PAY VOLTA BASIN FLOODED AREAS CLAIMANTS

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By William Yaw Owusu

Friday, December 23, 2016

A Land Court in Accra has ordered the government to resume the payment of compensation to claimants in the Volta Basin Flooded Areas of the Volta Region.

The court, presided over by Justice Anthony Oppong, held that it was unlawful for the government to halt the payments in 2013 merely based on recommendations made by then Sole Commissioner Justice Yaw Apau - now with the Supreme Court - who investigated judgement debts and other frivolous payments under C.I. 79.

Between 2009 and 2012, about GH¢71 million was paid to the various claimants by the government after a negotiated settlement, but the disbursement of the remaining GH¢67 million was put on hold on the instructions of the Sole-Commissioner; and the government announced later that it was dealing with discrepancies in the payments.

Mahama Adamant

However, since 2013 the Mahama administration refused to resume the payments, compelling the claimants to go to court to force the government to honour its obligation under the negotiated settlement.

Cabinet in July 2008 had approved a consolidated amount totaling GH¢138 million for various stools/families in Pai, Apaaso, Makango, Ahmandi and Kete Krachi Traditional Areas, and about 57 groups were said to have benefited from the amount.

As a result, the claimants, including chiefs and people from Krachi, Pai, Tapa, Afram Plains, Nkomi-Sene, Makango and Apaaso, sued the Attorney General and the Lands Commission to trigger the resumption of the compensation payments.

Misconceived Action

When the case started, the Lands Commission, which is the body overseeing the payments, raised preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case at all, but the action was dismissed as ‘misconceived.’

The case then went to full trial where the plaintiffs, led by Messrs Kwasi Owusu Yeboa and Daniel Owusu Nyampong, insisted that the government breached the terms of the negotiated settlement and urged the court to reverse the decision to suspend payment.

They also argued that it was unlawful for the Sole-Commissioner to recommend that the payments be halted without following properly laid down provisions.

Defendants’ Position

Both the AG and Lands Commission (as defendants) had argued among other things that once adverse findings had been made against some of the people involved in the claims, they needed to seek redress at the Court of Appeal before they could continue to file for the rest of the claims.

They insisted that the plaintiff’s cause of action was premature, even though the defendants admitted the existence of a negotiated settlement and part of the amount already disbursed.

The commission further held that those the adverse findings were made against should have gone to the Court of Appeal to seek redress instead of the High Court.

Court’s Decision

In his judgement, Justice Oppong said that the government White Paper covering the Sole-Commissioner’s report had no binding power on the court in its current state.

He said all the findings leading to the recommendation of the suspension of the rest of the payments assumed the character of a High Court judgement after six months of the release of the report, and said the recommendation could not be binding on the court to decide whether the payment should be resumed.

The court also held that the terms of reference of the Judgement Debt Commission also made reference to inordinate payments, but the category under which the claimants’ case fell could not be said to be inordinate payment of public funds since it was a negotiated settlement at the instance of the government.

Negotiated Settlement

“How can a negotiated settlement between the government and a powerless claimant be said to be inordinate to the extent that the Sole-Commissioner can recommend that it should be stopped?” the judge queried, adding “the negotiated settlement represents a valid contract between the government and the claimants.”

The court therefore ordered that “the negotiated settlement concluded in 2008 between the government and the plaintiffs under E.I. 98 of 1974 as amended by E.I. 67 of 1975 in pursuance of certain tranches of compensation payment which were made by the government to them was still valid and legally binding.”

Apart from a cost of GH¢40,000 awarded in favour of the claimants, the court also slapped the plaintiffs with GH¢10,000 compensatory damages.

CLOGSAG FROWNS ON NEW NSS SALARY

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By William Yaw Owusu

Friday, December 23, 2016

The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) wants the National Service Scheme (NSS) to explain how it arrived at the 40 percent salary increment for National Service Personnel.

According to Isaac Bampoe-Addo, Executive Secretary of CLOGSAG, all public sector institutions agreed on a 12.5% salary increment.

He wondered why NSS had been given an increment which is far beyond that figure.

On the sidelines of a thanksgiving service organized for CLOGSAG staff in Accra yesterday, Executive Secretary said, “To the best of our knowledge, a 12.5% has been agreed by all public institutions so they have to explain how they came by that 40% for the personnel.”

A memo released on December 14 from the Ministry of Finance put the new monthly allowance at GH¢559.04 from GH¢350.

The decision has set tongues wagging since many believe the outgoing NDC government which has barely three weeks to leave office, is not acting in bad faith while others have suggested that such decisions should have been left with the incoming Akufo-Addo-led NPP government.

Addressing the members, Mr. Bampoe-Addo said that the 5% salary deductions towards the 2^nd Tier Pension for September and October, 2016 had been transferred to the nominated custodian banks.

He said a technical team comprising representatives from the National Pension Regulatory Authority (NPRA), the public sector unions/associations had been constituted to ensure that all issues relating to pensions are resolved by June 2017.

He also said that CLOGSAG would not allow the incoming government to intimidate civil servants over perceive political allegiance, saying “the association would come to the aid of any member who finds himself in such a situation.

“Let us also be cautious of our utterances and deeds that may undermine our colleagues in our anxiety to court the attention of the new administration. Such perpetrators would be exposed and shamed for indulging in this bad practice,” he said.

He said CLOGSAG has filed a suit at the Supreme Court, challenging the exclusion of civil and local government staff from participating in the processes leading to the selection of MPs under Article 94 (36) of the constitution.

NANA’S MINISTERS DROP!

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By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

President-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his vice Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia are said to be putting final touches to names of those to be appointed ministers of state in the incoming New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

Some prominent members of the party have been considered for ministerial positions while a number of them would be nominated as ambassadors and high commissioners.

According to sources, Nana Akufo-Addo’s government wants to hit the ground running immediately it’s sworn into office after on January 7, 2017 to tackle the myriad problems facing the country.

DAILY GUIDE has picked signals that Yaw Osafo-Maafo, who is heading the NPP’s transition team, is likely to be selected as a senior minister supervising all the ministers, with Dr. Bawumia as head of the economic management team.

Frema Osei Opare, a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayawaso West Wugon, is likely to become the Chief of Staff overseeing the day-to-day activities of staff at the presidency in a different mode from the existing role carved for the position.

In the exhaustive list stumbled on by DAILY GUIDE, Nana Asante Bediatuo, a private legal practitioner, is tipped to be the Executive Secretary to the President if Nana Addo takes office.

Those penciled down as likely ministers in the incoming administration are Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, MP for Anyaa/Sowutuom (Foreign Affairs); Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, MP for Manhyia South (Health); Ambrose Dery, MP-elect for Nandom (Interior) and Dominic Nitiwul, MP for Bimbila (Defence).

Boakye Agyarko, who was the Policy Advisor for the NPP 2016 campaign, has been penciled for Petroleum and Energy with Kobby Okyere Darko-Mensah, MP for Takoradi, as his likely deputy, while outgoing MP for Kwadaso, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, is expected to head the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. MP-elect for Krowor, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye or Catherine Abelema Afeku, MP-elect for Evalue Ajomoro Gwira could be deputy.

Gloria Akuffo is likely to be named the new Attorney General with Godfred Yeboah Dame - who has been the NPP’s lawyer of late - as her deputy, while Ken Ofori-Atta of Databank fame, who was the head of the NPP’s Campaign Finance Committee, as the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning.

Others who are likely to be selected include Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, MP for Ablekuma West as Minister of Communications; Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen as Minister of Trade and Industry and Hajia Alima Mahama, MP-elect for Nalerigu, as Local Government and Rural Development Minister.

DAILY GUIDE understands that film producer and staunch supporter of the president-elect, Socrates Sarfo, would be appointed deputy minister for Tourism and Creative Arts.

There is said to be intense lobbying for positions and the president-elect is said to have assured the party’s leadership that he would make appointments based on competence to ensure accelerated development of the country.

Nana Akufo-Addo has already met the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NPP and has asked the party to give him some time to finalize the list for the party’s consideration.

DAILY GUIDE has also learnt that a number of the appointees in the previous NPP government under President Kufuor who gathered a lot of diplomatic experience but have not yet been mentioned for ministerial and other local appointments, would be made ambassadors or high commissioners.

2016 NDC CAMPAIGN LACKED DIRECTION - MTN

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By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Michael Teye Nyaunu aka MTN, a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Lower Manya Krobo in the Eastern Region, says he knows why the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) lost the December general elections.

The controversial former MP said there was no coordination in the campaign to get President John Mahama re-elected.

He told several radio stations in Accra on Monday that “then the party’s activities regarding the campaign was not coordinated very well.”

“In fact, it was not coordinated at all, because we have a national campaign team but I never knew when they even attended meetings, not even for once.”

He said, “When the various campaign teams moved for instance, the president’s campaign team, the vice president’s campaign team, the Chief of Staff’s team and so on and so on, not even one day did all these groups assemble to review their activities.”

Mr. Nyaunu said, “We were just going on our ways like a pipe that is burst, flowing like that and not checking our back. I think that also didn’t augur well for us at all.”

Montie Saga

He said the Montie 3 saga hurt the NDC campaign, saying “I think the clash of the executive arm and the judiciary in respect of the Montie 3 release was a factor in our defeat. The way in which we handled that issue offended the sensibility of a lot of Ghanaians.”

Volta Factor

He also attributed the party’s massive defeat to what he called the disrespect the party’s gurus showed to people in their strongholds, especially the Volta Region which resulted in voter apathy.

“Why should we be taking Volta Region for granted when they have given us their support all these years,” he said, adding that“they deserve an apology at the national level. NDC must render an unqualified apology to Voltarians.”

He said, “The seed of the defeat was sown during our presidential and parliamentary primaries. They refused to allow people to contest the incumbent President.”

“Contesting the incumbent President would have brought the finest out of him and it would have also prepared others to take up the mantle when he exit but we made things extremely difficult so we lost that opportunity.”

Vote-Buying

He said some of the party’s bigwigs indulged in vote-buying and that brought in wrong candidates to represent the NDC.

 “Money was in the hands of some popular people and these popular people happen to be the incumbent MPs and some of the Ministers. They were holding money and they were able to buy votes and influence people to vote for them but the reality on the ground was that they were not there for their constituents, they had distanced themselves and that culminated in the defeat of the President as well,” he said.

One Term President

The opposition NPP’s candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made sure that President Mahama became a one-term President by securing 53.85% of the total valid votes as against the President’s 44.40%.

Apart from President Mahama’s humiliating defeat, the NDC also lost about 49 parliamentary seats to the NPP and are now going into the next dispensation as minority of Parliament with only 104 seats against the opposition’s 171.

Even when it was clear the NDC was heading to a crashing defeat, their leaders, including Kofi Adams, were in the media telling the party’s sympathizers that President Mahama was in a comfortable lead.

NDC SIGNS FRESH EURO 18M CONTRACT

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By William Yaw Owusu

Monday, December 19, 2016

The exiting Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has approved a controversial €18 million waste management contract at a time the government’s tenure is coming to an end.

The single source procurement was approved just last Thursday, December 15, by the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) at the request of Mahama Ayariga, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology.

Mahama’s NDC government is on its way out of office following its massive defeat at the hands of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) which candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will become the 5^th President of the 4^th Republic when he is finally inaugurated on January 7, 2017.

Documents available to DAILY GUIDE reveal that the contracts involve a company called SCL Waste Management Limited, which is expected to establish an e-waste recycling plant pursuant to Section 31 of the Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act , 2016 (Act 917).

Under the deal approved by the PPA, the sector minister has also been given the power to ‘designate’ an external service provider pursuant to Section 21 of the Act; and a company called Contecna was selected without any competition.

The approval of the contract was coming at a time the NPP team on the Transition Committee had raised issues about unbridled signing of contracts by ministers as well as recruitment of people believed to be NDC activists into the public and civil service.

Some are also said to be backdating promotions, particularly the Ghana Maritime Authority, where the head has allegedly cowed everybody into submission.

The documents show that the request was made by the minister on November 24, with reference number MESTI/SCR/003/04; and a response from the PPA was sent on November 29 with reference PPA/CEO/11/2442/16.

Subsequently on December 15, the PPA gave approval for the minister to make arrangement for SCL Waste Management Limited to establish the e-waste plant as well as designate Contecna to carry out environmental services on behalf of the government.

A document signed by Samuel Sallas-Mensah, Chief  Executive of PPA - with reference PPA/CEO/12/2628/16 - last Thursday indicated, “At the 141^st SSRT meeting held on 14^th December ,2016, the board decided that approval should be granted Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology in accordance with Section 40 (1) (a) of Act 663, to sole-source Messrs SCL Waste Management Limited to establish an E-Waste Recycling Plant at a cost of €18 million, including shipment of the plant and construction of housing and installation of the plant. To be borne by MSCL.”

Designating Contecna, the PPA in a letter with reference PPA/CEO/12/2629/16 said, “At the 141^st SSRT meeting held on 14^th December, 2016, the board decided that approval should be granted Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology in accordance with Section 40 (1) (a) of Act 663, to sole-source Contecna to carry out environmental services of pre-shipment inspection of electrical and electronic goods exported to Ghana and collect the assessed eco levy on behalf of the government.”

President Mahama and his NDC administration are being accused of entering into agreements and signing contracts with entities ostensibly to tie the hands of the incoming NPP administration.

Recruitment At Cocobod

Cocobod is for instance, said to be undergoing fresh recruitment exercise and is reportedly commencing interviewing of applicants today.

A source told DAILY GUIDE, “There's a long-standing ban on recruitment into the Public Service in force, so why all these late packing of the Service with defeated party supporters? The new government will be forced to lay them all off if possible. I hear the recruitment they are doing is massive.”

According to sources, Cocobod is already over-staffed, finding it difficult to pay workers; and now Kwabena Opuni, the outgoing chief executive, is packing the place with NDC activists as well as surrogates.

John Boadu, acting NPP General Secretary, last week stated that it appeared the outgoing NDC government was not acting in good faith with the awards of contracts because per the rules, government appointees were supposed to write their handing over notes one clear month before the election.

He has already said that the incoming government reserved the right to look into the propriety of the last-minute contracts and appointments.  

POLICE RULE OUT POLITICAL KILLINGS

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday, December 19, 2016

The Ghana Police Service says the killing of two ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters in the aftermath of the party’s massive electoral defeat to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not politically motivated.

According to the police, the deaths of the NDC supporters, namely Kwame Owusu, 31, in Sefwi Wiawso in the Western Region and Ayuba Akakpo, a head porter at Dunkwa-on-Offin in the Central Region, could not be linked to politics.

Chief Supt Francis Enor, the Sefwi Wiawso Divisional Commander, told on a radio station that the murder of Owusu, believed to be the nephew of Western Regional Minister Paul Evans Aidoo, had nothing to do with politics.

He said it was a fight between two people.

The Municipal Police Commander at Dunkwa-on-Offin Superintendent Dela Dzansi also debunked reports that the NPP members attacked and killed an NDC man, Ayuba.

He told Rainbow Radio in Accra that it was an argument between two friends that went bad.

He also appealed to the public to cease spreading falsehoods.

Owusu was allegedly stabbed to death by one Baffoe Bonney at Ewiase, near Sefwi Wiawso, on Sunday evening after some misunderstanding.

The police are currently working hard to apprehend Baffoe.

Last week, NDC National Chairman, Kofi Portuphy, asked the party’s supporters to defend themselves from attacks by NPP supporters.

He was subsequently condemned by all, especially the police and the National Peace Council.

At a press conference, the NDC chairman said that following the party’s defeat on December 7, about 19 attacks had been launched on NDC supporters by supporters of the NPP and asked the leadership of the NPP to stop their supporters from attacking NDC supporters.

“The hooliganism is still continuing, people have been sacked from their homes, respect us a little, it’s not fair. The security agencies are doing well to bring peace to bear on our society but that does not prevent us from bringing to the attention of Ghanaians and the international community that these are criminal acts and must be stopped,” he said.

Skeptics believe the supposed attacks on NDC activists could be staged by members of the NDC for public sympathy.

They particularly mentioned the case of a comedian Ebenezer Osae Aryeh Wofa K, who claimed that he was attacked by NPP activists.

Pictures of the NDC activist have gone viral on social media.

He accused NPP supporters of assaulting him after NPP’s leader was declared winner of the election.

But some NPP activists on social media believe the actor is deceiving the general public just to get attention from President Mahama and some NDC leaders for financial gains.

A family member Ebenezer Osae Aryeh has told manassehazure.com that photos of his alleged attack by supporters of the NPP were fake.

The actor, who featured in a number of campaign ads of the governing NDC, is said to have been attacked after the NPP’s victory.

“I’m 300 percent sure that the said attack is fake,” the source, who does not want to be named, said.

The family source said, “As far as we are concerned, no attack happened in the house here. And if he was attacked elsewhere and was taken to the hospital, at least one family member would have been called. The first place we saw those pictures was on Facebook,” the source added.

The family source said all attempts by family members, including Wofa K’s mother, to get any answers from him have failed to yield any results.

“He would not talk to anybody. He locked himself up in the room and when his mother knocked he did not open. Ask Dela Coffie and those sharing the pictures on Facebook which hospital he was treated? If he was really attacked would he not be in the hospital at least for some time? Why are the photographs not taken at the hospital but in the room somewhere?”

NPP GRABS 24 FEMALE MPS

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday, December 17, 2016

There will be a total of 35 female Members of Parliament (MPs) in the next parliament which commences on January 7, 2017.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP), which is set to form the next government with Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as president - with a 171 parliamentary majority - will lead the house with 24 women representatives and the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) - which will be minority in the house - coming in with 11 women.

Although some gender activists have complained that women representation in the legislature is still low, there was a slight improvement from 29 in the current parliament to 35 in the next one.

In the case of the NPP, 12 female MPs are entering parliament for the first time, with two making a comeback, while nine retained their seats; but the NDC has seven new entrants and five re-elected.

Comeback Queens

The two who are making a comeback are Hajia Alima Mahama from Nalerigu, who is the only female MP from the Northern Region and Catherine Abelema Afeku from Evalue Ajomoro Gwira.

The NDC has no female MP making a comeback.

New Entrants

The new entrants from the NPP’s camp include Nana Dokua Asiamah Adjei (Akropong), Mercy Adu-Gyamfi aka Ama Sey (Akwatia), Barbara Asher Ayisi (Cape Coast North), Naana Eyiah (Gomoa Central), Cynthia Mamle Morrison (Agona West), Abena Durowaa Mensah (Assin North) and Barbara Oteng-Gyasi (Prestea Huni Valley).

The rest are Joyce Adwoa Akoh (Bosome Freho), Francisca Oteng Mensah (Kwabre East), who is the youngest MP to enter parliament, Ama Pomaa Boateng Andoh (Juaben), Tina Gifty Naa Ayeley Mensah (Weija Gbawe), Nana Akua Owusu Afriyieh (Ablekuma North) and Elizabeth Afoley Quaye (Krowor).

Re-Elected MPs

The re-elected female NPP MPs include Gifty Twum-Ampofo (Abuakwa North), Abena Osei-Asare (Atiwa East), Mavis Hawa Koomson (Awutu Senya East), Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (Anyaa Sowutuom), Ursula Owusu-Ekuful (Ablekuma West), Sarah Adwoa Sarfo (Dome Kwabenya), Patricia Appiagyei (Asokwa), as well as Freda Prempeh (Tano North), who is the only female NPP MP in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

In the NDC, the new entrants include Mensah Betty Nana Efua Krosby (Afram Plains North), Angela Oforiwa Alorwu-Tay (Afadzato South), Ayamba Laadi Ayii (Pusiga), Sophia Karen Ackuaku (Domeabra/Obom), Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings (Klottey Korle) and Linda Obenewaa Akweley Ocloo (Shai Osudoku).

Those who were re-elected include Cudjoe Comfort Doyoe (Ada), Queenstar Pokuah Sawyerr (Agona East), Joycelyn Tetteh (North Dayi), Della Sowah (Kpando), Bernice Adiku Heloo (Hohoe) and Helen Adjoa Ntoso (Krachi West).

EC Data

According to records from the Electoral Commission (EC), a total of 137 women contested the election in 275 constituencies on December 7.

The NDC presented 40 women candidates and got 12 seats while the NPP put in 29 and had 23.

On regional analysis, the Greater Accra Region elected 10 women as parliamentarians while both Eastern Volta Regions had five each.

The Central Region elected six female MPs while Northern, Brong-Ahafo and Upper West Regions recorded one each.

Western Region brought two while Ashanti had four, but there was no female elected MP from the Upper West Region.

Volta Region

The Volta Region elected five women out of the nine who contested for the 2016 parliamentary seats.

The figure is an improvement on the 2012 election which saw four entering parliament.

All the five women - two of whom are new entrants - were elected on the ticket of the NDC.     

Central Region 

Six of the 16 women who contested for the 23 parliamentary seats in the Central Region were given the nod.

The New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress presented five female candidates each; the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), three; the Convention People’s Party (CPP), two; with the National Democratic Party (NDP) presenting one.

Two incumbent women MPs - Hawa Koomson (Awutu Senya East) and Pokua Sawyerr (Agona East) - retained their seats.

The four new entrants include Barbara Asher Ayisi of the NPP (Cape Coast North) who beat her main contender, Kobby Akyeampong of the NDC.

Madam Abena Duruwaa Mensah, NPP wrestled the seat from the incumbent MP, Samuel Ambre of the NDC in Assin North.

Naana Eyiah, NPP, beat the incumbent NDC MP for  Gomoa Central, Rachel Appoh; whilst Cynthia Mamle Morrison beat Charles Obeng Inkoom - the incumbent MP -  to win the Agona West seat.

Hanna Tetteh, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Intergration, who was the incumbent MP for Awutu Senya, lost the seat to NPP’s George Andah.

NDC FIGHTS OVER RAWLINGS

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday, December 16, 2016

The massive defeat suffered by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in last week’s general elections has created confusion among top officers of the outgoing governing party.

Gurus in the party are at one another’s throat over who actually caused the party’s humiliating defeat in the December 7 polls, with one group insisting that former President Jerry John Rawlings, who founded the NDC, should take the blame, saying he did not campaign for President John Mahama’s re-election bid.

JJ’s Influence

The Greater Accra Regional Organizer of the NDC, Anthony Nukpenu, has insisted that no personality other than Mr. Rawlings contributed to the party’s defeat, claiming that he (the ex-president) continuously tagged the Mahama administration as corrupt and that gave the opposition the weapons to fire more salvos.

“We as a party have a founder in the person of Jerry John Rawlings and as party members, we felt he should be a protective cover for the party and the government; but he chose to arm the opposition against us,” he said, adding, “The NPP got to our heels by campaigning against us heavily on this so-called corruption perception and anytime they made that claim they claimed that the founder of the NDC is the one who said the president is the most corrupt person and his appointees are very corrupt so they should be voted out.”

Corruption Weapon

Mr Anthony Nukpenu underscored, “So if you have this message being used against you by your political opponents and courtesy the founder of your party, it goes a long way to affect your political fortunes. And that has been one of the tools that caused us to have this humiliating defeat.”

He said President-elect Nana Akufo-Addo’s acknowledgement of President Rawlings in his acceptance speech was an indication that the former president ‘armed’ the opposition with a ‘weapon’ for the elections.

“One of the tools he gave them was corruption, and Nana Akufo-Addo in his acceptance speech congratulated him. On what basis was he congratulating him, thanking him so much for what he has done for him?” he queried.

Founder’s Hesitation

Mr. Nukpenu also claimed the former president shut his doors to the NDC but allowed the NPP to come in, saying, “We as a party made moves to have a meeting with our founder, he did not agree; but he had the time and opportunity to open his doors to Volta Regional NPP executives to have a meeting with them.

“What is he telling the world? So things have gone bad; we don’t want to go there. I know the several moves that we made when we needed him and he turned us down. He has brought us to opposition which has been his call, so he should call us; we are ready to go to him.”

In JJ’s Defence

However, in a sharp rebuttal, the party’s National Organizer Kofi Adams, who was the Campaign Coordinator of the NDC, dismissed the Regional Organizer’s claims and said the party was yet to take stock and know what went wrong.

Kofi Adams, who was once President Rawlings’ spokesperson said, “Nobody has done any research to show why we lost, and until we have done so, the blame game must cease, and our former president and founding father must be allowed to have his peace while we work around a strategy to bring everything on board.

“We went into the elections with the hope and desire to win. We did not win the elections. Leadership would have to take the responsibility for our inability to win the elections. Let us blame nobody, especially our founder.

“Those of us in active leadership at the national, regional and at all levels, should take responsibility for what has happened and let us focus for the next agenda which is making sure that once we hold the government to its promise and also make sure that no matter what, we get back to power to continue the great job that the country deserves.”

Conspicuously Absent

The absence of the former president on the NDC campaign trail was so conspicuous that it has become talk of the town.

Apart from Cape Coast in the Central Region where the NDC launched its national campaign in August, Mr Rawlings was never seen at any NDC campaign event, including the manifesto launch in Sunyani, Brong-Ahafo Regional capital, in September.

Mr Rawlings refused to endorse John Mahama when he attended the Cape Coast campaign launch, but asked the party supporters to wait till after the elections before he would go round the country ‘to rebuild the party.’

He refused to disclose whom he voted for on December 7 when asked, saying that his vote was secret.

Old Man

At a point when everybody was asking about the whereabouts of the former president in the NDC campaign, the party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said brazenly that the former president was too old to campaign for the ruling party.

He had queried cheekily on Joy FM that “If Jerry is your father will you pull him to campaign at this age?”

KOFI ADAMS BLAMES IT FOR NDC DEFEAT

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, December 15, 2016

Under-fire National Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Kofi Adams, has blamed the defeat of the party in the December 7 general election to ‘systems failure.’

According to Kofi Adams, who was also the National Coordinator of President John Mahama’s Campaign Team, the party’s Information Technology (IT) system set up to monitor the election results did not help the ruling party on the election day.

“I think there was a system failure,” he said and insisted that the NDC had a “solid campaign strategy.”

He maintained, “It was our wish that this party – NDC - was going to continue the great job it is doing but that did not happen and I personally take full responsibility for the defeat of our party and that of president Mahama,” he said.

However, he could not explain how the IT system failed them.

NDC Supporters

Currently, some NDC supporters across the country are baying for the blood of the party’s gurus for disappointing them, but some of the national executives have shot back, saying they would not resign from their positions.

It is emerging that the NDC campaign strategists did not even have any alternative plans during the election because they were very confident that their machinery was going to push President Mahama into his second term in office; but the opposition NPP’s vigilance destroyed all their election machinations, including a possible rigging.

One Term President

The NPP’s candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, made sure that President Mahama become a one-term president in the history of Ghana by flooring him (Mahama) with 53.85% against the president’s 44.40%. The vote margin is over one million.

Apart from President Mahama’s humiliating defeat, the NDC also lost about 49 parliamentary seats to the NPP and is now going into the next dispensation as minority in parliament with only 104 seats against the NPP’s 171.

Even when it had become clear the NDC was heading to a crashing defeat, its leaders, including Kofi Adams, were in the media telling the party’s sympathizers and supporters that President Mahama was winning.

STUNNAD Demand

In the ensuing analysis, a group calling itself Students Network for Nana Addo (STUNNAD) had challenged the NDC to explain how the party ended up performing abysmally on December 7.

A statement issued and jointly singed by Chris Arthur and Eric Ato Smith, national president and deputy secretary respectively said, “We write to register our deepest disappointment and displeasure at President John Mahama and the NDC party, as we demand from them to prove their so-called ‘we are in the comfortable lead’ claim.”

The statement recounted how NDC leaders, including President Mahama, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo and Johnson Asiedu Nketia took turns to assure their supporters that the party was winning when in fact, it was trailing behind the NPP badly.

EC& NDC Plans

STUNNAD demanded from the NDC leaders to explain to the public where their so-called collation centre was located, alleging, “The NDC positioned their collation hub into the Electoral Commission's E-transmitting System and channeled it to their system on the top floor of their new Adabraka office in an attempt to massage the figures as coming from various constituencies before they forward it to EC's National Collation Centre.”

The statement added, “This was how the NDC was planning to rig the elections with the EC. Thank God the NPP and the media got the results first.”

STUNNAD wanted to know whether the sets of pink sheets the NDC was going to use to collate the results “were different from the media houses and the rest of the political parties.”

“We strongly feel the consistent declaration, ‘We are in the lead’ was a deliberate attempt by the NDC and President Mahama to incite their supporters not to accept the final declaration,” adding, “This we feel was a recipe for chaos.”

SPEAKER'S BODYGUARDS TERRORISE AKATSI SOUTH

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, December 15, 2016

A group of policemen believed to be part of the security detail of Speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho allegedly unleashed terror on agents of the independent parliamentary candidate of Akatsi South constituency in the Volta Region in the just ended general election.

The policemen, apart from harassing the agents and monitoring team of the independent candidate, also assaulted some of them and even shot one in the thigh.

The independent candidate Lawyer Evans Gadeto Djikunu who almost snatched the seat from the ruling NDC confirmed the intimidation by the police and said it made it impossible for his campaign team to monitor activities in all the polling stations suggesting that might have given his opponent the advantage.

He polled 11,976 while the incumbent Bernard Ahiafor polled 16,916 to retain the seat which was until last term occupied by Mr. Adjaho.

Narrating the incident, Mr. Djikunu said the policemen patrolled the constituency in a black land cruiser belonging to the Speaker and were going about harassing people who were perceived to be against the ruling party on the election day and it was his monitoring team and some of his polling agents that suffered most.

He said when voting was almost ending at a polling station in Wuxor, the DCE of Akatsi South came to the place and he made frantic phone calls and suddenly, the Speaker’s land cruiser appeared on the scene to park.

A few minutes and without any provocation, the policemen who had brought the vehicle and were in the company of known NDC members in the constituency started manhandling members of the independent candidate’s monitoring team.

According to Mr. Djikunu, the policemen then shot and deflated all the four tyres of the vehicle his monitoring team was using and also shattered the windscreen before ordering them to lie face down.

“After beating them severely, they shot one of them in the thigh and he bled profusely. In view of the fact that the said police officers were giving warning shots indiscriminately, it was difficult for any of those standing by to get close to the scene of the incident,” adding “after the dastardly act, they hurriedly conveyed them in a white pickup which was seen behind the victims ' vehicle and drove off.”

According to the candidate, the policemen sent them to Ziope Police Station and later locked them up at the Kpetoe Police Station in the Adaklu Constituency at a time some of the victims were bleeding profusely from gunshot wounds.

He said attempts to have the victims bailed by the police were refused until he went to the Regional Police Commander in Ho the following day before the police in Kpetoe granted the bail.

He said the Akatsi District Police Commander under whose jurisdiction the incident occurred refused to act on the case when it was reported to him.

According to him, he and his executive together with the Regional Crime Officer and some other police investigators went to the scene of the incident at Wuxor where used or empty shells or cartridges were picked up on the ground.

Mr. Djikunu vowed to ensure that justice is done in the matter so that all perpetrators of the said act would be brought to book.

SPECIAL PROSECUTOR IN OFFING - NANA

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

President-elect Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has promised he would not let Ghanaians down in the fight against corruption, stressing that he will lead by example.

He made it clear that the fight against the canker would be done in a professional manner so that nobody would claim they are being with-hunted.

Nana Akufo-Addo reiterated the pledge when he granted an interview to BBC’s Akwasi Sarpong yesterday.

He said as part of New Patriotic Party (NPP) government’s commitment to the fight against corruption, it would ensure the establishment of the Office of a Special Prosecutor as promised during the electioneering campaign.

According to Nana Addo, the yet-to-be-established body would be independent of the government so that it would have unfettered powers to deal with corruption-related issues dispassionately.

He said the Special Prosecutor would be somebody who is respected across the political spectrum adding, “Hopefully, that person is going to be somebody who commands respect of the society and at the same time has an independent mind to make decisions.”

The president-elect underscored, "We want to separate politics from criminal investigations. We have decided that as much as possible we want to take the politics out of it.

“What we have to be careful of in our situation is, one, to witch-hunt, but at the same time, we ought not to give the impression that those of us in political life somewhat have some sort of immunity from investigation merely because we are politicians. I don’t think that will be right. We are citizens of Ghana first and foremost."

Nana Akufo-Addo said the NPP’s manifesto has elaborate plans for the development of the country insisting, “I’m speaking about institutional reforms, personal examples that myself and leaders of our party and government have to give. It’s a mix of ideas that we believe will go a long way to reducing the incidents of corruption in our national life.”

He commended Ghanaians highly for reposing trust in him and giving him the chance to lead; and promised to help reverse the dwindling fortunes of the country.

“First of all, I am grateful to Ghanaians for giving me the opportunity and also for the fact that the issues that I thought were the issues facing our people have been endorsed by them; that I was right in my analysis of where we are and what we needed to do and what the problems were,” he articulated.

On his priorities, Nana Akufo-Addo said, “It has to be to get our economy moving again. The Ghanaian economy has been in a nose-dive for the last five years - low growth, widespread unemployment, huge debts. That’s the reality of our situation in Ghana, and especially the unemployment among the youth has reached alarming proportions and if we don’t find a method of dealing with it, our country will … be running towards all kinds of problems along the line.”

He also said “the commitment to the Ghana Project, the loyalty to Ghana, you are coming to work for the people of Ghana and not for yourself,” would feature prominently in his government.

CONTROVERSY OVER NEW PASSPORT CONTRACT

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

The out-going National Democratic Congress (NDC) is said to be making frantic efforts to award a questionable contract for the production of new passports before President John Mahama leaves office on January 6, next year.

A DAILY GUIDE source has hinted that the policy to bring in chip-embedded passports was supposed to be part of President Mahama’s long term plans for his second term, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is strangely pushing it through and wants it done before the exit of the NDC government.

Interestingly, Ghana is already operating a biometric passport system which is a requirement of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO); and many experts are questioning the rationale behind the production of the chip-embedded passports and the speed with which the contract is being secured.

Reports say there is currently about 300,000 passport booklets in stock and that Ghana does not appear to have any problem regarding scarcity of the all-important travelling document.

“We are in a transitional period and I do not see the rush to sign a new contract to put a burden on the new government,” a source wondered, adding, “The country does not also need the chip-embedded passports at the moment since we are already having a biometric system which meets international standards.”

When reached, Grant Ntrakwa, Director at the Passport Office, said his office does not award contracts for the production of passport booklets but rather it is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that has the mandate to ensure that the booklets are available.

He confirmed that there was an ongoing tendering process for the acquisition of the chip-embedded passports, but said his office was not the institution awarding the contract.

He underscored, “We at the Passport Office are only a service delivery point. We take instructions from the ministry and we don’t award contracts for the acquisition of passports.”