Month: October 2010

The Member of Parliament for Okaikoi South, Nana Akomea has condemned the huge fanfare that goes with the commissioning of government projects in recent times.

He says the commissioning of small projects undertaken by the government should not generate costly ceremonies that invariably becomes a waste of public funds, which otherwise could have be channeled to executing very important projects.

The MP’s comment follows the inauguration of the renovated Accra-Tema rail line on Thursday October 28 by President John Evans Attah Mills, which was characterized by a lot of fanfare from a section of the public wielding placards who had been bused to the venue to cheer the President on.

The completion of the rail line is expected to bring huge relieve to residents of Tema and Accra who go through a lot of inconvenience while travelling to and fro, due to the heavy traffic that usually builds up on the Tema Motor way.

Contributing to a discussion on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana show on Friday 29th October, the Member of Parliament for Okaikoi South, Nana Akomea however commended President Mills for his decision to complete the work started by the Kufour Administration and also acknowledging their efforts aimed at improving the railways sector in the country.

He expressed hope that the newly acquired diesel trains which have been bought at a huge cost to the country does not suffer the poor maintenance culture of Ghanaians and called on the management of the Ghana Railway Authority to ensure that trains and other equipments are put to good use.

Story by: Kwdawo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Okaikoi South, Nana Akomea, has categorically stated that President Mills has the moral standing and right to call for a cease fire on political insults in the country, since in his estimation, he has not been guilty of indulging in the practice.

Commenting on the recent statement by President Mills, who reportedly said he is baffled that politicians waste precious time exchanging insults in the media instead of focusing on national issues and that the insults should be curtailed, the NPP MP said it was a good call from President Mills which needs to be taken into serious consideration .

Contributing to a panel discussion on Metro TV’s ‘Good Morning Ghana’ show, Nana Akomea said, “I can’t remember Professor Mills engaging in political insults with anybody. As far as I can remember, during his period in opposition and in power, he has not engaged in any political insults, so he has the moral standing and right to call for a cease fire from political insults.”

According to him, though criticisms are necessary in democratic governance, people should not mistake the act of criticizing to be as the raining of insults.

“Criticisms are called for in democracy and the line between insults and criticism should be clear. We have to know that insults are different from criticisms,” he noted.

Nana Akomea called for a general debate and discussion on the difference between insults and criticisms.

“We have to debate to have a general idea of what can be called an insult and what is a criticism. There are some words which can be described as harsh words but not insults,” he added.

A Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, who was a co-panelist on the show, however, averred that it is a waste of time to debate on the difference between insults and criticisms.

“An insult is an insult and a criticism is a criticism so we should debate on more important and substantial issues rather than waste time on debating on what is an insult or not. Some politicians are professionals of insults who are only invited to radio discussions to rain insults, it is disgusting,” he stated.

Source: Peacefmonline

A leading member of the NDC and 2nd Deputy Majority Chief Whip in Parliament, George Kuntu Blankson has waded into the storm brewing within the NDC, calling on the party’s executives to instill discipline within the rank and file of the party.

According to Kuntu Blankson, no one in the NDC can lead the party to the 2012 elections and win except President John Mills.

He says the president has been phenomenal and is on course to achieve the better Ghana agenda.

George Kuntu Blankson however noted that if the former first lady Nana Konadu wants to contest and run for the position of flagbearer, she must resign from her current position as a vice chairperson of the party.

George Kuntu Blankson’s comments come on the back of recent agitations within the NDC about posters of the former first lady giving indications that she wants to contest against president John Mills for the flagbearer position for the 2012 elections.

Hon. Kuntu Blankson told Citi FM that the NDC can only retain power in the 2012 elections if President Mills leads the party.

“The woman has not come out to say that she is going to run and every party is governed by a Constitution. And above all, she is a national executive so if indeed it is true that she is doing it, it is better for her to resign and come out boldly and say she is going to run. When the time comes and we go to congress, whoever emerges is our Leader. I don’t want to castigate anybody but now the person in the driving seat is His Excellency Professor Mills. We are going to support him because the difficulty he came to meet is not easy. If you are there you think it’s easy. The man is doing all he can to bring this country to a better level for everybody. It’s a matter of time. This man came to office by God’s intervention and in 2012 that same God will see him through. I can assure you that he is going to emerge as the Leader and win hands down” he emphasized.

The Mfantseman East MP charged the party’s national executives to enforce the laws when necessary.

“The party’s national executive must sit up and say no where no is due and say yes where yes is due. The party has a Constitution so if somebody is infringing those laws it is their prerogative to deal with that person. In party organization, the party folks are managed by the party executives and not the President because there is a separation between a Presidency and a party although they work in tandem. It doesn’t mean that the President should come and manage the party. Then why do we have Party Chairman and General Secretary?” he queried.

“And it is not a matter of going on radio and talking. They have to go to the people and teach them about the dos and don’ts of the party. When there is a function, you will see them holding flags and following the President without attending to their core functions.

This entire hullabaloo about this foot soldiers concept is alien to the NDC but now everybody is a foot soldier. In NDC, we have only cadres. The foot soldiers concept belongs to the NPP” he noted.

Source: citi fm

The Minister of Communications and MP for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Paul Tawiah Quaye to take steps to curb the increasing rate of high way robberies in the country.

In recent times several cases of high way robberies have been recorded, the latest being the incident in which armed robbers forced male passengers aboard a Tamale-bound bus from Accra – to have sex with female passengers including a father who was ordered to break the virginity of his 14-year-old daughter after robbing them of their belongings.

Haruna Iddrisu, who was speaking on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana programme on Thursday, was shocked at the cruelty exhibited by the robbers, and was particularly angry at the way the robbers maltreated the father and his daughter, saying they would suffer ‘what we call cognitive dissonance’ and that it would be difficult for them to acclimatize with the situation.

He accused some of the Police personnel of being more interested in taking monies from drivers rather than doing their work professionally, and called on the IGP to call his men to order.

Mr. Iddrisu charged the Police to improve upon patrols on roads that are noted for criminal activities, urging the Police Service do everything within their means to bring the robbers to book and to ensure that such regrettable incidents do not recur.

He further called on the government to immediately resource the Police Service adequately so they coordinate with the transport institutions to clamp down on criminals.

Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South, Balado Manu, says embossing the picture of President John Evans Attah Mills on tea cups to be shared to pupils across the country to boost his image will not make the president any popular.

The drinking cups designed in different shapes and colors are being distributed free of charge to pupils across the country.

Imprinted with the national flag of Ghana, the cups are also embossed with the picture of the Minister of Education Alex Tetteh Enyo.

Both the President and the Education Minister are captured wearing suits on the cups sent from the Education Ministry to the various districts for onward distribution to the pupils.

The Daily Guide newspaper which carried the story has gathered that District Directors of Education were ordered by the various Regional Coordinating Councils to take delivery of the items and distribute them to the schools as part of the ‘Know Your President’ campaign.

In an interview with Ghanamps.gov.gh. the Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South, Balado Manu stated that this move by the government to make the president popular will be an exercise in futility, as it does not taken ones picture embossed on cups for people to know him as the sitting president.

“On which cups did we have the pictures of former presidents Rawlings and Kufour, there was none, but yet they were popular and they still remain popular,”he said.

Hon. noted that popularity is earned but not acquired and President Mills popularity will be enhanced only based on his good deeds, adding that he does not support the move as the production of the cups is a drain on the public purse.

The Ashanti Regional Minister Mr Opoku Manu in September 2010, was embarrassed during a visit to the Patase M/A Primary School in Kumasi, when he asked a school pupil who the president of Ghana was, and to the surprise of everyone present the pupil answered that the NPP flag bearer Nana Akufo Addo was the President of Ghana instead of President Mills.

Story by :Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

Former Works and Housing Minister, and Member of Parliament for New Juabeng North, Hackman Owusu Agyemang has confirmed the takeover of his company, Sikelele by Far East Merchantile.

He is also alarmed at the attrition rate of Ghanaian companies in the last 18 months.

Sikelele which deals in materials like pampers, quality paints and floor tiles, is said to have been indebted to its bankers leading to its eventual liquidation.

The October 27, 2010 edition of the Enquirer newspaper has as its lead story “Hackman collapses… as Sikelele goes bankrupt in just two years in opposition”.

The paper further alleges that the former minister has refused to sign release letters for some of his ex-workers to enable them get employed by the new owners.

But reacting to the Enquirer publication, Mr Hackman Owusu Agyemeng said the publication is not entirely true.

Even though he conceded that his company has been liquidated, he noted that that has nothing to do with politics. He also denied frustrating some of his ex-employees from getting employed by the new owners.

According to him, out of 250 employees, eight have been refused the release letters due to some dubious acts they were engaged in. He wondered why a Ghanaian should be happy about the demise of another Ghanaian company.

“What is distressing is the fact that, Archer, a so-called patriot is so excited that another Ghanaian business has failed,” he told Joy News’ Sammy Darko.

“Ghanaian businesses have failed in the last 18 months or one year. More than 150 businesses have failed.” he added.

He attributed the failure in part to dishonest employees like the eight workers he accuses of defrauding the company. He said the eight are up for criminal investigations.

Story by Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com/GhanaFormer Works and Housing Minister, Hackman Owusu Agyemang has confirmed the takeover of his company, Sikelele by Far East Merchantile.

He is also alarmed at the attrition rate of Ghanaian companies in the last 18 months.

Sikelele which deals in materials like pampers, quality paints and floor tiles, is said to have been indebted to its bankers leading to its eventual liquidation.

The October 27, 2010 edition of the Enquirer newspaper has as its lead story “Hackman collapses… as Sikelele goes bankrupt in just two years in opposition”.

The paper further alleges that the former minister has refused to sign release letters for some of his ex-workers to enable them get employed by the new owners.

But reacting to the Enquirer publication, Mr Hackman Owusu Agyemeng said the publication is not entirely true.

Even though he conceded that his company has been liquidated, he noted that that has nothing to do with politics.

He also denied frustrating some of his ex-employees from getting employed by the new owners.

According to him, out of 250 employees, eight have been refused the release letters due to some dubious acts they were engaged in. He wondered why a Ghanaian should be happy about the demise of another Ghanaian company.

“What is distressing is the fact that, Archer, a so-called patriot is so excited that another Ghanaian business has failed,” he told Joy News’ Sammy Darko.

“Ghanaian businesses have failed in the last 18 months or one year. More than 150 businesses have failed.” he added.

He attributed the failure in part to dishonest employees like the eight workers he accuses of defrauding the company.

He said the eight are up for criminal investigations.

Source: joy fm

Deputy Minority Leader Ambrose Dery says Ghana is dying to have Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as president and it will be the greatest injustice to deny him the opportunity.

Ambrose Dery believes the New Patriotic Party flag-bearer has done enough to deepen the political and democratic culture within the country and has a better appreciation of the problems of Ghana.

“It will be the greatest injustice if Nana Akufo-Addo, after all what he has done for the political development of this country; right from the days of military rule, he was leader; out in the streets; going to court arguing cases out – after all that, it is only fair that he is given the chance to lead this country.”

“Ghana should not miss the opportunity. We have a great President in the making in Nana Addo,” Mr. Dery told Myjoyonline.com at the sidelines of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumiah’s Book Launch in Accra on Tuesday.

Commenting on the recent wrangling within the NDC over who contests President Mills for the NDC’s flagbearership race, the deputy Minority Leader said for a party that has misled this country and has shown gross ineptitude in the administration of the country, he is happy at anything that will cause disaffection for the party and eventually inure to the benefit of the NPP.

“If NDC which has proved to be inept as far as am concerned and has proved that it cannot lead us to the promise land. We think that Nana Addo is going to be a far more viable alternative; yes I am happy if any factor is going to help make it easier for him to come.”

“We know they misled this country, they told things that are not true,” he said, adding, “whatever is going to help us win I am happy. The NDC is just an election winning machine by good and bad means.”

He was however quick to add that the NDC, no matter what happens must survive in order for the country to continue its multi-party democracy.

He also cautioned New Patriotic Party leaders not to be complacent “as happened in the 2008 elections” and urged them to work hard until victory is certain for the NPP IN 2012.

He would not be pushed to comment on the vice-presidential post, even though he has been mentioned within certain quarters as likely candidate for the position.

He said it will be unfair and against the party’s rules to force the flagbearer to select a partner.

According to him he is ready to work in any capacity under a Nana Akufo-Addo presidency.

He was full of praise for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumiah whose launch of his book on Ghana’s monetary policy brought all the bigwigs within the NPP together.

Among persons present at the ceremony were ex-President John Kufuor and Nana Akufo-Addo who supported the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana’s book by purchasing personal copies of the book at GHS2,000 and GHs3,000 respectively.

Source: joy fm