English born Ghanaian attacker, Callum Hudson-Odoi is really excited to play in Germany for Bayern Leverkusen.
Hudson-Odoi have completed a-season long loan deal to Bayer Leverkusen from English Premiership side Chelsea. His decision to sign for the German side Bayern Leverkusen is to secure a lot of playing time, after sitting out of Chelsea’s games this season. He will wear the number seventeen jersey for Bayer Leverkusen this season.
Ghana have not lost hope in convincing Hudson-Odoi to switch to feature for the Black Stars, even though, he has made a competitive appearance for England in 2019.
He scored three goals and set-up four in twenty-three competitive games last season for Chelsea, during Abramovich’s last season as the owner of the club.
The 21-year-old insists that he’s excited to join Bayer Leverkusen. “The move to Germany is really exciting for me, and I can still play in the Champions League with Bayer 04 Leverkusen,” he said told the club’s official website.
“This combination is really attractive and I’m curious about the club, the fans and the Bundesliga.”
After beating his chest about being untouchable, when his office was implicated in an investigation by the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP), Colonel Kwadwo Damoah has been asked to hand over his office.
His title will now read ‘former Commissioner, Customs Division, Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA)’ instead of Commissioner, Customs Division, GRA.
This was after President Akufo-Addo on Friday, August 26, 2022 relieved Col. Damoah of his position.
Col. Damoah, some few weeks ago, whilst addressing some senior officers at a function in Kumasi, said any attempt to destroy him will not be easy, because many have tried but have not succeeded.
“I have lived a meaningful life and if he attempts to destroy me, it won’t be easy for him. People have tried it, I have survived and this one too I will survive,” Col. Damoah said.
He made the statement in the aftermath of investigation conducted by the OSP on a foreign food importing company, Labianca Ltd.
The OSP indicted the company of engaging in some irregularities at the port. The report said the owner of Labianca Ltd. had taken advantage of her position as a Board member of the Ghana Ports and Habours Authority (GPHA) at the time, to get favours for her company.
The report also said that the Deputy Commissioner in charge of Operations at the Customs Division, Mr Joseph Adu Kyei issued “unlawful customs advance ruling” to the Labianca Company.
Mr Kyei’s action is said to have led to the reduction of the benchmark values of the frozen foods imported by Labianca Limited, thereby reducing the company’s tax obligations to the state.
The Special Prosecutor issued an interim directive to Labianca Company Limited to pay an amount of GH¢1,074,627.15, representing the short collection or shortfall of revenue arising from the issuance of the unlawful customs advance ruling by the Deputy Commissioner into the Asset Recovery Account of the Office of the Special Prosecutor.
But Col Damoah didn’t take this indictment of his office by the OSP lightly and embarked on a journey to clear his name and that of his office, as well as his Deputy Commissioner from any wrong doing and indicated that any attempt to destroy him will not succeed.
However, the letter from the office of the President, which was signed by the President’s Executive Secretary, Nana Bediatuo Asante said, Col. Damoah should hand over his duties and office to the acting Deputy Commissioner of Preventive Service to act as the Commissioner, while preparations are made to appoint a substantive Commissioner.
Giving reason for his dismissal, Mr Bediatuo Asante explained that Col. Damoah’s contract as the Commissioner of Custom’s Division expired on October 13, 2021.
“Following the expiration of your contract of service as Commissioner (Custom Division) of the Ghana Revenue Authority on 13th October, 2021 the President of the Republic has directed that effective Friday, 26th August, 2022 you hand over your duties and office to the acting Deputy Commissioner (Preventive Service), Mr. Seidu Iddrisu Iddisah, who will act as the Commissioner (Customs Division), pending the President’s substantive appointment.
But the Labianca saga is not the only issue that might have triggered Col. Damoah’s dismissal. The conduct of his office in the Labianca saga opened the Pandora’s Box for further investigations by the OSP, which actually directed Col. Damoah’s office to immediately halt and discontinue all auction sales, until investigations initiated into operations of his office is concluded.
The directives, according to the OSP, stem from suspected corruption and corruption related offences in respect of auction sales of vehicles and other goods by the Customs Division between July1, 2016 –August 15, 2022.
“The Office of the Special Prosecutor has commenced investigation into suspected corruption and corruption-related offences in respect of auction sales of vehicles and other goods by the Customs Division of Ghana Revenue Authority between 1 July, 2016 and 15 August 2022.
“…The Special Prosecutor further directed the Commissioner of the Customs Division to immediately halt and discontinue all auction sales till the investigation is concluded,” the document signed by Mr Agyebeng, Special Prosecutor said.
The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has shut down the operations of a Shell filling station at Adomi Bridge (Atimpoku) in the Eastern Region for selling water–laced petroleum product to unsuspecting customers.
Following a widely circulated video on social media and subsequent complaint made to the Authority on 29th August, 2022 about a suspected contaminated fuel purchased at the aforementioned retail outlet, a team from the Eastern Regional office of NPA was immediately dispatched to ascertain the veracity of the report.
The team immediately undertook a water content presence test and a dip into the well of the outlet indicated the presence of water.
Management of Vivo Energy, in a letter addressed to the Authority, posited that there was water ingress into the underground Super Tank after a heavy downpour in the area, which was corroborated by the investigative team sent by the Authority.
However, a sample has been sent to the head office laboratory for further investigations, with other segments going for forensic audit at the Ghana Standards Authority.
The station will only be allowed to resume operations after all remedial actions have been taken and confirmed by the NPA.
We wish to assure all impacted customers whilst investigations are still ongoing that, the NPA’s remedial action would be for the station to fix the affected vehicles and compensate the customers.
While we applaud the gesture of the customer who filmed the incident and shared on social media, we will encourage consumers of petroleum products to immediately call the NPA hotlines 0545006111/0545006112 or file the complaint on the NPA website; www.npa.gov.gh immediately a suspected adulterated product has been purchased.
The customer should report within 48 hours, any delay after 48 hours risks the loss of evidence. The petroleum product in question could have been sold out or co-mingled with fresh like product.
Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia says the government is willing to support the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) to boost the local production of doctors and dentists at both the undergraduate and specialist levels to meet the needs of the country.
He made this known at the opening ceremony of the Medical Training and Practice Conference, which marks the 50th Anniversary of the MDC, under the theme: “Reflection on 50 years of Medical Regulation,” which was held in Accra.
According to him: “The World Health Organisation’s data on density of doctors, per ten thousand population from 2011-2019, shows most of our peers are doing far better than Ghana; Nigeria, for example, has a density of 3.8 for doctors and 0.2 for dentists; Gabon 6.8 for doctors, 0.2 for dentists; Kenya has 1.6 for doctors, 0.2 for dentists and South Africa 7.9 doctors and 1.1 for dentists, while Ghana has a figure of 1.1 for doctors and 0.1 for dentists. This situation is not quite unsatisfactory.”
He, therefore, advised the MDC to focus and come out with implementable suggestions on how to creatively boost the local production of doctors and dentists. Dr. Bawumia restated the fact that many students who were qualified and were desirous of becoming doctors and dentists were unable to obtain admissions here in Ghana, on account of inadequate investment in medical and dental training schools.
“The current statistics show that there are only five public and two private universities training doctors and dentists in the country, with low number of students’ intake due to lack of adequate physical infrastructure, equipment, logistics and appropriate faculty,” he added.
Dr. Bawumia was hopeful that the conference would deliberate on the current challenges with medical and dental training and practice at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and “I believe the Council will share some of the details of its experience with the rest of you during the course of this conference. Again, to examine the possibility of reforming and restructuring the training curricula and bring them in line with current trends; taking on board the competencies required of today’s doctors and dentists.”
The Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, in his address, stated that his Ministry facilitated the approval of a World Bank facility in June 2020 to the tune of US$15,267, 464.28. This funding support, the Minister indicated, was to help build the first-ever National Clinical Skills Examination Centre of Excellence, as well as a new Head Office Complex with accommodation facilities for the Council.
“As a Ministry, we are excited and commend the Council for its commitment and foresight for inviting critical stakeholders at this time to reflect on the current challenges with local medical and dental training and practice with the view to forging consensus on actionable solutions to boost local production of doctors and dentists at both undergraduate and specialist levels,” he said.
The Registrar of MDC, Dr. Divine Ndonbi Banyubala, who also addressed the gathering, stated that the Council had made significant and impactful contributions internationally.
“At the continental level, [the] Council is a member of the Management Committee of the Association of Medical Councils of Africa (AMCOA) and a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Medical Regulatory Authorities (IAMRA) at the global level,” Mr. Banyubala said.
He commended his outfit over the regulated training in seven medical schools including two private schools (Family Health Medical School and Accra College of Medicine), two dental schools and some 13 physician assistant training schools.
The Managing Director of Trassaco Limited, Morris Ian, current on the run, has been indicted for allegedly hiring the services of land guards to terrorise another estate developer, TOP Kings, and its customers in Accra.
Mr. Ian was said to have been hiring the services of the land guards from one Dr. Botwe, who is also nowhere to be found.
However, the police have managed to arrest and put before an Accra Circuit, presided over by Samuel Bright Acquah, five persons believed to be land guards recruited by Dr. Botwe for the Managing Director of Trassaco Limited.
These persons are Akuribilla Annanfo, 40, Razak Seidu, 28, Abdallah Abdul Fatau, 40, Baah Samuel, 38, and Francis Avegbedo, 38, and they are all security men.
The accused persons were arraigned before the court last week Friday on four different accounts – conspiracy to commit crime namely causing unlawful damage, preparation for committing certain criminal offences, causing unlawful damage and prohibition of activities of land guards. Nonetheless, they have all pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The court, after a careful analysis of the arguments on bail raised by the counsel for the accused persons, Anthony Lartey, led by Martin Kpebu, and the prosecution, remanded the five into police custody to reappear before it today, August 30, 2022.
The brief facts read to the court by the police prosecuting officer, indicated that the case was reported to the police by the General Manager of TOP Kings, Benjamin Kwame Danso (complainant).
The court was informed that somewhere in 1999, the Empire Builders Limited took the complainant and others to court but case was settled on December 16, 2020, in favour of Mr Danso and others.
It was alleged that despite the complainant and others winning the case, they continued to suffer at the hands of the accused persons and their manager, Dr. Botwe, who recruited them as land guards for the Trassaco Estate.
And that since the judgement could not put the matter to rest, a series of complaints were lodged with the police in relation to the case.
Thus on August 17, 2021, the police received information that Dr. Botwe and Morris Ian allegedly agreed for a meeting to be held between the latter and three of the accused persons – Abdullah, Baah, and one Hamid Musah @ Alhaji, at large.
It was concluded at the alleged meeting between the four that Morris Ian wanted to take over land which belonged to the complainant and his company.
Morris Ian was said to have sealed the meeting by paying cash of GH¢41,000.00, and further issued GH¢50,000.00 Access Bank cheque to Abdullah on behalf of the land guards.
In furtherance of this, Morris Ian was alleged to have put Abdullah, Baah, and Hamid Musah in his Range Rover vehicle, and drove them to the complainant’s site to demolish the buildings on the land.
As a result, on August 1 this year, police patrol teams, assisted by a witness in the case, who also is a night security man, to arrested Akrubilla Annanfo and Seidu Razak. At the time of the arrest, one pump action gun and ten rounds of BB cartridges were found on Akrubilla.
Similarly, a spot interrogation conducted by the police patrol team discloses that Akrubilla and Seidu were all working for Morris Ian who is the General Manager of Trassaco Limited.
Fast forward, on August 17, 2022, the Regional Command received information that the Managing Director of Trassaco and Dr. Botwe were recruiting land guards to go and demolish the buildings of TOP King and their customers.
The court was informed that based upon this information, police patrol teams were dispatched to the area where the accused were alleged mobilising to attack the complainant, but before the police could reach there they had information and left.
On August 24, the police again received information that the accused persons, led by Abdullah, were mobilising the land guards to go and demolish buildings of the complainant and his customers.
A police patrol team was once again dispatched to the area and arrested Akrubilla and Hamid, but the others escaped.
The court was informed that during interrogation, Abdullah and Baah admitted the offences in the presence of an independent witness, and the accused persons were charged with the offences and arraigned before court.
Efforts are underway to apprehend the other suspects at large.
George Mireku Duker, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources
Chiefs who attended the meeting
As a sign of government’s recognition of their integral and strategic role in the fight against illegal mining, George Mireku Duker, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources has engaged the Western Regional Security Council and the Eight District Mining Committees in the Western Region on the need for them to rise up and take their rightful place in combating illegal mining activities across the region.
Addressing a gathering of Metropolitan, Municipal and District officials, as well as traditional rulers in the Western Region, Mr. Mireku Duker drummed home the point that the anti-galamsey fight is a national and civic call to duty that must be answered with alacrity and devotion by any Ghanaian, more especially those with responsibilities in the various districts.
He emphasised that traditional authorities who are custodians of lands and culture should as a matter of urgency and necessity rise up and assume a frontal role in the fight against illegal mining.
The Deputy Minister in charge of Mining said he is not oblivious of the difficult and peculiar nature of the challenge but remains adamant that the stakeholders should work hand-in-hand with the central government to win the war against illegal mining.
Turning his attention to the persons still engaged in illegal mining, Mr. Mireku Duker warned that ‘we are coming for you’ and that whoever is apprehended by the security authorities, irrespective of his political or religious colour, will be put behind bars.
He stated forcefully that government will not allow some self-serving people to destroy the country’s river bodies with their illegal activities.
George Mireku Duker, the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, in a group photograph with the Chiefs
He called on Ghanaians, particularly the youth to join the fight, stressing that the battle against illegal mining is a process and not an event.
“It is not an easy battle, it’s a war. It’s not an event, it is a process. We know the menace may not be totally uprooted but we can reduce it to an appreciable level. If we had not implemented certain measures the situation would have been worse.
We commend the security agencies, but we need to do more. Government is doing its best to turnaround the fortunes of the small-scale mining sector. It is important for us to join forces with government in the fight.
“I called on the youth to fight this battle dispassionately because it is about their future. We should not allow partisan politics to destroy this fight, because it has no political colouration. All hands must, therefore, be on deck to fight this battle,” he said.
George Mireku Duker also stated some key interventions embarked on by the government to streamline the small-scale mining sector.
He mentioned the introduction of the Community Mining Scheme which is to help regularise the activities of illegal small-scale miners through sustainable and responsible mining practices, the National Alternative Livelihood Employment Program (NALEP), which aims at providing alternative employment opportunities for Ghanaians displaced from illegal mining activities.
He also cited the training of river wardens, purchase of speedboats and constant patrol of river bodies as some measures that are already yielding positive results.
The Chief Director of the Western Regional Coordinating Council, who spoke on behalf of the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, said he is confident that the permanent solutions rolled out by government will help reduce illegal mining activities in the region.
He also added his voice to Mireku Duker’s appeals for the traditional authorities and stakeholders to play active role in the helping the government curb the illegal mining menace.
RE: MINING IN FOREST RESERVES
Meanwhile, the Minerals Commission has responded to another ‘attack’ launched against it by the Member of Parliament for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini.
The following is a full statement the Commission issued yesterday;
The attention of the Minerals Commission has been drawn to another publication by the Member of Parliament for Tamale North Constituency, Alhassan Suhuyini, in respect of the issuance of a Forest Entry Permit to Messrs Koantwi Company Limited.
This was after the Commission had refuted his earlier allegation that the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel A. Jinapor, MP, had granted prospecting licences to some companies to prospect for minerals in Forest Reserves.
First of all, it is important to emphasise that the ban issued in 2021 by the Minister was in respect of reconnaissance, prospecting and/or exploration in Forest Reserves, except in exceptional circumstances.
The ban was imposed because people acquired reconnaissance and/or prospecting licences and turned around to mine, causing extensive damage to the Forest.
A reconnaissance, prospecting and/or exploration licence is fundamentally different from a mining lease.
A reconnaissance, prospecting and/or exploration licence is granted to search for minerals, while a mining lease is granted to mine and/or exploit the mineral after the exploration activities have identified them in commercial quantities.
The environmental protocols for mining are more stringent than reconnaissance and prospecting. It is for this reason that Government banned reconnaissance and prospecting in Forest Reserves, except in exceptional circumstances.
For the avoidance of doubt, the ban does not extend to mining or the actual extraction of minerals.
It is public knowledge that parts of the concessions of Newmont Ghana Limited, Chirano Gold Mines Ltd. and Ghana Bauxite Company fall within Forest Reserves, and these companies have been mining in the forest, prior to and after the imposition of the ban.
In respect of Messrs. Koantwi Company Limited, a casual reading of the Forestry Commission’s letter, posted by Suhuyini, shows that it was an approval for the issuance of a Forest Entry Permit to the Company to MINE within a portion of the Forest Reserve and not to undertake reconnaissance and/or prospecting.
In any case, Messrs. Koantwi Company Limited was granted its mining lease on 22nd September, 2020 and ratified by Parliament on 22nd December, 2020 before Jinapor became Minister.
The publication by Suhuyini, suggesting that the Minerals Commission was not candid when it said that the Minister has not issued a reconnaissance and/or prospecting licence is, therefore, not the case.
The Commission will urge the general public to engage the Commission on some of these matters before going public.
The Commission will continue to work with relevant stakeholders to implement Government policies for the effective utilisation and management of the natural resources of our country, and particularly to fight illegal mining and its devastating consequences.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, DVLA, says all prospective applicants for drivers’ license must strictly undergo a compulsory eye test at only centres designated by the authority.
Additionally, all those who have already obtained the license would be required to also undergo the compulsory test whenever they go for upgrade, renewal and replacements, effective 1st September, 2022.
According to the authority, this would ensure that any holder of a driver’s license in the country would meet a basic requirement set out in their regulations, as far as eye test is concerned.
The Central Regional manager of the DVLA, Mr Lawrence Adom, who disclosed this to the Chronicle, indicated that rolling out of the exercise formed part of the authority’s efforts to stem road accidents.
He said, “We rolled it out in June for new applicants, where they were made to go through the new process to get the test done by professionals at centres approved by the authority.
What we are doing now is the implementation of phase two of the regulation 29 of the road traffic regulation 2012 (2180) on eye test,” Mr Adom said.
Conditions set out by Regulation 29
It specified that prospective applicants for a learner’s license, a driver’s license or a renewal of driver’s license shall undergo an eye test and must have a minimum binocular vision of 6/12 or 20/40 as specified in the first schedule.
Also, the applicant shall have no defects, apart from the physiological blind spots in a minimum of 120 degrees of horizontal binocular visual field using 1114E setting on the Goldman or equivalent
It categorically specified that an applicant who suffers from a tunnel vision is disqualified from obtaining driver’s license.
It stated unequivocally that registered Ophthalmologist or Optometrist must certify the results of a vision test presented by an applicant to the licensing authority.
However, prior to the strict implementation of the regulation, staff of the DVLA were issuing clearance to applicants through the use of the Goldman machine.
Mr Adom explained that, “Now the approved centres will conduct the examination and transfer the information to us here, and we will only have to comply with whatever the specialists will say”.
He indicated that once the specialists cleared the applicants of any defect, the DVLA would go ahead and issue the license provided the applicants met all other requirements.
Appeal to the public
He appealed to the general public to see the exercise as one that has been carefully implemented to help fight the carnage on the roads saying any form of poor eyesight on the part of any drive was dangerous on the road.
“If it becomes necessary that an applicant has to wear glasses when driving, we indicate same on the license and offer adequate education to them so that they become aware of why they must not drive without putting on the glasses,” he explained.
The Police MTTU, he said, was aware of the signs on the license which indicated that drivers must wear glasses when driving and must be strictly enforced on the road and to ensure that offenders are made to comply.
According to Mr Adom, the DVLA has approved three centres in Cape Coast, after they met all the necessary requirements.
They are Firmer Eye Services, Department of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Cape Coast and Imperial Eye Care.
Feverish preparations are underway in the Nyimfa division of the Ekumfi Traditional Area to receive President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to the Ahmadiyya Missionary Training College Park at Ekumfi Ekrawfo on Saturday, September 10, 2022 when the grand durbar takes place as highlight of the week-long Akwanbo Festival of the Chiefs and people of the division.
Within the three towns forming the Nyimfa Division- Ekrawfo, Atakwaa and Otabenadze, elaborate preparations are ongoing to receive the Head of State and his entourage. Banners are already up announcing the event while gutters are being desilted, bushes being cleared general cleaning underway.
According to Mr. Ebo Quansah, Chairman of the Ekrawfo Town Development Committee and head of the Tripartite Committee for the Akwanbo Festival, the President will have a number of dignitaries for company.
Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu will lead a high-powered delegation of Parliamentarians, including Deputy Majority Leader Afenyo Markin, Mr. Kobina Tahir Hammond, Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa, Mr. Ato Cudjoe, the immediate past Member of Parliament for Ekumfi and Mr. Abeeku Crentsil, current MP for Ekumfi.
According to the head of the planning committee, Nana Kwaku Dei, Nkosuohene of Parko, near Nsawam, in the Eastern Region, who is also the known in private life as Mr. Ransford Tetteh, former editor of the state-run Daily Graphic, he will be at the festivities, together with two professors from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, namely Professor Ackuaku and Associate Professor Kwadwo Duah Ofori.
Chief Executive of the Komfo Anokye Hospital, Dr. Oheneba Danso, Kofi Dua-Adonteng, an Accra-based legal practitioner and a number of private businessmen are expected to grace the occasion.
The week-long programme begins on Monday, September 5, 2022 with the traditional inspection of Asafo drums and other instruments for traditional drumming and dancing, led by Tufuhun Kweku Kwansa. After the inspection, Asafo drumming and dancing will take centre stage.
On Tuesday, chiefs, Ebusuampanyin of the seven clans and other traditional leaders will visit shrines and ancestral groves to perform rites to pave the way for the ancestors of the land to give their blessings to the celebration.
In the evening, there will be candle-light procession through the main street at Ekumfi Ekrawfo to the Community Centre, where inter-denominational service will formally usher in the Akwanbo.
On Wednesday, the traditional clearing of the path which our ancestors took from Mankessim to the present settlement will take place. There will be a football gala featuring the town’s women football teams in the afternoon.
On Thursday, the Ekrawfo Asafo Company will start their traditional journey at 12 noon to join the Atakwaa Company. The two Asafo companies will drum and dance all the way to Otabenadze, where they would be welcomed by the local Asafo company.
The three groups will visit the location, where the Ekumfi Traditional Area links up with Enyan and Gomoa to perform rituals associated with Akwanbo, before joining chiefs and other leaders at a mini durbar.
Traditionally, the Otabenadze Asafo Company will join the Atakwaa and Ekrawfo companies back to Ekrawfo before the Asafo companies disperse.
Friday begins with a float by the youth to Mando and Essarkyir. There will be food bazaar at the Ekrawfo Community Centre where traditional food will be served.
Organisers insist that current menu popular in all parts of the country like indomie, fried chicken and pizza have all been declared unwholesome and who ever prepares any of such culinary, will face traditional action.
After Muslim prayers in the afternoon, Akroboto, that is the local residents, will face natives eking out a living outside the town, for a challenge football match.
For the youth, the thrill of going out on a float in the evening is the best treat, since an evening float is fixed for Friday evening.
The next day, Saturday, September 10, 2022 is the real Mackoy. That is the highlight of the week-long celebration with the President as the Special Guest of Honour at the grand durbar at Ekumfi Ekrawfo.
A dance at which Miss Akwanbo will be crowned will take place at Bash Gardens, operated by Mr, Bahir Kweku Hayford, a national football coach of repute.
The Ekumfi Cultural Troupe, a very innovative group using Asafo drums and dance to perform will feature as highlight of the Miss Akwanbo dance.
The curtain comes down on the week-long celebration with a special challenge match featuring Premier giants Accra Great Olympics and local lads Ekumfi United for the Kwamena Biney Challenge Cup at Ekumfi Ekrawfo on Sunday, September 11, at 3pm.
Just before the match, there will be a mini fund-raising durbar at the Ekrawfo Community Centre. Monday, September 12, is set aside for family meetings and general stock-taking of the festivities.
Dr. Nana Agyenim Boateng, President, Concerned Youth of Ashanti
Dr. Nana Agyenim Boateng, President of the Concerned Youth of Ashanti, has lamented that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) members of Parliament were the cause of the government’s negligence to provide infrastructural development.
Speaking to the media in Kumasi, he stated that the Ashanti Regional NPP caucus, being the majority in Parliament, was not performing.
According to him, most of the MPs in Cabinet had failed to fight for the interests and welfare of the people.
He continued that the performance of the MPs to lobby for development for the region was nothing to write home about; an indication that they did not care about the welfare of the people, while the uncompleted projects initiated by the previous government had been abandoned.
He mentioned the Kumawu Hospital, Fomena Hospital, Boankra Inland Port, Kwabre East roads, Jacobu roads, Bosome-Freho roads, and Bekwai roads, and that Manso Nkwanta Constituency had been neglected since 1992.
He noted that it was long overdue for the NPP MP’s to lobby the government for developmental projects for the Ashanti Region.
Dr. Agyenim Boateng concerns come in obvious reaction to the Ashanti Regional Minister’s claim recently at the meet the press series in Accra that Nana Akufo-Addo had not performed badly in the Ashanti Region.
He challenged the Ashanti Regional MPs and Ministers to be up and doing, because the electorate was very much awake to the realities on the ground and would vote for development instead of mere party slogans and symbols.
The youth leader stressed that the electorate would definitely vote for a party that would ensure the completion of interchanges, hospitals, roads and schools.
Feverish preparations are underway in the Nyimfa division of the Ekumfi Traditional Area to receive President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to the Ahmadiyya Missionary Training College Park at Ekumfi Ekrawfo on Saturday, September 10, 2022 when the grand durbar takes place as highlight of the week-long Akwanbo Festival of the Chiefs and people of the division.
