Mining Ltd has a mining lease to undertake mining operations in some parts of Samreboi, outside the Forest Reserve, the company has no mineral right to undertake any mining operations in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve,” the statement said.

    According to the Ministry, while Akonta Mining Company had applied for a permit to mine in the said forest reserve, the Minister had yet to give approval to any such application hence rendering the activities of the firm in the said forest reserve illegal.

    Reaction to this in an Asempa interview monitored by GhanaWeb, on Tuesday (October 4), Wontumi insisted that he has the right to some parts of the Nimiri Forest and he is only awaiting a mining lease from the ministry to start the mining.

    He said that he has documents that show that he has rights to some parts of the forest reserve and that there is even a case that is yet to be determined by the court on who has the rights to the dispute parts of the forest.

    “If Samertex says they have the right to the disputed parts of the forest, they should provide their evidence like I have.

    “Akonta Mining is not mining in the forest; we only entered the forest about two years ago but Samertex knows that there have been illegal miners in the forest since 2013. Why did not report these galamseyers to the forestry commission?” he said in Twi.

    He added that his company together with some security only went into the forest to sack illegal miners who were already in the forest but they were attacked by officers of Samertex which led to the destruction of one of his vehicles.

    But, the PRO of Samertex, Vincent Torgah, who joined in the conversation, said that the claims of the NPP regional chairman were false.

    According to him, the Forestry Commission of Ghana which gives leases to forests in the country has on some occasions informed Wontumi’s Akonta Mining that it has no right to be mining in the forest.

    “The Ministry has told Akonta Mining on a number of occasions that it has no right to be mining in the forest.

    “But anytime we go to the forest with officials of the Forestry Commission, we see that the mining is ongoing. The security of Akonta sometimes refuse to let us leave the forest and we have to be rescued,” he said.

  • ‘It’s galamsey galore in Ghana’ – Oppong-Nkrumah’s 2016 tweet re-emerges

    In May 2016, The Economist made a tweet about the effects of small-scale illegal mining (galamsey) in Cote d’Ivoire, to which the current Minister of Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, reacted.

    The tweet read, “In Ivory Coast, the government has shut down more than 280 illegal mines since last year.”

    In a retweet, Oppong-Nkrumah, who was at the time a parliamentary candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the Ofoase Ayirebi constituency, called out the government of the day for their poor fight against the galamsey menace in the country.

    “And in Ghana it’s Galamsey galore. Governments can act if they really want to,” he retweeted.

    Today, the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, under which Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah serves as Minister of Information, has been bombarded with perhaps the worst effects of galamsey in the country.

    This is beside the several attempts made by the government to fight the menace, which continues to destroy water bodies as well as forest covers.

    See the tweet below:

    And in Ghana it’s Galamsey galore. Governments can act if they really want to. https://t.co/J3e3Id9iud

    — Kojo Oppong Nkrumah (@konkrumah) May 11, 2016

  • Alan Kyerematen’s industrialization vision will curb Cedi depreciation, others – Adorye

    Hopeson Adorye, a former New Patriotic Party candidate for the Kpone Katamanso seat, claimed that Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen is a person of action.

    He said that the minister has long been committed to the idea of industrialisation in an interview with Okay FM in Accra on October 3.

    Adorye said that the rumored New Patriotic Party flagbearer candidate was instrumental in securing Ghana as the location for the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

    With his vision of industrialization, the former NPP parliamentary candidate believes the country will progress economically under the presidency of Alan Kyerematen.

    “Alan is a cool person and a doer. He is not going to be a talkative but action-oriented person. Nations that have developed have based on industrialization and with Alan Kyerematen, it is not because of President Akufo-Addo’s appointment that he is working on industries.

    “He was the coordinator for Trade Commission for the whole of Africa in the 90’s. He presented a paper where he advocated for the creation of the African Continental Trade.

    “When he became Trade Minister, he pursued it and lobbied for AfCFTA headquarters to be in Ghana. If somebody like this, with an industrialization vision, when he becomes president, you will see that the country will also be driven by industrialization. Industrialization will reduce hardship and the Cedi’s depreciation. Our only hope is Alan Kyerematen,” Adorye said.

    Background

    The New Patriotic Party, is bent on breaking the eight-year rotational power cycle between itself and the opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC.

    Ahead of that, it is billed to elect a flagbearer next year. Some of the names which have popped up besides Alan Kyerematen include Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, and Former NPP General Secretary, Kwabena Agyei Agyapong.

    Political analysts however predict that the contest is going to be a two-horse race between Alan Kyerematen and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

  • I have no footage from my TV career, NPP sabotaged me – Blakofe

    Not only has Ghanaian media personality, Akua Blakfoe accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of threatening her life but also blames them for her dismissal from Mnet and her former company’s decision to hold on to her works despite several attempts to recover old footage.

    In a lengthy post on Facebook, Blakofe, who is known to have hosted several shows on Ghanaian television including Talking Drum, Amazing Ghana, Miss Malaika, Morning Ride and Soccer Academy said there is no footage to prove to the world or grandchildren of her sacrifice and work as a show host.

    In her post sighted by GhanaWeb, the TV personality who was a former Deputy CEO of the Ghana Tourism Development Company explained that she lost her job for criticizing President John Agyekum Kufuor’s government under the NPP.

    “Do you know when Mnet sacked me for saying Ghana@50 was a waste of money they refused to give me copies of my work? I’m trying to archive my TV career in the asylum and I have nothing! No Goldblast. No Talking Drum. No Amazing Ghana. No Miss Malaika. No Morning Ride. No Soccer Academy. No Taxi Driver (guest appearance on 1 ep). Only 1 Studio 53. I filmed so much…20 years on TV and I have little to prove it. My YouTube channel was also pulled down, don’t know whom by or why so all the footage there is gone. And my previous tenant threw ALL our things out of our home before subletting. Those things included plenty VHS copies of my TV career,” parts of the post read.

    Blakofe commenting on the harm the political party has done to her life despite her support wrote that he regrets ever campaigning for them, especially under President Akufo-Addo’s rule.

    She noted that a woman under Kufuor’s administration instigated her dismissal from Mnet.

    “These days, I don’t stress or vex so I’m not angry. Just disappointed that I’ve nothing to archive. Nothing for my granddaughter to see. As for the shows I emceed, forgerrit. No footage kraaaaaaa. What a sin t’ing. PS – I lost my Mnet job under Kuffour (apparently powers that be phoned Mnet to sack me for saying don’t buy champagne for Gh@50; build maternity wards instead. I know the woman who instigated my sacking though. Then under Akufo-Addo, I lost my life in the asylum. The lesson? I should never support NPP!” she stated.

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • If you lie about me in your next documentary, I will sue you- Chairman Wontumi to Erastus Donkor

    The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has advised Erastus Asare Donkor to avoid documenting and publicizing false stories concerning Akonta Mining Limited’s mining operations.

    Mr. Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, better known as Chairman Wontumi, has threatened to sue the Multimedia reporter in court if he continues to lie to the public about his involvement in illegal mining, also known as galamsey.

    Chairman Wontumi in an interview with Wontumionline.com, stated that he will not handle the reporter with kids gloves if he continues to describe him or his mining firm as galamsey operators.

    The NPP Chairman explained that he doesn’t engage in galamsey as stated in the previous documentary which was produced by Erastus Asare Donkor and aired on Joy TV to tarnish his reputation.

    “I am sounding this caution to Erastus Asare Donkor and other journalists who don’t have any fact but make bold claims that I am into galamsey. This time round, I will sue Erastus in court if I see any documentary from him slating me as someone engaged in galamsey. I am into large scale mining and that one is different from the illegal activities of galamsey operators”, Chairman Wontumi said.

    Source:wontumionline.com

  • Pressure mounts on Alan Kyerematen to resign as Trades Minister

    New Patriotic Party (NPP) polling station executives are mounting pressure on Alan Kyerematen to resign as Trade and Industry Minister to enable him to focus on his presidential ambition, Hopeson Adorye has said.

    The former NPP parliamentary candidate for Kpone Katamanso in an interview with Okay FM on October 3 extolled the qualities of Alan Kyerematen.

    He stated that Alan Kyerematen has in the course of his lifetime distinguished himself and has patiently waited for his turn to be the flagbearer of the elephant party.

    He indicated that the Trades Minister remains the only candidate amongst the lot whose names have popped up in the flagbearership race to retain the party in power in 2024.

    Adorye stated that Alan Kyerematen’s appeal to electorates cuts across the political divide as well as persons belonging to the middle class.

    “We are bringing him that is why we say ‘eduruwoso’. The question we must ask is which candidate won’t take us into opposition. All the aspirants are okay but which of them won’t take us to the opposition? It is only one person who will retain us in power.

    “He is someone who appeals to the middle class, children, party members and is able to sway opposition members to vote for NPP. He is in the person of Alan Cash. Apart from him, no one else. Nobody can find fault with him because he is a man who has distinguished himself. Alan has comported himself when it comes to adhering to NPP’s ban on a campaign,” he said.


    On the occasion of the Trades Minister’s birthday yesterday, Adorye said party members throng the minister’s office to celebrate with him while also urging him to resign from his role in government.

    He expressed confidence that NPP delegates will vote massively for him in the race in which he is expected to come up against some other heavyweights in the party.

    “On his birthday today [October 3, 2022], party delegates are in his office to prevail on him to leave his appointment in government and come and lead the party. The Bible says they that wait shall renew their strength. If you look at the way Alan has waited, even when in 2006 he attempted to contest he was prevailed upon to allow J. A Kufuor and others to lead.

    “He waited patiently and prepared himself until now. God will make a way for him by Grace. If you have an objective, God will deliver on it for you if you are focused on it. With Christ in the boat, we will sail through. By 2024, about 140,000 out of 200,000 delegates to elect flagbearer will vote for Alan Kyerematen to win 2024 elections,” Adorye stated.

    Further commenting on election 2024, the staunch supporter of Alan Kyerematen said that the opposition NDC have no choice but to bring former President John Dramani Mahama.

    In a contest between the two candidates of the leading political parties, the former NPP parliamentary candidate said Alan Kyerematen will deliver a resounding victory for the governing party by obtaining 54% of the votes cast.

    “It is the polling station officers who are bringing Alan as flagbearer. They are always asking him when he is stepping down from his role as minister. The people on the ground are mounting pressure for him to step down. NDC’s candidate is automatically John Mahama. John Mahama facing Alan…you will see NPP garnering 54% of votes cast. I’m sure on that,” a confident Adorye submitted.

    Background

    The New Patriotic Party, is bent on breaking the eight-year rotational power cycle between itself and the opposition party NDC.

    Ahead of that, it is billed to elect a flagbearer next year. Some of the names which have popped up besides Alan Kyerematen include Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong, and Former NPP General Secretary, Kwabena Agyei Agyapong amongst others.

    Political analysts however predict that the contest is going to be a two-horse race between Alan Kyerematen and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.

    Source: Ghanaweb