Month: June 2011

Coordinator of the Konadu for 2012 Campaign Team, Michael Teye Nyaunu has rubbished reports that a faction in the NDC is hiring thugs to disrupt the July 8 congress scheduled for Sunyani.

The Central Regional Communications Director of the NDC, Mr Allotey Jacobs, had told Xfm 95.1 he has hints that a faction in the ruling party had contracted some agent provocateurs to cause confusion at the congress grounds for the sole purpose of disrupting the vote counting process.

Even though he would not mention names, Mr Allotey Jacobs cited two different statements by Former President Jerry John Rawlings to buttress his claim, calling on the leadership of the NDC to take note and prepare well in case of any eventuality.

However, speaking in an interview on Xfm 95.1, Hon Teye Nyaunu who expressed surprise at the news described it as a “diversionary tactic” meant to cast a slur on the former First Lady. He wondered how the congress could be interrupted by thugs when the President has the state security apparatus at his disposal, asking further, “where are the security agents?”

Hon Teye Nyaunu said members of Mrs Rawlings’ team are going to stay alert at the congress in order not to be overtaken by events.

“This makes me laugh; certainly this is a diversionary tactics. You are dealing with a president in power who has all the state apparatus at their disposal, and they are saying that information they are getting is that we are hiring thugs. Maybe this is something that they want to do and so they are just trying to play diversionary tactics and put it in the public domain that that is what we are rather trying to do. Thanks so much for he coming out like this to put us on the high alert. We are going to be very careful”.

We have observed that whatever they are doing, they turn around to accuse us of doing. When Nana Konadu was going for her vetting, they organized thugs to demonstrate against her, yet they were saying that it was the handiwork of Nana Konadu’s campaign team. It is not possible… I’m surprised at what is going on”.

He said it was unfortunate that people will misconstrue the Former President’s statements, adding, “Allotey Jacob should know better, as a Communications Director, he should know better; that his interpretation does not make sense”.

“This is just an unfortunate and lame-duck interpretation to the statement that was made within the context in which it was made and I find it very unfortunate. Nana Konadu is going to win at the congress, the message is on the ground and the people themselves know the truth.”

Source: Xfm 95.1

The Campaign Coordinator of the Nana Konadu for 2012 Campaign Team, Michael Teye Nyaunu, has described the Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper as an unreliable pollster who is only interested in churning out stories to cause confusion in the electorate.

The Member of Parliament for Lower Manya constituency has also dismissed as false, a publication in the Wednesday June 8 edition of the Dispatch of appointees in a future Nana Konadu government.

The list also included names of some ministers currently serving in the Mills administration.

Hon. Michael Teye Nyaunu, who is named on the list as a future Secretary to the President told Citi News in an interview that the publication should be taken with a large pinch of salt.

According to him, Ben Ephson, has over the years shown that his polls and publications are very “unreliable”.

“I don’t put any credibility on Ben Ephson’s predictions and all those things because he once said that I was going to lose my constituency and I rather won by a wider margin. When you have pollsters like this they are so unreliable, they just churn out confusion into the system”.

Another of the ‘future Ministers,’ currently Deputy Minister for Agriculture Nii Amasa Namoale, who has allegedly been penciled down as the substantive Minister in a Konadu government, has told Citi News that although no one has consulted him about a future appointment, he will be glad to serve in any future NDC government, regardless of who is President.

The list also names Water Resources, Works and Housing Minister Alban Bagbin as running mate to Nana Konadu, former President Jerry Rawlings as Head of Security, close Rawlings associate Herbert Mensah as Chief of Staff, veteran politician Kwamena Ahwoi as Presidential Advisor, failed NDC flagbearer aspirant Ekwow Spio Garbrah as Foreign Affairs Minister, Rawlings Spokesperson Kofi Adams as Information Minister.

Current deputy Finance Minister Fiifi Kwetey will see an improvement in his fortunes with an elevation to full Finance Minister, according to Ben Ephson’s list, while either Dr. Josiah Aryeh and Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor will be appointed Minister for Justice and Attorney General.

Source: GNA

The Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South, Stephen Balado Manu has urged youth from the northern parts of the country and other Islamic communities (Zongo) to refrain from being used for violence during political activities.

He said, most of such energetic youth from these areas have over the years unfortunately allowed themselves to be used by politicians as instruments of destruction, which is criminal and must not be encouraged.

Youth who could be described as thugs from Zongo communities across the country have been hired by some political parties during campaign activities to visit mayhem on opposing parties and in some cases fellow party members who belong to other camps with the same party.

The MP’s admonishing follows the incident at the ruling NDC party where some youth were allegedly hired by the Get Attah Mills Elected (GAME) campaign team to demonstrate and create rowdy a scene during the vetting of former first lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings on Tuesday 7th June 2011.

Speaking on Peace FM, the Member of Parliament for Ahafo Ano South, Stephen Balado Manu who himself is a northerner called on the youth not to allow themselves to be used for criminal deeds as that erroneously feeds into peoples’ perception that people of northern extraction are belligerent.

“Why will my people allow themselves to be employed by politicians only during political activities, but are jettison by these same politicians immediately they win power.

Hon. Balado Manu called on the youth to be weary of such politicians as they may want to woe them into engaging in criminal acts as the 2012 general election campaign approaches.

Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The NPP Member of Parliament for Mampong, Francis Addai Nimoh, has urged the Ministry of Roads and Highways to immediately take steps to repair the many pot holes that have developed on the roads, as it is one of the causative factors of accidents in the country.

According to the him, the terrible nature of the pothole ridden roads in the capital and other towns have made it progressively more difficult to drive on the roads.

The MP comments comes on the heels of a startling revelation that road traffic accidents have assumed alarming proportions, with the country recording 5,340 accidents between January and May this year. 740 people lost their lives in these accidents, with 4,950 others sustaining various degrees of injury.

The police administration who disclosed the statistics said if stringent measures were not taken to abate the situation, it was expected that the worst would happen and that might affect efforts at reducing the carnage on the roads.

According to data, the situation had not shown any chronological reduction over the years and it important that pragmatic efforts and measures needed to be put in place to stem the tide.

Speaking to ghanamps.gov.gh, Francis Addai Nimoh stated that the already bad situation on most of the roads in the cities are increasingly getting worse due to the heavy rains that have begun to set in.

“There have been instances when huge potholes which could be described as manholes have caused the death of unsuspecting drivers who are unfamiliar with some roads, we can’t allow such avoidable deaths to occur, ‘’ he said.

He noted that the socio-economic costs of the road accidents are estimated at 1.6 per cent of Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is unacceptable.

Hon. Addai Nimoh called for a concerted effort among stakeholders to implement effective measure to curb the high incidence of road accidents in the country.

Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Accra Fast Track High Court on Wednesday granted the prosecution leave to recall a witness in the trial of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, Mr. Adamu Dramani Sakande, if it wished to do so.

This is to help clarify what it termed “ambiguity” arising from the evidence of the MP and documents from the National Security Secretariat (NSS) which said the MP had not renounced his nationality status.

However, the court refused to allow the prosecution to prevail upon the MP to identify an alleged authenticated version of documents he (the MP) had earlier tendered in evidence to prove that he had renounced his British citizenship before seeking to be elected MP.

Although the prosecution had not formally put up any application praying the court to grant it leave to recall a witness months after closing its case, the trial judge, Mr. Justice Charles Quist, devoted a major part of his ruling to why the prosecution could recall a witness to rebut the MP’s claims, citing authorities.

Giving its ruling on an application by counsel for the MP, Mr. Yonny Kulendi, on his opposition to moves by the prosecution to cast doubt on his client’s defense, the court held that Section 111 of the Criminal Procedure and Other Offences Act gave the court the mandate to allow the prosecution to recall witnesses.

After the ruling, the court declined to grant the defense team’s request for a short adjournment to enable it (defense team) to study the ruling for the necessary action to be taken.

Following the court’s refusal to adjourn the matter, a Chief State Attorney, Mr. Rexford Wiredu, continued with his cross-examination of the accused person.

During the cross-examination, the MP denied assertions from the prosecution that he had forged his renunciation papers to throw dust in the eyes of the court.

The prosecution has since completed cross-examining the MP.

On May 24, 2011, Mr. Kulendi had argued that it was improper for the prosecution to request his client to identify documents which bordered on the renunciation of his British citizenship and which were purported to have emanated from the NSS and other agencies.

Mr. Wiredu had urged the MP to look at what he termed an “authenticated version” of the documents he (the MP) had earlier tendered in evidence to prove that he had renounced his British citizenship before seeking to be elected as an MP.

However, Mr. Kulendi vehemently opposed Mr. Wiredu’s action and said the document, dated November 5, 2010 and signed by the National Security Coordinator, Lt Col Larry Gbevlo-Lartey (retd), had no bearing on his client’s evidence-in-chief and argued that the MP had not tendered in evidence any document with characteristics similar to that of the NSS to be called upon to identify them.

According to him, the documents were concocted, arranged and procured after the doors of justice had been shut on the prosecution.

Opposing Mr. Kulendi’s submission, Mr. Wiredu explained that the MP took the prosecution by surprise when he tendered the documents claiming he had renounced his British citizenship and for that reason the prosecution had to verify the authenticity or otherwise of the documents from the relevant authorities.

The MP was, on July 31, 2009, arraigned before the court, charged with nine counts relating to his nationality, perjury, forgery of passport, election fraud and deceiving public officers to be elected as an MP, but was exonerated on six of those charges on July 8, 2010.

He is currently facing three charges of false declaration of office or voting, perjury and deceiving a public officer.

The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye, has called for review and possible stiffening of the nation’s laws on homosexuality to save her from what he says is “un-Ghanaian” sexual behaviour.

The Dome-Kwabenya MP predicts the extinction of the human race if homosexuality is allowed to thrive.

Speaking on Citi FM on Thursday June 9, the long-serving MP called for the closure of all homosexual joints across the country.

Prof Oquaye argued that much as individuals are entitled to their rights such as a sexual preference, such rights must not be offensive to the larger society.

“Homosexuality is already an offense, a criminal offense,” he insisted.

“All those homosexual joints must be closed down, we should tighten the law too and then we must also have a form of public education because a lot of these young people are misled and they think that it is fashionable.

“If the state doesn’t intervene to destroy this fashion-ability, of this criminal and immoral activity, then we would wake up one day to realize we have spoilt our nation.

“It is something that must be nipped in the bud, it is un-Ghanaian, we cannot say now that we are going to have in Ghanaian customary marriage, a man and a man are marrying. It is an abomination in the sight of the Ghanaian.

“If that is so, why should we allow some people to come and pollute it for us, I think we must take action”.

In a related development, a former head of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Justice Francis Emile Short, has called for a nationwide debate on the subject.

According to Justice Short, prohibiting people from practicing homosexuality will amount to trampling on their human rights.

He said, “You cannot deny the fact that this phenomenon exists and it is gaining wide currency. As to whether our laws should prohibit someone declaring himself a homosexual is a debatable matter because it might run counter to certain international human right norms and values so that is a debatable and difficult matter.

“I’m glad that at least it is acknowledged that at least they do have some rights and I think we ought to recognise that and know that they cannot be discriminated against”.

Source: citifmonline.com

Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Works and Housing, Mr David Tetteh-Assemeng, has challenged the management of the Ghana Water Company Limited to achieve results now that the management of water has been handed over to it.

He said the company could improve on the management and delivery of water to the people if only the workers would change their negative attitudes and respond promptly to the calls of consumers.

“The promptness of workers to the repair of burst pipes, faithfulness in the collection of revenue in addition to measures to prevent corruption are key to the successful management of the water sector”, he said.

Mr Tetteh-Assumeng, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Shai-Osudoku, was commenting on the handing over of the management of the country’s water delivery by the Aqua Vitens Rand Limited (AVRL) to the GWCL.

The handing over followed the non-renewal of the five-year management contract of the AVRL by the government.
Mr Tetteh-Assumeng said Ghanaians would be better judges of the performance of the AVRL during the period of its management contract.

He explained that people were seen always carrying yellow gallons in search of water as a result of non expansion of the water facilities in the face of populations increase.

Mr Tetteh-Assumeng said even though the AVRL did well in reducing treated water which was not accounted for, it could have done better in the management of water to alleviate the plight of Ghanaians.

He said it was now up to the management of the GWCL to prove that they are up to the task without external support.

Mr Tetteh-Assumeng urged the government to strengthen its monitoring system and fire recalcitrant workers.

He also called on the management to be proactive and inject discipline into the company in order to achieve results to prove to the whole world that Ghanaians were capable of managing their own affairs.

KDA/Graphic

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Kwabena Okyere Darko- Mensah, has called on Ghanaians to desist from referring to President Attah Mills as the Asomdwehene (King of Peace).

He said President Mill has consistently demonstrated over the years with his action and inaction that he is not a peace loving person as Ghanaians have been made to believe by his supporters.

The MP comment stems from yesterday’s incident at the Headquarters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) where there was near mayhem following exchanges by supporters of the ex-first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings and those of President John Mills.

The near hostility was ignited by supporters of the Get Atta Mills Endorsed (GAME) who went picketing at the party’s headquarters where the ex-first lady had gone to be vetted for the party’s flagbearership position.

The supporters who were said to have come from Agona Kwanyarko brandished placards in which they declared unflinching support for president John Mills. Some of the placards read: “Atta Mills don’t mind him.” “Atta Mills we love you.”

The action by the GAME supporters angered followers of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings – Friend of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings (FONKAR) – who hurriedly massed up in support of the ex-first lady.

However contributing to a panel discussion on e.tv’s Newspaper Review Programme on Wednesday morning June 8, the Member of Parliament for Takoradi, Kwabena Darko-Mensah stated that his opposition to President Mills being called the Asomdwehene is born out of the fact that he (President Mills) has never publicly condemned the unruly behavior of NDC youth ever since they begun engaging themselves is these criminal act.

” What was the business of the members of GAME at the party Headquaters when they new that was a day for Nana Konadu, were they there simply to cause problems” he wondered.

“Ever since some misguided NDC youth (footsoldiers) started their rowdy activities including storming and seizure of state organization and burning of tender documents, President Mills has never spoken against that act, and yet we call him asomdwehene’’ he asked?

Hon Darko- Mensah asked Ghanaians to take a cue from the “violent” nature of the NDC party and vote them out in the upcoming 2012 election for the NPP to continue with the good works they left behind.

Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

Member of Parliament for Okaikoi South and Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomea has urged concerned parties awaiting the outcome of the petition by Vicky Bright, one of the aspirants in the Okaikoi South Constituency primaries to be calm and wait for the final decision from the party.

The Okaikoi South Constituency primary was keenly contested by Vicky Bright, a former Minister of State and the eventual victor Ahmed Arthur.

The defeated aspirant Vicky Bright who was generally expected to win the seat, lost by 12 votes and requested the Appeals Committee chaired by Ambassador Odoi Sykes, on what she said was wrongdoings in the elections after Armed Arthur was adjudged winner on April 30, 2011.

She earlier petitioned about the credibility of the electoral register used for the primaries but that was dismissed after investigations by the Appeals Committee revealed that the election was free and fair.

She later lodged another complaint that her opponent Ahmed Arthur did not attend the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) as he stated in the documents he submitted to the party before the elections is being deliberated upon by the party before a final decision on the Okaikoi South Constituency can be made.

Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Tuesday Nana Akomea stated that the Ambros Dery Committee which investigated the second petition by Vicky Bright has presented their report to the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party for direction.

He added that the party National Executives would study the report by the committee and deliver a final judgment on the issue.

Nana Akomea stated that the accusations and counter accusations from the aspirants and their followers are unnecessary as it may affect the unity of the party.

He emphasized the need for the constituents to work to retain the Okaikoi South seat and consolidate the NPP gains in the impending 2012 general elections.

Story by : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh