Month: April 2011

The Member of Parliament for Adentan Kojo Adu Asare, has added his voice to the “chorus of admonishings” by well wishers for the New Patriotic Party’s primaries to be conducted in a peaceful atmosphere.

He noted that it is important the NPP conducted the elections in a free and transparent manner to avoid any dispute that may result in electoral violence.

Several statesmen including the NPP Presidential candidate Nana Akufo Addo and NPP Chairman Jake Obetsebi Lamptey have called for healthy primaries across the country to show to the country that the NPP is a united force, deserving of their mandate.

The NPP goes to parliamentary primaries on Saturday 30th April 2011, to elect its parliamentary candidates for the 2012 general elections which promises to be keenly contested.

Speaking on Adom FM’s “Dwaso Nsem” show, the Member of Parliament for Adentan, Kojo Adu Asare, reminded his colleagues MPs and other new aspirants to brace themselves for the worst results, as politics is full of surprises.

“In political context or competitions there is nothing like draw unlike football, you either win or lose and it is important that my colleagues are guided by this basic fact” he said.

Hon. Adu Asare added that the exercise of electing persons to parliament must be seen as a democratic exercise and not a “do or die” affair and must be conducted in a peaceful manner.

Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

Professor Mike Oquaye, Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya on Thursday noted that Information, Communication and Technology hold the future of Ghana.

He therefore promised to make Dome-Kwabenya ICT Centre and Library under construction a centre of excellence in Accra. Prof Oquaye was speaking during an inspection tour of the GH¢100,000 project.

He said an additional GH¢100,000 was needed to complete the project. Prof Oquaye said through ICT India was earning more foreign exchange. The project, which started in 2009, would comprise an Internet cafe, computer laboratory, children and adult libraries. Prof Oquaye unveiled plans for a three-classroom block for a proposed senior high technical school to be attached to the library complex.

The MP led journalists to inspect Taifa Police Station project which has so far attracted GH¢250,000. The station would have male and female cells with toilet facilities, a charge-office, Criminal Investigations Department and Motor, Transport and Traffic Unit and an armoury.

Source: GNA

The former Minister for Youth and Sports , Alhaji Mohammed Munataka has challenged the Communications Director of the opposition New Patriotic Party, Kwaku Kwarteng to produce evidence to buttress his claim that he (Muntaka) misappropriated state funds during his tenure of office.

The Asawase MP resigned from office last year following allegations of abuse of office and conflict of interest levelled against him while he served as the substantive Sports Minister.

The issue also saw the interdiction of the then Principal state Accountant of the Ministry, Mr. Adim Odoom and the Chief Director, Albert Ampong on the grounds that they failed to ensure that the laid down procedures were followed to guide the former Minister’s expenditure.

On Monday, November 23 2009, an Accra Fast Track High Court however ruled that that President John Mills’ directive that the two be interdicted had no legal basis.

The contention at the time was that the President did not have the legal right to take the action which was a preserve of the Civil Service Council.

The Civil Service Council then set up investigations into the matter based on which the two public servants have been interdicted again.

In a Press Statement signed by its Communications Director, Kwaku Kwarteng, the NPP called for the immediate reinstatement of Mr. Adim Odoom and Albert Ampong saying “the rulings were a loud statement of NDC government’s penchant for acting unlawfully and recklessly.”

According to the country’s largest opposition party, the latest development amounted to “a wicked and embarrassing display of selective justice.”

“The Minister who was responsible for the wrongs has only been asked to go and sin no more. The two civil servants who dared to draw the attention to the looting of the tax payer’s money have been interdicted. What kind of ‘father-for-all’ is President Mills?” He said.

The party contended that, with these developments, public servants would be unwilling to volunteer information towards the fight against corruption.

However in a sharp rebuttal, Hon. Muntaka took a swipe at the NPP’s Communications Director describing him as a shameful politician.

“I am ashamed and disappointed in Kwaku Kwarteng because he is talking out of ignorance. If he thinks he has any evidence, he should proceed to court. I know I am not guilty, I have not taken even one pesewa worth of meat.” He said.

He reiterated his innocence in the much publicised case and dared Kwaku Kwarteng to produce evidence to buttress his claim that he (Muntaka) used state
funds to buy meat or other personal belongings.”

An obviously infuriated Muntaka chanted “If he wants to insult, I can also insult.” “We must stop the dirty politics, it destroys the country.” He added.

The Member of Parliament for Okere Dan Kweku Botwe, says Agencies and persons in- charge of ensuring that street lights across the country and especially those along the major streets in the capital function, must be held accountable for dereliction of duty.

According to the MP, officials charged with the responsibility of providing functional streetlights cannot continue to be paid with the tax payers’ hard earned money while they fail to discharge their responsibilities.

The MP expressed these sentiments following reports that some major roads in the country including the Peduase Lodge road and Liberation road remain dark at night even though President John Evans Attah Mills had earlier directed that dysfunctional street lights be rectified.

Prior to the 2010 Christmas festivities President Mills directed all agencies concerned with the management of street lights in the country, to ensure that all streetlights are functional before Christmas.

The directive came after an audit of 60 roads in the capital revealed that the streetlights are not functioning as expected, with some out of order for months.

Contributing to a discussion on Metro TV’s Good Morning Ghana show, the Member of Parliament for Okere Dan Botwe, bemoaned the flagrant violation of the President’s directive.

He questioned why Ghanaians should continue to pay for the services of street lights while the Electricity Company of Ghana continually fails to deliver.

“Someone will have to be held accountable, this should not even get to the Minister of Energy, the immediate person charged with this responsibility must be made to provide answers for the malfunctioning street lights’’ he said.

Hon. Dan Botwe noted that the absence of street lights makes most roads unsafe as armed robbers take advantage of the gloomy nature of the roads to rob unsuspecting people in some cases killing them in the process.

Story by :Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Azure Royal Family at Nangodi in the Upper East Region, has accused Mr Moses Asaga, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for the Nabdam Constituency for meddling in chieftaincy issues in the area.

He is accused of lobbying for his younger brother Joe Asaga, who has been enskined by the Nayire, Naa Bohogo, as the chief of Nangodi.

The members of the Royal family, who accused the MP at a press conference held at Nangodi, explained that the Asaga family was not part of the Royal lineage at Nangodi and said never in the history of the traditional area had a member of the Asaga family been enskinned a chief.

Mr Solomon Sampana, who spoke on behalf of the embittered family, accused the Asagas of bribing the Kingmakers of Nayire and alleged that Mr Asaga gave them monies and other gifts to influence them.

”We the Azure family, who formed the majority of the population in Nangodi, will never recognize Mr Joe Asaga as the chief and there would be confusion if nothing is done to reverse the situation”, he warned.

The Azure family further threatened not to vote for the NDC if nothing was done to salvage the situation.

They called on the National House of Chiefs to investigate the matter to establish the truth and also entreated government to as a matter of urgency look into that matter to avert any clashes.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Moses Asaga refuted the allegation and stated that his family belonged to the royal family.

He stated that under normal circumstances he should have been the next person to be enskined as chief of the area but his political position could not permit him and that explained why his younger brother had to contest and won.

He indicated that there were six gates in the Nangodi area, who have all agreed to the newly enskined chief with the exception of the Azure family whom he said had ruled for long in the area and wondered why they did not want change.

Mr Asaga said if they had anything to go by they could challenge the Nayire and not him and that it was not true that he bribed the Nayire.

He further indicated that the Nayire knew who qualified to be the chief.

Source: GNA

The NDC Member of Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, Michael Teye Nyaunu has taken a swipe at a section of the private press describing them as mercenary journalist that is out there to destroy certain public officials.

He alleged that they collect monies from their pay masters to public stories which are not true aimed at destroying the hard earned reputation of their political opponents.

The Enquirer Newspaper edition of Wednesday 27th April reported that the campaign team of the Former First Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings received a cold reception when the team were in the Western Region to campaign for the candidature of the Ex first lady.

The paper claimed the Konadu Campaign team failed woefully in their bid to woo the delegates in the constituencies visited as they refused to honor the invitation of the team to a meeting.

However speaking to ghanamps.gov.gh, the Parliament for Lower Manya Krobo, Michael Teye Nyaunu discredited the story publish by the paper as it contained no iota of truth.

He said delegates in constituencies such as Amenfi West, Amenfi East and Bia defied the directive of the regional executives not to give audience to the campaign team and attended the meetings where they were given T-shirts of Nana Konadu with some of them wearing it openly.

“It is unfortunate that President Attah Mills is being fed with the wrong information that he is solidly on the ground when in actual fact he is not, they are rather doing him a great disservice” he said.

Hon. Teye Nyaunu described the Western regional campaign tour as a huge success and predicted that Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings was going to garner 80% of votes from the Western Region during the NDC party congress in July.

Some political commentators believe the MP will have a difficult time retaining his seat come 2012 elections in the event that President Mills wins the Presidential candidate slot, but the vociferous MP said he is aware of the herculean task ahead and has adequately prepared himself.

Story by: Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh