Ghana politics and election news

Majority Leader, Alban Sumani Kingsford Bagbin's bid for seventh consecutive terrm in Parliament looks to be under threat from the National Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Ambataayela Mornah, who is gearing up to unseat him.

Ghana's fight against corruption is failing because the media is corrupt, Dr Edward Nasigre Mahama,  Flagbearer of the People’s National Convention (PNC), has pinpointed, positing that 99.5 percent of them are corrupt.

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, NPP Vice-Presidential Candidate, has outlined a comprehensive ten-point plan to boosting job creation and ending the massive joblessness that affects millions of the Ghanaian youth today.

Dr. Bawumia laid out this plan during a Lecture on the topic – ‘High Graduate Unemployment and the Employment Embargo, What is the Solution’ to students of the Kwame Nkrumah University College at a Public Lecture organized by the Economics Students Association on Tuesday.

He stated that the goal for now is to build the most people friendly and most business friendly, globally competitive economy in Africa.

 

Formalizing the Economy

The first key, according to Dr. Bawumia, to creating the needed jobs and transforming the Ghanaian economy is formalizing the economy. He noted that no developed economy could have reached their current status without formalizing their economies.

He indicated that a comprehensive National identification database with unique identifiers for each person and a well-functioning property address system are some of the pillars to formalising the economy.

He said that a Data Revolution was critical to Ghana’s development, indicating that such a Revolution would involve linking databases across institutions such as DVLA, Police, Courts, Immigration, Revenue Agencies etc.

“All modern economies all formalized. Formalization makes the collection of taxes, discipline and job creation easier. The keys to formalizing an economy are the existence of a National ID System and a functioning Property Address System. The benefits of a national ID system or a unique identification number for residents and a well-functioning Property Address System are significant. Activities of residents with regards to taxes, loan applications, crime, job applications, housing, insurance, health, etc. are uniquely identifiable”, he said.

Dr. Bawumia also identified the movement from cash to electronic payments using mobile and other ICT platforms as another pillar to formalizing the economy.

 

Financial Inclusion

The second key for Dr. Bawumia is financial inclusion – banking the unbanked.

“The financial system cannot develop to its potential and monetary policy cannot be effective if the majority of the population continues to be excluded from access to financial services. The importance and urgency of banking the unbanked is something that is clearly not appreciated by many governments. As well as formalizing the economy, it holds the key to reducing interest rates sustainably with the support of disciplined fiscal policy. This is because banking the unbanked increases the supply of savings in the banking system.”

Citing examples from various countries, Dr. Bawumia noted that a deliberate governmental policy was necessary to spur financial inclusion and that if achieved, it will ensure that businesses can borrow at very low and stable rates to grow business and employ more.

“Wide access to financial services in the developed economies increased the supply of savings in their banking systems and reduced the cost of borrowing”, he added.

 

Diversifying Export Base & Developing the Property Market

The third key, according to Dr. Bawumia, is diversifying the export base of the country and deliberately pursuing policies to make Ghana the production hub in the sub-region to attract the needed industries and investment to create jobs.

The fourth key in the ten point plan is developing the mortgage market which, according to the NPP Vice-Presidential Candidate, holds the key to awakening the dead capital in Ghana’s property market and boosting growth and jobs.

He noted that developing the mortgage market requires finding a solution to the issues that bog land acquisition and streamlining the processes around the acquisition and development of property.

“From our Zongos like Nima, our inner cities like James Town to our well developed neighbourhoods like East Legon in Accra, so many people do not have titles to land. Our people are sitting on very valuable property but without title to them. Finding a solution to this problem would jump start the mortgage market in a big way.

“Solving this problem would increase the supply of houses by the private sector, empower the poor who would be able to borrow against the collateral of their houses and start or expand businesses, and result in a housing sector led boom in the economy and higher tax revenue for government.

“A blossoming Mortgage Market, with the necessary structures and pillars, will see openings for several well-paying jobs which our youth can be beneficiaries of. The property market is perhaps one of the most labour intensive sectors and it is thus a critical cornerstone for an economy that seeks to win the war against employment”, he said.

 

Favourable Policy Framework & Economic Stability

The fifth key to ending the massive joblessness that confronts the nation today is putting in place a trade policy that encourages production, especially in key sectors Ghana has a competitive advantage in and one that utilizes tax policy to boost production and jobs instead of focusing on revenue to the detriment of production and jobs.

“Ghana should focus on providing the tax incentives for increasing production and generating employment. In the process revenue can be raised from corporate and income taxes. What we should not allow to happen is for the desire to generate revenue to kill businesses and cause unemployment”, he said.

Dr. Bawumia also stated that the institution of a tax credit incentive for businesses that employ fresh graduates will encourage the hiring of more youths and discourage the tendency of businesses to require ‘years of experience’ before they employing job seekers.

The sixth key to creating an economy of jobs is macro-economic stability and debt sustainability.

Dr. Bawumia pointed out that macro-economic instability affects businesses negatively and hinders business growth and employment.

“High fiscal deficits, high current account deficits, -high inflation, high interest rates, exchange rate depreciation, do not provide supportive environments for job creation. They in fact result in job losses”, he said.

“With such large scale borrowing, government is crowding out the private sector which is unable to borrow to grow their business. Risk free Treasury bill rates are around 25% (up from 10.6% in 2011) and bank lending rates are on the rise because of excessive government borrowing. Lending rates are now above 30 percent.

“This development means it has become virtually impossible for business to borrow in the financial sector to grow and produce more. Government has today become the biggest competitor to private business and by its actions squeezing the little life left in them.”

He noted that while the economic slump the country faces has discouraged several investors from setting up businesses in Ghana, preferring countries like La Cote d’ivoire and others with favourable economic conditions, the situation had led the government into introducing several desperate policies like astronomic increases in taxes, which had affected businesses more negatively and the abolishment of several expenditure items, which is hampering the development of the quality human resource needed by the country.

 

The four other critical keys to creating an economy of jobs which Dr. Bawumia explained were increase infrastructure investment to match growth in economy and to support production; addressing corruption, the cost of which is borne ultimately by businesses and citizens, prioritizing Agriculture and ensuring value addition to raw materials and investing in skills training and research.

 

Source: NPP Communications Directorate

Students of the  Boso, Anum, Apegusu, Akwamuman and Adjena Senior High Schools in the Asuogyaman Distric in the Eastern region have received free mathematical sets.

Captain (rtd) Nkrabeah Effah-Dartey (Rtd) has said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) the circumstances surrrounding the importation of three South African ex-police officers to train the security personnel of its flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and running mate Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia could have been handled well.

According to him, the approach was ‘wrongfully’ planned adding that the NPP had become a laughing stock for their own decision.

"May be we could have done it better by getting some retired Ghanaian officers to do the training", the former Berekum MP told Kwesi Aboagye on Neat FM. 

He noted that the decision for the party to beef up their security ahead of the November polls was “perfect”, but the timing was absolutely wrong.

Captain (rtd) Effah-Dartey, a lawyer and a former Deputy Minister for Interior  further stated that training someone on how to handle weapons is not limited to only the military.

“Other persons who are qualified and licensed can do same. The NPP could have employed a retired Ghanaian officer to do the job, but it is a matter of choice. We goofed,” he added.

Founder of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addae 'Odike' has been caught on tape loudly bragging about the support he enjoys from the President John Mahama and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), to do their bidding, ahead of the 2016 general elections, according to adomonline.

In a 10 minutes conversation wtih a defector of his party, Gideon, Mr. Odike openly declared that he has received assurances from the President and the NDC that he would received massive funding and that other lesser political parties with similar agenda cannot compare themselves to him.

There had been allegations in the past that Mr. Odike was being bankrolled by the NDC and President Mahama, but the Kumasi-based businessman had always been quick to douse the allegations, claiming he was a man of his own.

However, a conversation captured on a tape between him and one Gideon, who was said to be a member of the UPP but also defected, appears to have given him and his conspirators.

The UPP founder, one the tape, also issued word of caution to his former General Secretary, Razak Kojo Opoku, who defected to the newly Hassan Ayariga, former presidential candidate of the People’s national Convention (PNC), threatening to deal drastically with him for spreading false rumours about the UPP.

There were recent reports of moves by some leading members of the UPP to remove Mr. Odike as the flagbearer for the party, a situation which Mr. Odike is fiercely resisting.

Odike complained bitterly that he has been receiving calls from the General Secretary of the ruling NDC, Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia, who is worried about the turn of events as far as the UPP.

The Kumasi-based business magnates conversation also appeared to complicit the Electoral Commission (EC), asserting that the electoral body has been updating him on all the machinations by some individuals to sabotage him and the NDC agenda to use him as a decoy in the run up to the elections.

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has  stated that  the training of the party’s security personnel would go ahead despite the interference by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

A special training  for the party’s security personnel was interrupted after the three South African ex-cops who were conducting  the exercise were arrested, charged for court but hurriedly deported on Tuesday morning before the court could decide on the  criminal charges.

Notwithstanding this setback, the NPP is not going to give up the training of its security personnel.

Speaking on JOY FM,  Communications Director, Nana Akomea, indicated that, "the departure of the South Africans will not affect the party's plans in bringing up to speed, the training requirements for security people. That would go ahead" adding that the party's security directorate were working towards that.

 

RESPONSE TO STATEMENT BY PROSPER BANI, MINISTER FOR INTERIOR

The attention of Captain Edmund Koda (rtd) has been drawn to a statement released in the evening of Monday, March 28, by the Minister for Interior, Prosper Bani, titled “Arrest of 3 South African Nationals”.

 

In the era where the Mahama Government continues to justify the unjustifiable, and our security agencies blatantly flout an order of the court, we are not surprised that a Minister, who is mandated to ensure internal security, as well as the maintenance of law and order in the country, would also join the fray and spew palpable falsehoods in the bid to link the NPP and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to violence.

The following false statements were made by the Minister which we wish to correct:

Bani: “As a young officer, Captain Koda had been involved in the AFRC regime. Following accusations of corruption he was convicted together with a colleague and incarcerated in the Ussher Fort Prison.”

Fact: Yes, Captain Edmund Koda was involved in the uprising of June 4, 1979, which brought the AFRC regime into power. He was a member of the pre-trial investigation team. He and other members of the team were accused of having embezzled funds and were tried twice on the same charges by the ‘People’s Court’. On both occasions, Captain Koda was acquitted and discharged. He was, however, imprisoned in the Ussher Fort prison. Indeed, the Chairman of the AFRC, Flt. Lt. J.J Rawlings demanded their release in November 1979, a request which was refused by the Liman government.

Captain Koda, and his other colleagues, eventually broke jail and sought political asylum in the United Kingdom. The Francois Commission, headed by Appeal Court Judge, Justice Francois, was set up to investigate the jail break. At the hearings of the Commission, Squadron Leader Dagbe, the President of the People’s Court, admitted that Captain Koda had been acquitted and discharged at the trial on the charges of “embezzlement”. Captain Koda has never been convicted of corruption as is being claimed by the Minister of Interior. Refer to Francois Commission report which is available at the Supreme Court Library. Perhaps, it is equally unsurprising that a simple check of official records to confirm basic facts is also fraught with incompetence.

Bani: “Captain Koda’s current arrest comes on the heels of a previous security alert in 2014, after his name popped up in a National Security investigation of the activities of some Serbian nationals who were brought into the country to train selected people drawn from across the country in the art of civil insurrection. A training dubbed “Assaulting the pillars of power”.

Fact: This is the most ludicrous of all the statements made by the Interior Minister. For the avoidance of doubt, Captain Koda did not meet any Serbian in 2014 or any other time, let alone engage the services of Serbian nationals, or any other persons, to train Ghanaians in the art of “civil insurrection”, which is a treasonable offence. The only Serbian Captain Koda knows is the former coach of the Black Stars. Is it not curious that Captain Koda, since 2014, has been walking a free man and has not been invited for questioning by National Security or the BNI on this serious charge? Is the Minister saying that our country’s security would allow a man who has attempted to destabilize the country walk free? Indeed, Captain Koda was in the custody of the BNI? Why was he not charged or questioned on this Serbian issue? Why did he only learn of this matter from the Minister’s statement?

This is not the kind of conduct expected from a Minister of Interior. We are surprised that a high ranking member of government would lend himself to being used for this kind of propaganda. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. The Mahama government is obsessed with trying to tag the NPP, and, indeed, Nana Akufo-Addo, with violence, with no shred of evidence. Indeed, the terrorists and mercenaries which this government claimed had been imported by the NPP have been deported during the pendency of the case and without being subjected to trial.

Nana Akufo-Addo has spent his adult life fighting, not with weapons of destruction or war, but his courage, his patriotism, his mouth, his sense of justice, and his love for freedom, democracy and development in Ghana. No amount of propaganda can take away that fact.

We continue to urge the people of Ghana to ignore the claims made by the Minister of Interior against Captain Koda as merely coming from a desperate government clutching at any and everything to advance a dubious and ultimately embarrassing, self-defeating political agenda.

……signed……
Nana Asante Bediatuo
Lawyer for Captain Koda

“Just because one man wants to be president, Ghana should burn if he doesn’t get what he wants, he should make a move and see what will happen to him, Nana Addo will find himself in the cells if he tries anything funny…we are keeping a close eye on him,” says Koku Anyidoho.

 

This was a direct message to NPP’s flagbearer who had over the weekend said if he was violent he would have caused Ghana to burn after the 2012 election result. Nana Addo who was addressing party faithfuls in Kumawu during the Easter holidays.

According to Mr Anyidoho, NDC’s Deputy General Secretary, Nana Addo is building a “war machine” with the aim of plunging the country into war when he loses the 2016 elections. He told Accra based Rainbow Radio in a telephone interview on Tuesday morning that NPP’s flagbearer knows the reality and is struggling to accept what is awaiting him, hence the decision to import mercenaries to cause mayhem.

Mr. Anyidoho who spoke on several other radio stations accused Nana Addo of trying to cover up after he had been exposed. He claimed the NPP and Nana Akufo Addo’s agenda is to create fear by throwing bombs and blame it on the two GTMO detainees in Ghana to make government and the ruling party unpopular.

“Nana Addo cannot dissociate himself from NPP-sponsored violence because he belongs to a party that has a history of violence, but thank God he and his NPP have been exposed”, Koku Anyidoho told Adom Fm on the breakfast show.

“If Today Akufo Addo is importing mercenaries in connection and conjunction with the Danquah Institute and Capt. Koda, who doesn’t know Capt Koda and his attempted coup, broke jail, went into exile, came back when amnesty was granted, why won’t I be careful and alarmed?” Mr Anyidoho asked.

He further said the NPP leader plans to establish a militia but said any negative agenda will be foiled.

The NPP has admitted it invited the suspects but their leader Ahmed Shaik HAZIS in a rather contradictory statement says he personally brought in the other two.

During interrogation, Captain Kwesi Acquah, owner of the Delta Force Security company also denied claims that he invited the South Africans. He told the BNI that Head of Nana Akufo-Addo’s security, Captain (rtd) Edmund Kojo Koda, just requested to use his facility

The trio have since been deported to South Africa after languishing in the cells of the BNI for the past one week.

peacefmonline.com

New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, Mrs. Gifty Twum Ampofo, has been declared the winner of the Abuakwa North by-election held today, March 29, 2016.

She polled a total of 10,033 which represent 89.60% of valid votes cast to beat her two contestants, Samuel Frimpong of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) and Isaac Kwartey of the United Front Party (UFP).

The GFP candidate polled 263 representing 2.35% while the UFP candidate polled 901 representing 8.05%.

The ruling  National Democratic Congress (NDC) decided not to field a candidate in the by-election which became necessary after the  Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, J.B Danquah-Adu was gruesomely murdered.

 

primenews.com.gh

Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is 72 years old today.

The three-three flagbearer will be the oldest Ghana president ever if he wins the upcoming November 7 presidential elections.

Primenews.com.gh wishes him a happy birthday and the best of luck in all his endeavours.

The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has condemned the continuous detention of the three South African ex-Police Officers by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI), describing it as an affront to the constitution.

Nana Asante Bediatuo, lawyer for Captain (rtd) Edmund Koda, re-arrested on Thursday by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) for his alleged role in bringing the three South African ex-police officers to train the party's security personnel has Accused the BNI of denying his client access to full medical care.

Just a week after the the death of former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, the Tarkwa-Nsuaem constituency Chairman,  Samuel Osei Kofi Boamah,  has been reported dead.