Ghana politics and election news

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.

Deputy Chair of the Electoral Commission in charge of Operations, Amadu Sulley has complained to the Chairperson of the Commission Charlotte Osei for sidelining him in the day-to-day administration of the election management body.

The Minority in Parliament today August 1 boycotted sitting because of what they call deliberate attempts to endanger the parliamentary procedure by the Speaker Prof. Mike Ocquaye.

Parliament’s Roads and Transport Committee has approved the controversial towing levy which was to start July 1, after consultations with stakeholders in the industry.

A section of the public was aghast at the decision to impose between Ghc 20-Ghc 200 on vehicle owners and motorcyclists during the acquisition of a road worthy certificate, to cater for the cost of broken down vehicles towed from the country’s roads.

The levy was to be charged every year but had to be shelved after the public backlash. The Road Safety Management Limited (RSML), which was to spearhead the exercise, said the 85 per cent levy to be accrued would be shared among four other companies, who are partners on the project.

But the committee said the decision to maintain the levy is because of the importance of the services that will be provided by the agents, especially with the spate of roads accidents broken down trucks cause on the roads.

“The committee, conscious of the high incidence of accidents on our roads and the danger posed by disabled vehicles to all road users, examined the contract and noted the obligations hereof imposed on the service provider.”

The service provider, according to the committee, is to work around the clock, provide ambulances equipped with paramedics, patrol the highways and major roads with motor bikes, provide a 24 hour multimedia call centre to receive reports of road related cases.

Also, the service provider is to provide “traffic control and management at critical areas in the country, and fully functional parking areas for storage of towed vehicles.

The committee also recommended for the levy not to be reviewed upward for the next two years, and also allocate 2.5% out of the 85% given to the service providers, to be given to the National Ambulance Services and that of the National Health Insurance Authority. 

“NRSC should submit to parliament a bi-annual performance report on the operations of the service provider through the Minister responsible for transport.”

Chairman of the Committee Samuel Ayeh-Paye also called for early implementation of the revised recommendations.

 

Posters of Mr Kwesi Ahwoi for Presidential Candidate for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has popped up and flooded social media.

The conflict between the Minority in Parliament (MPs) and the Speaker, Monday, reached a crescendo when the Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, officially lodged a complaint about the conduct of the Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Michael Oquaye, to the Council of State.

The National youth organizer of the incumbent NPP, Sammy Awuku has stated that the party would sponsor only its supporters to go watch the upcoming 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Opposition National Democratic Congress activist Dela Coffie has launched a scathing attack on former President John Mahama, labelling him “Trailer Park King” unfit to lead the party in the 2020 presidential elections.

The former president lost the 2016 elections with more than a million votes to veteran politician and now President Nana Akufo Addo. The outcome of the election shocked the then ruling NDC whose members could not believe the scale of defeat, despite incumbency advantage and touting of “unprecedented” projects. 

The defeat led to the commissioning of an investigation and subsequent report by Professor Kwesi Botchwey, who, among other things, recommended for the party to strengthen its intellectual base.

Dela Coffie, who is seen by some party functionaries as having a dodgy character, in the first part of what appears to be series of write ups regarding why another person and not John Mahama deserves to lead the party, said the former president should not allow himself to be misled by sycophantic elements who profited from his presidency, to get him to consider contesting the elections.

“John Mahama lost the election needlessly and we must think honestly as we move forward. I know many who feel indebted or so close to him that it's hard to see otherwise. I can't fault their loyalty. Many of these political neophytes had their major life changing experiences under John Mahama and so it is perfectly alright for them to hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil just so they can continue to keep their 'trailer park king.”

There are reports Mr. Coffie is working for one of many potential candidates interested in contesting the party’s flagbearership position.

 

Below is the full article.

 

Why I Am Against John Mahama's 2020 Presidential Bid(Part 1)!

The 2016 electioneering period was a memorable one. The entire NDC rank and file was full of optimism. Optimism on the wings of 'JM Toaso.' We shouted 'edey bee keke,' danced to the 'Onapo' lyrics, actively championed and campaigned aggressively for John Mahama. And we collectively stood by him until his 'comfortable lead' suddenly evaporated into the ether.

Yes, it was a fun-filled campaign backed by powerful slogans and massive resources. We all believed and worked for it. Then the sad reality dawned on us that sloganeering and money alone don't win elections.

John Mahama lost the election needlessly and we must think honestly as we move forward. I know many who feel indebted or so close to him that it's hard to see otherwise. I can't fault their loyalty. Many of these political neophytes had their major life changing experiences under John Mahama and so it is perfectly alright for them to hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil just so they can continue to keep their 'trailer park king.'
But then again, the test of loyalty is never to just blindly agree with someone, rather to speak up when they screw up.

I've had my own issues with Prof Mills as a leader of the NDC but he left behind a vibrant and solid electoral machinery. Indeed, the horse that was handed over to John Mahama was an agile one. It wasn't lame as we are being told. Perhaps, we had an overfed jockey who lost track of himself.

This is man who went into the 2012 elections as vice president/President after the demise of the sitting president. He campaigned for little over 3 months and won a pyrrhic victory.

Four years on in 2016, he run on his own records as President with all the advantages of incumbency, and lost in a humiliating fashion with over one million vote margin.

I am completely taken aback by folks who still believes we actually run a winning campaign and lost. Maybe they just don't know any better. We did not run a winning campaign. Opulence and money was not enough and in many instances very harmful to our cause. We were grossly outclassed by the then opposition on all fronts. Our messaging was off in many areas and for the first time in the history of NDC politics, the candidate isolated himself from the party machinery, forgetting that he could never have succeeded as an independent candidate and that whatever he represent was possible because of the party.

The refrain at the time was; "Mahama's popularity has won the elections," "the president has won already." And our over reliance on this made us bankrupt of thinking. The candidate himself was unwilling to listen to voices other than those in his inner circle. Tried and tested 'Generals' and senior cadres who have seen it all were told to take a back seat because Mahama's popularity alone was enough.

One would have thought that the Kwesi Botchway 'corpse dressing' committee report will propped Mahama up in a different direction, but not at all.

John Mahama is doing the same things that caused him the election. I see the same silly sycophantic behaviour by those scheming to stage his comeback. The know-it-all arrogant Mahama hangers-on are doing the same Mahama image politics which failed abysmally in the last election. Even Mahama's own public utterances shows he has no remorse for the loss. Listen to his unexciting justifications - we lost the elections as a result of 'multifaceted reasons. Then came his refuge in 'global trend,' 'act of God and 'incumbency disadvantage'- whatever that means, only Mahama knows. But really, if indeed the loss was due to all these factors, why are we out there on reorganization mission? Why is Mahama telling us that the horse is lame and needs resuscitation? This sort of scapegoating and wilful ignorance is so malicious, and folks must get it.

There is no point applying clean bandaid for a rather infected wound. We need serious antibiotics to get rid of the infection.

The damage caused to the John Mahama product is beyond repairs. The issues that led to the rejection of Mahama at the polls in 2016 are still hot on the lips of the average Ghanaian. Indeed, the current government has started some processes aimed at nailing a few of Mahama appointees so as to justify the corruption rhetoric they put out during the campaign.

People should wake up and smell the coffee, and stop fabricating false narratives existing in an alternative reality to push for Mahama comeback. It won't help anyone but rather sink the party further.

For me, Mahama brings virtually nothing to the table as a candidate in 2020, looking at how he reduced our electoral fortunes from 50.7 in 2012 to 44.4 in 2016 as a sitting president. If you lose miserably by that margin as President, how can you possibly overturn that in opposition?

It will be a huge gamble for NDC to bring back Mahama as the party's presidential candidate for 2020, because if he loses (which is very probable), it means more years in opposition for the NDC.
Then again, if he losses 2020, will he return in 2024? And will this not further tear the party apart? Shouldn't we be looking at two-term candidate instead of just one-term candidate?
It will be better for the NDC to lose 2020 with a 'fresh candidate' and come back stronger in 2024 than to lose 2020 with Mahama as candidate.

Our party is in need of a strong center and a leader that would be acceptable by all.

Let's not engage in a needless battle with reality. Mashed potatoes will never look good and so John Mahama should just admit the wrongs, get behind and let a new candidate do a mob up. Then the NDC can have a clear way.

more anon//

 

He was one of the few lucky politicians in Ghana given the fact he won a parliamentary seat as an independent candidate in his first attempt.

President Nana Akufo-Addo has charged the newly constituted governing council of the University of Education Winneba (UEW), to as a matter of urgency resolve all court cases before the academic year begins in September.

The introduction of the office of the special prosecutor will be a disguised form of political persecution.

The Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu says he disagrees with some Ghanaians who argue the feud between the three Commissioners of the Electoral Commission will compromise the integrity of the election management body.