Tarkwa MP fetes 500 widows on Boxing Day
Electoral Coordinators in each of the electoral areas in the constituency were tasked to present ten widows and at the end of the compilation, over 500 widows had made the list for the MP Christmas celebration. The widows who could not make it to the venue had their hampers and envelope sent to them.
Speaking to the widows, Duker encouraged them to have strong faith in God. He said, as a legislator, he could not have celebrated Christmas without remembering them (widows).“I cannot celebrate Christmas with my family whilst I know you are there,” he said.
MTN Ghana presents hampers to babies born on Christmas Day in Kumasi
MTN Ghana has presented hampers to mothers of 50 babies born on Christmas Day at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) and the Maternal and Child Health Care Centre in Kumasi. The gesture forms part of the telecommunication giant’s annual event to welcome the new born babies.
The hampers contained assorted baby products worth Gh¢ 100.00 and airtime for the labour wards of the two facilities. Mr. Charles Osei Akoto, Senior Technical Head, Northern Business Sector of MTN Ghana, speaking at the ceremony said welcoming the new born babies on Christmas Day in all regional capitals had become a tradition for MTN Ghana.
According to him, airtime has been added to the hampers this year to enable the mothers to call family members and friends to announce the arrival of their babies.
Madam Evelyn Osei Sraha, Midwife In-Charge of the Labour Ward, expressed her profound gratitude to MTN Ghana for the gesture. She, however, advised pregnant women to regularly attend antenatal care to avoid complications during labour.
Gov’t to provide modern business hub for Abossey Okai Spare parts dealers
The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey, says the decision to relocate Abossey Okai Spare parts dealers from their current location came from the traders themselves and that the relocation exercise will be done in phases.
According to him, the spare parts dealers admitted that their present location cannot contain all the members hence the support the government is offering to help boost their business activities. He told a meeting of journalists at his residence in Accra recently that the spare parts dealers would not regret when they finally move to their new location because all the facilities that will make their businesses flourish would be provided.
The regional minister who also spoke on education, sanitation and water management, health, security and war on indiscipline further told the journalists that the 80-acre land formerly occupied by the onion traders at Agbogbloshie has been reclaimed after the relocation of the traders to Adjin Kotoku.
According to the minister, Agbogbloshie was described by Wikipedia as one of the filthiest places in the world, but the situation is not the same today – because of the extraordinary work his outfit has done in the area.
Quartey, popularly known as ‘Accra Commando’ appealed to the public to ignore claims that himself and members of the Regional Security Council have shared among themselves, the reclaimed land at Agbogbloshie.
He, however, admitted that 15 acres of the reclaimed land have been given to the government to construct one of the Agenda 111 Hospitals in Accra. On security, he indicated that 10,000 street lights had been procured and installed and that they are in the process of procuring additional 20,000 bulbs for installation in Accra.
Revenge or mistake?: Mosquito visits Manhyia without Regional Chair
The Ashanti Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Augustus Nana Kwesi Andrews, is facing a seeming revenge for supporting the candidature and re-election bid of former chairman Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo in the recent National delegates conference of the party.
Nana Kwesi and 38 other constituency chairmen endorsed the candidature of then incumbent Chairman of the party, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo for re- election.
Nana Kwesi said his endorsement of Ofosu-Ampofo was based on NDC’s performance in the 2020 general elections in the Ashanti region, which he said, was influenced by chairman Ofosu-Ampofo.
Nana Kwasi said he was able to reclaim the New Edubiase seat, which they lost to the NPP in the 2016 elections in 2020 because of significant resources the then chairman released to the party and urged all delegates in the Ashanti region to vote against Asiedu Nketia and retain Samuel Ofosu Ampofo.
On Christmas day, the National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketia celebrated his 66th birthday in Kumasi.
The occasion also coincided with the 40th anniversary of Chairman Asiedu Nketia’s marriage, which joint celebration was put together by the Ashanti Regional Executives of the party led by Regional Vice Chairman, Captain John Kwame Jabari (rtd) and the Regional Organizer, Yaw Isham Alhassan.
Later in the day, chairman Asiedu Nketia also known as General Mosquito attended the observation of the last Akwasidae at the Manhyia Palace.
He was accompanied by his vice chairman, former Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Samuel Sarpong and the new National Organizer, Joseph Yamin.On both occasions, the Ashanti Regional chairman of the party, Augustus Nana Kwesi Andrews was absent.
It is believed General Mosquito is side-lining Nana Kwesi and thus pay him back for openly declaring support for Ofosu-Ampofo in the recent polls which he won by a landslide.
FDA destroys GHC250k worth of unwholesome products
The Central Regional Office of the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has disposed of various quantities of unwholesome regulated products worth GH₵250,000 in Cape Coast.
The FDA confiscated the products on its routine post-market surveillance activities, retrieved from 18 districts and institutions that applied for the safe disposal of their harmful products.
The seized items include food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, herbal medicines, food supplements, and household chemicals.
The Surveillance was conducted based on the Authority’s mandate in section 132, subsection 2, 3, and 4 of the Public Health Act 2012 (Act 851).
The Act mandates the FDA to undertake the disposal of unwholesome regulated products such as food, allopathic, herbal, and veterinary medicines, biological products, medical devices, cosmetics, household chemical substances, clinical trials, tobacco and tobacco products, and substances of abuse.
Ms Francisca Obeng, the Regional Head of the Authority, told the Ghana News Agency that the Authority conducted market surveillance operations to rid the market of expired, counterfeit, contaminated, unregistered, and all other kinds of unwholesome regulated products.
The disposal was also intended to prevent the potential re-entry of those unwholesome products into the supply chain.
Going forward, she advised the public to check the expiry dates and registration status of products before they bought them, and ensure they purchased regulated products from accredited and recognised outlets or sources.
She urged retailers to adhere to good storage and stocking practices such as the First Expired, First Out (FEFO) principle while advising citizens to report to the Authority persons who sold expired, unregistered, and unwholesome products.
“The FDA wishes to emphasize that ensuring public health is our prime objective,” it said.
“We are geared towards providing assurance of safe food, drugs, cosmetics, household chemicals, medical devices, and all other regulated products in Ghana,” she said.
Ms Obeng acknowledged the collaboration of the Authority’s stakeholders: the Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental and Sanitation Agency, the Ghana Standards Authority, and the Ghana Police Service to ensure the safety of consumers.
It also mentioned the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority, the Ghana Health Service, and the Pharmacy Council, among others, who complemented the efforts of the FDA to execute its mandate.
Source: GNA
Galamseyers ‘open fire’ on soldiers
Brigadier General Joseph Aduko Aphour, General Officer Commanding, Central Command has expressed concern over the posture of some of the local communities towards troops executing the anti galamsey operations.
According to him, despite the devastation illegal mining otherwise known as ‘galamsey’ is causing to water bodies, farmlands and the environment, cabals he did not name are thwarting the efforts of his troops on the grounds. He alleged that his soldiers are being pelted with stones and other offensive weapons just to frustrate them from undertaking their legally sanctioned duties.
Speaking at the End of Year party in Kumasi, he insisted that these frustrations would not stop them from fighting the illegal miners. “It’s worthy to note that, the year 2022 recorded the arrest of several illegal miners and seizure of their equipment”, he said. To him, these arrests attest to their readiness to deal decisively with perpetrators of the crime.
Brigadier General Aphour, however, warned his troops to refrain from indulging in illegal or ‘one –man’ operation, stressing that any soldier who is found culpable of such unprofessional behaviour will be dealt with accordingly.
How robbers killed a taxi driver & stole his car
A self-acclaimed boxer, Ernest Appronti Amanotey also known as ‘Divine Out’, together with Evans Amoah, driver, have been remanded into police custody on robbery charges.
They were remanded by an Accra Circuit Court presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah on Thursday, December 22, 2022. The accused persons were alleged to have connived with another, ‘Hero’ aka ‘Fanti’, who is on the run to rob and kill taxi driver, Bernard Botchwey, alias Kwame Waya.
Ernest and Evans have, therefore, been accused of conspiracy to commit, namely robbery, but both have pleaded not guilty. The Circuit Court would not try them for murder because it lacks jurisdiction over such matters. The case will later be referred to the High Court for trial.
Nevertheless, the prosecuting officer, Chief Inspector Isaac Anquandah, told the court that a deceased, Bernard Botchwey, alias Kwame Waya, was in charge of a Toyota Vitz car, which was being used for commercial purposes.
According to him, prior to Botchway’s death, he was living at Ekumfi Essakyir in the Central Region with his family, while Ernest and Evans reside at Bubuashie and Dansoman respectively in the Greater region.
He told the court that on October 29, 2022, Ernest and Evans together with ‘Hero’ alias ‘Fanti’, now at large, went on a robbery expedition at Ajumako in the Central Region with plans to snatch cars and bring them to Accra to sell.
The accused persons bordered a car and alighted at Ekumfi Essuohyia and boarded a taxi at the station to Ajumako. While on their way, ‘Hero’ alias ‘Fanti’ alighted around Ajumako Mando Senior High School (SHS) and Ernest and Evans continued the journey to Ajumako Township.
At Ajumako, Ernest and Evans, the suspects did not get down, but rather asked the driver to drive them back to Ekumfi Essuohyia. Ernest then called ‘Hero’ alias ‘Fanti’who had earlier gotten down on the way to Ajumako on phone and gave the headset to the driver to talk to him (Hero). The driver who did not know that he was talking to ‘Hero’ was instructed by the latter to drive his accomplices to the Ajumako Mando SHS where he was standing and waiting for them.
Unfortunately, when the deceased got to a section of the road where ‘Hero’ was hiding, Ernest and Evans ordered the deceased to stop.
Immediately he stopped, ‘Hero’ emerged from the bush and together with his accomplices, attacked the deceased by hitting him with a cement block and stripped him naked. The accused tore the deceased’s yellow shirt and used it to tie both hands and his legs to his back.
After the deceased became unconscious, the accused persons dragged him and dumped his lifeless body in an uncompleted building in the bush and took charge of the deceased’s taxi and send it to Accra.
On October 30, 2022 at about 2:00am, the Police Patrol team saw Ernest and Evans in possession of the deceased’s taxi at Pokuase, which had developed a mechanical fault. When the Police questioned Evans about the car, he allegedly claimed that the taxi belongs to him and that he has forgotten the ignition key in the house.
The Police conducted a search in the taxi and discovered that the ignition chamber of the car had been tampered with. The accused persons were arrested and sent to the Pokuase Police station where they were detained for investigation.
On November 1, 2022, the Pokuase Police received information that a taxi driver had been murdered at Ajumako and his taxi stolen. Enquiries made by Police confirmed that the taxi that was found with the accused persons was the very one they snatched from the deceased.
The police, therefore, confronted the accused persons with the evidence and they admitted snatching the car and also killing the victim. On November 18, 2022, the accused persons were brought to the Homicide Unit of the CID Headquarters for further investigation and during interrogation, they once again admitted the offences.
G/A chiefs mad over call to remove ‘Accra Commando’ from office
Members of the Ga-Dangme Council have urged indigenes to rally behind the Greater Accra Minister, Henry Quartey, to transform Greater Accra Region instead of trying to undermine him.
Public Relations Officer of the Council, Asafoiatse Susuafaso III, told journalists in Accra on Thursday, this week, that the despite the exploits of Mr Henry Quartey, an indigene of the region had the gust in calling on President Akufo-Addo to remove him from office. He argued that Mr Quartey has received the recognition as the most effective regional minister because of the good work he is doing to change the narrative of the Greater Accra Region.
“We, therefore, want to assure His Excellency the President that the Greater Accra Regional Minister is perfect for the job, and we, the Asafoiatsemei, Wulormei, traditional leaders and well-meaning people of Greater Accra will support him in all his endeavours,” he stressed.
Mahama persuades Brogya Genfi not to sue the party, Opare Addo
The 2020 presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, claims he has managed to convince a livid defeated national youth organiser candidate, Brogya Genfi, to rescind his decision to seek legal redress over the recently held national youth elections.
According to former President Mahama, he has had a meeting with Brogya Genfi, and the outcome is that the allegedly swindled national youth organiser candidate, who lost by 25 votes, will withdraw the case from court.
Mr. Mahama posted on his Facebook page earlier today to announce the meeting and its results.
He wrote, “I have had a meeting with Comrade Brogya Genfi following his decision to seek redress in court, and the outcome of our successful discussion is the decision to withdraw the case from court.”
He added that “we must work together, fully committed to Victory 2024, and the discussion with comrade Genfi was most encouraging.”
“We must focus on building a united front at all levels of the party, and this is a great beginning,” the post ended.
BACKGROUND
When the party held its national youth congress in Cape Coast and elected its national youth leader, Brogya Genfi, who, as announced by the Electoral Commission, had lost to the incumbent, George Opare Addo, alleged foul play and threatened legal action to overturn the outcome of the elections.
A day before the national congress of the NDC, Brogya announced on social media that he had secured an interim injunction against the NDC, his contender, George Opare Addo, the Electoral Commission, and others from swearing in the winner of the national youth organiser contest, George Opare Addo.
However, the party went ahead to swear in Opare Addo together with the other newly elected national executive chaired by Johnson Asiedu Nketiah.
Responding to why he was sworn in against the injunction, Opare Addo said he had not received any injunction notice.
He continued that, as a lawyer, he respects the law but added that injunctions were not “served on social media.”
Minority fail to torpedo new VAT rate; but win battle over National Cathedral
After sitting for long hours, Parliament finally approved GH₵227.8B under the appropriations bill to enable government undertake her planned activities for the year 2023.
Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, the speaker led the House to approve the bill under a certificate of urgency on Thursday dawn as the House prepared to adjourn sine die to enable it members spend the Christmas with their family and loved ones.
Per a memorandum accompanying the bill, government is expected to expend an amount of GH₵45.5B on wages and salaries, GH₵39.26B on pensions, GH₵1.85B on gratuities and GH₵3.95B on social security.
An amount of GH₵8.57B is also expected to be spent on goods and services while GH₵3.70B will be spent on annual budget funding. Interest payments will receive an amount of GH₵52B with GH₵31.29B set aside for the payment of domestic debt. The government will also spend GH₵21.25B to service external debt. An amount of GH₵350.54m will also be expended on subsidies on petroleum products.
Rejection of GH80m for National Cathedral
But these approvals were not achieved on a silver platter as the Minority caucus who had earlier promised to ensure the blockade of some nuisance taxes and expenditures worked tirelessly to achieve their aim.
It will be recalled that after the approval of the budget statement, which is the first stage of the budget consideration, many Ghanaians were aggrieved about the fact that the Minority had helped approved a budget laced with draconian taxes and other expenditures.
But the Minority indicated to Ghanaians to be calm as the statement was the just the first stage and that the actual work will be done when the House gets to the approval of the appropriation bill.
The Minority indeed honoured their promise by first rejecting the approval of GH₵80m for the construction of the controversial National Cathedral, which was captured as part of the estimates for the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. Therefore, instead of approving a total sum of GH₵260, 948,961.00m for the Ministry, the House ended up approving GH₵180, 948,961.00m.
Whiles the likes of Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, MP for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Deputy Majority Leader and MP for Effutu, Mr Alexander Afenyo Markin all debated in support of the approval of the GH80m for the construction of the cathedral, Minority members including Mr Sam George also put up a strong argument against the motion and eventually won the debate.
Even before the money was totally rejected, the Finance Minister had suggested it should be added to the budget estimates of the Ministry of Roads and Highways and the Ministry of Communication, but that suggestion was also rejected.
Reinstatement of e-levy minimum threshold
The minority also put up a cogent argument to ensure that the minimum threshold of GH₵100 for the Electronic Transfer Levy, which had been removed was restored, whilst the fee for the each transfer was pegged at 1% as suggested in the budget statement.
Others blockades
Other estimates, which the Minority caucus ensured did not find its way into the appropriation bill was the request for an amount of GH₵1.3B for the demolition and redevelopment of the Accra International Conference Center, an amount of GH₵1.4B deposit into the Contingency Vault and monies to establish new diplomatic missions in Jamaica, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago.
Also, the minority caucus ensured that an amount of GH₵27.5m for the operations of the Special Development Initiatives Secretariat and the Monitoring and Evaluation Secretariat at the Office of the President was rejected as well as the rejection of a tax measure intended to compel commercial drivers to produce tax clearance certificates as a requirement for renewing drivers’ license.
Failure in rejection of 2.5% VAT
Despite all attempts made, the caucus could however not block the introduction of the 2.5% Value Added Tax. The VAT is intended to raise additional domestic revenue for the development of the country and especially for the construction of more roads.
