Category: NEWS UPDATES

No By-Election For Vacant Fomena Seat

The Electoral Commission (EC) will not conduct a by-election for the vacant Fomena seat.

Per the law, the EC cannot organise any major election within months before the holding of a general election.

This is provided for in Article 112 clause six which states that “Notwithstanding clause (5) of this article, a by-election shall not be held within three months before the holding of a general election.”

The Speaker of Parliament, Prof Aaron Mike Oquaye, last Saturday, declaredthe Fomena seat, occupied by a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Andrew Amoako Asiamah, vacant.

The decision followed a letter written to Parliament by the NPP to withdraw Mr Asiamah as its representative for Fomena.

Context

This was after Mr Asiamah had filed with the EC to contest in the 2020 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate.

According to the NPP, Mr Asiamah lost his membership by his action and that served as plausible grounds to withdraw him from the House pursuant to Article 97 (1)(g) of the 1992 Consitution.

Peacefmonline

November 10, 2020
Preparation Towards December 7 Polls Commendable

Two significant events happened in Parliament last week, precisely on Wednesday and Saturday, unusual sitting days of the house.

As part of holding the state institutions accountable to the people, Parliament, in its wisdom, summoned two institutions to brief the house, as representatives of the people, about the state of preparedness towards the conduct of peaceful elections on December 7 and more importantly, how to sustain the peaceful environment in the country.

Taking his turn on Wednesday, the Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, gave the assurance that adequate measures had been instituted to ensure peaceful conduct of the elections, with special attention on the flashpoints across the country.

He appealed to political parties to let national interest override their partisan interest. We infer that national interest means that political parties contesting the December 7, which is barely a month away, must play by the rules of the game in ensuring that peace reigns during and after the elections.

More profoundly, the Chair of the Electoral Commission, Jean Mensa, made a passionate appeal to Ghanaians – “Let Peace Reign”- when she took her turn to brief Parliament on preparation towards the conduct of the December 7 polls.

We are enthused to learn from her that the EC is fully prepared and ready to conduct a successful, credible, fair, orderly and peaceful election, having secured, among other logistics, 74,800 new Biometric Verification Devices with enhanced features to speed up the verification process at the 38,622 polling stations across the country.

It is refreshing that barely a month to the polls, the elections supervisory body has delivered some of the items required for the elections, including ballot boxes, to its regional and district offices across the country.

Very significantly, it gladdens us that the EC is not leaving anything to chance in terms of public health, having also designated some officials and named them as ‘COVID-19 Ambassadors’ to be deployed at all the polling stations to strictly enforce the COVID-19 protocols by ensuring sufficient COVID-19 items at the centres for use.

This effort is laudable, given the resurgence of infections in the country. We must, therefore, strictly enforce the COVID-19 safety protocols to nip in the bud further infections in the country.

Touching on the very important issue of security, the EC boss told Parliament that it had since the beginning of the year been engaging the security agencies under the auspices of National Security Task Force by providing them with relevant pieces of information, including potential flashpoints, to assist them plan effective strategies to deal with eventualities on election day and days after.

We commend Parliament for this initiative and similarly pat the backs of these state institutions for their readiness to ensure credible, fair, seamless, transparent and peaceful elections.

Indeed, the commendations will come in droves when they effectively implement this laudable security and safety architecture.

Of course, the security, peace and stability of this country during and after this crucial election can only be assured with public cooperation.

We, therefore, urge the public to take advantage of this golden democratic opportunity to come and exercise their franchise in an orderly manner.

Let we remind them that the security agencies are clad with all the powers to swiftly deal with any rabble-rouser, to maintain the security and stability of the country.

Peacefmonline

November 10, 2020
I’m coming back to give you asphalted roads – Mahama to Afram Plains South residents

Presidential Candidate of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has promised to fix the main road from Ekye Amanfrom in the Afram Plains South to Donkorkrom in the Afram Plains North District when he assumes office in 2021.

He made this promise at a durbar of chiefs and the people of MaameKrobo over the weekend.

Mr. Mahama said the Akufo Addo-led NPP government knows it has not lived up to its mandate of delivering the best to the good people of Ghana so it has now resorted to sod cutting of “Sakawa” Projects which they know they can’t deliver.

He said, “I know they will come here after I’m gone to come to promise you a road network. They will come and cut the sod for the construction of these roads which they didn’t even capture in the budget. When they do, know that it’s just Sakawa, just for your votes”.

The former president further promised to build a district referral hospital to serve the people of Afram Plains South and its surroundings.

He, therefore, pleaded with the residents to vote massively for the NDC to relieve them of their burdens.

Mr. Mahama used the opportunity to introduce the Parliamentary Candidate Joseph Appiah Boateng known as JAB1 to the constituents.

Speaking on Agoo FM, Joseph Appiah Boateng expressed confidence that, a win for the NDC will develop Afram plains south constituency.

kasapafm

November 10, 2020
EC creates 5,000 more polling stations for 2020 elections

The Electoral Commission has announced the creation of 5,000 more polling stations for the 2020 elections.

The new additions have taken the number of polling stations to be used for the polls to 38,000.

This was disclosed by the Director of Electoral Service, Dr Serebour Quarcoe in an interview with Citi News.

He disclosed the purpose of the new polling stations is to reduce queuing and time-wasting at the various centres.

He explained in detail how the new polling stations will operate.

“We want to reduce the queuing at the polling stations so the Commission decided to put the threshold at 749 so any centre that is more than that is spilt. So, there are some centres that have been split into five. Some are four, three and two. The splitting has created about 5,000 plus centres. So, there are no new centres. The splitting is around the whole country but mostly in areas that are densely populated,” he indicated.

The EC has already said that it is almost ready to deliver a free and credible election on December 7, 2020.

The Chairperson of the Commission, Jean Mensa assured Parliament that her outfit is focused on delivering a successful election.

“Mr Speaker, I am pleased to inform you that the Electoral Commission is 95 per cent ready for the successful, credible, fair, orderly and peaceful conduct of the election on December 7, 2020”, she said.

Jean Mensa also dispelled the notion that she does not have respect for the House.

“It is important to emphasize that this is the first time I have been invited by the House in my capacity as the EC Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, I have on no occasion turned down an invitation from the Parliament of Ghana,” she said.

Ghanaweb

November 10, 2020
PPP promises to pass Affirmative Action Bill when elected

The Progressive People’s Party has assured Ghanaians that it will pass the Affirmative Action Bill when voted into power in the forthcoming December polls.

The Bill, which has been drafted for over 15 years is yet to be passed into law despite advocacies by various groups.

The Bill seeks to eliminate gender inequalities and promote a progressive increase in active participation of women in public life from a minimum of 40% to parity of 50% by 2030 in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In an interview with Dr. Abubakari Sidick Ahmed on the Road to Jubilee House programme on Radio Univers 105.7FM, presidential candidate for the party, Ms Brigitte Dzogbenuku, explained that it was necessary to increase the number of women in leadership positions because ‘they control the purse’.

“Ghana’s informal sector is predominantly women. Ghana’s economy is predominantly informal. I am a woman as well as we make up 51% of this country. We will need a lot more women in leadership because they control a lot of the purse. Here we are, we still haven’t passed the Affirmative Action Bill, PPP will pass the Bill and ensure that a lot more women move into places of leadership,” she said.

Meanwhile, she says that the PPP, when voted into office, will reduce have a relatively small government size as they would decentralize the government and make electorates involved in the development of their respective communities.

“For us, we won’t need 123 ministers, that is why we are saying you should vote for your DCEs and MMDCEs. That will cut out on the Regional Ministers and all their deputies. Because if you have your DCEs and MMDCEs, they have already taken up the communities there and imagine how much you would be saving on that,” she intimated.

‘Road to Jubilee House’ airs on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Radio Univers 105.7FM.

Ghanaweb

November 10, 2020
Stupidity And Cowardice Comment: Martin Amidu Replies “Wise” And “Brave” Mahama
Martin Amidu, The Special Prosecutor has hit hard at former President John Dramani Mahama for labelling him as a coward by deferring investigations into the controversial Airbus bribery scandal.

In his latest response to the former President, Marting Amidu said the comments from John Mahama shows the latter’s lack of understanding of issues of security and intelligence.

“The long public service of the Special Prosecutor spanning various aspects of security and intelligence from the period of 1982 to 7th January 2001 and July 2009 to January 2012 makes him more experienced in determining when it is not conducive to the national security interest to foolhardily take certain law and order actions. The Special Prosecutor owes that exercise of discretion to his vast experience over the years, his responsibility to maintain national stability and his conscience as a patriotic anti-corruption crusading Ghanaian.”

“There is no question of stupidity or cowardice about it. Any person aspiring to be President of Ghana for a second term who does not know that a cardinal principle in security and intelligence is that “caution is the better part of valour” was not and is not worth the vote.

Meanwhile, Martin Amidu who has defended Mahama’s culpability in the bribery scandal has also challenged the former to voluntarily submit himself to be interrogated over the case.

“Your Excellency, the wise and the brave former President John Dramani Mahama, man-up, wise-up, and be brave enough to come with two lawyers of your own choice to be cautioned and interrogated by this Office to demonstrate your valour and wisdom as not being elected Government Official 1 and also as not being the first guarantor to Samuel Adam Mahama’s passport application,” Amidu said in a statement issued on Monday, November 9, 2020.

John Mahama accused the Special Prosecutor of deliberately mentioning his name and the Airbus scandal in the Agyapa report in a bid to equalize wrongdoing.

The former President said Martin Amidu’s move was only a diversionary tactic.

“If you have investigated Airbus, present a report on Airbus. Since you know the Agyapa report will be damning on the government, you chipped in a paragraph on Airbus. Nobody asked you about Airbus. If you were man enough, present two separate reports on the Agyapa Royalty deal and the Airbus scandal [so I can respond to you].”

“If you think I have been indicted on the Airbus scandal, accuse me directly. But because he is a coward and knew the Agyapa royalties deal will be discussed today, he chipped in a paragraph on Airbus to equalise the discussion,” he added.

See Post:
Peacefmonline
November 10, 2020
Election 2020: Greater Accra Has Highest Voter Population

The Greater Accra Region has the highest valid voter population for the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections.

Out of the total 17,029,971 valid voters on the Register, the Region has 3,529,181, followed closely by Ashanti Region, with 3020,141 voters.

Dr Bossman Eric Asare, the Deputy Chairman in charge of Corporate Services at the Electoral Commission (EC), disclosed this in response to a question posed by Members of Parliament at the weekend.

Members of the Commission were invited by the Leadership of Parliament to brief the House on the Commission’s preparedness for the 2020 election.

Present at the briefing were Mrs Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the EC, Mr Samuel Tettey, Deputy Chair of Operations, Mr Kye Duodo, the Procurement Officer, and Mr Henry Ashong, the Deputy Finance Director.

Dr Asare said the Eastern Region had the third-highest with 1,641,215, voters followed by the Central Region with 1,568,352 and Western Region, 1,187,566 valid voters.

The rest are Western North – 468,683, Volta -924,117, Oti – 358,552, Bono – 653,609, Ahafo – 316,938 and Bono East – 594,617.

The Savannah Region has 298,402, Northern, 1,050,015, North East, 289,535, Upper East, 659,309 and Upper West, 469,739.

He said the exceptional list had a total of 14,002 persons while the multiple list had 18,619 persons.

Mrs Jean Mensa said the printing of the 2020 Voters’ Register was underway and assured that it would be completed and distributed well in time for the elections.

She said a soft copy of the register had been made available to all political parties.

Printing of ballots was on-going at seven printing houses in Accra, namely; the Buck Press Ltd, Assembly Press, Fonstat Ltd, Innolink, Yasarko Ltd, Checkpoint Ltd, and Acts Commercial Ltd, she said.

Mrs Mensa said to ensure transparency, agents of all political parties and security officers were monitoring the processes at the printing houses.

The printing of the Results Collation Sheet for Presidential and Parliamentary Elections, also known as the “Pink Sheets,” commenced on Sunday, November 8, she said.

The EC Chairperson said the Commission had recruited 233,632 temporary officials made up of returning officers and their deputies, presiding officers, verification officers, name reference officers as well as a Covid-19 ambassadors for the exercise.

The EC Boss said a comprehensive training programme had been drawn for each category of officials and that they would be equipped with the requisite skills to enable them to perform excellently.

Peacefmonline

November 10, 2020
NDC Will Reintroduce Police Visibility – Agalga

Mr James Agalga, the Parliamentary Candidate (PC) for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Builsa North Constituency of the Upper East Region says the next NDC government will reintroduce police visibility across the country to minimise crime rate.

He said statistics from the Ghana Police Service indicated that “Crime rates are on the increase, we have a 27 percent increase in major crimes in the country. There is no denying the fact that there is a state of insecurity in the country which needs to be resolved as quickly as possible.”

Mr Agalga said this when he took his turn to answer a question at a debate programme on plans PCs contesting the Builsa North seat had to improve the security situation in the Constituency.

The debate was organised by the Justice and Peace Commission of the Christ the King Catholic Church at Sandema, in the Builsa North District in collaboration with the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).

The programme was on the theme: “The role of Parliament, local authorities and participatory governance for community development,” with support from the European Union and the Konrad Adenuer Stiffing, a German Non-Governmental Organisation.

According to Mr Agalga, “Previously, Police visibility was part of our national policy. So we rolled that policy out and Police could be seen everywhere. Now Police visibility has been rolled back. It is a fact.

“When the NDC wins and I become Member of Parliament, that is my domain, we are going to bring back police visibility across the country and our District will not be left out. You will begin to see the Police everywhere.”

The PC who is the incumbent Member of Parliament for the area and the Ranking Member of the Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, noted that “When criminals see the Police dotted all over the place, they are deterred.”

He said “When we rolled out visibility, we brought down crime by about 16 percent at the time under the watch of Inspector General of Police, Mr Mohammed Alhassan. We shall reintroduce the Police visibility concept.”

Mr Agalga said it was critical to retool the Ghana Police Service to enhance effective visibility, especially in the Builsa North Constituency, “As we speak, the Police Command in Sandema has only one operational vehicle. We used to have three, so we need to give them more vehicles so that their mobility can be enhanced.”

He said motivation for security service personnel was low, adding that Police and Fire Service personnel were threatened with their Cap 30, “So they are not ready to die for you and I, that is the plain truth. When we come to office, we shall amend the Labour Act 2008 to ensure that all the security agencies are firmly rooted in the Cap 30 pension scheme.”

The programme saw Mr Simon Gibson Achavuusum Anuegabey, an Independent Candidate, Mr Joseph Ransford Asuok, the Peoples National Convention (PNC) answer questions on how they intended to improve unemployment, health, security and education sectors when given the nod to represent the people in Parliament.

Mr Jeffery Adda, the Builsa North District Director of the NCCE in his address, said the programme was intended to create a platform for the electorates and the PCs to interact, and afford the Candidates the opportunity to inform the electorate on their policies and programmes.

He said the programme further enabled the Candidates to pledge towards peace in the December 7 Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

Peacefmonline

November 10, 2020
See Fella Makafui’s Horrible make up and Dressing to Sista Afia’s Party

Kando Beyonce, Fella Makafui tried to take the shine from Sista Afia’s recent birthday but it has unfortunately backfired as she’s trending for the wrong reasons.

Actress and new mum, Fella Makafui was one of the guests at the birthday party.

The self-acclaimed rich woman stormed the dance floor to spray cash on Sista Afia who was busily boogieing her heart out.

Despite that lovely display, Fella Makafui’s dressing to the birthday party plus her horrible makeup has become the talk of the town.

Without much to say on her scary look, check out the video below;

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHW2mJxp0TT/?igshid=at4n5s1954rc

GhanaCelebrities

November 9, 2020
Popular Socialite, Ginimbi Dies In Crash Just Hours After Flaunting Rolls Royce

The socialite died early Sunday morning in an accident along Borrowdale Road, in Harare.

The crash occurred along a curve just before Hatcliff suburb on the road to Domboshava.

“This is unbearable. A young man who worked hard and enjoyed hard is no more! The flower has wilted! Go well Boss Ginimbi”, said exiled former minister, Saviour Kasukuwere.

Ginimbi was reportedly speeding when the mishap happened. The impact threw him out of the vehicle which later burst into flames.

Witnesses said two other passengers were “burnt beyond recognition”.

Ginimbi is the owner of Pioneer Gas and PIKO Group.

The deceased owned a mansion in the peri-urban settlement and a fleet of expensive cars including Rolls Royce, Ferrari, Lamborghini.

The businessman posted a video on his Instagram story as he was heading out to a birthday party.

“Yo my name is Ginimbi, it’s time to go out. It’s gonna be going down, we are going to dreams in the next few minutes.

“It’s gonna be going down. We are going to pop champagne, it’s gonna be champagne showers…tonight, see you there.”

“Driving Rolls Royce wraith”, Ginimbi added as he turned the music volume up.

Source; 9Jaflaver

November 9, 2020
Coronavirus: 100-bed Infectious Disease Centre to be operationalized soon – Akufo-Addo.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced that the 100-bed Infectious Disease Centre will be opened in the coming days to aid in the country’s fight against the Coronavirus pandemic.

In his 19th address on the pandemic, Nana Akufo-Addo said that the facility which will be operationalized in the coming days will be managed by the Ghana Health Service.

Nana Akufo-Addo said that despite the number of hospitalized covid-19 victims being low, it is imperative that the country provides adequate care for the patients.

“In as much as our hospitalization rates are very low, care for the sick and the provision of treatment remain an important aspect of our strategy. To this end, the one hundred-bed Ghana Infectious Diseases Centre, located at the Ga East Hospital, will be opened in the next few days, under the management of the Ghana Health Service,” he hinted.

President Akufo-Addo also said that the government has made moves to procure more health equipment and PPEs to enhance healthcare delivery in the country.

“The provision of adequate medicines, equipment, and personal protective equipment to enable health workers to attend to home-based patients has also been guaranteed.”

Nana Akufo-Addo warned leaders of the various political parties to make mask wearing a part of their campaigns.
“Fellow Ghanaians, with a month to the conduct of the 7th December presidential and parliamentary elections, there would, obviously, be an intensification of political party activities in all parts of the country, with its accompanying human contact. Nevertheless, I encourage political party leaders and supporters, at the very at least, to wear the mask at all times at these gatherings.

“This task is not only for the leaders of our political parties. All of us, in the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, public sector, security agencies, private sector, civil society, professional and trade associations, religious bodies, traditional authorities and ordinary citizens, must do what we can, in this period, to help minimize disease transmission”.

In a bid to enhance contact tracing measures, the president says it has instructed the release of vehicles and other logistics.

“I have instructed the release of additional logistics, including vehicles, to the Ghana Health Service in order to help beef up contact tracing, and the supervision and monitoring of asymptomatic cases being managed from home…We are also employing the use of technology to augment our contact tracing efforts, as well as the supervision and monitoring of home care cases,” he added.

Sorted by; Abigail Essel

November 9, 2020
Time has come for women to sit at the decision-making table – Mahama

Former President and leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has admitted that this is the time for women to join the decision-making table to decide for themselves.

According to him, over the years, men have always taken decisions on behalf of women; a worrying trend which he believes needs to come to an end.

The NDC flagbearer made this known when he was reacting to Joe Biden’s win and Kamala Harris being the first female Vice President of America.

“As the current system has been set up is rigged towards women because men take all the decisions that affect women. I think that the time has come in the world for there to be a shift for women to sit at the decision-making table if not be at the top of the table. I think it is good news for the US because they’ve not only shattered the glass sealing but they’ve punched a big hole in it and it’s only a matter of time that I think a woman would emerge as the President of the United States,” he said in an interview on TV3.

The NDC leader said he and his party are hoping for the same in Ghana because he has a very capable woman as his running mate and is hopeful that the NDC will be successful so that women will occupy their rightful place in governance.

John Dramani Mahama noted that over the years, the United States of America’s elections have moved side by side with that of Ghana and although he will not be quick to ascribe meanings, he is optimistic that the NDC will triumph.

“I don’t want to ascribe anything to it but it looks like anytime power has shifted in the US it has shifted also in Ghana. There is a certain certainty in this world that every four years there is a US election in November and ours in December.”

Sorted by: Abigail Essel

November 9, 2020
Akufo Addo Will Retire Mahama From Active Politics – Afia Schwarzenegger.

Ghana’s failed comedian, Afia Schwarzenegger has advised that Ghanaians should stop comparing Donald Trump to Nana Akuffo-Addo.

According to her, Nana Akuffo-Addo sent a sitting president home and will soon retire him from active politics.

The sitting president used in his context clearly shows that all fingers point out to the former president, John Dramani Mahama who was voted against while he was a sitting president during the 2016 polls.
In a post on Facebook, she wrote;

“Stop comparing Trump to Nana.

Nana sent a sitting president home..

And he is about to retire him from active politics.

ghbase

November 9, 2020
“I serve a living God” – Tracey Boakye replies Prophetess who says she will die soon.

Actress Tracey Boakye has replied a prophetess who claims the 29-year-old social media vixen is left with just 8 weeks to live.

Well, are you surprised she has replied? You shouldn’t be.
According to Canada-based Ghanaian Prophetess Comfort Konadu, Tracey Boakye should be forewarned about her impending death which will be happening in a just a few week’s time.

The prophetess added that her death will happen as a result of the social media scuffle she is having with maverick politician Kennedy Agyapong. The caveat in the prophecy is that Tracey Boakye should apologize to the Assin Central MP if she wants to live.

Replying to this, Tracey Boakye said she sees this as a quack prophecy which is intended to instil fear and apprehension in her since she rightfully replied Kennedy Agyapong after his incessant attack on her.

She stressed that she does not believe in any man or woman of God but serve a living God who will ensure that she lives and not die. In effect, she is telling the prophetess that her prophecy will not be the reason why she will coil back into her shells and not retaliate when she feels offended.

Tracey Boakye concluded by stating her new business strategy where she said she is ready to make anyone trend by replying them if they are ready to pay for it.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Odartey Lamptey (@odartey_gh)

Source: ghbase

November 9, 2020
Akufo-Addo directs political leaders to wearing mask as coronavirus active cases exceeds 1000.

Ghana’s COVID-19 active cases have increased to 1156 according to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) amidst fears of a second wave.

The number of new cases is also on the rise as 198 new infections have been recorded.

The cumulative figure is now 49,202 with 47,726 number of recoveries/discharge and the death toll remains 320.

Positive infections from International travellers at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) has increased to 171.

Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo in his 19th COVID-19 address to the nation bemoaned the fact that Ghanaians are letting down their guard causing the number of infections to rise.

He has, therefore “instructed the release of additional logistics, including vehicles, to the Ghana Health Service in order to help beef up contact tracing, and the supervision and monitoring of asymptomatic cases being managed from home…We are also employing the use of technology to augment our contact tracing efforts, as well as the supervision and monitoring of home care cases.”

Election 2020

Meanwhile, the President has asked that political parties and other groups ensure that their members adhere to the covid-19 safety protocols especially the wearing of masks

“Fellow Ghanaians, with a month to the conduct of the 7th December presidential and parliamentary elections, there would, obviously, be an intensification of political party activities in all parts of the country, with its accompanying human contact. Nevertheless, I encourage political party leaders and supporters, at the very at least, to wear the mask at all times at these gatherings.

This task is not only for the leaders of our political parties. All of us, in the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, public sector, security agencies, private sector, civil society, professional and trade associations, religious bodies, traditional authorities and ordinary citizens, must do what we can, in this period, to help minimize disease transmission”.

November 9, 2020