Month: August 2011

The Member of Parliament for Akyem Oda constituency, Yaw Owusu Boateng has inaugurate a Keep fit football league at Akim Oda in the Birim Central Municipality with a pledge of jersey, footballs and hundred Ghana cedis cash to support the league.

The league which was organised by Akyem Oda Keepfit clubs Association brought about nine hundred people comprising ten keep fit clubs during the inauguration ceremony which took place at the Methodist school park.

Inaugurating the league, Hon. Yaw Owusu Boateng encouraged the youth to exercise more often as there are lots of benefits in doing so.

He noted that regular exercises to a large extent helps one to prevent or manage a wide range of health problems and concerns, including stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, depression, certain types of cancer and arthritis.

He also advised the youth to take the football very seriously as the game has now become a money making venture and he was confident that a great footballer can emerge out of the local league in local Akim Oda.

The secretary of the association, Maxwell Kobina-Aurther admonished members not to politicize the association since it is a non-political entity which was set up to arouse interest of the youth in doing regular exercise.

He therefore took the opportunity to acknowledged radio biyac (94.1), which was the media sponsor and other sponsors such as, one-step mineral water, first-star mineral water, u-love mineral water.

Kojo Adu Asare NDC Member of Parliament for Adenta, has come out boldly and called on the government to withdraw its sovereign guarantee, for the STX Korean housing deal.

According to him, the delay in the execution of the project and the boardroom wrangling between the Korean and Ghanaian partners indicate clearly the deal had failed and he’s therefore urging government to withdraw the sovereign guarantee it granted to STX immediately.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, intransigently signed agreements with STX for the construction of 33,000 housing units to improve the huge housing deficit the country is encountering despite the opposition NPP calling for due diligence to be made on the Korean partners.

Stunned by power struggle between the partners – STX Engineering and Construction Ltd and STX Construction (Korea) – the project appears to be on hold since no work has been down on the project sites after over a year of signing the deal.

Speaking on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo Monday 22nd August 2011, Kojo Adu- Asare, stated that though he was among the key supporters of the deal from the very beginning based on evidence that the company had the capacity to deliver, he had now come to the realization that the deal will not come to fruition.

The MP said it was unacceptable to allow a few individuals to “toy with the sensibilities of Ghanaians” and maintained that the country cannot wait for officials of STX to sort themselves out before delivering on their mandate.

“This country should not wait for any group of people to come to terms with themselves [before pushing through with the project]”, he insisted, adding: “It is immoral to wait any longer [because we don’t know when this boardroom wrangling will end.”

He urged government to take a serious look at the unfolding events concerning the deal and withdraw its sovereign guarantee, stressing that it was important that government takes a firm stand to ensure that others do not destroy the image of the NDC and thus its Better Ghana Agenda.

“I love NDC… I have gotten to a point [where] I think two, three, four or five people should not take 24 million people for a ride or toy with a party’s agenda,” since the consequence would be devastating.

By : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Tain constituency, Ahmed Ibrahim has endorsed the contention by Communications Director for Nana Addo’s campaign team, Nana Akomea, that he felt insulted by the comments of Deputy Tourism Minister James Agyenim-Boateng on Joy FMs’ Newsfile programme Saturday.

James Agyenim-Boateng and Nana Akomea turned a contest of wits and intellect to one of insults, while discussing the hotly controversial mystery tape in which a voice alleged to be that of deputy Information Minister, Baba Jamal is heard promising some journalists cars and cash as reward for doing government’s bidding.

In statement to buttress his position, Mr. Agyenim-Boateng said “I think it betrays the intelligence of those who addressed that press conference to come up with something as ridiculous as that.”

Nana Akomea harshly responded “You are a stupid fool. If you will sit on this programme and call me unintelligent. You are a stupid fool, and you are a minister”.

But according to the NDC MP, words such as those used by James Agyenim-Boateng cannot be used on the floor of Parliament, since it could be described as insulting.

Speaking on Adom TV’s breakfast show, “Badwam,” on Multi TV on Monday, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim called on Nana Akomea to reconsider the issue as well as consider his position and apologise.

The two men however refused to apologise to each other when they were interviewed on Monday on the same programme.

Source: Asempa FM

Osei Bonsu Amoah, the Member of Parliament for Aburi/Nsawam has urged government to halt the execution of the STX Korean housing deal and further investigate the controversy surrounding the deal.

His call comes in the wake of the dismissal of the Country Director of STX Engineering and Construction Ltd, Mr Bernard Kwabena Asamoah, which had deepened the uncertainty over the carrying out of the government’s affordable housing project.

The latest development is the result of a long protracted disagreement between the company’s Ghanaian and Korean directors over funding for the housing project.

An unsigned notice was posted on the entrance wall of the company detailing his dismissal.

The notice read: “Dear Guest, on August 18, 2011 the Board of STX Engineering and Construction Ghana Ltd has approved a resolution to remove Mr B.K. Asamoah from the Chief Executive Office and Mr George Padi from the position of Deputy Chief Financial Officer. They are not working in the office anymore.”

Contributing on the issue on e.tv Ghana’s BREAKFAST TV show on Friday 19th August, the Member of Parliament for Aburi/Nsawam Osei Bonsu Amoah stated that it was important that government does not rush in implementing the controversial deal in the face of glaring disagreement between partners of the company responsible for the execution of the project.

He noted that the opposition in calling for due diligence to be made on the STX Korea company prior to the contract being signed, did so with a clear mind since the minority realized all was not well with aspects of the deal.

“ The Minority have been vindicated, we raised series of objections about this deal in parliament, but the majority bulldozed their way through to approve the deal due to their numerical advantage, but now we all realize that the STX housing project is turning out to become a fiasco, after a year of sod cutting to commence the project, not even a single block has been laid’’ he said.

Hon. O.B Amoah advised government not to go ahead with the deal because of political gains but consider the negative implications on Ghana should the deal be executed.

By : Kwadwo Anim/ghanamps.gov.gh

The Member of Parliament for Nabdam, in the Upper East region, Moses Asaga has hit out at the 2008 flagbearer of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) for claiming that the living conditions of Ghanaians have deteriorated under the Mills administration.

Hon. Moses Asaga speaking in an interview on the Citi News, dismissed the claims by Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom, saying it was disingenuous for Dr Nduom to make such comments since he failed to better the economy during the various ministerial portfolios he held under the erstwhile Kufuor administration.

Dr Ndoum in an interview with Citi News on Wednesday August 17 urged the NDC government to stop trumpeting vague achievements with the use of micro economic statistics and rather concentrate on improving on the living conditions of Ghanaians.

He said the Mills administration can only boast of its successes if it is able to improve on the living conditions of Ghanaians, which includes providing potable water, affordable housing and improved health conditions for the ordinary Ghanaian.

According to him, the CPP would measure the performance of a government by the improvement in human values and not by the use of economic indicators.

“We prefer to determine the performance of a government by human values, by the improvements of the living standards and the living conditions of the people.

“So when we understand an administration such as what the Mills administration is doing to trumpet achievements using statistics in terms of inflation that has gone down, GDP that has gone up and so on: what we say is that why don’t we try to measure improvements in certain human values, such as health, affordable housing.

“Are we able to take care ourselves if we are sick and ask everybody if the standard of living of the people have changed”.

However, Moses Asaga says contrary to Dr Nduom’s claims, the Mills administration has done immensely well in improving the well-being of Ghanaians.

He noted that President Mills has chalked a lot of success in terms of developmental projects in the country. He argued that the downward trend of inflation indicates that the economy of the country is stable.

He urged the CPP and Dr Nduom to commend President Mills and his administration rather than criticize it, insisting the NDC government is on course to deliver the Better Ghana Agenda that it promised Ghanaians.

Source: Citifmonline.com

Mr Clement Kofi Humado, Minister for Youth and Sports, on Tuesday said government had established 30 volunteer camps throughout the country in its bid to raise the spirit of leadership and volunteerism in the youth.

He said reviving the spirit of volunteerism was crucial in nation building and urged voluntary organizations operating in the country to make the youth their core focus.

Mr Humado said this at the just ended National Cadet Leadership Training Camp at Takoradi in the Western Region.

He said leadership training is needed to propel the nation forward in the 21st century.

The objective of the training camp was to encourage and aid Ghanaian youth to develop discipline, life skills and to teach values such as patriotism, respect, discipline, love, self-reliance and kindred virtues.

He said the training programme would also broaden the horizons of the youth through hands-on training and guide them to become mature and responsible adults.

Mr Humado said the ministry was involved in exchange programmes with both local and international partners.

He said the holistic development of the youth was crucial adding, “we do not only deal with disciplinary issues but also the behavioural and emotional issues that cause adolescents to act out of the norm”.

GNA