New Patriotic Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem North, Andy Appiah-Kubi has disclosed that he will never accept any offer to be a deputy minister.
He said he regrets accepting his previous appointment as deputy Minister for Railway Development.
According to the MP, his experience has led him to decide never to accept another appointment as a deputy minister.
“I will never accept the position of deputy minister again. I made a mistake of accepting such a position and I will not do that again. I didn’t get the opportunity to exhibit my talent” he is quoted in a report by 3news,com.
The MP was reacting to the recent announcement of some ministerial nomination by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The president on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, announced the nomination of Adansi Asokwa MP, KT Hammond as Minister for Trade pending approval by Parliament.
Abetifi MP, Bryan Acheampong has been named as the Minister of Food and Agriculture. Former Director-General (DG) of the State Interests and Governance Authority (SIGA) Stephen Asamoah Boateng (Asa B) is heading to Chieftaincy Ministry whereas Stephen Amoah, Nhyiaeso MP is now deputy minister-designate for Trade and Industry.
Also, Dr. Mohammed Amin Anta has been named as Minister of State for Finance replacing Charles Adu Boahen, and Hebert Krapah, who was deputy minister at the Trade Ministry has been moved to the Energy Ministry as deputy minister-designate.
The announcement by the president comes at a time when there are growing public calls for changes in the government.
Speaking in a 3FM interview, Andy Appiah-Kubi noted that he wished the president would have merged some of his ministries.
Former Chairperson of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), Bernard Mornah, has accused President Akufo-Addo for demeaning the reputation of the Ghanaian presidency.
According to him, President Akufo-Addo has now resorted to begging world leaders to help Ghana with the county’s huge debts.
Speaking in an XYZ TV interview, on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, which was monitored by GhanaWeb, Mornah alleged that President Akufo-Addo recently begged the foreign minister of Germany to plead with the Chinese government to give Ghana more time to repay its debts.
“It is so sickening that when you have messed up the economy to this extent, the president will again decide to debase the Office of the President.
“When the finance minister of Germany came to Ghana for a visit, our president told him to go and beg China so that they will forgive some of Ghana’s debts. This is what the president told the finance minister of Germany.
“He did not even call the Chancellor of Germany who is his counterpart… when you (Akufo-Addo) were going for the loan did you call the German foreign minister? When you were telling us that you were doing bauxite for infrastructure did you go to tell the Germans,” he said in Twi.
The former CPP chairperson said that rather than the government engaging the Chinese directly on its debts, the president is “going round calling subordinate ministers to go and talk on his behalf”.
“You (Akufo-Addo) are reducing the presidency,” he reiterated.
Member of Parliament for Asante Akim North, Andy Appiah-Kubi, wants President Akufo-Addo to heed to their request for the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, to be dismissed from office.
He says it is time for the President to fulfill his promise.
Appiah-Kubi who was the leader of a group of ruling party MPs under the infamous “Ken Must Go” banner, that threatened to withdraw support for government business in parliament if Ofori-Atta remained at post.
A meeting brokered by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) between the MPs and the presidency laid out three conditions after which the sacking of Ofori-Atta will be considered.
Appiah-Kubi told Accra-based TV3 on February 8 that all three conditions have been fulfilled and that the ball was now in the court of the president to stick to his side of the bargain.
“The indications were not exactly the total conclusion of the IMF (programme). The road maps were the passing of the budget, the approval of the appropriation and the conclusion of the first phase of the IMF negotiations which we have reached already because we have reached conclusion at Staff-Level …
“So, for all that happened at negotiations, we have delivered as one party as Members of Parliament and it is up to the president to also deliver as a contracting party.
“As far as I am concerned, all three milestones have been achieved … we have reached our end of the milestone, we expect the president to also do same,” he added.
Ofori-Atta was untouched in a recent ministerial shakeup that saw Akufo-Addo nominate seven persons for ministerial and deputy positions in his government.
President Akufo-Addo, on February 7,2023; nominated Kobina Tahiru Hammond (MP for Adansi Asokwa) as the minister-designate for Trade and Industry and Bryan Acheampong (MP for Abetifi) as the minister-designate for Food and Agriculture.
Other nominations the president made are Stephen Asamoah Boateng, for the Ministry of Chieftaincy; Mohammed Amin Adam as Minister of State at the Ministry of Finance and Osei Bonsu Amoah as Minister of State for Local Government.
Stephen Amoah, the Member of Parliament for Nhyiaeso, was also appointed a Deputy Minister-designate for Trade and Industry.
Herbert Krapah, previously the deputy trade minister was also moved to the energy ministry with the same rank.
The Secretary to the Board of the National Cathedral of Ghana, Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng, also known as Kwabena Adu Gyami, has been criticized the Minority Caucus of Parliament for his legal activities against North Tongu Member of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
In a statement issued by the Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson, on Wednesday, the minority caucus said that the legal actions against Ablakwa over his latest exposé on the National Cathedral of Ghana are just attempts to derail his oversight duties as an MP.
It added that Rev Kusi Boateng’s claim that the MP’s exposé exposes him to identity theft does not hold because he, himself, has different identities.
“The instant preposterous and cowardly legal action against our respected colleague, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa by President Akufo-Addo’s appointee to the Board of Trustees of the scandal-ridden National Cathedral of Ghana who now claims to be called Kwabena Adu Gyamfi even though all public records including incorporation documents show that he was duly appointed as Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng is nothing but a desperate effort to stifle parliamentary scrutiny and pervert the course of justice.
“In any case, the claim by the applicant that the continuous publication of his personal information violates his privacy raises legitimate, legal and logical questions about which of his dual identities with his different names, different dates of birth, different TINS, different mothers and different national IDs actually refer to him,” parts of the statement read.
The statement by the Minority Caucus comes after Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was cited for contempt of court by Rev Kusi Boateng for his handling of a restraining order document issued by a court in Accra.
The MP was captured in a viral video throwing out a restraining order document from the secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana, Rev Victor Kusi Boateng, who is also known as Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was forced to kick out the document after the bailiff tried to force the document into his car on the compound of Metro TV after the Good Morning Ghana show.
The motion for contempt, which was filed by Rev Kusi Boateng, indicated that the reasons Ablakwa gave for rejecting the document were not tangible.
According to the court document, which was sighted by GhanaWeb, the MP said that he could not be served the document because he was on his way to Parliament but the House was on recess as at the time the order was being served.
About restraining order against Ablakwa
The secretary to the board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana, Rev Victor Kusi Boateng, who is also known as Kwabena Adu Gyamfi, has secured an order of interim injunction against the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
The order restrains Okudzeto Ablakwa from publicly sharing any document belonging to Kwabena Adu Gyamfi for the next 10 days.
The MP who disclosed this in a tweet shared on Friday, February 3, 2023, said that he was served the order after his appearance on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme on the same day.
“One Kwabena Adu Gyamfi also claiming to have an alias as Victor Kusi Boateng has secured a 10-day restraining order seeking to stop me from further publications on the Conflict of Interest & Double Identity Scandal,” parts of the MP’s tweet read.
The MP shared a picture of the order he was served which read: “IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the 1″ Respondent, SAMUEL OKUDZETO ABLAKWA is restrained from making further public disclosures of private documents, correspondence, communication and property belonging to the Applicant (Adu Gyamfi).”
“IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this interim order will lapse after Ten (10) days,” it added.
Background
The latest corruption exposé on the National Cathedral by the Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, suggested impropriety on the part of the secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana, Rev. Victor Kusi Boateng.
On January 16, 2023, the MP made some allegations against Rev. Kusi Boateng, who is the secretary to the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral of Ghana.
In an earlier revelation about the National Cathedral, Okudzeto Ablakwa said a whopping GH¢2.6 million was dished out to a company named JNS Talent Centre Limited.
Further investigations into the alleged payment led to the discovery of one Kwabena Adu Gyamfi as a director of JNS Talent Centre.
Having confirmed the identities of two out of three directors of the centre, Ablakwa dug deeper in a bid to discover the identity of the third director, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
According to his findings, citing a number of statutory documents, Kwabena Adu Gyamfi was the same as Reverend Kusi Boateng, who has allegedly been operating under the pseudonym Kwabena Adu Gyamfi.
20 High Court judges have been sworn in by President Akufo-Addo following their promotion.
The 16 judges from the Circuit Court were all promoted to the third highest court of the bench following recommendations by the Judicial Council.
The newly sworn-in Justices are; Kwame Polley, William Appiah Twumasi, Baah Forson Agyapong, Marian Affoh, Nana Brew, Abena Amponsah Buansi, Ellen Lordina Serwaa Mireku, Priscilla Dapaah Mireku, Alexander Oworae,Joyce Boahen, Edward Twum and Gwendolyn Millicent Owusu.
The rest are Rosemary Baah Tosu, Frederick Kwabena Twumasi, Adelaide Abui Keddey, Harry Acheampong- Opoku, Kenneth Edem Kudjordjie, John-Mark Nuku Alifo, Kwesi Adjenim-Boateng, George Aikins Ampiah- Bonney and Marie-Louise Simmons.
President Nana Akufo-Addo while swearing them in said his government will continue to invest in infrastructure for the judiciary in order to ensure justice delivery is improved.
According to the President, the government is currently putting up 16 bungalows across the country to accommodate High Court judges in the various regions.
President Nana Akufo-Addo urged the judges to ensure that they deliver justice without fear or favour.
He said the government is committed to improving infrastructure to ensure that the judiciary is able to work properly.
For his part, Justice Kwame Polley on behalf of his colleagues thanked the President and pledged to work according to the provisions of the laws of Ghana.
A member of the NDC’s communication team, Peter Akwesi Mensah, has criticised the Akufo-Addo led administration over the economic hardships.
He says the names of the President, Vice and Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, should be captured in the Guinness book of records over the current difficulties the ordinary Ghanaian is facing.
According to him, the Akufo Addo-led administration is reckless and has caused the people of Ghana enormous pain.
Speaking in an interview with TV XYZ on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, he argued that for the first time in the history of Africa, weird happenings are being experienced in the wake of the government factoring individual bondholders in its domestic debt exchange programme.
He claimed that Ghana becomes the first country in the history of Africa to include individual bondholders in a domestic debt exchange programme.
“It is a shame on the party, they have demonstrated that the Fiscal Responsibility Act, is not actually a Fiscal Responsibility Act but rather it is a recklessness responsibility act. I am telling you. They’ve demonstrated a high level of recklessness and that’s Akufo Addo… do you know that the whole of Africa, this is the first time a government is seeking an IMF bailout and is including individual bondholders in a domestic debt exchange programme? “This is the first time in the history of African politics. So, I’m saying, Akufo Addo, Bawumia and Ken Ofori Atta need to be named in the Guinness Book of Records. They’ve set an unbreakable economic record in Africa’s history,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is optimistic that Ghana will conclude talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on a possible financial bailout programme.
According to President Akufo-Addo, though government’s debt exchange programme was fraught with several challenges after its announcement, it has largely been accepted by the citizenry.
He made this known when the German Federal Minister of Finance, Christian Lindner, paid him a visit at the Jubilee House.
“We have already taken one important step forward in concluding a staff-level agreement with the IMF. One of the steps was the domestic debt exchange programme which encountered a lot of difficulties, but it has now been virtually concluded…We are now looking towards going the full hog and concluding the agreement. We’re hoping that will be done by the middle of March,” President Akufo-Addo said.
He also called on Germany to encourage China, an ad hoc member of the Paris Club to support Ghana’s debt restructuring efforts.
National Organizer of the governing New Patriotic Party, has cleared the air on rumours that President Akufo-Addo is hampering the party from conducting an early congress.
Mounting a strong defence for President, he contended that Mr Akufo-Addo is not to blame for the party’s inability to set a date for its primaries.
According to him, such choices are made by the national executive committee of the party and not by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Speaking in an interview with Neat FM, Nana B stated that, the national executive body must take into account all proposals before deciding on a date for the stated election because there have been a variety of views and perspectives expressed over the party’s election.
“I don’t have to buy them at all , I condemn such posts and views . Under no circumstance should anybody attribute this to his excellency the president . It is very unfortunate and I condemn it as the national organizer.
“…Look, these processes are democratic and gives room for everyone to share their opinions. This is extensively consultative. So it is very unfortunate for people to be making unfounded claims,” he said.
It maybe recalled that some party members including a political scientist Dr Amoako Baah accused President Akufo-Addo of personally hijacking the party’s bid to hold an early congress.
According to them, the president is preventing a possible switch of attention from himself and his government to the new candidate to be elected as flagbearer and that he is doing everything possible to delay the elections.
President Akufo-Addo has met the Ga state after the death of the Ga Manye, Naa Dedei Omaedru III.
He assured the Ga state of the government’s support to ensure that the late queen mother, who reigned for 59 years, was given a befitting funeral.
President Akufo-Addo gave the assurance last Friday when a delegation from the Ga State, led by a member of the Council of State, Nii Adjiri Blankson, called on him at the Jubilee House in Accra to inform him of the passing of the queenmother.
The delegation, which included chiefs, elders of the traditional set-up and children of the deceased, presented the President with assorted drinks and a full piece of red cloth in consonance with tradition.
President Akufo-Addo gave an assurance that he would be at the funeral because it was a family bereavement for him. Naa Omaedru, 88, was known in private life as Naa Dedei Ablah. She was installed Ga Manye in 1963 when she was 29.
She passed away at her Dansoman residence, surrounded by her loved ones, on December 26, 2022.
Credits
During her reign, Naa Omaedru was credited for selflessly devoting her life to public and voluntary service and championing important issues crucial to peace, education and opportunities for young people, especially the girl-child.
These included seeking the welfare of the girl-child and women to safeguard their future, setting a remarkable example of leadership to queenmothers in the Ga State.
She also stood for peace and unity and promoted these, not only among the people of the Ga State but also all Ghanaians, and advocated a united approach to the meaningful development of her people.
Charity
Naa Omaedru was known for her charity work, and in 2004, she donated items worth $12 million to the Ghana Society of the Physically Disabled at the Ghana National Rehabilitation Centre in Accra.
According to President Akufo-Addo, government is dedicated to ensuring that the insurgency in Burkina Faso is brought to a close.
Nana Akufo-Addo says the Burkinabees who are fleeing their country have identified Ghana as a safe haven.
Speaking at a meeting with the German Finance Minister, Christian Lindner at the Jubilee House in Accra.,
Nana Akufo-Addo says the government of Ghana is committed to ensuring the insurgency in Burkina Faso is brought to an end.
“We are talking about a substantial number of people who are already coming southwards as a result of the difficulties in Burkina Faso. We have a direct, important and strategic interest in doing whatever we can to bring this insurgency to an end and help stabilise the issues in Burkina Faso.”
Ghana and Burkina Faso have reaffirmed their commitment to work together in fighting terrorism in the sub-region.
Ghana’s National Security Minister Albert Kan-Dapaah disclosed this to journalists in Ouagadougou on Wednesday 21st December 2022 after conveying a message from President Akufo-Addo to the Burkinabe leader, President Ibrahim Traore.
Mr Kan-Dapaah led a high-level delegation from Ghana which also included Security chiefs and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.
Flanked by the Burkinabe Foreign Minister Madame Olivia Rouamba, Mr Kan-Dapaah said “the two countries reviewed the strong cooperation between them and clarified to their mutual satisfaction recent reported discussions between Ghana and the United States with regard to the needed partnerships for sustainable peace in the region”.
The Minister indicated that both countries have reaffirmed their support for a common fight against terrorism, welcoming early operationalization of the Accra Initiative to enable Burkina Faso to defeat the terrorists who have brought untold hardship and pain to the Burkinabe people.
“In that respect, we discussed concrete support that Ghana has advocated for Burkina Faso in the Accra Initiative and ECOWAS and called on the West African States to act expeditiously on the matter,” he said.
The two countries also highlighted the importance of building resilience in vulnerable communities and support for those that have been displaced or lost livelihoods and called for genuine partnership with the international community in this regard.
Ghana and Burkina Faso committed to holding more regular consultations.
Earlier Mr Kan-Dapaah and his delegation were welcomed by a retinue of religious and traditional leaders.
Together, they reaffirmed the common histories and traditions of Ghana and Burkina Faso and agreed to explore the possibility of periodic visitor exchange with their counterparts in Ghana.
There has been an increase in enrolment across the country since the Free Senior High School concept was introduced in 2017.
The increased enrolment also led to increased demand for furniture, accommodation and other resources to facilitate effective teaching and learning.
It is based on this that the President Akufo-Addo-led government has since 2017 donated thousands of furniture and other resources to schools to promote effective teaching and learning at the pre-tertiary education sector.
The Press Secretary at the Education Ministry, Mr Felix A. Baidoo, who disclosed this said the government has since 2017 distributed a total of 1,155,240 pieces of furniture to Senior High and Basic Schools across the country.
He stated that out of the number 925,793 were distributed to SHS while the remaining 229,447 went to Basic Schools in the country.
Demand-driven supply
Again, he stated that the demand-driven furniture distribution, is aimed at creating enabling and conducive environment in the classrooms.
Mr Baidoo disclosed this after accompanying a team of media personnel to Benje Furniture Company Ltd at Weija in the Weija Gbawe Municipality in Accra on Friday where 5,000 dual desks were being dispatched to the Kpandai District in the North East region.
The trip to Benje Furniture Company Ltd was geared towards providing evidence that the government’s readiness to distribute furniture to schools is real and not a rhetoric.
Ongoing distribution
According to the Press Secretary, the loading of the 5,000 pieces of furniture to Kpandai District was part of 40,000 pieces of furniture being distributed to schools which have requested additional furniture across the country.
He explained that although the government desired to distribute the right quantity of furniture to schools, that depends on the demands of schools at a particular point in time.
This, he said is to ensure that the furniture went to the right institutions or schools which need them most to avoid sending the furniture to schools which did not need them while others which needed them have not been supplied yet.
Mr Baidoo indicated the government’s preparedness towards supplying the needed resources to all schools across the country towards enhancing the development of education.
Exercise restraint
He appealed to all schools yet to be supplied with furniture and other resources to exercise restraint as the right processes are being followed to ensure that all resources reached those who need them.
The Chief Executive Officer of Benje Furniture Company Ltd, praised the Education Minister, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, for procuring the furniture from the local market since such a move would help boost the operations of local companies.
He explained that the procurement of the furniture locally would also help empower local industries to do more towards strengthening their operations.
The CEO pledged to ensure that all the furniture would be delivered within three weeks so that the beneficiaries would be able to use it for its intended purpose.
Records
Records available at the Education Ministry indicate that a total of 65,779 pieces of furniture were supplied to Basic Schools in the country in 2018, 54,000 was supplied by District Assembly Common Fund in 2020, 69,459 in 2021 while the distribution of 40,000 to Basic Schools for this year is currently underway.
The SHSs also received 65,779 furniture in 2018, 54,000 in 2020, 69,459 in 2021 while the distribution of 40,209 for this year is ongoing.
The distribution of furniture to the schools usually comes in the form of dual desks, teacher’s chairs and tables, library tables and chairs, common room tables and chairs, KG chairs, cupboards, notice board, dining hall tables, dining hall benches, computer lab chairs and bunk beds among others.
President Akufo-Addo has shown the desire to combat corruption in the nation, according to Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, the government’s spokesperson on governance and security.
In the 2022 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) released by Transparency International, Ghana ranks 72 out of 180 countries with a score of 43 out of 100 which is a repetition of its marks for the two previous years.
With the CPI score being the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0-100, where 0 means highly corrupt and 100 means very clean, it means Ghana has not improved in the anti-graft fight.
The report highlighted the need to address the canker since corruption is a major contributor to the current economic woes of the nation.
However, commenting on the report on Starr FM Weekly Review Program, the government spokesperson on Governance and Security, said this government has been the most committed against graft.
He said contrary to the CPI report anti-graft institutions in the country have been better funded to work effectively.
“This is perception and it means that it’s the perception that people have. Now the government has sought to tackle corruption at the very base than any government in this country since Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. It took President Nana Addo Danquah to set up the office of the Special Prosecutor. Which is one of the major steps into tackling corruption,” the spokesperson stated.
Mr. Boakye-Danquah further explained that the government’s budget since 2017 focuses very largely on anti-corruption agencies such as the Special Prosecutor, EOCO, CHRAJ in tackling corruption.
He however added that there are some challenges with the office of the Special Prosecutor that the government is fixing.
A lawyer, Martin Kpebu, has criticized President Akufo-Addo for failing to keep majority of the commitments he made to Ghanaians during his presidential campaign.
Mr Kpebu believes it is disappointing that in spite of the president’s remarkable promises, it does not appear that he is actively working to honour them.
The legal practitioner’s criticism is due to Ghana ranking 72nd in the 2022 edition of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) report issued on Tuesday, January 31.
Further details indicated that the country scored 43 out of 100 per Transparency International (TI) score, which means that Ghana has not made any progress on the CPI score consecutively for three years now.
It is for this reason that Mr Kpebu believes that the CPI score demonstrates that, contrary to the president’s pledges, not much is being done by President Akufo-Addo to curb corruption.
The lawyer, therefore, alluded to 18 of such pledges made by the First Gentleman of the land, as a reminder to him that Ghanaians have not forgotten.
“Let me mention some of the notable things Akufo-Addo said, which today he has not lived up to, and he thinks we have forgotten. He needs a quick reminder that this thing has to stop,” the legal practitioner said on Newsfile on Saturday:
Mr Kpebu listed the unfulfilled promises as follows:
“1. I shall protect the public purse,
2. I’m too old to steal your money; I have my money already,
3. ‘Yɛ te sika so, nso ɛkɔm de yɛn,’
4. Try me and see,
5. I’m not corrupt, and will never be corrupt,
6. I can develop Ghana without borrowing money from anywhere; the money is here,
7. I will transform Ghana in 18 months,
8. I will not operate a family and friends government,
9. I will fight corruption with the Anas principle,
10. I will make the Korle lagoon and the ɔdɔ river a tourist site,
11. I will build a factory in every district,
12. I will give each constituency GH₵1 million every year
13. I will arrest the dollar
14. The hike in fuel prices will be a thing of the past,
15. I will make Accra the cleanest city in Africa,
16. I will build 111 hospitals,
17. 350 secondary schools
And then 18, the almighty, we will never go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a bail-out.”
Additionally, he implored the President to pass an act of Parliament that ensures that appointees of government account for their wealth before leaving office.
Mr Kpebu’s final request is that President Akufo-Addo “should act with dispatch. When you see a simple case, don’t say due process, then for almost seven months, it’s even one year. Remember Sulemana Alhassan—Dr Anamzoya— he petitioned in January last year. One year on, and people are still in office. No. We can’t do that…” the legal practitioner stated.
General Secretary for the Convention Peoples Party, Nana Yaa Jantuah, has taken a swipe at the current crop of leaders, describing them as failures.
Speaking on UTV, the CPP executive said the leadership of the country under the New Patriotic Party’s Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo are ruling the country like F9 students while individuals who can be selected to work towards economic liberation have been sidelined.
“F9 students are ruling this country and the A1s are sitting on the bench
“Someone who has led the country to this point, how else can we grade him? If his performance was taken to WAEC to be graded using the WASSCE scale, what do you think his performance would have been?
Touching on issues regarding the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) government is implementing, she said the country is currently facing economic struggles because of some decisions made by elements in government.
According to Nana Yaa Jantuah, the Finance Minister is being maintained while others in the NPP who are competent and capable of bringing the economy back on track, have been sidelined.
“It does not matter your relationship with the person, whether or not the person is liked, if you are able to cross carpets into other parties to pick and appoint people who will help solve Ghana’s problems, it’ll be good.
“One person I have constantly listened to addressing issues of economic importance is Mark Assibey-Yeboah and he is good. Why can’t the president take him to the finance ministry to replace Ken Ofori-Atta?” she further asked.
The government of Ghana, on December 5, 2022, launched the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme, an invitation for the voluntary exchange of the government’s domestic notes and bonds for a package of new bonds.
The move is to help the government restructure GH¢137 billion of its domestic debts to prove to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that its debts are sustainable so that it can get the $3 billion bailout, it is seeking from the fund.
However, the government has had to extend the deadline for the programme due to opposition by individuals and entities who will be affected including individual bondholders as well as some labour unions. The new deadline is February 7, 2023.
President Akufo-Addo has announced that Ghana will begin the process of constructing a War Command College this year.
The Commander in Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces revealed on February 1, 2023 that he had tasked the Military High Command to activate processes towards that goal within this year.
“The government will not relent in its effort to transform the Ghana Armed Forces into a formidable modern force and will continue to help enhance the capacity and capability of the Armed Forces towards the development of our nation.
“I have tasked the Ministry of Defense and the Military High Command to begin the process of establishing a War College in Ghana this year. The Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) has been tasked to provide the seed capital,” he added.
The president was speaking at the 2023 West Africa Soldier’s Socialization Activities (WASSA) of the Ghana Armed Forces, at Burma Camp in Accra.
“The government and the people of Ghana continue to appreciate the sacrifices of the Ghana Armed Forces Forces towards ensuring peace and security both internally and externally,” he stressed.
February 1, busy day for CIC
President Akufo-Addo had a busy day aside from the WASSA, inagurating critical facilities for the military and donating equipment for their operations.
He wrote on his Facebook wall: “As part of Government’s effort towards addressing the accommodation deficit of the Armed Forces, this morning, I commissioned a newly constructed 300 Bed capacity Joseph Siaw Agyepong Young Soldiers’ Block at the 37 Military Hospital, which will accommodate newly posted young soldiers to commence their basic training in medical care.
“I also handed over the UN Level IV COVID-19 Field Hospital located near the Air Force Base, Accra, to the military High Command. I familiarised myself with the operations of DIKMAC Ltd, which is an armoured vehicle assembly plant located in Burma Camp, and also handed over a fleet of vehicles (175 in total) to the Headquarters 15 Armoured Brigade.
“Commissioning the ultra-modern CDS office complex was one of the highlights of the day, for it is an edifice befitting the CDS and his staff.
“I also cut the sod for the construction of a General Headquarters Office Complex for GHQ, and also for the construction of two thousand (2,000) housing units for the Navy,” the post accompanied by pictures of his engagement concluded.
In an exclusive interview with Citi News shortly after he made the disclosure before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Parliament, he said the role handed him is not new and has always existed per law.
The Minister added that he had already been doing that but the President Akufo-Addo had to make it official.
The announcement of the designation, previously under the purview of the Finance Minister, has been misconstrued by observers as a creation of an entirely fresh Ministry by the government.
“I appeared before the [Public Accounts] Committee and the chairman asked me which Minister is responsible for SSNIT and I read the letter to him. So, it’s not any new thing. I still remain the Minister for Employment except that I have additional responsibility with oversight of pensions. That’s the simple terms of reference to see over SSNIT and National Pensions Regulatory Authority as my agencies for policy directives”, Mr. Baffour-Awuah told Citi News‘ Umaru Sanda Amadu.
The appointment which is in accordance with section 211 of the National Pensions Act 2008 (ACT 766) will see the minister steering the affairs of the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA) and the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) effective January 30, 2023.
“The law says that the President has to designate a specific Minister for pensions. So that is what he has exactly done just that to a greater extent, I was playing that particular role, but I had not been officially designated as Minister responsible.”
“It’s just been more official. To be very honest, hitherto, it was under the Minister of Finance. So I am surprised by the publications because this was just to clear a point by the Committee”, he added.
The Director of Local Government Services at the Office of the President, Dennis Miracles Aboagye, has dismissed reports that there are over 1000 political appointees of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (presidential staffers) at the Office of the President.
According to him, the majority of the workers at the presidency are public servants who were not appointed by the president.
Miracles Aboagye, who made these remarks in a Peace FM interview, added that he is one of only 337 political appointees at the presidency.
He explained that people are saying there are about 1,000 presidential staffers because they think everybody who works at the presidency is a political appointee.
“It is never true. It’s false. It is a complete falsehood. It’s a lie. There are no 1000 presidential staffers at the Jubilee House… not everybody that works at the Office of the President is a presidential staffer.
“When you look at the Act that sets up the Office of the President and staffing, we have a category of staff we call presidential staffers. We have technical people, executive assistants, presidential aides, and so forth,” he said in Twi.
He added that 995 people currently work at the Jubilee House, and only 337 of these people are political appointees.
We went on to list the category of people who are now working at the presidency.
1. Minister of State at the Presidency – 1
2. Presidential Staffers – 45
3. Other political appointees – 291
These appointees include the Chief Executive Officers of entities such as the National Investment Bank (NIB), MASLOC, National Identification Authority (NIA), and Scholarship Secretariat as well as other workers of entities which are under the Office of the President.
4. Public sector employees – 658
These people are gardeners, cleaners, accounts, internal auditors, chief directors, investigators and other public servants under the various departments including the protocol unit, records unit, senior assistant computer programmers, secretarial staff, supply and material management class.
Others include workers of the Ghana Health Service, the Controller and Accountant General, the Audit Service, the Ghana National Fire Service and the Public Works Department.
Former Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr. John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, has made a pledge to Ghanaians to continue “the good works” of President Akufo-Addo.
“If Nana Akufo-Addo is leaving office today after doing such tremendous work, then it is imperative for us to get someone who can continue that work. That is the reason why I am sacrificing myself for the NPP to elect me to lead them and bring victory,” he revealed
According to him, looking at policies implemented by the Akufo-Addo-led government like the One District, One Factory, Free SHS, Planting For Food and Jobs, among others, the NPP cannot afford to lose the 2024 election hence making him the flagbearer will be the best for the party to retain power.
“Nana Akufo-Addo has done his best if you look at policies that he has been able to introduce in the country like One District, One Factory, Free SHS, Agenda 111, and many other things like planting for food and jobs,” he said.
He argued that, considering all the development President Akufo-Addo has achieved, it is incumbent on the NPP to tell Ghanaians to vote for the NPP by making him the flagbearer “to continue with the good job,” he said.
Mr. Alan Kyerematen will contest the flagbearership race with about five other members of the governing NPP, including the MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong, the former Energy Minister; Boakye Agyarko, the former Agriculture Minister; Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, and the former General Secretary, Kwabena Agyapong.
Many have also tipped Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for the position but he is yet to officially make his intentions known.
Ahead of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) primaries, presidential hopeful, Alan Kyerematen, has pledged to modernise the party if given the nod by delegates.
The former Minister of Trade and Industry also hinted at establishing platforms that can generate resources to pay party executives, so as to allow them concentrate on party duties and responsibilities.
Having served as a minister for an accumulated 10 plus years, both under the John Agyekum Kufuor and the current Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administrations, Alan Kyerematen has said that he will also put in place a pension scheme for the party executives who have devoted their entire lives to serving it.
Speaking during a radio programme in Kumasi, the trade and industry expert did not mince words in highlighting the need for funding party projects and motivating party officials and executives.
“There must be a platform and programmes for party financing. I have the record to have set up the Constituency Business Ventures in the past, that is your way of strengthening the party,” he said.
On the subject of party executives at the constituency and national levels, the seasoned politician suggested a salary structure for them, so that they can also focus on their primary jobs in the party.
He also suggested a pension scheme for committed and full-time party executives, to serve as motivation to others willing to work for the party.
“Full-time party executives must be on full salary to enable them to devote more attention to party work.
“There will be a pension scheme to retired party executives who devote all their time to working for the NPP.
“The focus should be on the party because it is the party that brings the government into power,” he added.
Alan Kyerematen also stressed the need for more attention to be paid to the concerns of footsoldiers, as well as other workers of the party who continue to work tirelessly to get the party into power but are then neglected, with no benefits to show for their efforts.
This trend, he said, must stop in order to build a strong party that is capable of convincingly winning elections in the future.
The longest-serving Minister of Trade and Industry has already confirmed his readiness to contest as flagbearer in the upcoming NPP presidential primaries, anticipated to be fiercely contested, scheduled for later in 2023.
Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, has detailed how the Presidency spent over GHC191m in nine months (i.e January to September 2022).
Giving a breakdown of the figure in a tweet, Mr Ablakwa disclosed that fuel bills paid at the presidency within the 9-month period under review cost a colossal GHS51.1million. (51,109,137.86).
“Empirical analysis conducted reveals that government failed abysmally in its promise to slash fuel expenditure by 50%,” he said in the tweet made on January 31, 2023.
He further disclosed that President Akufo-Addo’s regional tours last year cost “the suffering Ghanaian taxpayer a staggering GHC16.9million (16,906,272.45).”
Additionally, he mentioned that “an unbelievable GHS15million (15,000,000.00)” was spent by the Presidency on tyres and batteries for official vehicles.
Also, payment for new vehicles cost the suffering Ghanaian taxpayer GHC 6.5million (6,500,000.00) .” This, he stressed was distressing considering Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta’s announcement of a ban on imported official vehicles in March last year.
Other costs include; Payment for Networking and ICT Equipment which cost the suffering Ghanaian taxpayer an impressive GHS6.6million (6,600,000.00); An additional expenditure on Office Equipment/Furniture and Fittings cost the suffering Ghanaian taxpayer a fantastic GHS7.07million (7,070,315.28); and Telecommunications and Internet Services from January to September , which cost the suffering Ghanaian taxpayer a shocking GHS20million (20,000,000.00).”
This adds to the number of revelations made by Mr Ablakwa about the President’s expenditure. He has been monitoring presidential travels on chartered jets since 2021. In June last year, he revealed that President Akufo-Addo spent GHC 34 million on luxury jet charters in 13 months. However, the Presidency contested this claim, describing it as false.
With the details in the said report which he described as gut-wrenching, Mr Ablakwa concluded that the government was not taking seriously the request to dramatically reduce spending in the midst of an economic crisis.
“I couldn’t agree more with the revered and celebrated Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference following their timely appeal to the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government to “present a posture that is consistent with the fact that the country is in dire straits or crisis” and their further demand for “drastic government expenditure control”,” he said.
Member of Parliament (MP) for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has yet again made another damning revelation about how the Presidency squanders the taxpayers’ money.
He alleged in his latest release that the Office of the President spent over GHC 20 million on internet and call charges, among other expenses, in a span of nine months (January 2022 to September 2022).
Taking to twitter, Mr Ablakwa also disclosed that the Presidency spent a “whooping” GHC 16.9 million (16,906,272.45) on President Akufo-Addo’s regional tours.
Additionally, he mentioned the Presidency spent GHC 6.5 million (6,500,000.00) to purchase new vehicles despite a ban on imported official vehicles in March last year, as announced by the Finance Minister, among other things.
Also, he disclosed that “tyres and batteries for official vehicles cost the suffering Ghanaian taxpayer an unbelievable GHC15million (15,000,000.00).”
This adds to the number of revelations made by Mr Ablakwa about the President’s expenditure. He has been monitoring presidential travels on chartered jets since 2021. In June last year, he revealed that President Akufo-Addo spent GHC 34 million on luxury jet charters in 13 months. However, the Presidency contested this claim, describing it as false.
With the details in the said report which he described as gut-wrenching, Mr Ablakwa concluded that the government was not taking seriously the request to dramatically reduce spending in the midst of an economic crisis.
“I couldn’t agree more with the revered and celebrated Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference following their timely appeal to the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government to “present a posture that is consistent with the fact that the country is in dire straits or crisis” and their further demand for “drastic government expenditure control”,” he said.
A Ranking Member on the Education Committee of Parliament Dr. Clement Apaak has slammed President Akufo-Addo and accused him of failing the test in the fight against corruption.
He said although the President campaigned on the pledge to fight against corruption, he has failed in doing so.
Dr. Apaak who represents the Builsa South constituency said is unattainable for the president to pretend not to have seen the report by the Auditor-General on the Covid-19 expenditure.
He stated that the President’s silence on the issue is troubling considering the level of rot, misapplucation and malfeasance discovered.
“Even so, given the nature and magnitude of what the Special Audit has uncovered, and the public anger and revulsion it has created, the President’s loud silence is most revealing, not shocking.”
He has asked him to learn the President of Malawi and take an action against those who have been captured in the report to have misapplied funds.
Read the full statement below
COVID-19 EXPENDITURE AUDIT REPORT AND AKUFO-ADDO’S POSTURE
In some African nations, like Malawi (see attached video), the President addressed his nation on the back of an audit report on COVID-19 expenditure. The President of Ghana, who won an election in 2016, largely on a promise to fight corruption, seems lethargic to acknowledge an audit report on COVID-19 expenditure, even in passing. Not even a tweet or facebook post.
The President of Malawi addressed the people of Malawi in relation to exposed corruption, malfeasance, and misappropriation of COVID-19 funds. He passionately told his nation what consequences and sanctions awaited those responsible, including some of his own ministers and other appointees. In Ghana it is the opposite. The President doesn’t seem interested in the content of the COVID-19 expenditure Auditor-General’s Report, which has equally exposed acts of corruption, malfeasance, and misappropriation of COVID-19 funds in Ghana.
Trying to excuse the nonchalant posture of the President of Ghana, Akufo-Addo, with regards to this scandalous Auditor-General’s Report on COVID-19 expenditure, is untenable. Claims made by NPP apologists, that Akufo-Addo is only being cautious because infractions captured in the Auditor-General’s report have usually been resolved at sittings of the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament, is fallacious.
Yes, lots of funds have been retrieved as a result of disallows by the Auditor General and recommendations made by the Public Accounts Committee at it’s sittings. The Public Accounts Committees of the 7th and 8th Parliaments have made several recommendations for the prosecution of persons whose conducts have offended the procurement laws of Ghana, or have led to the loss of public funds. And it’s important to state, that when the Public Accounts Committee recommends prosecution, the Attorney General is expected to act.
Even so, given the nature and magnitude of what the Special Audit has uncovered, and the public anger and revulsion it has created, the President’s loud silence is most revealing, not shocking.
Unlike the President of Malawi, Akufo-Addo, the President of Ghana, by his refusal to comment on the Auditor-General’s Report indirectly confirms the widely held belief that he has no interest in fighting corruption. This is the conclusion of known Anti-corruption crusaders in Ghana.
The legitimate expectation of the people of Ghana is, that those who have embezzled, dissipated, and misappropriated COVID-19 funds be held accountable – nothing more nothing less.
In Solidarity, Dr. Clement Apaak, M.P, Builsa South January 29th, 2023
To stop illicit cash flows out of the continent, President Akufo-Addo has urged for the adoption of tax policies among other things.
The president said illicit financial flows cost Africa close to 100 billion dollars which denies the continent the needed resources to facilitate growth and development.
Speaking during the closing session of the maiden African Prosperity Dialogues dubbed, ‘the Kwahu Summit’, the president said African states can only stop illicit financial flows out of the continent if they collectively institute measures.
“We need to pay serious attention to and arrest illicit financial flow out of the continent which is estimated at $88 billion annually depriving Africa of significant resources which could be used to support the continent’s development agenda.
“We must urgently and collectively institute comprehensive and unambiguous tax policies to combat tax-motivated illicit financial flows, strengthen legal and law enforcement systems and bring together national agencies to stem such flows.”
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has urged African countries to take inter-trade seriously to enable the continent to resist future shocks.
President Akufo-Addo said the decision by some 44 countries to sign up for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCTA) is a clear indication that the continent is ready to trade among itself.
He further promised to engage the remaining 10 African States to ensure the full participation of all African States.
“It is encouraging to note that as of November 2022, 44 members states have ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCTA), this is strong evidence of the growing political will and commitment of the leadership of the continent to achieve market integration in Africa, and it’s our duty to engage to ensure the full participation of all members states.”
A parliamentary affairs expert, Prof Kwabena Sarfo Sarfo-Kantanka, says the current reshuffle in the leadership of the Minority is a critical issue that must be tackled with caution.
Prof Sarfo-Kantanka advised against the intervention of former President John Mahama due to the delicate nature of the situation.
Many have called on the former President to, as he has done in the past, take action in the matter which has divided the NDC MPs.https://www.youtube.com/embed/MtPqBcWU0EM
But speaking on JoyNews, the Dean of the University of Cape Coast’s Faculty of Arts insists that such an intervention may send the wrong signal to the already disgruntled membership.
“It will be a very delicate issue because if he [John Mahama] intervenes, what does it mean? Because already, people have raised concerns, I don’t know whether they are true or not, that people are talking about those who do not support former president Mahama’s bid to become the standard bearer of the party in the 2024 elections are always being targeted,” the Associate Professor made this statement on the AM Show on Friday.
“… So if he comes in, what will be the implication?” he asked.
Prof Sarfo-Kantankah further advised that the party leadership identifies the aggrieved groups and engages in meaningful dialogue to resolve any existing internal conflicts.
In his opinion, that is the key and only way the party can move forward.
“For me, instead of him intervening as an individual, I would prefer that the leadership of the party will identify the various interest groups…meet with them, have serious discussions with them and discuss the way forward. I think it can be easily resolved.
“And then those who are concerned like Muntaka, Haruna, and the other two members who have been removed from the leadership positions, I think that that kind of discussion is what is most important. That is the key thing,” the Dean noted.
National Security Minister Albert Kan Dapaah on Thursday delivered a special message from President Akufo-Addo to Mali’s Interim President, Colonel Assimï Goita, in Bamako.
He led a delegation from Accra, which held extensive discussions behind closed doors with Col. Goita on security in West Africa and the Sahel.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Mr Kan-Dapaah said Ghana has had long historical and bilateral relations with Mali dating back to the early post-colonial years and was, therefore, interested in the welfare and progress of the Malian people.
“We did talk about how we can be of help to each other because a fire in your neighbour’s house has to be of concern to you,” he said.
Col. Goita, he said, extended “warm greetings” to President Akufo-Addo, adding that Ghana looked forward to further engagements with Mali.
Members of the delegation included Maj. Gen Adu-Amanfoh, Ambassador Kwabena Osei-Danquah, Special Adviser to the Foreign Ministry, Benedict Dere, Executive Secretary of the Accra Initiative, and Napoleon Abdulai, Ghana’s Ambassador in Mali.
Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament (MP), Dr Mark Assibey-Yeboah, has said that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will never fire Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
According to Dr Assibey-Yeboah, the president will not sack Ofori-Atta because he does not think he (Ofori-Atta) has failed, contrary to the assertions of some members of the NPP, including the party’s parliamentarians.
Speaking in an interview on Adom TV, monitored by GhanaWeb, on Tuesday, the ex-NPP MP added that Ofori-Atta is also not going to resign because the policies he implemented were on behalf of the president and decisions of the cabinet.
“The president says Ken is doing a fantastic job. He says he is doing an excellent job. He also never said he would fire him (Ofori-Atta) during the revolt by the NPP MPs, he told them to let him finish the IMF negotiations so that they could revisit the issue.
“… He (Ofori-Atta) is not going anywhere. He is not going to resign; why should he resign? The guy is doing an excellent job, according to the president.
“The finance minister represents the president. The other time I held one of the MPs saying that they told Ofori-Atta to reduce the E-Levy to 1.5 percent but he did not listen so he should be sacked. The budget is the president’s budget and the cabinet met to determine the E-levy rate. Is this a basis for Ofori-Atta to resign or be sacked,” he said in Twi.
Dr. Assibey-Yeboah, a former chairman of Parliament’s Finance Committee, also stated that he has information indicating that the position of Minister of State in Charge of Finance, which became vacant following the firing of Charles Adu Boahene, will be filled within the week.
The Member of Parliament for Juaboso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh says President Akufo-Addo is likely to shield culprits implicated in the damning COVID report from the Auditor General.
The Auditor General’s special report on Ghana’s COVID-19 expenditures has recorded some violations in the use of Covid funds.
Among them, is the payment of over 10 million cedis in insurance premiums to cover 10,000 frontline health workers and allied health professionals without a binding contract detailing among others who the beneficiaries are.
The report, which spans between March 2020 and June 2022, scrutinizes how monies received from the various institutions including the World Bank, AFDB, the European Union and the Contingency fund summing up to GHC21.8billion were utilized.
Commenting on whether heads will roll following the infractions in an interview with Starr News, Mr. Akandoh said the President will do nothing to culprits involved in this incriminating act against the country.
“As if those people are not living in Ghana with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the President of the republic of Ghana, the clearing agent himself in the seat. What are you talking about, he will not do it. Is the Health Minister still not at post? What didn’t we reveal at the committee, is he not still at post?
“Is the Finance Minister still not at post? When members in his own party are saying that the man must be fired. In any serious jurisdiction and any serious or responsible President, the minister responsible for health wouldn’t have stayed for more than a second after the revelation but he is still at post. So, for me I think that it is one of the consequences of voting for the wrong person to steer the affairs,” he reiterated.
Nonetheless, the Juaboso lawmaker said: “.. we are set out to do what we can. And don’t forget that we have limitations as members of Parliament. So, I wouldn’t want to raise anybody’s expectations when it comes to firing at all. Because the evidence is clear that the man himself has been refusing to clear people even when evidence is enormous or when everybody thinks that he will do the needful”, he stated.
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has called on Ghanaians not to sit aloof on the bad governance by this current administration.
His comment comes on the back of damning revelations from the 2022 Auditor General’s Report on COVID-19.
According to the A-G, a total of ¢21,844,189,185.24 was mobilised for the fight against the pandemic.
However, out of this amount, only ¢11,750,683,059.11 was spent on curbing the spread of the virus.
Commenting on the development, the National Chairman of the NDC indicated that Ghanaians will learn a more bitter lesson if they do not voice out on Akufo-Addo’s bad regime.
“The hardships and corruption emanating from the disastrous economic, social, political and developmental policy choices of the Akufo-Addo and Bawumia NPP administration provides useful lessons and insights that must improve our governance systems and practices for the benefit of the future generation.
“Particularly these bitter lessons make a solid case for active citizen awareness and participation in the choice and/or implementation of policies,” Mr. Nketiah stated in a Facebook post on January 23, 2023.
He continued: “If citizens opt to sit on the sidelines, or pursue narrow political agendas, they ultimately bear the consequences of bad governance, as is currently with the dubious debt exchange programme and as revealed by the audit report on the COVID-19 expenditures of the government.
“Citizens must be interested, vocal, and insistent on how they prefer to be governed. It’s their country and their future that is more at stake with every government action.”
The National Cathedral project is estimated to cost at least a billion dollars when completed, according to North Tongu Member of Parliament Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
Ablakwa has since last year waged a dogged campaign for accountability on the construction of the facility which is currently officially estimated to cost US$350 million.
He is concerned particularly by the amount of public funds dedicated to the project despite earlier government communication that it will be funded by the Christian community.
“My analysis is that this project is more than a billion dollars, it is more than a billion dollars by the time we are done paying for the recklessness of president Akufo-Addo,” he said in an interview on Accra-based Radio Gold (January 18).
Meanwhile, Ablakwa has praised Bishop Dag Heward-Mills for his candour in addressing issues related to the project in his leaked resignation letter of August 2022 as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Cathedral.
The lawmaker added that even if there was a national consensus on the need to build the facility, “will the wisest thing to do be not to look for a greenfield, an unencumbered land?” he asked lamenting how public and private structures were demolished to make way for the project.
The Ministry of Education has announced its plan to appoint a Dean of Disciplinary Affairs to be in charge of disciplinary issues in Senior High Schools (SHS) and public tertiary institutions across the country.
According to the ministry, the appointed official will be in charge of dealing with students’ misconduct and applying appropriate sanctions.
The announcement by the ministry is on the back of reports of some eight female students of Chiana SHS unleashing abusive words on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The girls who are final-year students were dismissed for their conduct but have since been recalled following an intervention by the president.
“Recently, the Minister hinted of Dean of Disciplinary Affairs to augment the work. Just as we have institutions responsible for ensuring discipline, we still have persons who will go against the accepted cultural values and norms. So the Dean will work with the Guidance and Counselling unit to make sure there is discipline in our schools,” Public Relations Officer of the Education Ministry, Kwesi Kwarteng told Citinews.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Education Service has asked the Disciplinary Committee for Chiana SHS to explore alternative sanctions other than their dismissal.
Mr Bright Appiah, Executive Director, Child Rights International (CRI), an NGO has commended President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo for pardoning eight female students of the Chiana Senior High School (SHS).
Mr Appiah said the President’s intervention was timely and appropriate in ensuring that the students were not denied their rights to education.
On Friday, November 11, 2022, a video of the second year female students of Chiana SHS in the
Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region using vulgar language towards the
President went viral on social media.
As a result, a Committee was established by the Governing Board of Chiana SHS to investigate the alleged viral video.
After series of investigations, the Committee’s report, copied to the leadership of the Ghana Education Service (GES) at the Headquarters, recommended the dismissal of the students.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr Appiah said the intervention of the President addressed two major issues, which were the nation’s investment in education and its policy environment.
‘Having free education to the Secondary School level, we have made investment in the lives of these children, and I do not think that the father of the nation will allow that investment to go waste,’’ he stated.
The Executive Director underscored the need for a framework for an alternative system of punishment that would lead to the reformation of children rather than victimising them, who would in turn influence other children negatively.
He condemned the act of the students and advised children to behave responsibly and be morally upright to be good citizens of the nation as they exercise their rights in a manner that conformed to the State’s principle on the development of children.
Mr Appiah noted that some parents had failed in bringing their children to a level that was expected, hence, the need for a strengthened state machinery to deal with some of the fallout issues that would ensure that before a child completed the school system, some positive changes would have been made.
‘‘So if children are behaving in that manner, we need to condemn it and make sure that we put them in a place that will let them be more responsible.
“So, as much as we condemn the act of the children, we think that the policy environment must also be strict enough to regulate the behavior of children provided it does not violate their fundamental human rights,’’ he added.
OccupyGhana, a pressure group, in a statement to the GNA noted that some suspension with mandatory counseling for the affected students would be more effective than dismissal.
Meanwhile, some members of the public who praised the President’s intervention called for severe punishments for the students.
Madam Janet Mensah, a parent acknowledged that the children did not do the right thing and appealed to the GES to consider making them repeat their class to serve as a deterrent to others.
Mr Emmanuel Kankam, a final year student of the Koforidua Senior High Technical School, urged students to desist from such acts since it was morally bad.
President Akufo-Addo has directed Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor to assume responsibility as Trade and Industry Minister pending the appointment of a substantive person.
His caretaker duties as the Trade Minister takes effect from January 16.
This was contained in a statement from the Director of Communications at the Office of the President.
The President in an earlier statement tasked the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to act as the caretaker Minister for the Ministry.
This followed the resignation of Alan Kyerematen as Trade Minister. President Akufo-Addo while accepting his resignation wished Alan well in his future endeavours.
His resignation was believed to afford him time to pursue his presidential ambition. Subsequently, Alan Kyerematen officially declared his intention to contest in the flagbearership race of the New Patriotic Party.
Ghanaian statesman and politician, Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has refuted assertions that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is an arrogant person.
According to him, the president only gets disoriented when he is not happy about happenings around him.
Speaking in a JoyNews interview monitored by GhanaWeb, Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe added that the president appears to be conceited because of his demeanour when things are not going well.
“I won’t say Nana is arrogant. The word arrogant really is quite different when I look at Nana Addo. Nana Addo is not arrogant.
“Nana Addo, when not happy with issues, gets confused and tries to massage his ego in such a way that you will think he is arrogant. He is not arrogant; I don’t think so,” he said.
Also, Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe said that the country is currently in a bad state because the people around the president are not giving him good advice.
“What is happening now is that those who can tell Nana Addo that my brother, you are going the wrong way, are not around. That is where the problem is.
“Because some of us cannot understand some of the decisions he takes. There are people outside the government who can advise him if he consults them … one of such people is Dr Wereko Brobby. These are people who will tell you as it is but there are no people like this around the president,” he said.
On Thursday, the GES dismissed the eight students in the Upper East Region for allegedly insulting President Akufo-Addo.
Prior to the dismissal, the students had been on suspension.
The GES says its investigation into the incident confirmed that the students used unsavoury language against the President in a viral video.
It thus described the actions of the students as “very undesirable, and contrary to the acceptable standards of the conduct generally required of any student in Ghana’s educational system”.
Prior to the dismissal of the students, the GES had earlier apologised to the President over the said conduct.
But the news of their dismissal generated a lot of reactions, with many people expressing mixed feelings about the development.
While some berated the GES, others praise the regulatory body.
According to the critics, the decision is simply untenable.
One of the critics, an advocate for children’s rights was unenthused about the decision.
The Country Director of the International Child Development Programme, Joyce Larnyoh said the Ghana Education Service should employ more appropriate means of punishment other than dismissal.
Speaking on JoyNews’ News Desk, Mrs Larnyoh reiterated that no child should be denied the right to education no matter the circumstance.
The Minority in Parliament also stated that the decision was uncalled for and had to be reviewed.
In a statement signed by ranking member on Parliament’s Education Committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, the Minority described the decision as ‘harsh’ and ‘retrogressive’.
According to the Minority, even though the students who insulted President Akufo-Addo in a viral video acted out of order, their right to education should not be curtailed.
The statement said the right to education is guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution, hence the move by the GES must be reviewed.
“Whereas the Minority is against the misconduct of the eight students, and condemns same, we wish to state that the decision by the GES to dismiss them is harsh and retrogressive”, the statement emphasised.
Having criticised the decision by the GES, the Minority went ahead to plead with the President to intervene in the matter.
The statement from the Ministry of Education, which was signed by its spokesperson, Kwasi Kwarteng, brings relief to the affected students.
Meanwhile, the eight female students have apologised for their conduct.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo says the demise of His Eminence Cardinal Richard Kuuia Baawobr has created a big vacuum in the country.
He said his impact on the social and spiritual lives of the people in Ghana, especially the Catholic community cannot be measured.
“Our nation has lost one of its finest citizens, one who will be difficult to replace”, President Akufo-Addo said in Wa on Thursday during the final funeral rites of the late Cardinal Richard Kuuia Baawobr, the then Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wa.
“The news of the death of Cardinal Kuuia Baawobr brought considerable sadness not only to me and to the Catholic Church in Wa but also to all well-meaning Ghanaians”, he added.
President Akufo-Addo said the news of the elevation of Cardinal Baawobr to a cardinal brought great joy not only to the catholic community in Ghana and the people of the Upper West Region but also to the government and the nation at large.
He said to show solidarity for his elevation, the government sent a presidential delegation comprising high-ranking government officials to Rome to witness his investiture rights and to express Ghana’s appreciation for his elevation.
“The death of the cardinal is a matter of deep regret to me, it is a matter of deep regret for our country, and it is a matter of deep regret for the church”, he said.
The President expressed his condolence to the church of Wa, the universal catholic church, and all the people of Wa who had suffered a great loss due to the departure of a “faithful servant.”
Most Reverend Henryk Mieczylaw Jagodzinski, Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, prayed that God may grant Cardinal Baawobr eternal rest.
He said: “Cardinal Richard fell asleep in the Lord after a life spent entirely for the church … with the meekness and serenity of the saints.”
He eulogized the late Cardinal as someone whose “figure has had great importance in the life of the church in Ghana, in Africa, and the universal church.”
He said under the guidance of the late Cardinal Baawobr, the Diocese of Wa carried out an intense work articulated on evangelization in the sacrament, evangelization in human promotion, and evangelization in ministries.
“The death of our brother in Christ saddens us, but it is also an encouragement for all of us to continue with humility and simplicity in faithful service to the gospel.
Let us ask the Virgin Mary and all the Angels and Saints to accompany him to the divinity encounter with the Lord”, he said.
Cardinal Baawobr died on Sunday, November 27, 2022, in Rome after he was made a Cardinal by the Holy Father, Pope Francis on August 27, 2022.
Cabinet ministers, Council of State Members, Members of Parliament, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Minister of Interior, and Regional Ministers among others accompanied President Akufo-Addo to the funeral.
Also present at the funeral were representatives from the Missionaries of Africa (M.Afr.), the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference and priests from other countries, the Upper West Regional House of Chiefs, and the Muslim community in Wa among others to pay their last respect to the late Cardinal Baawobr.
The cardinal’s funeral was characterised by solemnness amidst the liturgies, and the Homily by the Very Reverend Farther Stanley Lubungo, Superior General of the M.Afr.
The funeral has been described as one of the best organised and well patronised, which drew mourners from across the country, especially the five northern regions.
President Akufo-Addo donated an amount of GHȻ100,000.00 to support the funeral rites of the late Cardinal while the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament donated GHȻ50,000.00 on behalf of the Speaker of Parliament.
There may be a reshuffle of ministers under the Akufo-Addo-led government soon following the resignation of two ministers, Dailyguide has reported.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Owusu Afriyie Akoto tendered in a resignation from his role as state minister on Tuesday, following the resignation of the Minister for Trade and Industry, Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen some few days ago.
According to Daily Guide, even though the President had on several platforms justified the inclusion of his ministerial team, the pullout of the two ministers has made it inevitable to reshuffle the team with possible merging of some ministries.
It is also expected that, Water and Sanitation will be collapsed with Sanitation joining Local Government and Water Resources going back to Works and Housing.
Per the article published by the Daily Guide, unconfirmed sources revealed that former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu may make his way to join the government.
The source also revealed that, the reshuffle may affect the MP for Abetifi and former Minister of State for National Security, Bryan Acheampong, who have been tipped for the Agric and Transport Ministries as well as National Security.
The Ghana Education Service’s decision to expel eight Chiana Senior High School students has drawn criticism from the minority in parliament (GES).
In a statement signed by ranking member on Parliament’s Education Committee, Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, the Minority described the decision as ‘harsh’ and ‘retrogressive’.
According to the Minority, even though the students who insulted President Akufo-Addo in a viral video acted out of order, their right to education should not be curtailed.
The statement said the right to education is guaranteed by the 1992 Constitution, hence the move by the GES must be reviewed.
“Whereas the Minority is against the misconduct of the eight students, and condemns same, we wish to state that the decision by the GES to dismiss them is harsh and retrogressive”, the statement emphasised.
The release from the Minority further disclosed that, “In this age and time when there is increased advocacy and renewed focus on increasing access to education, any decision that takes a child away from the classroom can only be seen as an absolute drawback to this renewed focus and objective.
It is therefore, regrettable to learn of the decision of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to dismiss the eight female students of the Chiana SHS in the Kassena Nankana West District of the Upper East region for insulting the President of the Republic some months ago”.
Having criticised the decision by the GES, the Minority went ahead to plead with the President to intervene in the matter.
“We are also by this statement, urging the GES to proffer an alternative but corrective punishment to the eight students.
This we believe would be in the best interest of our collective goal to ensuring that every Ghanaian child has access to formal education.
In conclusion, the Minority wishes to appeal to His Excellency the President, to use his good offices to pardon these students as he did in 2020 when a group of some students misconducted themselves towards him”, the statement ended.
Earlier today, the Ghana Education Service (GES) dismissed eight students of the Chiana Senior High School in the Upper East Region for allegedly insulting President Akufo-Addo.
Prior to the dismissal, the students had been on suspension.
The GES says its investigation into the incident confirmed that the students used unsavoury language against the President in a viral video.
It thus described the actions of the students as “very undesirable, and contrary to the acceptable standards of the conduct generally required of any student in Ghana’s educational system”.
Prior to the dismissal of the students, the GES had earlier apologised to the President over the said conduct.
Meanhwile, reacting to the news of the dismissal, some Ghanaians have taken to social media to berate the GES over its decision.
According to the critics, the decision is simply untenable.
One of them is an advocate for children’s rights who is unenthused about the decision.
The Country Director of the International Child Development Programme, Joyce Larnyoh said the Ghana Education Service should employ more appropriate means of punishment other than dismissal.
Speaking on JoyNews’ News Desk, Mrs Larnyoh reiterated that no child should be denied the right to education no matter the circumstance.
Others have however backed the move; arguing that it will help instill discipline amongst students, especially at the Senior High School level.
The affected students have since apologised for their actions.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has hosted students from Harvard Business School on a study tour at the Jubilee House in Accra.
He said the agreement with the IMF will put the country in a better position to undertake initiatives, enable the country to repair its public finances, and boost public confidence in the economy.
Addressing the students, President Akufo-Addo who discussed various issues on the economy said, “Ghana is also exploring innovative ways to maximise benefits of hydrocarbons from the oil fields.”
President Nana Akufo-Addo said Ghana, like many other nations, has felt the brunt of the global economic crisis, stressing that the agreement with the IMF, which will see Ghana receive a $3 billion bailout, will help overcome the country’s economic crisis.
He indicated that talks with the IMF are going well and the government is working towards wrapping up a deal by the end of January or mid-February.
A Senior Lecturer of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, Prof. Hakeem Belo-Osagie said the visit to the seat of the government is part of an Africa field course which enables students to get first-hand information on Africa and the impact the international community has had on them.
The students from Harvard Business School have been in the country for two weeks as interns at some selected companies in Ghana.
Authorities at the Ghana Education Service (GES) have meted out sanctions to some students who were seen in a viral video insulting President Akufo-Addo.
The students, numbering about eight, were on suspension prior to this move by the GES. However, they have now been dismissed from the school, which located in the Upper East Region.
In the video that stirred up controversy in the country some months ago, the students, all female, were heard raining insults on the President and accusing him of plunging the country into an economic hardship.
Announcing the decision, GES says its investigation into the incident confirmed that the students used unsavoury language against the President.
It has thus described the actions of the students as “very undesirable, and contrary to the acceptable standards of the conduct generally required of any student in Ghana’s educational system.”
The GES had earlier apologised to President Akufo-Addo over the comments by students.
“We wish to inform the general public that the students in the video have been identified as second-year students of Chiana Senior High School in the Kassena Nankana West District.
“Management of GES wishes to extend our sincerest apology to the President and the general public on behalf of the students and school”, says portions of the statement issued on November 14, 2022.
The minister, who also serves as Member of Parliament for Kwadaso in the Ashanti Region submitted his resignation letter to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, January 10.
According to GhanaWeb sources, the resignation is to allow him to focus on his flagbearership ambition as he seeks to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) into the 2024 general elections.
He becomes the second cabinet minister to resign for a similar reason. Trade and Industry Minister Alan Kyerematen resigned late last week for similar reasons.
Former Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto says he will continue to support the government to succeed despite his resignation on Tuesday, January 10.
According to him, he will not relent in supporting the Akufo-Addo government to transform the economy.
In a Facebook on Wednesday, January 11, he thanked President Akufo-Addo for appointing him to serve in his government.
“I expressed my utmost appreciation to His Excellency for the opportunity to serve him and the people of Ghana from 2017 until now.
“I also pledged my continue support in all diverse ways, to him and the NPP administration as we work hard to fulfill his vision of transforming the economy of Ghana and the lives of the people,” excerpt of his Facebook post said.
Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto also thanked the staff of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
“I further wish to express profound gratitude to the people of Ghana, the hardworking staff of the Ministry for all the support over the years,” he said.
Meanwhile, he added “I will in the coming days make public, my next political journey.”
National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi, holds that the shooting of portions of a music video by American rapper Meek Mill at the Jubilee House is a manifestation of a breakdown in leadership at the presidency.
He is alarmed by what he views as the lack of leadership displayed by the president in the ongoing saga.
Sammy Gyamfi described the actions of Meek Mill as disgraceful and shameful and a desecration of the seat of governance.
He is mystified that the doors of a place of such significant value to the country would be opened to the American rapper for such content to be created.
He believes that the incident is a reflection of the widespread nepotism in the government, citing the president’s admission that Meek Mill was allowed to visit the presidency because of his daughter.
“It’s shame that we sat down as a country and allowed this disgusting thing to happen at the seat of presidency. It is difficult to brag as a Ghanaian because of some of these things. We allowed this concert at the seat of our sovereignty. Is Jubilee House now the entertainment hall of a secondary school? Is Jubilee House now a recording studio?
“The problem we have now is leadership paralysis. We have leaders who are careless and reckless. Leaders with no sense of decency. How do you allow this to happen at the seat of government. This is where major governmental issues are handled. How you dress to meet a person shows the respect you have for the person so for someone to dress like that meeting our president, tells you a lot.
“What wrong have Ghanaians done to President Akufo-Addo? Because of the widespread nepotism in his government, his daughter can bring in anyone and mess around in his office. We have turned the presidency into a playground. Which country allowed an American rapper to shoot a video clip at the presidency? What saddens me most is that he used the lectern for the president,” he said on Asempa FM.
Meek Mill has meanwhile apologised for the video which he says was taken on the blindside of authorities at Jubilee House. He took to Twitter with an apology, writing: “To the people of Ghana no video I drop is ever meant to disrespect the people of Ghana …. The fastest way to make connection is thru music and I wanted to do that with displaying art … im in my 30’s from America and didn’t know much about the lifestyle here.”
Deputy Information Minister, Fatimatu Abubakar has described as false some comments made by former President John Dramani Mahama against President Akufo-Addo.
This was after Mr Mahama on his Facebook page asked President Nana Akufo-Addo to end his penchant for clearing his appointees and close associates alleged to be involved in illegal activities.
He said the behaviour of the President is untoward and thus advised him to desist from same.
According to him, President Akufo-Addo has assumed a dishonourable badge as “the clearing agent.”
This comment comes on the back of President Nana Akufo-Addo saying Akonta Mining is currently not involved in any form of illegal mining.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen on Tuesday, she maintained that the former President’s assertion is false.
“The reason I’m saying it is false is that the truth is brief, so a video that is less than a minute, he [Mr Mahama] will bring thesis as a reply. I understand him that for every statement, there is the potential to gain some political points,” she said.
The Deputy Information Minister stated that Mr Mahama statement is missing a critical point.
According to her, the response from Mr Mahama “should have stated that Akufo-Addo, you are a clearing agent because go to community A, B, C Akonta mining is engaged in illegal mining activities as you speak.”
She further stated that “if the former President does not have contrary information which points to the fact that as at the time the President was speaking there was an ongoing illegal activity – the former President is wrong for that and I say that the statement is vague and irrelevant.”
“President Akufo-Addo’s statement does not in any way contradict all the facts by the Ministry of Lands and Resources and the Forestry Commission,” she added.
I have read, Sir, with utmost dismay, your Facebook post regarding the comments made by the President of the Republic, H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, in Eastern Region, when he addressed the 28th National and 16th Biennial Congress of the National Union of Catholic Diocesan Priests’ Association (NUCDPA).
Ordinarily, I would have no need to respond to matters you post on your Facebook page. But, due to the gross misinformation and political spin contained in the said post, as well as the attempt to disparage my integrity and that of the President in respect of this matter, as Minister responsible for Lands and Natural Resources, I deem it necessary to set the records straight.
My response will, therefore, focus on the facts, and I will endeavour not to respond to the political spins contained in the said post. The unimpeachable facts relating to this matter are as follows:
sometime last year, there were allegations levelled against Akonta Mining Ltd that it was engaging in some mining activities in the Tano Nimiri Forest Reserve;
although the company had applied for a mining lease over a portion of the Forest Reserve, the application had not yet been determined. I, therefore, directed the Forestry Commission to investigate the matter, and ensure that the Company does not carry out mining activities in the Forest;
the Forestry Commission moved in quickly and cleared the forest of all alleged illegal activities;
President Akufo-Addo had been invited as a Special Guest of Honour at the NUCDPA Congress, where he spoke about strengthening State-Church collaboration;
at the said Congress, a specific question was asked by the Chairman of the occasion regarding illegal mining activities by Akonta Mining;
the President in response stated categorically that “Akonta Mining is not engaged in any illegal mining anywhere in Ghana AS WE SPEAK”;
the President was speaking about the state of affairs at the time he made the comment, and went ahead to add that Government, through the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Forestry Commission had, with the assistance of the military, cordoned off all Forest Reserves in the country, and rid them of illegal mining activities at the time he was speaking, and that Government was working to ensure that the situation remains permanent;
the comments by the President in no way relates to past or future activities of Akonta Mining, and cannot, by any shred of imagination, be deemed as exonerating the company from any past activities or interfering with any ongoing investigations;
as it is public knowledge, the allegations of illegal mining by Akonta Mining Ltd are being investigated by state institutions responsible for such investigations, the Ghana Police Service and the Office of the Special Prosecutor;
when I received the report from the investigations conducted by the Forestry Commission, pursuant to my directive, I forwarded the report to the Ghana Police Service, through the Minister for Interior, to assist them in their investigations;
the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Police Service has subsequently written to me requesting some further information, which I have provided;
the Office of the Special Prosecutor, in its Half Yearly Report dated 31st December, 2022, also states that the Office is currently investigating activities of Akonta Mining and other companies in respect of the said allegations;
officials of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources are collaborating with these state institutions to conduct their investigations and take the necessary actions;
the President, mindful of these ongoing investigations, refrained from speaking on past activities of the company which are under investigations by the state agencies. Indeed, but for the specific question posed by the Chairman of the occasion, the President would not have mentioned Akonta Mining at all;
I, also, want to put on record that no one, and absolutely no one, compelled me to issue the Press Statement on Akonta Mining which was issued following the allegations of their activities in the Forest Reserve. Neither has the President called any official of Akonta Mining to “appease” them on the action taken by Government. These claims, if they were indeed made, as you suggest, are, obviously, false and a figment of peoples’ own imagination; and
as reiterated by President Akufo-Addo at the Congress where he spoke, “Government is determined to win the fight against galamsey, no matter the cost and effort.” Under his distinguished and outstanding leadership, we are committed to doing this with the highest standards of transparency, integrity and utmost good faith in the public interest. Sir, whilst I have the opportunity, permit me to assert, without a shred of equivocation that the record of President Akufo-Addo’s Government in the past six years of fighting corruption far surpasses the NDC’s eight-year record. Needless to point out that President Akufo-Addo’s extraordinary funding of anti-corruption institutions, the establishment of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, which as I speak, is investigating this matter, the passage of the Right to Information Act, 2019 (Act 989), rapid investigations of allegations of corruption, and many more are testament to his remarkable record in the fight against corruption.
I have reluctantly come out to set these records straight due to the very unfair and unfortunate manner in which you have attacked the unblemished reputation and integrity of the President of the Republic, your successor. Good Day Sir,
Samuel A. Jinapor, MP. Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Ministries Accra
Considering that the Finance Minister [Ken Ofori-Atta] has performed appallingly during the present economic crisis, which is now seeking an IMF bailout and just defaulted on its foreign debt payments, he thinks the decision is particularly risky.
“There are a lot of reasons why this Finance Minister can be described as selfish and greedy. Go and find out the faces behind the Enterprise Insurance Company and go and look out for the number of contracts they have gotten from the Finance Ministry. Go and find out how Databank has suddenly become a major player in borrowing in this country,” he is quoted by citinewsroom.com
“If he [Ken Ofori-Atta] is not a greedy person and selfish, why is he still in office when his own Members of Parliament are saying he should resign? If he thinks that he is offering us something good, can’t he resign if he has a conscience?” the MP queried.
“When incompetence and arrogance meet, it becomes very dangerous. One may be incompetent and is ready to learn and listen, and it may be well for us, but once the person is arrogant and incompetent, it is very dangerous for our country and that is where we find ourselves now,” Mintah Akandoh said.
Meanwhile, on January 6, 2023, President Akufo-Addo accepted the resignation of Alan Kyerematen as Trade Minister. The outgoing minister becomes the longest serving minister for the position in the 4th Republic.
A statement issued by the Presidency on the same date directed Ken Ofori-Atta to take over as caretaker minister of Trade and Industry until a substantive appointment is made.
After it was revealed that American rapper Meek Mill had gotten entry to the Jubilee House, had the privilege of seeing the president, and also had the opportunity to make some of a music video, Nigerians on Twitter had a field day making fun of Ghanaians.
“Ghana had to go so low just to sell Ghana. Given Meek Mill a pass to shoot a music video in their presidential house “Jubilee”. Thats some disrespect man. Meek Mill can’t try that in the White House. E nor fit try am for Aso Rock if he eventually visit naija,” a tweep with the handle @Olise_Emmanuel posted.
Aso Rock is the equivalent of Jubilee House, it is Nigeria’s presidential villa as they call it and most Nigerians are without a shred of doubt that Meek Mill will be lucky to be allowed in the Villa in the first place.
This is the latest installment in the Ghana versus Nigeria social media banter which in recent times is rooted on which country has the best jollof rice.
Ghana going back to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Twitter choosing to open its offices in Ghana are some other incidents that have triggered banter on especially Twitter.
Meek Mill vs. Ghana social media: What happened?
Meek Mill, Jubilee House and White House have been in Ghana’s Twitter trends since January 8, 2022 when the musician released a promo for his new video.
The video was taken when he met with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Jubilee House late last year when he came to town for a musical concert.
Social media users were incensed about what they describe as near desecration of the presidency, citing moral and security grounds.
Meek Mill is sighted in different places at the presidency, from the frontage, through the main corridors, in the main conference hall – at a point positioned behind the presidential lectern – and later in a sitting area, rapping.
Meek Mill has since the outrage on social media deleted the controversial video and also rendered an unqualified apology to Ghanaians and to the presidency for the brouhaha he had caused.
Alan Kyerematen’s resignation was accepted by President Akufo-Addo on January 6, 2023, according to reports that he submitted it on January 5, 2023, after personally notifying the president of his intention to quit.
The outgoing trade minister thanked the president for the opportunity to serve and for gracefully accepting his acceptance of my resignation as Cabinet Minister responsible for Trade and Industry, effective January 16, 2023, in a tweet posted on January 7, 2023.
“I sincerely appreciate the support from my family, colleagues, my party the NPP, the international community, and the general public during my tenure as a Minister.”
He further added that he will be addressing Ghanaians in the coming days following his resignation as Trade Minister.
Although there are no clear reasons for Alan Kyerematen’s resignation, it is believed that he did so on the basis of contesting in the flagbearership race of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ahead of the 2024 general elections.
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo has directed Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to serve as the caretaker Minister of Trade and Industry until a substantive minister is appointed for the ministry.
President Akufo-Addo thanked Alan Kyerematen for his services to government, and the country and wished him the very best in his future endeavors.
According to the opposition MP, the state despite paying such an amount to the consultant realised only GH¢794,990 after the fundraiser was held in the United States of America.
“Latest Cathedral documents I am analyzing expose a shocking payment of an unbelievable GH¢28.2million (GH¢28,244,716.97) from Ghanaian taxpayer funds to one Mr. Cary Summers, an American President & CEO of the Nehemiah Group.
“Curiously, after receiving our GH¢28.2million, he spearheaded a US fundraising event for the Ghanaian government & Cathedral Secretariat which raised only a paltry GH¢794,990.01,” Mr Ablakwa said in a Facebook post.
Describing the incident as a “classical case of causing financial loss to the state,” Mr Ablakwa said the payment could be seen as an act of generosity or wastefulness.
“Only the Ghanaian government pays GH¢28.2 million for less than GH¢800,000 — which is all Cary Summers has raised for Ghana in three long years. A classical case of causing financial loss to the state.
“The Ghanaian government must be either the most generous or the most wasteful government in world history. When advocates of this scandalous cathedral project tell us it’s been such a blessing, we now understand exactly what they mean,” he added.
Samuel Ablakwa has been a fierce critic of the National Cathedral project which is bedevilled with several controversies surrounding its funding.
The project which is estimated to cost some $400 million according to the government will see the invested money recouped by serving as a tourist attraction.
However, critics citing the disbursement of state funds towards the construction have questioned the priority given to the project under the current economic circumstance.
National Cathedral project is state-owned, not Akufo-Addo’s property – Ofori-Atta clarifies
Former Chief Executive Officer of 3 Music Awards, has reacted to a trending video purportedly shot at the Jubilee House.
Baba Sadiq who was among the first media personalities to weigh in on the trending Meek Mill music video which was shot partly at the Jubilee House, has expressed gross disappointment in the act.
The video went viral late Sunday evening after the musician shared it on his Instagram reel announcing to his fans that the full video will be released soon.
Ghana’s social media space went into a meltdown of sorts with harsh critique directed at the presidency and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Sadiq, who is also rumoured to be lacing his boot to run for Parliament, posted a tweet that read: “A rapper who has since fallen off, flies a drone over the seat of the presidency? Holy cow.
“I think the president is already tired and may possibly hand over power if he is asked nicely. I mean what is this? The height of desecration,” his tweet added.
In the video, Meek Mill is sighted in different places at the presidency, from the frontage, through the main corridors, in the main conference hall – at a point positioned behind the presidential lectern – and later in a sitting area rapping.
Social media users are incensed about what they describe as near desecration of the presidency, citing moral and security grounds.
Major influencers on Twitter especially have attracted comments that are largely critical of government for allowing such sensitive areas to be filmed for a music video.
It must be noted that a small portion of the commenters are justifying it, stating that it is not too much of a big deal.
The Member of Parliament for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak, has taken a swipe at President Akufo-Addo over the current state of economic hardship.
According to him, Ghanaians are struggling to survive in this economic crisis due to what he termed the government’s blatant corruption and mismanagement of the economy.
He claimed that President Akufo-Addo’s monumental corruption, combined with the massive size of the government, which he has refused to reduce, is negatively impacting the economy.
“We are where we are largely because of gross mismanagement, blatant corruption, and indeed, a disregard for laid-down laws and procedures. I mean the banking sector; how do you spend about 26 billion to solve a 12 billion Ghana cedi problem? Who does that? I mean, couldn’t there have been alternative ways of dealing with this issue? Did anyone put a gun to their heads?
“Then we will talk about power outages (Dumsor). We (NDC) resolved the dumsor before we left. Your own sitting vice president said that John Mahama could not take credit for having solved a problem that he caused, and this is on paper,” Mr. Apaak stated on Metro TV.
He continued: “So when we say that this government has been the most reckless, has unleashed the most painful and severe hardships, and yet is not even taking responsibility in terms of managing the government itself, the size of government, government activities, and unjustified expenditure.”
The MP also questioned why the Finance Minister would propose 1.4 billion for an emergency vault in light of the current economic situation.
“Why? Such an amorphous name. Shouldn’t we know every dollar, every cedi, and where it is going to go at this time? Why are you allocating 1.4 billion? To do what? Why are you still allocating money to a cathedral that has no immediate benefit to us,” he said.
“If you look at areas we are calling for action, we are calling for the size of government to be reduced. There’s no need to keep an Executive Director in charge of the Keta Port with a staff of 33 people who are being paid and even being offered bonuses for no work that we are seeing.”
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has told the newly-sworn justices of the Supreme Court, Barbara Frances Ackah-Yensu; and Samuel Kwame Adibu Asiedu to bear in mind that the growth of the nation demands a Judiciary that commands the respect of the people by the quality of its delivery of justice, as well as by the comportment of its judges.
Mr Akufo-Addo told them that application of the laws of the land must occur without fear or favour, affection or ill-will, and, therefore, without recourse to the political, religious or ethnic affiliations of any citizen of the land.
The President said these on Wednesday, December 28 when he swore in the two new justices of the apex court at a ceremony at the Jubilee House.
Mr Akufo-Addo also used the occasion to swear into office the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Lariba Abudu and her Deputy, Francisca Oteng-Mensah.
