THERE is total confusion within the front of the People’s National Convention (PNC).
While the Interim Management Committee (IMC) says it has dissolved the National Executive Committee NEC), the NEC insists that it is only congress that can take such action.
This is despite the fact that the issue of the legitimacy of the NEC was part of the reasons why the IMC and the NEC were battling it out in a law court.
A statement signed by the Chairman of the IMC, Mr Basili Wasai, and dated on February 12, 2011, noted that a national delegates congress would be held at Sunyani on June 25, 2011, to elect officers to manage the affairs of the party for the next four years.
“The NEC has been dissolved and therefore all correspondence and other matters related to the party should be address to the IMC,” it said.
It added that the IMC would organise early congress this year, starting with constituency elections from March 30 to April 15, 2011, to be followed by regional party conferences to be held in all the 10 regions between April 30 and May 15, 2011.
According to the statement, the discussion was arrived at during a meeting attended by the IMC, regional chairmen and other officials of the PNC to discuss matters concerning the party.
The IMC also cautioned that no party member would be allowed to vote in any of the constituency, regional and national delegates conferences without proof of the fact that he or she was a registered and card holding members of the PNC in good standing, as required by the party’s constitution.
Reacting, the General Secretary of the PNC, Mr Bernard Mornah, expressed surprise that the very people who have filed an application at the law court challenging the legitimacy of the NEC would issue such a statement.
He, however, noted that in the scheme of things of the PNC constitution, there was nothing like IMC and also it was the congress, the highest decision body of the party, that can nullify the NEC, which is also the second highest decision body of the party.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
We left funding plan for Bui City
A former Chief Executive of the Bui Power Project, Mr Fred Oware has stated that his administration left behind a meticulously prepared plan and documentation for both funding and progressive construction of the Bui City.
He said under the main Bui Hydroelectric Project, all the funding for the project, including Ghana’s counterpart funding of $ 57 million were lodged in China and that it was the Chinese who did the disbursement and not the Kufuor Administration.
Mr Oware was responding to the issues raised by the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, who is also a Member of the Bui Power Authority.
Mr Oware who is also a First Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), presented the press with documents, drawings, meeting registers and agreement covering the project, and said prior to leaving office in 2009, “I made seven copies of all documents pertaining to the Hydro-Project as well as the Bui City and Irrigation Project.”
He expressed surprise at the comments by Mr Asiedu Nketaih and added that “such irresponsible statements can only come from someone who does not read materials sent to him or chooses to be mischievous.”
Recently, Mr Asiedu Nketiah challenged former President JA Kufuor to come out with how his administration intended to build the Bui City which he promised Ghanaians.
According to him, President Kufuor was only building castles in the air when his administration promised Ghanaians that the Bui Hydro Project included a Bui City, which consisted of skyscrapers, a university, among other developments.
Mr Oware explained that no city could be built within a specific period of time and what the Kufuor government and its partners sought to do was to build the project in phases and that the first phase funding included Bui Hydroelectric Project, EPC/Turnkey Project Contract Volume 1 Schedule of payment subsection 117.
He said included in the schedule was $ 15 million for Permanent Employment Facilities, $12 million for Irrigation Structures, and $11 million for Facilities for Resettlement all totalling $ 38 million. “Additionally, there was a sum of $ 12 million under schedule number 2. Road and Bridges Works which was to be applied to road works within the proposed city.”
He added that a copy of the business plan, on the planning and development of the Bui City was handed over to the new Chief Executive Officer, as part of the materials he left behind and those documents and files on the project showed the project concept, methodologies, work done, contacts made and the road map to completion.
Mr Oware described as strange the recent request by the government to Parliament for additional $ 118 million to complete the Hydroelectric Project because under the EPC/Turnkey Contract any additional funding to complete the project should have been out of the question.
He, therefore, urged Parliament to verify the composition of the $118 million “I assure them of some interesting revelations.”
This he said was because under the funding arrangement put in place, any price increase should be borne by the contractor. “However, the additional funding which is a financial loss to the state is caused by the Mills Administration”.
He explained that at the time of leaving office in 2008, there were three passed certificate totalling over $97 million which were unpaid and thus attracting penalties and, therefore, increased the project cost, because the Mills administration stopped all the contracts payments for six months when it came into office.
Mr Oware noted that the late payment had also led to delayed completion date. The project will now be completed in 2013 instead of 2012 with further costs implication.
He said in the name of local content, the current board had appointed sub-contractors to undertake the resettlement housing with charges higher than the Chinese rates and this would increase the original cost.
He alleged that Mr Asiedu Nketiah’s company was the only company in Bui manufacturing blocks for the entire resettlement project, and that sub-contractors who make their own blocks risk their contracts being terminated.
Mr Oware added that ultimately the higher prices charged by Mr Asiedu Nketiah would affect the project.
He said the new board continues to insist that the Chinese should buy chippings/aggregates from a supplier based in Sunyani, over 60 kilometres away from the site, at a price likely to add a further $ 50 million to the original cost.
He added that if Mr Asiedu Nketiah succeeded in calling [former] President Kufuor for public hearing, further details would be made of his own contributions to the difficulties he is complaining about.
Regarding former President Kufuor being the board chairman of the Bui Project, he said he did so because he wanted the best for the country from a single project which involved the highest amount, adding that this was not new because both President Nkrumah and Kutu Acheampong were the board chairmen for both the Volta River Authority and the Kpong projects.
He said under the main Bui Hydroelectric Project, all the funding for the project, including Ghana’s counterpart funding of $ 57 million were lodged in China and that it was the Chinese who did the disbursement and not the Kufuor Administration.
Mr Oware was responding to the issues raised by the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, who is also a Member of the Bui Power Authority.
Mr Oware who is also a First Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), presented the press with documents, drawings, meeting registers and agreement covering the project, and said prior to leaving office in 2009, “I made seven copies of all documents pertaining to the Hydro-Project as well as the Bui City and Irrigation Project.”
He expressed surprise at the comments by Mr Asiedu Nketaih and added that “such irresponsible statements can only come from someone who does not read materials sent to him or chooses to be mischievous.”
Recently, Mr Asiedu Nketiah challenged former President JA Kufuor to come out with how his administration intended to build the Bui City which he promised Ghanaians.
According to him, President Kufuor was only building castles in the air when his administration promised Ghanaians that the Bui Hydro Project included a Bui City, which consisted of skyscrapers, a university, among other developments.
Mr Oware explained that no city could be built within a specific period of time and what the Kufuor government and its partners sought to do was to build the project in phases and that the first phase funding included Bui Hydroelectric Project, EPC/Turnkey Project Contract Volume 1 Schedule of payment subsection 117.
He said included in the schedule was $ 15 million for Permanent Employment Facilities, $12 million for Irrigation Structures, and $11 million for Facilities for Resettlement all totalling $ 38 million. “Additionally, there was a sum of $ 12 million under schedule number 2. Road and Bridges Works which was to be applied to road works within the proposed city.”
He added that a copy of the business plan, on the planning and development of the Bui City was handed over to the new Chief Executive Officer, as part of the materials he left behind and those documents and files on the project showed the project concept, methodologies, work done, contacts made and the road map to completion.
Mr Oware described as strange the recent request by the government to Parliament for additional $ 118 million to complete the Hydroelectric Project because under the EPC/Turnkey Contract any additional funding to complete the project should have been out of the question.
He, therefore, urged Parliament to verify the composition of the $118 million “I assure them of some interesting revelations.”
This he said was because under the funding arrangement put in place, any price increase should be borne by the contractor. “However, the additional funding which is a financial loss to the state is caused by the Mills Administration”.
He explained that at the time of leaving office in 2008, there were three passed certificate totalling over $97 million which were unpaid and thus attracting penalties and, therefore, increased the project cost, because the Mills administration stopped all the contracts payments for six months when it came into office.
Mr Oware noted that the late payment had also led to delayed completion date. The project will now be completed in 2013 instead of 2012 with further costs implication.
He said in the name of local content, the current board had appointed sub-contractors to undertake the resettlement housing with charges higher than the Chinese rates and this would increase the original cost.
He alleged that Mr Asiedu Nketiah’s company was the only company in Bui manufacturing blocks for the entire resettlement project, and that sub-contractors who make their own blocks risk their contracts being terminated.
Mr Oware added that ultimately the higher prices charged by Mr Asiedu Nketiah would affect the project.
He said the new board continues to insist that the Chinese should buy chippings/aggregates from a supplier based in Sunyani, over 60 kilometres away from the site, at a price likely to add a further $ 50 million to the original cost.
He added that if Mr Asiedu Nketiah succeeded in calling [former] President Kufuor for public hearing, further details would be made of his own contributions to the difficulties he is complaining about.
Regarding former President Kufuor being the board chairman of the Bui Project, he said he did so because he wanted the best for the country from a single project which involved the highest amount, adding that this was not new because both President Nkrumah and Kutu Acheampong were the board chairmen for both the Volta River Authority and the Kpong projects.
MP hands over GH¢ 7.3 million drains site
THE Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso East, Dr Ahmed Mustapha, has handed over the site for the construction of the main drain from Maamobi through Nima to the Kawokudi junction on the Obasanjo Highway to the contractor.
The 1.2 kilometre drain which will have tributaries, and will altogether total 700 metres is valued at GH¢ 7.3 million. The project would be undertaken by Caspian Energy Ghana Ltd.
Handing over the site to the contractors, Dr Mustapha who is also a Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, said the construction of the project was part of the moves to give meaning to the Action Year proclaimed by President Mills.
He added that the project had two main benefits which were, firstly to provide a clean environment as well as offer economic benefits through local content in areas such sub-contracting and employment.
He appealed for collaboration and unity between the contractors and the local community, who would directly benefit from the project to ensure that it was executed smoothly.
Dr Mustapha said there was no doubt that the construction of the drain would definitely require the demolition of certain structures, which would obviously bring some discomfort to the owners of those who would be affected.
This, he said would require understanding from them, and would entail greater education from the contractors before hand, adding that there was no need to spring surprises on anyone.
He also urged the contractors to constantly involve the community in all major decisions, especially works that would affect the people in the area, and appealed to the community leaders to be at the forefront in explaining to the affected persons.
According to the Deputy Minister, apart from the fact that the drain would be covered, it would also create access routes to areas that currently were inaccessible.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Wise Ametefe, Deputy Director of Hydraulic Service Department, supervisors of the project, assured the people of strict supervision for value for money and early completion of work.
He said his outfit would ensure that the government and the people in the area would derive value for money at the end of the execution of the contract.
The 1.2 kilometre drain which will have tributaries, and will altogether total 700 metres is valued at GH¢ 7.3 million. The project would be undertaken by Caspian Energy Ghana Ltd.
Handing over the site to the contractors, Dr Mustapha who is also a Deputy Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, said the construction of the project was part of the moves to give meaning to the Action Year proclaimed by President Mills.
He added that the project had two main benefits which were, firstly to provide a clean environment as well as offer economic benefits through local content in areas such sub-contracting and employment.
He appealed for collaboration and unity between the contractors and the local community, who would directly benefit from the project to ensure that it was executed smoothly.
Dr Mustapha said there was no doubt that the construction of the drain would definitely require the demolition of certain structures, which would obviously bring some discomfort to the owners of those who would be affected.
This, he said would require understanding from them, and would entail greater education from the contractors before hand, adding that there was no need to spring surprises on anyone.
He also urged the contractors to constantly involve the community in all major decisions, especially works that would affect the people in the area, and appealed to the community leaders to be at the forefront in explaining to the affected persons.
According to the Deputy Minister, apart from the fact that the drain would be covered, it would also create access routes to areas that currently were inaccessible.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Wise Ametefe, Deputy Director of Hydraulic Service Department, supervisors of the project, assured the people of strict supervision for value for money and early completion of work.
He said his outfit would ensure that the government and the people in the area would derive value for money at the end of the execution of the contract.
Select 40 per cent women as govt appointees • To assemblies
The Ministry of Local government and Rural Development has directed all district, metropolitan and municipal assemblies to ensure that at least 40 per cent of all government appointees to the assemblies are females.
The directive is in line with the government’s plan to ensure that more women are given the opportunity to serve in public positions.
In a interview with Daily Graphic, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said the instruction was also aimed at affording other women the chance to use the district assemblies as a training ground to build their political career.
The government promised to offer 40 per cent of appointment to women but this lofty idea could not be attained due to a myriad of problems, including the fact that only 18 women were elected to the 230-member Parliament.
Some women rejected their appointment as district chief executives for various reasons, while those who accepted the challenge faced huge resistance when it came to their confirmation. This and other reasons made it impossible to fulfil the promise.
According Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, such appointments should be made from professional women associations. He also noted that experience had shown that when women were given such an opportunity, they were able to build their capacity, get insight into public administration and as the ultimate beneficiaries of all development projects, bring the aspirations of the people to bear on the execution of such projects.
He added that it was the belief of the government that every opportunity, including the selection of government appointees to district assemblies must be used as a unique opportunity to create a fertile ground for women to participate in governance and build their capacity for higher appointment and elections.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, the immediate past Eastern Regional Minister, personally supported all women in the region, who contested the district level elections, by funding their posters to give them an urge over their male counterparts.
The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated on several platforms that the constitutional requirement for the President to appoint 50 per cent of his Cabinet from Parliament made it difficult for the government to deliver on its campaign promise of ensuring 40 per cent representation of women in government.
Responding to criticism by gender activists that the party had failed to live up to its manifesto pledge, the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said "If you have less than 10 per cent of your MPs being females, then it is going to be a miracle to be able to get 40 per cent females as your appointees. ”
Mr Asiedu-Nketia also said when the party opened nominations for parliamentary primaries, it would give 50 per cent rebate to female aspirants to encourage more women to contest.
He believes if the party is able to get many women in Parliament, it would be in better stead to fulfil its manifesto promise of appointing 40 per cent of women into government positions.
The directive is in line with the government’s plan to ensure that more women are given the opportunity to serve in public positions.
In a interview with Daily Graphic, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said the instruction was also aimed at affording other women the chance to use the district assemblies as a training ground to build their political career.
The government promised to offer 40 per cent of appointment to women but this lofty idea could not be attained due to a myriad of problems, including the fact that only 18 women were elected to the 230-member Parliament.
Some women rejected their appointment as district chief executives for various reasons, while those who accepted the challenge faced huge resistance when it came to their confirmation. This and other reasons made it impossible to fulfil the promise.
According Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, such appointments should be made from professional women associations. He also noted that experience had shown that when women were given such an opportunity, they were able to build their capacity, get insight into public administration and as the ultimate beneficiaries of all development projects, bring the aspirations of the people to bear on the execution of such projects.
He added that it was the belief of the government that every opportunity, including the selection of government appointees to district assemblies must be used as a unique opportunity to create a fertile ground for women to participate in governance and build their capacity for higher appointment and elections.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, the immediate past Eastern Regional Minister, personally supported all women in the region, who contested the district level elections, by funding their posters to give them an urge over their male counterparts.
The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated on several platforms that the constitutional requirement for the President to appoint 50 per cent of his Cabinet from Parliament made it difficult for the government to deliver on its campaign promise of ensuring 40 per cent representation of women in government.
Responding to criticism by gender activists that the party had failed to live up to its manifesto pledge, the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said "If you have less than 10 per cent of your MPs being females, then it is going to be a miracle to be able to get 40 per cent females as your appointees. ”
Mr Asiedu-Nketia also said when the party opened nominations for parliamentary primaries, it would give 50 per cent rebate to female aspirants to encourage more women to contest.
He believes if the party is able to get many women in Parliament, it would be in better stead to fulfil its manifesto promise of appointing 40 per cent of women into government positions.
NDC challenges Kufuor about Bui City Project
The General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has challenged former President JA Kufuor to come out with how his administration intended to build the Bui City which he promised Ghanaians.
According to him, President Kufuor was only building castles in the air when his administration promised Ghanaians that the Bui Hydro Project included a Bui City, which consisted of skyscrapers, a university, among other developments.
The NDC General Secretary was addressing youth organisers from the 10 regions at a conference dubbed ‘2011 Action Year’ in Accra.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah, who is also a board member of the Bui Project, said President Kufuor set a precedent by amending the laws of the country just to become the first President in Ghanaian history to become a board chairman, specifically of the Bui Project.
“There is nothing like Bui City in the Project agreement. And that we will invite former President Kufuor not as a former president, but as a former board chairman of the Bui Project, to tell Ghanaians where the funds for Bui City Project are,” he noted.
He accused the NPP of peddling lies about the project to the extent that, they were claiming that Vice-President John Dramani Mahama had relocated the Bui City Project to the north.
He said apart from the $622 million for the project, there was no funds again for any such project as Bui City.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah stated that no government had survived on vile propaganda and falsehood but unfortunately the NPP believed in such things to the extent that their own members and supporters fell victim to such ugly propaganda.
He said just before the 2008 elections the NPP, in their usual style, succeeded in coming out with opinion polls that sought to put their presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, ahead of then candidate Mills, with a huge percentage difference.
He explained that such falsehood was told consistently to the extent that the NPP supporters and members believed that there was no need to intensify their campaign, because they had already won elections.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah said the NPP also tagged candidate Mills as “Asomdwehen” in a derogatory manner but when they realised that it had backfired, they started calling him a violent person.
This, he said, went on to the extent that the NPP together with its newspapers and radio stations twisted comments Prof. Mills made about power sharing in Kenya.
He said the NPP propagandist claimed that President Mills was interested in power sharing, and even when he held a press conference to state that the NDC was not interested in power sharing like what was then taking place in Kenya, the NPP claimed Prof. Mills was threatening that what had happened in Kenya would be visited on Ghanaians if he did not win the 2008 elections.
“We in the NDC will not pursue falsehood, and will also not reply lies with untruths. Because truth stands and we will continue to be on the side of truth,” he added.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah said the NDC party had also declared 2011 as ‘Action year’ and directed all party executives and members at various levels to set in motion processes and procedures in that direction.
He said this year, the NDC would elect parliamentary and presidential candidates and that the members of the party should not waste their resources and time to respond to the vile propaganda of the NPP, which was aimed at ensuring that the NDC deviated from its better Ghana agenda.
Regarding the infamous ‘All die be die’ comments from Nana Akufo-Addo, Mr Asiedu Nketiah said although such comments showed how violent the NPP and its leadership were and also benefited the NDC, he still believed that the political scene should be decorous.
He attributed the violent and ethnocentric comments from Nana Akufo-Addo to the fact that he had run out of ideas and did not have any alternative policy, programme or strategy for Ghanaians.
According to him, President Kufuor was only building castles in the air when his administration promised Ghanaians that the Bui Hydro Project included a Bui City, which consisted of skyscrapers, a university, among other developments.
The NDC General Secretary was addressing youth organisers from the 10 regions at a conference dubbed ‘2011 Action Year’ in Accra.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah, who is also a board member of the Bui Project, said President Kufuor set a precedent by amending the laws of the country just to become the first President in Ghanaian history to become a board chairman, specifically of the Bui Project.
“There is nothing like Bui City in the Project agreement. And that we will invite former President Kufuor not as a former president, but as a former board chairman of the Bui Project, to tell Ghanaians where the funds for Bui City Project are,” he noted.
He accused the NPP of peddling lies about the project to the extent that, they were claiming that Vice-President John Dramani Mahama had relocated the Bui City Project to the north.
He said apart from the $622 million for the project, there was no funds again for any such project as Bui City.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah stated that no government had survived on vile propaganda and falsehood but unfortunately the NPP believed in such things to the extent that their own members and supporters fell victim to such ugly propaganda.
He said just before the 2008 elections the NPP, in their usual style, succeeded in coming out with opinion polls that sought to put their presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, ahead of then candidate Mills, with a huge percentage difference.
He explained that such falsehood was told consistently to the extent that the NPP supporters and members believed that there was no need to intensify their campaign, because they had already won elections.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah said the NPP also tagged candidate Mills as “Asomdwehen” in a derogatory manner but when they realised that it had backfired, they started calling him a violent person.
This, he said, went on to the extent that the NPP together with its newspapers and radio stations twisted comments Prof. Mills made about power sharing in Kenya.
He said the NPP propagandist claimed that President Mills was interested in power sharing, and even when he held a press conference to state that the NDC was not interested in power sharing like what was then taking place in Kenya, the NPP claimed Prof. Mills was threatening that what had happened in Kenya would be visited on Ghanaians if he did not win the 2008 elections.
“We in the NDC will not pursue falsehood, and will also not reply lies with untruths. Because truth stands and we will continue to be on the side of truth,” he added.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah said the NDC party had also declared 2011 as ‘Action year’ and directed all party executives and members at various levels to set in motion processes and procedures in that direction.
He said this year, the NDC would elect parliamentary and presidential candidates and that the members of the party should not waste their resources and time to respond to the vile propaganda of the NPP, which was aimed at ensuring that the NDC deviated from its better Ghana agenda.
Regarding the infamous ‘All die be die’ comments from Nana Akufo-Addo, Mr Asiedu Nketiah said although such comments showed how violent the NPP and its leadership were and also benefited the NDC, he still believed that the political scene should be decorous.
He attributed the violent and ethnocentric comments from Nana Akufo-Addo to the fact that he had run out of ideas and did not have any alternative policy, programme or strategy for Ghanaians.
Shun Akufo Addo’s threats of death, ethnocentrism — Hlodze
The National Youth Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Ludwig Akpene Hlodze, has urged the youth in both the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) not to be swayed by the threats of death and ethnocentric comments by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the NPP flag bearer, to destroy the future of the country.
“It is in the light of this that we condemn in no uncertain terms, the recent ‘all die be die’ and ethnocentric statements from Nana Akufo-Addo when he addressed party supporters in the Eastern Region”.
Mr Hlodze gave the advice when he addressed the youth of the party at the opening of the 2011-Action Year Regional Youth Organisers’ seminar in Accra. The occasion was used to launch the website of the NDC youth wing.
He explained that the meeting was aimed at positioning the youth of the party to be in tune with the President declaration of 2011 as an ‘action year’.
He added that as the future leaders of this country, irrespective of their political affiliation, they must ensure that Ghana remained an oasis of peace in the sub-region and also hold their leaders accountable with the aim of making “our political leaders [to be] seen and heard promoting nothing less than the culture of peace and national cohesion”.
He said the commitment demonstrated by the Mills government in the management of the economy, in the face of obvious international challenges, was highly commendable especially in the area of education, which is at the heart of youth training and development.
“We are elated that the campaign promise to establish two new universities in the Volta and Brong Ahafo regions are on course to being fulfilled,” he said, and added that the youth of the NDC were strongly behind the government to ensure that the programmes of government were prosecuted in the wider interest of all Ghanaians.
“In pursuance to this declaration, we are meeting today to brainstorm, plan and co-ordinate our activities for the year so as to maintain the momentum of progress and development injected into the country by the President towards securing yet another electoral victory for Ghana's development in 2012,” Mr Hlodze added.
He noted that some of the measures taken to reach all the NDC youth in the country and others in the world was the establishment of the NDC youth wing website, which is an idea he mooted with his deputies to “tell our story the way we want it told to the world”.
“It was also to collect feedback from our members across the nation and the world on our programmes and suggestions to make things better for the party. Post activities of all other groups, branches and individuals across the nation who have the interest of the NDC at heart. Use the website as a convenient means of information dissemination to our people by the click of a button,” he added.
According to Hlodze, recent developments in the country, especially from the youth in the NPP, left much to be desired.
He said the NDC youth had taken a firm stance against indiscipline and politics of insult and intended to continue this stance in the 2011 Action Year.
“As youth leaders we must work hands in gloves with Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives of State and Government appointees and Ghanaians in general to promote the Better Ghana Agenda”.
He, however, gave an assurance that the youth wing of the NDC would not hesitate to constructively criticise interventions it regarded as alien to the greater interest of Ghana's development in line with accepted practices.
“We will also not hesitate to discipline any of our members who take the law into their own hands as a means of seeking redress to any grievance. The future of the NDC rests in the bosom of sound leadership on the youth front and we must endeavour to make a difference as set standards worthy of emulation as leaders,” Mr Hlodze added.
Others speakers were Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah; General Secretary of the NDC, and Dr Omane Boamah, the Deputy Minister of Environment, Science and Technology. Others who graced the occasion were Mr Yaw Boateng Gyan and Ms Anita Desosa, the National Organiser and National Women Organiser of the NDC respectively.
“It is in the light of this that we condemn in no uncertain terms, the recent ‘all die be die’ and ethnocentric statements from Nana Akufo-Addo when he addressed party supporters in the Eastern Region”.
Mr Hlodze gave the advice when he addressed the youth of the party at the opening of the 2011-Action Year Regional Youth Organisers’ seminar in Accra. The occasion was used to launch the website of the NDC youth wing.
He explained that the meeting was aimed at positioning the youth of the party to be in tune with the President declaration of 2011 as an ‘action year’.
He added that as the future leaders of this country, irrespective of their political affiliation, they must ensure that Ghana remained an oasis of peace in the sub-region and also hold their leaders accountable with the aim of making “our political leaders [to be] seen and heard promoting nothing less than the culture of peace and national cohesion”.
He said the commitment demonstrated by the Mills government in the management of the economy, in the face of obvious international challenges, was highly commendable especially in the area of education, which is at the heart of youth training and development.
“We are elated that the campaign promise to establish two new universities in the Volta and Brong Ahafo regions are on course to being fulfilled,” he said, and added that the youth of the NDC were strongly behind the government to ensure that the programmes of government were prosecuted in the wider interest of all Ghanaians.
“In pursuance to this declaration, we are meeting today to brainstorm, plan and co-ordinate our activities for the year so as to maintain the momentum of progress and development injected into the country by the President towards securing yet another electoral victory for Ghana's development in 2012,” Mr Hlodze added.
He noted that some of the measures taken to reach all the NDC youth in the country and others in the world was the establishment of the NDC youth wing website, which is an idea he mooted with his deputies to “tell our story the way we want it told to the world”.
“It was also to collect feedback from our members across the nation and the world on our programmes and suggestions to make things better for the party. Post activities of all other groups, branches and individuals across the nation who have the interest of the NDC at heart. Use the website as a convenient means of information dissemination to our people by the click of a button,” he added.
According to Hlodze, recent developments in the country, especially from the youth in the NPP, left much to be desired.
He said the NDC youth had taken a firm stance against indiscipline and politics of insult and intended to continue this stance in the 2011 Action Year.
“As youth leaders we must work hands in gloves with Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives of State and Government appointees and Ghanaians in general to promote the Better Ghana Agenda”.
He, however, gave an assurance that the youth wing of the NDC would not hesitate to constructively criticise interventions it regarded as alien to the greater interest of Ghana's development in line with accepted practices.
“We will also not hesitate to discipline any of our members who take the law into their own hands as a means of seeking redress to any grievance. The future of the NDC rests in the bosom of sound leadership on the youth front and we must endeavour to make a difference as set standards worthy of emulation as leaders,” Mr Hlodze added.
Others speakers were Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah; General Secretary of the NDC, and Dr Omane Boamah, the Deputy Minister of Environment, Science and Technology. Others who graced the occasion were Mr Yaw Boateng Gyan and Ms Anita Desosa, the National Organiser and National Women Organiser of the NDC respectively.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Ghana to benefit from second MCC funding
THE Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has confirmed that Ghana has qualified for another amount under the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA).
This is as a result of the excellent execution of work with the first MCA of $547 million, respect for the rule of law and fundamental human rights and economic discipline by the government and the people of Ghana.
The MCC Resident Country Director, Ms Katerina Ntep, disclosed this to the Daily Graphic after a walk last Saturday to mark the last year of the project.
As of last Saturday, the programme was left with 368 days to be completed.
According to Ms Ntep, “The MCC and Ghanaian officials were in the process of discussing which sectors the second account will be applied to.”
He said basically the people of Ghana, led by the government, would come up with the specific sectors which they believed needed assistance.
She said the MCC was highly impressed about the speed and coverage of work, especially in the area of poverty alleviation, which was leading to wealth creation for people who were hitherto very poor.
Ms Ntep did not indicate how much Ghana would receive for the second amount but expressed satisfaction at the work of the first one so far.
According to the Chief Executive of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Mr Martin Esuon-Benjamin, the authority was more than prepared for the second amount because through the execution of work under the first phase, the authority had been able to build its capacity.
He said currently MiDA had disbursed over $490 million, adding that the remaining amount was for part of the work left to be done, other contingencies and administrative work.
He said MiDA had never had any budgetary constraint and urged contractors working on the last phase of all projects to finish in time to enable Ghanaians, especially farmers and others, to derive maximum benefit from the projects.
Mr Esuon-Benjamin noted that under the project, MiDA had trained and built the capacity of 73,000 farmers in 30 districts, built over 400 kilometres of road and computerised and connected about 40 rural banks for easy access to the ARP Apex Bank.
According to him, MiDA decided on the walk to gain more energy for the last lap of the project and also get itself in readiness for the second one.
In August 2006, the MCC signed a five-year, $547 million compact with the Republic of Ghana aimed at reducing poverty by raising farmer incomes through private sector-led and agribusiness development.
MCC investments are intended to increase the production and productivity of high-value cash and food staple crops in some of the poorest regions and enhance the competitiveness of Ghana’s agricultural produce in regional and international markets.
The MCC Compact in Ghana entered into force in February 2007, formally initiating the five-year timeline for project implementation.
This is as a result of the excellent execution of work with the first MCA of $547 million, respect for the rule of law and fundamental human rights and economic discipline by the government and the people of Ghana.
The MCC Resident Country Director, Ms Katerina Ntep, disclosed this to the Daily Graphic after a walk last Saturday to mark the last year of the project.
As of last Saturday, the programme was left with 368 days to be completed.
According to Ms Ntep, “The MCC and Ghanaian officials were in the process of discussing which sectors the second account will be applied to.”
He said basically the people of Ghana, led by the government, would come up with the specific sectors which they believed needed assistance.
She said the MCC was highly impressed about the speed and coverage of work, especially in the area of poverty alleviation, which was leading to wealth creation for people who were hitherto very poor.
Ms Ntep did not indicate how much Ghana would receive for the second amount but expressed satisfaction at the work of the first one so far.
According to the Chief Executive of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Mr Martin Esuon-Benjamin, the authority was more than prepared for the second amount because through the execution of work under the first phase, the authority had been able to build its capacity.
He said currently MiDA had disbursed over $490 million, adding that the remaining amount was for part of the work left to be done, other contingencies and administrative work.
He said MiDA had never had any budgetary constraint and urged contractors working on the last phase of all projects to finish in time to enable Ghanaians, especially farmers and others, to derive maximum benefit from the projects.
Mr Esuon-Benjamin noted that under the project, MiDA had trained and built the capacity of 73,000 farmers in 30 districts, built over 400 kilometres of road and computerised and connected about 40 rural banks for easy access to the ARP Apex Bank.
According to him, MiDA decided on the walk to gain more energy for the last lap of the project and also get itself in readiness for the second one.
In August 2006, the MCC signed a five-year, $547 million compact with the Republic of Ghana aimed at reducing poverty by raising farmer incomes through private sector-led and agribusiness development.
MCC investments are intended to increase the production and productivity of high-value cash and food staple crops in some of the poorest regions and enhance the competitiveness of Ghana’s agricultural produce in regional and international markets.
The MCC Compact in Ghana entered into force in February 2007, formally initiating the five-year timeline for project implementation.
Shun Akufo Addo’s threats of death, ethnocentrism — Hlodze
The National Youth Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Ludwig Akpene Hlodze, has urged the youth in both the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) not to be swayed by the threats of death and ethnocentric comments by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the NPP flag bearer, to destroy the future of the country.
“It is in the light of this that we condemn in no uncertain terms, the recent ‘all die be die’ and ethnocentric statements from Nana Akufo-Addo when he addressed party supporters in the Eastern Region”.
Mr Hlodze gave the advice when he addressed the youth of the party at the opening of the 2011-Action Year Regional Youth Organisers’ seminar in Accra. The occasion was used to launch the website of the NDC youth wing.
He explained that the meeting was aimed at positioning the youth of the party to be in tune with the President declaration of 2011 as an ‘action year’.
He added that as the future leaders of this country, irrespective of their political affiliation, they must ensure that Ghana remained an oasis of peace in the sub-region and also hold their leaders accountable with the aim of making “our political leaders [to be] seen and heard promoting nothing less than the culture of peace and national cohesion”.
He said the commitment demonstrated by the Mills government in the management of the economy, in the face of obvious international challenges, was highly commendable especially in the area of education, which is at the heart of youth training and development.
“We are elated that the campaign promise to establish two new universities in the Volta and Brong Ahafo regions are on course to being fulfilled,” he said, and added that the youth of the NDC were strongly behind the government to ensure that the programmes of government were prosecuted in the wider interest of all Ghanaians.
“In pursuance to this declaration, we are meeting today to brainstorm, plan and co-ordinate our activities for the year so as to maintain the momentum of progress and development injected into the country by the President towards securing yet another electoral victory for Ghana's development in 2012,” Mr Hlodze added.
He noted that some of the measures taken to reach all the NDC youth in the country and others in the world was the establishment of the NDC youth wing website, which is an idea he mooted with his deputies to “tell our story the way we want it told to the world”.
“It was also to collect feedback from our members across the nation and the world on our programmes and suggestions to make things better for the party. Post activities of all other groups, branches and individuals across the nation who have the interest of the NDC at heart. Use the website as a convenient means of information dissemination to our people by the click of a button,” he added.
According to Hlodze, recent developments in the country, especially from the youth in the NPP, left much to be desired.
He said the NDC youth had taken a firm stance against indiscipline and politics of insult and intended to continue this stance in the 2011 Action Year.
“As youth leaders we must work hands in gloves with Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives of State and Government appointees and Ghanaians in general to promote the Better Ghana Agenda”.
He, however, gave an assurance that the youth wing of the NDC would not hesitate to constructively criticise interventions it regarded as alien to the greater interest of Ghana's development in line with accepted practices.
“We will also not hesitate to discipline any of our members who take the law into their own hands as a means of seeking redress to any grievance. The future of the NDC rests in the bosom of sound leadership on the youth front and we must endeavour to make a difference as set standards worthy of emulation as leaders,” Mr Hlodze added.
Others speakers were Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah; General Secretary of the NDC, and Dr Omane Boamah, the Deputy Minister of Environment, Science and Technology. Others who graced the occasion were Mr Yaw Boateng Gyan and Ms Anita Desosa, the National Organiser and National Women Organiser of the NDC respectively.
“It is in the light of this that we condemn in no uncertain terms, the recent ‘all die be die’ and ethnocentric statements from Nana Akufo-Addo when he addressed party supporters in the Eastern Region”.
Mr Hlodze gave the advice when he addressed the youth of the party at the opening of the 2011-Action Year Regional Youth Organisers’ seminar in Accra. The occasion was used to launch the website of the NDC youth wing.
He explained that the meeting was aimed at positioning the youth of the party to be in tune with the President declaration of 2011 as an ‘action year’.
He added that as the future leaders of this country, irrespective of their political affiliation, they must ensure that Ghana remained an oasis of peace in the sub-region and also hold their leaders accountable with the aim of making “our political leaders [to be] seen and heard promoting nothing less than the culture of peace and national cohesion”.
He said the commitment demonstrated by the Mills government in the management of the economy, in the face of obvious international challenges, was highly commendable especially in the area of education, which is at the heart of youth training and development.
“We are elated that the campaign promise to establish two new universities in the Volta and Brong Ahafo regions are on course to being fulfilled,” he said, and added that the youth of the NDC were strongly behind the government to ensure that the programmes of government were prosecuted in the wider interest of all Ghanaians.
“In pursuance to this declaration, we are meeting today to brainstorm, plan and co-ordinate our activities for the year so as to maintain the momentum of progress and development injected into the country by the President towards securing yet another electoral victory for Ghana's development in 2012,” Mr Hlodze added.
He noted that some of the measures taken to reach all the NDC youth in the country and others in the world was the establishment of the NDC youth wing website, which is an idea he mooted with his deputies to “tell our story the way we want it told to the world”.
“It was also to collect feedback from our members across the nation and the world on our programmes and suggestions to make things better for the party. Post activities of all other groups, branches and individuals across the nation who have the interest of the NDC at heart. Use the website as a convenient means of information dissemination to our people by the click of a button,” he added.
According to Hlodze, recent developments in the country, especially from the youth in the NPP, left much to be desired.
He said the NDC youth had taken a firm stance against indiscipline and politics of insult and intended to continue this stance in the 2011 Action Year.
“As youth leaders we must work hands in gloves with Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives of State and Government appointees and Ghanaians in general to promote the Better Ghana Agenda”.
He, however, gave an assurance that the youth wing of the NDC would not hesitate to constructively criticise interventions it regarded as alien to the greater interest of Ghana's development in line with accepted practices.
“We will also not hesitate to discipline any of our members who take the law into their own hands as a means of seeking redress to any grievance. The future of the NDC rests in the bosom of sound leadership on the youth front and we must endeavour to make a difference as set standards worthy of emulation as leaders,” Mr Hlodze added.
Others speakers were Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah; General Secretary of the NDC, and Dr Omane Boamah, the Deputy Minister of Environment, Science and Technology. Others who graced the occasion were Mr Yaw Boateng Gyan and Ms Anita Desosa, the National Organiser and National Women Organiser of the NDC respectively.
Select 40 per cent women as govt appointees • To assemblies
The Ministry of Local government and Rural Development has directed all district, metropolitan and municipal assemblies to ensure that at least 40 per cent of all government appointees to the assemblies are females.
The directive is in line with the government’s plan to ensure that more women are given the opportunity to serve in public positions.
In a interview with Daily Graphic, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said the instruction was also aimed at affording other women the chance to use the district assemblies as a training ground to build their political career.
The government promised to offer 40 per cent of appointment to women but this lofty idea could not be attained due to a myriad of problems, including the fact that only 18 women were elected to the 230-member Parliament.
Some women rejected their appointment as district chief executives for various reasons, while those who accepted the challenge faced huge resistance when it came to their confirmation. This and other reasons made it impossible to fulfil the promise.
According Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, such appointments should be made from professional women associations. He also noted that experience had shown that when women were given such an opportunity, they were able to build their capacity, get insight into public administration and as the ultimate beneficiaries of all development projects, bring the aspirations of the people to bear on the execution of such projects.
He added that it was the belief of the government that every opportunity, including the selection of government appointees to district assemblies must be used as a unique opportunity to create a fertile ground for women to participate in governance and build their capacity for higher appointment and elections.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, the immediate past Eastern Regional Minister, personally supported all women in the region, who contested the district level elections, by funding their posters to give them an urge over their male counterparts.
The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated on several platforms that the constitutional requirement for the President to appoint 50 per cent of his Cabinet from Parliament made it difficult for the government to deliver on its campaign promise of ensuring 40 per cent representation of women in government.
Responding to criticism by gender activists that the party had failed to live up to its manifesto pledge, the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said "If you have less than 10 per cent of your MPs being females, then it is going to be a miracle to be able to get 40 per cent females as your appointees. ”
Mr Asiedu-Nketia also said when the party opened nominations for parliamentary primaries, it would give 50 per cent rebate to female aspirants to encourage more women to contest.
He believes if the party is able to get many women in Parliament, it would be in better stead to fulfil its manifesto promise of appointing 40 per cent of women into government positions.
The directive is in line with the government’s plan to ensure that more women are given the opportunity to serve in public positions.
In a interview with Daily Graphic, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, said the instruction was also aimed at affording other women the chance to use the district assemblies as a training ground to build their political career.
The government promised to offer 40 per cent of appointment to women but this lofty idea could not be attained due to a myriad of problems, including the fact that only 18 women were elected to the 230-member Parliament.
Some women rejected their appointment as district chief executives for various reasons, while those who accepted the challenge faced huge resistance when it came to their confirmation. This and other reasons made it impossible to fulfil the promise.
According Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, such appointments should be made from professional women associations. He also noted that experience had shown that when women were given such an opportunity, they were able to build their capacity, get insight into public administration and as the ultimate beneficiaries of all development projects, bring the aspirations of the people to bear on the execution of such projects.
He added that it was the belief of the government that every opportunity, including the selection of government appointees to district assemblies must be used as a unique opportunity to create a fertile ground for women to participate in governance and build their capacity for higher appointment and elections.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo, the immediate past Eastern Regional Minister, personally supported all women in the region, who contested the district level elections, by funding their posters to give them an urge over their male counterparts.
The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated on several platforms that the constitutional requirement for the President to appoint 50 per cent of his Cabinet from Parliament made it difficult for the government to deliver on its campaign promise of ensuring 40 per cent representation of women in government.
Responding to criticism by gender activists that the party had failed to live up to its manifesto pledge, the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said "If you have less than 10 per cent of your MPs being females, then it is going to be a miracle to be able to get 40 per cent females as your appointees. ”
Mr Asiedu-Nketia also said when the party opened nominations for parliamentary primaries, it would give 50 per cent rebate to female aspirants to encourage more women to contest.
He believes if the party is able to get many women in Parliament, it would be in better stead to fulfil its manifesto promise of appointing 40 per cent of women into government positions.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Parties urged to stop chrging exorbitant filing fees
A gender advocate, Mrs Rosaline Obeng-Ofori, has described as exorbitant, some of the filing fees that some political parties are charging aspiring parliamentary candidates.
She said the huge amount being charged was not only a disincentive to female aspirants, but a bait for political office holders to be corrupt.
Mrs Obeng-Ofori, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic about the huge amounts being charged, noted that the move would also make political positions, especially Member of Parliament (MP), the preserve of the rich and not that of committed and dedicated persons who wanted to serve their communities.
She wanted to find out how qualified people from rural constituencies, teachers or health workers who were aware of the aspirations of the people and were in the best position to articulate such aspirations could mobilise over GH¢ 8,000 just to file their nominations.
The two leading political parties, NDC and NPP, have come out with their filing fees for aspiring parliamentary hopeful.
With the NPP, those in constituencies with sitting MPs would pay GH¢ 16,000 while those in orphaned constituencies will pay GH¢ 6,000. But in both cases, female candidates would pay only half the amount.
The NDC, however, is charging GH¢2,000 for males and GH¢ 1,000 for females.
At the weekend, Mr Larry Bimi, the Chairman of the National Commission for Civic Education, also described as unfortunate, the decision by some political parties to charge their parliamentary aspirants high filing fees.
According to the chairman, such exorbitant charges would debar competent but resource-constrained persons from seeking to represent their constituents in the legislature.
Ms Obeng-Ofori was worried that people who were bent on contesting the positions by all means would have to resort to all means to raise the funds, including borrowing from the banks at unbearable interest rates.
“When such people win the elections, they have to find money within the shortest possible time to repay the loans. Some have to cut corners, especially through corrupt practices to get money”.
She said this had partially contributed to the reason why political office holders take the usual 10 per cent contract fees, culminating in shoddy and uncompleted contracts.
Ms Obeng-Ofori alleged that there was a place in the country where the construction of a public urinal cost GH¢ 2,000 instead of the normal GH¢ 400, meaning the state had lost GH¢ 1,600 on such a minor project.
She said the huge amount being charged was not only a disincentive to female aspirants, but a bait for political office holders to be corrupt.
Mrs Obeng-Ofori, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic about the huge amounts being charged, noted that the move would also make political positions, especially Member of Parliament (MP), the preserve of the rich and not that of committed and dedicated persons who wanted to serve their communities.
She wanted to find out how qualified people from rural constituencies, teachers or health workers who were aware of the aspirations of the people and were in the best position to articulate such aspirations could mobilise over GH¢ 8,000 just to file their nominations.
The two leading political parties, NDC and NPP, have come out with their filing fees for aspiring parliamentary hopeful.
With the NPP, those in constituencies with sitting MPs would pay GH¢ 16,000 while those in orphaned constituencies will pay GH¢ 6,000. But in both cases, female candidates would pay only half the amount.
The NDC, however, is charging GH¢2,000 for males and GH¢ 1,000 for females.
At the weekend, Mr Larry Bimi, the Chairman of the National Commission for Civic Education, also described as unfortunate, the decision by some political parties to charge their parliamentary aspirants high filing fees.
According to the chairman, such exorbitant charges would debar competent but resource-constrained persons from seeking to represent their constituents in the legislature.
Ms Obeng-Ofori was worried that people who were bent on contesting the positions by all means would have to resort to all means to raise the funds, including borrowing from the banks at unbearable interest rates.
“When such people win the elections, they have to find money within the shortest possible time to repay the loans. Some have to cut corners, especially through corrupt practices to get money”.
She said this had partially contributed to the reason why political office holders take the usual 10 per cent contract fees, culminating in shoddy and uncompleted contracts.
Ms Obeng-Ofori alleged that there was a place in the country where the construction of a public urinal cost GH¢ 2,000 instead of the normal GH¢ 400, meaning the state had lost GH¢ 1,600 on such a minor project.
Kabila to vie for CPP General Secretary
THE National Youth Organiser of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Mr Kwabena Bonfeh, has declared his intention to contest the party’s general secretary position at this year’s congress.
“I want to become the general secretary of our great party to be able to enhance its electoral image and also position it as the vanguard of political aspiration of the people of this country,” he said.
Mr Bonfeh, who is also known in political circles as ‘Kabila’, disclosed this in an interview and added that he had taken the decision because he would soon make the transition from the youth age bracket and that it was just correct he allowed other dynamic youth of the party to take up the youth organiser position.
The CPP will elect a flag bearer for the 2012 elections on September 30, 2011. Prior to this, the party will hold a congress to elect national officers on April 30, 2011.
“I am exiting the youth brackets. I don’t want to hold my self as a youth again. There are equally qualified, brilliant and highly enthused young men in the CPP who should be given the opportunity to lead the youth of the party,” he said.
The youth organiser, who was interdicted with the General Secretary, Mr Ivor Greenstreet by the party leadership last year,noted that “the issue was over and done with”.
He however, stated that the Central Committee which
took the action erred and that their decision did not reflect the intention of the framers of the CPP constitution which stated that at all times, the constitution was supreme and overrode all individual interest.
“This was the mistake the Central Committee of the CPP made by coming out publicly and loudly with the interdiction. It was inappropriate but we should put the past behind us,” Mr Bonfeh added.
“I want to become the general secretary of our great party to be able to enhance its electoral image and also position it as the vanguard of political aspiration of the people of this country,” he said.
Mr Bonfeh, who is also known in political circles as ‘Kabila’, disclosed this in an interview and added that he had taken the decision because he would soon make the transition from the youth age bracket and that it was just correct he allowed other dynamic youth of the party to take up the youth organiser position.
The CPP will elect a flag bearer for the 2012 elections on September 30, 2011. Prior to this, the party will hold a congress to elect national officers on April 30, 2011.
“I am exiting the youth brackets. I don’t want to hold my self as a youth again. There are equally qualified, brilliant and highly enthused young men in the CPP who should be given the opportunity to lead the youth of the party,” he said.
The youth organiser, who was interdicted with the General Secretary, Mr Ivor Greenstreet by the party leadership last year,noted that “the issue was over and done with”.
He however, stated that the Central Committee which
took the action erred and that their decision did not reflect the intention of the framers of the CPP constitution which stated that at all times, the constitution was supreme and overrode all individual interest.
“This was the mistake the Central Committee of the CPP made by coming out publicly and loudly with the interdiction. It was inappropriate but we should put the past behind us,” Mr Bonfeh added.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
NPP calls for action on Anas recording
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on President Mills to exhibit concrete commitment to fight corruption and refrain from lukewarm attitude and angry exhortations towards reported cases.
It said the President had consistently failed to take tangible actions after all the investigations by Mr Anas Aremeyaw Anas and that it was the NPP’s fear that similar attitude would be meted out to the recent expose of corrupt practices at the Tema Harbour.
Addressing a press conference in Accra today, Nana Akomea, the Director of Communications for the NPP 2012 Campaign, said the NPP was not blaming the Mills government for the corrupt practices of the custom officials but wanted action to be taken on all such reported cases.
He noted that the party’s fear was borne out of the fact that nothing had come out of the previous two exposures of corrupt practices of revenue and security personnel at the country’s western borders and heinous crimes against children at the Osu Children’s Home.
Regarding the rot and corrupt practices by revenue and security personnel at the country’s western borders, he described the government’s reaction as “nothing short of scandalous”.
He said the most worrying part of the issue was that the investigative journalist provided concrete evidence of state officials facilitating the smuggling of cocoa, a criminal activity which cost the country huge foreign exchange.
“However, just last week, just as the President was preparing to make his unannounced visits to the Tema Port, the 14 security personnel who were at the centre of the alleged cocoa smuggling scandal were being freed for the second time for want of prosecution,” Nana Akomea said.
He said the court had to release the accused persons for the second time not because the prosecution did not have evidence, but that the Attorney General and his lawyers simply failed to repeatedly show up in the court and present the evidence.
He explained that on the exposures at the Osu Children’s Home, “the political reaction sought to attack Mr Anas’s integrity. His motives were questioned and his findings were said to be doctored. Eventually some committee was set up by the responsible ministry.”
Nana Akomea alleged that the political reaction had been so discouraging that there was hardly any collaboration between the committee and Mr Anas and that since then there had been no new policy initiative by the Mills-Mahama administration to protect Ghana’s children.
“Can we say that the Mills-Mahama government is serious about building a better Ghana where the price of corruption is high and unattractive. This simple case has proven too much for the Attorney General’s Department and its collaborators,” he said.
He said with Anas’ latest expose of corruption and inefficiency at the Tema Port, “the official reactions seem to be following the same lines of harangue and exhortations from Presidency and other officials that is not followed by concrete action.”
Nana Akomea recalled President Mills visit to the Tema Harbour and his usual exhortations directed at the customs officials
He quoted President Mills at the Tema Harbour when he stated that “ every day we hear of reports of bribe taking... and that people go to work at customs and within three years they are putting up buildings”.
He added that it was obvious that the President knew all about the daily happenings at the Tema Port, it was, therefore, curious that the President would say that he was waiting for the Anas’ video before he would act.
Nana Akomea said for custom officials putting up houses within three years and alleged that there were several political appointees in President Mills’ government putting up houses within two years which had not been investigated.
On the President’s appeal to the judiciary, he pointed out that the judiciary could only convict on the basis of ample evidence.
He added but when such evidence were available, such as in Mr Anas’ work, and the Attorney General’s Department failed to go to the court with the evidence, then the judiciary might not be able to hand down convictions.
He said instead of telling Ghanaians actions he had taken about such revelation by Mr Anas, President Mills had decided to issue warnings to officials at the Driver and Vehicle Licence Authority (DVLA) and custom officials at the Aflao border.
He described the President as the Chief watchman and that just as former President Kufuor did by introducing the GCNET system and the computerisation of the DVLA operations that reduced corruption, he must act now.
Nana Akomea said the next NPP administration would introduce a policy for a crack team of undercover investigators which would strengthen the kind of investigative work being undertaken by Mr Anas.
••• But NDC blames NPP for at Tema Port
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated that the recent startling revelation of reports of corruption at the Tema Harbour was an indictment on the Kufuor Administration.
“The NDC is, however, shocked that though the revelation of corruption at the Tema Habour in Anas’s video largely occurred during the Kufour-led regime, the NPP is mischievously creating the impression as though the NDC–led government is blameable when clearly the report rather indicts the NPP era”, it said.
A statement signed by Mr Richard Quashigah, the National Propaganda Secretary of the NDC, said it was unacceptable for some NPP members to link President Mills and the head of the Customs Exercise and Preventive Service (CEPS) to the stinking bribery and corruption uncovered.
It commended Mr. Anas, Aremeyaw Anas, Deputy Editor of the Crusading Guide Newspaper, for his recent investigative report as well as the Minister of Finance, Dr. Kwabena Dufour, for collaborating with Mr. Anas to investigate and analyse the situation at the GPHA since 2005.
The statement also condemned Mr P. C Appiah- Ofori, the Member of Parliament for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, for “also displaying immaturity and ignorance by condemning the President over the same report.”
It said if this twisting of facts was not hypocrisy and mischief, then it only exposed the NPP stalwarts as “ignorant and lacking analytic minds to understand the sterling journalistic work”.
The statement noted that the willingness of the Mills government to collaborate with Anas for this project was in itself a demonstration of a courageous commitment to fight the canker for which President Mills should be lauded.
“The leadership of the NDC is reliably informed that the vile NPP propaganda machinery has fed their spokespeople and organised teams with the well-rehearsed distortion of facts in Mr. Anas’s report.
“Reliable reports are that they are moving round the rural areas and creating the impression to the Ghanaians that this government perpetuated such acts of corruption as exposed by Anas’s video. This is not only mischievously unpatriotic, but also undermines national progress,” it alleged.
The statement said the distortion of facts by the NPP was not surprising because the NPP had not been able to formulate any inspirational message and alternate programme to sell to voters in the face of the sterling performance on many fronts by the Mills-led government.
“The NDC wishes to remind the NPP that their understanding of ‘Zero Tolerance for Corruption’ which meant looting and forcefully owning state property is still very fresh in peoples’ minds,” it said.
It wondered whether “it was true that the NPP prevented Mr. Anas from pursuing a similar investigation at a time the NPP was in office. Perhaps Mr. Kwadwo Impianim, the then Chief of Staff at the Presidency and Mr. Anas are in the best position to answer this question”.
It commended Mr. Anas, Aremeyaw Anas, Deputy Editor of the Crusading Guide Newspaper, for his recent investigative report.
It said the President had consistently failed to take tangible actions after all the investigations by Mr Anas Aremeyaw Anas and that it was the NPP’s fear that similar attitude would be meted out to the recent expose of corrupt practices at the Tema Harbour.
Addressing a press conference in Accra today, Nana Akomea, the Director of Communications for the NPP 2012 Campaign, said the NPP was not blaming the Mills government for the corrupt practices of the custom officials but wanted action to be taken on all such reported cases.
He noted that the party’s fear was borne out of the fact that nothing had come out of the previous two exposures of corrupt practices of revenue and security personnel at the country’s western borders and heinous crimes against children at the Osu Children’s Home.
Regarding the rot and corrupt practices by revenue and security personnel at the country’s western borders, he described the government’s reaction as “nothing short of scandalous”.
He said the most worrying part of the issue was that the investigative journalist provided concrete evidence of state officials facilitating the smuggling of cocoa, a criminal activity which cost the country huge foreign exchange.
“However, just last week, just as the President was preparing to make his unannounced visits to the Tema Port, the 14 security personnel who were at the centre of the alleged cocoa smuggling scandal were being freed for the second time for want of prosecution,” Nana Akomea said.
He said the court had to release the accused persons for the second time not because the prosecution did not have evidence, but that the Attorney General and his lawyers simply failed to repeatedly show up in the court and present the evidence.
He explained that on the exposures at the Osu Children’s Home, “the political reaction sought to attack Mr Anas’s integrity. His motives were questioned and his findings were said to be doctored. Eventually some committee was set up by the responsible ministry.”
Nana Akomea alleged that the political reaction had been so discouraging that there was hardly any collaboration between the committee and Mr Anas and that since then there had been no new policy initiative by the Mills-Mahama administration to protect Ghana’s children.
“Can we say that the Mills-Mahama government is serious about building a better Ghana where the price of corruption is high and unattractive. This simple case has proven too much for the Attorney General’s Department and its collaborators,” he said.
He said with Anas’ latest expose of corruption and inefficiency at the Tema Port, “the official reactions seem to be following the same lines of harangue and exhortations from Presidency and other officials that is not followed by concrete action.”
Nana Akomea recalled President Mills visit to the Tema Harbour and his usual exhortations directed at the customs officials
He quoted President Mills at the Tema Harbour when he stated that “ every day we hear of reports of bribe taking... and that people go to work at customs and within three years they are putting up buildings”.
He added that it was obvious that the President knew all about the daily happenings at the Tema Port, it was, therefore, curious that the President would say that he was waiting for the Anas’ video before he would act.
Nana Akomea said for custom officials putting up houses within three years and alleged that there were several political appointees in President Mills’ government putting up houses within two years which had not been investigated.
On the President’s appeal to the judiciary, he pointed out that the judiciary could only convict on the basis of ample evidence.
He added but when such evidence were available, such as in Mr Anas’ work, and the Attorney General’s Department failed to go to the court with the evidence, then the judiciary might not be able to hand down convictions.
He said instead of telling Ghanaians actions he had taken about such revelation by Mr Anas, President Mills had decided to issue warnings to officials at the Driver and Vehicle Licence Authority (DVLA) and custom officials at the Aflao border.
He described the President as the Chief watchman and that just as former President Kufuor did by introducing the GCNET system and the computerisation of the DVLA operations that reduced corruption, he must act now.
Nana Akomea said the next NPP administration would introduce a policy for a crack team of undercover investigators which would strengthen the kind of investigative work being undertaken by Mr Anas.
••• But NDC blames NPP for at Tema Port
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has stated that the recent startling revelation of reports of corruption at the Tema Harbour was an indictment on the Kufuor Administration.
“The NDC is, however, shocked that though the revelation of corruption at the Tema Habour in Anas’s video largely occurred during the Kufour-led regime, the NPP is mischievously creating the impression as though the NDC–led government is blameable when clearly the report rather indicts the NPP era”, it said.
A statement signed by Mr Richard Quashigah, the National Propaganda Secretary of the NDC, said it was unacceptable for some NPP members to link President Mills and the head of the Customs Exercise and Preventive Service (CEPS) to the stinking bribery and corruption uncovered.
It commended Mr. Anas, Aremeyaw Anas, Deputy Editor of the Crusading Guide Newspaper, for his recent investigative report as well as the Minister of Finance, Dr. Kwabena Dufour, for collaborating with Mr. Anas to investigate and analyse the situation at the GPHA since 2005.
The statement also condemned Mr P. C Appiah- Ofori, the Member of Parliament for Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, for “also displaying immaturity and ignorance by condemning the President over the same report.”
It said if this twisting of facts was not hypocrisy and mischief, then it only exposed the NPP stalwarts as “ignorant and lacking analytic minds to understand the sterling journalistic work”.
The statement noted that the willingness of the Mills government to collaborate with Anas for this project was in itself a demonstration of a courageous commitment to fight the canker for which President Mills should be lauded.
“The leadership of the NDC is reliably informed that the vile NPP propaganda machinery has fed their spokespeople and organised teams with the well-rehearsed distortion of facts in Mr. Anas’s report.
“Reliable reports are that they are moving round the rural areas and creating the impression to the Ghanaians that this government perpetuated such acts of corruption as exposed by Anas’s video. This is not only mischievously unpatriotic, but also undermines national progress,” it alleged.
The statement said the distortion of facts by the NPP was not surprising because the NPP had not been able to formulate any inspirational message and alternate programme to sell to voters in the face of the sterling performance on many fronts by the Mills-led government.
“The NDC wishes to remind the NPP that their understanding of ‘Zero Tolerance for Corruption’ which meant looting and forcefully owning state property is still very fresh in peoples’ minds,” it said.
It wondered whether “it was true that the NPP prevented Mr. Anas from pursuing a similar investigation at a time the NPP was in office. Perhaps Mr. Kwadwo Impianim, the then Chief of Staff at the Presidency and Mr. Anas are in the best position to answer this question”.
It commended Mr. Anas, Aremeyaw Anas, Deputy Editor of the Crusading Guide Newspaper, for his recent investigative report.
NPP calls for action on Anas recording
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on President Mills to exhibit concrete commitment to fight corruption and refrain from lukewarm attitude and angry exhortations towards reported cases.
It said the President had consistently failed to take tangible actions after all the investigations by Mr Anas Aremeyaw Anas and that it was the NPP’s fear that similar attitude would be meted out to the recent expose of corrupt practices at the Tema Harbour.
Addressing a press conference in Accra today, Nana Akomea, the Director of Communications for the NPP 2012 Campaign, said the NPP was not blaming the Mills government for the corrupt practices of the custom officials but wanted action to be taken on all such reported cases.
He noted that the party’s fear was borne out of the fact that nothing had come out of the previous two exposures of corrupt practices of revenue and security personnel at the country’s western borders and heinous crimes against children at the Osu Children’s Home.
Regarding the rot and corrupt practices by revenue and security personnel at the country’s western borders, he described the government’s reaction as “nothing short of scandalous”.
He said the most worrying part of the issue was that the investigative journalist provided concrete evidence of state officials facilitating the smuggling of cocoa, a criminal activity which cost the country huge foreign exchange.
“However, just last week, just as the President was preparing to make his unannounced visits to the Tema Port, the 14 security personnel who were at the centre of the alleged cocoa smuggling scandal were being freed for the second time for want of prosecution,” Nana Akomea said.
He said the court had to release the accused persons for the second time not because the prosecution did not have evidence, but that the Attorney General and his lawyers simply failed to repeatedly show up in the court and present the evidence.
He explained that on the exposures at the Osu Children’s Home, “the political reaction sought to attack Mr Anas’s integrity. His motives were questioned and his findings were said to be doctored. Eventually some committee was set up by the responsible ministry.”
Nana Akomea alleged that the political reaction had been so discouraging that there was hardly any collaboration between the committee and Mr Anas and that since then there had been no new policy initiative by the Mills-Mahama administration to protect Ghana’s children.
“Can we say that the Mills-Mahama government is serious about building a better Ghana where the price of corruption is high and unattractive. This simple case has proven too much for the Attorney General’s Department and its collaborators,” he said.
He said with Anas’ latest expose of corruption and inefficiency at the Tema Port, “the official reactions seem to be following the same lines of harangue and exhortations from Presidency and other officials that is not followed by concrete action.”
Nana Akomea recalled President Mills visit to the Tema Harbour and his usual exhortations directed at the customs officials
He quoted President Mills at the Tema Harbour when he stated that “ every day we hear of reports of bribe taking... and that people go to work at customs and within three years they are putting up buildings”.
He added that it was obvious that the President knew all about the daily happenings at the Tema Port, it was, therefore, curious that the President would say that he was waiting for the Anas’ video before he would act.
Nana Akomea said for custom officials putting up houses within three years and alleged that there were several political appointees in President Mills’ government putting up houses within two years which had not been investigated.
On the President’s appeal to the judiciary, he pointed out that the judiciary could only convict on the basis of ample evidence.
He added but when such evidence were available, such as in Mr Anas’ work, and the Attorney General’s Department failed to go to the court with the evidence, then the judiciary might not be able to hand down convictions.
He said instead of telling Ghanaians actions he had taken about such revelation by Mr Anas, President Mills had decided to issue warnings to officials at the Driver and Vehicle Licence Authority (DVLA) and custom officials at the Aflao border.
He described the President as the Chief watchman and that just as former President Kufuor did by introducing the GCNET system and the computerisation of the DVLA operations that reduced corruption, he must act now.
Nana Akomea said the next NPP administration would introduce a policy for a crack team of undercover investigators which would strengthen the kind of investigative work being undertaken by Mr Anas.
It said the President had consistently failed to take tangible actions after all the investigations by Mr Anas Aremeyaw Anas and that it was the NPP’s fear that similar attitude would be meted out to the recent expose of corrupt practices at the Tema Harbour.
Addressing a press conference in Accra today, Nana Akomea, the Director of Communications for the NPP 2012 Campaign, said the NPP was not blaming the Mills government for the corrupt practices of the custom officials but wanted action to be taken on all such reported cases.
He noted that the party’s fear was borne out of the fact that nothing had come out of the previous two exposures of corrupt practices of revenue and security personnel at the country’s western borders and heinous crimes against children at the Osu Children’s Home.
Regarding the rot and corrupt practices by revenue and security personnel at the country’s western borders, he described the government’s reaction as “nothing short of scandalous”.
He said the most worrying part of the issue was that the investigative journalist provided concrete evidence of state officials facilitating the smuggling of cocoa, a criminal activity which cost the country huge foreign exchange.
“However, just last week, just as the President was preparing to make his unannounced visits to the Tema Port, the 14 security personnel who were at the centre of the alleged cocoa smuggling scandal were being freed for the second time for want of prosecution,” Nana Akomea said.
He said the court had to release the accused persons for the second time not because the prosecution did not have evidence, but that the Attorney General and his lawyers simply failed to repeatedly show up in the court and present the evidence.
He explained that on the exposures at the Osu Children’s Home, “the political reaction sought to attack Mr Anas’s integrity. His motives were questioned and his findings were said to be doctored. Eventually some committee was set up by the responsible ministry.”
Nana Akomea alleged that the political reaction had been so discouraging that there was hardly any collaboration between the committee and Mr Anas and that since then there had been no new policy initiative by the Mills-Mahama administration to protect Ghana’s children.
“Can we say that the Mills-Mahama government is serious about building a better Ghana where the price of corruption is high and unattractive. This simple case has proven too much for the Attorney General’s Department and its collaborators,” he said.
He said with Anas’ latest expose of corruption and inefficiency at the Tema Port, “the official reactions seem to be following the same lines of harangue and exhortations from Presidency and other officials that is not followed by concrete action.”
Nana Akomea recalled President Mills visit to the Tema Harbour and his usual exhortations directed at the customs officials
He quoted President Mills at the Tema Harbour when he stated that “ every day we hear of reports of bribe taking... and that people go to work at customs and within three years they are putting up buildings”.
He added that it was obvious that the President knew all about the daily happenings at the Tema Port, it was, therefore, curious that the President would say that he was waiting for the Anas’ video before he would act.
Nana Akomea said for custom officials putting up houses within three years and alleged that there were several political appointees in President Mills’ government putting up houses within two years which had not been investigated.
On the President’s appeal to the judiciary, he pointed out that the judiciary could only convict on the basis of ample evidence.
He added but when such evidence were available, such as in Mr Anas’ work, and the Attorney General’s Department failed to go to the court with the evidence, then the judiciary might not be able to hand down convictions.
He said instead of telling Ghanaians actions he had taken about such revelation by Mr Anas, President Mills had decided to issue warnings to officials at the Driver and Vehicle Licence Authority (DVLA) and custom officials at the Aflao border.
He described the President as the Chief watchman and that just as former President Kufuor did by introducing the GCNET system and the computerisation of the DVLA operations that reduced corruption, he must act now.
Nana Akomea said the next NPP administration would introduce a policy for a crack team of undercover investigators which would strengthen the kind of investigative work being undertaken by Mr Anas.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Trotro drivers at 37 appeal for reduction in fuel prices
THE Chairman of the 37 Military Hospital Branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Mr Osei Frimpong, has appealed to President Mills to reduce the recent hikes in the prices of petroleum products.
He said drivers had always been at the receiving end when there were hikes in fuel prices and that the recent increases had worsened their plight.
Mr Frimpong made the appeal at a press conference organised by the Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG), a pressure group, at the 37 Military Hospital Lorry Station in Accra yesterday.
According to him, the press conference had been organised at the lorry station because he had invited AFAG to do so.
The press conference was also used by AFAG to announce its planned demonstration against the recently announced upward adjustments in fuel prices on January 26, 2011.
According to the local GPRTU Chairman, although drivers had played a major role in bringing the NDC to power, especially because of its promise to reduce the prices of petroleum, they had been disappointed with the periodic increases.
He said anytime there were petroleum price hikes, drivers had been subjected to all kinds of harassment by passengers who suspected that they had been cheated by drivers and car owners because fares had been increased.
That, coupled with domestic problems arising from increases in school fees, rents and other utilities, had make life unbearable for drivers, he added.
Mr Frimpong said apart from the fuel price increases, all other things that went into enhancing the smooth operation of commercial vehicles had shot up, while drivers were only allowed to adjust fares based on fuel price hikes alone.
Announcing the date for the AFAG demonstration, dubbed “Ahokyere”, literally meaning ‘suffering’, Mr Martin Adjei Mensah, the Spokesperson for the group, said on January 5, 2011, the alliance pleaded with the government to, as a matter of urgency, reduce the petroleum price hikes.
He said AFAG also gave the government a 10-day ultimatum for a reduction in fuel prices or incur the wrath of Ghanaians.
He said the economic problems facing Ghanaians were huge and crippling because parents were unable to pay their children’s school fees, with businesses collapsing, even in the face of increasing unemployment.
Mr Adjei-Mensah noted that in the midst of all those hardships, it had been the expectation of Ghanaians that the government would heed their plea and reduce taxes. Unfortunately, the Mills administration had slapped them with high taxes.
He said it was based on those broken promises by President Mills that AFAG and its allies, such as the Generational Youth Movement, the Progressive Nationalist Forum, traders’ associations and labour unions, would embark on the demonstration to register their protest against the harsh economic conditions in the country.
He said drivers had always been at the receiving end when there were hikes in fuel prices and that the recent increases had worsened their plight.
Mr Frimpong made the appeal at a press conference organised by the Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG), a pressure group, at the 37 Military Hospital Lorry Station in Accra yesterday.
According to him, the press conference had been organised at the lorry station because he had invited AFAG to do so.
The press conference was also used by AFAG to announce its planned demonstration against the recently announced upward adjustments in fuel prices on January 26, 2011.
According to the local GPRTU Chairman, although drivers had played a major role in bringing the NDC to power, especially because of its promise to reduce the prices of petroleum, they had been disappointed with the periodic increases.
He said anytime there were petroleum price hikes, drivers had been subjected to all kinds of harassment by passengers who suspected that they had been cheated by drivers and car owners because fares had been increased.
That, coupled with domestic problems arising from increases in school fees, rents and other utilities, had make life unbearable for drivers, he added.
Mr Frimpong said apart from the fuel price increases, all other things that went into enhancing the smooth operation of commercial vehicles had shot up, while drivers were only allowed to adjust fares based on fuel price hikes alone.
Announcing the date for the AFAG demonstration, dubbed “Ahokyere”, literally meaning ‘suffering’, Mr Martin Adjei Mensah, the Spokesperson for the group, said on January 5, 2011, the alliance pleaded with the government to, as a matter of urgency, reduce the petroleum price hikes.
He said AFAG also gave the government a 10-day ultimatum for a reduction in fuel prices or incur the wrath of Ghanaians.
He said the economic problems facing Ghanaians were huge and crippling because parents were unable to pay their children’s school fees, with businesses collapsing, even in the face of increasing unemployment.
Mr Adjei-Mensah noted that in the midst of all those hardships, it had been the expectation of Ghanaians that the government would heed their plea and reduce taxes. Unfortunately, the Mills administration had slapped them with high taxes.
He said it was based on those broken promises by President Mills that AFAG and its allies, such as the Generational Youth Movement, the Progressive Nationalist Forum, traders’ associations and labour unions, would embark on the demonstration to register their protest against the harsh economic conditions in the country.
CJA reacts to petroleum price hikes
THE Committee for Joint Action (CJA), a pressure group, has called on government to find better means of generating revenue for development and dealing with the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) debt instead of always taxing the poor Ghanaian to make up for these shortfalls.
“It is time to concentrate on dealing with the massive corruption and thievery in the revenue generating agencies to increase revenue. The CJA opposed to the instinct to tax the poor whenever it was unable or unwilling to deal with the rot and inefficiency in the country”
The Convener of CJA, Mr Kwesi Adu who made this known at a press conference in Accra today in reaction to the recent fuel price hikes announced by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
He described the reason for the recent fuel price hikes as “ridiculous” because the Mills Administration in February 2010 told Ghanaians that the Kufuor Administration diverted GH¢ 270 million of the TOR debt recovered from Ghanaians and added that instead of dealing with those involved, it was asking the same Ghanaian to pay more for what they had already paid for.
He condemned both the NPP and the NDC for always using the “same tired excuse” such rise in fuel prices on world market, the need to remove government subsidies on fuel and the need to increase profit margins of oil marketing companies as reason for fuel price hikes.
He said if was a “fallacy” for the government to use the excuse about rises in the world market prices of oil” because in May 2010 the government said it had struck a deal with Equatorial Guinea for supply of one million barrels of oil a year and had also had similar deals with Libya and Nigeria.
On the diversion of the reclaimed TOR debt by some officials of the Kufor Administration, Mr Adu called on the Mills Administration to take steps to recover these monies and bring the perpetrators to book.
He explained that it was to pay for these diverted monies that the government had increased the TOR Recovery Levy by 400 per cent and said “the message here is that it is all right for politicians to divert state money for parochial purpose and make the poor people of Ghana to pay for it”.
“The CJA finds it unacceptable that a time when Ghanaians have not seen much improvement in their living conditions, the government should be asking the same poor people to carry the additional tax burden just to increase the profit margins of petroleum distributors in the country,” he said.
Mr Adu said the CJA was incensed that whenever the government was unable to apply proper scrutiny and efficiency in the nation’s finances, their first instinct was to tax the people further.
He cited the example of road tolls which was increased by 1000 per cent in 2009 but the revenue from it increased by only 106 per cent and asked where was the additional 894 per cent gone to.
He reminded the NDC government that under the Kufuor Administration when the price per barrel of crude oil reached $ 139.83, the ex-pump price per litre was GH¢ 1.18 per litre.
“What sound explanation can the NDC government give to justify the fact that now that the price of Brent Crude is less than $96 per barrel we should pay GH¢1.52 per litre,” Mr Adu added.
With regards to call on the CJA to take to the streets, Mr Adu said the CJA would not do that to please the NPP who were calling them (CJA) names when they demonstrated during the Kufuor Administration.
He recalled some of the treatment including severe beatings and molestation meted out to CJA members which resulted in the injuries and death of Danny Ofori Atta.
He stated that the leading members of the NPP could also organise their own demonstrations.
Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr, a leading member of the CJA said government should be truthful to Ghanaians and tell them how much they make in revenue when world market prices of crude reduced.
“It is time to concentrate on dealing with the massive corruption and thievery in the revenue generating agencies to increase revenue. The CJA opposed to the instinct to tax the poor whenever it was unable or unwilling to deal with the rot and inefficiency in the country”
The Convener of CJA, Mr Kwesi Adu who made this known at a press conference in Accra today in reaction to the recent fuel price hikes announced by the National Petroleum Authority (NPA).
He described the reason for the recent fuel price hikes as “ridiculous” because the Mills Administration in February 2010 told Ghanaians that the Kufuor Administration diverted GH¢ 270 million of the TOR debt recovered from Ghanaians and added that instead of dealing with those involved, it was asking the same Ghanaian to pay more for what they had already paid for.
He condemned both the NPP and the NDC for always using the “same tired excuse” such rise in fuel prices on world market, the need to remove government subsidies on fuel and the need to increase profit margins of oil marketing companies as reason for fuel price hikes.
He said if was a “fallacy” for the government to use the excuse about rises in the world market prices of oil” because in May 2010 the government said it had struck a deal with Equatorial Guinea for supply of one million barrels of oil a year and had also had similar deals with Libya and Nigeria.
On the diversion of the reclaimed TOR debt by some officials of the Kufor Administration, Mr Adu called on the Mills Administration to take steps to recover these monies and bring the perpetrators to book.
He explained that it was to pay for these diverted monies that the government had increased the TOR Recovery Levy by 400 per cent and said “the message here is that it is all right for politicians to divert state money for parochial purpose and make the poor people of Ghana to pay for it”.
“The CJA finds it unacceptable that a time when Ghanaians have not seen much improvement in their living conditions, the government should be asking the same poor people to carry the additional tax burden just to increase the profit margins of petroleum distributors in the country,” he said.
Mr Adu said the CJA was incensed that whenever the government was unable to apply proper scrutiny and efficiency in the nation’s finances, their first instinct was to tax the people further.
He cited the example of road tolls which was increased by 1000 per cent in 2009 but the revenue from it increased by only 106 per cent and asked where was the additional 894 per cent gone to.
He reminded the NDC government that under the Kufuor Administration when the price per barrel of crude oil reached $ 139.83, the ex-pump price per litre was GH¢ 1.18 per litre.
“What sound explanation can the NDC government give to justify the fact that now that the price of Brent Crude is less than $96 per barrel we should pay GH¢1.52 per litre,” Mr Adu added.
With regards to call on the CJA to take to the streets, Mr Adu said the CJA would not do that to please the NPP who were calling them (CJA) names when they demonstrated during the Kufuor Administration.
He recalled some of the treatment including severe beatings and molestation meted out to CJA members which resulted in the injuries and death of Danny Ofori Atta.
He stated that the leading members of the NPP could also organise their own demonstrations.
Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr, a leading member of the CJA said government should be truthful to Ghanaians and tell them how much they make in revenue when world market prices of crude reduced.
Two PNC leading members granted bail
TWO leading members of the People's National Convention (PNC) were yesterday granted bail in the sum of GH¢3,000 by an Accra District Magistrate’s Court.
The two, Dr Sontim Tobiga and Baaba Ghana Seidu, will together with a third accused person who is already on bail reappear before the court on February 10, 2011.
The accused, who are members of the Interim Management Committee of the PNC are before the court for allegedly breaking into the headquarters of the party and changing the locks to the door without authority, as well as stealing photographs of Dr Edward Mahama, Mr Bernard Mornah and Mr Scott Pwamang.
They have all pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful entry and stealing.
Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Inspector Iddrisu Fuseini, told the court that the accused persons, in the company of some thugs, changed the locks to the party’s headquarters and prevented the elected officers from using their offices.
He said the officers, including Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, National Chairman; Mr Bernard Mornah, General Secretary, and Mr Attik Mohammed, the Policy Analyst, lodged a complaint at the Kotobabi Police Station.
He said the police arrested the three persons from the party’s headquarters and released them on bail after taking their caution statements.
Inspector Fuseini told the court that although the Divisional Commander informed them about the date and venue for the case, the two refused to appear before the court and, therefore, a bench warrant was issued for their arrest.
The two, Dr Sontim Tobiga and Baaba Ghana Seidu, will together with a third accused person who is already on bail reappear before the court on February 10, 2011.
The accused, who are members of the Interim Management Committee of the PNC are before the court for allegedly breaking into the headquarters of the party and changing the locks to the door without authority, as well as stealing photographs of Dr Edward Mahama, Mr Bernard Mornah and Mr Scott Pwamang.
They have all pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful entry and stealing.
Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Inspector Iddrisu Fuseini, told the court that the accused persons, in the company of some thugs, changed the locks to the party’s headquarters and prevented the elected officers from using their offices.
He said the officers, including Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, National Chairman; Mr Bernard Mornah, General Secretary, and Mr Attik Mohammed, the Policy Analyst, lodged a complaint at the Kotobabi Police Station.
He said the police arrested the three persons from the party’s headquarters and released them on bail after taking their caution statements.
Inspector Fuseini told the court that although the Divisional Commander informed them about the date and venue for the case, the two refused to appear before the court and, therefore, a bench warrant was issued for their arrest.
Court issues bench warraant for 2 PNC members
THE Accra District Magistrate’s Court has issued a bench warrant for the arrest and prosecution of two leading members of the People’s National Convention (PNC) for allegedly breaking into the party’s headquarters.
They are Dr Sontim Tobiga and Baaba Ghana Seidu. A third accomplice, Ahmed Gadu, who appeared before the court and pleaded not guilty, was granted bail in the sum of GH¢3,000 with two sureties, one to be justified.
Mrs Mary Faustina Addington, the magistrate, also ordered that the police remove the new locks the accused persons had fixed to the doors at the party’s national headquarters at Abavana Junction in Accra, to allow the national executive to have access till the final determination of the case.
The three were part of some leading members of the party, including some Council of Elders members and regional chairmen, who claimed that they had abolished the current national executive and replaced it with an Interim Management Committee (IMC).
Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Inspector Iddrisu Fuseini, told the court that the three accused persons, in the company of some thugs, changed the locks to the party’s headquarters and prevented the elected officers from operating from their offices.
He said the officers, including Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, National Chairman; Mr Bernard Mornah, General Secretary, and Mr Attik Mohammed, the Policy Analyst, lodged a complaint with the Kotobabi Police.
He said the police arrested the three persons from the party’s headquarters and released them on bail after taking their cautioned statement.
Inspector Fuseini told the court that although the Divisional Commander informed them about the date and venue for the case, the two refused to appear before the court and, therefore, requested for bench a warrant for their arrest.
They are Dr Sontim Tobiga and Baaba Ghana Seidu. A third accomplice, Ahmed Gadu, who appeared before the court and pleaded not guilty, was granted bail in the sum of GH¢3,000 with two sureties, one to be justified.
Mrs Mary Faustina Addington, the magistrate, also ordered that the police remove the new locks the accused persons had fixed to the doors at the party’s national headquarters at Abavana Junction in Accra, to allow the national executive to have access till the final determination of the case.
The three were part of some leading members of the party, including some Council of Elders members and regional chairmen, who claimed that they had abolished the current national executive and replaced it with an Interim Management Committee (IMC).
Presenting the facts of the case, the prosecutor, Inspector Iddrisu Fuseini, told the court that the three accused persons, in the company of some thugs, changed the locks to the party’s headquarters and prevented the elected officers from operating from their offices.
He said the officers, including Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, National Chairman; Mr Bernard Mornah, General Secretary, and Mr Attik Mohammed, the Policy Analyst, lodged a complaint with the Kotobabi Police.
He said the police arrested the three persons from the party’s headquarters and released them on bail after taking their cautioned statement.
Inspector Fuseini told the court that although the Divisional Commander informed them about the date and venue for the case, the two refused to appear before the court and, therefore, requested for bench a warrant for their arrest.
Adwoa Safo donates GH¢ 10,000 to NPP
A former parliamentary aspirant for New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Dome-Kwabenya, Ms Adwoa Safo, yesterday donated GH¢10,000 to the party in Accra.
Ms Safo, who lost the NPP parliamentary primary to the incumbent MP, Prof Mike Oquaye, said the cash was in support of the construction of a campaign office at the party’s headquarters for its 2012 presidential flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Presenting the amount, Ms Safo, a lawyer by profession, described it as “her widow’s mite” towards the building of a formidable campaign to ensure that Nana Akufo-Addo was elected President of Ghana.
“Our prime focus as members of the NPP is to collectively support the NPP leadership to effectively execute the campaign to ensure that we bring Nana Akufo-Addo to office as President in 2012,” she added.
The Chairman of the party, Mr Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, said the donation was a significant confirmation that the NPP belonged to the teeming members and supporters and urged others to contribute in cash or in kind to complete the office under construction.
He commended the donor for her fortitude, explaining that “although you lost the primary, you have behaved well and, like a good party member, did not go independent”.
He said where there was any political competition, there was bound to be disaffection but it was always up to the winners to be magnanimous in their success and also for the losers to accept their loss in good faith and help execute the overall agenda of the party.
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey expressed the readiness of the national executive to insist that the right procedures be followed, especially to allow all eligible aspirants to have equal access and a level playing field to participate in the selection of parliamentary aspirants.
He said it was those in the constituencies who knew the persons who could best represent the party and win the seats and not those at the national headquarters and it was for that reason that the constitution had placed the responsibility for electing a candidate on their shoulders.
He gave the assurance that the primaries would be carried out in a manner that would make even the losers maintain their confidence in the process and continue to support the party.
According to the party chairman, the NPP aimed at winning the Presidency, with majority NPP MPs in Parliament and not with independent pro-NPP MPs.
Ms Safo, who lost the NPP parliamentary primary to the incumbent MP, Prof Mike Oquaye, said the cash was in support of the construction of a campaign office at the party’s headquarters for its 2012 presidential flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Presenting the amount, Ms Safo, a lawyer by profession, described it as “her widow’s mite” towards the building of a formidable campaign to ensure that Nana Akufo-Addo was elected President of Ghana.
“Our prime focus as members of the NPP is to collectively support the NPP leadership to effectively execute the campaign to ensure that we bring Nana Akufo-Addo to office as President in 2012,” she added.
The Chairman of the party, Mr Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey, said the donation was a significant confirmation that the NPP belonged to the teeming members and supporters and urged others to contribute in cash or in kind to complete the office under construction.
He commended the donor for her fortitude, explaining that “although you lost the primary, you have behaved well and, like a good party member, did not go independent”.
He said where there was any political competition, there was bound to be disaffection but it was always up to the winners to be magnanimous in their success and also for the losers to accept their loss in good faith and help execute the overall agenda of the party.
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey expressed the readiness of the national executive to insist that the right procedures be followed, especially to allow all eligible aspirants to have equal access and a level playing field to participate in the selection of parliamentary aspirants.
He said it was those in the constituencies who knew the persons who could best represent the party and win the seats and not those at the national headquarters and it was for that reason that the constitution had placed the responsibility for electing a candidate on their shoulders.
He gave the assurance that the primaries would be carried out in a manner that would make even the losers maintain their confidence in the process and continue to support the party.
According to the party chairman, the NPP aimed at winning the Presidency, with majority NPP MPs in Parliament and not with independent pro-NPP MPs.
Akufo Addo urges Mills to be straight forward
The flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says it is “premature and a stab in the back of ECOWAS” for President Mills to have publicly denounced the collective decision of the sub-regional body when the group had not exhausted the use of diplomacy in dealing with the Ivorian crisis.
He described as “an act of blowing hot and cold and a diplomatic blunder” the President’s recent comments on the situation in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana’s position on it.
Speaking at a press conference, which was also addressed by the Chairman of the NPP, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Nana Akufo-Addo said ECOWAS had not reached the point of requesting for troops from Ghana, hence the pronouncement that Ghana would not contribute troops was unfounded.
He cited the Liberian crisis on which ECOWAS took a collective decision to use military force to intervene and explained that out of the 16-member countries, only three, including Ghana and Nigeria, contributed troops.
He said the others who did not participate in the military intervention did not initially kick against the decision to send troops to Liberia, as was being done by President Mills.
The NPP flag bearer was of the view that Ghana was a pivotal and responsible member in sub-regional and international issues and, therefore, it should whole-heartedly support ECOWAS in all its decisions in bringing a lasting solution to Cote d’Ivoire.
Nana Akufo-Addo said it would not be in the interest of Ghana to fold its arms and watch while the situation in Cote d’Ivoire deteriorated because of the repercussions it could have on the country.
He said that was the reason that had over the years informed Ghana’s determination to invest heavily in bringing peace to its neighbours, especially Cote d’Ivoire.
He said the determination of when to use military force did not lie in the hands of Ghana but ECOWAS, for which reason Ghana should not be seen to be thwarting the efforts of the sub-regional body.
Referring to President Mills’s claim that Ghana should mind its own business and that Ghana was not the one to select a leader for Ivorians, Nana Akufo-Addo noted that if Ghana did not support ECOWAS to find a solution to the Ivorian problem, any full-scale war in that country could have serious consequences on Ghana.
He said Ghana was obliged, as a beacon of hope in Africa, to ensure that the democratic wishes of the people of Cote d’Ivoire, which had been upheld by ECOWAS, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Security Council, were respected.
Asked what he would have done differently, the former Foreign Minister under Kufuor’s administration said he would have ensured that Ghana, being part of ECOWAS members that appended their signatures to the Abuja Accord on Cote d’Ivoire, acted within the collective decision of ECOWAS.
He described the call for his personal position on the issue as “fanciful, infantile and hypothetical”.
Nana Akufo-Addo said President Mills should use Ghana’s election experience over the years, especially how he (President Mills), after serving as Vice President, lost two elections but bided his time for eight years before winning the will of the people to finally become President.
Reading the NPP’s statement, Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the conflicting signals by President Mills on Ghana’s position was having a negative effect on international efforts to resolve the Ivorian crisis.
“Regrettably, Ghana is fast losing face as a major stumbling block against efforts to bring to an end Gbagbo’s quasi-military coup which has been massively condemned by a concerted combination of regional, continental and international pressure,” he added.
He said since the President met media practitioners at the Castle early this month, he (the President) and his spokespersons had been giving conflicting and inconsistent positions.
The NPP Chairman said the Foreign Minister, Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni, commenting on the confidential cable from Ghana’s Ambassador to the UN, had said, “It is in fact an affirmation that a military option is no option at all. In other words, in defining a formula for resolving the Ivorian crisis, no resolve should be made to military intervention....”
He said ironically, it was Alhaji Mumuni who first opted for a military alternative, explaining that although the December 7, 2010 communiqué by ECOWAS had not called for military action, Alhaji Mumuni, in an interview with Citi FM, an Accra-based radio station, on December 8, 2010, had stated, “ECOWAS will have no option but to resort to brute force to remove Gbagbo from office if diplomatic efforts failed.”
He said the indecision and weak leadership exhibited by President Mills in the Ivorian crisis culminated in ECOWAS sending a high-powered delegation, including the President of Burkina Faso and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Messrs Blaise Compoare and Victor Gbeho, respectively, on missions across the world.
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the delegation had to re-assure the international community that ECOWAS “remained resolute in its decision to see to it that the democratic will of the Ivorian people is observed and in the shortest possible time”.
Stating the NPP’s position, he reiterated Nana Akufo-Addo’s earlier statement that the nation had noted with approval the call by President Mills for Ghanaians to pray for peace in Cote d’Ivoire, noting, however, that much as Ghanaians believed in the efficacy of prayer, that alone could not be substituted for the active policy of Ghanaian diplomacy and engagement.
He said Nana Akufo-Addo had urged Ghana and the international community to avoid the spectre of Cote d’Ivoire descending into the status of a rogue state whose leaders acted in defiance of domestic and international law.
“Also, bloodshed and chaos should not be the price for an individual seeking to remain in office at all cost,” Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said, adding that in spite of that statement, the NDC was calling the NPP war mongers.
He described as “an act of blowing hot and cold and a diplomatic blunder” the President’s recent comments on the situation in Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana’s position on it.
Speaking at a press conference, which was also addressed by the Chairman of the NPP, Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Nana Akufo-Addo said ECOWAS had not reached the point of requesting for troops from Ghana, hence the pronouncement that Ghana would not contribute troops was unfounded.
He cited the Liberian crisis on which ECOWAS took a collective decision to use military force to intervene and explained that out of the 16-member countries, only three, including Ghana and Nigeria, contributed troops.
He said the others who did not participate in the military intervention did not initially kick against the decision to send troops to Liberia, as was being done by President Mills.
The NPP flag bearer was of the view that Ghana was a pivotal and responsible member in sub-regional and international issues and, therefore, it should whole-heartedly support ECOWAS in all its decisions in bringing a lasting solution to Cote d’Ivoire.
Nana Akufo-Addo said it would not be in the interest of Ghana to fold its arms and watch while the situation in Cote d’Ivoire deteriorated because of the repercussions it could have on the country.
He said that was the reason that had over the years informed Ghana’s determination to invest heavily in bringing peace to its neighbours, especially Cote d’Ivoire.
He said the determination of when to use military force did not lie in the hands of Ghana but ECOWAS, for which reason Ghana should not be seen to be thwarting the efforts of the sub-regional body.
Referring to President Mills’s claim that Ghana should mind its own business and that Ghana was not the one to select a leader for Ivorians, Nana Akufo-Addo noted that if Ghana did not support ECOWAS to find a solution to the Ivorian problem, any full-scale war in that country could have serious consequences on Ghana.
He said Ghana was obliged, as a beacon of hope in Africa, to ensure that the democratic wishes of the people of Cote d’Ivoire, which had been upheld by ECOWAS, the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Security Council, were respected.
Asked what he would have done differently, the former Foreign Minister under Kufuor’s administration said he would have ensured that Ghana, being part of ECOWAS members that appended their signatures to the Abuja Accord on Cote d’Ivoire, acted within the collective decision of ECOWAS.
He described the call for his personal position on the issue as “fanciful, infantile and hypothetical”.
Nana Akufo-Addo said President Mills should use Ghana’s election experience over the years, especially how he (President Mills), after serving as Vice President, lost two elections but bided his time for eight years before winning the will of the people to finally become President.
Reading the NPP’s statement, Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the conflicting signals by President Mills on Ghana’s position was having a negative effect on international efforts to resolve the Ivorian crisis.
“Regrettably, Ghana is fast losing face as a major stumbling block against efforts to bring to an end Gbagbo’s quasi-military coup which has been massively condemned by a concerted combination of regional, continental and international pressure,” he added.
He said since the President met media practitioners at the Castle early this month, he (the President) and his spokespersons had been giving conflicting and inconsistent positions.
The NPP Chairman said the Foreign Minister, Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni, commenting on the confidential cable from Ghana’s Ambassador to the UN, had said, “It is in fact an affirmation that a military option is no option at all. In other words, in defining a formula for resolving the Ivorian crisis, no resolve should be made to military intervention....”
He said ironically, it was Alhaji Mumuni who first opted for a military alternative, explaining that although the December 7, 2010 communiqué by ECOWAS had not called for military action, Alhaji Mumuni, in an interview with Citi FM, an Accra-based radio station, on December 8, 2010, had stated, “ECOWAS will have no option but to resort to brute force to remove Gbagbo from office if diplomatic efforts failed.”
He said the indecision and weak leadership exhibited by President Mills in the Ivorian crisis culminated in ECOWAS sending a high-powered delegation, including the President of Burkina Faso and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Messrs Blaise Compoare and Victor Gbeho, respectively, on missions across the world.
Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the delegation had to re-assure the international community that ECOWAS “remained resolute in its decision to see to it that the democratic will of the Ivorian people is observed and in the shortest possible time”.
Stating the NPP’s position, he reiterated Nana Akufo-Addo’s earlier statement that the nation had noted with approval the call by President Mills for Ghanaians to pray for peace in Cote d’Ivoire, noting, however, that much as Ghanaians believed in the efficacy of prayer, that alone could not be substituted for the active policy of Ghanaian diplomacy and engagement.
He said Nana Akufo-Addo had urged Ghana and the international community to avoid the spectre of Cote d’Ivoire descending into the status of a rogue state whose leaders acted in defiance of domestic and international law.
“Also, bloodshed and chaos should not be the price for an individual seeking to remain in office at all cost,” Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said, adding that in spite of that statement, the NDC was calling the NPP war mongers.
NPP to elect aspiring MPs on April 30
It is now set that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will hold its parliamentary primaries to select candidates for the 2011 elections on April 30, 2011.
All aspirants from constituencies where there are sitting NPP Members of Parliament (MPs) will pay a total sum of GH¢16,000, while those in orphaned constituencies will pay GH¢ 6,000.
Also, women aspirants would pay half of the amount pertaining to their constituencies.
This is an innovation to encourage more women to participate and possibly become MPs on the ticket of the party.
Giving the breakdown of the amount, the General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, said GH¢10,000 out of the GH¢16,000 that would be paid by those in constituencies with sitting NPP MPs would be put into a development fund to support the party’s development agenda.
He said prospective contestants would have to purchase a form for GH¢1,000, get verification certificate from their regional offices validating their membership at the cost of GH¢2,000 in order to file their nomination at the cost of GH¢3,000.
The final day for submission of forms is March 18, 2011.
According to Mr Owusu-Afriyie, the April 30 nation-wide primaries would cover 227 out of the 230 constituencies.
This is because the remaining three: Bekwai, Nkawkaw and Bosome -Freho which were currently being occupied by independent MPs who are sympathetic to the NPP will be held at a later date because the sitting independent MPs have expressed their interest in joining the NPP.
Again, any attempt to allow them to contest the party’s primaries on April 30 would mean they should cross carpet in Parliament.
The implication is that they would lose their seats and a bye-election will have to be held to fill those vacancies.
Asked if the amount quoted was not on the high side, the General Secretary said “a lot of people, especially party members, believe it is too small.”
All aspirants from constituencies where there are sitting NPP Members of Parliament (MPs) will pay a total sum of GH¢16,000, while those in orphaned constituencies will pay GH¢ 6,000.
Also, women aspirants would pay half of the amount pertaining to their constituencies.
This is an innovation to encourage more women to participate and possibly become MPs on the ticket of the party.
Giving the breakdown of the amount, the General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie, said GH¢10,000 out of the GH¢16,000 that would be paid by those in constituencies with sitting NPP MPs would be put into a development fund to support the party’s development agenda.
He said prospective contestants would have to purchase a form for GH¢1,000, get verification certificate from their regional offices validating their membership at the cost of GH¢2,000 in order to file their nomination at the cost of GH¢3,000.
The final day for submission of forms is March 18, 2011.
According to Mr Owusu-Afriyie, the April 30 nation-wide primaries would cover 227 out of the 230 constituencies.
This is because the remaining three: Bekwai, Nkawkaw and Bosome -Freho which were currently being occupied by independent MPs who are sympathetic to the NPP will be held at a later date because the sitting independent MPs have expressed their interest in joining the NPP.
Again, any attempt to allow them to contest the party’s primaries on April 30 would mean they should cross carpet in Parliament.
The implication is that they would lose their seats and a bye-election will have to be held to fill those vacancies.
Asked if the amount quoted was not on the high side, the General Secretary said “a lot of people, especially party members, believe it is too small.”
AFAG demonstrates against economic policies
Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG), a pressure group yesterday staged a four-hour demonstration to register what they called “their displeasure and disappointment about the harsh economic policies of the Mills Administration”.
Dubbed: “Ahokyere Demonstration”, the demonstrators marched through some principal streets of Accra, from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to the Hearts of Oak Park near the Arts Centre in Accra.
Wearing red dresses, red arm-bands and mourning cloth, the demonstrators carried placards some of which read, “Prof. do little go back to the classroom”, “ 2012 is just around the corner”, “We can’t buy petrol, Atta had deceived us”, “Better Ghana is now Bitter Ghana”, “Castle boys are chopping” and “Mills-Mahama NDC 419 PART 3”.
The demonstration which was generally peaceful was led by some leading members of AFAG, including Messrs Kwabena Bonfeh, Sammy Awuku and Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah as well as some Members of Parliament (MP) including Mr Dan Kweku Botwe, MP for Okere; Mr Domnic Nitiwul, MP for Bimbila; Mr Issac Asiama, MP for Atwima Mponua; Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, MP for Takoradi and Mr Fredrick Opare-Ansah, MP for Suhum.
Although there was heavy police presence, the demonstrators in some instances tried to veer off the agreed route.
For instance, at the TUC junction, but for the steadfastness of the police, the demonstrators would have gone through Accra Polytechnic and Novotel, which were not part of the agreed route.
Addressing the crowd at the Hearts of Oak Park, a leading member of AFAG, Mr Abu Ramadan, said the “Mills led-government had remained very insensitive to the plights and predicaments of the suffering masses, especially after imposing unbearable hardship on them as a result of the recent fuel price increases and the introduction of killer taxes,”
He said the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which promised a better Ghana agenda had failed woefully to deliver on its promises, which made the people to vote for it.
He said currently, there was a general consensus among Ghanaians that the President was running away from the details and commitments of his party’s manifesto which had now been labelled as the “Ma Trickie wo Manifesto”.
He said instead of accepting that they have failed Ghanaians and ask for understanding, they were rather compounding the problems and the hardships by resorting to “infantile palliative and blame game.”
According to Mr Ramadan, AFAG and its allies would not stop demonstrating until the President dealt with the NDC foot soldiers who are chasing away district chief executives and closing NHIS and National Youth Employment offices.
He said the demonstration would also go on until the President became sensitive to the suffering and difficulty that his policies had brought to trotro drivers, market women, civil servants and the entire Ghanaian population.
Dubbed: “Ahokyere Demonstration”, the demonstrators marched through some principal streets of Accra, from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to the Hearts of Oak Park near the Arts Centre in Accra.
Wearing red dresses, red arm-bands and mourning cloth, the demonstrators carried placards some of which read, “Prof. do little go back to the classroom”, “ 2012 is just around the corner”, “We can’t buy petrol, Atta had deceived us”, “Better Ghana is now Bitter Ghana”, “Castle boys are chopping” and “Mills-Mahama NDC 419 PART 3”.
The demonstration which was generally peaceful was led by some leading members of AFAG, including Messrs Kwabena Bonfeh, Sammy Awuku and Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah as well as some Members of Parliament (MP) including Mr Dan Kweku Botwe, MP for Okere; Mr Domnic Nitiwul, MP for Bimbila; Mr Issac Asiama, MP for Atwima Mponua; Mr Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, MP for Takoradi and Mr Fredrick Opare-Ansah, MP for Suhum.
Although there was heavy police presence, the demonstrators in some instances tried to veer off the agreed route.
For instance, at the TUC junction, but for the steadfastness of the police, the demonstrators would have gone through Accra Polytechnic and Novotel, which were not part of the agreed route.
Addressing the crowd at the Hearts of Oak Park, a leading member of AFAG, Mr Abu Ramadan, said the “Mills led-government had remained very insensitive to the plights and predicaments of the suffering masses, especially after imposing unbearable hardship on them as a result of the recent fuel price increases and the introduction of killer taxes,”
He said the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which promised a better Ghana agenda had failed woefully to deliver on its promises, which made the people to vote for it.
He said currently, there was a general consensus among Ghanaians that the President was running away from the details and commitments of his party’s manifesto which had now been labelled as the “Ma Trickie wo Manifesto”.
He said instead of accepting that they have failed Ghanaians and ask for understanding, they were rather compounding the problems and the hardships by resorting to “infantile palliative and blame game.”
According to Mr Ramadan, AFAG and its allies would not stop demonstrating until the President dealt with the NDC foot soldiers who are chasing away district chief executives and closing NHIS and National Youth Employment offices.
He said the demonstration would also go on until the President became sensitive to the suffering and difficulty that his policies had brought to trotro drivers, market women, civil servants and the entire Ghanaian population.
GCPP holds national re-organisation workshop
As part of its repackaging process, the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) yesterday held a national special strategic re-organisation for its national executive committee members and regional officers.
The one-day meeting, which attracted officers from the entire nation, was aimed at equipping regional officers as trainer of trainers to facilitate and position the party well before the 2012 elections.
According Dr Henry Lartey, the interim Chairman of the party, the move was also to ensure that the regional executive were well equipped to facilitate all constituency and regional elections to ensure that the party put together substantive officers prior to its national congress.
He said although the party had not completed the election of some regional executives as demanded by the electoral laws of the country, it had become necessary to equip the remaining regional executives to be able to inculcate membership drive in all their activities.
He said the process of revitalising the grass roots of the party was on course and that it would be climaxed with a national delegates congress to elect a substantive national executive in June this year.
The resource person for the workshop, Mr Timothy McPherson, a German-based organisational consultant, said he flew in to share his experience with the leadership of the party on how best they would be able to organise the party.
He said his style of impacting knowledge was interactive and described the participants as knowledgeable, committed and people with burning desire to achieve positive results.
Mr McPherson, who is an African American, described himself as a Pan-Africanist who believed that Africans were capable of managing their own affairs.
The Northern Regional interim chairman of the party, A. A. Iddi, commended the interim national executive for organising such a workshop for the leadership of the party.
He said he had been enriched and emboldened to go about his activities as the regional chairman and promised to share the experience with members of the party.
The one-day meeting, which attracted officers from the entire nation, was aimed at equipping regional officers as trainer of trainers to facilitate and position the party well before the 2012 elections.
According Dr Henry Lartey, the interim Chairman of the party, the move was also to ensure that the regional executive were well equipped to facilitate all constituency and regional elections to ensure that the party put together substantive officers prior to its national congress.
He said although the party had not completed the election of some regional executives as demanded by the electoral laws of the country, it had become necessary to equip the remaining regional executives to be able to inculcate membership drive in all their activities.
He said the process of revitalising the grass roots of the party was on course and that it would be climaxed with a national delegates congress to elect a substantive national executive in June this year.
The resource person for the workshop, Mr Timothy McPherson, a German-based organisational consultant, said he flew in to share his experience with the leadership of the party on how best they would be able to organise the party.
He said his style of impacting knowledge was interactive and described the participants as knowledgeable, committed and people with burning desire to achieve positive results.
Mr McPherson, who is an African American, described himself as a Pan-Africanist who believed that Africans were capable of managing their own affairs.
The Northern Regional interim chairman of the party, A. A. Iddi, commended the interim national executive for organising such a workshop for the leadership of the party.
He said he had been enriched and emboldened to go about his activities as the regional chairman and promised to share the experience with members of the party.
Akufo Addo must offer better option—Media Analyst
THE Media Analyst Group, a political pressure group, has described President Mills’ decision regarding the political stalemate in Cote d’Iviore as in the best interest of Ghana and the entire sub-region.
The group accused Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag bearer for his pronouncement that if he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, he would have hurriedly and recklessly commited troops to “a senseless war whose end he cannot predict” in Cote d’Iviore.
The Spokesperson for the group, Mr Alfred Kojo Triddles, who addressed the media in Accra today urged Nana Akufo-Addo to offer better alternative plans for improving the lives of Ghanaians.
He said the pronouncement of Nana Akufo-Addo clearly confirmed what his own party members including Nana Kofi Koomson, the Publisher of the Ghanaians Chronicle who stated on Radio Gold that “he will not be able to sleep should Ghanaians make the mistake and allow Nana Akufo-Addo to become the President of Ghana”.
Mr Triddles said Nana Koomson, who also contested the NPP parliamentary seat in the Effia-Kwesimintsim constituency described Nana Akufo-Addo “as a reckless character,” while another NPP, Mr Michael Ampong also referred to Nana Akufo-Addo as an “anarchists”.
He desctribed the NPP flag bearer as someone who did not have good intentions for Ghanaians but interested in his parochial political interest of becoming a president at all cost.
Reacting to questions from the press, the Chairman of the Media Analyst Group, Mr Mohammed Nuredeen appealed to Ghanaians to see reason in the decision of President Mills and support him.
He cited the forceful removal of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussien from office by the USA and their allied forces and the consequences of the removal not only on Iraq but the entire world.
He said it was for that reason that President Mills was calling for caution in the use of force in the Cote d’Iviore crisis to ensure that there was amicable settlement.
Another member of the group, Mr Hamza Mohammed, said any armed conflict in Cote d’Iviore would have serious repercussions for the country and also on the lives of over one million Ghanaians in that country.
The group accused Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag bearer for his pronouncement that if he was the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces, he would have hurriedly and recklessly commited troops to “a senseless war whose end he cannot predict” in Cote d’Iviore.
The Spokesperson for the group, Mr Alfred Kojo Triddles, who addressed the media in Accra today urged Nana Akufo-Addo to offer better alternative plans for improving the lives of Ghanaians.
He said the pronouncement of Nana Akufo-Addo clearly confirmed what his own party members including Nana Kofi Koomson, the Publisher of the Ghanaians Chronicle who stated on Radio Gold that “he will not be able to sleep should Ghanaians make the mistake and allow Nana Akufo-Addo to become the President of Ghana”.
Mr Triddles said Nana Koomson, who also contested the NPP parliamentary seat in the Effia-Kwesimintsim constituency described Nana Akufo-Addo “as a reckless character,” while another NPP, Mr Michael Ampong also referred to Nana Akufo-Addo as an “anarchists”.
He desctribed the NPP flag bearer as someone who did not have good intentions for Ghanaians but interested in his parochial political interest of becoming a president at all cost.
Reacting to questions from the press, the Chairman of the Media Analyst Group, Mr Mohammed Nuredeen appealed to Ghanaians to see reason in the decision of President Mills and support him.
He cited the forceful removal of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussien from office by the USA and their allied forces and the consequences of the removal not only on Iraq but the entire world.
He said it was for that reason that President Mills was calling for caution in the use of force in the Cote d’Iviore crisis to ensure that there was amicable settlement.
Another member of the group, Mr Hamza Mohammed, said any armed conflict in Cote d’Iviore would have serious repercussions for the country and also on the lives of over one million Ghanaians in that country.
Council of Elders to settle PNC impasse • But chairman prefers court process
THE Council of Elders of the People’s National Convention (NPC) has stepped in to find an amicable solution to the impasse between the national executive and the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the party.
However, the Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, has indicated that “we are already in court and we would like to hear the arguments on February 10, 2011. Also, the court’s settlement will be lasting and binding”.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Chairman of the Council of Elders, Mr Dan Yahaya, hinted that the alders had taken the issue up and were making frantic moves to secure a lasting solution to it.
Recently, a group within the PNC which calls itself Committed PNC members formed an IMC to take over the administration of the party, citing the unconstitutionality of the elections that brought about the current executive and the 2008 presidential candidate of the party, Dr Edward Mahama, as one of the reasons.
In its bid to ward of the national executive from the party, the group changed the locks to the party’ headquarters at Abavana Junction in Accra, replaced them with new ones and prevented the elected executive access to the offices.
The IMC also challenged the eligibility of the Dr Mahama-led administration to hold brief for the party as national executive.
The case was reported to the police, resulting in the arrest and subsequent granting of bail to three members of the IMC by an Accra District Magistrate Court.
They are Dr Sontim Tobiga, Ahmed Gadu and Baaba Ghana Seidu. The next adjourned date for the case is February 10, 2011.
According to the chairman of the Council of Elders, as elders of the party, it was their responsibility to bring all factions together and find an amicable solution to their differences to enable the party to prepare adequately for the activities leading to the 2012 elections.
He explained that the elders would be meeting this week as part of the moves to settle the problems but could not state whether the elders would take over the party till congress, as was being speculated.
Explaining further, Alhaji Ramadan said the PNC constitution did not have room for such ambiguous bodies such as the IMC.
He described the actions of the IMC as not only illegal but also disruptive to the smooth running of the party, especially towards the organisation of activities leading to its congress this year.
Over the last two weeks, some regional executive of the PNC have issued disclaimers regarding the IMC and cautioning party members, as well as the general public, not to deal with it.
However, the Chairman of the party, Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, has indicated that “we are already in court and we would like to hear the arguments on February 10, 2011. Also, the court’s settlement will be lasting and binding”.
In an interview with the Daily Graphic, the Chairman of the Council of Elders, Mr Dan Yahaya, hinted that the alders had taken the issue up and were making frantic moves to secure a lasting solution to it.
Recently, a group within the PNC which calls itself Committed PNC members formed an IMC to take over the administration of the party, citing the unconstitutionality of the elections that brought about the current executive and the 2008 presidential candidate of the party, Dr Edward Mahama, as one of the reasons.
In its bid to ward of the national executive from the party, the group changed the locks to the party’ headquarters at Abavana Junction in Accra, replaced them with new ones and prevented the elected executive access to the offices.
The IMC also challenged the eligibility of the Dr Mahama-led administration to hold brief for the party as national executive.
The case was reported to the police, resulting in the arrest and subsequent granting of bail to three members of the IMC by an Accra District Magistrate Court.
They are Dr Sontim Tobiga, Ahmed Gadu and Baaba Ghana Seidu. The next adjourned date for the case is February 10, 2011.
According to the chairman of the Council of Elders, as elders of the party, it was their responsibility to bring all factions together and find an amicable solution to their differences to enable the party to prepare adequately for the activities leading to the 2012 elections.
He explained that the elders would be meeting this week as part of the moves to settle the problems but could not state whether the elders would take over the party till congress, as was being speculated.
Explaining further, Alhaji Ramadan said the PNC constitution did not have room for such ambiguous bodies such as the IMC.
He described the actions of the IMC as not only illegal but also disruptive to the smooth running of the party, especially towards the organisation of activities leading to its congress this year.
Over the last two weeks, some regional executive of the PNC have issued disclaimers regarding the IMC and cautioning party members, as well as the general public, not to deal with it.
NPP will tell its success story — Nana Akomea
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is to revolve all its campaign message around the success story of the Kufuor Administration and the vision of its flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
According to the party, Ghanaians are discerning enough and have come to the realisation that the NDC only makes empty promises they cannot fulfil just to win the sympathy of voters.
Nana Akomea, the newly appointed Director of Communications for the NPP and its 2012 Campaign, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview in Accra, said the campaign message would also include the philosophy of the party to ensure that NPP members across the country were motivated to police the ballot to avoid the situation where the will of the people was short-changed.
Asked why Ghanaians still voted the NPP out in spite of the good works of the Kufuor Administration, he said although the NDC was able to lie and offer promises it could not fulfil, it was able to win with the slimmest margin ever in the history of African elections.
According to Nana Akomea, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Okaikoi South and Parliamentary Ranking Member for Communications, because the NDC cannot pinpoint a single major policy or programme that it has undertaken to bring relief to the people of Ghana, it is still resorting to propaganda as its major tool.
He said ironically, it was not only ordinary Ghanaians who were complaining about the ineffectiveness of and the hardship that the Mills Administration was taking them through, but leading members of the NDC, including the founder of the party, former President JJ Rawlings, who have on a myriad of occasions complained bitterly about the bad leadership style of President Mills.
He said judging from unfolding events, the Mills Administration would not be able to and was not capable of undertaking any significant programme that would ameliorate the suffering and pain brought about by the administration in the remaining two years.
Nana Akomea said it was only those who did not have a good and successful story to tell who believed that doing propaganda, putting spins on unnecessary issues against their opponents was the best weapon to use.
“In the last two years Ghanaians have witnessed what the NDC administration, led by President J.E.A. Mills, is made of and ... Ghanaians are yearning for a better alternative. Historically, we have been accused of being weak in propaganda. We will never use propaganda, we will tell our story,” he added.
He said thankfully the amended NPP Constitution had provided for the position of communication officers at the national, regional and constituency levels who would constantly propagate the achievements of the past NPP government and what a government led by Nana Akufo-Addo would provide for them.
Nana Akomea noted that with the appointment of the communication officers at the regional and constituency levels the party would be able to counteract the lies and dirty propaganda of the NDC and set all records straight.
Last Monday, the NPP appointed Nana Akomea as the Director of Communications for the NPP and its 2012 Campaign. He would be assisted by five Deputy Directors of Communications.
A statement signed by the General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, said the party had also made some appointments in addition to the current Deputy Director of Communications, Mr Curtis Perry Kwabla Okudzeto.
The additional deputy directors are Messrs John Boadu, Yaw Asamoah Buabeng, Sammy Awuku and
Ms Olivia Quartey.
It said Messrs Mustapha Hamid and Herbert Krapa remained Spokesperson and Press Secretary respectively at the office of the Presidential Candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo.
The statement said other members of the Communications Directorate include former NPP General Secretary Nana Ohene Ntow, Ms Ursula Owusu, Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Mr Frank Agyekum, Ms Frances Essiam, Mr Abu Jinapor, Mr John Kumah, Mr Yaw Adomako Baafi, Mr Titus Glover and Mr Dominic Nitiwul, MP for Bimbila.
According to the party, Ghanaians are discerning enough and have come to the realisation that the NDC only makes empty promises they cannot fulfil just to win the sympathy of voters.
Nana Akomea, the newly appointed Director of Communications for the NPP and its 2012 Campaign, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview in Accra, said the campaign message would also include the philosophy of the party to ensure that NPP members across the country were motivated to police the ballot to avoid the situation where the will of the people was short-changed.
Asked why Ghanaians still voted the NPP out in spite of the good works of the Kufuor Administration, he said although the NDC was able to lie and offer promises it could not fulfil, it was able to win with the slimmest margin ever in the history of African elections.
According to Nana Akomea, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Okaikoi South and Parliamentary Ranking Member for Communications, because the NDC cannot pinpoint a single major policy or programme that it has undertaken to bring relief to the people of Ghana, it is still resorting to propaganda as its major tool.
He said ironically, it was not only ordinary Ghanaians who were complaining about the ineffectiveness of and the hardship that the Mills Administration was taking them through, but leading members of the NDC, including the founder of the party, former President JJ Rawlings, who have on a myriad of occasions complained bitterly about the bad leadership style of President Mills.
He said judging from unfolding events, the Mills Administration would not be able to and was not capable of undertaking any significant programme that would ameliorate the suffering and pain brought about by the administration in the remaining two years.
Nana Akomea said it was only those who did not have a good and successful story to tell who believed that doing propaganda, putting spins on unnecessary issues against their opponents was the best weapon to use.
“In the last two years Ghanaians have witnessed what the NDC administration, led by President J.E.A. Mills, is made of and ... Ghanaians are yearning for a better alternative. Historically, we have been accused of being weak in propaganda. We will never use propaganda, we will tell our story,” he added.
He said thankfully the amended NPP Constitution had provided for the position of communication officers at the national, regional and constituency levels who would constantly propagate the achievements of the past NPP government and what a government led by Nana Akufo-Addo would provide for them.
Nana Akomea noted that with the appointment of the communication officers at the regional and constituency levels the party would be able to counteract the lies and dirty propaganda of the NDC and set all records straight.
Last Monday, the NPP appointed Nana Akomea as the Director of Communications for the NPP and its 2012 Campaign. He would be assisted by five Deputy Directors of Communications.
A statement signed by the General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, said the party had also made some appointments in addition to the current Deputy Director of Communications, Mr Curtis Perry Kwabla Okudzeto.
The additional deputy directors are Messrs John Boadu, Yaw Asamoah Buabeng, Sammy Awuku and
Ms Olivia Quartey.
It said Messrs Mustapha Hamid and Herbert Krapa remained Spokesperson and Press Secretary respectively at the office of the Presidential Candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo.
The statement said other members of the Communications Directorate include former NPP General Secretary Nana Ohene Ntow, Ms Ursula Owusu, Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, Mr Frank Agyekum, Ms Frances Essiam, Mr Abu Jinapor, Mr John Kumah, Mr Yaw Adomako Baafi, Mr Titus Glover and Mr Dominic Nitiwul, MP for Bimbila.
Fuel price hikes affront to agric devp — CPP
The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has described the recent petroleum price hikes as a contradiction to the Mills Administration’s commitment to the development of the agricultural industry.
It argued that : How can food become cheaper when tractors pay more than the price of supper petrol for diesel to plough our fields, shell maize, thresh and mill our rice, transport cocoa, yam etc. Our producers and processors are pushed to the wall and have no option but to increase cost to urban dwellers.”
Dr Foster Abu Sakara ,CPP Cabinet Member for Agriculture was addressing the press in Accra today on “How the CPP will do it in Agriculture and Food Security” as part of a fortnight press conference by the party to state its position on national issues.
This is the 14th in the series since the CPP came out with the press conference in 2010.
Dr Sakara said ironically, while the Mills Administration was calling for reduction of bank interest rates and increased lending to agriculture, the producers capacity to repay loans had been diminished through high inputs rates, adding that “ increased fuel prices are making their products less competitive on the market”.
He said the effect of the hikes in fuel price was the reduction in real income. The portion of the meagre salaries spent on food is pushed even higher from an already high point of 55 per cent to 80 per cent of salaries.
“What is the point of having new houses if we cannot eat. Should we not first invest in systemic way of solving endemic problems that are directly associated with increasing productivity?” he asked.
Dr Sakara promised that under a CPP government, there would be a substantial fuel rebate for those associated directly with agricultural production and its manufacturing industry.
“This will be calculated to ensure that salaries maintain real value. Secondly, beyond the better protection of our coastline using the latest technology, we shall also seek redress with the World Trade Organisation to set up special courts for fish-stealers in our oceans,” he added.
He said it was the CPP’s view that the illegal fishing along Africa’s coast which was estimated at more than US$36 billion was not only a financial loss, it was also a criminal act that took food out of the mouths of the World’s hungriest and malnourished people.
Dr Sakara said the act commensurate with the genocide of thousands who die from malnutrition, and that if today the international community was eager to set-up courts for pirates, then there must be a system to apprehend the fish-stealers and put them before an international court.
“Our national economy will be more vibrant and be anchored by the agricultural sector against food insecurity, malnutrition and external shocks,” he added.
He stated that the national treasure of highly trained agricultural experts would derive satisfaction from seeing their products and knowledge used on an industrial scale that could feed back proceeds to support them and their institutions perform better. They deserve to enjoy professional salaries that commensurate with their skills.
Dr Sakara added that the CPP would deliver on its promises in food and agriculture sector, because it would offer fundamental changes in budget allocation, specificity of program design and implementation tailored to agro-ecological environments.
“Also there would be decentralised co-ordination and management for more effective and efficient implementation with greater accountability and enhanced probity. The CPP believes in Ghanaians and will make you all partners in development without fear. Together we would march forward toward our common destiny of a happy, peaceful and prosperous country,” he added.
It argued that : How can food become cheaper when tractors pay more than the price of supper petrol for diesel to plough our fields, shell maize, thresh and mill our rice, transport cocoa, yam etc. Our producers and processors are pushed to the wall and have no option but to increase cost to urban dwellers.”
Dr Foster Abu Sakara ,CPP Cabinet Member for Agriculture was addressing the press in Accra today on “How the CPP will do it in Agriculture and Food Security” as part of a fortnight press conference by the party to state its position on national issues.
This is the 14th in the series since the CPP came out with the press conference in 2010.
Dr Sakara said ironically, while the Mills Administration was calling for reduction of bank interest rates and increased lending to agriculture, the producers capacity to repay loans had been diminished through high inputs rates, adding that “ increased fuel prices are making their products less competitive on the market”.
He said the effect of the hikes in fuel price was the reduction in real income. The portion of the meagre salaries spent on food is pushed even higher from an already high point of 55 per cent to 80 per cent of salaries.
“What is the point of having new houses if we cannot eat. Should we not first invest in systemic way of solving endemic problems that are directly associated with increasing productivity?” he asked.
Dr Sakara promised that under a CPP government, there would be a substantial fuel rebate for those associated directly with agricultural production and its manufacturing industry.
“This will be calculated to ensure that salaries maintain real value. Secondly, beyond the better protection of our coastline using the latest technology, we shall also seek redress with the World Trade Organisation to set up special courts for fish-stealers in our oceans,” he added.
He said it was the CPP’s view that the illegal fishing along Africa’s coast which was estimated at more than US$36 billion was not only a financial loss, it was also a criminal act that took food out of the mouths of the World’s hungriest and malnourished people.
Dr Sakara said the act commensurate with the genocide of thousands who die from malnutrition, and that if today the international community was eager to set-up courts for pirates, then there must be a system to apprehend the fish-stealers and put them before an international court.
“Our national economy will be more vibrant and be anchored by the agricultural sector against food insecurity, malnutrition and external shocks,” he added.
He stated that the national treasure of highly trained agricultural experts would derive satisfaction from seeing their products and knowledge used on an industrial scale that could feed back proceeds to support them and their institutions perform better. They deserve to enjoy professional salaries that commensurate with their skills.
Dr Sakara added that the CPP would deliver on its promises in food and agriculture sector, because it would offer fundamental changes in budget allocation, specificity of program design and implementation tailored to agro-ecological environments.
“Also there would be decentralised co-ordination and management for more effective and efficient implementation with greater accountability and enhanced probity. The CPP believes in Ghanaians and will make you all partners in development without fear. Together we would march forward toward our common destiny of a happy, peaceful and prosperous country,” he added.
PNC dared to produce 2007 delegates lists
THE Peoples National Convention (PNC) parliamentary aspirant for Ayawaso Central in the 2004 and 2008 elections, Ms Zalia Seidu, has challenged the leadership of the party to produce the list of delegates that elected them to office in 2007.
According to her, most of the people who formed part of the congress were not members of the PNC but ordinary people who were bribed and bussed from the three northern regions to vote for the executives and the presidential candidates into office.
Challenging the eligibility of the current national executive and Dr Edward Mahama, the 2008 presidential candidate of the party, Ms Seidu, who is also a gender advocate, told the Daily Graphic that although she was the party’s parliamentary candidate, she was never aware of how delegates were selected.
“My investigations later showed that none of the leadership in my constituency including myself, the parliamentary candidate and most of the members in Greater Accra were invited to participate in the congress. I never voted at the congress. They should publish the list for all to see,” she said.
She said leaders with transparent tendencies and committed to the growth of their parties, such as the NDC and the NPP, always published their delegates lists before their congresses and did not take non-members to vote at their congress.
She said the constitution of the PNC had spelt out clearly those who were eligible to participate and vote at the congress and included leading members of the party from the various constituencies and regions as well as tertiary institutions and farmer groups.
Asked why she had waited till close to three years after the congress before throwing such a challenge, Ms Seidu explained that she was of the view that the leadership would amend their ways and organise their things in conformity with the constitution after the congress, but it was clear that they would want to perpetuate their lawless practices again.
She stated that she and other members of the party would ensure that the party followed laid down rules and regulations governing the organisation of political parties in the country as part of measures to make the party attractive to all Ghanaians, irrespective of their religion and ethnic group.
She pointed out that someone could have contested the credibility of Dr Mahama in the law court if he had won the elections to become the president and that such serious illegality must not be allowed to be repeated in a country like Ghana which was governed by law and order.
Ms Seidu said the PNC had always been full of surprises even to the extent that those who vetted parliamentary candidates for the party before the 2008 elections were total strangers to the party who did not know anything about the party’s constitution.
According to her, most of the people who formed part of the congress were not members of the PNC but ordinary people who were bribed and bussed from the three northern regions to vote for the executives and the presidential candidates into office.
Challenging the eligibility of the current national executive and Dr Edward Mahama, the 2008 presidential candidate of the party, Ms Seidu, who is also a gender advocate, told the Daily Graphic that although she was the party’s parliamentary candidate, she was never aware of how delegates were selected.
“My investigations later showed that none of the leadership in my constituency including myself, the parliamentary candidate and most of the members in Greater Accra were invited to participate in the congress. I never voted at the congress. They should publish the list for all to see,” she said.
She said leaders with transparent tendencies and committed to the growth of their parties, such as the NDC and the NPP, always published their delegates lists before their congresses and did not take non-members to vote at their congress.
She said the constitution of the PNC had spelt out clearly those who were eligible to participate and vote at the congress and included leading members of the party from the various constituencies and regions as well as tertiary institutions and farmer groups.
Asked why she had waited till close to three years after the congress before throwing such a challenge, Ms Seidu explained that she was of the view that the leadership would amend their ways and organise their things in conformity with the constitution after the congress, but it was clear that they would want to perpetuate their lawless practices again.
She stated that she and other members of the party would ensure that the party followed laid down rules and regulations governing the organisation of political parties in the country as part of measures to make the party attractive to all Ghanaians, irrespective of their religion and ethnic group.
She pointed out that someone could have contested the credibility of Dr Mahama in the law court if he had won the elections to become the president and that such serious illegality must not be allowed to be repeated in a country like Ghana which was governed by law and order.
Ms Seidu said the PNC had always been full of surprises even to the extent that those who vetted parliamentary candidates for the party before the 2008 elections were total strangers to the party who did not know anything about the party’s constitution.
NDC pegs filling fees at GH¢2,000— But women will pay GH¢ 1,000.
All males who want to contest the parliamentary primaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2012 elections will pay a filling fee of GH¢ 2,000.
In order to attract more women to help fulfil the NDC’s 40 per cent quota for women in ministerial positions, the party has given 50 per cent rebate to all female hopefuls.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the National Organiser of the NDC, Mr Yaw Boateng Gyan, said the party had been consistent in its social democratic tendencies in ensuring that such fees were not pegged beyond the reach of interested Ghanaians, especially the youth.
He said the leadership of the NDC also considered the party’s philosophy of allowing the youth to participate in all facets of the party, beginning from the organisation of the party to the management of the country as well as Members of Parliament (MP) and ministers.
He said people with interest in politics should not be made to go through hell before contesting for positions, a situation that “makes people think that holding a political office is the preserve of the rich, or one had to spend a fortune before getting there.”
According to the NDC National Organiser, when people spent a fortune before gaining political office, there was the likelihood that they had to use whatever means to pay back, culminating in corrupt practices.
“The NDC is a social democratic party that believes in offering opportunities for all, especially the youth and women, to be able to actively contribute their quota to the achievement of a better Ghana.
He said the Functional Executive Committee of the party had been tasked to come out with the date for the primaries and assured that the primaries would be first conducted at constituencies where the party had no sitting MPs.
In order to attract more women to help fulfil the NDC’s 40 per cent quota for women in ministerial positions, the party has given 50 per cent rebate to all female hopefuls.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the National Organiser of the NDC, Mr Yaw Boateng Gyan, said the party had been consistent in its social democratic tendencies in ensuring that such fees were not pegged beyond the reach of interested Ghanaians, especially the youth.
He said the leadership of the NDC also considered the party’s philosophy of allowing the youth to participate in all facets of the party, beginning from the organisation of the party to the management of the country as well as Members of Parliament (MP) and ministers.
He said people with interest in politics should not be made to go through hell before contesting for positions, a situation that “makes people think that holding a political office is the preserve of the rich, or one had to spend a fortune before getting there.”
According to the NDC National Organiser, when people spent a fortune before gaining political office, there was the likelihood that they had to use whatever means to pay back, culminating in corrupt practices.
“The NDC is a social democratic party that believes in offering opportunities for all, especially the youth and women, to be able to actively contribute their quota to the achievement of a better Ghana.
He said the Functional Executive Committee of the party had been tasked to come out with the date for the primaries and assured that the primaries would be first conducted at constituencies where the party had no sitting MPs.
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