Month: July 2014

A flag bearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Francis Addai Nimoh has urged the leadership of the party to discipline Members of Parliament who declared support for Nana Akufo- Addo on Tuesday.

Several Members of Parliament thronged Nana Akufo Addo’s campaign launch where the Deputy Minority leader Dominic Nitiwul stated emphatically that an overwhelming number of the party’s MPs were supporting Nana Addo’s candidature.

The NPP in its guidelines that will regulate its congress to select the party’s Presidential candidate later this year clearly stated that no party officials should openly declare support for any of the candidates.

Speaking to Citi News Hon. Addai Nimoh who is also the MP for Mampong constituency said in spite of the fact that he is not worried by the open support for Nana Addo, the party’s leadership should ensure it punishes the MPs to serve as a deterrent and further protect the party’s unity.

“I will urge the party hierarchy to apply the rules and regulations accordingly, It is surprising for such a comment to come from Hon. Dominic Nitiwul. I wonder how he speaks for most of the members of the party,” he said.

A young man who hurled stones at the vehicle of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Abuakwa South in the Eastern Region, Samuel Atta Akyea, has been arrested and handed over to the Police.

The incident occurred when the MP went to Bunso to join in the Muslim celebration and also donate some items.

The young man was reportedly chased and arrested.

Narrating the incident to Citi News, Abuakwa South legislator said after the donation, “we went into our vehicles and just as we about to join the road to Linda Dor, a young boy took a big stone and hit the back of my car but by the grace of God, it didn’t break.”

According to him, the boy was chased, arrested and handed over to the Police.

“The Police are investigating why he should be that violent towards us because it was a very holy moment and we were expecting that people will not do that. I have never experienced that before,” he said.

He added that the Police will investigate to establish “whether it is the case of insanity or there are political undertones.”

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According to him, the NDC believes that Ghanaians have the right to complain and to demonstrate, which is their constitutional right, and last Thursday’s demonstration by Organised Labour was a clear example of that.

Thousands of workers across the country last Thursday demonstrated to protest what they say is the worsening economic situation in the country.

Workers from both formal and informal sectors joined in the march to register their frustration at government’s failure to solve the many economic challenges including rising food and fuel prices, hikes in utilities, fall in cedi etc.

Commenting on the demonstration on Alhaji and Alhaji on Radio Gold Saturday, Murtala Mohammed said the NDC government had no problem with the workers exercising their constitutional right although he felt other channels could have been used to address their concerns.

“There wasn’t anybody in government [who] had any problem with the demonstration” and that other channels could have been used instead.

The deputy minister swiftly quizzed the Trades Union Congress (TUC) boss, Kofi Asamoah where he was “when Kufuor said Ghanaians are lazy. When they complained they were facing challenges?”

According to him, former president Kufuor said that, “we were all lazy that is why we are complaining,” and a minister in Kufuor’s administration said “we should go and eat konkonte.”

“We had similar problems but we were insulted and Mr Kofi Asamoah did not complain… when we were in similar challenges,” he said.

He stressed that the “hypocrisy in this country is just too much” and that “We have always faced challenges.”

Muntala Mohammed said the NDC government “has acknowledged and appreciated the challenges Ghanaians are facing” and the government is putting in measures to alleviate poverty and improve the lives of Ghanaians.

The issues are being addressed, he noted and added that, it will be unfair to say the government is insensitive.

Organised Labour refusing to work for even a day, he explained, cost the nation millions of cedis and the country cannot afford to be make such losses.

This, he said, defeats the purpose for which the demonstration was organised which was to solve the country’s challenges.

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Mahama Ayariga, says the government is considering issuing a joint response with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to FIFA.

This will be in response to FIFA’s letter to the GFA inquiring about the Commission of Inquiry set up to investigate Ghana’s poor showing at the 2014 World Cup.

Speaking to Citi News,  Mr Ayariga confirmed that the Ministry has had discussions with the GFA about the implications of the letter from FIFA.

According to him, “the GFA has requested for a week of internal deliberation and will get back to government on the matter next week.”

Mr. Ayariga added that they would reconvene next week when they receive a response from the Ghana Football Association on the government’s request for a joint reply to FIFA.

The Communications Director at the GFA, Ibrahim Sanni Daara, had earlier confirmed to Citi News that the Association had been asked by FIFA to verify media reports they had received that a commission had indeed been set up by the government.

The world football governing body had also asked to be briefed on the powers and function of the commission and did not want to rely on media reports before making any decision.

FIFA is known to resent government interference in football associations.

Ghana would be hoping to avoid a ban from FIFA who have previously suspended several countries who have breached this code.

Nigeria was recently banned from international football for government interference, although the ban has since been lifted.

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Outspoken MP for Assin-Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has asked workers across the country to hoot at the Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC,) Kofi Asamoah for calling for a nationwide demonstration against the government.

Speaking on Adom FM/Asempa FM’s Burning Issues with Afia Pokua, Ken Agyapong said the TUC boss has no moral right to lead a nationwide demonstration.

The TUC is due to hold a nationwide demonstration on Thursday, July 24, 2014, against general economic hardship, characterized by the current hikes in petroleum prices, the fall of the Ghana cedi against major trading currencies and high cost of living.

But Ken Agyapong said Kofi Asamoah is a corrupt person and does not have proper standing and integrity to lead a demonstration.

He said the TUC Boss was a member of the SSNIT Board, which signed the sale of Merchant Bank to Fortiz, and he must rather apologize to Ghanaians.

“Kofi Asamoah is part of the problems in the country and must be beaten by workers when he appears at the demonstration grounds,” he said.

He described Kofi Asamoah as a disgrace to Ghanaian workers, saying “he has been at the forefront of most corrupt practices in the country.”

Ken Agyapong is therefore calling on workers to boycott the demonstration in protest against Kofi Asamoah.

“Workers should not take Kofi Asamoah serious. He is selfish, corrupt and has not got the welfare of workers in the country at heart. He is in bed with the government and thinks he can fool Ghanaians,” Agyapong alleged.

He described Kofi Asamoah as a “hypocrite” and an “intellectually dishonest person” who has sold his conscience.

But Kofi Asamoah said Ken Agyapong has no basis for making those allegations, so he is not ready to debate him.

He said Ken Agyapong’s allegations are mischievous because “I am not the only SSNIT Board member and the sale of Merchant Bank to Fortiz has been explained by the board so I don’t know why Ken Agyapong wants to put it on me.”

The TUC Boss accused Ken Agyapong of trying to divide the front of the TUC with his baseless accusations, saying “TUC is bigger than me and I advise members of the union to ignore him.”

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has given the green light for Mr Kofi Osei Ameyaw, Member of Parliament (MP) for Asuogyaman, to contest the party’s presidential slot.

The party said Mr Osei Ameyaw had met all the requirements for submitting his nomination for the position.

A source at the NPP Headquarters said the move by the party vindicates the lawmaker, who says his filing fee of GH₵ 85,000 should be taken from the GH₵ 131,810 credit facility he doled out to the main opposition party to assist in the organisation of the Tamale delegates Conference, which elected the current national executives.

The source told the GNA that the Annual Delegates Fund Raising Committee chaired by Mr Hackman Owusu Agyemang had communicated to the party General Secretary that Mr Osei Ameyaw had loaned GH₵ 131,810 to the party.

The letter dated July 23, and jointly signed by Mr Owusu Agyemang and Mrs Patricia Appiagyei, Treasurer of the Fund Raising Committee, acknowledged receiving the money.

“We write to confirm that the total of the various sums advanced to the Fund Raising Committee by… Osei-Ameyaw…amounted to GH₵ 131,810”.

Mr Osei Ameyaw and other contestants will face the party’s vetting committee on Friday, July 25, in Accra.

The other contestants include Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo, Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, Mr Joe Ghartey, Mr Alan Kyeremanteng, Mr Asamoah Boateng and Mr Addai Nimo.

GNA

Member of Parliament for Ablekuma West, Ursula Owusu Akuful has asked the Police administration to allow disgruntled workers under the umbrella body the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to freely demonstrate their displeasure about current economic hardship facing most of the citizenry.

According to her, with the current level of despondency among the general public, a demonstration to vent out their spleen is the only way that a revolution would be avoided, adding that no impediment must be put in the way of the demonstrators.

Organized labour at a news conference on Friday July 18, declared a nationwide demonstration and strike indicating its intentions to hit the streets on Thursday July 24, to protest against the worsening economic conditions in the country.

In a joint statement, leaders of the Organized Labour deplored the recent 23 percent increase in petrol prices and also accused government of passing on taxes and charges to Ghanaians “without estimating the impact of such increases on our wellbeing”.

The Police has asked organized labour to hold their procession on regional basis and on different days since the Police service will be over stretched to provide security for the demonstrators if the nationwide action is held on one day.

However Organized Labour remains adamant and has vowed to go ahead with the street action tomorrow Thursday 24th July 2014.

Hon. Ursula Owusu Akuful who was all for the labour action in a discussion on Oman FM’s “National Agenda” programme on Wednesday asked the government to be tolerant and not use the Police to foil the demonstration.

She further described the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government as clueless, visionless and a purposeless administration whose mismanagement of the economy has brought untold hardship on Ghanaians.

“It appears the NDC government is cursed and cannot do anything right, whatever they touch fails, what crime at all has Ghanaians committed for voting for this government” she asked.

Kwadwo Anim/Ghanamps.gov.gh