Category: Key Issues

Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Media Foundation (GloMeF) has advised the youth below 18 years to be guarded, and not allow influences from ambitious politicians and political parties to lure them to register in the new Voters Registration Exercise.

The GloMeF is a Sunyani-based anti-corruption media advocacy organisation that works to promote human rights dignity, and further promote the general wellbeing people vulnerable people in society.

Mr Ahenu emphasised it was not only a sin against God and humanity for illegible voters to register in the exercise, but also a serious offence under the electoral laws of the country.

The Electoral Commission (EC), the nation’s electoral management body has set May 7 to May 27 for the new voter’s registration exercise to create opportunity for people who had attained 18 years and above to register for the Election 2024.

Mr Ahenu indicated that a credible voters register was required to facilitate a peaceful election 2024 and to co
nsolidate the gains of the nation’s fledgling democracy.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) as the Electoral Commission (EC) commences the nationwide new Voters Registration Exercise, Mr Ahenu, called on the civil society actors and stakeholders to be interested and followed the registration exercise.

Mr Ahenu emphasised that election was not an event, saying a credible voters register would in one way or the other determine the credibility of the December 7, Presidential and Parliamentary elections. There is therefore the need for everybody to show interest, monitor and assist the EC to produce a credible and more secure voters register, he stated.

Mr Ahenu expressed worry that publicity on the voter’s registration exercise was still poor, however added that the EC alone could not shoulder such responsibility, hence the need for support from all election stakeholders.

He said spotlight ought to be put on all activities of the electoral processes, including voter exhibition and voter transfe
rs for citizens to understand and appreciate the processes, and contribute towards facilitating a more credible elections on December 7.

‘It’s rather unfortunate that people are always interested only in the voting day, but that behaviour is not good for building and strengthening our democracy,’ Mr Ahenu stated.

Mr Ahenu therefore called on everybody to inspire and encourage potential voters or people who had just attained 18 and above but had not registered to do so in order not to be disenfranchised.

Voting, he added remained a civil right, and advised the eligible youth to visit the various registration centers and register to be captured on the national voting list.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Ms. Cynthia Anima Boadu, the Bono Regional Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has encouraged Ghanaians of 18 years and above to capitalize on the limited registration exercise from May 7 to May 27, 2024.

She urged the public to ensure their names were in the voter register, so that they would be able to exercise their fundamental right to vote in the upcoming December 7th presidential and parliamentary elections.

During an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Ms. Boadu explained that by choosing not to register, the individuals would deny themselves from voting, saying it was important for every eligible citizen to take part in the registration process to exercise their democratic right.

This exercise presents an opportunity for eligible individuals to participate in the democratic process and ensure their voices would be heard in the upcoming elections, she added.

Ms. Boadu said the 1992 constitution gave every Ghanaian who is 18 years and above the right to
vote, however, ”it is important to note that if your name is not found in the voter register, you are not eligible to vote, therefore, it is advisable to ensure that your name is included in the register in order to exercise your voting rights.”

She urged the public, especially those who have attained the age of 18, to seize the opportunity to register in order to exercise their right to vote and participate in the decision-making processes of the country.

Ms. Boadu encouraged first-time voters to follow the statements and manifestos of the political parties and their activities, to analyze and make an informed decision before casting their vote.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Professor Kingsley Nyarko, Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, has called on all NPP members and sympathizers in the constituency to come together and unite as one people, to help the party win the 2024 general and parliamentary elections.

According to him, ‘breaking the eight’ would be possible, if all party members in the constituency would come together, join forces, unite, forgive each other and push the NPP forward.

The MP was addressing party supporters at the inauguration of campaign team and reconciliation efforts in the Kwadaso constituency for election 2024.

Prof. Nyarko, and Mr. Yaw Bonna Boadi, the Kwadaso constituency NPP chairman are co-chairing the campaign team, which comprised the council of elders, polling station and electoral area coordinators as well as Mr. Richmond Agyenim Boateng, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE).

The MP called on the team and party supporters to work hard to retain the parliamentary seat and widen the Presidential ballot on December 07, 2024, which would see
Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia as the next President of Ghana.

‘This is the time for us all to come together as one party, unite and join forces, irrespective of who you supported in the parliamentary primaries some months ago, and work hard for the party to maintain the presidential and parliamentary seats,’ he observed.

Mr. Kofi Owusu, the Ashanti Regional Director of Research and Elections Officer, who unveiled the election 2024 campaign team for Kwadaso, described the constituency as a ‘great elephant family’ saying as a stronghold of the party, the team and supporters must come together, forgive each other, and work extra hard for victory in the general election.

Mr. Owusu indicated that the various constituencies in the region remained the pillars of the NPP, hence the need for them to re-strategize well and reach out to others and propagate the excelling achievements of the government.

He was hopeful that the team members would adhere to the party’s constitution during their duties.

According to him, the ca
mpaign team was also tasked to mobilize and convince eligible voters, particularly those at the grassroots levels to be captured on the voter’s register and vote for the NPP for the upcoming general and parliamentary elections.

Mr. Agyenim Boateng, the MCE, said loyalty remained a key to the NPP, and entreated the campaign team to also work selflessly for the party to retain political power in election 2024.

He was confident and fully convinced that the NPP would maintain the constituency seat and win the Presidential seat for Dr. Bawumia.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Kadjebi District in the Oti Region, Mr Wilson Kwami Agbanyo, has paid a working visit to Gyamonome and Asato communities and Gyamonome D/A Basic School.

The visit was aimed at explaining government interventions and policies in education, health, agriculture, and to assess the developmental challenges facing these communities and find permanent solutions to them.

At Gyamonome, he told the gathering that 3,000 dual and mono desks had been distributed to schools across the district during his three years stay in office and that 500 more would be released soon to reduce the furniture deficit.

He appealed to parents to also provide their children with the basic school needs as the government would not do everything for them.

On Kadjebi Agenda 111 Hospital project, the DCE, said the project was progressing steadily and that soon inhabitants of Kadjebi District would not travel to Worawora and Jasikan Hospitals to access healthcare.

Mr. Agbanyo later presented street ligh
t bulbs, machetes and spraying machines to the community and later visited the Gyamonome Basic school, interacted with the pupils and teachers, and presented a spraying machine.

Mr. Philip Dzemeke, the Assemblyman for Gyamonome Electoral Area, commended the DCE for his works.

He requested a KG block for the pupils of Gyamonome Basic school, who are currently housed in an office.

At Asato, the DCE assured the residents that the proposed 10-km Asato-Apesokubi Road would be constructed and that follow-ups on the project had started.

Mr Samuel Anim, Kadjebi District Works Engineer, told the residents that the Contractor for the Asato-Gyamonome Road came to site to commence work, but there were some compensation issues since some Cocoa farms would be affected, so he left.

Prof. Christian Anthony Krueger, a native of Asato, commended the DCE and his team for the engagement.

He urged the DCE to speed up the Asato-Apesokubi Road construction as it would serve commuters from the area from traveling two hours 30
minutes to Dambai instead of an hour and a half.

Prof. Krueger, a retired Associate Professor of the Department of Science Education, University of Cape Coast, said the construction of that road was long overdue, so the DCE should act with dispatch.

The DCE was accompanied by Mr. Cletus Chevure,  Kadjebi District Coordinating Director, Engr. Samuel Anim, Kadjebi District Works Engineer, Donniel Tamakloe, the District Human Resource Manager, Mr. Nathaniel Nkiboare Atta, an Assistant District Planning Officer and Frank Adjei Worlanyo, an Aide to the DCE.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr Charles Gyamfi Boateng, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) nominee for the Krachi East Municipality, has called for patronage of the upcoming limited voter registration exercise.

He said it was imperative every New Patriotic Party (NPP) member took the exercise seriously to ensure the party ‘breaks the eight.’

Mr Boateng urged everyone, especially the youth, to take the exercise seriously.

‘ It is your opportunity to hold your leaders accountable, it is about your future, it is about our dear nation, Ghana.’

From Tuesday, May 7 to Monday May 27,2024, the Electoral Commission will open the voter register for the registration of new voters ahead of the December presidential and parliamentary elections.

The 21- day exercise, which will end on Monday 27, 2024, is aimed at individuals who have turned 18- years old since the last registration for them to be enrolled onto the national election roll.

He said Ghanaians were looking forward to the NPP to save the country with good polices and make Ghana bette
r.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Center for Democratic Development, Ghana (CDD-Ghana) has registered its dismay over the latest development in the Cecilia Dapaah’s case.

The CDD-Ghana, in a statement copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the Office of the Attorney-General (AG) had, in a letter addressed to the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), dated April 25, 2024, advised EOCO to not investigate suspected money laundering in connection with certain monies found at the private residences of Mrs Cecilia Dapaah, a former Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources.

It said this followed a ‘request for directions’ ostensibly made to the AG by EOCO following EOCO’s receipt of a referral from the Office of Special Prosecutor (OSP) concerning Mrs Dapaah’s case.

It said the referral from the OSP had noted that while the OSP’s investigations had ‘identified strong indications of suspected money laundering and structuring,’ such matters fell outside the OSP’s statutory mandate but were well within the EOCO’s mandate, hence the referra
l.

The statement said in its advice to EOCO to not proceed with investigation of the matter, the AG stated that it found no grounds to warrant such an investigation because the OSP had not made any findings of criminal activity that would serve as a predicate offense for a money laundering case.

It said the AG further stated that an investigation by EOCO into the Cecilia Dapaah matter was not necessary since the AG had apparently instructed the Criminal Investigations Division (CID) of the Ghana Police Service some eight months ago to investigate the source of the monies found at Mrs Dapaah’s residence.

‘The upshot of the AG’s advice is that the Cecilia Dapaah matter is over. Case closed. Once again, a high-profile case of suspected or alleged criminal conduct implicating a politically influential person has been terminated abruptly without proper credible resolution or closure,’ the statement said.

‘It is not clear in what way the forced termination of further investigation into this matter by the AG ser
ves either the public interest or helps the reputation of the target of the investigation.’

The statement said it was hard to believe that, after over eight months of investigation following the alleged theft of $1 million and pound 300,000 cash from the home of Mrs Dapaah, the subsequent discovery of another $590,000 and GHS 2,730,000 in cash by the OSP in Madam Dapaah’s properties, not to mention the huge balances held in investment and bank accounts, Ghanaians could not get a simple satisfactory answer from any public agency as to the source of these monies.

The statement said the fact that these monies, at least in the aggregate, apparently exceed the former Minister’s known or verifiable income should raise legitimate questions or reasonable suspicion or doubt as to their source.

It said continuing to investigate this matter to establish the source of the monies was therefore eminently justifiable under the circumstances.

‘In fact, the idea that ‘unexplained wealth’ can give rise to a reasonable susp
icion or even a presumption of illegality of the source of such wealth is a principle embraced by our Constitution.’

It said notably, Article 286(4) of the Constitution, in the chapter on the Code of Conduct for Public Officers, made it clear, in the context of the asset declaration regime, that assets of a declarant that were ‘not reasonably attributable to income, gift, loan, inheritance or any other reasonable source shall be deemed to have been acquired in contravention of this Constitution.’

The statement said it was the same principle or presumption that justified at least a credible investigation in this matter.

It noted that it was instructive that Mrs Dapaah refused to complete a Statement of Income and Property form during the OSP investigation.

‘So far, no other agency is known to have asked to see Mrs Dapaah’s asset declaration record or appears interested in getting to the bottom of this matter in order to bring it to a satisfactory closure.’

It said the action of EOCO in requesting directio
ns from the AG without first acting on the referral from the OSP to initiate its own investigation of the matter seemed oddly contrived.

It reiterated that having been provided with a docket containing various exhibits, statements by twenty or so individuals, as well as the bare fact of the quantum of the monies found in the properties associated with Mrs Dapaah and her spouse, one would have expected EOCO to proceed with its own investigations, instead of seeking the AG’s legal advice on prosecution at that early pre-investigative stage.

CDD-Ghana noted with great disappointment that the abrupt or inconclusive manner in which this matter had been ended fits a pattern in terms of the Nana Akufo-Addo Administration’s general attitude and response to scandals and allegations or reported incidents of criminal conduct, corruption or other financial malfeasance involving persons closely associated with the Government or ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

The statement said cases and scandals that had been treate
d in similar inclusive fashion include various galamsey scandals and a host of pseudo-PPP/procurement deals, including the recent SML case.

It said the Government had not demonstrated a good faith commitment to working with the responsible agencies to bring any of these cases or scandals to a credible and satisfactory resolution.

It said the Government, it appeared, was more interested in exonerating the targets or suspects in these cases than in working with the state’s investigative and prosecutorial agencies to resolve these matters in the public interest.

The statement said the Government made much of the fact that it pioneered the establishment of the OSP and had provided significant financial resources to enable the OSP and related agencies to function.

‘But what is the point of funding the budgets of these investigative and anti-corruption or anti-crime agencies in one breath, while, turning around, to frustrate or obstruct their efforts to investigate politically sensitive and other high-profile c
ases’.

It said given Ghana’s continuing dismal performance in fighting corruption and associated alarming deterioration of the quality of governance, this persistent inconclusive handling and shutting down of high-profile scandals only serves to further undermine the already low public trust in the nation’s state institutions.

Source: Ghana News Agency

A youth group affiliated to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) known as ‘Bawumia Fun Club’ in the Volta Region has called on party leaders to name Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh as the running mate for Dr Alhaji Mahamadu Bawumia, its flagbearer.

This, they said, would enable the party to run a smooth campaign by gathering more votes to break the eight in the December polls.

Mr Rashid Raji, the Volta Regional Chairman for the Club, explained to the Ghana News Agency that Dr Prempeh’s illustrious political career and unwavering dedication to the progress of Ghana made him the perfect choice.

‘Dr Prempeh a former Minister of Energy, has demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities as an MP for Manhyia South Constituency, and his re-election in 2016 and 2020 underscored the trust and confidence reposed in him,’ he added.

Mr Raji stated that Dr. Opoku Prempeh was a key MP who exhibited a deep understanding of legislative processes and governance in parliamentary committees such as health and other appointments.

Dr Prem
peh’s tenure as minister for Education under Nana Addo’s administration was characterised by groundbreaking reforms and initiatives aimed at enhancing Ghana’s education landscape he played a pivotal role in the implementation of the Free Senior High (SHS) policy which expanded access to education among youths.

‘His commitment to promoting vocational and technical education and improving educational infrastructure has left an indelible mark on the sector.’

Mr Rajid described Dr Prempeh as a quality leader whose footsteps were showcased during his appointment as Energy Minister in 2021 where he embarked on comprehensive reforms that revitalised the energy industry.

He added that ‘Dr Opoku Prempeh’s relationship with all regions including Volta was exceptional and his achievements in various roles have earned him accolades and recognition, including being the best Minister in 2017 and 2019.

The group further urged the party hierarchy to choose Dr Prempeh ahead of others because ‘he remained steadfast, commit
ted, resilient, competent, confident and passionate to the development of the country.’

Mr Rajid urged the public to rally behind the ruling NPP party to break the eight to enable the party to continue the numerous development projects for the benefit of all Ghanaians.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Electoral Commission (EC) will begin registering new voters on the electoral roll on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in a major exercise ahead of the 2024 General Election.

The exercise, which is in accordance with Article 45 of the 1992 Constitution, will take place at the 268 District Offices of the Commission across the country and will end on May 27, 2024.

The 21-day exercise will commence at 0700 hours and close at 1800hours each day during the scheduled period.

The EC says it will deploy mobile teams to register voters in 785 polling stations in ‘unwieldy areas’ where voters may find it difficult to access the district offices of the Commission, in addition to 25 public universities that have resident students.

The registration exercise would afford Ghanaians who have attained the voting age of 18 years since the last registration in September 2023 and others who are more than 18 years but could not register during the last registration exercise to do so.

Addressing a press conference in Accra on Monday,
Mrs Jean Mensa, Chairperson, EC, said all logistics had been deployed for the registration exercise to commence smoothly across the country beginning Tuesday.

She said the Commission aimed to register 622,000 new voters by the end of the operation, and that 3,277 regular and temporary electoral officers had been trained and deployed for the purpose.

Mrs Mensa said the mobile teams that would be deployed to the ‘unwieldy areas’ would spend two days at the selected polling stations and three days at the selected public universities.

She said the Commission had published the movement plans of the mobile teams on its website and shared them with political parties to facilitate tracking and access.

‘We have effectively distributed all our materials to the regions and districts, and we are confident that there will be no short supply.

‘Additionally, our biometric voter registration kits as well as spare kits to serve as backups have been distributed to the regions and districts,’ she said.

The EC Chairperson
said the ongoing power outages would not disrupt the registration exercise, adding that district officers had been tasked to rent generators to support their operations in the event of power cuts.

Mrs Mensa said the Commission would adopt the existing Public Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations, 2016 (C.I. 91) (1) as Amended, for the upcoming registration exercise.

This means that eligible voters can use either the Ghana Card or the Ghana Passport to establish their identity as Ghanaians.

In the absence of the two identification documents, applicants would be required to present two people who are already registered voters to vouch for their citizenship and age.

Mrs Mensa cautioned interested parties against bussing minors to registration centres and served notice that the EC in collaboration with law enforcement agencies would act against offenders.

Giving an update on the two temporal officers who were withdrawn from the last bye-election in Ejisu, the EC Chairperson said investigations were
ongoing and assured that the Commission would follow the issue to the letter.

‘The two temporal officers will not be shielded should they be found guilty,’ she said.

Source: Ghana News Agency