Home Blog Page 1339

Ukrainian forces now control 74 Russian settlements -Zelenskyy

By
admin
-
0
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that Ukrainian forces are now in control of 74 Russian settlements in the Kursk region, the result of a Ukrainian cross-border operation.

In an evening address on Tuesday, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces continue to advance into the Kursk region and take Russian prisoners.

“There are 74 settlements under the control of Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.

The Ukrainian leader has presented the daring operation as evidence that his country maintains the ability to seize the initiative and direct events, more than two years after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

On Monday, the Kursk region’s Governor Alexei Smirnov put the number of Russian settlements controlled by Ukraine at 28.

Ukraine began its incursion into the Kursk border province last week, with the country’s top military commander General Oleksandr Syrskii stating that Ukrainian forces now control 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of Russian territory.

“The troops are fulfilling their tasks. Fighting continues actually along the entire front line. The situation is under our control,” Syrskii said in a video posted on Monday.

Russia on Tuesday said its forces checked an effort by Ukrainian troops to expand their weeklong incursion into the Kursk region.

Credit: aljazeera.com

Minority Ambush Vetting Of SC Judges … With Articles 128 & 144 But Fail To Stop The Process

By
MAXWELL OFORI
-
0
Minority Leader, Cassiel Ato Forson

A scene was created at the Appointment’s Committee sitting on Tuesday, August 13, 2024 following attempts by the minority to truncate the proceedings. The Committee had met yesterday to vet the two Appeal Court judges nominated by the President for appointments
to the Supreme Court.

Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo Markin

Before the committee would proceed to ask the first nominee, Justice Sophia Rosetta Oduokuwa Bernasko Essah the first question, the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, raised concerns about the constitutional power of the president to increase the number of Supreme Court justices.

The issue he raised was supported by the Minority Leader, Ato Forson, Cletus Avoka and others, but the Majority stood its ground and offered counter-arguments to defeat the attempt to halt the vetting. The vice chairperson of the Appointment Committee, Patricia Appiagyei, heeded a call by the MP for Nsawam- Adoagyiri, Frank Annoh Dompreh, to
suspend the sitting for the committee to move into conclave.

Upon their return, the Chair ruled on the issue, dismissing the matter the NDC MPs had raised, stressing that their job as a committee was to vet the appointees
and nothing more.The vetting proceeded thereafter, with the minority MPs fully participating, as the two nominees were vetted.

ISSUE RAISED

The Bawku Central MP fortified his argument with Article 128 of the 1992 Constitution, which says the Supreme Court shall consist of the Chief Justice and not less than nine other Justices of the apex court.
According to him, the President does not have the power to increase the number of Supreme Court judges, though the constitution is silent on the upper ceiling.

Mahama Ayariga

“Now, as we speak, we have 15 Justices on the Supreme Court. We are told that one is retiring, but we have 15 Justices of the Supreme Court. It means that we have nine plus the Chief Justice, making it 10, and an additional five, making it 15,” he said.
The Minority MP continued that, “The legal issue that I’m raising before this committee, which should be captured in our report for discussion, is this. Whereas the Constitution in Article 144 says the President shall appoint the Justices, there is no way in this Constitution
that the President is given the power to increase the number beyond the nine plus one. Nowhere.”

He continued that, “I think that we have been doing an illegal thing, an unconstitutional
thing. The President has been exercising the power without any foundation in the constitution or any law that I know, and I want to raise it and have it captured, object to the nominations on the basis of the fact that it is unconstitutional.

“It flies in the face of Article 128 of the Constitution, and it is not founded in Article 144 of the Constitution. It offends the discretionary power provisions of Article 296. It doesn’t satisfy the Parliament’s powers to fill in voids under Article 298 of the constitution.
“I don’t know if you want to continue with this exercise, but to tell you the truth, we’ve been doing the wrong thing,” he said.

COUNTER-ARGUMENT
The Majority Leader and New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, counter-argued their claim and emphasised the Appointments Committee’s role in vetting nominations made by the President.
“We are only to vet and report to the plenary for a decision to be taken. We are not determining whether we are going to take the matter under a certificate of agency, which will be determined by a committee. No, this is vetting. Madam Chair, I am ready for her to start,” he said.

CAPTURE CONCERNS
The Deputy Majority Leader and NPP MP for Asokwa, Patricia Appiagyei, who presided over the Committee in the absence of the First Deputy Speaker and NPP for Bekwai, Joseph Osei Owusu, suggested capturing concerns raised by the Minority members in the committee’s report for plenary consideration.

Patricia Appiagyei, Vice Chairperson of the Appointments Committee

After the debate, the committee voted, resulting in a tie (7-7), thereby dismissing the motion.

The committee comprises 15 members, with 7 from each side, plus the Chair. In parliamentary proceedings, a motion is automatically defeated when there is a tie during a vote to make a decision.

Digitalization Drive Will Impact Every Sector -Dr. Bawumia

By
MAXWELL OFORI
-
0
Dr. Bawumia speaking at the IYC

The flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has indicated that the digitalization drive will have positive impacts on every facet of national lives.

A group picture with dignitaries at the IYC

According to the Vice President, the agenda is to create opportunities, particularly for the youth, while positioning the nation firmly to benefit from the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Dr. Bawumia said this on Monday, August 12, 2024 at the celebration of this year’s International Youth Day, held at the Pentecost Convention Centre, Gomoa Fetteh, in the
Central Region.

He said that the government is committed to expanding digital infrastructure, promoting
digital literacy and ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital revolution.

BRIDGE GAP
Dr. Bawumia acknowledged that there was a gap between the country and digitalization.
He mentioned that should he get the nod to be president, he plans to train one million
youth in digital works to create employment.

“By prioritizing education and connectivity, we are laying the groundwork for a brighter, digitally-driven future for our nation. In the immediate future, from under my government,
from January 2025, by the grace of God, we plan to train 1 million youth to create a digital workforce of one million people,” he said. The Vice President explained that the youth, to be digitally trained, will revolutionise key sectors such as; “agriculture, healthcare, education, manufacturing and finance, and the opportunities available will be global.”

He noted that the goal is to enable the Ghanaian youth to conduct business and collaborate
remotely, both locally and globally, enhancing connectivity and economic growth.

MEASURES
Dr. Bawumia outlined measures the Akufo-Addo government is putting in place to fill in the digital gap. He indicated that government has undertaken some initiatives, including the issuance of the Ghana Card, the National Digital Property address system, the Digital Inclusion Project, distributing 1.3 million free Computer Tablets to Senior High School students, providing free WiFi in schools and expanding telephony services under the Ghana Rural Telephony.

Expressing confidence in the can-do spirit of the Ghanaian, especially when coupled with a mindset of possibilities, Dr. Bawumia said the future of Ghana can only be bright.

FOUNDATION
Having listed the initiatives undertaken and their impact, Dr. Bawumia said that the foundation has been laid for the past seven years to leverage digitalization to create and
sustain jobs and other opportunities. He said “Our government has been dedicated to these efforts over the past seven years, through various digitalization initiatives that are yielding positive results in every aspect of our socio-economic lives.

“Since 2017, our government has focused on transforming Ghana into a digital powerhouse, with a strong emphasis on economic growth, transparency and inclusivity.”
He said that the Ghanaian youth have shown their ingenuity in the digital space and they have proved that they have what it takes to compete globally.

He believed that the youth would “take full advantage and compete favourably in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It is possible! “As leaders, it is our responsibility to empower,
support and amplify your voices by creating opportunities for participation, providing
access to education and resources and promoting an environment where our gallant
youth can thrive.

Feature: Government Official One? Mahama Has A Huge Scandal Hanging On His Head

By
admin
-
0
Feature

I am getting the impression that scandal-soaked former President John Dramani Mahama knows no shame. Responding to reports that he has been clearly identified as ‘Government Official One’ in the scandalous Airbus Scandal in the United States, United Kingdom and France, Mr. Mahama responded thus:

“No allegations of wrong-doing has been proven against me, including the baseless Airbus brouhaha that the government attempted to clothe me with.”

The National Democratic Congress flagbearer was speaking at a lecture organised in Kumasi to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the passing away of Mr. Paul Victor Obeng, the de facto Prime Minister of this nation, under the Provisional National Defence Council.

It is a fact that,the spineless Office of the Special Prosecutor, sitting in Accra, claims to have found no evidence of bribery linked to the come-back kid. But a huge volume of muddy water continues to pass under the bridge, in the name of the former President.

The identification that John Dramani Mahama is indeed ‘Government Official One’ in the scandal that shamed Ghana in the Southwark Crown Court in South London and in the United States and France, means that Mr. Mahamais wearing a cassock of filth.

Somewhere in 2011-2012, the state of Ghana bought three aircrafts from Airbus, the giant European aircraft manufacturers. We all went to sleep happily, knowing that the nation had successfully equipped the Ghana Air Force with three extra transport planes.

Then ugly noises began emerging from the United States,Britain and France.  Apparently, it is the habit of Airbus to bribe intermediaries to secure huge contracts from mainly third world countries. Ittook four to five years of painful investigation by the Serious Fraud Office of Britain and top class investigators in the USA and France,to unearth the sordid deed.

When the lid was unzipped, Airbus pleaded guilty of underhand dealings in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Taiwan and Ghana, round about the same time, and negotiated to pay US$3.9 billion in fines in lieu of prosecution. The $3.9 billion is said to be the highest of such fines in aviation industry.

“Airbus was found guilty of failure to prevent its employees and others associated with the company, from bribing officials during deals for the purchase of its aircraft and other products and also for breaking US export regulations with regard to its International Trade in Arms Regulations (ITAR),” according to documents of indictment.

Official documents in the USA, France and especially, the UK’s Serious Fraud Office, slammed Airbus for using different tactics to bribe officials in many countries, including Ghana, in order to secure lucrative contracts.

“In the case of Ghana, Airbus allegedly paid more than three million Euros through a third party. According to facts available, a high-ranking elected official, which the document mentioned as ‘Government Official 1-who was said to be in office from 2009-2016 made direct contact with the Airbus management about the purchase of the aircraft, few months after he took office.

“Airbus purposefully sought to engage Consultant 4, DUE TO HIS CLOSENESS TO GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1”(caps mine), the facts added.

Let it be known that Consultant 4(Sam Mahama) refers to the biological brother of Government Official One, who has been clearly unmasked as scandal-soaked John Dramani Mahama.

Whether or not Airbus paid ex-President Mahama bribe is not what was under investigation in Ghana. What is of importance to the average Ghanaian is whether or not Mr. Mahama is the Government Official One. Now that it has been established beyond doubt that Mr. Mahama is indeed, the Government Official One, we need to establish whether Sam Mahama knew about the deal through his brother (John Mahama), before embarking to Ghana to negotiate with the Vice, or Head of State, to buy three aircrafts for Ghana.

It is a fact that Mr. Samuel Forster Mahama journeyed with an actor friend and a girlfriend to Ghana, after his brother had assumed office as Vice President of Ghana, and contacted Airbus on the need for aircrafts for Ghana.

Information available to the British Press was that the actor was missing in British official circles for a while. He then surfaced at a horse-riding event in Manchester. When asked about his where about those days, he answered that a brother of a friend had come to power in Ghana. And that the friend, he himself and his girlfriend had relocated to West Africa, fixing a few things.

He was obviously referring to the negotiations between the State of Ghana and their role as so-called agents of Airbus.At that point in time, the intermediaries had no idea about the manufacturing of aircraft. They knew next to nothing about the operations of an aircraft too.

What took place was akin to John Dramani Mahama, Head of State of the Republic of Ghana negotiating with his own brother to buy three aircrafts for the Republic of Ghana.

What is clear is that, for SamForster Mahama’s ability to negotiate the deal with his own biological brother, who was the President, Airbus paid Forster and his two accomplices, a cool three million Euros under the counter.

The office of the Special Prosecutor in Ghana is arguing that there is no evidence that Mr. Mahama, who is clearly Government Official One, might have been bribed under the deal. I will like to submit that this is bunkum. How would the OSP know whether or not Mr. Sam Mahama, after collecting his blood money, contributed to his brother’s campaign fund in 2016?

Does the OSP expect Mr. Mahama to come to the office on his knees, declaring that his brother had donated to his campaign fund after collecting his booty?

Oh Ye, OSP of average mind… Not even a fool will ever so hung himself.

If you ask me why I label the come-back kid as scandal-soaked ex-Head of State, I will begin my explanation from when Mr. Mahama was sworn in as Vice-President of Ghana in January 2009.

Among his first international duties was to lead a delegation to Brazil to negotiate for Embraer transport aircraft for the Ghana Armed Forces. When the aircraft was delivered, the cost was way over the advertised rate.

The official explanation was that the manufacturers had added many entertainment programmes, including play store, and that these additions had bloated the original cost. Many reports indicated that the issue became such an embarrassment to former Head of State, Prof. John Evens Atta-Mills, that he ordered a probe, under which his  Vice-President was to be a subject of investigation.

Unfortunately, Prof, Mills visited his ancestors before the inquiry could be commissioned.This scandal was closely followed by an episode involving a certain Burkinabe contractor, who had erected a wall around the Ghana Embassy in Ouagadougou, at a cost many people in Ghana complained about as way over the top.

As many Ghanaians complained, it emerged that Mr. Mahama, as Head of State of this Republic, had accepted a gift of a Ford Exhibition car from the same contractor, and that a huge chunk of the Eastern corridor road had been allocated to the contact or, on the word of the sitting president.

As people complained, the Office of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ)issued a statement claiming to have exonerated the President. The reason?Mahama was said not to like Ford Exhibition vehicles and had put it to state use at the Flagstaff House fleet.

Who said you are exonerated when you accept bribe and turn it over to someone else. I believe either Mahama does not understand what constitute bribery or that he knows we have very weak institutions that would always exonerate him.

This man has a huge credibility problem. That is why I am not buying a second hand car from JOHN, the scandal soaked MAHAMA.

I shall return!

Ebo Quansah in Accra

Judiciary Must Set High Ethical Standards –Supreme Court Nominee

By
admin
-
0
Justice Sophia Rosetta Oduokuwa Bernasko Essah at the vetting

A Supreme Court Justice nominee, Justice Bernasko Essah, has underscored the need for the Judiciary to maintain high ethical standards to regain public trust and confidence.

Appearing before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, August 13, 2024 to answer questions relating to the position she has been nominated for, by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Justice Essah stressed that public confidence and independence are critical pillars of the law. Therefore, any action undermining these pillars would greatly affect the Judiciary’s authority.

“We as a body must set a high standard of compliance and monitoring of our legal ethics code. We must make sure that we deliver judgments promptly. We must be decorous. We must behave in a manner which is transparent in order to gain public confidence.

“Because, Hon. Chair, our authority lies in sustained public confidence. And public confidence and independence are the key pillars of the law and so we cannot compromise on it”, she noted.

Her comment was in response to a question posed by the NDC MP for Adaklu, Kwame Governs Agbodza, who sought her views on a 2020 Afrobarometer report, which revealed that 85% of Ghanaians perceive the Judiciary as corrupt.

Even though she acknowledged the concern as revealed by the report, she noted that the percentage scored by Afrobarometer was on the high side since the Judiciary has undertaken a number of measures to sanitize the institution.

Commenting further, Justice Essah declared zero tolerance for corruption and outlined a number of measures the Judiciary is currently undertaking to complement other measures to reform the institution.

These include setting up a complaint unit and digitizing the entire court systems throughout the country.

“There should be zero tolerance for corruption and the judiciary is doing a lot – we have the complaints unit where people come and report incidents which are investigated and recommendations sent to the Administration and when it is found to be true, the culprits are dealt with swiftly and decisively.

I would also say that we are progressively digitizing the courts in the whole country and it will help significantly to curtail face-to-face interactions with the judiciary service staff. We will be dealing more with machines – e-filing, e-processing, e-billing, e-request for documents and that would help significantly”, she explained.

She emphasised that the Judiciary must prioritise transparency, accountability and integrity to maintain public trust and pledged to uphold the highest ethical standards if confirmed as a Supreme Court Justice.

By Stephen Odoi-Larbi

Minister inspects road projects in Ashanti region

By
RICHARD OWUSU-AKYAW
-
0
Minister for Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso Boakye speaing to the media

The minister for Roads and Highways, Mr. Francis Asenso Boakye, has inspected ongoing road projects in various parts of the Ashanti region, with a directive to the urban roads to demolish portions of a church, called Grace of God, for a newly constructed bridge to be operational in Bantama, a suburb of Kumasi.

The directive from Mr. Asenso-Boakye follows the completion of the Abrepo- Asubonteng Bridge over River Akos, which has been flooding beyond her banks during rainfall, thereby preventing people from crossing to the other part of the community.

He made these assertions during a working visit to the area recently. Accompanied by Technocrats from the Ashanti regional Urban Roads and Feeder Roads Departments, Asenso-Boakye began his monitoring from the Dakodwom- TUC stretch, where he inspected the progress of work on the Kumasi Western Bypass, which is being turned into a dual carriage.

From there, the minister and his entourage inspected works on the Wood Village stretch before moving to Oforikrom Municipality, where he inspected progress of work on the KNUST-Nsenie By-pass, which is being constructed by Rango Construction to cut off traffic
from National Highway 6 (N6) to the Accra-Kumasi Highway during peak hours.

They rushed to Asonomaso, Ntonso and Kenyase Aboaso, all in the Kwabre enclave of the Ashanti region, to ascertain the level of work on road projects currently underway in the said areas. Mr. Asenso-Boakye and his team later went to Kwadaso Municipality, where he monitored progress of work on the I.P.T. Extension.

The minister for Roads and Highways and his team of Technocrats galloped to Bantama, where the minister inspected the various road projects, including the Kokoso-Nyankyerenease stretch, which has been tarred. He then zoomed into Bantama proper, in the area of Bohyen and Abrepo, where he inspected works on significant roads and bridge
projects ongoing in the area.

A bridge project that was inspected by the minister

The minister climaxed his working visit on the completed Atafoa Bridge, which has been a thorn in the flesh of the residents. Addressing the media on the Atafoa Bridge, Mr. Francis
Asenso-Boakye explained that the government is working hard so that the road network in Kumasi becomes accessible, in that motorists can use access roads to their destinations without using the major routes, adding that that is why they are constructing roads in areas such as Kenyase, Anotoa and the like.

He disclosed that a bridge has been constructed at Bohyen and this has opened up the Bohyen community, adding that the Kokoso road too has been done, courtesy Nana Addo
Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and by the next two months it would be tarred.

Touching on the Atafoa Bridge, Mr. Asenso-Boakye described the transformation at Atafoa as tremendous, since the place was a no-go area when it rains, which saw the residents venting their spleen on him and by extension, the president. According to the Legislator
for Bantama, he started tackling the Atafoa challenge even before he became the Member of Parliament for Bantama, having engaged Engineers on the solution to the challenge.

“I approached then minister for Roads and Highways, Mr. Kwasi Amoako Atta, who deployed Engineers to the site for the commencement of the project, which has been completed today.” The Atafoa situation was worse because some misguided people were throwing refuse upstream of the river, blocking the culverts, which caused flooding of the area.

But upon the completion of the bridge, Mr. Asenso-Boakye told the media that, when it rains, the residents do not experience flooding anymore, and transportation has been enhanced so much so that, when it rains, it does not affect the movement of vehicles.
Sharing a horrific development about the challenge, the minister for Roads and Highways noted that last year the flooding killed six people, with one person surviving the rampaging water.

On the relevance of the Atafoa project, he indicated that the road is used by passengers
going to Sunyani, Offinso, Tamale and other destinations, lauding President Akufo-Addo and emphasising that the project is not only limited to the Ashanti region, but being replicated in other parts of Ghana. The resources the government has invested into road projects are unprecedented in the annals of Ghana.

When The Gold Coast Lacks Gold; Ghana and the Olympics

By
admin
-
0
Opinion

The Gold Coast, first participated in the Olympics Games in 1952 which was held in Helsinki, Finland, with seven athletes. The glorious moments for nations are when their sportsmen and women receive gold, silver or bronze. We went to Helsinki and saw gold but could not take what rightfully belongs to it.

Seventy-two years on with sixteen participations in the Olympics Games, Ghana can only boast of five medals – one silver and three bronze in boxing and one bronze in soccer.

Gold seems to be eluding us because sometimes, we blow the chances when the opportunities come. In 1980, we followed the West in boycotting the Moscow Olympics Games for political reasons which never concerned us in any way.

Great Britain, one of the loudest nations who called for the boycott, found a cunning way to participate, by asking the sports men and women to choose whether to go to Moscow or not. 214 showed up to compete in 14 games. Britain went on to label the games, Moscow and Coe, in honour of its middle-distance runner, Sebastian Coe, who was later knighted, Sir.

Twenty-one African countries, including Nigeria took part in the 1980 Olympics and four, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe won medals.

During the preparation towards the 1980 Games, Great Britain had in a sprinter, Allan Wells and Ghana had Ernest Obeng who was resident in the UK. Anytime the two met in 100 m, Ernest with 10.21 secs always beat Allan squarely. Allan went to Moscow and won gold with the time of 10.25 secs. Ernest had to watch as what rightfully belonged to him was given to someone else.

Azumah Nelson, won gold medals in the 1978 All-African Games and Commonwealth Games. He was poised to win gold in the Moscow Olympics but Ghana boycotted the games. Ghana could have won at least two gold medals if we had gone to Moscow.

During the 1984 Los Angeles Games, Ghana’s officials, unjustifiably, dropped out Ernest Obeng from the list of 100 m runners, accusing him of things that made no sense.

Then in 2014, Ghana’s Martha Bissah, aged 17, won the gold medal in 800 m girls, at the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China with a time of 2:04.90. Instead of this becoming a blessing to Ghana, a dispute arose between the young athlete and the Ghana Athletics Association (GAA) resulting in an indefinite ban slammed on her.

The athlete had publicly accused the GAA of attempting to extort money from her and the Association, asked her to name the one who approached her, or retract and apologise. Failure to do so would attract a ban. She failed to provide the evidence and did not retract and apologise so, in June 2016, she was banned.

In 2021, she finally came to retract and apologise. So, why the allegation in the first place? Could it be that, someone closed to Martha told her this extortion story but failed to provide names, and Martha went public with no evidence?

In Ghana, sports officials extorting money meant for sports man and women, is no news. Prof. Dodoo of GAA can bear testimony, of what happened between the Ghana Academicals and officials during the 1977 Ghana-Togo Academicals Games in Lome.

The Martha Bissah issue, might have greatly prevented Ghana from winning a medal in that event in the senior Olympics of 2016 (Rio); 2020 (Tokyo) and 2024 (Paris).

In the 2016 Rio Olympics, the gold medallist, Mokgadi Caster Semenya of South Africa, then 24, recorded a time of 1:55.28, that is almost ten seconds off, Martha’s time of 2:04.90. In athletics, ten seconds can be eternity, a distance of 100 m, but with hard work backed by national spirit Martha could reduce her time to under 2 minutes to win a medal at the Rio Games, if she had competed. But we can never tell because all of Ghana sat down and allowed the impasse between the athlete and the Association, to prevent Ghana from striking gold in Rio.

These days, the sports fever has been extinguished in this country. The Golden era where Ghana was a powerful sporting nation in Africa and the Commonwealth is gone. The inter-schools and colleges games from zonal, regional and national (the breeding grounds for stars) and the National Sports Festival which produced world beaters, like Azumah Nelson and George Osei are now non-existent.

In comes Rex Brobbey, a national sprints star. He started organising sprinting competitions to unearth, Ghana’s fastest. But for some reasons, it seems the GAA was not too pleased with an individual doing what it should be doing. I cannot explain why the Association did not give Rex the full support to unearth world beaters for us.

So, the beat goes on and while more serious nations, will start preparing for the next Olympic Games, immediately after the end of the present one, Ghana will start showing some seriousness only a few months to the start of the games.

We continue going out there and fail to identify what gold looks like, to even bring some home. And yet we are proudly, the leading gold producer in Africa.

During such international games, we take delight in listing Ghanaians who compete in other nations’ colours. Stay tune, for the Ernest Obeng story and why this is so.

By Hon. Daniel Dugan

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.

Editorial: Let’s Avoid Exacerbating Tension Ahead Of The Elections

By
THE CHRONICLE
-
0
Editorial

With less than 100 days remaining before voters head to the polls to elect a new president and members of parliament, it is crucial to address the growing threat of election-related violence. The Chronicle urges the major political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to tone down their rhetoric and avoid aggravated tension.

Both parties are confident of securing a decisive victory in the 2024 elections. However, the true measure of success will not be in winning but in respecting the democratic process and the will of the people.

The integrity of elections is vital to democratic governance and any action that undermines this process would jeopardise the legitimacy of the electoral outcome.

Election-related violence poses a serious threat to democracy, even in well-established societies. It stems from a range of factors throughout the electoral cycle, including distrust in dispute resolution mechanisms and electoral management bodies. Mistrust, combined with inflammatory rhetoric, can create a volatile environment that escalates into violence.

Ghana, like many countries, faces a complex social background where issues such as unemployment, corruption and poverty intersect with the electoral process.

According to the 9th Round of the Afrobarometer survey conducted in 2022, nearly 80% of Ghanaians prefer democracy over other forms of government.

This statistic underscores the widespread commitment to democratic values and the need to protect them from erosion.

Recent comments by Bryan Acheampong, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, raise concerns.

His statement at an NPP campaign event, suggesting that the ruling party would use any means necessary to secure victory, risks undermining public confidence in the electoral process. Much as he might have meant well with his statement, such loose oratory lend themselves to various explanations and end up generating unnecessary controversy.

The minister should know that we are in a season where even trivial matters are misrepresented and twisted just for political gains. We must, therefore, learn to make unambiguous statements that would not lend themselves to political twists and turns.

Elections do not occur in a vacuum. They reflect underlying social and economic conditions and violence often erupts when these tensions are not adequately addressed. The rising trend of violence surrounding elections worldwide threatens democratic principles, creating an atmosphere of fear that can deter voter participation and skew results in favor of those willing to resort to coercion.

Ultimately, the fight against election-related violence is a fight for democracy itself. It requires a collective effort from governments, political actors and citizens to uphold the principles of free and fair elections.

By addressing the root causes of violence, enhancing legal protections and fostering a culture of dialogue and respect, we can ensure that elections remain a true reflection of the people’s will, free from the shadow of intimidation and fear.

As the election approaches, let us reaffirm our commitment to democracy and work together to safeguard it from those who seek to undermine it through violence and discord. Every action counts in preserving the integrity of our democratic process.

North Tongu MP donates medical equipment to Mepe Health Centre

By
INUSAH MUSAH
-
0
Ablakwa (left) presenting one of the medical items to a traditional leader for onward delivery to the health centre

The Member of Parliament (MP) for the North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has presented assorted modern medical equipment to the Mepe Health Centre.

The facility took delivery of the equipment, which included anesthesia machines, autoclave, infant incubator and infant warmers, oxygen concentrator, pulse oximeter and consumables such as oxygen, syringes, drapes and general surgery.

Addressing the ceremony to handover the equipment, Mr Ablakwa said he would work very hard with his partners, both in Ghana and abroad, to get the medical centre expanded to a hospital status, to reduce pressure on the Battor Catholic Hospital, one of the most visited mission hospitals in Ghana.
The MP paid tribute to SOS International, USA, his partners, for the long-standing relationship between them.

“The medical equipment here cost US$1.2 million but my partners asked me to pay US$4,500 and bear the shipping cost. SOS International has been very supportive of my course and this is the way to go.

It’s been a great partnership between us,” he said.
In conclusion, he said, whilst the Mepe Health Centre awaits his move for the expansion and subsequent upgrading to hospital status, adjourning health facilities would take delivery of some of the equipment.

The Mepe Health Centre has a skeletal medical staff of six to about 20,000 population, however,  the Health Director for North Tongu, Kofi Ziga, expressed confidence that with the equipment donated, medical personnel maynow accept posting to the facility, to reduce the patient to health personnel ratio.

“The Area is lucky to have an MP who is working very hard to get this facility expanded and upgraded to a hospital status, and seeing these pieces of medical equipment he has delivered, I won’t be surprised should the Mepe Health Centre see the needed expansion for the upgrading in the shortest possible time,” Kofi Ziga said.

The Mepe Health Centre is the only public medical facility in the Traditional Area. It is close to the ‘Safe Alternative Housing’ unit, another initiative by the MP, at Battor, where about 12,000 residents were displaced by the September-November 2023 Akosombo Dam spillage.

Kofi Ziga, the Health Director, celebrated the only midwife of the Mepe Health Centre for the zero mortality rate at the health facility.
The only midwife of the facility built by the Citi FM Foundation and Ghana Chamber of Mines some couple of months after the Akosombo Dam spillage by the Volta River Authority (VRA) in the embers of 2023, has recorded 15 successful deliveries in the last three months when the centre was opened to the public.

“This is a remarkable feat to the only midwife of the Mepe Health Centre. Her commitment to her profession and the people of Mepe is outstanding, and I stand here today to salute her on behalf of the Mepe Traditional Area,” Mr Ziga announced at a public gathering of the Traditional Area where the North Tongu MP donated the medical items.

Edo Govt accuses Shaibu of impersonating Deputy Governor

By
admin
-
0
Edo State Governor, Philip Shaibu

The Edo State Government has accused Philip Shaibu, the reinstated deputy governor of the state, of impersonation.

DAILY POST reports that the State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare accused Philip Shaibu of impersonating Godwin Omobayo as the Deputy Governor of the state in a statement signed and made available to newsmen on Monday in Benin City.

DAILY POST recalls that Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court had on July 17, 2024, reinstated Philip Shaibu as the Deputy governor of the state in a case against his impeachment by the State House of Assembly.

The embattled Deputy governor was on March 18, 2024, impeached by the State House of Assembly over alleged disclosure of government’s classified information to members of the public.

Shaibu had in an interview after the court judgement, said he remained the authentic Deputy governor of the state.

He added that the judgment was declarative which the state government was duty bound to adhere to and implement.

However, in the statement, Chris Nehikhare noted that Shaibu’s purported reinstatement is currently before an Appeal Court.

According to him, ”It has come to the attention of the Edo State Government that the former Deputy Governor, Comr. Philip Shaibu has been carrying out correspondence with different institutions and organisations both within and outside the State in a clear case of impersonation.

“In the interest of the safety of these organizations, we want to restate that Shaibu is not the Deputy Governor of Edo State and every correspondence from him in that regard should be disregarded and considered a forgery.

“Therefore, the status quo is that His Excellency, Omobayo Marvelous Godwins, remains the deputy governor of Edo State and any correspondence carried out by any other person, including Philip Shaibu is an act of impersonation, and anyone who deals with him does so at his or her own risk”, he said.

Credit: dailypost.ng

1...1,3381,3391,340...3,061Page 1,339 of 3,061

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

©
The Ghanaian Chronicle