26/11/10
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
TWO of the 2,500 Ghanaian Muslim pilgrims who performed this year’s Hajj are reported dead in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The two, both men, were said to have died of natural causes.
The Secretary of the National Hajj Committee (NHC), Alhaji Muhammad Kpakpo Addo, who spoke with the Daily Graphic via phone, declined to give the names of the dead, insisting that the NHC would have to clear that with the families of the deceased in Ghana.
He said that the first pilgrim, in his late 60s, died at Madina, while the second pilgrim, in his late 50s, passed away in Mecca. They have since been buried.
The two pilgrims died before the beginning of the Hajj rites.
Meanwhile, Alhaji Addo said, all the other pilgrims were in good condition of health and were preparing for their return journey.
He said the first batch of 266 pilgrims were expected to arrive in Ghana on Tuesday, November 30, 2010, aboard the Egypt Airline aircraft.
The second to the ninth batches would be arriving from December 1 to December 6, 2010.
Alhaji Addo said the pilgrims would come with their pieces of luggage and indicated that the luggage would be conveyed to the Hajj Village, where the pilgrims would go for them.
That arrangement, he said, was to prevent the loss of any piece of luggage.
On the thorny issue of Ghana’s quota, Alhaji Addo said the Chairman of the NHC, Alhaji Alhasan Bene, and other members had begun talks with the Saudi Hajj authorities on the need to increase Ghana’s quota from the current 2,500 to a number that could cover all Ghanaian pilgrims.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
SADA will facilitate the devt of the north-Dr Gariba
2/12/10
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Development Policy Advisor at the Office of the Vice President, Dr Sule Gariba, has intimated that the success of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to facilitate the development of the north will much depend on the attitude of the people from the area.
He said there was the need for people from the north to rethink their development philosophy by moving away from the usual mantra of the ‘north is poorest’ for sympathy and harness all the available energy to support SADA initiatives.
Dr Gariba was delivering a paper on the theme, “Change for Sustainable Development”, at the sixth Tamale Learning Festival (TLF).
The TLF is an annual forum for non-governmental organisations (NGOs), private business institutions and district assemblies to discuss and find solutions to identified developmental challenges facing the north and also share best practices.
It was initiated by The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV). Some stakeholders are ActionAid, Ibis, the SEND Foundation, Savannah Fruits Company, Trade Aid, SEKAF, IDDISAL-YARA and the Christian Children Fund for Canada.
Issues discussed were how attitudinal change could help bring improved services in health, education, tourism and the shea butter industry for the betterment of the majority of the people.
Dr Gariba reminded the participants that SADA was not an implementation agency that was going to take the responsibilities of statutory institutions such as health and education but a strategic body that was to co-ordinate and facilitate the development process of the north through a number of interventions.
He, however, intimated that the continuous success of SADA would depend on how people from the north were able to bury their differences and change their attitude to developmental challenges and adopt the “can-do” spirit in order to influence public policy.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Magbenga, said the best way to enhance change for development in the north was to eschew violent conflicts and discrimination and give way to patience, understanding and unity of purpose.
He said change in every aspect of life was inevitable and it was essential that people from the area liberated their minds from the perceived shackles of hopelessness and take advantage of the enormous opportunities that were available to overcome their challenges.
The Country Director of (SNV), Mr Keita Amagoin, said civil society organisations had a role in the promotion and development of the north through SADA.
He said SNV would continue to create the necessary platforms for such discourse to promote development.
A member of the Council of State, Kpan-Naa Mohammed Baba Bawah, in his speech to officially open the forum, said investors could be attracted to the region only if there was an improved attitude to ensure peace to assure them that their investments would be safe.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Development Policy Advisor at the Office of the Vice President, Dr Sule Gariba, has intimated that the success of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) to facilitate the development of the north will much depend on the attitude of the people from the area.
He said there was the need for people from the north to rethink their development philosophy by moving away from the usual mantra of the ‘north is poorest’ for sympathy and harness all the available energy to support SADA initiatives.
Dr Gariba was delivering a paper on the theme, “Change for Sustainable Development”, at the sixth Tamale Learning Festival (TLF).
The TLF is an annual forum for non-governmental organisations (NGOs), private business institutions and district assemblies to discuss and find solutions to identified developmental challenges facing the north and also share best practices.
It was initiated by The Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV). Some stakeholders are ActionAid, Ibis, the SEND Foundation, Savannah Fruits Company, Trade Aid, SEKAF, IDDISAL-YARA and the Christian Children Fund for Canada.
Issues discussed were how attitudinal change could help bring improved services in health, education, tourism and the shea butter industry for the betterment of the majority of the people.
Dr Gariba reminded the participants that SADA was not an implementation agency that was going to take the responsibilities of statutory institutions such as health and education but a strategic body that was to co-ordinate and facilitate the development process of the north through a number of interventions.
He, however, intimated that the continuous success of SADA would depend on how people from the north were able to bury their differences and change their attitude to developmental challenges and adopt the “can-do” spirit in order to influence public policy.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Northern Regional Minister, Mr Moses Magbenga, said the best way to enhance change for development in the north was to eschew violent conflicts and discrimination and give way to patience, understanding and unity of purpose.
He said change in every aspect of life was inevitable and it was essential that people from the area liberated their minds from the perceived shackles of hopelessness and take advantage of the enormous opportunities that were available to overcome their challenges.
The Country Director of (SNV), Mr Keita Amagoin, said civil society organisations had a role in the promotion and development of the north through SADA.
He said SNV would continue to create the necessary platforms for such discourse to promote development.
A member of the Council of State, Kpan-Naa Mohammed Baba Bawah, in his speech to officially open the forum, said investors could be attracted to the region only if there was an improved attitude to ensure peace to assure them that their investments would be safe.
Turkish business delegation calls on Veep
17/12/10
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
A 115-MEMBER Turkish business delegation is in the country to explore investment avenues, especially in the energy, agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
The delegation led by the Turkish Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Zafer Caglayan, called on the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, at the Castle, Osu on Tuesday. Also present was the Ambassador of Turkey to Ghana, Mr Kenan Tepedelen.
The business delegation will also hold talks with Ghanaian businesses.
Mr Mahama said the visit of the Turkish business, “will mark the beginning of a new relationship between Ghana and Turkey “.
He noted that Ghana and Turkey established diplomatic relations in 1958, but the relations were truncated in 1981, when Ghana experienced difficulties. That led to the closure of the Turkish Embassy in Ghana.
Mr Mahama said now that Turkey had opened a new embassy in Ghana and there was also a direct flight from Ghana to Turkey, “they set the best basis for moving the relationship to a new level”, he added.
He stressed the need for South-South co-operation, saying it was the best partnership that would benefit all the countries involved.
On Ghana’s oil, Mr Mahama said the government had put in place the necessary safeguards to ensure the judicious use of oil revenue and prevent the over-reliance on the oil sector.
He said Ghana would tap the experience of Turkey in the petro-chemical industry to assist in the country’s oil production.
Mr Mahama commended Turkey for offering scholarships to Ghanaian students to offer courses, especially medicine in Turkey.
Mr Caglayan commended Ghana for her democratic credentials and important strides in the economic sector.
He said Turkey was willing to explore investment potentials in Ghana, especially in the energy and mining sectors.
Mr Caglayan said the delegation would hold meetings and forums with the Ghana’s Trade Minister and other business individuals as a way of maximising trade potentials between the two countries.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
A 115-MEMBER Turkish business delegation is in the country to explore investment avenues, especially in the energy, agriculture and manufacturing sectors.
The delegation led by the Turkish Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr Zafer Caglayan, called on the Vice-President, Mr John Dramani Mahama, at the Castle, Osu on Tuesday. Also present was the Ambassador of Turkey to Ghana, Mr Kenan Tepedelen.
The business delegation will also hold talks with Ghanaian businesses.
Mr Mahama said the visit of the Turkish business, “will mark the beginning of a new relationship between Ghana and Turkey “.
He noted that Ghana and Turkey established diplomatic relations in 1958, but the relations were truncated in 1981, when Ghana experienced difficulties. That led to the closure of the Turkish Embassy in Ghana.
Mr Mahama said now that Turkey had opened a new embassy in Ghana and there was also a direct flight from Ghana to Turkey, “they set the best basis for moving the relationship to a new level”, he added.
He stressed the need for South-South co-operation, saying it was the best partnership that would benefit all the countries involved.
On Ghana’s oil, Mr Mahama said the government had put in place the necessary safeguards to ensure the judicious use of oil revenue and prevent the over-reliance on the oil sector.
He said Ghana would tap the experience of Turkey in the petro-chemical industry to assist in the country’s oil production.
Mr Mahama commended Turkey for offering scholarships to Ghanaian students to offer courses, especially medicine in Turkey.
Mr Caglayan commended Ghana for her democratic credentials and important strides in the economic sector.
He said Turkey was willing to explore investment potentials in Ghana, especially in the energy and mining sectors.
Mr Caglayan said the delegation would hold meetings and forums with the Ghana’s Trade Minister and other business individuals as a way of maximising trade potentials between the two countries.
Fish production gets support from World Bank
23/12/10
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE World Bank is to assist the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to improve aquaculture production and reduce the about 460,000 metric tonnes of fish deficit in the country.
The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of Fisheries, Nii Amasah Namoale, said the aquaculture project, which will be launched next year, would save the country the $2 million it spent annually on the importation of fish.
He made this known when he launched the Ghana Aquaculture Association (GAA) in Accra on Tuesday.
Nii Amasah said the ministry was also to collaborate with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to engage in tilapia production.
He said under the project, improved feeds would be given to tilapia to ensure that they were ready for consumption within six months.
Nii Amasah said the Export Development and Agriculture Fund Bill was being prepared to support farmers and fishermen.
Besides, he said, importers of agriculture products would also enjoy wavers.
Nii Amasah indicated that investors from Brazil and Israel had invested in fish feed in the country.
He asked other investors would come and invest in the fish feed to improve the feeding of fish and reduce the fish deficit.
The Chairman of the Fisheries Commission, Mr Mike Akyeampong, said the Commission was working hard to enforce the laws on fishing.
He indicated that the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice had given the Commission the power to prosecute cases against the Commission in the courts.
He, therefore, charged fishermen to comply with the regulations governing fishing to avoid prosecution.
Mr Akyeampong said what was important was for fishermen to operate in an environmentally friendly and socially feasible environment.
The Vice-Chairperson of the GAA, Ms Patricia Sarfo, stressed the need for the government to support aquaculture production as it would contribute to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE World Bank is to assist the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to improve aquaculture production and reduce the about 460,000 metric tonnes of fish deficit in the country.
The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of Fisheries, Nii Amasah Namoale, said the aquaculture project, which will be launched next year, would save the country the $2 million it spent annually on the importation of fish.
He made this known when he launched the Ghana Aquaculture Association (GAA) in Accra on Tuesday.
Nii Amasah said the ministry was also to collaborate with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to engage in tilapia production.
He said under the project, improved feeds would be given to tilapia to ensure that they were ready for consumption within six months.
Nii Amasah said the Export Development and Agriculture Fund Bill was being prepared to support farmers and fishermen.
Besides, he said, importers of agriculture products would also enjoy wavers.
Nii Amasah indicated that investors from Brazil and Israel had invested in fish feed in the country.
He asked other investors would come and invest in the fish feed to improve the feeding of fish and reduce the fish deficit.
The Chairman of the Fisheries Commission, Mr Mike Akyeampong, said the Commission was working hard to enforce the laws on fishing.
He indicated that the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice had given the Commission the power to prosecute cases against the Commission in the courts.
He, therefore, charged fishermen to comply with the regulations governing fishing to avoid prosecution.
Mr Akyeampong said what was important was for fishermen to operate in an environmentally friendly and socially feasible environment.
The Vice-Chairperson of the GAA, Ms Patricia Sarfo, stressed the need for the government to support aquaculture production as it would contribute to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
GTUC condemns violation of workers’ rights
24/12/10
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has condemned the increasing violation of workers’ rights, particularly in the private sector, where the workers are poorly paid, mistreated and dismissed at will.
Besides, it said, many employers in the private sector did not allow their workers to form or join trade unions, contrary to Ghana’s Constitution and the Labour Act.
The Secretary General of the GTUC, Mr Kofi Asamoah, therefore, charged employers in the private sector, particularly foreign employers, “to respect the rights and freedoms of workers” as they prepared to enter a new year.
He urged workers in both the private and public sectors to report any form of violation of their rights to their union representatives or directly to the GTUC for the necessary action to be taken against such employers in accordance with the law.
Mr Asamoah was speaking in Accra at the GTUC/media end-of-year encounter on Wednesday.
The encounter, organised in conjunction with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), was for stocktaking, planning for next year and socialisation.
Mr Asamoah reminded employers that Ghana’s Constitution had elaborate provisions on fundamental human rights and freedoms, including workers’ and trade union rights.
For instance, he said, the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) provided for the rights of workers, and, therefore, “we should not be experiencing the violations of these rights at this scale”.
Mr Asamoah urged the government to provide direct employment to the youth in priority areas such as education, health, security, housing, sanitation, water supply and transport.
He said the GTUC did not share the view held by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank that the public sector was overbloated, as there was every indication that the country needed more teachers, health workers as well as police men and women.
The GTUC Secretary General said data from the Labour Department showed that thousands of workers were declared redundant this year, and urged the government to ensure that the improvement in the economy reflected in the security of employment and incomes of workers.
“It is clear that the private sector alone cannot provide the number of decent jobs required for social development in Ghana. For the private sector to become the real engine of growth and to be able to provide jobs in their right quality and quantities, it has to be supported actively by the government,” he stressed.
Mr Asamoah asked the government to facilitate the placing on the Single Spine Pay Policy structure public service workers, including workers in the Ghana Education Service, the Civil Service, the Health Service and the Judicial Service.
He again charged management of organisations that were still working on the migration of their staffs to fast-track the process “to ensure that their staffs are placed on the new structure as soon as possible”.
He commended the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare for its efforts to revive tripartite consultation, and urged the government to commit more human, material and financial resources to tripartite consultation and social dialogue within the framework of the Ghana Decent Work Programme.
He said the GTUC supported initiatives to provide decent housing for workers, but cautioned the government not to mortgage the country’s future for present generation.
Concerning oil, Mr Asamoah stressed the need for Ghana to explore the possibility of switching from the royalty-based agreements to Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), which emphasises state ownership of petroleum resources.
Touching on the Cote d’Ivoire crisis, he said the GTUC joined the International Trade Union Confederation Africa (ITUC-Africa), to condemn all initiatives and acts that had been taken against the expressed will of the majority of the people of Cote d’Ivoire.
The President of the GJA and Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Ransford Tetteh, commended the GTUC for supporting the GJA’s efforts to unionise the association.
He called for further support from the GTUC on which steps to take towards the unionisation of the GJA, and make it possible for the GJA to fight for the improvement of the living conditions of journalists.
The Chairman of the GTUC, Mr Alex Bonney, who chaired the occasion, said the GTUC/media interaction was a good platform for stock-taking and interaction between GTUC and media practitioners.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Ghana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has condemned the increasing violation of workers’ rights, particularly in the private sector, where the workers are poorly paid, mistreated and dismissed at will.
Besides, it said, many employers in the private sector did not allow their workers to form or join trade unions, contrary to Ghana’s Constitution and the Labour Act.
The Secretary General of the GTUC, Mr Kofi Asamoah, therefore, charged employers in the private sector, particularly foreign employers, “to respect the rights and freedoms of workers” as they prepared to enter a new year.
He urged workers in both the private and public sectors to report any form of violation of their rights to their union representatives or directly to the GTUC for the necessary action to be taken against such employers in accordance with the law.
Mr Asamoah was speaking in Accra at the GTUC/media end-of-year encounter on Wednesday.
The encounter, organised in conjunction with the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA), was for stocktaking, planning for next year and socialisation.
Mr Asamoah reminded employers that Ghana’s Constitution had elaborate provisions on fundamental human rights and freedoms, including workers’ and trade union rights.
For instance, he said, the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) provided for the rights of workers, and, therefore, “we should not be experiencing the violations of these rights at this scale”.
Mr Asamoah urged the government to provide direct employment to the youth in priority areas such as education, health, security, housing, sanitation, water supply and transport.
He said the GTUC did not share the view held by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank that the public sector was overbloated, as there was every indication that the country needed more teachers, health workers as well as police men and women.
The GTUC Secretary General said data from the Labour Department showed that thousands of workers were declared redundant this year, and urged the government to ensure that the improvement in the economy reflected in the security of employment and incomes of workers.
“It is clear that the private sector alone cannot provide the number of decent jobs required for social development in Ghana. For the private sector to become the real engine of growth and to be able to provide jobs in their right quality and quantities, it has to be supported actively by the government,” he stressed.
Mr Asamoah asked the government to facilitate the placing on the Single Spine Pay Policy structure public service workers, including workers in the Ghana Education Service, the Civil Service, the Health Service and the Judicial Service.
He again charged management of organisations that were still working on the migration of their staffs to fast-track the process “to ensure that their staffs are placed on the new structure as soon as possible”.
He commended the Ministry of Employment and Social Welfare for its efforts to revive tripartite consultation, and urged the government to commit more human, material and financial resources to tripartite consultation and social dialogue within the framework of the Ghana Decent Work Programme.
He said the GTUC supported initiatives to provide decent housing for workers, but cautioned the government not to mortgage the country’s future for present generation.
Concerning oil, Mr Asamoah stressed the need for Ghana to explore the possibility of switching from the royalty-based agreements to Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), which emphasises state ownership of petroleum resources.
Touching on the Cote d’Ivoire crisis, he said the GTUC joined the International Trade Union Confederation Africa (ITUC-Africa), to condemn all initiatives and acts that had been taken against the expressed will of the majority of the people of Cote d’Ivoire.
The President of the GJA and Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Ransford Tetteh, commended the GTUC for supporting the GJA’s efforts to unionise the association.
He called for further support from the GTUC on which steps to take towards the unionisation of the GJA, and make it possible for the GJA to fight for the improvement of the living conditions of journalists.
The Chairman of the GTUC, Mr Alex Bonney, who chaired the occasion, said the GTUC/media interaction was a good platform for stock-taking and interaction between GTUC and media practitioners.
Dry Xmas for GBC workers— While battle over subvention rages
29/12/10
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Ministry of Information and the management of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) have disagreed over the payment of the November/December subvention to the GBC.
While the GBC management claims that it has not received the November/December subvention from the Controller and Accountant-General, the Ministry of Information indicates that the subvention has been released.
As a result of the confusion, workers of GBC have not been paid their December salaries.
The Minister for Information, Mr John Tia Akologo, issued a statement last Friday stating that checks by the ministry had revealed that the November/December subvention had been released to GBC.
However, the acting Director-General of GBC, Mr Kwabena Anane Sarpong, told the Daily Graphic that the management did not have any information on the payment of the subvention.
He said the inability of the management to receive the subvention had made it difficult for it to effect payment of the December salaries of workers.
Consequently, Mr Sarpong said the GBC Board would meet today to investigate whether the Controller and Accountant General had released the money.
Meanwhile, some workers of GBC told the Daily Graphic that they were convinced that their management had received the subvention, since the government paid it quarterly.
They claimed that the management had employed about 600 workers across the country within the last three months, instead of the required 120.
They said the increased number of employees made it difficult for the management to pay all the staff on time.
The workers said December salaries were usually paid by December 18 to enable workers to do some shopping for Christmas, noting that the delayed payment had compelled some of them to contract loans.
They added that some of them could not get the loans, making their situation a bit more difficult.
The workers also blamed the GBC Local Union for siding with the management and not fighting the cause of the workers.
However, the GBC Local Union Chairman, Rev Ernest Opoku, denied that the union was supporting the management against the workers.
He wondered why the union would side with the management, given the fact that he and the other union executives had also not received their salaries.
“I have also not received my salary. We are in the same boat on the high seas,” he intimated.
Story: Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE Ministry of Information and the management of the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) have disagreed over the payment of the November/December subvention to the GBC.
While the GBC management claims that it has not received the November/December subvention from the Controller and Accountant-General, the Ministry of Information indicates that the subvention has been released.
As a result of the confusion, workers of GBC have not been paid their December salaries.
The Minister for Information, Mr John Tia Akologo, issued a statement last Friday stating that checks by the ministry had revealed that the November/December subvention had been released to GBC.
However, the acting Director-General of GBC, Mr Kwabena Anane Sarpong, told the Daily Graphic that the management did not have any information on the payment of the subvention.
He said the inability of the management to receive the subvention had made it difficult for it to effect payment of the December salaries of workers.
Consequently, Mr Sarpong said the GBC Board would meet today to investigate whether the Controller and Accountant General had released the money.
Meanwhile, some workers of GBC told the Daily Graphic that they were convinced that their management had received the subvention, since the government paid it quarterly.
They claimed that the management had employed about 600 workers across the country within the last three months, instead of the required 120.
They said the increased number of employees made it difficult for the management to pay all the staff on time.
The workers said December salaries were usually paid by December 18 to enable workers to do some shopping for Christmas, noting that the delayed payment had compelled some of them to contract loans.
They added that some of them could not get the loans, making their situation a bit more difficult.
The workers also blamed the GBC Local Union for siding with the management and not fighting the cause of the workers.
However, the GBC Local Union Chairman, Rev Ernest Opoku, denied that the union was supporting the management against the workers.
He wondered why the union would side with the management, given the fact that he and the other union executives had also not received their salaries.
“I have also not received my salary. We are in the same boat on the high seas,” he intimated.
2010 - Year of Political Action indeed
3/1/11
By Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE year 2010, which marked the second year of President John Evans Atta Mills’s administration, witnessed important developments in the political environment of Ghana. These were characterised by the election of national executive members of political parties, most importantly, the election of the flag bearer of the country’s major opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the political wrangling between the Majority and Minority in Parliament, and the walk-out of the Minority in Parliament. The constant attack on the performance of President John Evans Atta Mills’ administration by former President Fl Lt J.J. Rawlings, the infamous accusation of former President Fl Lt Rawlings of setting fire to his own Ridge residence, the aftermath of the perceived attack by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman on the judiciary, the inauguration of the Constitution Review Commission, the rumour of former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings’ intention to contest the flag bearer position of the NDC with President Mills and the district level elections were the other significant political events in 2010.
The first major political event was the 8th National Delegates Congress of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) which was hosted in Tamale for three days in January.
Delegates to the congress endorsed amendments to the party’s constitution and voted overwhelmingly to retain Dr Kwabena Adjei and Mr Asiedu Nketiah as the Chairman and General Secretary, respectively, of the party.
Also chalking victories to join the old executives were a former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, and Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, who took the positions of Vice Chairpersons, while Mr Richard Quashigah became the new Propaganda Secretary.
The election was held in an atmosphere of peace, but the NDC expressed concern about the inability of the NPP to send representatives to the congress.
The spotlight then turned to the NPP, which was also gearing up for its congress to elect national executive members for the party. The election, which conducted peacefully in Kumasi, saw the election of Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, as Chairman with Kwaku Owusu Afriyie alias Sir John as General Secretary and other executive members.
In similar fashion, the NDC did not delegate any representatives to the NPP congress.
The success of the NPP congress set the stage for the election of the flag bearer of the party for the 2012 election. The NPP had earlier amended its constitution to expand its electoral college to allow more delegates to elect a flag bearer from all the 230 constituencies, instead of the original arrangement where only a few delegates were allowed to assemble at a venue to elect a flag bearer.
Although, five people contested the election, the race was generally believed to be between the 2008 flag bearer of the NPP, Nana Akufo Addo, and a former Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kyeremanten.
While Nana Akufo Addo campaigned on the ticket of experience and the fact that he had already marketed himself during the 2008 elections, Mr Kyeremanten dwelled on his youthfulness and the fact that he appeals to both members of the NPP and those of other political parties.
Some analyst believed that the election would be too close to call, while others predicted that Nana Akufo Addo would emerge the victor with a margin between 10 to 30 percentage difference. But when the votes were cast, the analysts did not get it right as Nana Akufo Addo overwhelmingly defeated Mr Kyeremanten.
The year 2010 saw former President and founder of the ruling NDC , Fl Lt Rawlings, and some members of the party launch a barrage of attacks on the performance of the government to the effect that President Mills was too slow.
Former President Rawlings described people around President Mills as “greedy bastards” and at one stage asked the famous question “who born dog”, to signify that he would not have tolerated their behaviour when he was the President.
These attacks by former President Rawlings and some members of the NDC gave the opposition NPP the weapon to also launch attacks on the government.
But President Mills was diplomatic about former President Rawlings’ attacks when asked by journalists on January 7, 2010, during a question-and-answer session with some senior journalists.
President Mills said criticisms of his government by Former President Rawlings and some members of the party would not weaken but strengthen the party and the government.
“If members of the previous government had benefited from this example of internal democracy, they would have avoided some of the pitfalls that caused their downfall”, he was quoted as saying.
Just as when the dust was about to settle down, the rumour that the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, was interested in contesting the flag bearer position of NDC with President Mills, made the headlines in the media scene.
Another significant event was the constitution of a nine-member Constitution Review Commission as a major step towards reviewing the 1992 Constitution by President Mills.
The Commission, which is chaired by Professor Emeritus Albert K. Fiadjoe, a professor of Public Law, has as members prominent personalities, including a stalwart of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Akenten Appiah-Menka, who is also a lawyer and an industrialist.
The Commission has since collated proposals from government institutions and individuals throughout the country through letters, meetings and open forums.
The NDC National Chairman, Dr Kwabena Adjei’s, statement to the effect that the judiciary would be cleansed, received bashing from opposition NPP, other political parties, several other institutions and individuals.
President Mills, who was outside the country when the statement was made, intimated on his arrival that the government did not have any intention to cleanse the judiciary, which put the matter to rest to some extent.
The Minority in Parliament staged a walk-out when a Circuit Court placed a radio panellist, Nana Darkwa Baafi, into custody for alleging on an Accra-based private radio station that former President Rawlings had deliberately set fire to his house on February 14, 2010, in order to compel the government to find him an alternative accommodation.
The usual unity talks between the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC) aimed at uniting the Nkrumaist parties did not succeed, as they could not agree on the issues of motto and emblem.
The CPP took a giant step by electing shadow ministers on economy, security, education and other sectors. They have almost on a weekly basis been giving their views, suggestions and proposals on national issues.
The major political event that wrapped up 2010 was the district level elections, which were bogged with postponements due to the inability of printers to print ballot papers ahead of schedule. The district level elections also experienced low turn out.
The district level elections were originally scheduled to be held in all the 170 districts and 6,150 units and electoral areas across the country the same day, but only the Central and Upper West regions held theirs on the first day.
A total of 17,315 candidates, comprising 15,939 males (92.05 per cent) and 1,376 females (7.95 per cent) contested to become district assembly members.
Also, 45,762 candidates, made up of 41,110 males (89.83 per cent) and 4,652 females (10.17 per cent), vied for unit committee membership.
The concluding political event was the celebration of the 29th anniversary of the 31st December revolution with a public lecture on the theme “Integrity for Sustainable Democracy”, in Accra.
Former President Rawlings used the occasion to challenge President Mills to set up a commission of enquiry to reinvestigate the alleged corruption and killings perpetrated under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
Despite the few difficulties on the political platform in 2010, the year will be remembered for the election of executive members of political parties, the nomination of shadow ministers by CPP, the collation of views on constitutional review by the CRC and the organisation of the district level elections.
By Musah Yahaya Jafaru
THE year 2010, which marked the second year of President John Evans Atta Mills’s administration, witnessed important developments in the political environment of Ghana. These were characterised by the election of national executive members of political parties, most importantly, the election of the flag bearer of the country’s major opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the political wrangling between the Majority and Minority in Parliament, and the walk-out of the Minority in Parliament. The constant attack on the performance of President John Evans Atta Mills’ administration by former President Fl Lt J.J. Rawlings, the infamous accusation of former President Fl Lt Rawlings of setting fire to his own Ridge residence, the aftermath of the perceived attack by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Chairman on the judiciary, the inauguration of the Constitution Review Commission, the rumour of former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings’ intention to contest the flag bearer position of the NDC with President Mills and the district level elections were the other significant political events in 2010.
The first major political event was the 8th National Delegates Congress of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) which was hosted in Tamale for three days in January.
Delegates to the congress endorsed amendments to the party’s constitution and voted overwhelmingly to retain Dr Kwabena Adjei and Mr Asiedu Nketiah as the Chairman and General Secretary, respectively, of the party.
Also chalking victories to join the old executives were a former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, and Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, who took the positions of Vice Chairpersons, while Mr Richard Quashigah became the new Propaganda Secretary.
The election was held in an atmosphere of peace, but the NDC expressed concern about the inability of the NPP to send representatives to the congress.
The spotlight then turned to the NPP, which was also gearing up for its congress to elect national executive members for the party. The election, which conducted peacefully in Kumasi, saw the election of Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey, as Chairman with Kwaku Owusu Afriyie alias Sir John as General Secretary and other executive members.
In similar fashion, the NDC did not delegate any representatives to the NPP congress.
The success of the NPP congress set the stage for the election of the flag bearer of the party for the 2012 election. The NPP had earlier amended its constitution to expand its electoral college to allow more delegates to elect a flag bearer from all the 230 constituencies, instead of the original arrangement where only a few delegates were allowed to assemble at a venue to elect a flag bearer.
Although, five people contested the election, the race was generally believed to be between the 2008 flag bearer of the NPP, Nana Akufo Addo, and a former Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Alan Kyeremanten.
While Nana Akufo Addo campaigned on the ticket of experience and the fact that he had already marketed himself during the 2008 elections, Mr Kyeremanten dwelled on his youthfulness and the fact that he appeals to both members of the NPP and those of other political parties.
Some analyst believed that the election would be too close to call, while others predicted that Nana Akufo Addo would emerge the victor with a margin between 10 to 30 percentage difference. But when the votes were cast, the analysts did not get it right as Nana Akufo Addo overwhelmingly defeated Mr Kyeremanten.
The year 2010 saw former President and founder of the ruling NDC , Fl Lt Rawlings, and some members of the party launch a barrage of attacks on the performance of the government to the effect that President Mills was too slow.
Former President Rawlings described people around President Mills as “greedy bastards” and at one stage asked the famous question “who born dog”, to signify that he would not have tolerated their behaviour when he was the President.
These attacks by former President Rawlings and some members of the NDC gave the opposition NPP the weapon to also launch attacks on the government.
But President Mills was diplomatic about former President Rawlings’ attacks when asked by journalists on January 7, 2010, during a question-and-answer session with some senior journalists.
President Mills said criticisms of his government by Former President Rawlings and some members of the party would not weaken but strengthen the party and the government.
“If members of the previous government had benefited from this example of internal democracy, they would have avoided some of the pitfalls that caused their downfall”, he was quoted as saying.
Just as when the dust was about to settle down, the rumour that the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, was interested in contesting the flag bearer position of NDC with President Mills, made the headlines in the media scene.
Another significant event was the constitution of a nine-member Constitution Review Commission as a major step towards reviewing the 1992 Constitution by President Mills.
The Commission, which is chaired by Professor Emeritus Albert K. Fiadjoe, a professor of Public Law, has as members prominent personalities, including a stalwart of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Akenten Appiah-Menka, who is also a lawyer and an industrialist.
The Commission has since collated proposals from government institutions and individuals throughout the country through letters, meetings and open forums.
The NDC National Chairman, Dr Kwabena Adjei’s, statement to the effect that the judiciary would be cleansed, received bashing from opposition NPP, other political parties, several other institutions and individuals.
President Mills, who was outside the country when the statement was made, intimated on his arrival that the government did not have any intention to cleanse the judiciary, which put the matter to rest to some extent.
The Minority in Parliament staged a walk-out when a Circuit Court placed a radio panellist, Nana Darkwa Baafi, into custody for alleging on an Accra-based private radio station that former President Rawlings had deliberately set fire to his house on February 14, 2010, in order to compel the government to find him an alternative accommodation.
The usual unity talks between the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the People’s National Convention (PNC) aimed at uniting the Nkrumaist parties did not succeed, as they could not agree on the issues of motto and emblem.
The CPP took a giant step by electing shadow ministers on economy, security, education and other sectors. They have almost on a weekly basis been giving their views, suggestions and proposals on national issues.
The major political event that wrapped up 2010 was the district level elections, which were bogged with postponements due to the inability of printers to print ballot papers ahead of schedule. The district level elections also experienced low turn out.
The district level elections were originally scheduled to be held in all the 170 districts and 6,150 units and electoral areas across the country the same day, but only the Central and Upper West regions held theirs on the first day.
A total of 17,315 candidates, comprising 15,939 males (92.05 per cent) and 1,376 females (7.95 per cent) contested to become district assembly members.
Also, 45,762 candidates, made up of 41,110 males (89.83 per cent) and 4,652 females (10.17 per cent), vied for unit committee membership.
The concluding political event was the celebration of the 29th anniversary of the 31st December revolution with a public lecture on the theme “Integrity for Sustainable Democracy”, in Accra.
Former President Rawlings used the occasion to challenge President Mills to set up a commission of enquiry to reinvestigate the alleged corruption and killings perpetrated under the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
Despite the few difficulties on the political platform in 2010, the year will be remembered for the election of executive members of political parties, the nomination of shadow ministers by CPP, the collation of views on constitutional review by the CRC and the organisation of the district level elections.
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