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Month: November 2012

EC must question its officials for underage registration – Opoku Prempeh

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

The Member of Parliament for Manhyia Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has charged the Electoral Commission (E.C) to question its staff for registering underage children during the biometric Voter registration exercise.

According to him, the officials needed to have reported the issue to their superiors at the EC office for them to take appropriate action on this illegal and criminal act.

The Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr. Kwadwo Afari Gyan at a news conference in Accra with Journalist over the issue of they (Journalist’s) inability to take part in special voters exercise as has been the practice in past elections stated that the 2012 biometric register has pictures and names of obviously young children who should not be on the register.

Dr. Afari Gyan said even though it has not been confirmed, he was informed at a meeting that the Ashanti and Volta regions, considered as the strongholds of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) respectively, had the highest number of minors in the register.

The EC Chairman expressed disquiet about the situation and slammed the deceptive tendencies displayed by people in the registration exercise despite all the public education on the process.

However speaking on OKAY Fm on Friday, Hon. Dr. Opoku Prempeh wondered what stopped the EC officials from alerting their bosses after they had registered the minors.

“Even if the officials were forced to register the kids, they should have reported the issue at the close of day after registering them for the matter to be dealt with’’ he said.

He stated that the EC must as a matter of urgency act on the anomaly and ensure these ineligible would -be voters are not allowed to vote.

Hon. Dr Opoku Prempeh urged the EC to proceed to the court to secure a restraining order to prevent the children from voting.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Dan Botwe cuts sod to build clinic for Amanfro people

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

Mr Dan Botwe, Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere, on Thursday broke the grounds for the construction of a clinic for the people of Amanfro in the Akuapem North District.

The provision of the facility would help address challenges that the people face in accessing health facilities in the area.

Mr Botwe said the people of Amanfro deserved a modern clinic to help them have easy access to health care delivery and save them from travelling to Koforidua for care.

He reaffirmed his commitment to help address the development needs of the people and disclosed that the project would be financed through the Health Insurance Common Fund for MPs.

Mr Botwe disclosed that so far he had been able to put up a new clinic for the people of Apirede which was about 80 percent complete and also renovated the Adukrom Health Centre, Twuguaso Clinic, and Nanabanyin Clinic and assisted in the establishment of Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound, for the people of Abonse.

He urged the people to support the contractor through communal labour to be able to complete the project on time.

The Akuapem North District Director of Health Services, Dr Joseph Opare, commended the MP for the gesture and his total commitment towards health delivery in the area.

He said the Ghana Health Service (GHS), was ensuring that at least every community would have a small health facility to take care of the health needs of the people.

The Chief of Amanfrom, Nana Odwo Kwaw, commended the MP for redeeming his promise made to the people some time ago saying when completed, the clinic would help greatly in addressing the health challenges confronting the people.

The clinic, when completed, would include a recovery room, consulting room, dressing and injection room, dispensary, Out-Patient Department (OPD), female and male wards and a store.

Source: GNA

Free SHS possible only at the expense of other sectors – Dansua

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

Tourism Minister Ms. Akua Sena Dansua has said that free education at the Senior High School (SHS) level is only possible at the expense of development in other sectors.

She said education was key to accelerated growth and should therefore not be used as a partisan tool to sway votes.

Dansua, also the Member of Parliament for the North Dayi constituency, made the remark at the commissioning of a GH¢150,000, six-unit classroom with ancillary components. The classroom, built for the Gbefi Anobi Junior High School, was financed from the Ghana Education Trust Fund.

She said that the government of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was embarking on a progressive and sustained drive to improve school infrastructure, quality and access. Part of a bid to improve the skills and competence of Ghana’s human resource base, Dansua called the NDC’s program a more appropriate solution to the education problem than free SHS.

She urged the people to vote massively to retain the NDC, saying that many more development projects under the party’s “Better Ghana Agenda” were yet to come.

Francis K. Ganyaglo, the Kpando Municipal Chief Executive, announced that 25 schools under trees, half of such schools in the Municipality, have been eliminated.

He also touted other NDC achievements in the education sector including increased capitation, the distribution of 4,278 free school uniforms and 217,656 free exercise books to basic schools as well as 1,600 mono desks and 650 kindergarten desks. 25 schools on have been on the feeding programme, and circuit supervisors have been given motorcycles.

Ganyaglo told those assembled at the inauguration that government needs the collaborative support of the community and other stakeholders to co-finance education and appealed to the traditional authorities to institute an education endowment fund to cushion the education needy students.

He warned that the Assembly would not take kindly to the commercialization of the facility, saying that violators would be subject to appropriate sanctions.

Kpando Municipal Directorate of Education representative Paul Afodofe announced that government is doing everything it possibly can in its quest to provide quality education.

He urged the school’s authorities to be vigilant and prevent students from defacing the building so that it might serve students for years to come.

Gbefi-Hoeme Chief Togbe Danku Yao V expressed his hope that the new building would inspire teachers and students to improve the quality of their work and academic performance.

He appealed to the authorities to increase capitation grants, saying that a shortage of funds has rendered the facility inadequate.

This event also marked the inauguration of a large palm-oil extraction complex for the Gbefi-Hueme community.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

NDC sacks independent Parliamentary candidates

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has sacked all members who are contesting the 2012 Parliamentary elections as independent candidates.

In an interview with Citi News the Deputy Secretary In-Charge of Operation for the NDC, George Lawson said affected Parliamentary candidates had ceased to be members of the NDC with immediate effect.

“I’m yet to be furnished with the number of people who are still adamant or people who have rescinded their decision. But the fact is those who have not rescinded their decision, they cease to be members of our party. We don’t need to inform them [Independent candidate], the directive has been given.”

The NDC at a news conference, gave the independent candidates a week’s ultimatum to rescind their decision or abdicate their membership of the party.

According to the party however, some of their members have withdrawn their bid to stand as independent candidates.

By: Citifmonline.com/Ghana

I have not preached violence – Dr Akoto Osei

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

A former Minister of State, at the Ministry of Finance, Dr Anthony Akoto Osei has denied being the voice on a tape that preaches violence during the upcoming December elections to a group of party supporters in Kumasi.

According to him he has not held any discussions with any group of people and by his peaceful nature will be the last person to preach violence to mar such a national exercise that the entire world would be watching Ghana for the manner in which it would be conducted.

A purported secret tape on which Dr. Akoto Osei was alleged to be inciting a group of New Patriotic Party (NPP) supporters to remain at the polling station to jealously guard ballot boxes and use all sorts of means to protect themselves with shouts of ‘’all die be die’’ chants, received airplay Wednesday morning on some radio stations in Accra.

However responding to the allegation, Dr. Akoto Osei who is also the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo stated that the supposed tape is the work of the NDC in his constituency which is intended to discredit him ahead of the election as the party has realized it has already lost the election in the area.

He decline further comments on the tape and treated it with the contempt that it deserved arguing that responding to it gives the tape some credibility.

Hon. Akoto Osei added that he was due to launch his campaign on Sunday Nov. 18 to kick start his campaign activities in the constituency which will see him winning a landslide in the impending December parliamentary election.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

NPP will retain Okaikoi North seat- MP

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

The Member of Parliament for Okaikoi North, Elizabeth Sackey has vowed to retain the seat for the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) by winning convincingly in the upcoming December election.

According to her, she together with her campaign team have mapped out effective campaign strategies to ensure that the Okaikoi North seat which has since the year 2001 been a seat for the NPP continues to be a safe one for the party.

Hon. Elizabeth Sackey goes into a battle, with the NDC’s Nashiru Abass and an Independent candidate, Andrew Okaikoi, who are in to give the two term MP a run for her money.

The NDC party in the constituency appears to have hit a snag as the Independent candidate who until recently was the party’s parliamentary candidate comes into sight as a very formidable person who is loved by the masses and may be the king maker in the constituency.

In spite of all the above development, Hon. Elizabeth Sackey has said she is not perturbed about what opposition comes her way, and expressed confidence of trashing her competitors.

She said she has worked efficiently as an MP. in the area which has endeared her to majority of voters who have expressed their commitment to.

Hon. Elizabeth Sackey said she has ensured a lot of infrastructure in the area to make life comfortable for her constituents, a situation which the constituents have promised to reciprocate by voting her into power.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh

Bagbin donates computers to the Upper West Health Directorate

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

Mr Alban Bagbin, Minister of Health, has donated five Rlg laptop computers to the Upper West Regional Health Directorate to help improve its data management system.

Presenting the computers on Monday in Wa, Mr Bagbin commended the health Authorities in the region for putting in place several initiatives that had helped in raising standards in the sector.

He said challenges of the health sector were too many for government alone to solve adding that initiatives by health authorities to help bring improvement to the sector were welcomed. The Health Minister advised them to put the computers to good use to help improve their data management system since it was an important component to quality health services delivery.

Dr Kofi Issah, Deputy Regional Director of Health Services in charge of Public Health, thanked the Minister for his personal commitment to addressing the health challenges in the region.

He assured the Minister that the computers would be put to proper use to help improve the data management system.

Ablekuma Central MP launches campaign

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

Mr Theophilus Tetteh Chaie, incumbent and National Democratic Congress (NDC) parliamentary candidate for Ablekuma Central, on Saturday launched his campaign with a call on the constituents to refrain from voting “skirt and blouse”.

Nii Tackie Kommey, MP for Odododiodoo who made the appeal, said “I have worked with Theophilus in Parliament for the past 12 years and I know of his dynamism and calibre which is what President John Mahama needs in his administration to continue with the Better Ghana Agenda so please vote for Theophilus and the NDC come December 7.

He said if Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag-bearer, knew of free SHS education why for the eight years that they were in power he could not implement the “so-called policy and even build a single school block.”

Nii Tackies Kommey urged the people to be wary of the NPP as they could not turn “salt into sugar” for them.

He said the free and compulsory education is enshrined in the Constitution but the NDC is saying that it has to be implemented gradually because there was the need to provide the basic infrastructural challenges from the foundation – kindergarten, the primary and to the Junior High School.

“The NDC says it should be done in a gradual process so as to ensure that the books, teachers and the infrastructure are there,” adding that government has started establishing additional teacher-training colleges and also attaching kindergartens to the primary schools.

The MP called on those who contested in the NDC parliamentary primaries and could not succeed and are now going independent to rescind their decision because it would not help them.

Mr Fritz Baffour, Minister of Information and MP for Ablekuma South, said the party and for that matter the government has a lot of work to do so the electorate should not let go a dynamic, quality and good candidate like Mr Theophilus Tetteh Chaie in fulfilling the mandate of the government.

Alhaji Saeed Sinare, Ghana’s Ambassador to Egypt and National Vice Chairman of the NDC, asked the Zongo communities to reject religious and ethnic sentiments being expressed by the opposition NPP.

He said the Zongo people voted for former President Rawlings, former President Kufuor and the late Atta Mills who are not Muslims and why this time round they are whipping religious and ethnicity saying “you should let the NPP know that they have no space in the Zongo communities.”

Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, Greater Accra Regional Minister, advised the people to be intelligent and smart to know the different between the NDC and NPP and if they make mistake and vote Nana Akufo-Addo to power there would be injustice in the country.

He said because the flag-bearer of the NPP desperately want power he went to visit the Rawlings and that because some Ghanaians believe in obvious lies, Nana Akufo-Addo is lying for them to vote for him.

Mr Thomas Ashong, Greater Accra Youth Organiser, said the government is providing skills training through the Local Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) to the youth especially those from the north to make them self-employed.

He said “the promise of the NPP to build hotels for kayayie is a gimmick and they are not to be trusted because hotels are not the immediate and lasting solution to their problems.”

Mr Tetteh Chaie, told the gathered crowd that there is much work to be done in uplifting the face of Ablekuma Central and that the government had secured a 670-million dollar facility to tackle the Mataheko storm drain system.

“Come December 7 we are going to vote again and I entreat you to vote for me to continue with the Better Ghana Agenda so that we can work to change the face of the area,” he said.

GNA

Police personnel in UN “sex scandal” still in service — Minister

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs
Minister of the Interior Ambrose Dery has said the forty-six (46) personnel of the Ghana Police Service who were accused of sexual misconduct whiles on a peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, remain part of the security service in spite of the allegation against them.

According to the Interior Minister, until investigation is done, the officers will continue to serve as personnel’s of the Ghana Police Service

“I can assure you that the culprits will be brought to book after the investigations”, he said.

Mr. Dery further told journalists in Parliament, “these are allegations that we are dealing with and I can assure you that we are reinforcing. Since then, I have engaged the police and I have reiterated the commitment of the police service and the government, and, in consonance with Ghanaian standards, that they do hold Ghana’s flag higher outside.”

By: Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Prez Mahama as a politician is a disgrace to Northerners – Osei Prempeh

Posted on by Akumaa GhanaMPs

The Member of Parliament for Nsuta Kwamang Beposo, Kwame Osei Prempeh has said President John Dramani Mahama as a politician is a disgrace to Northerners due to his bad leadership style since assuming the Presidency.

According to him, President John Mahama is the only President from the North in Ghana’s history to have had himself very much embroiled in corrupt deals such as the purchase of Embraer Jet, STX Korean deal, scholarship for medical students in Cuba among a host of others; a situation he claims has become a source of worry to his fellow Northerners.

He made the statement in response to President Mahama’s declaration to Northerners while in Zuarungu over the weekend, to vote him into power in the upcoming general elections because it was time for a Northerner to be elevated to the Presidency of Ghana.

He noted that people from the North are no longer satisfied with a vice presidential position. Presidential candidate stated that “for almost 12 years, we have tasted the Vice Presidency. It is no longer exciting; it’s no longer what we want.”

However speaking on Oman FM, on Monday Hon. Kwame Osei Prempeh who is also a former Deputy Attorney General condemned the President for his divisive statement, accusing him of not doing anything to see a Northerner occupy the topmost position in Ghana.

“Is the President now realizing that it time for a Northerner to become President? When his fellow Northerners like Dr Hilla Limann contested in the 1992 election and Dr Edward Mahama contested in 1996-2008 election did he ever support any of them, you now turn around a have the effrontery to make such an appeal’’ he quipped.

He expressed confidence that Northern will not vote for particular candidates only because the candidate comes from the region but based on competence, a criteria he said when used will see the NDC exiting power in December as the party has failed woefully in managing the country.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh