Home Blog Page 2510

Ayensuano DCE: yes, I goofed – the 4.5bn is old cedis

By
MAXWELL OFORI
-
0

The District Chief Executive of the Ayensuano District, Josephine Awuku Ansah Inkoom, has admitted she goofed in the amounts she mentioned as cost for repairing an old motor grader (bulldozer) of the assembly, and buying a new one.

According to her, those amounts she “mentioned in the video were in old cedis and it was a harmless slip of tongue when I stated that a new motor grader procured would have cost the assembly more.”

The DCE had said that it cost the assembly 4.5 billion to repair the old machine, but purchasing a new motor grader would have cost more.

She maintains, however, that the decision by the assembly to refurbish the old motor grader was “financially prudent.”

The DCE who clarified the issue in a statement she issued, accused the opposition NDC of putting “a spin” on what she said.

BACKGROUND

In a video that has gone viral, the DCE is seen and heard saying that the assembly spent 4.5 billion, but did not add whether old or current cedis.

She went ahead to say in the video that purchasing a new machine would have cost the assembly more.

Read her full clarification below 

My attention has been drawn to an interview I granted UTV, which a spin has been put on and circulated virally on social media.

Without a shred of equivocation, I wish to set the records straight as follows:

1.         That the amounts I mentioned in the video were OLD CEDIS and it was a harmless slip of tongue when I stated that a new Motor Grader procured would have cost the assembly more.

2.         That the decision by the Assembly to not procure a new Motor Grader, but repair the old one was financially prudent and economically sound.

3.         That the false narratives that the NDC and its surrogates have put on the viral video are purely propaganda and political mischief.

4.         That the District Assembly’s annual budget is a public document.

Respectively, I entreat Ghanaians to disregard the false narratives attached to the video. 

The Assembly is committed to putting to judicious use, every pesewa it receives to realize the government’s aim to scale up develop

 

Jinapor tasked as Caretaker Minister for Trade and Industry

By
MAXWELL OFORI
-
0
President Akufo-Addo and Samuel Jinapor at the meeting with the chiefs

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo tasked the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor to assume responsibility as Caretaker Minister for Trade and Industry.

His new role which takes effect from January 16, 2023, would last until a substantive minister is appointed.

The announcement was contained in a communication from Jubilee House this evening, signed by the Director of Communications, Eugene Arhin.

Earlier, the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta was assigned that caretaker role, an appointment which met public uproar.

It is not readily know whether the public sentiment to the finance minister’s assignment necessitated the change.

However, Jubilee House was silent on the new development.

4.5bn spent in repairing a grader ruffles feathers in NDC

By
MAXWELL OFORI
-
0

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Eastern Region are demanding an investigation into the refurbishment of a motor grader with registration number (GV 465-22) belonging to the Ayensuano district assembly.

The party is also demanding that the DCE be immediately made to step aside pending investigations into the utilization of public funds under her tenure.

“We wish to urge every citizen of Ayensuano district to take keen interest in this matter to ensure value and accountability for their money,” a statement signed by Kojo Danquah, Eastern Regional Communication officer said.

The District Chief Executive of Ayensuano, Josephine Awuku Inkoom Ansah, in an interview with UTV stated that the assembly had spent “4.5billion” to refurbish the grader. 

She went ahead to claim that value for money had been ensured, arguing that a new machine “would have cost “over 2 billion.”

In the interview, she did not state whether the amounts mentioned were in cedis or not.

According to the NDC, the DCE made the matter worse when she added that the option of purchasing a new one would cost over 2 billion.

The NDC could not understand why such amount would be spent to refurbish that grader, considering the development deficiencies of the district, coupled with low revenue mobilization.

“Let us put on record, that this said equipment was purchased under the NDC government. Since the NPP assumed office, they have not added any new one to help make the roads of Ayensuano residents motorable.

“Again, the said overhauling the DCE talks about was done from funds from the Member of Parliament paid directly to JA Plantpool where the services were procured. It is, therefore, surprising that the DCE will declare such figures,” the statement added.

Tema High Court bailiff, police assaulted at Hwakpo

By
INUSAH MUSAH
-
0
Handcuff

Gilbert Ossah, a resident of Hwakpo in the Ada West District, on Thursday, assaulted a Tema High Court bailiff and police personnel for attempting to paste a court order on his mother’s property.

The suspect, who is currently in the coolers at the Ada Divisional Police Station, Kasseh, according to information available to this news portal, brandished a machete to slash the police personnel who were at the residence with the bailiff.

He succeeded in grabbing and tearing the buttons of one of the police personnel, and further threatened to do worse than that should he meet the policeman in the public.

However, the other police personnel at the scene overpowered Gilbert Ossah, handcuffed and detained him in the cells at the Ada Divisional Police Station at Kasseh.

A police source at the Ada Divisional Police Station, on the telephone on Friday morning, confirmed the incident to The Chronicle and expressed disgust at the misconduct of a top government official in the area who drove to the station to demand the release of Gilbert Ossah.

According to the police source, the said official said the bailiff erred by going to paste a court order on Gilbert’s mother’s property without prior notice even though the order affects the same property.

“But (name withheld) didn’t bother about the assault on the police personnel and the weapon he brandished at the police. Late yesterday, he was here (police station) to order us to release the suspect or some of us would lose our job.

 

“We could not be threatened by his words because we don’t take instructions from him. What the (gov’t official) came to do at the police station yesterday was ridiculous,” the police source at the Ada Divisional Police Station told The Chronicle on the telephone.

Efforts to get to the said government official on the telephone on Friday morning, including a text message to him on the matter, were unsuccessful.

Mosquito runs to Kumasi to ‘quench Asawase fire’

By
MAXWELL OFORI
-
0
Mr Asiedu Nketiah, National Chairman, NDC

The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, has led a team of National Executives and other party elders of the party to ‘quench the Asawase internal fire’.

On Thursday, January 12, 2023, the team led various reconciliation meetings in the Ashanti Region as the party gears up to recapture power in the 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

The delegation engaged in a constructive dialogue with the Ashanti Regional Executives, Members of the Ashanti Caucus, Regional Council of Elders and other identified groups.

The National Chairman addressed the media after the meetings and said calm had been restored, adding that every feuding party had resolved to vote for the NDC.

Other senior party elders, including Kofi Totobi Quakyi and Col. Rtd. Larry Gbevlo Lartey were part of the team.

The delegation also included other National Executives, such as the General Secretary,  Fifi Fiave Kwetey, Deputy General Secretary,  Barbara Serwaa Asamoah and Deputy National Organizer, Kobby Barlon. Also present at the meeting were Chairmen from eight other Regions.

BACKGROUND

Some concerned supporters of the NDC in the Asawase Constituency had accused the Member of Parliament for the area, Muntaka Mubarak of sowing discord in the party.

The new constituency chairman of the NDC is alleged to have been ignored by the legislator in all of his activities, which the group claims are unethical and against party rules.

But the Asawase Youth Front denied every allegation brought against the MP.

The group’s spokesperson, Ali Issah, said the legislator is the best candidate to guide the party to victory in the constituency in 2024.

President Akufo-Addo intervenes in 8 Chiana students saga

By
MAXWELL OFORI
-
0

The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has intervened in the sacking of the eight Chiana Senior High School students who were seen in a viral video insulting him.

A statement issued this morning by the Ministry for Education, signed by Kwasi Kwarteng, Spokesperson, has said the President intervened when his attention was drawn to the matter, though the release was silent on the sort of intervention.

Meanwhile, it concluded that the “Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Adutwum has directed the Ghana Education Service to consider an alternative disciplinary action instead of dismissal.”

Yesterday, another video popped up of the same girls expressing remorse while holding a sheet each, which they said were their dismissal letters.

This is not the first time students have insulted the President.

In 2020, one of the final year students of Sekondi College in the Western Region in a viral video used vulgar words on President Akufo-Addo in the company of his friends and later apologized.

Chiefs battle family over Otumfuo’s body

By
KWESI ALFRED ADAMS
-
0
Busua township

The Ahanta Traditional Council represented by Nana Aziaku IV, divisional chief of Apemayim and Nana Sene Akura II, the Queen mother, have filed a motion for an order of interlocutory injunction to restrain four family members from keeping, preserving, burying and organizing funeral for their late paramount chief, Otumfuo Badu Bonsoe.

The defendants are Ebusuapayin Bolo Kwaw, Joseph Ansah, George Abuah, John Yankeh and Eternity Funeral Home.

The motion, which  will  be heard by a Sekondi High Court on  January  17, 2023 also seeks to restrain  the 5th defendant (Eternity Funeral Home) from releasing the body  or corpse of the overlord until the hearing and final determination of the suit.

Minority condemn Chiana SHS students, but reject GES punishment

By
MAXWELL OFORI
-
0
Chiana SHS Students

The Minority in Parliament has described as “harsh and retrogressive,” the decision of the Ghana Education Service (GES) to dismiss eight students for allegedly insulting the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo some months ago.

The eight students are said to be females of the Chiana Senior High School in the Kassena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region.

The Minority in a statement signed by Peter Nortsu-Kotoe (MP), Ranking Member on

Parliament’s Education Committee said though they do not support the conduct of the affected students, they disagree with the punishment that has been meted out to them.

They argued that in the era when there is much advocacy and renewed focus on increasing access to education, any decision that takes a child away from the classroom “can only be seen as an absolute drawback to this renewed focus and objective.”

“Whereas the Minority is against the misconduct of the eight students, and condemns same, we wish to state that the decision by the GES to dismiss them is harsh and retrogressive,” it added.

The minority believes the eight students, like every other Ghanaian child, deserve to be in school in line with Article 25 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana and also Goal(4) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The statement has thus called on the GES to “review its decision and to ensure that the education of the victims is not truncated in this manner.”

The minority in its statement also urged the GES to proffer an alternative, but corrective punishment to the eight students, but failed to give example.

Meanwhile, the statement in conclusion, appealed to the President, to use his good offices to pardon the students “as he did in 2020 when a group of some students  misconducted themselves towards him.”

License of Mustapha’s oil company revoked

By
admin
-
0
NPA Building

The operational license of M3 Global Company Limited, an oil marketing company owned by Mustapha Musah Awuni, a businessman, and 29 others have been revoked by the National Petroleum Authority for non-compliance with the rules and regulations of the Authority on the acquisition and maintenance of the licenses.

The other  affected companies are Abagurugu Oil Company Limited; Apex Petroleum Ghana Limited; Avos Oil Company Limited; Best Petroleum Limited; Bisvel Petroleum Services; Capstone Oil Limited; Deep Petroleum Limited; Deliman & Company Ltd.; Glee Oil Limited, and Golden Petroleum Limited.

Others are Green Petroleum Limited; Hak Oil Company Limited; Havilah Oil Ghana Limited; Hossana Oil Company Limited; Jas Petroleum Limited; Lilygold Energy Resources Limited; Maiga & Hhm Company Limited; Mba Global Petroleum Limited, and Peta Energy Limited.

The rest are Petro Afrique Ghana Limited; Precious Energy Ghana Limited; Q8 Oil (Gh.) Company Limited; Rigworld Petroleum Services Limited; Royal Roses Oil Company Limited; Titan Petroleum Limited; Union Oil Ghana Limited; Universal Oil Company Limited; Warren Oil Company Limited, and Zoe Petroleum Limited.

At an earlier meeting with the Board members of the Association of Oil Marketing Companies (AOMCs), the Chief Executive of the NPA, Dr. Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, cautioned that the Authority would not hesitate to revoke the licenses of industry players who continually flout the rules.

He indicated that over the years, the NPA had been lenient with industry players who flout the rules, which had given opportunity for many more to flout the rules with impunity.

“We cannot all be in a conspiracy to run down our country and yet turn round to and blame the government for what goes wrong”, Dr. Abdul-Hamid was quoted as saying at the meeting with Board members.

He told the oil marketers that it was in their own interest that the market was regulated properly, because if the industry collapses their businesses would collapse.

Ghana Gas proposes Gas Act to regulate sector

By
AGNES ANSAH
-
0
Dr Ben Asante, CEO, Ghana National Gas Company Limited addressing the media

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana National Gas Company Limited, Dr Ben Asante, has called for enactment of Ghana Gas Act to provide the legal impetus for the running of the gas industry.

According to him, the dangers of not having an Act governing the industry is that a change of government can either improve or erode all the positive achievements the industry has made so far.

“A Gas Act is a legislative instrument that will provide the necessary legal impetus to run the gas industry.

“When you have an act that protects you, whether in terms of pricing, whether in terms of your operations, I think that would give some stability…” he said.

Dr Asante was speaking at the State of the Agency Report, a weekly media briefings put together by the Ministry of Information in conjunction with the State Interest and Governance Authority (SIGA).

Speaking specifically about his outfit, Dr Asante said a lot has been achieved since 2017 and that there was the need for an act to protect those investments and gains made. He said one of such achievements is the indigenization of the company’s activities.

The CEO, Ghana National Gas Company Limited, Dr Ben Asante and his entourage in a group photograph with the Deputy Minister of Information, Fatimatu Abubakar

According to Dr Asante, Ghana Gas has, since 2017, been saving $3m monthly due to the use of only local engineers in its operations.

Without this policy, he argued, these monies would have gone into the pockets of Chinese expatriates who were operating the machines since Ghanaian engineers did not have the technical skills to operate such machines.

But the company took steps to train local engineers and in just three years, they were able to handle the machines and helped the government to save millions.

“Indigenous Ghanaian Engineers/Technicians took over the plant operations completely from the Chinese in March 2017,” Dr Asante said.

He drew his audience’s attention to the wonderful thing about the Ghanaian story, which is the fact that they used only three years to indigenize when countries like Trinidad and Nigeria took 40 and 50 years respectively to fully indigenize.

Dr Asante also spoke about how his outfit had transformed the communities in its catchment areas.

“Through our comprehensive Corporate Social Responsibility, the company has achieved noteworthy feats in the areas of healthcare. We have registered over 1,350 locals between Atuabo and Aboadze under the National Insurance Scheme; and will double it this year,” he said.

He also said the company has constructed an 8-Seater Water Closet toilet facility, and a Mechanized Borehole at Allabokazo as well as the construction of a 4-unit Teachers’ Quarters at Anokye, a 4-unit Teachers Quarters at  Asanda Suazo, and an ultra-modern nursery facility in the same area.

“Additionally, we have supported the Nzulezo Development Committee to rehabilitate their Community School building,” Dr Asante said.

On roads, the CEO said the company has completed the 10.5km Asphalt road from Alla-Bokazo to Anokye and is working on Nkroful road as well.

“Similar road projects are either finished or ongoing in Axim, Half Assini and Kikam,” he added.

1...2,5092,5102,511...3,078Page 2,510 of 3,078

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

©
The Ghanaian Chronicle