Category: Politics

Takoradi (W/R), January 25, GNA – The Western Regional branch of National Democratic Congress (NDC) has congratulated Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, on his new role as Deputy Minority Leader in Parliament.

A statement issued and signed by Western Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr Joseph Nelson in Takoradi, noted that “since his giant killing feat in 2008, when he beat the then incumbent MP Hon. Freddy Blay, that ushered him into Parliament for the first time, he has grown to become a stalwart in the region, Parliament and the political space in our dear country.

“His sterling qualities of humility, respect for all, selflessness and hardwork have enabled him serve his constituents, Western Region, Parliament and Ghana remarkably.”

The statement said as a former Minister for Energy and later Petroleum,, he contributed immensely to the development of those sectors and left an indelible mark.

“Members in the Region are not surprised that once again your qualities have shown through your work in Parliament and caught the attention of party leadership at the highest level to honour you with this latest appointment.”

The statement said the NDC Western Region was so very proud of Mr. Kofi Buah and “wish to say a big thank you to the National Chairman Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, the General Secretary, MPs and all those who played various roles to make this happen.

“It is our prayer and hope that this appointment will spur you on to do even more for God, party and Country”.

The statement assured Mr. Kofi Buah  of the party’s fervent prayers and support in the discharge of his  new responsibilities as the Deputy Minority Leader, fully convinced that he  would continue to shine and make the Western Region proud.

Meanwhile, a statement issued and signed by the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr. Fifi Fiavi Kwetey in Accra, to the Speaker of Parliament, The RT. Hon. Alban Sumani Bagbin on the notice of changes in the leadership of NDC party in Parliament, confirmed Dr. Casiel Ato Forson as the Minority Leader, Mr Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah as Deputy Minority Leader, Mr Kwame Agbodza as Minority Whip, Mr Ahmed Ibrahim as First Deputy Whip and Madam Comfort Doyo Ghansah as Second Deputy Whip.

According to the General Secretary, the new leadership would be charged to recommend consequential changes in the Ranking membership to headquarters of the party for approval.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Assin Besease (C/R),– The National Democratic Congress (NDC), in the Assin South Constituency is determined to win the seat in the 2024 Parliamentary and Presidential elections through numerous engagements with grassroots supporters.

The NDC Party has therefore outdoored a project dubbed, “Agenda win the Assin South seat at all cost” at a colourful event at Assin Besease.

The maiden event was held in collaboration with the Women’s wing of the party in the constituency and repeated in all the 25 electoral areas.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Thomas Cobbinah, Assin South Constituency Chairman of the NDC, said about 90 per cent of members should participate in the upcoming assembly election and use it as a litmus test to determine the strength of the party.

He told the teeming supporters of the party to guard against ‘hearsay’ and build an effective communication system in the party to help attract members from the opposite side to join the party, since politics was all about numbers.

Mr Cobbinah encouraged the grassroots and foot soldiers in the constituency to contribute an amount of GH¢5.00 each towards the full operation of ”Agenda win the Assin South seat at all cost’.’

He personally donated GH¢200.00 as a seed money towards the operation and promised to pay GH¢200.00 every month.

Mr Cobbinah admonished all to allow peace to prevail in the party.

Mrs Nuzrat Ahmed, Women Organiser for the constituency, charged the members to remain resolute and champion the good course of the party for victory in the upcoming election.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Jan 19, GNA-Mr Emmanuel Nii Ashie Moore, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has donated GHC 50,000 towards the payment of rent arrears of the party’s Regional Office at South La, in Accra. 

The donation, which he said was from his personal resources, was a contribution to defray the legacy debt of the office rent amounting to US$38,000. 

“As we speak, I have donated an amount of GHS50,000 towards the settlement of part of the rent arrears of our regional office,” Nii Ashie Moore told journalists during an interview in Accra. 

The donation came days after Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin had donated GHS100,000 for defraying part of the rent arrears. 

“We recently received similar support from the Speaker of Parliament who happened to be one of our Fathers of our Party, the Great NDC,” Nii Ashie Moore said. 

He gave an assurance to lead in building a regional party office during his four-year term as Regional Chairman.  

He said: “I’m assuring our party supporters that by the end of my four-year mandate as Regional Chairman, we should have our own office, built for our activities. We cannot keep on spending this huge sum of money renting. So, by 2024-2025, we should start something for our office.  

“Even if I don’t complete it before my mandate ends, at least, there will be a building site for that purpose.” 

According to NDC Greater Accra Regional Chairman, plans were far advanced to put up a permanent Regional NDC office to avoid the future occurrence of such rent arrears. 

He expressed his commitment to ensuring that the party has a place conducive for meetings to prepare for the 2024 general election. 

Source: Ghana News Agency

An influential figure in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Northern Region and former Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Development Authority, Dr. Suleimana Anamzoya Alhassan has declared his support for Hon. Kennedy Agypong for the flagbearership position.

Dr. Anamzoya’s decision has been welcomed by the rank and file of the support base in the region.

Some leading members of the party in Tamale noted that the choice of the former CEO is right because the candidate has all the credentials to lead the party in the 2024 general elections.

Dr. Anamzoya is a senior lecturer at the Department of Sociology at the University of Ghana and was appointed by President Akufo-Addo in 2019 as the CEO of the NDA.

As CEO, Dr Anamzoya introduced many innovations and creative approaches in the management of the NDA, which has seen a massive improvement in the Authority in terms of development projects in its operational areas.

Dr Anamzoya also succeeded in uniting the staff of the NDA which hitherto was an old versus new staff conundrum.

So far, about seven stalwarts of the party including Vice President Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia have shown interest to lead the ruling party when nominations are opened.

Source: Modern Ghana

Some members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ejisu Constituency of the Ashanti Region are up in arms against the Party hierarchy over the recent Polling station elections held claiming it was illegal, hence calling for fresh polls to take place.

According to the group, led by one Ntim Twumasi Kwaku who led a demonstration against the party recently, addressing a presser said the recent polling station election conducted was unlawful and illegal.

He lamented that one pressure group known as “Young Patriots” a fan club of the MP for Ejisu, John Kumah, on the blind side of the Constituency Executives, in defiance of shared common sense and a complete disregard for procedural rules, were captured in photographs and video documentaries declaring other known members of the fan club as elected polling station executives for the various polling stations in the constituency, deep in the midnight, when there had not been any legitimate election.

The above allegations among others contained in a petition filed to the office of the General Secretary of the NPP to investigate.

Following this development, some of the aggrieved members of the party had to run to the High Court to find a resolution to the situation since the leadership of the party had not demonstrated the slightest seriousness or interest in getting the matter resolved internally.

The Court granted leave for the issue to be heard by an ADR committee which was chaired by Cecilia Dapaah, Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation to find an amicable solution to the issue but no communication on the matter has been made although the committee has sat on the same case, as is alleged by the aggressive group.

Defense

However, in defense, the communications officer for the Ejisu constituency, Alexandra Owusu has rubbished rumours that NPP members in the party have demanded fresh polling station elections.

In a press statement, he noted that those peddling such information are only seeking to stoke fire in the peaceful constituency.

According to him, the recently held press conference by the group named Independent Patriotic Movement sought to seek their parochial interests since their membership was made up of past polling station executives.

The Communications officer stated that the claims that a new and fresh polling station election should be held were hollow and without substance since the constituency in a legal manner has gone past that stage of electing members who form the base of the party.

He said the signatories to the statement are individuals who no longer serve as constituency executives of the party but are pretending to be holders of positions they haven’t been elected to hold.

“We will also like to remind the imposters that the New Patriotic Party rules and regulations are clear on people like them who seek to break away from the party and will like to caution them to desist further or risk incurring the wrath of the law.

“Our investigation so far shows that these allegations are at the request of a former Member of Parliament of the constituency who wants to set the tone to run as an independent candidate and so has resorted to lies and propaganda to whip up public sentiments,” the statement underscored.

Source: Modern Ghana

Cape Coast– Mr Justin Kodua Frimpong, General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has touted the party’s unity in diversity as key to consolidating its gains in the 2024 elections.

He said, the party’s resolve to break the eight-year electoral jinx could be realized if members remained united and worked diligently in peace and harmony to fast-track development.

Mr Frimpong gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after the Central Regional unity talk conference arranged by the party on Sunday.

The meeting assembled scores of party stalwarts including national, regional, and constituency executives, former appointees, and Chief Executive Officers among many party faithful to resolve their differences and broker peace for a formidable front.

Held under the theme: “Reconciling the rank and file of the NPP in Central Region to break the eight,” Mr. Frimpong expressed gratitude to all party faithful in the region for giving their best for the party’s victory in the 2020 general election.

“We are determined to bury our differences and bring on board all those who because of one reason or the other decided to fall back in the party. We need all efforts and energies of members to break the eight agenda.

“I am happy that members of the party have resolved their differences because it will take a united NPP to win the next general election,” Mr. Frimpong stated.

Earlier, Mr Roberts Kutin Junior, Central Regional Chairman of the party, in his welcoming conciliatory address said the Region was poised to work hard to win back its lost Parliamentary seats to give the party victory in 2024.

He said the master stroke for bringing differing elements within the party’s space, hinged on the use of a deliberate tool of interaction to open spaces for people to express their concerns most respectfully and appropriately.

“In the run-up to all elections within the structure of our party within the Region over the past years, a lot went on, and I believe it is part of the electoral process in getting officers to lead at the various levels of the party.

“Social wound healing must be deliberate, and it means, we must discuss our pains and resolve as a group to let go of them and forge ahead with a common purpose and aspiration. This allows us to right our wrongs, better our rights, reason together as we lace our boots to break the eight,” he noted.

Additionally, he said, the party was not oblivious of the fact that breaking the eight was beyond the tagline but ensured that party folk forged ahead in unity, hard work, peace, love, and tolerance knowing that, the people of Ghana counted on them to turn the economic fortunes around.

He express joy in members’ commitment to peace and encouraged all to remain resolute and work assiduously to achieve the objective of breaking the cycle of eight-year jinx.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra– President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo left Ghana on Saturday at the head of the country’s delegation to the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) is a global initiative championed by the UAE and its clean energy powerhouse Masdar to accelerate sustainable development and advance economic, social and environmental progress.

Established in 2008, ADSW brings together heads of state, policy makers, industry leaders, investors, entrepreneurs and youth to discuss and engage on bold climate action and innovations that will ensure a more sustainable world for future generations.

President Akufo-Addo will depart Abu Dhabi on Thursday, January19, 2023 to London for a six-day private visit.

He was accompanied by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchway; Minister for Energy, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh; Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor; Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, officials from the Presidency and Foreign Ministry.

The President is expected back in Ghana on Wednesday, January 25, 2023.

Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will act in his stead.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Accra, Jan. 13, GNA – Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, has held bilateral talks on issues of mutual interest with her Greece counterpart, Mr Nikos Dendias in Accra.

The visit, which was Mr Dendias’ second to Ghana, was aimed at strengthening the bilateral relations that exist between Accra and Athens.

At the meeting, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey expressed gratitude to Greece for donating 150,000 vaccines to Ghana in November 2021 during Mr Dendias’ maiden visit to Accra.

She recalled that during that visit the duo held good talks on bilateral and multilateral matters.

Touching on political consultations and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) that were signed during Mr Dendias’ first visit, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey said the MoUs, which covers the areas of Youth and Sports, Culture and Defence, were now before Ghana’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice for his advice before ratification.

She said going forward, they would also be looking at generally how to sign some MoUs in the areas of trade and investment because of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), whose Headquarters sits in Ghana.

“…. we want to see your business people, your private sector use Ghana as a stepping stone into the continent. Already we have started trading under the AfCFTA.”

Madam Ayorkor Botchwey hailed Mr Dendias for being an advocate for both Africa and Ghana at the European Union (EU) level.

She noted that it was not about the Mediterranean or the Atlantic Ocean that divide continents but actually, they should see it as bridge; adding that Africa presents hope to the rest of the world.

Concerning maritime issues such as piracy on the Gulf of Guinea, Madam Ayorkor Botchwey said it was very important that Ghana collaborates and cooperates with countries such as Greece, which especially had the biggest maritime fleets.

“We have assumed the Chairmanship of the Gulf of Guinea Commission, which is going to go through restructuring and we will be working closing if the opportunity comes with your country, with the European Union in making sure that we end all these issues which are negative for maritime business on the Gulf of Guinea,” she stated. “So, we will be working closely with you.”

With regard to Greece’s bid for a nonpermanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Madam Ayorkor Botchwey said Ghana was supporting Greece’s bid.

“In that respect you can be assured of Ghana’s support and we hope that you would be there because we know that when you are there, you would be speaking for Africa and we will be doing things together,” Madam Ayorkor Botchwey said.

“But while we are there (at the UNSC) also, please we are there this whole year, do not haste to let us know if there are issues that you want Ghana’s support for and we will gladly look at it.”

On his part, Mr Dendias extended an official invitation to his Ghanaian counterpart to visit Athens.

Mr Dendias said prior to holding the bilateral meeting with Madam Ayorkor Botchwey, he visited the Saint Nicholas School in Accra, which was funded by Greek charities and Greek companies which were also active in Ghana.

“And I made a promise to myself and to my family that I would be coming to Ghana once per year.”

He lauded Ghana for having a solid commitment to democracy, respect for human rights and the promotion of peace.

He said Greece was happy that Ghana was a member of the UN Security Council (2022 – 2023).

Mr Dendias appealed to Madam Ayorkor Botchwey for Ghana’s kind support towards Greece’s effort to be elected as a non-permanent member in the UN Security Council in 2025-26.

He reiterated that the vote takes place in 2024, but having an early commitment by a country as important as Ghana, member of the African Union, member of the ECOWAS, was of huge importance for Greece.

He said Greece was interested in working with Ghana for security in the Gulf of Guinea; adding that Greece had the biggest maritime fleet in the world.

He highlighted the presence of Greek business in Ghana, and that one of the very important Greek companies, Mytilinaios, was already in Ghana doing business.

Mr Dendias said they would like to promote Greek business and Greek investments in Ghana; saying “We are looking forward to organising a forum for that. ? think that this is also important for us”.

Source: Ghana News Agency