Category: Politics

The hearty embrace of the two New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary aspirants contesting the Akan by-election at the weekend ignited great jubilation among the voters, seeing the unity being exhibited by their leaders.

Lawyer Tapha Tassah, an Accra-based private Legal Practitioner, and Awal Rabiu, the Akan Constituency NPP Chairman, embraced each other in the full glare of the voters, who were then in a queue waiting to cast their ballot.

Mr Adamu Hussein, a delegate, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), said the gesture from the contestants was a demonstration to show the delegates that ‘after all the Party comes first’.

Mr Adamu, the Assemblyman for Dodi-Atta Kofi, said the candidates locking in an embrace before the delegates?showed peace and togetherness.

Mr Adams Misiliu, the former Buem Constituency Chairman for the NPP, told the Ghana News Agency that the warm embrace portrayed unity and that the two contenders would work together regardless of who emerged winner.

A total of 635 del
egates are voting in the primary, which became necessary following the demise of Alhaji Rashid Bawa, the former Akan Constituency NPP Parliamentary Candidate, who died on Thursday, March 14, 2024.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr. Kojo Asante, the Director of Programmes and Policy Engagement at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), has said that improving electoral processes is key to building the trust of citizens in the upcoming elections.

Dr. Asante said although elections were not a substitute for democracy, they were an integral part of democracy that enabled the citizens to credibly and legitimately secure their will in choosing a leader to govern the affairs of the country.

He said that the electoral process must be improved to meet the principles of elections, which include fair representation, competition, transparency, accountability, and freedom of speech, among others.

‘You can’t say that when you have elections, you have democracy, or that when you have quality elections, you will have quality democracy, but you always need elections for democracy to work,’ he stated.

Dr. Asante made this known during a two-day workshop organised by the CDD in collaboration with the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (
CODEO) and the Affirmative Action Bill Coalition, with support from the European Union (EU).

The workshop was aimed at equipping journalists with the knowledge and capacity to advocate electoral reforms in election results management.

He noted that revamping electoral processes would create a serene and peaceful environment needed for the citizens to go through the process smoothly.

He said that after the 1992 elections, there were some changes in the electoral system of?Ghana to ensure that the subsequent elections were free and fair, which included holding presidential and parliamentary elections on the same day.

Dr. Asante added that the reforms also saw the replacement of opaque ballot boxes with transparent ballot boxes and the establishment of the Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC), among others, to enhance the electoral process.

Touching on some needed key reforms ahead of the 2024 elections, he said the Electoral Commission (EC) must establish procedures for correcting errors and issue a timel
y, transparent process for the publication of detailed polling station centre results on their website after the?elections.

He further said that there was a need to improve the set-up of the collation centres to?promote transparency and enhance security to reduce the number of deaths during the upcoming elections.

He explained that the number of polling stations was increased with six electoral officials at each centre to reduce the queues in the 2020 elections, which sped up the voting process, and expressed the hope that challenges that emerged at the collation centres would be addressed accordingly.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Electoral Commission (EC) has debunked reports that it spent US$150 million to acquire new Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs) and Biometric Voters Registration Kits (BVRs) in 2020.

The Commission in a statement signed Mr Fred Tetteh, Deputy Director, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation, EC, said it spent US$68,661,912.67 as total cost for 74,500 BVDs, 8,500 BVRs, a new data centre and a data recovery centre.

The EC said with the procurement of 74,500 new BYDs and 8,500 new BYRs, the current administration of the Commission saved an amount of US$57,918,270 compared to the prices at which the previous administration was going to pay for new BVDs and BVRs.

‘Please take note that the cost of refurbishing one BVR kit as approved in 2018 was $3,565 while the cost of a new BVR Kit purchased by the current administration in 2020 was $3,423.38. As Ghanaians, would we have preferred to refurbish old BYRs at a unit cost higher than a new one?’ the Commission asked.

The EC said the previous administration earm
arked US$15 million for the data centre and biometric system upgrade.

It said the current administration spent US$6,161,869.69 for a new data centre, a new data recovery centre and related services, saving the country US$9 million.

The Commission urged the public to ignore reports claiming that it spent $150m to acquire BYDs and BVRs in 2020.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Martin Kpebu, a Private Legal Practitioner, has called for a legislation to regularise the offices of the First and Second Ladies to make them more effective.

His call follows the Supreme Court’s ruling, which declared payment of salaries and emoluments to the spouses of President and Vice-President as unconstitutional.

The Apex Court, in its ruling on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, declared that the spouses of the President and Vice-president were not article 71 office holders and, therefore, could not be paid emoluments.

Speaking on TV3’s ‘The Key Point’ programme, on Saturday, monitored by the Ghana News Agency, Mr Kpebu called for the regularisation of those offices to allow State funding and make them more viable.

He explained that the offices of the spouses of the President and Vice-President played crucial role in the governance of the country and could, therefore, not be left to operate as humanitarian offices.

He also noted that the offices of the First and Second Ladies, as they stood, were alre
ady being run with State funds, stressing that constitutional amendments were required to make provisions for them to ensure their legality.

‘Let’s have the conversation properly, now that we all know that whoever comes to office in January 2025, as for this our constitution we must amend it, then we can look at what we can do to include them so that at least there will be some legality. As you said, practically they have their own offices, security guards, so many cars, etc. Obviously not from their husbands’ pockets but from the State coffers.

‘So, if we’ve done this for so long and we think that yes, it should continue, and it appears it may have to continue, then let’s do it because they do help their spouses in running the country. I mean, it’s a fact, whether you like it or not, because there are certain places, if let’s say the President doesn’t attend and his wife does, it suffices in a way, I’m not saying everywhere, but there are some quarters if the First Lady goes they are happy that’s okay, the
First Lady is in there because they know that she can whisper one or two to the husband,’ Mr Kpebu explained.

Professor Ransford Gyampo, a Political Science Lecturer at the University of Ghana, speaking on the same programme, however, rejected such a proposal, indicating that funding those offices would put huge financial burden on the State.

He also explained that the executive had too much power and that legalising those offices would further extend the frontiers of its power rather than curtail them.

‘If we go with the idea that well, let us pay First Ladies Second Ladies and all that you are making them also powerful in a manner that expands the frontiers of the exercise of powers in Ghana and I think that it is not something we have to condone,’ he said.

He added that ‘instead of saving money, we are always looking for avenues to spend.’

‘I’m not attacking or looking at any particular President’s wife or Vice-President’s wife. I’m just saying that it is a bad practice, we should be thinking about sa
ving money using the money judiciously and wisely to bring about development in the physical quality of life.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

A By-election to find replacement for the late Alhaji Rashid Bawa, former Akan New Patriotic Party (NPP) Parliamentary Candidate (PC) for the 2024 polls, is underway at KASEC, Kadjebi in the Oti Region.

Lawyer Tapha Tassah, an Accra-based private Legal Practitioner and Rabiu Awal, Akan Constituency NPP Chairman, are vying for the Parliamentary Candidate position.

A total of 633 delegates, including Constituency Executives, Council of Elders and Patrons and Polling Station Executives, are expected to cast their votes.

The Kadjebi District Directorate of the Electoral Commission, led by Mr. Justice Odame-Frempong, the District Electoral Officer, is supervising the election.

The District Police Command led by Supt. Frank Nana Asomaning, the District Police Commander, is providing security for the election.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Thomas Worlanyo Tsekpo, Hohoe National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Candidate (PC), has begun the reshaping of some inner roads in the Hohoe Constituency.

Some of the 10-kilometre reshaping road projects include COCOBOD – Galikope, Hohoe Zongo – Dayi Bridge, By fire junction – slaughter house, HEPSS – Akpatanu, Wli Dzogbega – Abledze, Gbi-Wegbe – Gbi-Godenu and the Alavanyo Abehenease – Foyers de Charite.

Mr Prosper Kumi, Hohoe Constituency Secretary of the Party, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the gesture by the PC as part of his development campaign agenda aimed at supporting the constituents in providing social amenities, including safe water.

He said the reshaping was done on some of the inner roads located at hard-to-reach areas in the Constituency, adding that ‘everybody has forgotten’ some of the roads that were and would be reshaped.

Mr Kumi said the reshaping of the road would enable people in the beneficiary communities to be able to access means of transport as well as faci
litate their trade and businesses.

A farmer and resident of Akpatanu, Addi Ahorsu told GNA that the bad road made it difficult in transporting goods to town, adding that the situation worsened during the rainy season, where residents were transported half-way or had to pay extra fare.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Parliamentary Minority has urged the Government to publish the full KPMG report on SML and to lay it before the House.

Mr. Isaac Adongo, the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee of Parliament and NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolgatanga Central, in a statement copied to the Ghana

News Agency, requested that Parliament must be furnished with a copy of the KPMG report to help the Finance Committee’s investigation.

The Ranking Member alleged that the Government had sought to obscure and obfuscate the facts by downplaying and adopting a lenient approach on the matter regarding criminal culpability whilst creating a possible route for resuscitating the deal.

‘Such actions will not be overlooked, tolerated, or absolved,’ Mr. Adongo warned.

He said in 2017, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) took a discerning decision and made a meritorious move to refuse the Ghana Revenue Authority’s (GRA) request for sole source procurement of SML to undertake, amongst others,
downstream petroleum activities.

He said the recent allegations against the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) made by the media were alarming; adding that reports indicated that the GRA entered into a contractual agreement with SML for revenue assurance services without adhering to the Public Procurement Act or undergoing a value-for-money audit.

‘This could result in state agencies such as the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) having already fulfilled the contractual obligations, leading to unnecessary duplication of efforts,’ he said.

He added, ‘Additionally, the contract’s annual cost of $100 million for many years raises concerns about its value for money.’

Mr. Adongo said given these circumstances, it was crucial that the GRA conducted a meticulous investigation and review of its procurement processes to ensure compliance with the Public Procurement Act.

This, he said, would enable Ghanaians to operate in strict accordance with all applicable laws and regulations while maintaining the highest standards
of efficiency and cost effectiveness.

‘Our steady obligation to transparency and accountability demands that any variations and divergences from these values must be addressed with the utmost urgency to maintain the trust and confidence of all our stakeholders.’

Mr. Adongo said at the budget hearing concerning the governmental obligations of the GRA, it was brought to the attention of the Finance Committee that the agreement in question had been procured through illegitimate means, without the requisite sanction of Parliament, and in flagrant violation of section 33 of the Public Financial Management Act.

He said the section dictated that Parliament must duly authorize all agreements involving multi-year commitments with the state and that any deviation from this requirement was a serious matter that ought to be addressed with the utmost gravity.

He said the Finance Committee subsequently recommended to the House that the GRA, through the Ministry of Finance, suspend the agreement and payments on the SML
contract pending the outcome of the investigation.

He said Parliament then approved the recommendation, effectively directing the suspension of the agreement and payments as advised by the Finance Committee.

Touching on matters arising, Mr. Adongo said it was essential to emphasize that the procurement of KPMG had a specific objective: ‘To distort the allegations’ substance, conceal facts, and facilitate a seamless transition to the renewed

agreement.

‘The procurement of KPMG raises severe and valid concerns regarding

transparency, the scope of KPMG’s mandate, and whether it was intended and designed to preclude investigations into legal compliance.’

He asked what the terms of reference of KPMG were, and whether the terms of reference include ‘Establishment of compliance with the Public Procurement Act, ‘Establishment of compliance with the Public Financial Management Act’ and ‘whether there was value for money and whether monies paid were justified.’

‘The gaps in the systems operated by state agencies
such as NPA and whether there was any need beyond assisting state agencies to improve their systems and avoid paying such unconscionable sums to SML,’ the release added.

Mr. Adongo said greater technical and evidentiary credibility and support were needed to bolster the argument for preserving the PPA and assigning any rise in oil usage to the Small and Marginalized Licensees deal.

He said the Government’s allocation of funds towards non-agreement-related variables was a controvertible and unjustifiable expenditure, particularly given the typical upward trend in fuel consumption and the exorbitant spike in fuel prices.

He said furthermore, if the contract failed to deliver total value for money and resulted from significant procurement and legal breaches, those accountable, including SML and its beneficial owners, must be held liable.

He reiterated that they must be arraigned and made to refund a substantial amount, if not all, of the fees they received for this non-compliant and illegally procured agreem
ent.

He said such a breach of public trust must not go unchecked; declaring: ‘We must ensure that no one gets public funds for work(s) not performed.’

He said the NDC Minority would soon share details of what he called ‘the many corruption-laden digitalization schemes.’

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, one of the three independent candidates in next Tuesday’s bye-election in the Ejisu Constituency, has denied doing the bidding of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

‘The NPP knows that their candidate stands no chance in this by-election and for which reason they have resorted to telling wicked lies that Mr. Aduomi is doing the bidding of the National Democratic Congress,’ the campaign team of Mr Aduomi said at a presser in Ejisu on Friday.

Mr Aduomi is a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Ejisu on the ticket of the NPP.

His campaign team is accusing the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of engaging in acts that could compromise the outcome of the election on Tuesday.

According to the team, the NPP and certain government officials were engaging in schemes to favour the NPP’s candidate, Mr Kwabena Boateng.

Mr Isaac Boafo, the Campaign Coordinator for Mr Aduomi, told newsmen of different alleged schemes by the NPP, jointly with the Electoral Commission and the military fo
r the election and its results to go in favour of the candidate of the NPP.

He alleged that 500 Senior High School students were going to be transported from outside the constituency to vote.

‘We are issuing a stern warning to the NPP that we will fiercely defend our ballots with every fibre of our being,’ Mr Boafo cautioned.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Asante-Akim Central branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has questioned the inclusion of certain projects in the government’s performance tracker launched on April 10, this year.

According to the party, some of the projects purported to have been executed in the constituency were non-existent with others being inherited projects from the NDC.

Addressing a press conference at Konongo, Mr. Kofi Seidu, the Constituency Communication Officer, described the inclusion of some of the projects as deceptive and barefaced lies intended to hoodwink Ghanaians.

‘They claim that they have built cassava processing factory at Ahyiaem and there is no factory located at Ahyiaem.

He said the party was shocked to see on the tracker that they started the 60-bed Konongo Government Hospital in 2017 and completed same in 2022 when it was public knowledge that the said project was almost completed before NDC left office in 2017.

Mr. Seidu said the inclusion of a Central Government on its performance tracker that
it had provided streetlights to communities was not the case.

‘A Central government is telling you and the people of Asante-Akim Central that they have given us streetlights, a project that can be done by a unit committee chairman,’ he stated.

The Communication Officer also denied claims on the tracker that the NPP government had done a water expansion project at Konongo, saying that the tracker failed to indicate where exactly the project was done.

He said it was a palpable falsehood perpetrated by the government to woo votes in the upcoming general election in December.

Mr. Seidu clarified that the water expansion project was done by the administration of former President John Dramani Mahama at Agyareago and that the current government had no business claiming it as part of its achievements.

He also challenged the inclusion of an iron rod factory at Odumase which is 100 per cent owned by an Indian on the tracker.

‘It is instructive to note that some of these so-called achievements as captured by the t
racker are non-existent with most of them being projects undertaken by former President Mahama,’ the Communication Officer noted.

He further stated that, ‘Is it not absurd that a government that has borrowed and had more money than any other government in the history of the Fourth Republic will be struggling to account to the good people of Asante-Akim Central which is their stronghold?

He said it was high time for the media as partners in development to hold the feet of the government to the fire of accountability because taxes and resources of Ghanaians had been entrusted to them.

Source: Ghana News Agency