Category: Key Issues

Accra,- Guineans prefer democracy to any other regime, but want two-term limit for presidents, Afrobarometer survey, has revealed.

The Afrobarometer findings, which was made available to the Ghana News Agency, indicated that despite widespread dissatisfaction with the government’s performance, Guineans strongly prefered democracy to any alternative form of governance, the most recent Afrobarometer survey showed.

Barely a year after claiming a third term in office amidst widespread opposition, President Alpha Condé has been detained following a coup d’état last Sunday.

The Coup leader Lieutenant Colonel Mamady Doumbouya had cited pervasive poverty and corruption as reasons for the takeover.

The Afrobarometer findings from late 2019 showed majority of Guineans believed that the country was heading in the wrong direction, that the level of corruption had increased, and that the government was doing a poor job of fighting corruption.

It noted that dissatisfaction with the country’s economic conditions and citizens’ personal living conditions had increased, as had negative ratings of the government’s economic performance and provision of essential public services.

The findings indicated that only three in 10 citizens were satisfied with the way the democracy was “working”.

However, the study also showed that most Guineans endorsed elections as the best way to choose leaders and that citizens’ preference for democracy had remained consistently high over the years.

Key findings were that more than three-fourths (77 per cent l) of Guineans preferred democracy to any other form of government and that support for democracy had remained high since Afrobarometer began its surveys in Guinea in 2013.

It said eight in 10 Guineans (82 per cent) endorsed free, fair, and honest elections as the best way to choose leaders, including 57 per cent who “strongly agree” with that view.

The findings pointed out that similar majority (76 per cent) wanted the president to serve a maximum of two terms in office, and only four in 10 Guineans (40 per cent) described the country as “a full democracy” or “a democracy with minor problems”.

The study said only three in 10 (29 per cent) said they were “fairly satisfied” or “very satisfied” with the way democracy worked, a sharp decline from 2017 (56 per cent) after consistent improvement from 2013 (39 per cent).

It said almost two-thirds of Guineans (64 per cent) said the country was heading in “the wrong direction,” and that the perception that “most” or “all” officials at the Presidency were corrupt had increased from 26 per cent in 2013 to 47 per cent.

The findings said almost two-thirds (63 per cent) of citizens said the level of corruption in the country increased during the year preceding the survey, a 25-percentage-point increased compared to 2015 (38 per cent).

It said eight in 10 citizens (81 per cent) said the government was performing “fairly badly” or “very badly” in fighting corruption, a 27-percentage-point increase compared to 2013 (54 per cent).

The findings said almost seven in 10 citizens (68 per cent) described the country’s economic conditions as “fairly bad” or “very bad,” a significant increase compared to 2013 (59 per cent).

It said the proportion who said their personal living conditions were “fairly bad” or “very bad” had also increased to 64 per cent.

The findings noted that about nine in 10 Guineans said the government was doing “fairly badly” or “very badly” at narrowing income gaps (90 per cent), creating jobs (89 per cent), and improving living standards of the poor (85 per cent).

It showed that seven in 10 (72 per cent) rated the government poorly on its performance in managing the economy.

The findings revealed that overwhelming majorities also said the government was doing a poor job of maintaining roads and bridges (92 per cent), providing water and sanitation services (85 per cent), providing a reliable supply of electricity (83 per cent), addressing educational needs (73 per cent), and improving basic health services (72 per cent).

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra,- Dr. Kaderi Noagah Bukari, a research fellow in the Department of Peace Studies, at the University of Cape Coast, has urged African countries to take a second look at the ” Western Majoritarian Democracy” towards ending military takeovers of governments.

“It is not responding to the needs of the people, and, I think a better option could be ‘Consensus-based Democracy,’ where the majority and minority agree on issues for the common good of society,” he said.

Dr Bukari, also a lecturer at the School for Development Studies of the UCC, was commenting on the Sunday, September 5, military takeover in Guinea, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency.

He said the coup d’état in Guinea was unacceptable, though expected.

This is because the governance system was not addressing the needs of the people.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union, the United Nations Secretary-general, and some Western countries have condemned the coup and asked for immediate restoration to democratic rule.

Dr. Bukari, however, said a “Consensus-Based-Democracy” would promote a win-win situation and present a bipartisan approach to addressing issues of unemployment and corruption.

“The worse democracy is better than the best coup; but if our leaders and politicians refuse to work together to solve the needs of the people, we will have more coups because the signs are all over and the whole place will become a fertile ground for terrorists,” he emphasised.

“Our people must be involved and must benefit from the democracy we choose,” he said.

Professor Emmanuel Kwasi Aning, the Director of the Faculty of Academic Affairs at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has also said the Guinean coup was predictable because of the issues of “corruption, exclusive use of state money” and the amendment of the Constitution against the will of the people.

Prof Aning said the Military had between six and 12 months to demonstrate it could use state resources to promote social welfare to change the negative narrative.

The soldiers, led by a former French Legionnaire, Lieutenant Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, announced that they had seized power, arrested the 83-year-old President Conde and suspended the Constitution of the West African nation.

They appeared on national television, with some draped in the red, gold and green flag of Guinea, to announce that the Government had been dissolved because of unbridled corruption.

He stated: “Guineans, dear Compatriots. The socio economic and political situation, malfunctioning of state institutions, the curtailment of citizens’ rights, disrespect for democratic principles, political maladministration by government have compelled the National Committee of Reconciliation and Development to respond, and the entire nation to respond to the responsibilities to the sovereign people of Guinea.

“We have decided to dissolve the Constitution, institutions, and the Government, after taking hold of the President. Land and aerial borders are closed. We entreat you to remain calm and ask all security personnel to remain at post.”

Those behind the coup said that all land and air borders had been closed for a week.

However, according to a BBC report, the Defence Ministry said forces loyal to the president had “contained the threat and repelled the group of assailants”.

Earlier, the only bridge connecting the mainland to the Kaloum peninsular, which houses most ministries and the presidential palace, was sealed off while many soldiers, some heavily armed, were posted around the palace, a military source told Reuters news agency.

There are unconfirmed reports that three soldiers have been killed.

The Military is said to have replaced all Ministers with Military Commanders and asked civil servants to report to work last Monday.

President Condé was re-elected for a controversial third term in office amid violent protests last year.

The veteran opposition leader was first elected in 2010 in the country’s first democratic transfer of power.

Despite overseeing some economic progress, he had been accused of presiding over numerous human rights abuses and harassment of his critics, the BBC said.

Source: Ghana News Agency

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has returned GH¢237,974, being the salary increment granted to him from January to August, this year.

The funds, paid into the Pensions and Salaries Account of the Controller and Accountant – General’s Department, is in fulfilment of his pledge during this year’s May Day celebration, not to raise his salary, that of the Vice President, ministers and their deputies, and other government appointments.

The measure is to minimise the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Ghana’s public finance.

This was disclosed, in Accra, on Tuesday by Mr Eugene Arhin, Director of Communications at Presidency, at the weekly Jubilee House Press briefing

Mr Arhin explained that when the President received his accrued salary for the period, he noticed that the directive to freeze increments on his pay for 2021 had not been enforced, thus, “leading by example” he wrote a check on September 2, 2021, to cover the increments on his salary to reflect the decision he took to reduce the stress on the public purse.

The salary increments were those proposed by the Professor Yaa Ntiamoah-Baidu led Presidential Committee on Emoluments.

But the President had pledged to freeze salary increments for the Executive well before the Committee approved salary adjustments for Article 71 officeholders.

Mr Arhin said other appointees of State, including the Vice President, were all to refund the difference that they have received.

He said the Chief of Staff, Madam Akosua Frema Osei-Opare had communicated that directive to all ministers, deputy ministers and Staff at the Presidency.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Techiman (BE/R)– The ex- President John Dramani Mahama, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag bearer for the Election 2020 on Tuesday paid a one-day visit to the Bono East Region as part of his post-election nationwide thank-you tour.

The former President paid separate courtesy calls on the members of the Bono East Regional House of Chiefs and the Catholic Bishop of Techiman Diocese, Most Reverend Dominic Yeboah Nyarko at Techiman to thank them and residents of the region for their support during the election.

Mr Mahama later met the regional executives, members, and supporters of the NDC and urged them to remain resolute in their continuous support of the Party towards victory in the Election 2024.

He said, the NDC would no longer depend on the Supreme Court to determine its victory or otherwise in subsequent elections but would work harder to win at the polling stations and the collation centres.

Mr Mahama expressed concern about the security situation in the country and therefore stressed the need for government to resource the security agencies with the needed and adequate logistics such as bullet-proof vehicles, sophisticated weapons, and modern communication gadgets and equipment to enable them to meet the task of protecting lives and properties in the country.

All things being equal, the former President would visit the Bono Region on Wednesday, September 8, according to his itenary.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Kokode, (Ash),– Dr Kingsley Nyarko, Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, has called on the youth in his constituency to show seriousness in exploring entrepreneurial opportunities to enable them to become self-reliable.

This, he said, would create more employment opportunities leading to self-sufficiency in the wake of unemployment in the country.

According to him, it was unfortunate that most youth after graduation want to be automatically absorbed by the public sector and this he said, had created more pressure on government employment opportunities.

Dr Nyarko was speaking at a town hall meeting organised for the people of Kokode electoral area in the Kwadaso Municipality, as part of his community outreach engagement with his constituents.

The programme, which is the eleventh in the series organized by the MP in the Constituency, was under the theme “Building Kwadaso Together”.

It was designed to afford the MP and Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Richmond Agyenim Boateng, the opportunity to interact with the people and keep themselves abreast with the developmental challenges facing the residents and discuss best ways they could work together to address them.

Among the issues discussed were security, job creation, economic and social infrastructural development.

Dr Nyarko challenged the youth to take entrepreneurship as a battlefield and exercise financial discipline in their lives.

He said it was through entrepreneurship ideas that most people succeeded in life.

Dr Nyarko took the opportunity to thank the people for voting for him to represent them in parliament and appealed to them to unite and support him in the discharge of his duties.

He also asked them to rally behind the Municipal Assembly in the implementation of development programmes and projects for the benefit of the people.

As part of the programme, the MP presented LED bulbs to the Assembly Member for Kokode, Mr Wilson Sackey, for distribution to the people.

Dr Nyarko also presented 10 pieces of 150W streetlights to be fixed in the area to boost security.

The MP said it was important for the community members to decide the projects, which were of priority to them for consideration and implementation by the Assembly.

Mr Richmond Agyenim Boateng, said arrangements have been made by the Assembly to construct household’s toilet facilities and water supply to residents through the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) under the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area Sanitation and Water Project (GKMA).

He said the program was designed to bring sanitation facilities and water supply to residents in Kumasi, of which Kwadaso Municipal had been included.

Madam Grace Billi Kampitib, the Municipal Health Director, advised the residents to continue to adhere to the safety protocols of the covid-19, even after getting fully vaccinated to help curb the spread of the virus.

She also advised parents to educate their children in kindergarten and basic schools on how to follow the protocols to prevent them from getting infected.

Madam Billi Kampitib said the Health Directorate would begin distribution of mosquito nets in the Municipality to help prevent infection of malaria.

Mr Wilson Sackey praised the MP for engaging the residents to know the challenges facing them and help find the best ways to address them.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Sunyani, The ‘Concerned NPP Supporters in Bono Region’, an emerging youth group in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ignore political saboteurs and concentrate on building a better Ghana.

The group said it was solidly behind President Akufo-Addo towards national reconstruction and hoped he would ignore “nation-wreckers” and concentrate on his bid to achieving his vision for the nation and to building a better society for all in his last term of office.

“We have noticed images and a video in circulation in the social media insinuating that President Akufo-Addo on his recent tour to the Bono Region inaugurated uncompleted maternity block at the Sunyani Municipal Hospital”, it said in a press release issued and signed by Mr. Eric Tabiri, the Founder and Convener of the group.

A copy of the release made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani noted, “these images and video being circulated in the social media by crisis merchants and mischief makers is a propaganda machinery adopted by nation-wreckers in the Bono Region”.

“This is part of their numerous strategies to sway the attention of Ghanaians from the good deeds of the President and make the government unpopular in the eyes of the good people of Ghana who voted massively for the NPP”, it stated.

“We have every reasonable cause to believe that there are elements within the Sunyani Municipal Hospital hierarchy who are determined to undermine the NPP government in the hope of achieving their hidden agenda which is to cause the defeat of the Party in Election 2024”.

“We, therefore, wish to state that there is no iota of truth in the images and video in circulation and therefore wish to set the records straight. President Akufo-Addo on 11th August 2021, as part of his two-day working visit to the Bono Region, inaugurated a newly-constructed Maternity and Mental Health Block at the Sunyani Municipal Hospital together with the Bono Regional Headquarters of the Fire Service and the Administration Block for the Third Battalion Infantry base in Sunyani”.

“At the time of the inauguration, the project was completed, a fact the hospital authority have alluded to in a press release issued and signed by same. Some days after the inauguration of the Maternity and Mental health block, the Management of the facility decided to enhance it with their own specifications”, the release explained.

“The hospital authority decided to partition the corridor leading to the theatre and recovery ward with a swing glass door and create a triangular area at the reception and it was during this construction that some rented press and some NDC communicators got access to the facility and took pictures and made live videos on Facebook and other social media outlets”.

“The manner in which these individuals had access to the facility and went live on Facebook gives rise to suspicions that, the act is nothing but some form of organised and well-orchestrated sabotage by some officials within the hospital purposely to cause disaffection for the government and ultimately bring about the defeat of New Patriotic Party in the next general elections”, the release stated

It, therefore, appealed to the hospital authorities “to fish out the miscreant officials and sanction them accordingly” and called on the general public to “disregard this fake story and treat it with the contempt it deserves”.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Mr José Javier Guitérrez Blanco-Navarrete, the Kingdom of Spain’s Ambassador-Designate to Ghana, has presented his open letters to Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, in Accra.

At the meeting, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey congratulated Mr Blanco-Navarrete on his appointment as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Ghana.

She acknowledged that the fruitful cooperation that existed between Ghana and Spain had deepened progressively over the years.

The Minister said the high-level visits from the two countries had strengthened bilateral ties and cooperation in various sectors.

With regards to trade and investment, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey underscored the contribution of Spain to Ghana’s economy through investments in several sectors, notably, agro industries, renewable energy, construction, and health sectors.

On maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, she lauded the commitment of Spain and other European countries to curb drug smuggling and warding off pirates in the Gulf of Guinea.

Madam Ayorkor Botchwey acknowledged the support of Spain for education in Ghana and in this regard, highlighted the offer of training programmes for officers of the Ghana Army, and the One -Year Master’s Programme in International Relations offered to Officers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration.

The Minister affirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening relations with the Kingdom of Spain and assured him that the Ministry’s doors remained open for continuous cooperation with the Ambassador-Designate.

Mr Blanco-Navarrete, who lauded the strong ties between the two countries, also noted that Ghana was one of the leading countries on the African continent.

The Ambassador-Designate also reiterated the need to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two countries.

 

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Sept. 05, BBC/GNA – Heavy gunfire has been heard in the centre of Guinea’s capital, Conakry, while soldiers have been seen on the streets near the presidential palace.

It is not clear what is behind the shooting, and authorities in the West African country have not commented.

The district of Kaloum is reported to be deserted as terrified residents heed soldiers’ orders to stay at home.

A senior government official told Reuters that President Alpha Condé was unharmed but gave no further details.

The only bridge connecting the mainland to the Kaloum peninsular, which houses most ministries and the presidential palace, had been sealed off and many soldiers, some heavily armed, were posted around the palace, a military source told Reuters.

There are unconfirmed reports that three soldiers have been killed.

Videos shared on social media show convoys of armoured vehicles and trucks carrying soldiers patrolling the streets, although these have not been verified.

President Condé was re-elected for a third term in office amid violent protests last year.

Source: Ghana News Agency