Day: January 6, 2023

Accra, Jan. 6, GNA – President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Friday accepted the resignation from office of the Trade and Industry minister, Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen.

Mr Kyerematen tendered his resignation letter to the President at the Jubilee House, Accra, on Thursday. evening

A statement issued by the Communications Director at the Presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin, said President Akufo-Addo thanked Mr Kyerematen for his service to the government and the country and wished him well in his future endeavors.

The statement said the President had asked the finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta to act as caretaker minister at the Ministry of trade and Industry until a substantive appointment was made.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra – President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged citizens to strive to enhance transparency and accountability in the governance structures as part of efforts to sustain democratic governance.

It was also necessary to build strong institutions that could fight corruption and the dissipation of public funds, he noted, saying this was critical to prolong the country’s democratic journey.

“We must do everything within our means to safeguard our democracy,” President Nana Akufo-Addo said, while addressing the nation to mark the 30th Anniversary of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.

The people, he advised, should continue to work to create the platform for the evolution of a new Ghanaian civilisation – which will give true meaning to the foundational values of freedom and justice on which the nation was birthed.

“Thirty years ago, all of us resolved to build, under God, a united nation, grounded in democratic values and the rule of law,” he stated.

“We have advanced a great deal in realising this vision, and I am confident that, with a spirit of fairness, hard work, integrity and reconciliation, the best days of Mother Ghana lie ahead of us.”

On corruption, he said his Administration had undertaken, arguably, the boldest initiatives since independence to reform and strengthen the capacity of the mandated institutions to tackle corruption in the public sector.

These include the financial empowerment of the anti-corruption bodies, the passage of the Right to Information Act, which previous administrations had been unable to effect, and the establishment of the Office of Special Prosecutor, an independent, non-partisan body, with the relevant professional capability and exclusive mandate to investigate and prosecute acts of corruption.

“We do not have to look far back into history to see that a stable period of constitutional government and intelligent management of the economy lead to prosperity,” the President said.

He noted that even though the country was now confronted with difficulties in its economic performance “I do not doubt our collective resolve to work our way out of these challenges, and put our nation back onto the path of progress and prosperity.”

Ghana, the first sub-Saharan African country to have gained independence from British colonial rule in 1957, continues to be a shining example to other countries on the continent in respect of upholding the tenets of democratic rule and dispensation.

Having its constitutional rule under the First, Second and Third Republics curtailed by military interventions, the country has since 1992, after ushering in the Fourth Republican Constitution, demonstrated a tenacity of purpose regarding the advancement of the Rule of Law and democratic governance.

This development, the President said, had “inspired the longest period of stable constitutional governance in our history, with a consensus emerging strongly that the democratic form of governance is preferable, and the benefits are showing.”

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra – Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to strive to discharge its mandated duties effectively, especially in the conduct of elections in the country, in order to avoid disputes.

“We, in Ghana, must continue to urge the EC to work to ensure that all stakeholders in the electoral process, that is the citizenry, civil society and political parties, do not have lingering questions about the legitimacy of an election,” he said.

He explained that the strength of any democracy was very much determined by the credibility of its electoral process, and respect for the will of the people.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, who was delivering an address to the nation to mark the 30th Anniversary of Ghana’s Fourth Republic, said “we cannot overlook the fact that instability has followed disputed elections in many parts of the African continent.” Ghana, considered a beacon of democracy and stability in Africa, has overseen eight presidential elections under the Fourth Republican Constitution, with five presidential transitions, and three peaceful transfers of power, through the ballot box, from one party to another.

The President attributed this feat to the respect for the principles of democratic accountability, human rights and the Rule of Law.

“We have every right to be proud of this, and the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Fourth Republic should inspire us, even further, to hold on to this status,” he noted.

Ghana, the first sub-Saharan African country to gainindependence from British colonial rule in 1957, continues to be a shining example to other countries on the continent in respect of upholding the tenets of democratic rule and dispensation.

Having its constitutional rule under the First, Second and Third Republics curtailed by military interventions, the country has since 1992, after ushering in the Fourth Republican Constitution, demonstrated a tenacity of purpose regarding the advancement of the Rule of Law and democratic governance.

This development, the Presiden said, has “inspired the longest period of stable constitutional governance in our history, with a consensus emerging strongly that the democratic form of governance is preferable, and the benefits are showing.”

President Nana Akufo-Addo advised that, in spite of the political gains made, the country ought to keep focused and work assiduously to protect its democratic credentials.

“By all accounts, we have come a long way, and we should not take it for granted that everybody in Ghana has accepted democracy as the preferred mode of governance.

“There are those who would rather have authoritarian rule, because they claim our country is underdeveloped and democracy is cumbersome, and we need to get things done in a hurry.

“We still have some work to do to convince such people that we are all safer under democracies,” the President advised.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has announced it will hold its presidential primaries on Saturday, May 6, 2023, to elect a flag bearer for the party to contest the 2024 general election.

In a proposed timetable released by the party at its Functional and National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting the opening of nominations would be from Monday, February 22 to Wednesday, February 24, 2023.

The submission and filing of forms will also take place from Monday, March 20, 2023, to Wednesday, March 22, 2023.

The vetting of the aspirants will be held from Monday, March 27, 2023, to Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

Individuals who want to appeal will be allowed to do so from March 30, 2023, to April 6, 2023, after which the election would come off on May 6.

Source: Ghana Web

Hopeson Yaovi Adorye, a vocal advocate of the Minister for Trade and Industry, John Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen has reacted to reports about the resignation of the minister.

Accra-based Joy FM in the early hours of Friday, January 6, 2022, reported that Mr Kyerematen who is said to be lacing his boots to contest in the ruling New Patriotic Party’s upcoming presidential primaries had tendered his resignation.

The resignation according to the report has been accepted in principle by the appointing authority, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Reacting to the report, Hopeson Adorye, a one-time parliamentary candidate of the NPP for Kpone Katamanso, has shared a flier on Facebook describing Mr Kyerematen as the “next president.”

With the flier captioned “The man Alan Cash,” the inscription accompanying the flier which embosses an image of the minister reads “The ‘NEXT PRESIDENT’ resigns to become the PRESIDENT.”

Hopeson Adorye who was recently sacked from his position in the National Security attributed his sacking to intra-party reasons adding that some individuals known to him instigated his sacking for political reasons.

Meanwhile, Mr Kyerematen’s resignation is largely being attributed to his flagbearer campaign.

The NPP is later this year expected to elect a flagbearer ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

So far, names including Vice President Dr Mahamamudu Bawumia, Assin Central MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong and Alan Kyerematen have come up as the lead contenders in the race for the flagbearership.

Source: Ghana Web

A political science lecturer at the University of Professional Studies – Accra (UPSA), Nii Amartei Amartey says the former Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen needs time to embark on his ambition of becoming President of Ghana.

His comments come on the back of the Minister of Trade and Industry tendering in his resignation to the Presidency.

Sources close to the Minister said he tendered his resignation letter to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Thursday, January 5, 2023.

It is believed the decision by Mr. Kyerematen is to allow him to focus on his presidential ambition.

Commenting on the development on the Morning Starr with Francis Abban, Mr. Amartei Amartey indicated that the former Trade Minister has a presidential ambition and hence needs time to catch up with his opponents.

“It is something to be expected for him to have some space in terms of time and any other things so he can continue to achieve what he personally wants to achieve for himself.

“He might have gauged the atmosphere and perhaps might have concluded that he might not have done enough. So let me resign and then go into serious work so as to help me achieve the presidential ambition that I have decided on,” Mr. Amartey opined.

He continued: “Besides, he is also going to compete with some persons among whom have the Vice President. The Vice President perhaps has more visibility than him as Minister. So definitely he might have realized that there is more to be done if he has to succeed in his journey of becoming the President of Ghana.”

Popularly known as “Alan Cash”, Mr Kyerematen first attempted to lead the New Patriotic Party as its flagbearer in 2007 however he failed as Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo emerged as the winner.

He made other attempts at the Flagbearership position in 2010 and 2014 but he placed second to Nana Akufo Addo.

Source: Ghana Web