AN economic consultant, Mr Kwame Pianim, has advocated a blueprint of good practices that would guide how the country’s economy and physical environment are to be managed.
“Such a national vision can serve as a broad guide within which incoming administrations will locate their policies and programmes in pursuit of the agreed vision,” he added.
Mr Pianim, who was speaking at the maiden lecture to mark the 20th anniversary celebration of the establishment of the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) in Accra yesterday, said fortunately, the country had witnessed the emergence of two main political parties whose policy differences with regard to private sector-led development and state-centred development were relatively marginal.
The lecture was on the theme, “Institutionalising Economic Strategy and Policy Formulation Processes Towards Transformational Economic Development”.
Mr Pianim cited some examples from the manifestos of the two political parties in which they both focused on agriculture and agro-processing and use of education as a tool for empowering the poor and transforming the living standards of Ghanaians.
He said the voting pattern over the last 16 years was a pointer to the fact that the two major parties would be in and out of government and therefore working together was only natural and for the benefit of all.
According to Mr Pianim, for these proposals to be effectively implemented, there was the need for the transformation of mindset, both among the political elite and the citizenry at large, if Ghana wanted to succeed.
He added that the self-serving populists rhetoric among politicians and entitlement mentality among the citizenry must also cease.
“We need to have courage to move away from these comfort zones that chain us to a past of under-performance and low aspirations and embrace new ideas that promote change,” Mr Pianim added.
He again called for the reconstitution of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) as an instrument for fashioning a medium to long-term national development plan.
This, the economic consultant said, should start with the development of a tradition for the selection of the members on a bi-partisan basis with consultation among stakeholders in civil society, academia and the business community.
“The secretariat should be made up of competent professionals and the director in charge should always be a member of the economic council of the committee of the sitting government to facilitate policy co-ordination between annual budget and the medium-term vision,” Mr Pianim suggested.
He said in this instance, the Finance Minister should be under obligation to reassure the Cabinet that his annual budget was broadly in line with the agreed medium-term plan of the NDPC.
He has also called for what he termed “back channel communication” between the President and the leader of the opposition outside the executive and its leadership in parliament for informal consultation as part of the process for the selection and appointment of the key development policy formulation and implementing officials like the NDPC, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Government Statistician and Chairman of the EC.
According to him, the objective is to ensure that people appointed are men of proven professional standing and competence, as well as independent of the political process and are allowed to operate in line with their internal rules.
He said the consultation was not only to seek the approval of the minority but also for the president to have an open mind for creative listening and to consider objections if well founded. It is also suggested that the confidentiality and secrecy surrounding these consultations should be respected by all.
Mr Pianim said other elements of good economic policy that should receive bipartisan, national consensus support and approval might include the nature and tenure of concessions granted to strategic industries that were encouraged to establish because they had a pioneering role to play or a stimulating effect on the development of a sector with comparative advantage.
He explained that exemptions from income tax, import duties and accelerated depreciation on capital equipment should probably be considered and made proportional to the development impact of the project.
The President of the IEA, Mr Charles Mensa, described the beginning of the institute as risky because during that period in 1989 the future of the country was bleak and without clear direction.
He said there was vacuum in the country for local policy discourse and this offered the multinational institutions to fill the emptiness with all kinds of experimentation ranging from Economic Recovery Programme (ERP), Programme of Action to Mitigate the Social Cost of Adjustment (PAMSCAD), Social Adjustment Programme (SAP), Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategies (GPRS) and Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative.
Monday, September 28, 2009
CPP supports PNC in Chereponi by-election
The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has thrown its weight behind the People’s National Convention (PNC) candidate for the Chereponi by-election.
It has consequently urged all its constituency executive members and supporters to offer their full support and assistance to the candidate, Ms Rebecca Namana Jabali.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Ivor Greenstreet said the move was part of the final unification process of the two parties towards the 2012 general election and that the PNC selected a female for the election which was in line with the party’s beliefs.
He said the abysmal performances of the two Nkrumaist parties in the recent elections indicated that the best option for winning power and implementing the unfinished policies of Dr Kwame Nkrumah was for the two parties to join forces and present a united front.
He was optimistic that for once the unity talks would yield results because “there is no other option for the two parties”.
According to Mr Greenstreet, all wards, constituency executives and members of the CPP throughout the country had been urged to initiate moves at the local level and discuss how to come out with a united front with their PNC counterparts.
He said the bottom-up approach seemed to be the best guarantee because after all that been said and done it was the grass roots who would campaign for the party to win.
He said as the owners of the party, the grass roots had the larger say in the administration of the party and, therefore, if any move was initiated from their end, those at the helm of affairs could do little about it.
When contacted, the General Secretary of the PNC, Mr Bernard Mornah, described the move as one of the best things to have happened between the two political parties.
He expressed the view that the decision by the CPP to support the PNC in Chereponi would be replicated in all other areas for the two parties to realise their final unification.
Mr Mornah added that the PNC settled on a female candidate as a response to calls by women’s group for political parties to field a woman as part of the measures to encourage more women into active politics.
He said the PNC represented the hopes and aspirations of the poor and the disadvantaged, hence the decision to contest the seat and make life better for the people.
It has consequently urged all its constituency executive members and supporters to offer their full support and assistance to the candidate, Ms Rebecca Namana Jabali.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Ivor Greenstreet said the move was part of the final unification process of the two parties towards the 2012 general election and that the PNC selected a female for the election which was in line with the party’s beliefs.
He said the abysmal performances of the two Nkrumaist parties in the recent elections indicated that the best option for winning power and implementing the unfinished policies of Dr Kwame Nkrumah was for the two parties to join forces and present a united front.
He was optimistic that for once the unity talks would yield results because “there is no other option for the two parties”.
According to Mr Greenstreet, all wards, constituency executives and members of the CPP throughout the country had been urged to initiate moves at the local level and discuss how to come out with a united front with their PNC counterparts.
He said the bottom-up approach seemed to be the best guarantee because after all that been said and done it was the grass roots who would campaign for the party to win.
He said as the owners of the party, the grass roots had the larger say in the administration of the party and, therefore, if any move was initiated from their end, those at the helm of affairs could do little about it.
When contacted, the General Secretary of the PNC, Mr Bernard Mornah, described the move as one of the best things to have happened between the two political parties.
He expressed the view that the decision by the CPP to support the PNC in Chereponi would be replicated in all other areas for the two parties to realise their final unification.
Mr Mornah added that the PNC settled on a female candidate as a response to calls by women’s group for political parties to field a woman as part of the measures to encourage more women into active politics.
He said the PNC represented the hopes and aspirations of the poor and the disadvantaged, hence the decision to contest the seat and make life better for the people.
UK bribery scandal • Attorney General takes swift action
THE Attorney General, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu, has requested the Ministries of Finance and Economic Planning and Roads and Highways to furnish her outfit with all the documentation in respect of activities concerning Mabey and Johnson (M&J), a UK-based construction firm, from 1991 to 2005.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Attorney General said following the directive by President J.E. A. Mills for action on the bribery scandal, she also had taken advantage of the mutual legal assistance scheme under which Commonwealth countries co-operate in the prosecution of trans-border crimes, requested information from the UK authorities as to their investigations into the matter.
"We are awaiting that information and when l am able to get a composite picture, we will then proceed under our criminal offence act," she said.
Meanwhile former President J.J. Rawlings has called for swift investigations into a court ruling that certain leading members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) benefited from bribe money given by Mabey and Johnson when the construction firm undertook projects in Ghana in the 1990s.
He said the investigations were needed to clear the name of the party and those of the individuals involved.
President John Evans Atta Mills ordered the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu, to begin thorough investigations into the matter in which Mabey and Johnson had claimed in a court in London that it paid bribes in favour of contracts in Ghana in the early 1990s.
Consequently, Mrs Mould-Iddrisu has sent a request to the appropriate authorities in UK for full information on the matter as a first step.
Former President Rawlings, however, said the quick response in requesting further investigations into these allegations could only be applauded, adding, "however, hesitancy and inaction in the days to come will be seen as not serving the greater good".
Officials mentioned in the alleged scandal include Dr Obed Asamoah, former Foreign Minister and Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr George Sipa Yankey, current Minister of Health, who was a director at the Ministry of Finance; Mr Kwame Peprah, a former Minister of Finance; Alhaji Amadu Seidu, a Minister of State at the Castle, who was also a Deputy Minister of Road and Highways in the 1990s.
The rest are Dr Ato Quarshie, who was a Minister of Roads and Highways and one Mr Edward Attipoe.
Alhaji Boniface Saddique, a former Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing in the Kufuor administration, who was a director of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning at the time of the alleged scandal, was also mentioned.
Former President Rawlings stated that “Probity, accountability and service to the people are the basis upon which the NDC was founded” and that was why he had been espousing those tenets since 1982 and had consistently reminded the current NDC government of the need to urgently pursue and prosecute persons who had been and continued to remain unaccountable to the people.
The statement said former President Rawllings had espoused those tenets since 1982 and had consistently reminded the current NDC government of the need to urgently pursue and prosecute persons who had been and continue to remain unaccountable to the people.
”Ghanaians and the International Community are watching closely how the Mills administration handles these allegations,” he said.
Former President Rawlings alleged that “since coming to power in 2009, we have failed to pursue and prosecute the criminal activities of the past NPP government functionaries, who, in connivance with foreign partners, have stolen millions of dollars and accepted huge bribes. Let us not destroy the reputation of the NDC by being indecisive on this scandal".
For his part, Dr Obed Asamoah, who was also a Cabinet Minister in the Rawlings administration, has denied knowledge of any money allegedly given him and some of his colleagues by officials of Mabey and Johnson.
He, therefore, called for a swift official probe into the issue so that his hard-won reputation would not be marred and the records set straight “because nobody even spoke to me about such contracts”.
According to Dr Asamoah, who doubled as the Foreign Minister and Minister of Justice, said he never came into contact with any of the projects mentioned or any official of Mabey & Johnson.
He explained that if certain persons used his name for such criminal activity, they must be investigated and those found culpable made to face the law because “such persons had done a great disservice to me”.
Alhaji Boniface Saddiq, one of seven politicians alleged to have collected 'inducement sums' from the UK construction firm, has admitted collecting the money but insists it was not a bribe.
He told Joy FM’s Bernard Saibu he was surprised by the revelation, adding, the £500 he took around 1995, was in support of his Masters education as a student in the UK and not as a politician to influence any activity in Ghana.
Mabey & Johnson was fined by Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday to the tune of £3.5m and ordered to pay almost £5m after pleading guilty to overseas corruption and breaching UN sanctions.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Attorney General said following the directive by President J.E. A. Mills for action on the bribery scandal, she also had taken advantage of the mutual legal assistance scheme under which Commonwealth countries co-operate in the prosecution of trans-border crimes, requested information from the UK authorities as to their investigations into the matter.
"We are awaiting that information and when l am able to get a composite picture, we will then proceed under our criminal offence act," she said.
Meanwhile former President J.J. Rawlings has called for swift investigations into a court ruling that certain leading members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) benefited from bribe money given by Mabey and Johnson when the construction firm undertook projects in Ghana in the 1990s.
He said the investigations were needed to clear the name of the party and those of the individuals involved.
President John Evans Atta Mills ordered the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu, to begin thorough investigations into the matter in which Mabey and Johnson had claimed in a court in London that it paid bribes in favour of contracts in Ghana in the early 1990s.
Consequently, Mrs Mould-Iddrisu has sent a request to the appropriate authorities in UK for full information on the matter as a first step.
Former President Rawlings, however, said the quick response in requesting further investigations into these allegations could only be applauded, adding, "however, hesitancy and inaction in the days to come will be seen as not serving the greater good".
Officials mentioned in the alleged scandal include Dr Obed Asamoah, former Foreign Minister and Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr George Sipa Yankey, current Minister of Health, who was a director at the Ministry of Finance; Mr Kwame Peprah, a former Minister of Finance; Alhaji Amadu Seidu, a Minister of State at the Castle, who was also a Deputy Minister of Road and Highways in the 1990s.
The rest are Dr Ato Quarshie, who was a Minister of Roads and Highways and one Mr Edward Attipoe.
Alhaji Boniface Saddique, a former Minister of Water Resources Works and Housing in the Kufuor administration, who was a director of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning at the time of the alleged scandal, was also mentioned.
Former President Rawlings stated that “Probity, accountability and service to the people are the basis upon which the NDC was founded” and that was why he had been espousing those tenets since 1982 and had consistently reminded the current NDC government of the need to urgently pursue and prosecute persons who had been and continued to remain unaccountable to the people.
The statement said former President Rawllings had espoused those tenets since 1982 and had consistently reminded the current NDC government of the need to urgently pursue and prosecute persons who had been and continue to remain unaccountable to the people.
”Ghanaians and the International Community are watching closely how the Mills administration handles these allegations,” he said.
Former President Rawlings alleged that “since coming to power in 2009, we have failed to pursue and prosecute the criminal activities of the past NPP government functionaries, who, in connivance with foreign partners, have stolen millions of dollars and accepted huge bribes. Let us not destroy the reputation of the NDC by being indecisive on this scandal".
For his part, Dr Obed Asamoah, who was also a Cabinet Minister in the Rawlings administration, has denied knowledge of any money allegedly given him and some of his colleagues by officials of Mabey and Johnson.
He, therefore, called for a swift official probe into the issue so that his hard-won reputation would not be marred and the records set straight “because nobody even spoke to me about such contracts”.
According to Dr Asamoah, who doubled as the Foreign Minister and Minister of Justice, said he never came into contact with any of the projects mentioned or any official of Mabey & Johnson.
He explained that if certain persons used his name for such criminal activity, they must be investigated and those found culpable made to face the law because “such persons had done a great disservice to me”.
Alhaji Boniface Saddiq, one of seven politicians alleged to have collected 'inducement sums' from the UK construction firm, has admitted collecting the money but insists it was not a bribe.
He told Joy FM’s Bernard Saibu he was surprised by the revelation, adding, the £500 he took around 1995, was in support of his Masters education as a student in the UK and not as a politician to influence any activity in Ghana.
Mabey & Johnson was fined by Southwark Crown Court in London on Friday to the tune of £3.5m and ordered to pay almost £5m after pleading guilty to overseas corruption and breaching UN sanctions.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
PNC restructure for Election 2012
THE People’s National Convention (PNC) is restructuring the party structures in readiness for its national delegates conference and subsequently with the intention to win the 2012 elections.
The move is to ensure that the party has a new national executive and a presidential candidate in place.
This has become necessary because of the early exit of Dr Edward Mahama, the 2000, 2004 and 2008 presidential candidate of the party and his decision not to contest the position again.
Although the term of office of the current national executive would elapse in 2011, they have decided to go for early congress in 2010 to offer the party enough time to organise itself properly.
For a start, it has directed all regional executives of the party to ensure that all the constituency and regional elections are held to elect new officers and compile the names of national delegates participants, so that early 2010, the party can elect national officers and presidential candidates.
According to Mr Bennard Mornah, the General Secretary of the party, the PNC is poised to better its chances to increase the number of its Members of Parliament (MP) and consequently win the 2012 general election.
Asked about the personalities who have shown interest in the national positions and the flag-bearership, Mr Mornah said “very exciting names” have been coming up, and added that these developments would make their congress one of the most keenly contested.
Regarding the protracted but unsuccessful unity talks with the Convention People’s Party (CPP), he said the impediments had always come from the CPP, who have not followed the agreed principles reached.
He challenged the CPP to put in public domain in what form it wanted the unity talks to take and also come clean instead of making blanket statements to the effect that all Nkrumaists should join the CPP unconditionally.
“They should honestly tell the entire world what they want us to do,” Mr Mornah said, and added that politics was about numbers, therefore, the CPP should always bear in mind that the PNC had always done better than them in terms of obtaining seats in Parliament.
He said the only time the CPP got more MPs than the PNC in recent times was when it aligned itself with their ideologically opposed friends, the NPP.
The move is to ensure that the party has a new national executive and a presidential candidate in place.
This has become necessary because of the early exit of Dr Edward Mahama, the 2000, 2004 and 2008 presidential candidate of the party and his decision not to contest the position again.
Although the term of office of the current national executive would elapse in 2011, they have decided to go for early congress in 2010 to offer the party enough time to organise itself properly.
For a start, it has directed all regional executives of the party to ensure that all the constituency and regional elections are held to elect new officers and compile the names of national delegates participants, so that early 2010, the party can elect national officers and presidential candidates.
According to Mr Bennard Mornah, the General Secretary of the party, the PNC is poised to better its chances to increase the number of its Members of Parliament (MP) and consequently win the 2012 general election.
Asked about the personalities who have shown interest in the national positions and the flag-bearership, Mr Mornah said “very exciting names” have been coming up, and added that these developments would make their congress one of the most keenly contested.
Regarding the protracted but unsuccessful unity talks with the Convention People’s Party (CPP), he said the impediments had always come from the CPP, who have not followed the agreed principles reached.
He challenged the CPP to put in public domain in what form it wanted the unity talks to take and also come clean instead of making blanket statements to the effect that all Nkrumaists should join the CPP unconditionally.
“They should honestly tell the entire world what they want us to do,” Mr Mornah said, and added that politics was about numbers, therefore, the CPP should always bear in mind that the PNC had always done better than them in terms of obtaining seats in Parliament.
He said the only time the CPP got more MPs than the PNC in recent times was when it aligned itself with their ideologically opposed friends, the NPP.
Remand Prisoners' plight stirs action
THE plight of hundreds of inmates who are being held in prisons all over the country beyond the legal period of remand, has stirred action from key players in the country’s judicial system.
Initiated by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, those who have moved to right the wrong include the Chief Justice, Inspector General of Police, Minister of the Interior, Director of Legal Aid, Ghana, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Director of Prisons.
As a first step to deal with the problem which was highlighted this week, following a visit by CHRAJ to the Nsawam Prisons, all the stakeholders have signed a memorandum of understanding in which four thematic areas of the justices system would be overhauled to nip the problem in the bud.
Reacting to the revelation that about 1,554 remand inmates were being held at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons alone, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mrs Betty-Mould Iddrisu, described the memorandum as the first step in a holistic move to curtail instances where suspects were remanded for undue periods.
Dubbed Justice for All programme, the four thematic areas that the stakeholders are working on are the Remand Review Project, Sentencing Review Project, Prosecutors Capacity Building Project and Systems and Procedures Analysis Project.
Explaining further, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu said funds had been secured from the UNDP to undertake the holistic approach, which included the establishment of specialised courts that would cater for remand cases, making police prosecutors report directly to the Attorney-General’s Department and developing a code of conduct for prosecutors, as well as sentencing guidelines for judges.
Under this system, she explained that the stakeholders were developing a code of conduct for the prosecutors, to ensure that the police would know their boundaries, which cases they were supposed to deal with and the ones they were supposed to transfer to the Attorney-General’s office for advice, as well as allowing for follow-ups by the AG’s office.
She explained that under the current system, the police prosecutors who were dealing with more than 70 per cent of all criminal cases in the country, under which most of the accused persons have been remanded for long periods, were not under the Ministry of Justice but under the Ghana Police Service.
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu said such prosecutors reported to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, a situation which had made it very difficult for her ministry to trace and follow up on cases and added that some of the cases were even beyond the capability of the police prosecutors.
She said with the specialised remand courts, prosecutors would not have the liberty to go for a myriad of adjournments unnecessarily, putting accused persons in remand for years because the judges under this system would be able to follow up on each case.
She added that the effectiveness of this system was that if the judges realised that the prosecutors were being lackadaisical with cases, the prosecutors would be held accountable and even ask them (prosecutors) to either open their cases or submit no case for the release of such accused persons.
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu added that other systemic problems identified and being worked on were the lack of vehicles for prison officers to transfer accused persons to court, transfer of prosecutors from their duty post to other places and lost of dockets, which had been some of the main excuses for remanding people for long periods, and gave the assurance that these would be things of the past.
Regarding the sentencing guidelines, Mrs Mould-Iddrisu said her outfit would discuss with the judges, especially the Supervising High Court Judges, to ensure that other judges used their discretion to giver lighter sentencing for lesser offences.
She added that all the problems had come about because there was a weak level of co-ordination, co-operation, communication and collaboration among the various institutions and stakeholders.
She also said institutions of the justice system lacked the capacity to adequately discharge their duties while the citizenry had over the years demonstrated limited knowledge of accessing justice.
In a related development, the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood, and the Commissioner of CHRAJ, Mr Justice Emile Short, have reiterated their desire to collaborate to address the increasing number of remand prisoners in the country and build the capacities of their respective employees.
This was contained in a statement issued after the two had met in Accra.
Initiated by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, those who have moved to right the wrong include the Chief Justice, Inspector General of Police, Minister of the Interior, Director of Legal Aid, Ghana, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Director of Prisons.
As a first step to deal with the problem which was highlighted this week, following a visit by CHRAJ to the Nsawam Prisons, all the stakeholders have signed a memorandum of understanding in which four thematic areas of the justices system would be overhauled to nip the problem in the bud.
Reacting to the revelation that about 1,554 remand inmates were being held at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons alone, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mrs Betty-Mould Iddrisu, described the memorandum as the first step in a holistic move to curtail instances where suspects were remanded for undue periods.
Dubbed Justice for All programme, the four thematic areas that the stakeholders are working on are the Remand Review Project, Sentencing Review Project, Prosecutors Capacity Building Project and Systems and Procedures Analysis Project.
Explaining further, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu said funds had been secured from the UNDP to undertake the holistic approach, which included the establishment of specialised courts that would cater for remand cases, making police prosecutors report directly to the Attorney-General’s Department and developing a code of conduct for prosecutors, as well as sentencing guidelines for judges.
Under this system, she explained that the stakeholders were developing a code of conduct for the prosecutors, to ensure that the police would know their boundaries, which cases they were supposed to deal with and the ones they were supposed to transfer to the Attorney-General’s office for advice, as well as allowing for follow-ups by the AG’s office.
She explained that under the current system, the police prosecutors who were dealing with more than 70 per cent of all criminal cases in the country, under which most of the accused persons have been remanded for long periods, were not under the Ministry of Justice but under the Ghana Police Service.
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu said such prosecutors reported to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, a situation which had made it very difficult for her ministry to trace and follow up on cases and added that some of the cases were even beyond the capability of the police prosecutors.
She said with the specialised remand courts, prosecutors would not have the liberty to go for a myriad of adjournments unnecessarily, putting accused persons in remand for years because the judges under this system would be able to follow up on each case.
She added that the effectiveness of this system was that if the judges realised that the prosecutors were being lackadaisical with cases, the prosecutors would be held accountable and even ask them (prosecutors) to either open their cases or submit no case for the release of such accused persons.
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu added that other systemic problems identified and being worked on were the lack of vehicles for prison officers to transfer accused persons to court, transfer of prosecutors from their duty post to other places and lost of dockets, which had been some of the main excuses for remanding people for long periods, and gave the assurance that these would be things of the past.
Regarding the sentencing guidelines, Mrs Mould-Iddrisu said her outfit would discuss with the judges, especially the Supervising High Court Judges, to ensure that other judges used their discretion to giver lighter sentencing for lesser offences.
She added that all the problems had come about because there was a weak level of co-ordination, co-operation, communication and collaboration among the various institutions and stakeholders.
She also said institutions of the justice system lacked the capacity to adequately discharge their duties while the citizenry had over the years demonstrated limited knowledge of accessing justice.
In a related development, the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood, and the Commissioner of CHRAJ, Mr Justice Emile Short, have reiterated their desire to collaborate to address the increasing number of remand prisoners in the country and build the capacities of their respective employees.
This was contained in a statement issued after the two had met in Accra.
Remand Prisoners' plight stirs action
THE plight of hundreds of inmates who are being held in prisons all over the country beyond the legal period of remand, has stirred action from key players in the country’s judicial system.
Initiated by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, those who have moved to right the wrong include the Chief Justice, Inspector General of Police, Minister of the Interior, Director of Legal Aid, Ghana, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Director of Prisons.
As a first step to deal with the problem which was highlighted this week, following a visit by CHRAJ to the Nsawam Prisons, all the stakeholders have signed a memorandum of understanding in which four thematic areas of the justices system would be overhauled to nip the problem in the bud.
Reacting to the revelation that about 1,554 remand inmates were being held at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons alone, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mrs Betty-Mould Iddrisu, described the memorandum as the first step in a holistic move to curtail instances where suspects were remanded for undue periods.
Dubbed Justice for All programme, the four thematic areas that the stakeholders are working on are the Remand Review Project, Sentencing Review Project, Prosecutors Capacity Building Project and Systems and Procedures Analysis Project.
Explaining further, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu said funds had been secured from the UNDP to undertake the holistic approach, which included the establishment of specialised courts that would cater for remand cases, making police prosecutors report directly to the Attorney-General’s Department and developing a code of conduct for prosecutors, as well as sentencing guidelines for judges.
Under this system, she explained that the stakeholders were developing a code of conduct for the prosecutors, to ensure that the police would know their boundaries, which cases they were supposed to deal with and the ones they were supposed to transfer to the Attorney-General’s office for advice, as well as allowing for follow-ups by the AG’s office.
She explained that under the current system, the police prosecutors who were dealing with more than 70 per cent of all criminal cases in the country, under which most of the accused persons have been remanded for long periods, were not under the Ministry of Justice but under the Ghana Police Service.
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu said such prosecutors reported to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, a situation which had made it very difficult for her ministry to trace and follow up on cases and added that some of the cases were even beyond the capability of the police prosecutors.
She said with the specialised remand courts, prosecutors would not have the liberty to go for a myriad of adjournments unnecessarily, putting accused persons in remand for years because the judges under this system would be able to follow up on each case.
She added that the effectiveness of this system was that if the judges realised that the prosecutors were being lackadaisical with cases, the prosecutors would be held accountable and even ask them (prosecutors) to either open their cases or submit no case for the release of such accused persons.
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu added that other systemic problems identified and being worked on were the lack of vehicles for prison officers to transfer accused persons to court, transfer of prosecutors from their duty post to other places and lost of dockets, which had been some of the main excuses for remanding people for long periods, and gave the assurance that these would be things of the past.
Regarding the sentencing guidelines, Mrs Mould-Iddrisu said her outfit would discuss with the judges, especially the Supervising High Court Judges, to ensure that other judges used their discretion to giver lighter sentencing for lesser offences.
She added that all the problems had come about because there was a weak level of co-ordination, co-operation, communication and collaboration among the various institutions and stakeholders.
She also said institutions of the justice system lacked the capacity to adequately discharge their duties while the citizenry had over the years demonstrated limited knowledge of accessing justice.
In a related development, the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood, and the Commissioner of CHRAJ, Mr Justice Emile Short, have reiterated their desire to collaborate to address the increasing number of remand prisoners in the country and build the capacities of their respective employees.
This was contained in a statement issued after the two had met in Accra.
Initiated by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, those who have moved to right the wrong include the Chief Justice, Inspector General of Police, Minister of the Interior, Director of Legal Aid, Ghana, Commissioner of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) and the Director of Prisons.
As a first step to deal with the problem which was highlighted this week, following a visit by CHRAJ to the Nsawam Prisons, all the stakeholders have signed a memorandum of understanding in which four thematic areas of the justices system would be overhauled to nip the problem in the bud.
Reacting to the revelation that about 1,554 remand inmates were being held at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons alone, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Mrs Betty-Mould Iddrisu, described the memorandum as the first step in a holistic move to curtail instances where suspects were remanded for undue periods.
Dubbed Justice for All programme, the four thematic areas that the stakeholders are working on are the Remand Review Project, Sentencing Review Project, Prosecutors Capacity Building Project and Systems and Procedures Analysis Project.
Explaining further, Mrs Betty Mould-Iddrisu said funds had been secured from the UNDP to undertake the holistic approach, which included the establishment of specialised courts that would cater for remand cases, making police prosecutors report directly to the Attorney-General’s Department and developing a code of conduct for prosecutors, as well as sentencing guidelines for judges.
Under this system, she explained that the stakeholders were developing a code of conduct for the prosecutors, to ensure that the police would know their boundaries, which cases they were supposed to deal with and the ones they were supposed to transfer to the Attorney-General’s office for advice, as well as allowing for follow-ups by the AG’s office.
She explained that under the current system, the police prosecutors who were dealing with more than 70 per cent of all criminal cases in the country, under which most of the accused persons have been remanded for long periods, were not under the Ministry of Justice but under the Ghana Police Service.
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu said such prosecutors reported to the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, a situation which had made it very difficult for her ministry to trace and follow up on cases and added that some of the cases were even beyond the capability of the police prosecutors.
She said with the specialised remand courts, prosecutors would not have the liberty to go for a myriad of adjournments unnecessarily, putting accused persons in remand for years because the judges under this system would be able to follow up on each case.
She added that the effectiveness of this system was that if the judges realised that the prosecutors were being lackadaisical with cases, the prosecutors would be held accountable and even ask them (prosecutors) to either open their cases or submit no case for the release of such accused persons.
Mrs Mould-Iddrisu added that other systemic problems identified and being worked on were the lack of vehicles for prison officers to transfer accused persons to court, transfer of prosecutors from their duty post to other places and lost of dockets, which had been some of the main excuses for remanding people for long periods, and gave the assurance that these would be things of the past.
Regarding the sentencing guidelines, Mrs Mould-Iddrisu said her outfit would discuss with the judges, especially the Supervising High Court Judges, to ensure that other judges used their discretion to giver lighter sentencing for lesser offences.
She added that all the problems had come about because there was a weak level of co-ordination, co-operation, communication and collaboration among the various institutions and stakeholders.
She also said institutions of the justice system lacked the capacity to adequately discharge their duties while the citizenry had over the years demonstrated limited knowledge of accessing justice.
In a related development, the Chief Justice, Mrs Justice Georgina Wood, and the Commissioner of CHRAJ, Mr Justice Emile Short, have reiterated their desire to collaborate to address the increasing number of remand prisoners in the country and build the capacities of their respective employees.
This was contained in a statement issued after the two had met in Accra.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
NCCE to train youth on gender issues
THE National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) has begun a programme to train and educate Ghanaian youth, especially students, on issues of gender parity and equity advocacy as a tool for social development.
The training had become necessary because in spite of the equality of rights, freedoms and opportunities enshrined in the 1992 Constitution for all Ghanaians, women still remained the most victimised in terms of discrimination and other human rights abuses and violation.
The Greater Accra Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs Joyce B. Afutu, said the Commission took the decision to educate the youth because at a young age, if they became abreast of the issues of gender and the need to offer women equal opportunity and when necessary, the desired support, it would help in bridging the gap between men and women.
Subsequently, the regional directorate, in collaboration with the ABANTU for Development, held a day’s workshop to discuss in-depth, the core issues of the women’s manifesto, which was a document carefully put together by women’s coalition of Ghana to address the problems of gender mainstreaming in the socio-political, economic and cultural governance of Ghana.
“The national aspirations to blaze the trail of democracy and good governance for socio-political, economic and cultural prosperity makes it imperative for us all to ensure women’s participation in all levels of governance in the national political agenda,” she stated.
Mrs Afutu stressed that the commission had decided to embark on gender education because women participation in all sectors of social and political lives was not a privilege, but an inalienable right, given the fact that women were not less human than their male counterparts.
She also reminded staff of the NCCE of their core constitutional function, which was to access information on the Government, the limitations to the achievements of true democracy arising from existing inequalities between different strata of the people and make recommendations for re-dressing these inequalities.
She reminded the staff of the NCCE that it was their duty to organise programmes on national, regional and district levels to sensitise and educate the entire citizenry to be abreast of knowledge and skills necessary for the effective prosecution of a successful democratic dispensation.
One of the resources persons, Mrs Hamida Harrison of ABANTU for Development, expressed worry that Ghana was always one of the first countries in the world to append its signature to international treaties, but was very lackadaisical in implementing the dictates of such treaties.
She gave the example of Affirmative Action, which required that at least 30 per cent of women were given positions, which Ghana had signed to, but had failed woefully to implement.
She said women in the country were calling for ways to bridge the gap between them and men in positions, especially in political appointments, because religious, cultural and social practices and structures over the years had gone against the advancement of women.
The training had become necessary because in spite of the equality of rights, freedoms and opportunities enshrined in the 1992 Constitution for all Ghanaians, women still remained the most victimised in terms of discrimination and other human rights abuses and violation.
The Greater Accra Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), Mrs Joyce B. Afutu, said the Commission took the decision to educate the youth because at a young age, if they became abreast of the issues of gender and the need to offer women equal opportunity and when necessary, the desired support, it would help in bridging the gap between men and women.
Subsequently, the regional directorate, in collaboration with the ABANTU for Development, held a day’s workshop to discuss in-depth, the core issues of the women’s manifesto, which was a document carefully put together by women’s coalition of Ghana to address the problems of gender mainstreaming in the socio-political, economic and cultural governance of Ghana.
“The national aspirations to blaze the trail of democracy and good governance for socio-political, economic and cultural prosperity makes it imperative for us all to ensure women’s participation in all levels of governance in the national political agenda,” she stated.
Mrs Afutu stressed that the commission had decided to embark on gender education because women participation in all sectors of social and political lives was not a privilege, but an inalienable right, given the fact that women were not less human than their male counterparts.
She also reminded staff of the NCCE of their core constitutional function, which was to access information on the Government, the limitations to the achievements of true democracy arising from existing inequalities between different strata of the people and make recommendations for re-dressing these inequalities.
She reminded the staff of the NCCE that it was their duty to organise programmes on national, regional and district levels to sensitise and educate the entire citizenry to be abreast of knowledge and skills necessary for the effective prosecution of a successful democratic dispensation.
One of the resources persons, Mrs Hamida Harrison of ABANTU for Development, expressed worry that Ghana was always one of the first countries in the world to append its signature to international treaties, but was very lackadaisical in implementing the dictates of such treaties.
She gave the example of Affirmative Action, which required that at least 30 per cent of women were given positions, which Ghana had signed to, but had failed woefully to implement.
She said women in the country were calling for ways to bridge the gap between them and men in positions, especially in political appointments, because religious, cultural and social practices and structures over the years had gone against the advancement of women.
I do not have any faction in NPP — Kufuor
FORMER President John Agyekum Kufuor has disputed claims that he has a faction within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that is pushing for his personal agenda and interests.
He told delegates at the NPP congress over the weekend that amended portions of the party’s constitution that “I am a thorough bred NPP. I have supported the ideals and principles of the party all my life. I have no intention of departing from that. Through the party, I reached the highest point in political life anybody could wish for anywhere in the world”.
Mr Kufuor said he was not in contention for any position in the party and expressed his commitment to play his role as an elder statesman within the party.
He entreated party members to respect one another, unite, and prepare adequately to recapture the seat of the presidency in 2012.
“I tell you my dear friends, brothers and sisters that power is there for our taking if only we put our house in order,” he told the delegates.
He appealed to the delegates to put their personal biases aside and unite behind the amendments that were made for the party to reclaim its previous position.
The former president urged members of his party to eschew discontent, rancour and division within their ranks, adding that “we should leave here as one strong, united party” and urged them to demonstrate to the world that the NPP was one family with many parts.
He said the strength of the party lay in their collectivenenss and singleness of purpose. “I tell you, If we are able to show this singleness of purpose and show to the world that we are one strong, united body, a greater part of the job to recapture power in 2012 would have been done”.
“The world is watching, Ghanaians are watching, we dare not fail them, we dare not fail ourselves,” he said.
The Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said the NPP in 1997 had to beg people to contest on its ticket, but now, “many people rather had to be begged to step down in the contest”.
The party, according to him, grew the economy from 3.7 per cent in 2000 to 7.3 per cent in 2008 and said “when we assumed government, inflation was 40.5 per cent, when we exited in 2008 which was our annus horibus, our worst year inflation was 18.5 per cent, still over 100 per cent better than what we met it”.
He noted that the Gross International Reserves (GIR) in 2000 was $296 million while the net reserves was $194 million and added that in 2008, when the NPP was leaving office, the GIR had increased to $2.1 billion while the net reserved stood at $1.3 billion.
“Interest rate in 2000 was 50 per cent, interest rate in 2008 was 26 per cent. Depreciating of the cedi against the US dollar in 1999 was 120 per cent and 50 per cent in 2000.
“Using 2001 as base year, depreciation of the cedi against the US dollar for the entire eight-year rule of NPP was 58 per cent,” he said.
The NPP, he said, assumed government to meet per capita income at $290 and left government in 2008 with per capita income of $712, the highest since Ghana’s independence.
The comparison, according to Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, could not indicate that the economy was broke as claimed by members of NDC.
“The micro and macro indicators pointed to an economy that was doing very well and President Kufuor, the most successful leader of the UP stock, had exceedingly high ratings among his peers not only in Africa but in the entire world.
“How come our track record could not win us victory in 2008? The fault, dear family members, definitely does not lie in our stars, to borrow the words from William Shakespear,” he said.
He said the fault did not lie in witches and wizards and called on the party members to reflect on their own commissions and omissions that led to the defeat.
He told delegates at the NPP congress over the weekend that amended portions of the party’s constitution that “I am a thorough bred NPP. I have supported the ideals and principles of the party all my life. I have no intention of departing from that. Through the party, I reached the highest point in political life anybody could wish for anywhere in the world”.
Mr Kufuor said he was not in contention for any position in the party and expressed his commitment to play his role as an elder statesman within the party.
He entreated party members to respect one another, unite, and prepare adequately to recapture the seat of the presidency in 2012.
“I tell you my dear friends, brothers and sisters that power is there for our taking if only we put our house in order,” he told the delegates.
He appealed to the delegates to put their personal biases aside and unite behind the amendments that were made for the party to reclaim its previous position.
The former president urged members of his party to eschew discontent, rancour and division within their ranks, adding that “we should leave here as one strong, united party” and urged them to demonstrate to the world that the NPP was one family with many parts.
He said the strength of the party lay in their collectivenenss and singleness of purpose. “I tell you, If we are able to show this singleness of purpose and show to the world that we are one strong, united body, a greater part of the job to recapture power in 2012 would have been done”.
“The world is watching, Ghanaians are watching, we dare not fail them, we dare not fail ourselves,” he said.
The Minority Leader, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, said the NPP in 1997 had to beg people to contest on its ticket, but now, “many people rather had to be begged to step down in the contest”.
The party, according to him, grew the economy from 3.7 per cent in 2000 to 7.3 per cent in 2008 and said “when we assumed government, inflation was 40.5 per cent, when we exited in 2008 which was our annus horibus, our worst year inflation was 18.5 per cent, still over 100 per cent better than what we met it”.
He noted that the Gross International Reserves (GIR) in 2000 was $296 million while the net reserves was $194 million and added that in 2008, when the NPP was leaving office, the GIR had increased to $2.1 billion while the net reserved stood at $1.3 billion.
“Interest rate in 2000 was 50 per cent, interest rate in 2008 was 26 per cent. Depreciating of the cedi against the US dollar in 1999 was 120 per cent and 50 per cent in 2000.
“Using 2001 as base year, depreciation of the cedi against the US dollar for the entire eight-year rule of NPP was 58 per cent,” he said.
The NPP, he said, assumed government to meet per capita income at $290 and left government in 2008 with per capita income of $712, the highest since Ghana’s independence.
The comparison, according to Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, could not indicate that the economy was broke as claimed by members of NDC.
“The micro and macro indicators pointed to an economy that was doing very well and President Kufuor, the most successful leader of the UP stock, had exceedingly high ratings among his peers not only in Africa but in the entire world.
“How come our track record could not win us victory in 2008? The fault, dear family members, definitely does not lie in our stars, to borrow the words from William Shakespear,” he said.
He said the fault did not lie in witches and wizards and called on the party members to reflect on their own commissions and omissions that led to the defeat.
NPP expands electoral college
The special national delegates conference of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) ended in Accra last Saturday, with the party taking a giant step to amend its constitution to deepen grass-roots participation in the selection of its national, regional and constituency officers, as well as its presidential candidate.
By the amendment, which received a loudest voice vote, the party has now decided to limit its presidential aspirants to five instead of the previous situation which allowed as many presidential aspirants as possible.
With the amendment, more than 100,000 party members from polling stations throughout the country to the national chairman will now vote to elect the party’s presidential candidate in future national delegate congresses.
Surprisingly, the most controversial of all the proposed amendment — the widening of the electoral college for the selection of the presidential candidate — which had prior to the conference generated a lot of passion, interest and acrimony among various members and leaders of the party, rather received the loudest voice vote.
The conference, which was predicted to be acrimonious and could cause serious cracks within the party, passed off peacefully.
Mr Amin Anta, a former DCE, who took the microphone to express a dissent view on some of the amendments, was greeted with boos and insults and had to be whisked from the podium.
That was because some people who opposed his assertion had started surging forward towards him, with others casting invectives and insults and issuing threats at him.
At the Accra Trade Fair Centre where the conference took place, all the amendments that were agreed or disagreed on were done by voice vote. This rendered redundant the Electoral Commission (EC) officers who came around to conduct the voting .
With the amendment, the NPP has a two-stage procedure for the selection of its presidential aspirant. First, a special electoral college will be constituted to vote and select five persons where there are more than five aspirants at the close of the nominations for the position of presidential candidate.
The special electoral college shall comprise the national council, national executive committee, regional executive officers, national council of elders, MPs, three representatives each of special organs of the party, past national officers, 10 representatives of external branches, all founder members during the registration of the party at the EC and all NPP card-bearing ministers and district chief executives if the party is in government.
The second stage of the selection process of presidential candidate shall include the national council, the executive committee, the regional executive committees, the constituency executive officers, the electoral area co-ordinators, the five polling station executive officers in each constituency, national council of elders, all MPs, three representatives of each special organ of the party, past national officers and three representatives from each external branch to vote on the five aspirants to select the final presidential candidate.
Other members of the body to select the final presidential candidate are all existing founder members during the registration of the party at the EC, 15 patrons, one TESCON representative from each recognised tertiary institution and all NPP card-bearing ministers if the party is in power.
The opening session of the well-attended conference attracted members of the diplomatic corps including country representatives from the US, China, Japan and Cuba.
Solidarity messages were read by representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the People’s National Convention (PNC), the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
Other NPP dignitaries who participated in the conference included former President John Agyekum Kufuor and former Vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Mr Harona Esseku, a former party chairman; Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the 2008 presidential candidate of the NPP; Mr Alan Kyerematen, a leading member of the party; other former national executive members, ex-ministers of state and district chief executive, as well as party activists.
Addressing the opening session of the conference, the National Chairman of the party, Mr Mac Manu, said most of the proposed amendments reflected the wishes, desires and expectations of the members of the party.
He also explained that in 2006, the Constitutional and Legal Committee of the party under the chairmanship of the late Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, recommended the need to re-examine certain provisions of the party’s constitution.
“Therefore, some of the proposals to be considered by this conference predates the party’s presidential and parliamentary nominations for the 2008 general election. This is not denying the fact that effective grass-roots organisation contributed immensely to our successes in the 2000 and 2004 elections,” he said.
Buttressing his support for the amendment, Mr Mac Manu explained that even the NDC after losing the 2000 and 2004 elections, undertook an exercise to re-organise, re-brand and amend certain provisions of its constitution.
He again argued that the Conservative Party of UK on August 4, 2009, elected Sarah Wollaston as its candidate for Totnes through an open primary involving 16,000 interested voters.
Hitherto, he said, the power of selection had been in the hands of a few local party activists.
According to Mr Mac Manu, many reasons were assigned for the NPP’s inability to retain power in 2008, culminating in calling for heads to roll including his (Mac Manu) but added that elections were either won or lost.
"Certainly, mistakes were made by the leadership and membership across all levels of our party but this is not the time for finger pointing,” he stated.
He said it was imperative that the party learnt lessons from both remote and recent experiences to serve as a guide in reshaping and fine tuning its structures and conduct in readiness for the next general election and all other elections.
For his part, former President Kufuor said, “How we conduct our affairs today, therefore, will be the signal to the world for our readiness to recapture the power the party lost to the NDC in 2008."
He expressed worry that some people including himself who had different views from others had been vilified “just for saying our minds. We should not give room for discontent, rancour and for division within our ranks”.
He disputed claims that he had a faction in the party and added that he was a staunch NPP member and would remain like that forever.
By the amendment, which received a loudest voice vote, the party has now decided to limit its presidential aspirants to five instead of the previous situation which allowed as many presidential aspirants as possible.
With the amendment, more than 100,000 party members from polling stations throughout the country to the national chairman will now vote to elect the party’s presidential candidate in future national delegate congresses.
Surprisingly, the most controversial of all the proposed amendment — the widening of the electoral college for the selection of the presidential candidate — which had prior to the conference generated a lot of passion, interest and acrimony among various members and leaders of the party, rather received the loudest voice vote.
The conference, which was predicted to be acrimonious and could cause serious cracks within the party, passed off peacefully.
Mr Amin Anta, a former DCE, who took the microphone to express a dissent view on some of the amendments, was greeted with boos and insults and had to be whisked from the podium.
That was because some people who opposed his assertion had started surging forward towards him, with others casting invectives and insults and issuing threats at him.
At the Accra Trade Fair Centre where the conference took place, all the amendments that were agreed or disagreed on were done by voice vote. This rendered redundant the Electoral Commission (EC) officers who came around to conduct the voting .
With the amendment, the NPP has a two-stage procedure for the selection of its presidential aspirant. First, a special electoral college will be constituted to vote and select five persons where there are more than five aspirants at the close of the nominations for the position of presidential candidate.
The special electoral college shall comprise the national council, national executive committee, regional executive officers, national council of elders, MPs, three representatives each of special organs of the party, past national officers, 10 representatives of external branches, all founder members during the registration of the party at the EC and all NPP card-bearing ministers and district chief executives if the party is in government.
The second stage of the selection process of presidential candidate shall include the national council, the executive committee, the regional executive committees, the constituency executive officers, the electoral area co-ordinators, the five polling station executive officers in each constituency, national council of elders, all MPs, three representatives of each special organ of the party, past national officers and three representatives from each external branch to vote on the five aspirants to select the final presidential candidate.
Other members of the body to select the final presidential candidate are all existing founder members during the registration of the party at the EC, 15 patrons, one TESCON representative from each recognised tertiary institution and all NPP card-bearing ministers if the party is in power.
The opening session of the well-attended conference attracted members of the diplomatic corps including country representatives from the US, China, Japan and Cuba.
Solidarity messages were read by representatives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the People’s National Convention (PNC), the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
Other NPP dignitaries who participated in the conference included former President John Agyekum Kufuor and former Vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Mr Harona Esseku, a former party chairman; Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the 2008 presidential candidate of the NPP; Mr Alan Kyerematen, a leading member of the party; other former national executive members, ex-ministers of state and district chief executive, as well as party activists.
Addressing the opening session of the conference, the National Chairman of the party, Mr Mac Manu, said most of the proposed amendments reflected the wishes, desires and expectations of the members of the party.
He also explained that in 2006, the Constitutional and Legal Committee of the party under the chairmanship of the late Mr Peter Ala Adjetey, recommended the need to re-examine certain provisions of the party’s constitution.
“Therefore, some of the proposals to be considered by this conference predates the party’s presidential and parliamentary nominations for the 2008 general election. This is not denying the fact that effective grass-roots organisation contributed immensely to our successes in the 2000 and 2004 elections,” he said.
Buttressing his support for the amendment, Mr Mac Manu explained that even the NDC after losing the 2000 and 2004 elections, undertook an exercise to re-organise, re-brand and amend certain provisions of its constitution.
He again argued that the Conservative Party of UK on August 4, 2009, elected Sarah Wollaston as its candidate for Totnes through an open primary involving 16,000 interested voters.
Hitherto, he said, the power of selection had been in the hands of a few local party activists.
According to Mr Mac Manu, many reasons were assigned for the NPP’s inability to retain power in 2008, culminating in calling for heads to roll including his (Mac Manu) but added that elections were either won or lost.
"Certainly, mistakes were made by the leadership and membership across all levels of our party but this is not the time for finger pointing,” he stated.
He said it was imperative that the party learnt lessons from both remote and recent experiences to serve as a guide in reshaping and fine tuning its structures and conduct in readiness for the next general election and all other elections.
For his part, former President Kufuor said, “How we conduct our affairs today, therefore, will be the signal to the world for our readiness to recapture the power the party lost to the NDC in 2008."
He expressed worry that some people including himself who had different views from others had been vilified “just for saying our minds. We should not give room for discontent, rancour and for division within our ranks”.
He disputed claims that he had a faction in the party and added that he was a staunch NPP member and would remain like that forever.
NPP constitutional amendment good, but... — Kwesi Jonah
A POLITICAL scientist, Mr Kwesi Jonah, has described the expansion of the electoral college for the selection of presidential candidates as a good democratic move by the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He, however, argued that the special electoral college that would select five aspirants before one would be elected as the party’s flag bearer by the larger electoral college as elitists and undemocratic.
Mr Jonah, who is also a fellow of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) and a Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, was sharing his view on the recent national delegates’ conference by the NPP to amend certain portions of its constitution.
Last Saturday, the NPP at its national delegates conference, took a giant step to amend its constitution to deepen grassroots participation in the selection of its national, regional and constituency officers, as well as its presidential candidate.
By the amendment, which received a loudest voice vote, the party has now decided to limit its presidential aspirants to five instead of the previous situation that allowed as many presidential aspirants as possible and also allowed more than 100,000 party faithful to select one out of the five aspirants.
The special electoral college shall comprise the national council, national executive committee, regional executive officers, national council of elders, MPs, three representatives each of special organs of the party, past national officers, 10 representatives of external branches, all founder members during the registration of the party at the EC and all NPP card-bearing ministers and district chief executives, if the party is in government.
According to Mr Jonah, the expansion of the electoral college would enhance greater participation in the selection of the party leadership, especially the presidential candidate.
He said since there was no empirical evidence that the party lost the 2008 general election because 17 of its leading members contested for the presidential candidate position, it should not have taken the decision to limit the number of presidential candidates to five through the elite group called the special electoral college.
He said there could be instances in the future where the popular choice of the people would be eliminated by the special electoral collage, adding that “If you think the people are good to make a choice, allow them to make such choice, why do you limit their choice to five?”.
Mr Jonah also noted that another area of concern with the special electoral college was the fluctuating nature of its number, because depending on the state of the party, either in or out of power, the numbers could change.
“This is because these groups, all past national officers, MPs, all founder members during the registration of the party at the Electoral Commission (EC), all NPP card-bearing ministers and district chief executives if the party is in government could change at anytime”.
He, however, argued that the special electoral college that would select five aspirants before one would be elected as the party’s flag bearer by the larger electoral college as elitists and undemocratic.
Mr Jonah, who is also a fellow of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) and a Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, was sharing his view on the recent national delegates’ conference by the NPP to amend certain portions of its constitution.
Last Saturday, the NPP at its national delegates conference, took a giant step to amend its constitution to deepen grassroots participation in the selection of its national, regional and constituency officers, as well as its presidential candidate.
By the amendment, which received a loudest voice vote, the party has now decided to limit its presidential aspirants to five instead of the previous situation that allowed as many presidential aspirants as possible and also allowed more than 100,000 party faithful to select one out of the five aspirants.
The special electoral college shall comprise the national council, national executive committee, regional executive officers, national council of elders, MPs, three representatives each of special organs of the party, past national officers, 10 representatives of external branches, all founder members during the registration of the party at the EC and all NPP card-bearing ministers and district chief executives, if the party is in government.
According to Mr Jonah, the expansion of the electoral college would enhance greater participation in the selection of the party leadership, especially the presidential candidate.
He said since there was no empirical evidence that the party lost the 2008 general election because 17 of its leading members contested for the presidential candidate position, it should not have taken the decision to limit the number of presidential candidates to five through the elite group called the special electoral college.
He said there could be instances in the future where the popular choice of the people would be eliminated by the special electoral collage, adding that “If you think the people are good to make a choice, allow them to make such choice, why do you limit their choice to five?”.
Mr Jonah also noted that another area of concern with the special electoral college was the fluctuating nature of its number, because depending on the state of the party, either in or out of power, the numbers could change.
“This is because these groups, all past national officers, MPs, all founder members during the registration of the party at the Electoral Commission (EC), all NPP card-bearing ministers and district chief executives if the party is in government could change at anytime”.
NPP constitutional amendment good, but... — Kwesi Jonah
A POLITICAL scientist, Mr Kwesi Jonah, has described the expansion of the electoral college for the selection of presidential candidates as a good democratic move by the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He, however, argued that the special electoral college that would select five aspirants before one would be elected as the party’s flag bearer by the larger electoral college as elitists and undemocratic.
Mr Jonah, who is also a fellow of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) and a Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, was sharing his view on the recent national delegates’ conference by the NPP to amend certain portions of its constitution.
Last Saturday, the NPP at its national delegates conference, took a giant step to amend its constitution to deepen grassroots participation in the selection of its national, regional and constituency officers, as well as its presidential candidate.
By the amendment, which received a loudest voice vote, the party has now decided to limit its presidential aspirants to five instead of the previous situation that allowed as many presidential aspirants as possible and also allowed more than 100,000 party faithful to select one out of the five aspirants.
The special electoral college shall comprise the national council, national executive committee, regional executive officers, national council of elders, MPs, three representatives each of special organs of the party, past national officers, 10 representatives of external branches, all founder members during the registration of the party at the EC and all NPP card-bearing ministers and district chief executives, if the party is in government.
According to Mr Jonah, the expansion of the electoral college would enhance greater participation in the selection of the party leadership, especially the presidential candidate.
He said since there was no empirical evidence that the party lost the 2008 general election because 17 of its leading members contested for the presidential candidate position, it should not have taken the decision to limit the number of presidential candidates to five through the elite group called the special electoral college.
He said there could be instances in the future where the popular choice of the people would be eliminated by the special electoral collage, adding that “If you think the people are good to make a choice, allow them to make such choice, why do you limit their choice to five?”.
Mr Jonah also noted that another area of concern with the special electoral college was the fluctuating nature of its number, because depending on the state of the party, either in or out of power, the numbers could change.
“This is because these groups, all past national officers, MPs, all founder members during the registration of the party at the Electoral Commission (EC), all NPP card-bearing ministers and district chief executives if the party is in government could change at anytime”.
He, however, argued that the special electoral college that would select five aspirants before one would be elected as the party’s flag bearer by the larger electoral college as elitists and undemocratic.
Mr Jonah, who is also a fellow of the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) and a Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, was sharing his view on the recent national delegates’ conference by the NPP to amend certain portions of its constitution.
Last Saturday, the NPP at its national delegates conference, took a giant step to amend its constitution to deepen grassroots participation in the selection of its national, regional and constituency officers, as well as its presidential candidate.
By the amendment, which received a loudest voice vote, the party has now decided to limit its presidential aspirants to five instead of the previous situation that allowed as many presidential aspirants as possible and also allowed more than 100,000 party faithful to select one out of the five aspirants.
The special electoral college shall comprise the national council, national executive committee, regional executive officers, national council of elders, MPs, three representatives each of special organs of the party, past national officers, 10 representatives of external branches, all founder members during the registration of the party at the EC and all NPP card-bearing ministers and district chief executives, if the party is in government.
According to Mr Jonah, the expansion of the electoral college would enhance greater participation in the selection of the party leadership, especially the presidential candidate.
He said since there was no empirical evidence that the party lost the 2008 general election because 17 of its leading members contested for the presidential candidate position, it should not have taken the decision to limit the number of presidential candidates to five through the elite group called the special electoral college.
He said there could be instances in the future where the popular choice of the people would be eliminated by the special electoral collage, adding that “If you think the people are good to make a choice, allow them to make such choice, why do you limit their choice to five?”.
Mr Jonah also noted that another area of concern with the special electoral college was the fluctuating nature of its number, because depending on the state of the party, either in or out of power, the numbers could change.
“This is because these groups, all past national officers, MPs, all founder members during the registration of the party at the Electoral Commission (EC), all NPP card-bearing ministers and district chief executives if the party is in government could change at anytime”.
NPP calls on Prez Mills to ensure peace at Akwatia
THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on President J.E.A. Mills to ensure that the limited Akwatia parliamentary election comes off without loss of life or limb.
It alleged that the rate at which some National Democratic Congress (NDC) activists were attacking leading members and supporters of the NPP in the full glare of the police was an indictment on the current administration.
The General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene Ntow, who stated this at a news conference in Accra yesterday, also noted that the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and his deputy, Baba Jamal, who are also the National Organiser and Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, respectively, should not be in the leadership positions of the Regional Security Council for the purpose of the Akwatia limited election.
He said the continuous maintenance of their position and involvement in the elections were tantamount to conflict of interest and would not bring peace and trust.
He said the NPP would use all lawful means to challenge a list of about 500 people that the Baba Jamal claimed would be made to vote at some of the six polling stations.
Narrating the incident, Nana Ntow said last Thursday, the NDC held a successful rally at Akwatia but when it got to the turn of the NPP last Sunday, the NDC supporters took over the Akwatia town in a supposed bid to organise a keep-fit exercise.
That, he said, ignited confusion and the NPP supporters were not only assaulted, but were also attacked with machete and other deadly weapons resulting in the injury of at least 12 NPP sympathisers.
The NPP General Secretary claimed that on that same day, the NDC supporters in Akwatia cordoned off the Akwatia Zongo and never allowed the NPP to embark on its much announced house-to-house campaign.
The situation, he said, did not allow the NPP to sell its message to the people to make an informed choice and asked if the Zongos in the country were the preserve of the NDC.
Nana Ntow said the party was happy that last Saturday night, the hotel housing its leading members was searched by the police for weapons, because the NPP was of the firm believe that it would lead to peace and security in the area.
“What is regrettable about the searching exercise was that it was not replicated at those hotels where the NDC members had lodged. So what was the motive behind the search?”, he asked.
Nana Ntow again alleged that at the NDC office at Akwatia which adjoins Baba Jamal family house,some NDC youth mounted road blocks and forced vehicles plying the route to stop for searches and in the process, inflicted severe violence on people and passengers who they suspected to be supporters of the NPP.
Nana Ntow said in the afternoon of last Saturday, when calm had been returned to the town, the NPP decided to hold a mini rally in front of its office at Akwatia.
He said when the rally had ended around 4.15 p.m., a mob of NDC supporters who had gathered at the NDC office, attacked the convoy of leading members of the NPP who were being escorted by the police to their various places of abode.
He said in the process, the vehicles of the following NPP leading members were destroyed: Mr Peter Mac Manu, National Chairman; Nana Ntow; Mr Dan Botwe, MP for Okere; Madam Elizabeth Agyeman, MP for Oforikrom, Mr Kiston Kissi, the former MP for Akwatia, ??Mr Peprah??, Asamankese Constituency Chairman and Mr Yaw Amoabeng, the Eastern Regional Chairman of the party.
He also mentioned names and ages of 12 people who sustained various degrees of injury and were being treated at some hospitals in the area.
It alleged that the rate at which some National Democratic Congress (NDC) activists were attacking leading members and supporters of the NPP in the full glare of the police was an indictment on the current administration.
The General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene Ntow, who stated this at a news conference in Accra yesterday, also noted that the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and his deputy, Baba Jamal, who are also the National Organiser and Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, respectively, should not be in the leadership positions of the Regional Security Council for the purpose of the Akwatia limited election.
He said the continuous maintenance of their position and involvement in the elections were tantamount to conflict of interest and would not bring peace and trust.
He said the NPP would use all lawful means to challenge a list of about 500 people that the Baba Jamal claimed would be made to vote at some of the six polling stations.
Narrating the incident, Nana Ntow said last Thursday, the NDC held a successful rally at Akwatia but when it got to the turn of the NPP last Sunday, the NDC supporters took over the Akwatia town in a supposed bid to organise a keep-fit exercise.
That, he said, ignited confusion and the NPP supporters were not only assaulted, but were also attacked with machete and other deadly weapons resulting in the injury of at least 12 NPP sympathisers.
The NPP General Secretary claimed that on that same day, the NDC supporters in Akwatia cordoned off the Akwatia Zongo and never allowed the NPP to embark on its much announced house-to-house campaign.
The situation, he said, did not allow the NPP to sell its message to the people to make an informed choice and asked if the Zongos in the country were the preserve of the NDC.
Nana Ntow said the party was happy that last Saturday night, the hotel housing its leading members was searched by the police for weapons, because the NPP was of the firm believe that it would lead to peace and security in the area.
“What is regrettable about the searching exercise was that it was not replicated at those hotels where the NDC members had lodged. So what was the motive behind the search?”, he asked.
Nana Ntow again alleged that at the NDC office at Akwatia which adjoins Baba Jamal family house,some NDC youth mounted road blocks and forced vehicles plying the route to stop for searches and in the process, inflicted severe violence on people and passengers who they suspected to be supporters of the NPP.
Nana Ntow said in the afternoon of last Saturday, when calm had been returned to the town, the NPP decided to hold a mini rally in front of its office at Akwatia.
He said when the rally had ended around 4.15 p.m., a mob of NDC supporters who had gathered at the NDC office, attacked the convoy of leading members of the NPP who were being escorted by the police to their various places of abode.
He said in the process, the vehicles of the following NPP leading members were destroyed: Mr Peter Mac Manu, National Chairman; Nana Ntow; Mr Dan Botwe, MP for Okere; Madam Elizabeth Agyeman, MP for Oforikrom, Mr Kiston Kissi, the former MP for Akwatia, ??Mr Peprah??, Asamankese Constituency Chairman and Mr Yaw Amoabeng, the Eastern Regional Chairman of the party.
He also mentioned names and ages of 12 people who sustained various degrees of injury and were being treated at some hospitals in the area.
NPP calls on Prez Mills to ensure peace at Akwatia
THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on President J.E.A. Mills to ensure that the limited Akwatia parliamentary election comes off without loss of life or limb.
It alleged that the rate at which some National Democratic Congress (NDC) activists were attacking leading members and supporters of the NPP in the full glare of the police was an indictment on the current administration.
The General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene Ntow, who stated this at a news conference in Accra yesterday, also noted that the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and his deputy, Baba Jamal, who are also the National Organiser and Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, respectively, should not be in the leadership positions of the Regional Security Council for the purpose of the Akwatia limited election.
He said the continuous maintenance of their position and involvement in the elections were tantamount to conflict of interest and would not bring peace and trust.
He said the NPP would use all lawful means to challenge a list of about 500 people that the Baba Jamal claimed would be made to vote at some of the six polling stations.
Narrating the incident, Nana Ntow said last Thursday, the NDC held a successful rally at Akwatia but when it got to the turn of the NPP last Sunday, the NDC supporters took over the Akwatia town in a supposed bid to organise a keep-fit exercise.
That, he said, ignited confusion and the NPP supporters were not only assaulted, but were also attacked with machete and other deadly weapons resulting in the injury of at least 12 NPP sympathisers.
The NPP General Secretary claimed that on that same day, the NDC supporters in Akwatia cordoned off the Akwatia Zongo and never allowed the NPP to embark on its much announced house-to-house campaign.
The situation, he said, did not allow the NPP to sell its message to the people to make an informed choice and asked if the Zongos in the country were the preserve of the NDC.
Nana Ntow said the party was happy that last Saturday night, the hotel housing its leading members was searched by the police for weapons, because the NPP was of the firm believe that it would lead to peace and security in the area.
“What is regrettable about the searching exercise was that it was not replicated at those hotels where the NDC members had lodged. So what was the motive behind the search?”, he asked.
Nana Ntow again alleged that at the NDC office at Akwatia which adjoins Baba Jamal family house,some NDC youth mounted road blocks and forced vehicles plying the route to stop for searches and in the process, inflicted severe violence on people and passengers who they suspected to be supporters of the NPP.
Nana Ntow said in the afternoon of last Saturday, when calm had been returned to the town, the NPP decided to hold a mini rally in front of its office at Akwatia.
He said when the rally had ended around 4.15 p.m., a mob of NDC supporters who had gathered at the NDC office, attacked the convoy of leading members of the NPP who were being escorted by the police to their various places of abode.
He said in the process, the vehicles of the following NPP leading members were destroyed: Mr Peter Mac Manu, National Chairman; Nana Ntow; Mr Dan Botwe, MP for Okere; Madam Elizabeth Agyeman, MP for Oforikrom, Mr Kiston Kissi, the former MP for Akwatia, ??Mr Peprah??, Asamankese Constituency Chairman and Mr Yaw Amoabeng, the Eastern Regional Chairman of the party.
He also mentioned names and ages of 12 people who sustained various degrees of injury and were being treated at some hospitals in the area.
It alleged that the rate at which some National Democratic Congress (NDC) activists were attacking leading members and supporters of the NPP in the full glare of the police was an indictment on the current administration.
The General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene Ntow, who stated this at a news conference in Accra yesterday, also noted that the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and his deputy, Baba Jamal, who are also the National Organiser and Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, respectively, should not be in the leadership positions of the Regional Security Council for the purpose of the Akwatia limited election.
He said the continuous maintenance of their position and involvement in the elections were tantamount to conflict of interest and would not bring peace and trust.
He said the NPP would use all lawful means to challenge a list of about 500 people that the Baba Jamal claimed would be made to vote at some of the six polling stations.
Narrating the incident, Nana Ntow said last Thursday, the NDC held a successful rally at Akwatia but when it got to the turn of the NPP last Sunday, the NDC supporters took over the Akwatia town in a supposed bid to organise a keep-fit exercise.
That, he said, ignited confusion and the NPP supporters were not only assaulted, but were also attacked with machete and other deadly weapons resulting in the injury of at least 12 NPP sympathisers.
The NPP General Secretary claimed that on that same day, the NDC supporters in Akwatia cordoned off the Akwatia Zongo and never allowed the NPP to embark on its much announced house-to-house campaign.
The situation, he said, did not allow the NPP to sell its message to the people to make an informed choice and asked if the Zongos in the country were the preserve of the NDC.
Nana Ntow said the party was happy that last Saturday night, the hotel housing its leading members was searched by the police for weapons, because the NPP was of the firm believe that it would lead to peace and security in the area.
“What is regrettable about the searching exercise was that it was not replicated at those hotels where the NDC members had lodged. So what was the motive behind the search?”, he asked.
Nana Ntow again alleged that at the NDC office at Akwatia which adjoins Baba Jamal family house,some NDC youth mounted road blocks and forced vehicles plying the route to stop for searches and in the process, inflicted severe violence on people and passengers who they suspected to be supporters of the NPP.
Nana Ntow said in the afternoon of last Saturday, when calm had been returned to the town, the NPP decided to hold a mini rally in front of its office at Akwatia.
He said when the rally had ended around 4.15 p.m., a mob of NDC supporters who had gathered at the NDC office, attacked the convoy of leading members of the NPP who were being escorted by the police to their various places of abode.
He said in the process, the vehicles of the following NPP leading members were destroyed: Mr Peter Mac Manu, National Chairman; Nana Ntow; Mr Dan Botwe, MP for Okere; Madam Elizabeth Agyeman, MP for Oforikrom, Mr Kiston Kissi, the former MP for Akwatia, ??Mr Peprah??, Asamankese Constituency Chairman and Mr Yaw Amoabeng, the Eastern Regional Chairman of the party.
He also mentioned names and ages of 12 people who sustained various degrees of injury and were being treated at some hospitals in the area.
’NPP calls for independent autopsy on Maikanka
THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called for an independent body to undertake post-mortem on the body of Mr Ahmed Maikanka, an activist of the party who died after he had been allegedly brutalised by the police.
The party alleged that the police were the culprits in the case and could, therefore, not be those to perform the post-mortem on the deceased.
The General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene Ntow, who made the call at a news conference in Accra yesterday, said he personally witnessed the police brutalising Maikanka.
He said what he witnessed and the account of other party faithful of the “brutal” assault and the stamping of the victim with the boots of police officers last night would critically challenge any police medical report that might suggest that Mr Maikanka could have died of natural cause.
He stated that the NPP was of the firm belief that it would be in the interest of even the police establishment that the examination of the cause of Mr Maikanka’s death was done in such a transparent manner to save the police from any public suspicion or even direct accusation of wrongdoing.
Mr Maikanka was one of the many NPP supporters who gathered at the precincts of the Greater Accra Regional office of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) last Thursday evening when Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, a former Minister of Information in the Kufuor regime, was arrested by the BNI.
They were alleged to have burnt vehicle tyres and blocked the main road, a situation which culminated in the police firing tear gas and live bullets to disperse the crowd.
Mr Maikanka was alleged to have been brutalised by the police which resulted in his death later.
The NPP General Secretary wondered why the police would rush to claim the body from the family when the deceased did not pass away in police custody and asked if the police were “now going round collecting dead bodies for post-mortem examination at the police hospital”.
“We think that given the allegation levelled against the police in the role they are said to have played in the death of Maikanka, any medical report coming from the same authority, who are being accused, is most likely to be met with suspicion. The credibility of such a report could therefore be seriously undermined,” he added.
Nana Ntow said the party strongly objected to the post-mortem examination on Maikanka’s body being done by the police.
He said even if the police had already conducted the examination, the party insisted that the body be exhumed and a second and independent opinion, preferably from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, sought.
Nana Ntow explained that the performance of the examination by the independent body for the purpose of validating or contradicting the police autopsy report must be conducted in the presence of medical witnesses of all interested parties, being the police, the family of the late Maikanka and the NPP.
He also called on the government to arraign Mr Asamoah Boateng at a court of competent jurisdiction without delay, if the BNI had any case against him.
Nana Ntow added that if the BNI had secured an arrest warrant and the person had been arrested, then there was no justification for him to be in custody for the maximum 48 hours.
“The NPP is not saying that if any member of the party has gone against the law, he or she ought to be shielded. What we are vehemently opposed to is the abuse of power, disregard for proper procedure, a disregard of the rights of citizens and a lack of respect for the rule of law, as such acts would be fiercely resisted by the party,” Nana Ntow stressed.
*Portrait of Nana Ohene Ntow, NPP General Secretary.
The party alleged that the police were the culprits in the case and could, therefore, not be those to perform the post-mortem on the deceased.
The General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene Ntow, who made the call at a news conference in Accra yesterday, said he personally witnessed the police brutalising Maikanka.
He said what he witnessed and the account of other party faithful of the “brutal” assault and the stamping of the victim with the boots of police officers last night would critically challenge any police medical report that might suggest that Mr Maikanka could have died of natural cause.
He stated that the NPP was of the firm belief that it would be in the interest of even the police establishment that the examination of the cause of Mr Maikanka’s death was done in such a transparent manner to save the police from any public suspicion or even direct accusation of wrongdoing.
Mr Maikanka was one of the many NPP supporters who gathered at the precincts of the Greater Accra Regional office of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) last Thursday evening when Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, a former Minister of Information in the Kufuor regime, was arrested by the BNI.
They were alleged to have burnt vehicle tyres and blocked the main road, a situation which culminated in the police firing tear gas and live bullets to disperse the crowd.
Mr Maikanka was alleged to have been brutalised by the police which resulted in his death later.
The NPP General Secretary wondered why the police would rush to claim the body from the family when the deceased did not pass away in police custody and asked if the police were “now going round collecting dead bodies for post-mortem examination at the police hospital”.
“We think that given the allegation levelled against the police in the role they are said to have played in the death of Maikanka, any medical report coming from the same authority, who are being accused, is most likely to be met with suspicion. The credibility of such a report could therefore be seriously undermined,” he added.
Nana Ntow said the party strongly objected to the post-mortem examination on Maikanka’s body being done by the police.
He said even if the police had already conducted the examination, the party insisted that the body be exhumed and a second and independent opinion, preferably from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, sought.
Nana Ntow explained that the performance of the examination by the independent body for the purpose of validating or contradicting the police autopsy report must be conducted in the presence of medical witnesses of all interested parties, being the police, the family of the late Maikanka and the NPP.
He also called on the government to arraign Mr Asamoah Boateng at a court of competent jurisdiction without delay, if the BNI had any case against him.
Nana Ntow added that if the BNI had secured an arrest warrant and the person had been arrested, then there was no justification for him to be in custody for the maximum 48 hours.
“The NPP is not saying that if any member of the party has gone against the law, he or she ought to be shielded. What we are vehemently opposed to is the abuse of power, disregard for proper procedure, a disregard of the rights of citizens and a lack of respect for the rule of law, as such acts would be fiercely resisted by the party,” Nana Ntow stressed.
*Portrait of Nana Ohene Ntow, NPP General Secretary.
’NPP calls for independent autopsy on Maikanka
THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called for an independent body to undertake post-mortem on the body of Mr Ahmed Maikanka, an activist of the party who died after he had been allegedly brutalised by the police.
The party alleged that the police were the culprits in the case and could, therefore, not be those to perform the post-mortem on the deceased.
The General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene Ntow, who made the call at a news conference in Accra yesterday, said he personally witnessed the police brutalising Maikanka.
He said what he witnessed and the account of other party faithful of the “brutal” assault and the stamping of the victim with the boots of police officers last night would critically challenge any police medical report that might suggest that Mr Maikanka could have died of natural cause.
He stated that the NPP was of the firm belief that it would be in the interest of even the police establishment that the examination of the cause of Mr Maikanka’s death was done in such a transparent manner to save the police from any public suspicion or even direct accusation of wrongdoing.
Mr Maikanka was one of the many NPP supporters who gathered at the precincts of the Greater Accra Regional office of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) last Thursday evening when Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, a former Minister of Information in the Kufuor regime, was arrested by the BNI.
They were alleged to have burnt vehicle tyres and blocked the main road, a situation which culminated in the police firing tear gas and live bullets to disperse the crowd.
Mr Maikanka was alleged to have been brutalised by the police which resulted in his death later.
The NPP General Secretary wondered why the police would rush to claim the body from the family when the deceased did not pass away in police custody and asked if the police were “now going round collecting dead bodies for post-mortem examination at the police hospital”.
“We think that given the allegation levelled against the police in the role they are said to have played in the death of Maikanka, any medical report coming from the same authority, who are being accused, is most likely to be met with suspicion. The credibility of such a report could therefore be seriously undermined,” he added.
Nana Ntow said the party strongly objected to the post-mortem examination on Maikanka’s body being done by the police.
He said even if the police had already conducted the examination, the party insisted that the body be exhumed and a second and independent opinion, preferably from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, sought.
Nana Ntow explained that the performance of the examination by the independent body for the purpose of validating or contradicting the police autopsy report must be conducted in the presence of medical witnesses of all interested parties, being the police, the family of the late Maikanka and the NPP.
He also called on the government to arraign Mr Asamoah Boateng at a court of competent jurisdiction without delay, if the BNI had any case against him.
Nana Ntow added that if the BNI had secured an arrest warrant and the person had been arrested, then there was no justification for him to be in custody for the maximum 48 hours.
“The NPP is not saying that if any member of the party has gone against the law, he or she ought to be shielded. What we are vehemently opposed to is the abuse of power, disregard for proper procedure, a disregard of the rights of citizens and a lack of respect for the rule of law, as such acts would be fiercely resisted by the party,” Nana Ntow stressed.
*Portrait of Nana Ohene Ntow, NPP General Secretary.
The party alleged that the police were the culprits in the case and could, therefore, not be those to perform the post-mortem on the deceased.
The General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene Ntow, who made the call at a news conference in Accra yesterday, said he personally witnessed the police brutalising Maikanka.
He said what he witnessed and the account of other party faithful of the “brutal” assault and the stamping of the victim with the boots of police officers last night would critically challenge any police medical report that might suggest that Mr Maikanka could have died of natural cause.
He stated that the NPP was of the firm belief that it would be in the interest of even the police establishment that the examination of the cause of Mr Maikanka’s death was done in such a transparent manner to save the police from any public suspicion or even direct accusation of wrongdoing.
Mr Maikanka was one of the many NPP supporters who gathered at the precincts of the Greater Accra Regional office of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) last Thursday evening when Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, a former Minister of Information in the Kufuor regime, was arrested by the BNI.
They were alleged to have burnt vehicle tyres and blocked the main road, a situation which culminated in the police firing tear gas and live bullets to disperse the crowd.
Mr Maikanka was alleged to have been brutalised by the police which resulted in his death later.
The NPP General Secretary wondered why the police would rush to claim the body from the family when the deceased did not pass away in police custody and asked if the police were “now going round collecting dead bodies for post-mortem examination at the police hospital”.
“We think that given the allegation levelled against the police in the role they are said to have played in the death of Maikanka, any medical report coming from the same authority, who are being accused, is most likely to be met with suspicion. The credibility of such a report could therefore be seriously undermined,” he added.
Nana Ntow said the party strongly objected to the post-mortem examination on Maikanka’s body being done by the police.
He said even if the police had already conducted the examination, the party insisted that the body be exhumed and a second and independent opinion, preferably from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, sought.
Nana Ntow explained that the performance of the examination by the independent body for the purpose of validating or contradicting the police autopsy report must be conducted in the presence of medical witnesses of all interested parties, being the police, the family of the late Maikanka and the NPP.
He also called on the government to arraign Mr Asamoah Boateng at a court of competent jurisdiction without delay, if the BNI had any case against him.
Nana Ntow added that if the BNI had secured an arrest warrant and the person had been arrested, then there was no justification for him to be in custody for the maximum 48 hours.
“The NPP is not saying that if any member of the party has gone against the law, he or she ought to be shielded. What we are vehemently opposed to is the abuse of power, disregard for proper procedure, a disregard of the rights of citizens and a lack of respect for the rule of law, as such acts would be fiercely resisted by the party,” Nana Ntow stressed.
*Portrait of Nana Ohene Ntow, NPP General Secretary.
Afigya-Kwabre to generate resources for devt
THE Afigya-Kwabre District Assembly is evolving strategies to generate ideas and resources to complement funds from central government to accelerate the development of the area.
As a first move, the district is inviting suggestions from all its citizens living in and outside the area on how to organise a successful home-coming summit to brainstorm on the way forward for the district.
The home-coming summit is expected to take place in the district in December, this year.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Oppong Kyekyeku Kaakyire, who briefed the Daily Graphic in Accra about steps to develop the area, said the summit had become necessary because the district was carved out of two districts, namely Kwabre and Afigya Sekyere.
The DCE gave the briefing after he had paid a courtesy call on the General Manager of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, who is a citizen of the district.
Mr Kaakyire noted with concern that unfortunately only the deprived areas of the two districts were carved out to form the Afigya-Kwabre District.
The situation, he said had made things difficult for the new district assembly in raising funds to finance development projects.
Mr Kaakyire said currently, the district assembly was housed in a filling station while other departments were far away from the district headquarters, which were also in rented premises.
“This means that the chunk of the initial resources that the central government would give to the district must go into construction of offices for the assembly”, he noted with concern.
According to Mr Kaakyire, unlike other districts, one part of the Afigya-Kwabre District Assembly was purely rural while the other was which is close to Kumasi, was a bit urban, and for that reason, the assembly was not able to generate funds to supplement the District Assemblies’ Common Fund.
He said the rural part of the district was inundated with problems, including limited education and health infrastructure, public places of convenience and market facilities, while the other side of the district which was a bit developed and could generate funds had turned out to be a different story.
According to Mr Kaakyire, because of its proximity to Kumasi, most of the people who should have traded in the area to generate funds and other benefits to the district travelled to undertake their transactions in Kumasi.
He said the district was very receptive to investors, and that both citizens and non-citizens were welcome to the area to have great returns on their investments to create employment opportunities for the people, revenue for the assembly the development of the district.
The DCE said the area was endowed with natural resources, especially large areas of rocks for stone quarry and land for agriculture and other industrial purposes.
He added that because the area was close to Kumasi which was becoming congested, investors could locate to the area and produce for the Kumasi market.
Speaking on his vision for the district, the DCE said as the political head of the area, he would see to the implementation of the programmes and projects drawn by the district assembly, but said his priority would be on education, health and sanitation.
He said education was the first priority because through that the district had been able to produce very high calibre citizens who occupied high public and private positions both in the country and outside.
Mr Kaakyire said another issue of concern was that in recent times, educational standards in the district was falling drastically and he would make it a priority to reverse the trend.
According to Mr Kaakyire, the assembly was also planning to invite some of the citizens of the area who occupied high positions in both public and private places to serve as role models to the children and youth in the area.
He appealed to the citizens of the area to put the 2008 general election behind them and forge ahead in unity to find solutions to the problems facing the young district assembly.
Portrait of Mr Oppong Kyekyeku Kaakyire, the DCE for Afigya-Sekyere.
As a first move, the district is inviting suggestions from all its citizens living in and outside the area on how to organise a successful home-coming summit to brainstorm on the way forward for the district.
The home-coming summit is expected to take place in the district in December, this year.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Oppong Kyekyeku Kaakyire, who briefed the Daily Graphic in Accra about steps to develop the area, said the summit had become necessary because the district was carved out of two districts, namely Kwabre and Afigya Sekyere.
The DCE gave the briefing after he had paid a courtesy call on the General Manager of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, who is a citizen of the district.
Mr Kaakyire noted with concern that unfortunately only the deprived areas of the two districts were carved out to form the Afigya-Kwabre District.
The situation, he said had made things difficult for the new district assembly in raising funds to finance development projects.
Mr Kaakyire said currently, the district assembly was housed in a filling station while other departments were far away from the district headquarters, which were also in rented premises.
“This means that the chunk of the initial resources that the central government would give to the district must go into construction of offices for the assembly”, he noted with concern.
According to Mr Kaakyire, unlike other districts, one part of the Afigya-Kwabre District Assembly was purely rural while the other was which is close to Kumasi, was a bit urban, and for that reason, the assembly was not able to generate funds to supplement the District Assemblies’ Common Fund.
He said the rural part of the district was inundated with problems, including limited education and health infrastructure, public places of convenience and market facilities, while the other side of the district which was a bit developed and could generate funds had turned out to be a different story.
According to Mr Kaakyire, because of its proximity to Kumasi, most of the people who should have traded in the area to generate funds and other benefits to the district travelled to undertake their transactions in Kumasi.
He said the district was very receptive to investors, and that both citizens and non-citizens were welcome to the area to have great returns on their investments to create employment opportunities for the people, revenue for the assembly the development of the district.
The DCE said the area was endowed with natural resources, especially large areas of rocks for stone quarry and land for agriculture and other industrial purposes.
He added that because the area was close to Kumasi which was becoming congested, investors could locate to the area and produce for the Kumasi market.
Speaking on his vision for the district, the DCE said as the political head of the area, he would see to the implementation of the programmes and projects drawn by the district assembly, but said his priority would be on education, health and sanitation.
He said education was the first priority because through that the district had been able to produce very high calibre citizens who occupied high public and private positions both in the country and outside.
Mr Kaakyire said another issue of concern was that in recent times, educational standards in the district was falling drastically and he would make it a priority to reverse the trend.
According to Mr Kaakyire, the assembly was also planning to invite some of the citizens of the area who occupied high positions in both public and private places to serve as role models to the children and youth in the area.
He appealed to the citizens of the area to put the 2008 general election behind them and forge ahead in unity to find solutions to the problems facing the young district assembly.
Portrait of Mr Oppong Kyekyeku Kaakyire, the DCE for Afigya-Sekyere.
Afigya-Kwabre to generate resources for devt
THE Afigya-Kwabre District Assembly is evolving strategies to generate ideas and resources to complement funds from central government to accelerate the development of the area.
As a first move, the district is inviting suggestions from all its citizens living in and outside the area on how to organise a successful home-coming summit to brainstorm on the way forward for the district.
The home-coming summit is expected to take place in the district in December, this year.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Oppong Kyekyeku Kaakyire, who briefed the Daily Graphic in Accra about steps to develop the area, said the summit had become necessary because the district was carved out of two districts, namely Kwabre and Afigya Sekyere.
The DCE gave the briefing after he had paid a courtesy call on the General Manager of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, who is a citizen of the district.
Mr Kaakyire noted with concern that unfortunately only the deprived areas of the two districts were carved out to form the Afigya-Kwabre District.
The situation, he said had made things difficult for the new district assembly in raising funds to finance development projects.
Mr Kaakyire said currently, the district assembly was housed in a filling station while other departments were far away from the district headquarters, which were also in rented premises.
“This means that the chunk of the initial resources that the central government would give to the district must go into construction of offices for the assembly”, he noted with concern.
According to Mr Kaakyire, unlike other districts, one part of the Afigya-Kwabre District Assembly was purely rural while the other was which is close to Kumasi, was a bit urban, and for that reason, the assembly was not able to generate funds to supplement the District Assemblies’ Common Fund.
He said the rural part of the district was inundated with problems, including limited education and health infrastructure, public places of convenience and market facilities, while the other side of the district which was a bit developed and could generate funds had turned out to be a different story.
According to Mr Kaakyire, because of its proximity to Kumasi, most of the people who should have traded in the area to generate funds and other benefits to the district travelled to undertake their transactions in Kumasi.
He said the district was very receptive to investors, and that both citizens and non-citizens were welcome to the area to have great returns on their investments to create employment opportunities for the people, revenue for the assembly the development of the district.
The DCE said the area was endowed with natural resources, especially large areas of rocks for stone quarry and land for agriculture and other industrial purposes.
He added that because the area was close to Kumasi which was becoming congested, investors could locate to the area and produce for the Kumasi market.
Speaking on his vision for the district, the DCE said as the political head of the area, he would see to the implementation of the programmes and projects drawn by the district assembly, but said his priority would be on education, health and sanitation.
He said education was the first priority because through that the district had been able to produce very high calibre citizens who occupied high public and private positions both in the country and outside.
Mr Kaakyire said another issue of concern was that in recent times, educational standards in the district was falling drastically and he would make it a priority to reverse the trend.
According to Mr Kaakyire, the assembly was also planning to invite some of the citizens of the area who occupied high positions in both public and private places to serve as role models to the children and youth in the area.
He appealed to the citizens of the area to put the 2008 general election behind them and forge ahead in unity to find solutions to the problems facing the young district assembly.
Portrait of Mr Oppong Kyekyeku Kaakyire, the DCE for Afigya-Sekyere.
As a first move, the district is inviting suggestions from all its citizens living in and outside the area on how to organise a successful home-coming summit to brainstorm on the way forward for the district.
The home-coming summit is expected to take place in the district in December, this year.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Oppong Kyekyeku Kaakyire, who briefed the Daily Graphic in Accra about steps to develop the area, said the summit had become necessary because the district was carved out of two districts, namely Kwabre and Afigya Sekyere.
The DCE gave the briefing after he had paid a courtesy call on the General Manager of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, who is a citizen of the district.
Mr Kaakyire noted with concern that unfortunately only the deprived areas of the two districts were carved out to form the Afigya-Kwabre District.
The situation, he said had made things difficult for the new district assembly in raising funds to finance development projects.
Mr Kaakyire said currently, the district assembly was housed in a filling station while other departments were far away from the district headquarters, which were also in rented premises.
“This means that the chunk of the initial resources that the central government would give to the district must go into construction of offices for the assembly”, he noted with concern.
According to Mr Kaakyire, unlike other districts, one part of the Afigya-Kwabre District Assembly was purely rural while the other was which is close to Kumasi, was a bit urban, and for that reason, the assembly was not able to generate funds to supplement the District Assemblies’ Common Fund.
He said the rural part of the district was inundated with problems, including limited education and health infrastructure, public places of convenience and market facilities, while the other side of the district which was a bit developed and could generate funds had turned out to be a different story.
According to Mr Kaakyire, because of its proximity to Kumasi, most of the people who should have traded in the area to generate funds and other benefits to the district travelled to undertake their transactions in Kumasi.
He said the district was very receptive to investors, and that both citizens and non-citizens were welcome to the area to have great returns on their investments to create employment opportunities for the people, revenue for the assembly the development of the district.
The DCE said the area was endowed with natural resources, especially large areas of rocks for stone quarry and land for agriculture and other industrial purposes.
He added that because the area was close to Kumasi which was becoming congested, investors could locate to the area and produce for the Kumasi market.
Speaking on his vision for the district, the DCE said as the political head of the area, he would see to the implementation of the programmes and projects drawn by the district assembly, but said his priority would be on education, health and sanitation.
He said education was the first priority because through that the district had been able to produce very high calibre citizens who occupied high public and private positions both in the country and outside.
Mr Kaakyire said another issue of concern was that in recent times, educational standards in the district was falling drastically and he would make it a priority to reverse the trend.
According to Mr Kaakyire, the assembly was also planning to invite some of the citizens of the area who occupied high positions in both public and private places to serve as role models to the children and youth in the area.
He appealed to the citizens of the area to put the 2008 general election behind them and forge ahead in unity to find solutions to the problems facing the young district assembly.
Portrait of Mr Oppong Kyekyeku Kaakyire, the DCE for Afigya-Sekyere.
Accept proposed NPP’s constitutional amendment
THE Association of New Patriotic Party (NPP) Polling Station Executives in the Greater Accra Region has called on the participants in forthcoming national conference to endorse the proposed amendment to the party’s constitution to expand the electoral college.
According to the association, the enlargement was the only way by which the party’s foot soldiers could be part of the decision making process, as well as ensure that any person elected for any position at all levels in the party structure would have been selected by majority of the foot soldiers.
This was contained in a petition signed by Mr Emmanuel Ayisi Ahwireng, a member of the group, and presented to the General Secretary of the party, Nana Ohene Ntow, at the party’s headquarters in Accra yesterday.
Clad in NPP T-shirts and other party articles of clothing, the group, made up of polling station executives and some supporters of the party, marched through some streets of Asylum Down in Accra before converging on the party headquarters to present the petition.
Backed by brass band music, the group also carried placards some of which read: “NPP’s future lies in expansion of electoral college”, “Enemies of expansion are enemies of NPP”, “All must embrace expansion of electoral college”, “Delegates, please vote for expansion”, “Victory in 2012 is in expansion”, “Delegates, listen to foot soldiers”, “Allow us the foot soldiers to be part of the decision making process” and “Expansion will ensure people’s choice”.
According to the petition, the expansion would ensure that any flag bearer elected would become popular throughout the country, adding, “Therefore, the process of marketing him to the party faithful and the entire nation would become less cumbersome.
“It will drastically reduce the use of money to influence delegates, especially during election of presidential and parliamentary candidates and also foot soldiers, and supporters will contribute generously towards the uplift of the party since they will see themselves as owners of the party,” it said.
The petition added that acceptance of the proposed amendment would make party executives at all levels popular, respected and assertive since they would represent the true choice of the people and also make the party popular on the ground because all elections in the party would be held at the various constituencies.
It said that the move would bring sanity and co-operation among constituency executives since all of them would be entitled to cast their votes, unlike the previous arrangement where some were selected, creating bitterness among some party members.
”The party’s foot soldiers will have a sense of belonging and work assiduously to return the party to power. It will also relieve constituency chairpersons and the executives from the burden of selecting only 10 delegates for the regional, national and flag bearer elections,” the petition said.
Receiving the petition, Nana Ohene Ntow urged the party’s foot soldiers to be cautious and law-abiding in all their utterances and behaviour concerning the amendment because any divisive move would offer the opponents of the NPP weapons to fight the party.
He reminded the party members that the forthcoming national delegates conference was purely a family matter, which should be treated as such.
The NPP General Secretary explained that as per the NPP constitution, all the proposed amendments received from the members must be circulated to all party members, which has been done.
What was left, he said, was the delegates conference, which would be held on Saturday at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra.
According to Nana Ohene Ntow, all the processes had been followed and so the petition presented by the Polling Station Executives in the Greater Accra Region could not form part of it, but assured the petitioners that it would be presented to the Steering Committee of the party for consideration.
According to the association, the enlargement was the only way by which the party’s foot soldiers could be part of the decision making process, as well as ensure that any person elected for any position at all levels in the party structure would have been selected by majority of the foot soldiers.
This was contained in a petition signed by Mr Emmanuel Ayisi Ahwireng, a member of the group, and presented to the General Secretary of the party, Nana Ohene Ntow, at the party’s headquarters in Accra yesterday.
Clad in NPP T-shirts and other party articles of clothing, the group, made up of polling station executives and some supporters of the party, marched through some streets of Asylum Down in Accra before converging on the party headquarters to present the petition.
Backed by brass band music, the group also carried placards some of which read: “NPP’s future lies in expansion of electoral college”, “Enemies of expansion are enemies of NPP”, “All must embrace expansion of electoral college”, “Delegates, please vote for expansion”, “Victory in 2012 is in expansion”, “Delegates, listen to foot soldiers”, “Allow us the foot soldiers to be part of the decision making process” and “Expansion will ensure people’s choice”.
According to the petition, the expansion would ensure that any flag bearer elected would become popular throughout the country, adding, “Therefore, the process of marketing him to the party faithful and the entire nation would become less cumbersome.
“It will drastically reduce the use of money to influence delegates, especially during election of presidential and parliamentary candidates and also foot soldiers, and supporters will contribute generously towards the uplift of the party since they will see themselves as owners of the party,” it said.
The petition added that acceptance of the proposed amendment would make party executives at all levels popular, respected and assertive since they would represent the true choice of the people and also make the party popular on the ground because all elections in the party would be held at the various constituencies.
It said that the move would bring sanity and co-operation among constituency executives since all of them would be entitled to cast their votes, unlike the previous arrangement where some were selected, creating bitterness among some party members.
”The party’s foot soldiers will have a sense of belonging and work assiduously to return the party to power. It will also relieve constituency chairpersons and the executives from the burden of selecting only 10 delegates for the regional, national and flag bearer elections,” the petition said.
Receiving the petition, Nana Ohene Ntow urged the party’s foot soldiers to be cautious and law-abiding in all their utterances and behaviour concerning the amendment because any divisive move would offer the opponents of the NPP weapons to fight the party.
He reminded the party members that the forthcoming national delegates conference was purely a family matter, which should be treated as such.
The NPP General Secretary explained that as per the NPP constitution, all the proposed amendments received from the members must be circulated to all party members, which has been done.
What was left, he said, was the delegates conference, which would be held on Saturday at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra.
According to Nana Ohene Ntow, all the processes had been followed and so the petition presented by the Polling Station Executives in the Greater Accra Region could not form part of it, but assured the petitioners that it would be presented to the Steering Committee of the party for consideration.
NPP holds congress today
ALL is set for today’s National Delegates’ Conference of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which will consider some proposed amendments to the party’s constitution.
The event takes place at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra, and it is expected to attract more than 2,000 people, including delegates, other party faithful, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of other political parties and some organisations.
It is expected that 1,450 accredited delegates will participate in the deliberations and vote on all the proposed amendments.
They include five delegates from each of the 230 constituencies, all Members of Parliament (MPs), all regional and national executive members and representatives of the overseas branches of the party.
Mr Peter Mac Manu, the National Chairman of the party, is expected to convene the conference as dictated by the party’s constitution. He will also chair the amendment discussions.
After the opening ceremony, the other deliberations will be held behind closed doors.
The national executive of the NPP, after the party’s defeat by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2008 general election, sent a committee out to ascertain from the rank and file of the membership what in their view resulted in the defeat of the party.
Not long after that, the party set in motion the process for amendment and invited proposals from its individual members and branches.
The Legal and Constitutional Committee compiled a document and presented copies to all branches for their perusal.
As stipulated by the NPP constitution, a conference must be held at least a month after the proposals had been sent out.
According to the proposed amendment, although the constitution had served the party well in most respects, it was agreed among the rank and file that various provisions of the document needed to be modified.
The aim is to offer the basis for ensuring a more unified party with a very good image.
It would also make the party more disciplined and equip it with effective mechanisms for resolving grievances and choosing its leaders and candidates at all levels, from polling stations to the national level, including parliamentary and presidential candidates.
Although the party’s highest decision making body will be considering several amendments grouped under 17 broad headlines, two of the amendments that have attracted much furore and attention from both party members and political commentators, as well as the media, are the expansion of the electoral college and the suggestion for a ceiling on the number of persons who can contest the party’s presidential primaries.
On the election of the presidential candidates, the document says the party requires a better system to select and elect the presidential candidates, and proposes a two-stage procedure; a special electoral college that will vote and select three persons where there are more than three aspirants at the close of the nominations for the position of presidential candidate.
According to the document, the special electoral college shall comprise the national council, national executive committee, regional executive officers, national council of elders, MPs, three representatives each of special organs of the party, past national officers, 10 representatives of external branches, all founding members during the registration of the party at the EC and all NPP card-bearing ministers when the party was in government.
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The event takes place at the Trade Fair Centre in Accra, and it is expected to attract more than 2,000 people, including delegates, other party faithful, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of other political parties and some organisations.
It is expected that 1,450 accredited delegates will participate in the deliberations and vote on all the proposed amendments.
They include five delegates from each of the 230 constituencies, all Members of Parliament (MPs), all regional and national executive members and representatives of the overseas branches of the party.
Mr Peter Mac Manu, the National Chairman of the party, is expected to convene the conference as dictated by the party’s constitution. He will also chair the amendment discussions.
After the opening ceremony, the other deliberations will be held behind closed doors.
The national executive of the NPP, after the party’s defeat by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2008 general election, sent a committee out to ascertain from the rank and file of the membership what in their view resulted in the defeat of the party.
Not long after that, the party set in motion the process for amendment and invited proposals from its individual members and branches.
The Legal and Constitutional Committee compiled a document and presented copies to all branches for their perusal.
As stipulated by the NPP constitution, a conference must be held at least a month after the proposals had been sent out.
According to the proposed amendment, although the constitution had served the party well in most respects, it was agreed among the rank and file that various provisions of the document needed to be modified.
The aim is to offer the basis for ensuring a more unified party with a very good image.
It would also make the party more disciplined and equip it with effective mechanisms for resolving grievances and choosing its leaders and candidates at all levels, from polling stations to the national level, including parliamentary and presidential candidates.
Although the party’s highest decision making body will be considering several amendments grouped under 17 broad headlines, two of the amendments that have attracted much furore and attention from both party members and political commentators, as well as the media, are the expansion of the electoral college and the suggestion for a ceiling on the number of persons who can contest the party’s presidential primaries.
On the election of the presidential candidates, the document says the party requires a better system to select and elect the presidential candidates, and proposes a two-stage procedure; a special electoral college that will vote and select three persons where there are more than three aspirants at the close of the nominations for the position of presidential candidate.
According to the document, the special electoral college shall comprise the national council, national executive committee, regional executive officers, national council of elders, MPs, three representatives each of special organs of the party, past national officers, 10 representatives of external branches, all founding members during the registration of the party at the EC and all NPP card-bearing ministers when the party was in government.
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Non NPP delegates also had their share
ALTHOUGH the New Patriotic Party (NPP) congress to amend portions of the party’s constitution was meant for delegates from the party, hundreds of NPP sympathisers travelled from the length and breadth of the country to witness the congress.
Some NPP faithful, dressed in the party’s colours and paraphernalia, told the Daily Graphic that they travelled from Tamale, Wa, Kumasi, Koforidua, Ho, Nsawam, and other parts of the country to support the congress.
According to some of the party faithful, they arrived at the Trade Fair Centre, where the programme was held, late Friday night and early Saturday morning to catch a glimpse of activities and their leaders.
Although they were not accredited to enter the main hall, where the amendment of portions of the constitution was taking place, they were, however, entertained with music outside the hall. Those from the northern part of the country enjoyed their traditional music from a group that had travelled all the way from that part of the country.
There were no major incidents of violence. However, a Ghanaian Times Reporter and his cameraman, Messrs Kingsley Asare and Mr Daniel Amoo respectively, received some threats from some NPP supporters. The reporter’s notepad was seized while the photographer was made to delete some pictures of people who nearly attacked Mr Amin Anta.
This was when Mr Anta, who opposed certain portions of the constitution, had been whisked away from the podium to safety, because those who did not agree with him wanted to attack him.
According Superintendent E. K Asare, who led 110 uniformed policemen and officers, the police made only one arrest, a suspected mobile phone snatcher.
“The only problem we encountered was with the body guards of some of the delegates. They refused to secure accreditation for their body guards, but apart from that, there has been peace and order,” he said.
Hiplife and high life music, as well as party songs, were played by sound system brought by Ken City Multi Media.
Other party members who had eyed some of the national executive committee positions used the occasions to market themselves.
While others like Mr Yaw Boabeng Asamoah, a former Special Assistant to former Vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, distributed calendars with his picture, others also sponsored a brass band to provide music.
Some NPP members who called themselves “Grass Root Supporters” danced with placards with the inscriptions, “Grass-roots involvement now or never”, “Party leaders will not go scot free if grass-roots involvement is rejected”, “NPP will not survive being an elite party”, among others.
One Alhassan, an NPP sympathiser, said he travelled with his friends from Tamale to witness the congress.
He said although he had no accreditation to enter the hall, he was happy to be part of the party’s historic congress.
Another sympathiser, Agnes Donkor, said she had travelled from Kumasi to witness the congress but was unhappy that she could not enter the main hall to participate in the deliberations.
“We all support the party in our own way. Although I am not a party delegate, I support the party more than anybody,” she said.
Another NPP supporter, Yaa Antwi Bediako, who travelled from Kumasi with Agnes, said “Mr J. A. Kufuor does not support the party more than I do. Nana Akufo-Addo does not support the party more than I do, although I am not a delegate, I know what I do to support the party.”
She said supporters and sympathisers could have been allowed to sit at the back of the hall to witness the congress and advised the organisers not to repeat that again.
Solidarity messages were read on behalf of some political parties at the conference.
Those who read the messages were Mr Seth Ofori Ohene, the Communications Director of the NDC, Mr Bernard Mornah, the General Secretary of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Mr John Amekah of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and Mr Kojo Armah of the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
Some NPP faithful, dressed in the party’s colours and paraphernalia, told the Daily Graphic that they travelled from Tamale, Wa, Kumasi, Koforidua, Ho, Nsawam, and other parts of the country to support the congress.
According to some of the party faithful, they arrived at the Trade Fair Centre, where the programme was held, late Friday night and early Saturday morning to catch a glimpse of activities and their leaders.
Although they were not accredited to enter the main hall, where the amendment of portions of the constitution was taking place, they were, however, entertained with music outside the hall. Those from the northern part of the country enjoyed their traditional music from a group that had travelled all the way from that part of the country.
There were no major incidents of violence. However, a Ghanaian Times Reporter and his cameraman, Messrs Kingsley Asare and Mr Daniel Amoo respectively, received some threats from some NPP supporters. The reporter’s notepad was seized while the photographer was made to delete some pictures of people who nearly attacked Mr Amin Anta.
This was when Mr Anta, who opposed certain portions of the constitution, had been whisked away from the podium to safety, because those who did not agree with him wanted to attack him.
According Superintendent E. K Asare, who led 110 uniformed policemen and officers, the police made only one arrest, a suspected mobile phone snatcher.
“The only problem we encountered was with the body guards of some of the delegates. They refused to secure accreditation for their body guards, but apart from that, there has been peace and order,” he said.
Hiplife and high life music, as well as party songs, were played by sound system brought by Ken City Multi Media.
Other party members who had eyed some of the national executive committee positions used the occasions to market themselves.
While others like Mr Yaw Boabeng Asamoah, a former Special Assistant to former Vice-President Alhaji Aliu Mahama, distributed calendars with his picture, others also sponsored a brass band to provide music.
Some NPP members who called themselves “Grass Root Supporters” danced with placards with the inscriptions, “Grass-roots involvement now or never”, “Party leaders will not go scot free if grass-roots involvement is rejected”, “NPP will not survive being an elite party”, among others.
One Alhassan, an NPP sympathiser, said he travelled with his friends from Tamale to witness the congress.
He said although he had no accreditation to enter the hall, he was happy to be part of the party’s historic congress.
Another sympathiser, Agnes Donkor, said she had travelled from Kumasi to witness the congress but was unhappy that she could not enter the main hall to participate in the deliberations.
“We all support the party in our own way. Although I am not a party delegate, I support the party more than anybody,” she said.
Another NPP supporter, Yaa Antwi Bediako, who travelled from Kumasi with Agnes, said “Mr J. A. Kufuor does not support the party more than I do. Nana Akufo-Addo does not support the party more than I do, although I am not a delegate, I know what I do to support the party.”
She said supporters and sympathisers could have been allowed to sit at the back of the hall to witness the congress and advised the organisers not to repeat that again.
Solidarity messages were read on behalf of some political parties at the conference.
Those who read the messages were Mr Seth Ofori Ohene, the Communications Director of the NDC, Mr Bernard Mornah, the General Secretary of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Mr John Amekah of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) and Mr Kojo Armah of the Convention People’s Party (CPP).
Discipline Amankwa for rejecting NPP amendment
A LEADING member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Eugene Antwi, has called on the party hierarchy to bring disciplinary action to bear on the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, Mr Robert Yaw Amankwa, for publicly calling on the party members to reject the proposed constitutional reforms.
He said as the regional chairman, he is also a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Council which sat on April 28 and 30, 2009 to agree on the proposals received from the regions, branches and individuals of the party on the amendment.
Mr Antwi, who is the immediate past Secretary of the United Kingdom and Ireland branch of the NPP, was reacting to a story in the Monday, August 17, 2009 issue of the Daily Graphic titled “Reject proposed amendments”, which was attributed to the Ashanti Regional Chairman.
Mr Antwi said it was regrettable that Mr Amankwa being a member of the two most powerful bodies of the party that took the decision on the proposed amendments, turned around and described the amendment as favouring a particular interest of the party”.
In the story, Mr Amankwa alleged that “from all indications, the proposed revisions were meant to favour a particular interest of the party and if we allow this (amendment) to happen, the party should forget about winning the 2012 elections”.
Mr Antwi, who contested the Subin NPP primary, said Mr Amankwa’s call for rejection was an affront to Article 3 Section (d) of the NPP’s constitution which states that “a member must be loyal and truthful to the party, abide by and publicly uphold the decisions of the party”.
He again quoted in part, Article 4 Section 7 of the NPP constitution in support of disciplinary action against Mr Amankwa’s call for rejection, which states that a member should not do anything in public to bring the name of the party into disrepute.
Mr Antwi challenged Mr Amankwa to refrain from being evasive and state specifically and categorically which particular interest the proposed amendment was seeking to favour.
He reminded Mr Amankwa that the proposed amendment was sought for in accordance with the party’s constitution after the 2008 Election Campaign Review Committee had undertaken a nation-wide review of activities leading to the election and the loss of power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Mr Antwi noted with concern that under the chairmanship of Mr Amankwa, the Ashanti Region had 17 independent candidates, two of whom won their seats, a situation which affected the fortunes of the NPP in the region.
He said unlike the existing arrangements where on the average about 100 delegates selected a parliamentary candidate, the new proposal would ensure that at least 500 delegates got the opportunity to select a candidate.
That, he said, would prevent manipulation by “money bag holders” and also produce genuinely popular candidates.
Mr Antwi said the amendment coming from party members who had worked with the system for the past five elections, was also meant to expand the frontiers of majority participation in decision making process in the party which was the hallmark of the United Party (UP) tradition.
Mr Antwi again challenged Mr Amankwa to substantiate his claim that the NPP did not lose the 2008 general election because of its constitution and therefore did not need to amend it.
“Mr Amankwa should tell the party what was the real issues that made the party to lose the election so that the leadership would be able to address such issue“, he stressed.
Mr Antwi said it was also not true that there were allegations in certain quarters that former President Kufuor had bribed him and others to campaign against the proposed amendments.
He stated that nobody disputed former President Kufuor’s immense contribution to the success of the party and his position as the most successful UP leader of all times because apart from the being the role model for the youth in the party, including himself (Mr Antwi), he had also been able to lead the party to be in government in two successive terms.
Mr Antwi expressed worry at Mr Amankwa’s claim that he was not against the constitutional amendment but the timing was wrong.
He, therefore, asked the Ashanti Regional Chairman to come out with when it would be appropriate for the amendment to be undertaken.
According to Mr Antwi, such statements by Mr Amankwa were contradictory because in one breath, he said he was not for the amendment while in another instance, he said he was for it but against the timing.
He said as the regional chairman, he is also a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and the National Council which sat on April 28 and 30, 2009 to agree on the proposals received from the regions, branches and individuals of the party on the amendment.
Mr Antwi, who is the immediate past Secretary of the United Kingdom and Ireland branch of the NPP, was reacting to a story in the Monday, August 17, 2009 issue of the Daily Graphic titled “Reject proposed amendments”, which was attributed to the Ashanti Regional Chairman.
Mr Antwi said it was regrettable that Mr Amankwa being a member of the two most powerful bodies of the party that took the decision on the proposed amendments, turned around and described the amendment as favouring a particular interest of the party”.
In the story, Mr Amankwa alleged that “from all indications, the proposed revisions were meant to favour a particular interest of the party and if we allow this (amendment) to happen, the party should forget about winning the 2012 elections”.
Mr Antwi, who contested the Subin NPP primary, said Mr Amankwa’s call for rejection was an affront to Article 3 Section (d) of the NPP’s constitution which states that “a member must be loyal and truthful to the party, abide by and publicly uphold the decisions of the party”.
He again quoted in part, Article 4 Section 7 of the NPP constitution in support of disciplinary action against Mr Amankwa’s call for rejection, which states that a member should not do anything in public to bring the name of the party into disrepute.
Mr Antwi challenged Mr Amankwa to refrain from being evasive and state specifically and categorically which particular interest the proposed amendment was seeking to favour.
He reminded Mr Amankwa that the proposed amendment was sought for in accordance with the party’s constitution after the 2008 Election Campaign Review Committee had undertaken a nation-wide review of activities leading to the election and the loss of power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Mr Antwi noted with concern that under the chairmanship of Mr Amankwa, the Ashanti Region had 17 independent candidates, two of whom won their seats, a situation which affected the fortunes of the NPP in the region.
He said unlike the existing arrangements where on the average about 100 delegates selected a parliamentary candidate, the new proposal would ensure that at least 500 delegates got the opportunity to select a candidate.
That, he said, would prevent manipulation by “money bag holders” and also produce genuinely popular candidates.
Mr Antwi said the amendment coming from party members who had worked with the system for the past five elections, was also meant to expand the frontiers of majority participation in decision making process in the party which was the hallmark of the United Party (UP) tradition.
Mr Antwi again challenged Mr Amankwa to substantiate his claim that the NPP did not lose the 2008 general election because of its constitution and therefore did not need to amend it.
“Mr Amankwa should tell the party what was the real issues that made the party to lose the election so that the leadership would be able to address such issue“, he stressed.
Mr Antwi said it was also not true that there were allegations in certain quarters that former President Kufuor had bribed him and others to campaign against the proposed amendments.
He stated that nobody disputed former President Kufuor’s immense contribution to the success of the party and his position as the most successful UP leader of all times because apart from the being the role model for the youth in the party, including himself (Mr Antwi), he had also been able to lead the party to be in government in two successive terms.
Mr Antwi expressed worry at Mr Amankwa’s claim that he was not against the constitutional amendment but the timing was wrong.
He, therefore, asked the Ashanti Regional Chairman to come out with when it would be appropriate for the amendment to be undertaken.
According to Mr Antwi, such statements by Mr Amankwa were contradictory because in one breath, he said he was not for the amendment while in another instance, he said he was for it but against the timing.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
NPP calls for independent autopsy on Maikanka
THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called for an independent body to undertake post-mortem on the body of Mr Ahmed Maikanka, an activist of the party who died after he had been allegedly brutalised by the police.
The party alleged that the police were the culprits in the case and could, therefore, not be those to perform the post-mortem on the deceased.
The General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene Ntow, who made the call at a news conference in Accra yesterday, said he personally witnessed the police brutalising Maikanka.
He said what he witnessed and the account of other party faithful of the “brutal” assault and the stamping of the victim with the boots of police officers last night would critically challenge any police medical report that might suggest that Mr Maikanka could have died of natural cause.
He stated that the NPP was of the firm belief that it would be in the interest of even the police establishment that the examination of the cause of Mr Maikanka’s death was done in such a transparent manner to save the police from any public suspicion or even direct accusation of wrongdoing.
Mr Maikanka was one of the many NPP supporters who gathered at the precincts of the Greater Accra Regional office of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) last Thursday evening when Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, a former Minister of Information in the Kufuor regime, was arrested by the BNI.
They were alleged to have burnt vehicle tyres and blocked the main road, a situation which culminated in the police firing tear gas and live bullets to disperse the crowd.
Mr Maikanka was alleged to have been brutalised by the police which resulted in his death later.
The NPP General Secretary wondered why the police would rush to claim the body from the family when the deceased did not pass away in police custody and asked if the police were “now going round collecting dead bodies for post-mortem examination at the police hospital”.
“We think that given the allegation levelled against the police in the role they are said to have played in the death of Maikanka, any medical report coming from the same authority, who are being accused, is most likely to be met with suspicion. The credibility of such a report could therefore be seriously undermined,” he added.
Nana Ntow said the party strongly objected to the post-mortem examination on Maikanka’s body being done by the police.
He said even if the police had already conducted the examination, the party insisted that the body be exhumed and a second and independent opinion, preferably from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, sought.
Nana Ntow explained that the performance of the examination by the independent body for the purpose of validating or contradicting the police autopsy report must be conducted in the presence of medical witnesses of all interested parties, being the police, the family of the late Maikanka and the NPP.
He also called on the government to arraign Mr Asamoah Boateng at a court of competent jurisdiction without delay, if the BNI had any case against him.
Nana Ntow added that if the BNI had secured an arrest warrant and the person had been arrested, then there was no justification for him to be in custody for the maximum 48 hours.
“The NPP is not saying that if any member of the party has gone against the law, he or she ought to be shielded. What we are vehemently opposed to is the abuse of power, disregard for proper procedure, a disregard of the rights of citizens and a lack of respect for the rule of law, as such acts would be fiercely resisted by the party,” Nana Ntow stressed.
The party alleged that the police were the culprits in the case and could, therefore, not be those to perform the post-mortem on the deceased.
The General Secretary of the NPP, Nana Ohene Ntow, who made the call at a news conference in Accra yesterday, said he personally witnessed the police brutalising Maikanka.
He said what he witnessed and the account of other party faithful of the “brutal” assault and the stamping of the victim with the boots of police officers last night would critically challenge any police medical report that might suggest that Mr Maikanka could have died of natural cause.
He stated that the NPP was of the firm belief that it would be in the interest of even the police establishment that the examination of the cause of Mr Maikanka’s death was done in such a transparent manner to save the police from any public suspicion or even direct accusation of wrongdoing.
Mr Maikanka was one of the many NPP supporters who gathered at the precincts of the Greater Accra Regional office of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) last Thursday evening when Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, a former Minister of Information in the Kufuor regime, was arrested by the BNI.
They were alleged to have burnt vehicle tyres and blocked the main road, a situation which culminated in the police firing tear gas and live bullets to disperse the crowd.
Mr Maikanka was alleged to have been brutalised by the police which resulted in his death later.
The NPP General Secretary wondered why the police would rush to claim the body from the family when the deceased did not pass away in police custody and asked if the police were “now going round collecting dead bodies for post-mortem examination at the police hospital”.
“We think that given the allegation levelled against the police in the role they are said to have played in the death of Maikanka, any medical report coming from the same authority, who are being accused, is most likely to be met with suspicion. The credibility of such a report could therefore be seriously undermined,” he added.
Nana Ntow said the party strongly objected to the post-mortem examination on Maikanka’s body being done by the police.
He said even if the police had already conducted the examination, the party insisted that the body be exhumed and a second and independent opinion, preferably from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, sought.
Nana Ntow explained that the performance of the examination by the independent body for the purpose of validating or contradicting the police autopsy report must be conducted in the presence of medical witnesses of all interested parties, being the police, the family of the late Maikanka and the NPP.
He also called on the government to arraign Mr Asamoah Boateng at a court of competent jurisdiction without delay, if the BNI had any case against him.
Nana Ntow added that if the BNI had secured an arrest warrant and the person had been arrested, then there was no justification for him to be in custody for the maximum 48 hours.
“The NPP is not saying that if any member of the party has gone against the law, he or she ought to be shielded. What we are vehemently opposed to is the abuse of power, disregard for proper procedure, a disregard of the rights of citizens and a lack of respect for the rule of law, as such acts would be fiercely resisted by the party,” Nana Ntow stressed.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Political parties gear up for by-elections
THE two leading political parties in the country are gearing up for the limited election at Akwatia and the by-election for Chereponi.
But, while the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is preparing for the Bawku Central as well, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has played down on any possible by-election claiming that until the court processes were exhausted, they did not foresee any by-election.
However, with the Chereponi by-election, most of the political parties have expressed their readiness to participate.
Aside the NDC and NPP, the remaining political parties are not laying out any plan for the limited elections at Akwatia because no amount of votes from the six polling stations can change their fortunes to win the seat.
The Supreme Court last month ordered the Electoral Commission (EC) to go ahead and conduct and supervise elections in six polling stations in the Akwatia Constituency.
In a unanimous decision, the court upheld an application for certiorari to quash the decision of the Koforidua High Court that restrained the EC from declaring the results of the December, 2008 parliamentary election in the constituency and conducting a special parliamentary election in the constituency.
The total registered voters for each of the six polling stations at Akwatia are as follows: Presby JSS — 1,183; Yoruba Mosque ‘A’ — 920; Yoruba Mosque ‘B’ — 838; Lorry Station ‘A’ — 610; Lorry Station ‘B’ — 626 and AME Zion Church — 404, thus bringing the total to 4,581.
The Constituency has 89 polling stations and out of the 83 polling stations declared, the NPP candidate, Dr Kofi Asare obtained 16,889 votes as against 13,810 by his NDC counterpart, Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed. Mr Basil Ahiable, independent candidate polled 1,835 votes while Samuel Adjei (CPP) had 109 votes with Samuel Abrokwah, another independent candidate polling 64 votes.
The Chereponi by-election which was necessitated by the death of Doris Asibi Seidu, the NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency on August 1, 2009 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is scheduled for September 29, this year.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr Yaw Boateng-Gyan, the Deputy National Organiser of the NDC said the party “still believes that it has a bright chance of winning the seat through hard work and vigilance .”
He added that although the NPP candidate was leading by more than 3,000 votes and the voters for the six constituencies were more than 4000, the NDC could make a big difference through hard work.
Regarding Chereponi, Mr Boateng-Gyan explained that the party had dispatched some leading members from the regional office to the constituency to begin the process of selecting a candidate through a primary.
He urged all interested party members to purchase the nomination forms and apply.
Mr Boateng-Gyan said after the application, the constituency, regional and national office of the party would undertake the vetting and primaries.
He said presently, the party had reactivated its campaign machinery, especially in the Northern Region and the Chereponi constituency to begin preparatory work.
Mr Boateng-Gyan who did not want to be drawn into the legalities of the Bawku Central case because it was pending in court, said the party was preparing itself in readiness for any possibility.
He said when the court processes were dealt with and the EC had declared the seat vacant, the party would take the seat “because we are making frantic efforts to ensure that we take it”.
According to the Communications Director of the NPP, Mr Kwaku Kwarteng, although the Akwatia election could best be described as a done deal, the level of intimidation and harassment being meted out to supporters of the NPP demanded vigilance.
He said some national leading members of the NPP had been dispatched to the area to lend support to the constituency executives for both campaigning and policing the ballots.
With regard to Bawku, Mr Kwarteng said as far as the NPP was concerned, Mr Adamu Daramani remained the MP for the area until otherwise determined by the court.
“Until the judicial process was concluded, we are confident that he will be in Parliament for his whole four-year term”, Mr Kwarteng added.
He said because of the Chereponi and the Akwatia by-elections, the party had postponed its national delegates conference to August 22, this year.
Mr Kwarteng said the party would in due course select a candidate for Chereponi to maintain the seat.
The General Secretaries of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC), Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet and Mr Bernard Mornah, respectively made it clear that their parties would not participate in the Akwatia limited by-election.
They also maintained that their parties would wait till the court processes were exhausted before they would make any move on Bawku Central.
On Chereponi, Mr Mornah said it was likely the party would maintain its 2008 candidate, provided those in the constituency would agree to the decision.
Mr Greenstreet said because the party’s candidate for Chereponi in 2008 general election fared badly, “it is unlikely we will field him”.
But, while the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is preparing for the Bawku Central as well, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has played down on any possible by-election claiming that until the court processes were exhausted, they did not foresee any by-election.
However, with the Chereponi by-election, most of the political parties have expressed their readiness to participate.
Aside the NDC and NPP, the remaining political parties are not laying out any plan for the limited elections at Akwatia because no amount of votes from the six polling stations can change their fortunes to win the seat.
The Supreme Court last month ordered the Electoral Commission (EC) to go ahead and conduct and supervise elections in six polling stations in the Akwatia Constituency.
In a unanimous decision, the court upheld an application for certiorari to quash the decision of the Koforidua High Court that restrained the EC from declaring the results of the December, 2008 parliamentary election in the constituency and conducting a special parliamentary election in the constituency.
The total registered voters for each of the six polling stations at Akwatia are as follows: Presby JSS — 1,183; Yoruba Mosque ‘A’ — 920; Yoruba Mosque ‘B’ — 838; Lorry Station ‘A’ — 610; Lorry Station ‘B’ — 626 and AME Zion Church — 404, thus bringing the total to 4,581.
The Constituency has 89 polling stations and out of the 83 polling stations declared, the NPP candidate, Dr Kofi Asare obtained 16,889 votes as against 13,810 by his NDC counterpart, Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed. Mr Basil Ahiable, independent candidate polled 1,835 votes while Samuel Adjei (CPP) had 109 votes with Samuel Abrokwah, another independent candidate polling 64 votes.
The Chereponi by-election which was necessitated by the death of Doris Asibi Seidu, the NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency on August 1, 2009 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is scheduled for September 29, this year.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr Yaw Boateng-Gyan, the Deputy National Organiser of the NDC said the party “still believes that it has a bright chance of winning the seat through hard work and vigilance .”
He added that although the NPP candidate was leading by more than 3,000 votes and the voters for the six constituencies were more than 4000, the NDC could make a big difference through hard work.
Regarding Chereponi, Mr Boateng-Gyan explained that the party had dispatched some leading members from the regional office to the constituency to begin the process of selecting a candidate through a primary.
He urged all interested party members to purchase the nomination forms and apply.
Mr Boateng-Gyan said after the application, the constituency, regional and national office of the party would undertake the vetting and primaries.
He said presently, the party had reactivated its campaign machinery, especially in the Northern Region and the Chereponi constituency to begin preparatory work.
Mr Boateng-Gyan who did not want to be drawn into the legalities of the Bawku Central case because it was pending in court, said the party was preparing itself in readiness for any possibility.
He said when the court processes were dealt with and the EC had declared the seat vacant, the party would take the seat “because we are making frantic efforts to ensure that we take it”.
According to the Communications Director of the NPP, Mr Kwaku Kwarteng, although the Akwatia election could best be described as a done deal, the level of intimidation and harassment being meted out to supporters of the NPP demanded vigilance.
He said some national leading members of the NPP had been dispatched to the area to lend support to the constituency executives for both campaigning and policing the ballots.
With regard to Bawku, Mr Kwarteng said as far as the NPP was concerned, Mr Adamu Daramani remained the MP for the area until otherwise determined by the court.
“Until the judicial process was concluded, we are confident that he will be in Parliament for his whole four-year term”, Mr Kwarteng added.
He said because of the Chereponi and the Akwatia by-elections, the party had postponed its national delegates conference to August 22, this year.
Mr Kwarteng said the party would in due course select a candidate for Chereponi to maintain the seat.
The General Secretaries of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC), Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet and Mr Bernard Mornah, respectively made it clear that their parties would not participate in the Akwatia limited by-election.
They also maintained that their parties would wait till the court processes were exhausted before they would make any move on Bawku Central.
On Chereponi, Mr Mornah said it was likely the party would maintain its 2008 candidate, provided those in the constituency would agree to the decision.
Mr Greenstreet said because the party’s candidate for Chereponi in 2008 general election fared badly, “it is unlikely we will field him”.
Redeem pledges to cured lepers—Rev Campbell pleads
THE Chairman of the Ghana Lepers Association, Rev. Fr Andrew Campbell, has criticised politicians, especially those in government, for talking big but doing very little to alleviate the suffering of the underprivileged.
He said over the last 30 years, leaders of the country, particularly some health ministers, had looked on unconcerned while cured lepers at the country’s leprosariums in Accra, Cape Coast and Ho were neglected.
Rev. Campbell was speaking to the Daily Graphic after the Greater Accra branch of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) had donated items worth hundreds of Ghana cedis to the inmates of the Weija Leprosarium in Accra.
The items, including used dresses, footwear, bags of rice and sugar, and bars of soap, formed part of activities marking the 60th anniversary of the formation of the CPP.
Rev. Campbell called on the government to ensure that the cured lepers benefited from the Livelihood Empowerment Programme (LEAP).
“Over the last 18 years, the lepers association had to depend on the benevolence of public-spirited Ghanaians and members of the association to maintain the leprosarium which was built more than 50 years ago, pay water and electricity bills, register the inmates for the National Health Insurance Scheme without governmental support,” he said.
According to Rev Campbell, who is also the Parish Priest of the Good Shepherd Catholic Church at Community Two in Tema, he had to pour out his heart and tell the story as it was because he felt let down by various politicians.
He said he had contacted many politicians, who on their own volition made promises to the poor and neglected inmates, but they consistently failed to honour such promises.
He said three years ago, he complained bitterly about the withholding of the daily subsidy of 60Gp from the government to each inmate, but after receiving it for three months, it had ceased.
Rev Campbell, who has been working with the cured lepers for the last 30 years, added that no amount of frustration and neglect would reduce his commitment to seek their welfare.
He, however, commended individuals and organisations which had over the years shown love and compassion to the inmates.
After hugging, cuddling and planting pegs on the cheeks of the cured lepers, Rev. Campbell expressed worry that although the inmates had been cured, some as far back as 30 years ago, people still treated them with the same measure as what pertained in the Old Testament in the Holy Bible.
“They are human beings created in the image of God so we should show them love and compassion to them. It was not their fault to be in such a situation. If their close relatives have abandon them, the state must not worsen their plight by refusing to assist them to have decent meals,” he said.
Rev. Campbell said another distressing issue was that unlike the Weija Leprosarium, the Ho and Cape Coast ones were not known and, therefore, attracted little or no support from the general public and corporate entities.
The General Secretary of the CPP, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, described the picture painted by the Father Campbell as disturbing.
He, therefore, assured the inmates that apart from assisting them from time to time, the party would also highlight their problems at bigger and proper forums.
He said the CPP was committed to its ideal of constantly creating opportunities for the marginalised in society.
An inmate, Madam Gladys Adobea, commended the CPP for their support, and recounting history, she told the gathering about how Dr Kwame Nkrumah personally saved cured lepers 50 years ago, when some residents of Accra wanted to demolish their buildings and drive them away.
In a related development, the Orange Four Square Church of New Jersey in the United States of America has donated bags of rice, a quantity of soap and vegetable oil for the upkeep of the inmates.
According to a representative of the church who wanted to remain anonymous, the church read the appeal by Father Campbell through the media and decided to offer their widow’s mite.
He said over the last 30 years, leaders of the country, particularly some health ministers, had looked on unconcerned while cured lepers at the country’s leprosariums in Accra, Cape Coast and Ho were neglected.
Rev. Campbell was speaking to the Daily Graphic after the Greater Accra branch of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) had donated items worth hundreds of Ghana cedis to the inmates of the Weija Leprosarium in Accra.
The items, including used dresses, footwear, bags of rice and sugar, and bars of soap, formed part of activities marking the 60th anniversary of the formation of the CPP.
Rev. Campbell called on the government to ensure that the cured lepers benefited from the Livelihood Empowerment Programme (LEAP).
“Over the last 18 years, the lepers association had to depend on the benevolence of public-spirited Ghanaians and members of the association to maintain the leprosarium which was built more than 50 years ago, pay water and electricity bills, register the inmates for the National Health Insurance Scheme without governmental support,” he said.
According to Rev Campbell, who is also the Parish Priest of the Good Shepherd Catholic Church at Community Two in Tema, he had to pour out his heart and tell the story as it was because he felt let down by various politicians.
He said he had contacted many politicians, who on their own volition made promises to the poor and neglected inmates, but they consistently failed to honour such promises.
He said three years ago, he complained bitterly about the withholding of the daily subsidy of 60Gp from the government to each inmate, but after receiving it for three months, it had ceased.
Rev Campbell, who has been working with the cured lepers for the last 30 years, added that no amount of frustration and neglect would reduce his commitment to seek their welfare.
He, however, commended individuals and organisations which had over the years shown love and compassion to the inmates.
After hugging, cuddling and planting pegs on the cheeks of the cured lepers, Rev. Campbell expressed worry that although the inmates had been cured, some as far back as 30 years ago, people still treated them with the same measure as what pertained in the Old Testament in the Holy Bible.
“They are human beings created in the image of God so we should show them love and compassion to them. It was not their fault to be in such a situation. If their close relatives have abandon them, the state must not worsen their plight by refusing to assist them to have decent meals,” he said.
Rev. Campbell said another distressing issue was that unlike the Weija Leprosarium, the Ho and Cape Coast ones were not known and, therefore, attracted little or no support from the general public and corporate entities.
The General Secretary of the CPP, Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, described the picture painted by the Father Campbell as disturbing.
He, therefore, assured the inmates that apart from assisting them from time to time, the party would also highlight their problems at bigger and proper forums.
He said the CPP was committed to its ideal of constantly creating opportunities for the marginalised in society.
An inmate, Madam Gladys Adobea, commended the CPP for their support, and recounting history, she told the gathering about how Dr Kwame Nkrumah personally saved cured lepers 50 years ago, when some residents of Accra wanted to demolish their buildings and drive them away.
In a related development, the Orange Four Square Church of New Jersey in the United States of America has donated bags of rice, a quantity of soap and vegetable oil for the upkeep of the inmates.
According to a representative of the church who wanted to remain anonymous, the church read the appeal by Father Campbell through the media and decided to offer their widow’s mite.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Afigya-Kwabre to generate resources for devt
THE Afigya-Kwabre District Assembly is evolving strategies to generate ideas and resources to complement funds from central government to accelerate the development of the area.
As a first move, the district is inviting suggestions from all its citizens living in and outside the area on how to organise a successful home-coming summit to brainstorm on the way forward for the district.
The home-coming summit is expected to take place in the district in December, this year.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Oppong Kyekyeku Kaakyire, who briefed the Daily Graphic in Accra about steps to develop the area, said the summit had become necessary because the district was carved out of two districts, namely Kwabre and Afigya Sekyere.
The DCE gave the briefing after he had paid a courtesy call on the General Manager of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, who is a citizen of the district.
Mr Kaakyire noted with concern that unfortunately only the deprived areas of the two districts were carved out to form the Afigya-Kwabre District.
The situation, he said had made things difficult for the new district assembly in raising funds to finance development projects.
Mr Kaakyire said currently, the district assembly was housed in a filling station while other departments were far away from the district headquarters, which were also in rented premises.
“This means that the chunk of the initial resources that the central government would give to the district must go into construction of offices for the assembly”, he noted with concern.
According to Mr Kaakyire, unlike other districts, one part of the Afigya-Kwabre District Assembly was purely rural while the other was which is close to Kumasi, was a bit urban, and for that reason, the assembly was not able to generate funds to supplement the District Assemblies’ Common Fund.
He said the rural part of the district was inundated with problems, including limited education and health infrastructure, public places of convenience and market facilities, while the other side of the district which was a bit developed and could generate funds had turned out to be a different story.
According to Mr Kaakyire, because of its proximity to Kumasi, most of the people who should have traded in the area to generate funds and other benefits to the district travelled to undertake their transactions in Kumasi.
He said the district was very receptive to investors, and that both citizens and non-citizens were welcome to the area to have great returns on their investments to create employment opportunities for the people, revenue for the assembly the development of the district.
The DCE said the area was endowed with natural resources, especially large areas of rocks for stone quarry and land for agriculture and other industrial purposes.
He added that because the area was close to Kumasi which was becoming congested, investors could locate to the area and produce for the Kumasi market.
Speaking on his vision for the district, the DCE said as the political head of the area, he would see to the implementation of the programmes and projects drawn by the district assembly, but said his priority would be on education, health and sanitation.
He said education was the first priority because through that the district had been able to produce very high calibre citizens who occupied high public and private positions both in the country and outside.
Mr Kaakyire said another issue of concern was that in recent times, educational standards in the district was falling drastically and he would make it a priority to reverse the trend.
According to Mr Kaakyire, the assembly was also planning to invite some of the citizens of the area who occupied high positions in both public and private places to serve as role models to the children and youth in the area.
He appealed to the citizens of the area to put the 2008 general election behind them and forge ahead in unity to find solutions to the problems facing the young district assembly.
As a first move, the district is inviting suggestions from all its citizens living in and outside the area on how to organise a successful home-coming summit to brainstorm on the way forward for the district.
The home-coming summit is expected to take place in the district in December, this year.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Oppong Kyekyeku Kaakyire, who briefed the Daily Graphic in Accra about steps to develop the area, said the summit had become necessary because the district was carved out of two districts, namely Kwabre and Afigya Sekyere.
The DCE gave the briefing after he had paid a courtesy call on the General Manager of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafoh, who is a citizen of the district.
Mr Kaakyire noted with concern that unfortunately only the deprived areas of the two districts were carved out to form the Afigya-Kwabre District.
The situation, he said had made things difficult for the new district assembly in raising funds to finance development projects.
Mr Kaakyire said currently, the district assembly was housed in a filling station while other departments were far away from the district headquarters, which were also in rented premises.
“This means that the chunk of the initial resources that the central government would give to the district must go into construction of offices for the assembly”, he noted with concern.
According to Mr Kaakyire, unlike other districts, one part of the Afigya-Kwabre District Assembly was purely rural while the other was which is close to Kumasi, was a bit urban, and for that reason, the assembly was not able to generate funds to supplement the District Assemblies’ Common Fund.
He said the rural part of the district was inundated with problems, including limited education and health infrastructure, public places of convenience and market facilities, while the other side of the district which was a bit developed and could generate funds had turned out to be a different story.
According to Mr Kaakyire, because of its proximity to Kumasi, most of the people who should have traded in the area to generate funds and other benefits to the district travelled to undertake their transactions in Kumasi.
He said the district was very receptive to investors, and that both citizens and non-citizens were welcome to the area to have great returns on their investments to create employment opportunities for the people, revenue for the assembly the development of the district.
The DCE said the area was endowed with natural resources, especially large areas of rocks for stone quarry and land for agriculture and other industrial purposes.
He added that because the area was close to Kumasi which was becoming congested, investors could locate to the area and produce for the Kumasi market.
Speaking on his vision for the district, the DCE said as the political head of the area, he would see to the implementation of the programmes and projects drawn by the district assembly, but said his priority would be on education, health and sanitation.
He said education was the first priority because through that the district had been able to produce very high calibre citizens who occupied high public and private positions both in the country and outside.
Mr Kaakyire said another issue of concern was that in recent times, educational standards in the district was falling drastically and he would make it a priority to reverse the trend.
According to Mr Kaakyire, the assembly was also planning to invite some of the citizens of the area who occupied high positions in both public and private places to serve as role models to the children and youth in the area.
He appealed to the citizens of the area to put the 2008 general election behind them and forge ahead in unity to find solutions to the problems facing the young district assembly.
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