Month: May 2019

Giant currier service provider, DHL at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) on Tuesday morning refused to accept the Suhum lawmaker, Fredrick Opare Ansah’s   Ghana card as a form of recognized Ghanaian Identification Card.

A lady, whose name is withheld for now, told the lawmaker in the face that DHL does not accept Ghana card as part of recognized ID when it was his turn to pick up a parcel and the lady asked for his ID.

In an interview with Fredrick Opare Ansah on the incident that occurred on Tuesday morning, he noted that he expect DHL to have their legal outfit advice them because the law is clear as far as anything that requires identification is concerned.

“Ghana card is as good as form of identification, I have traveled to Cote d’Ivoire without a passport, I use my Ghana card, I was allowed entering. I cannot understand within Ghana doing a transaction DHL will say they will not accept this card”, he lamented.

Mr. Frederick Opare Ansah further noted that it is not right, as the National Identification Authority Act 2006 Act 707 section 2 sub-sections 3 says “in any matter that you need to provide Identification”.

“The Ghana card suffices when you ask me for my ID and I provide my Ghana card it should suffice”.

On the issue of other institutions like some banks refusing the Ghana Card as a form of identification, the Suhum lawmaker indicated that he has not had such an experience, more so in this age of technology and electronic banking mobile money, where you do not need to be at the bank physically, “It should be clear to all institutions that requires one form of identification, just as they take steps to install verifications systems and channel to the passport  office,  Driver and  Vehicle  Licensing Authority (DVLA) and others, it is imperative that they establish systems to the National Identification Authority (NIA) .

So when I present my Ghana card you can verify the authenticity of the card that I am presenting to you, “you cannot give me any excuse that you cannot accept the Ghana card because that will be breaching the law”.

Again, the law is the law, once passed and assented to by the President it becomes law, in the case of NIA  2006 the Legislative Instrument (LI) came into being 2012 and we are all aware that since President Nana Akufo-Addo came to power in 2017 the NIA has been up and doing.

“It is now rolling out a nationwide registration exercise so are we saying all those people government has spent tax payers money on in registration for Ghana card, when they turn up at DHL they have to go back and look for their passport, Voters ID and drivers licenses before they are served, that is not acceptable”, he lamented.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Former National organizer of the NDC Kofi Adams has stated in an interview that the “boot for boot and all die be die” mantra would not scare the average voter from voting come December 2020.

Mr. Adams was responding to questions of the NDC’s talk of plans of election rigging by the ruling party as well as the “boot for boot, and all die be die” mantra that people believe may deter voters from coming out to vote.

As to whether the party’s complain of the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensah couple with the above reasons will not result in lower turn out, he said, “not at all, we are only telling Ghanaians their votes should be protected this time around every vote will count”.

“Nobody should think he or she will go and vote and someone will be declared winner through an electronic fault no, every vote will count in 2020”

Mr. Kofi Adams assured voters they should not be afraid and also think that they are going to waste their vote because Jean Mensah is the EC chair and the New Patriotic Party (NNP) is in government.

“Note that the vote you are going to cast for NDC will count, it will count for NDC to be victorious, we will only be victorious if you go and vote for NDC  and do not stay away, thinking that your vote will not count, we are only assuring Ghanaians”.

He made this remarks when Dome/Kwabenya constituency organized a day to celebrate the branches for their hard work in the constituencies and was organized on Wednesday, by Elikplim Akrugu a likely aspiring Parliamentary candidate.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Only twelve Members of Parliament were on the floor of the House to start business of the House on Thursday 2nd of May 2019.

Speaker of Parliament Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye entered the chamber exactly 10:00am for proceedings of the day to start. But it was only after fifteen minutes before other MPs started trickling into the chamber when the Speaker had finished with the votes and proceedings of the day.

As at 10:20am there were only twenty (20) MPs on the floor of the House Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu raised issues with the absence of Ministers on the floor, with the exception of Roads and Highways Minister Kwesi Amoako Atta who was on the floor.

“We are in an emergency recall, where are the Ministers? They should take this recall meeting serious, we were recall for emergency sitting but the Ministers are not here”.

Professor Aaron Michael Oquaye, who was not happy with the development cautioned Ministers to accordingly take the recall serious.

Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu  not happy with the issues raised by his colleague the Minority Leader wanted to challenge the assertion that Ministers were not taking the recall serious when they had business to perform on the floor. But the Speaker admonished the Majority Leader not to argue with him on the issue because he gave a caution which goes to the House.

As at the time of filling this story at 11:27am we had thirty five (35) MPs on the floor of the House working on the Companies Bill which was at the consideration stage, the main reason for the emergency recall.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com

Former National Organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kofi Adams has dismissed assertion that the party is desperate for power ahead of the 2020 and shouting on roof top of possible rigging of the 2020 elections.

According to the former National Organizer it is not the NDC that is desperate for power but the country is desperate for change and that can only happen through the largest opposition party.

He pointed out in an interview that NDC as a party is putting its house in readiness for the desperate change Ghanaians are yearning for in 2020.

“Seriously speaking nothing is happening in the country, it is all hopelessness and depression, you see it everywhere and in everything all they are doing is to further destroy the foundation we left”, he lamented.

Again, Ghanaians have come to this conclusion, it is not NDC, rather Ghanaians are saying we are in a desperate situation they need us back, that is the message we are getting from Ghanaians, he added.

Mr. Kofi Adams further revealed that haven stepped down as National organizer of the party, that have afforded him the time to go round the country to do things he use to do in the past.

“I have spoken to young people in industry along the spintex road, they tell you they went all out against the NDC thinking that they were not business friendly that was their claim, but they have realized that they made a big mistake. This guy’s (NPP) are destroying virtually everything we have worked and toil for over the years; these are testimonies coming from people who have never voted for us”.

As to what the sample size is, he noted that there is no need for him to give one, but he has spoken to people and these business leaders are saying they will speak to their employees to vote differently.

When questioned if he is not conjecturing, he said, “when they take me to their company yard and show me what is going on people tell me the charges are high as importers, but government goes round telling people they have reduced taxes”.

In addition, the energy sector where you have current Minister Amewu and Dr. Amin established, African Center for Energy Policy (ACEP) they are taking them on for doing so many things wrong.

Also Ghanaians are seeing the mess up in the educational sector, health sector, infrastructure everywhere you see messed up situation.

Kwaku Sakyi-Danso/ghanamps.com