Ghana politics and election news

 The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) has observed with great consternation the unsettling developments at the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC). We are deeply disturbed by the allegations of impropriety, malfeasance, abuse of power, office and ethics, wanton breaches of the law, misapplication and misappropriation of state funds levelled against the Chairperson, the two Deputy Chairpersons and two directors of the Commission.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday joined the Wesley Methodist Church Congregation in Saltpond to mark the 70th Anniversary of the founding of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC).

The Deputy General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party says he will support any action to stop the implementation of the controversial tow levy even if it means hitting the street in a demonstration.

Nana Obiri Boahen contends the agreement is not in the interest of the country and all must kick against it no matter what it takes. "It's a bad policy, its a very bad policy, more especially when that monopoly has been given to one particular company," he said on Joy Fm.

Parliamentary select committee on roads and transport on Monday announced a revision to the levy, including recommendations for a 2. 5 per cent fee allocation for both the National Ambulance services and the National Health Insurance Authority.

This followed strong resistance from the public when it was due to come into effect on July 1, forcing a withdrawal for Parliament to carry on further consultations.

The revised form, which said motorists and vehicles owners be charged after every two years, has not been received with the open arms the committee expected, and agitations from the public have drowned attempts by some officials from the government to sell the idea.

The Roads and Transport Ministry has been forced to release a statement saying it has taken notice of the public sentiment against the service and would engage all stakeholders in a discussion on the way forward.

Read also: Parliamentary C’tte approves controversial towing levy but...

Mr Obiri Boahen questioned why only one particular company has been given a contract to tow broken down vehicles from the nations' roads for twenty years. He declared that he is willing to join the Alliance for Accountable Governance, AFAG, which has threatened to hit the street if the policy is implemented.

The NPP Deputy General Secretary continued that he is highly disappointed in the NPP members of parliament on the select committee on roads and transport for approving of the contract, "I am surprised at the conduct of our MPs as far as this issue is concerned...I am not going to throw my weight behind it, I will join AFAG and all other individuals and political parties to challenge it." he stressed.

Mr Obir-Boahen indicated he is ready to pour out his sentiments to the Nana Akuffo-Addo's administration when the opportunity comes, adding that he does not think the government would be able to implement the law in view of the stiff opposition against it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Member of the Council of Elders of the New Patriotic Party(NPP), Most Rev Asante Antwi has warned supporters, not to give the party a bad name as they commemorate the formation of the United Gold Coast Convention(UGCC) and its founding leaders.

Government has disputed claims that decision to commemorate August 4^th as part of the country’s liberation struggle is an attempt to obliterate the legacy of the country’s first President Kwame Nkrumah.

Debate has been raging since government announced it will mark the day to celebrate the birth of the United Gold Coast Convention, UGCC, and other anti-colonial groups such as the Aborigines Rights Protection Society (ARPS).

Historians believe the two dates are significant because the two groups were formed on that day. The ruling New Patriotic Party traces its roots from the UGCC and therefore sees the day as a significant part of its tradition.

The NPP on Friday observed the day at Saltpond in the Central Region where the party was believed to have been formed.

But the day has sparked endless debates with opponents accusing the government of desperately trying to use the occasion to obliterate Dr Nkrumah’s role in Ghana’s history.  Journalist Paul Adom Otchere, who has been spearheading a campaign to set the records straight, insist the country’s founder did not win an election in the country so claims he won an election and became a leader of government business under British rule is not accurate.

His assertion has however been disputed by many pro Nkrumahists who accuse him of fabricating history, despite ample evidence his research is faulty.  He said August 4^th was not the day the country became an independent state but was a period when a “lame political party” was formed.

“The UGCC, until Nkrumah’s arrival [when he returned to Ghana (Gold Coast) on December 10, 1947, upon invitation from J.B. Danquah to become the UGCC’s General Secretary] was a very lame political organization. It did not have any credible women’s wing. It did not have a youth wing. It was not integrated into the struggles of the working people of Ghana and so on.”

Samia Nkrumah, daughter of Kwame Nkrumah and a leading figure in the CPP, said she will not sit and allow her father’s contributions in the independent struggled to be undermined by anyone.

However in an interview with Accra based MultiTv, Deputy Chief of Staff, Abu Jinapor, said no one is making efforts to rewrite the history of Ghana, but the party he belongs to are just setting the records straight when it comes to where they derive their tradition from.

Mr Jinapor said anyone who sees the celebration as an attempt to undermine the legacy of Nkrumah does not know what history is and wondered how the celebration of a party’s tradition amounts to an attempts to rewrite history and alienate the legacy of Nkrumah.

 He said Dr Nkrumah himself used the structures of the UGCC to become an important figure in the political landscape of this country and questioned the wisdom in the claims that, the celebration is targeted at Nkrumah’s legacy.

“ this is not about undermining his contributions to the country’s history,” he said. “ The president even on several occasions acknowledged the role played by Kwame.”

 Dr Nkrumah after breaking away from the UGCC over when it is right to agitate for independence formed the Convention Peoples Party, which won elections from the British.

 

The Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has left Accra for a three-day working visit to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Member of Parliament for South Dayi in the Volta Regino, Rockson-Nelson Este Kwami Dafeamekpor, says he is determined to drag the State Housing Company to court for demolishing his home at Frafraha in the Greater Accra Region, even if it takes him a decade to get justice.

The company on Friday morning embarked on the demolition of some structures it says had been wrongly constructed on it's lands. Mr Dafeamekpor is one of several persons in the community affected by the exercise.

Speaking to JoyNews he said the company did not give any prior notice of the demolition exercise or serve them with any courts orders or papers to that effect.

He contended that the land was acquired legitimately from the previous owners, who are occupants of the stool in the area and questioned why the State Housing Company did not give him the opportunity to defend himself in court, if the it held the view that its lands had been encroached upon.

“You don’t just wake up one day and bring an earth moving machine and pull down my building without any recourse to me.” He added

The MP says all efforts to get the company to seek an explanation for the action have been futile “ I have been placing a call to the MD [Managing Director] since yesterday and there has been no answer, I’ve called call the powers that be…no body will answer and it’s a very pitiful situation."

Mr Dafeamekpor continued that he is very distraught and will be preparing to have his day in court no matter how long it takes.

 

Reports say cabinet is likely to meet before the close of the weekend to take a decision on the controversial tow levy, which appears to have been rejected by a section of the public.

President Nana Akufo-Addo said he is aware Ghanaian voters will punish his administration by voting them out of power if they do not deliver on their promises.

Former Attorney General under Martin Amidu says most government officials especially ministers who abuse their office, are quick to use parliamentary processes to escape accountability and subsequent arrest.

President Nana Akufo-Addo has called on African leaders to tackle the issue of unemployment in their various countries to ensure a sustainable future for the entire continent.

Negotiations are underway to send the two ex-Guantanamo Bay detainees residing in Ghana back to the United States in January.

Deputy Transport Minister Titus Glover appears to be having difficulties justifying why the public should pay the controversial towing levy, which's revised form was made public on Monday.

Members of the New Patriotic Party’s Invincible Forces in Tema have threatened to visit mayhem on government officials for failing to offer them jobs as promised during the 2016 elections.

Acting Director of Public Affairs of Parliament Kate Addo has refuted claims by the Minority that the Speaker of the House is biased.