PRESIDENTIAL CARS ARRIVE…100 GO TO POLICE

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Wednesday February 07, 2018

The specialized vehicles - some bulletproof - ordered by then President John Dramani Mahama at the tail end of his National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration on January 3, 2017, have arrived.

The acquisition of the vehicles, which sparked heated political debate during the transition in early 2017, reportedly arrived via air cargo; and DAILY GUIDE understands that they include Mercedes Benz (S600), BMW and Toyota Land Cruisers.

43 vrs 34

However, the deal, which was worth $9.1 million for the procurement of 43 special vehicles with communication squadron and ambulances, was re-negotiated by the Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, and as a result, the contract sum reduced to $8.8 million.

In the end, the NPP government took delivery of 34 vehicles instead of the original 43, and the money that was to have been paid on the nine outstanding vehicles was used to purchase 100 Toyota Corolla cars for the Ghana Police Service (GPS).

Sources said additional 100 Toyota Camry cars may be added to the deal.

Setting The Records

Information Minister Mustapha Hamid said at a news conference yesterday that the “government is bound by the terms of the contract signed with Amalgamated Securities Limited,” and added that “abrogating the contract may incur significant liabilities for government.”

He indicated that “in doing so, government has however, made sure to obtain maximum gain for the public purse and also for ensuring the security of the state. The government of President Mahama ordered 43 VIP vehicles at a cost of $9.1 million.”

Mr. Mustapha Hamid stated that the government renegotiated the terms of the contract such that it was able to reduce the number of vehicles ordered from 43 to 34, which is nine short of the original number.

Police Cars

“In place of the nine, we have acquired 100 Toyota Corolla cars for use by the Police Service in line with our commitment to retool the Police Service to enable it play effectively, its role of protecting the Ghanaian people. We have done all this with a total amount of 8.8 million United States Dollars,” he underscored.

The minister said, “This decision is consistent with our approach towards contracts that we came to meet, where if possible, we have renegotiated the terms to make them more favourable to the Ghanaian people.”

Education Sector

He said for example, that the Ministry of Education renegotiated the cost of printing textbooks, which the former government had signed with printers and instead of GH¢134 million, the ministry was able to renegotiate downwards to GH¢89 million.

“It is in this same spirit that the Finance Minister asked the Auditor General to audit the financial liabilities that had been bequeathed to us, and which has revealed that some GH¢5.4 billion of legacy debts are dodgy,” Mr Hamid pointed out.

The minister said the government remains committed to protecting the public purse while ensuring value for money and securing the greater good of the people.

Transition Heat

In the heat of the transition, it emerged that then President Mahama, with only three days to leave office after failing to secure a second term bid, ordered a fleet of expensive vehicles for the presidency to the chagrin of the incoming NPP administration.

Per the contractual terms, the vehicles were to be delivered within 60 days after which payment would be made.

However, their delivery ran into difficulties due to some unresolved issues, including the indefinite moratorium placed on the acquisition of new vehicles by the Akufo-Addo-led NPP administration.

But with the valid contract between the importing company and the Ghana government, huge judgement debt loomed if it (government) had gone ahead to abrogate the contract.

The contract was signed on behalf of the previous NDC government by Alhaji Salifu Osman, a Deputy National Security Coordinator, who is currently standing trial in the $4 million National Communications Authority (NCA) scandal.

The Vehicles

Per the contract, the fleet was to cover the president, vice president, first and the second ladies and the presidential press corps.

The vehicles are mostly Mercedes Benz (S600) bullet-proof made for the security of the president and his vice, as well as their wives, and Cross-country vehicles, for long distant treks and escorts and two Cross-country rapid intervention vehicles, two Cross-country ambulances and a pickup with radio and communication as lead car.

A large number of the cars were to be allocated to the office of the president and the vice president, while the remaining ones were to go to the office of the first and the second ladies, as well as the security agents.

NDC’s Defence

In the heat of the debate, the NDC leaders insisted that the previous Mahama administration indeed placed the order to re-stock the depleting presidential fleet for the incoming regime in order to make room for the smooth running of the new administration.

Currently, the president uses 10-year old BMW which occasionally breaks down with high servicing costs; and when the car go for servicing, he uses his private ones, which is detrimental to his personal security.

TWUM-BOAFO ARRESTED OVER ‘STINKY’ AUDIT REPORT

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday February 06, 2018

The Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) yesterday picked up Kwadwo Twum-Boafo, immediate-past Executive Secretary of the Ghana Free Zones Board under the erstwhile Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, for questioning.

A source told DAILY GUIDE that Mr Twum-Boafo went to the head office of the EOCO in Accra at about 10 am and was subjected to questioning until about 5pm before being released on bail; but his passport was reportedly seized by the anti-graft body.

He was said to have ‘honoured’ the EOCO invitation in the company of his lawyer, and he was asked to write a statement, which he did.

It is unclear what sent him there, but a source said it had to do with forensic audit report on the Free Zones Board; and the EOCO has been brought in to investigate those who might be culpable for any wrongdoing.

The audit report, which has been described as ‘stinky,’ is said to have captured the rot under Twum-Boafo - a very loquacious NDC hatchet man.

DAILY GUIDE understands that auditing of state institutions is ongoing and the EOCO is playing a lead role in the effort.

Mr. Twum-Boafo, who is noted for the use of intemperate language, especially on radio, was first appointed to the Free Zones Board in an acting capacity by the late President John Evans Atta Mills and was later given full endorsement by former President John Dramani Mahama on April 11, 2013.

RAS MUBARAK DUMPS WIFE FOR MUNTAKA'S DAUGHTER

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Tuesday February 06, 2018

Rasheeda Adams, ex-wife of National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumbungu in the Northern Region, Ras Mubarak, has claimed that the MP was ‘extremely abusive’ towards her and that forced her to quit the marriage.

Rasheeda, who was working in the media, said she abandoned the ‘ship’ about a year ago and is currently in court with the young MP over the custody of their two children.

The Kumbungu MP, who was once Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Youth Authority (NYA) under the erstwhile Mahama’s NDC administration, on Sunday, reportedly married Huseina Mubarak, daughter of Asawase MP in Kumasi and Minority Chief Whip in parliament, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak.

Breaking Silence

Mr Ras Mubarak later took to social media to rebut claims that he was taking a second wife, insisting that he has only one wife whom he officially tied the knot with over the weekend at a ceremony attended by MPs from both sides of the political divide.

“I've just woken up to news that I married an additional wife yesterday. Let me put it on record that though I am unapologetically a believer in polygamy and my religion, and my proud Dagbon tradition and culture permit polygamy, I just remarried yesterday after my wife then packed out and sued for divorce a few weeks before the 2016 elections,” he posted on Facebook.

Ras added, “While we appreciate the media interest in reporting what is news, we wish to encourage the media to report what is factual. Mrs. Huseina Mubarak - my new and only wife - and I are very grateful to colleagues from the NDC and NPP, friends, family and everyone who supported us in diverse ways. May God bless us all and strengthen every marriage.”

Unconfirmed report says Sunday’s ceremony was the third marriage the young MP had contracted, having kissed goodbye to his previous two spouses.

Ex-Wife’s Rebuttal

The MP’s former wife, Rasheeda Adams, was incensed that people were claiming that she was still married to Ras Mubarak and sought to set the records straight.

She revealed that she divorced the MP because she could not take his constant physical and verbal abuses, saying, “The marriage ended due to extremely abusive behaviour from Mr. Mubarak towards me. We have not lived together for the last one year.”

She also took to Facebook to say that her union with the MP resulted in two children, and added that they are currently in court over who is the rightful person to take custody of the children.

“I woke up this morning to a barrage of calls sympathizing with me, because my ‘husband,’ Ras Mubarak, took a second wife. I wish to categorically state that this information is wrong.”

She said, “I have refrained from commenting on this issue because I believe my time and energy would be put to better use by working hard and nurturing my children. However, it has gotten to a point where I am avoiding business calls just so I do not have to speak to another sympathizer.

“I was married to Mr. Mubarak, which resulted in two beautiful children. The said marriage has been over for more than a year, as we are now in court over custody matters. The marriage ended due to extremely abusive behaviour from Mr. Mubarak towards me.

“We have not lived together for the last 1 year. No, I do not know his new wife. Don’t ask me if she is his sister; I don’t know. Yes I’m fine with it. The Ashantis have a proverb to wit; ‘after one pushes an old lady, where she falls is not one’s business.”

According to Rasheeda Adams, “A man cannot have a second wife when he does not have a first, and I AM NOT HIS WIFE. I am very happy for him as the father of my children and wish him marital bliss so he can completely forget my existence. I feel nothing but relief.”

She called on the media to ‘verify’ the facts of the matter before publishing it, saying, “It will save us all a great deal of stress.”

EC ‘TRIAL’ BEGINS

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday February 05, 2018

The committee set up by the Chief Justice to investigate Electoral Commission (EC) Chairperson, Charlotte Osei and her two deputies for abuse of office and conflict of interest will commence official sitting today.

DAILY GUIDE has gathered that both the petitioners and the respondents have filed their witness’ statements, thereby paving the way for the hearing to begin in earnest.

Mrs. Osei had reportedly asked for more time to enable her to file her witness’ statements before the five-member committee being chaired by Justice A.A. Benin of the Supreme Court begins sitting.

Sources say her two deputies - Amadu Sulley, in-charge of Operations and Georgina Opoku-Amankwa, for Corporate Services - who is currently on interdiction, have both filed their responses together with the petitioners as far back as mid-January.

The EC chairperson had reportedly asked for more time to enable her respond appropriately to the issues raised by the petitioners because the notice of the establishment of a prima facie case by the Chief Justice allegedly did not reach her on time.

Sources said Mrs Osei was to submit her statement on January 23, 2018, but upon receipt of a letter indicating that a prima facie case had been established for the investigation to go on, she needed to amend parts of her statement to ensure that she is able to respond to the issues appropriately and in proper context; and had therefore requested for more time per a letter written on January 24, 2018.

According to sources, today’s sitting may dwell on preliminary issues, setting the stage for a full ‘trial’ of the commissioners.

The operations of the EC have been in limbo since the commission had not met for the past one year, contrary to the enabling EC Law which mandates it to meet at least once in every two months.

In effect, Mrs. Charlotte Osei has been operating without her deputies.

Official Announcement 

On December 19, last year, Chief Justice Sophia A.B. Akuffo officially confirmed that she had set up a committee to investigate allegations brought against the top EC officials.

A statement by the Judicial Secretary, Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong, had indicated that proceedings of the five-member committee were going to be held in camera.

“The public is hereby informed that Her Ladyship the Chief Justice, Justice Sophia A.B. Akuffo, in accordance with Article 46 of the 1992 Constitution, has set up a five-member committee to investigate allegations brought against the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei, and her two deputies, Mr. Amadu Sulley and Mrs. Georgina Opoku-Amankwa,” the statement posited.

“The committee, which will sit in camera, in line with normal practice, consists of three Justices of the Superior Court appointed by the Judicial Council and two other persons appointed by the Chief Justice, on the advice of the Council of State. The committee is chaired by a Justice of the Supreme Court,” it indicated.

According to the statement, “The committee was established after the Chief Justice had determined that there was a prima facie case against the three officials of the Electoral Commission.”

Initial Petition 

The whole action against the EC gurus was triggered by a petition sent to President Akufo-Addo by Lawyer Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, who was acting on behalf of some unnamed staff of the commission who were seeking to trigger impeachment proceedings against Charlotte Osei under Article 146 of the 1992 Constitution.

A litany of allegations have been leveled against Mrs. Osei, including spending GH¢3.9 million to partitioning of an office, receipt of a Toyota Land Cruiser from the previous government, spending about $14 million when the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) had authorized her to use only $7.5 million, as well as attending Cabinet meetings under President John Mahama’s administration, among other things.

Charlotte Fights Back

Following these, the EC boss, through her lawyers - Sory@Law - who are also the commission’s external solicitors, hit back at her accusers, insisting that she had not been corrupt or abused her office and rather accused her two deputies of deliberately scheming to frustrate her stay in office.

The chairperson, in her initial response, openly accused Mrs. Opoku-Amankwaa of signing contracts worth over $40 million without her knowledge and authorization between May and September 2015.

Illegal Transfer 

She also turned her attention to Amadu Sulley and said apart from transferring votes illegally in the run-up to the 2016 general election, he (Sulley) also pocketed huge amounts of money from some political parties.

“The deputy chairperson in-charge of Operations collected funds above GH¢6m in cash from some political parties for the organization of party primaries without recourse to the structures of the Commission, and without the involvement of the finance department of the Commission,” she said.

Counter Petition 

The fight became nastier when other unknown persons who appeared to be on the side of Mrs. Osei sent a counter petition to the president to investigate her two deputies also for corruption and abuse of office.

Accusations and counter accusations have since ensued between the EC boss on one hand and her two deputies on the other.

They are fighting back strongly, trying to parry the chairperson’s allegations.

Corporate Services 

Mrs. Opoku-Amankwaa, for instance, said in a 25-point response to the EC chairperson’s statement that “the chairperson’s claim that there was a deliberate strategy to frustrate her work and tenure is palpably false and a figment of her own imagination.”

The deputy commissioner appeared to suggest that it was rather Mrs. Osei who was the problem at the commission and not her or Amadu Sulley.

“Her managerial deficiencies, coupled with her poor human relations and lack of appreciation for team work, are too manifest to escape public judgement,” she said.

She also described as “frivolous, useless, fabrications and figment of Mrs. Charlotte Osei’s imagination, the allegations leveled against her and asked that they be treated with contempt.

Sulley Reacts 

Amadu Sulley did not take issues lightly when he was accused of pocketing GH¢6 million from the parties.

“I don’t understand the motive of the chair to come out now to make this unfortunate allegation against me and the Deputy Chair, Finance/Administration.”

He also accused Mrs Osei of sidelining him in the daily operations at the commission.

EC BOSS BEGS FOR MORE TIME

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday February 03, 2018

The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Charlotte Osei, has reportedly asked for more time to enable her to file her witness’ statement before the Committee set up by the Chief Justice to investigate her alongside her two deputies for abuse of office and conflict of interest.

According to sources, the time given by the five-member committee chaired by Justice A.A. Benin of the Supreme Court to both the petitioners and the respondents to file their documents had elapsed.

Sources said Mrs. Osei was to submit her statement on January 23, 2018, but upon receipt of a letter indicating that a prima facie case had been established for the investigation to go on, she needed to amend parts of her witness’ statement to ensure that she was able to respond to the issues appropriately and in proper context; and therefore, requested for more time per a letter written on January 24, 2018.

She was said to have finally submitted it on Thursday, February 1, 2018 - a week after the initial date.

It is unclear if the two other deputy commissioners - Amadu Sulley (in-charge of Operations) and Mrs. Georgina Opoku-Amankwa (in-charge of Corporate Services) had filed their statements; but the petitioners have reportedly filed theirs.

DAILY GUIDE learnt that the petitioners were given up to sometime mid-January to file their statements and the respondents were given up to January 23 to do so.

The sources said the committee is expected to use about a week after the filing of the witness’ statements to do its preliminary assessment before official commencement of the hearing.

Official Announcement

On December 19, last year, Chief Justice Sophia A.B. Akuffo officially confirmed that she had set up a committee to investigate allegations brought against the top EC officials.

A statement by Judicial Secretary Justice Alex B. Poku-Acheampong had indicated that proceedings of the five-member committee were going to be held in camera.

“The public is hereby informed that Her Ladyship the Chief Justice, Justice Sophia A.B. Akuffo, in accordance with Article 46 of the 1992 Constitution, has set up a five-member committee to investigate allegations brought against the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Mrs Charlotte Osei, and her two deputies, Mr. Amadu Sulley and Mrs. Georgina Opoku-Amankwa,” the statement posited.

“The committee, which will sit in camera, in line with normal practice, consists of three Justices of the Superior Court appointed by the Judicial Council and two other persons appointed by the Chief Justice, on the advice of the Council of State. The committee is chaired by a Justice of the Supreme Court.”

According to the statement, “The committee was established after the Chief Justice determined that there was a prima facie case against the three officials of the Electoral Commission.”

The statement added, “It is the expectation of the Chief Justice and the Judicial Council that the public will treat the committee with respect and dignity it deserves as it carries out its constitutional duty and refrain from making any comments that will undermine the work of the committee, since infractions may amount to contempt.”

BAWUMIA RETURNS HOME

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Saturday February 03, 2018

It was all excitement at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra on Thursday evening when Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia arrived from the United Kingdom after a brief medical review in London.

The vice president, in the company of his wife Samira Bawumia, arrived on a British Airways flight into the waiting hands of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his wife Rebecca and almost all ministers of state and top government appointees.

Dr   Bawumia’s arrival was without the usual fanfare associated with such trips of such important personalities, as the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government tried to keep the arrival under wraps.

Before the arrival, political opponents of the NPP had photoshopped a news release from the Presidency creating the impression that the ruling party was busing supporters to welcome the vice president at the Kotoka International Airport.

The government announced on January 20, 2018 that Dr Bawumia had left Ghana to the UK on medical leave on advice of his doctors.

The moment the vice president was taken ill, elements in the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) quickly oiled their propaganda machine and started spreading wicked lies that the respected economist, banking and finance guru has either been ‘poisoned’ or ‘knocked’ down by mild stroke.

The NDC elements seized the opportunity and even went to the extent of putting out a cooked coroner’s report which they claimed was a confidential document, declaring the one-time deputy governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG) and respected economist dead.

Also, those claiming to have spiritual powers, particularly pastors, also entered the fray with ‘prophecies’, creating the impression that the vice president was in serious danger.

The wicked and spurious allegations backfired after a few days when an audio-visual recording went viral, especially on social media, showing the vice president in a hearty mood.

The video showed Dr Bawumia in the company of his wife, Samira, walking on the streets of London, United Kingdom, in a hearty conversation and exchanging pleasantries with passers-by.

Following the activities of bad politicians in the light of Dr Bawumia’s trip abroad, the negative role of social media has come under the scrutiny of the public once again. Responsible personalities from both sides of the political divide have pointed out that even though freedom of expression and media must be enhanced, what has happened in the past fortnight leaves much to be desired.

Even when it was reported that the vice president was living in a rented accommodation in London, the mischief makers reported that his condition had become critical and so was transferred to another health facility as though the Guys Hospital they said he was hospitalised in could not manage the ailment they lied he was afflicted with.

Not even the pictorial evidence in opposition to what they had put out textually as being the true reflection of the vice president’s state stopped them immediately. They questioned the authenticity of the pictures and subjected themselves to public opprobrium when their project eventually dropped from the precipice.

In the course of the medical leave, scores of Ghanaian dignitaries, particularly top politicians, thronged the London flat where he was recuperating, and Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas, the UN Special Representative and Head of the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA), was not left out.

Dr Bawumia, who has almost become a thorn in the flesh of the NDC because of his exposure on the poor management of the national economy by the erstwhile Mahama administration, is expected to return to work very soon, according to Flagstaff House sources.

OFORI-ATTA TO SUE CHRAJ

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday February 02, 2018

Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta is heading to court to seek proper interpretation of  the ruling given last year by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in the never-ending $2.5 billion bond saga.

According to the Ministry of Information, CHRAJ’s decision to look into issues that were not part of those brought against the minister by opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) activist, Brogya Gyenfi, is giving the opposition party the ‘leeway’ to create all kinds of ‘mischief.’

After absolving Mr Ofori-Atta from the main allegations leveled against him, CHRAJ went about fishing for additional information which is not within its mandate.

The minority NDC held a news conference in parliament on Wednesday, calling for the resignation of the finance minister because it said CHRAJ supposedly made adverse findings against him and gave President Akufo-Addo 14 working days to fire him or they would invoke a motion of censorship in accordance with Article 82 of the Constitution, to remove him from office.

However, Information Minister Mustapha Abdul Hamid, flanked by two of his deputies - Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah and Perry Curtis Okudzeto - told journalists in Accra yesterday that the issues being raised by the NDC are ‘over-flogged,’ ‘rehashed’ and ‘discredited,’ and added that a legal interpretation was going to cure the mischief once and for all.

“We recognize that they are determined to keep these matters burning for as long as it takes, with the hope that they may just be able to scoop whatever political advantage that they can get from it,” the information minister noted.

“We also believe that no matter how long a log stays in the water, it does not become a crocodile.”

Mr Hamid said that the NDC activists, with support from the party’s machinery, had made specific allegations that the minister, by the issuance of the bond, put himself in a conflict of interest situation and that he and his friends had benefited from the process.

But CHRAJ, on page 136 paragraph 20 and 21 of its report, had established that the claim was baseless and without merit.

“As players in a democracy, we expected that they would take the CHRAJ ruling in their stride and move on. But it seems that the minority is determined to keep this matter going, even if for nuisance purposes and in the process, they keep shifting the goal post,” Mr Hamid observed.

Factual Matters

The minister said that guidelines for the issuance of bonds are issued by the Bank of Ghana and not the ministry of finance, and that the guidelines had been existing since 2015 when the NDC was in office.

“CHRAJ determined that none of the companies in which Ken Ofori-Atta has interest benefitted or participated in the bond issuance.

“We understand the psychological effect they hope to attain by constantly assailing Ken Ofori-Atta. We understand the discomfort that the NDC feels, with the great work that has been done in re-ordering the messy economic fundamentals that the NDC bequeathed to us. They have lost the argument on the proper management of the economy and therefore they must attack the architects of this great work,” the information minister stressed.

He pointed out that Ghana did not lose anything from the issuance of the bond, but rather the country gained immensely, saying, “It enabled us to re-profile our debt and reduce roll-over pressure that saved over GH¢600 million in interest payments on our debts weekly.”

Travesty Of Justice

He challenged CHRAJ’s assertion that the finance minister had failed to indicate Data Bank in his Assets Declaration, which the NDC is currently leaning on.

“I have seen Ken Ofori-Atta’s  Assets Declaration Form, and I wish to say that Data Bank was declared as an institution in which he holds shares,” Mr Hamid claimed.

According to him, “CHRAJ’s refusal to call Ken Ofori-Atta to explain this item on his Assets Declaration Form was a travesty of justice and fails the test of natural justice.”

The minister further said that CHRAJ went beyond the matter of conflict of interest to make pronouncements on matters that it was not seized with the capacity to make, stating, “The subject, per the Securities Industry Act (Act 929), is reserved for Securities Exchange Commission (SEC).

“We find that it is these extraneous matters which CHRAJ commented on, that have become the ammunition with which the NDC has started a new round of attacks.”

Answering questions, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah said it was only CHRAJ that can explain its motivation to go into extraneous matters in the bond saga; and the minister of finance was determined to set the records straight.

GITMO 2 LEAVING

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday February 02, 2018

It is turning out that the two suspected Al-Qaeda terrorists from Yemen, who were deported to Ghana from the United States Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay on the orders of former President Barack Obama, have agreed to leave the country.

They reportedly reached an agreement with the government of Ghana to send them to a third unnamed country.

Charles Owiredu, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, who made the disclosure on Joy FM, said the two supposed Al-Qaeda terrorists - Mahmud Umar Muhammad Bin Atef and Khalid Muhammad Salih Al-Dhuby - had informed the Akufo-Addo administration to send them to a different country, and added that the negotiations regarding their preferred country had been ongoing.

“So of course, we sought their consent before these negotiations were done,” the deputy minister said.

“Per the laws, the 1951 Convention and 1957 Protocol on Refugees, you would need their consent.

“And so now, you have their consent and they say when you find a country we are ready to leave..... Not as easy as you put. They are aware that government is in negotiation with a third country for them to exit.”

Minority Attacks

Last week, the agreement between the erstwhile Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) government and the Obama administration to repatriate the terror suspects to Ghana resurfaced when the two-year deal expired.

The opposition NDC, which caused the mess whilst in government, had turned around to put pressure on the NPP administration to decide the fate of the two detainees.

In the ensuing heat, it emerged that the Mahama administration attempted to change the names of the suspected terrorists and ended up issuing them with Ghanaian passports, which DAILY GUIDE sources say will expire in August 2018.

They were also given wives, allowing them to integrate into the Ghanaian society.

Refugee Status

Majority leader in parliament and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, said on radio last week that the Mahama administration surreptitiously granted the two - who according to US authorities, were Osama Bin Laden’s  foot soldiers - refugee status before the expiry of the two-year agreement.

He said one of them is married to a Moroccan but had vowed never to go to the Maghreb country for reasons best know to him.

$300,000

The majority leader further said that per the agreement, the over $300,000 released by the Obama administration to Ghana under the deal covered the terrorists up to the end of the two-year deal signed.

Mr. Kyei-Mensah Bonsu added that with the expiration of the agreement, the people of Ghana are the ones footing the bills for the two guys, who the US security intelligence said are dangerous.

He said then Foreign Minister Hannah Tetteh had created the impression in parliament that the so-called deal was subject to renewal after two years - which elapsed about two weeks ago - although the same Mahama administration had secretly undermined the two-year agreement and granted them refugee status.

Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said the NDC government, before altering the agreement, did not even have the courtesy to include it in the handing over notes to the NPP government during the transition in early 2017.

Supreme Court Ruling

Last year, the Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional the admission of the two suspected terrorists into the country by the Mahama administration.

A seven-member panel, presided over by Chief Justice Sophia A.B. Akuffo, by a 6 -1 majority decision, said the two were illegally staying in the country since the then government allowed them into the country without prior approval by parliament; and the consequential order of the court was that the NPP government should within three months submit the agreement for parliamentary consideration and approval or in default, repatriate the two ex-detainees.

NDC ACTIVISTS KICK AGAINST REGISTRATION

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday February 01, 2018

Scores of opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) members are mounting pressure on the leadership of the party to stop what they termed ‘illegal registration’ in the party’s ongoing manual registration drive.

They have sent a petition to the National Executive Council (NEC), with copies to the founder of the party JJ Rawlings and the Council of Elders, asking them to intervene in the process because they claim it’s ‘fraudulent.’

“We, the concerned members of the National Democratic Congress, petition our founder, the Council of Elders and the National Executives Committee (NEC), to immediately stop the ongoing registration as the basis and prerequisite for our branch elections and return to the transparent branch elections that gave us the 2008 and 2012 victories.”

They said “the current registration exercise is fraught with more problems than the 2016 party membership registration which gave us our worst and most humiliating defeat at the polls and unseated a sitting president for the first time in the 4th republic.”

According to the group, who are very active on social media, “The ongoing process is inherently disenfranchising large numbers of known NDC members, a situation which is brewing deepening apprehension, dissatisfaction and anger within our grassroots, this will surely lead to apathy in 2020.”

“There is no intelligent basis to ask card-bearing members to throw out their cards and register for new cards while admitting the party has no money to print the new cards for all its members and therefore distributing on average 10 or less cards per branch to branches of 300 or more people.

“The biggest problem with the 2016 registration is the swapping and purging of names of registered members with new names by candidates and party executives and officials by bribe paying in many constituencies across the country which caused major problems and contributed to our awful defeat.”

“This irresponsible taking of bribe and purging of names from the register was enabled and conducted by members of the election directorate at the national and regional offices,” adding “none of these people have been held responsible for working against the party's interest and worst still they are all at post and are currently supervising the current registration.”

The group said that “the ongoing registration exercise is a big scam because there is a deliberate attempt to create shortage of ID cards under the guise of there is no money.”

They said the current system is placing “unnecessary financial burden (two passport pictures and additional 1cedi) on our rural folks, thereby making them unable to register and reducing the members’ right to participate in the branch elections to their ability to pay.”

“Even though there is a guideline, most constituency executives are either interfering directly or indirectly with the process, making the whole idea a waste of effort and a repetition of the exact process that hurt the party so much prior to the 2016 general elections.”

The group also said that “the scam of date changes and delays is a mechanism to waste precious time and allow the party to get as close to the constitutionally minimal allowable time of two years to nominate a flagbearer and thereby make it extremely difficult for candidates to canvas the nation for support and force the crowning and imposing of a particular candidate.”

They further said “we as a party can't keep doing the same things and expect different results, the current messy registration exercise being supervised by the same people who conducted the 2016 registration and did such a bad job of it that led us into such humiliating defeat will predictably lead the party to another disastrous defeat in 2020.”

They said “we wish to put on record that none of those past victories included a bogus, chaotic and scandalous limited registration, it is time to return power back to the grassroots and allow the elected constituency executives to supervise branch elections in the same transparent ways we've always conducted branch elections, by scheduling and calling branch meeting for elections, where members at a branch show up and are known by each other as members, confirmed and elections held and results certified by the supervising constituency executives.”