We Lack Industrial Base for EPAs- Samia

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Created on Tuesday, 24 February 2015 00:00

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We Lack Industrial Base for EPAs- Samia

….HAS TOLD THE CPP UK & IRELAND IN A PACKED CONVOCATION

SPECIAL REPORT

The Convention People’s Party (CPP) National Chair and Leader- Hon Samia Yaba Nkrumah had told a packed CPP faithful that it makes no politically and economic sense for Ghana to sign up to the Economic Partnership Agreements with Europe because currently, we lack the industrial might to compete with the EU. And that if CPP is voted to power on 7th December 2016, it will demonstrate in early days in government what makes CPP fundamentally different from other political parties in Ghana.

Ms Samia had said at a conference room at Holiday Inn, Westfield Stratford City, Stratford, London, that notwithstanding the Nkrumahists’ family infighting and the seemingly broken home, political and ideological betrayals and persistent electoral humiliations, the CPP is lucky that it could hold her head up with pride because the party which on 06 March 1957, won independence for Ghana, has an ideology and vision to fall on. So for the sake of unity, internal ideological rivalries must be allowed to flourish.

On the question of modernizing the CPP’s political strategy as raised by a Ugandan visitor who attempted to imply that the CPP must not be seen holding on to history and past glories attained by its founding-father- Osagyfo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the CPP’s National Chair and Leader, responded on Sunday, 22 February 2015 at the Holiday Inn Conference Room where the CPP convocation took place that the party is not outmoded in principle and that the unresolved problems such as education and training, energy crisis, youth unemployment in the days of the CPP of old, still persist. So the CPP is continuing from where the Osagyefo left because the goal of the Nkrumah development plan is not fully implemented. To most Nkrumahists, the current free education and youth policy is not new to the CPP.

Samia argued that Ghana has persistently followed the same unproductive economic and financial path dictated by the IMF/World Bank which is why for example, the successive Ghanaian Governments had been unable to invest much into education and training and job creation for the people in the country. Touching on the potential adverse effects on the debate over genetically modified food (GMO) and the EPAs, Samia reiterated her repeated position that the GMO will alter the traditional seedling make-up in Africa and said the Europeans are where they are today because they also employed “protectionist strategies” for their industries so Ghana must first, start building a base that enables it to compete fairly.

Responding to the question of homosexuality and its legality in the country, Samia who highlighted that she is not a “dictator” as it is being peddled when it comes to consensus building, hinted that the CPP will always listen to what the vast majority of Ghanaian societies are saying- which as it appears, is No. So the CPP, she seemed to suggest- “should proceed in this area on the basis of the societal decision. She was quick however, to counsel her audience especially CPP folks that they must concentrate on what is happening and affecting Ghana today- corruption and the dumsors rather than the homo issue.

On the question of whether CPP shares the NPP’s cry for “a new voters’ register”, Samia sought to indicate that she is personally a victim to electoral improprieties in the 2012 elections. And that at one point she asked herself at one of the polling stations in her Jomoro Constituency, whether those perpetrating such voting fraud, knew who she was or cared less about her presence. The CPP Chair and Party Leader conceded that the CPP knew something went wrong in that election. But CPP sensed that it lacked the crucial evidence or was difficult to resort to the courts. She informed that currently, CPP has a representative on the intended reforms and thinks that 2016 would not be as she witnessed in 2012.

She accordingly, counseled her party loyalists, to be vigilant as more recently, they did in the by-election in the Kumbungu Constituency, where she was personally present during the final lap in the campaign. In that by-election, the CPP Amadu Moses Yahaya, won the seat, following the departure of then incumbent- Alhaji Muhammed Mumuni, who by virtue of his international appointment, had to vacate the seat as required by law. In that election which the New Patriotic Party (NPP) failed to contest, Mr Yahaya garnered 13,029, representing 51% of the total votes cast, triumphing over his closest challenger, Alhaji Imoro Yakubu Kakpagu of the ruling NDC, who secured 11,896, representing 47.28% of the total votes cast. The sole CPP MP has resolved to join the Majority NDC for parliamentary business. It appears that this decision on the part of Hon Yahaya is linked to ideological considerations.

But Samia had said at the CPP party conference that ideologically, people ought not to be confused CPP with the NDC and here, to tag the NDC as part of the Nkrumahist families? On Samia’s January 2012 travel with President J.E.A. Mills to Ethiopia, where her dad was honoured, not forgetting the NDC’s domestic policy of declaring Dr Nkrumah as a sole founder of Ghana, which had been [mis]construed as NDC’s demonstrated Nkrumahist leanings or a “PR gimmick”, Samia had no much time for a comment.

On the CPP historical party headquarters which was confiscated following the overthrow of CPP by the said National Liberation Council (NLC), on the 24th day of February 1966 and is currently, being used as Ministry of Information, Samia said that the party- especially, the CPP Youth wing, is considering a practical steps to demonstrate its stated intent in wanting to reclaim the party’s property, acquired by itself and that the leadership is also employing every diplomatic means to resolve the political seizer. And if the government of Ghana fails to heed to its plea, the CPP will not hesitate to resort to a legal suit. The CPP’s Convocation that started at 1700hrs, on the 3rd Floor of the Holiday Inn, came to a close at 2100hrs, with a strong hint from an “old CPP Guard” who claims that he was once a secretary to the then Director of Builders’ Brigade that come 07 January 2017, CPP will be at the Jubilee Flagstaff House.

That aside the CPP finally closed the curtains with emergency financial contributions- committing itself to an effective communication strategy- establishment of a newspaper, newsmagazine and a radio station, poised to highlight human-centred policy intents to win the 2016 general elections and to end what one CPP contributing member describes as a repetitive party-national security apparatus which continues to deny the country a true national security. In June 2014, Mr Hayford Akrofi- once a UK resident and Vice Chairman of the Convention People’s Party, U K Chapter, was mysteriously shot dead in what is described as an alleged robbery attack at his home at Asofan/Ofankor, a suburb of Accra.

The OmanbaPa Research Group

JusticeGhana

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The life and sacrifice of a nationalist by Mike Oquaye

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Created on Wednesday, 04 February 2015 00:00

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The life and sacrifice of a nationalist

By Professor Mike Oquaye

Energy

Danquah knew the role of energy/power generation in the socio-economic development of Ghana. The Hansard of the Legislative Council 1947, capturing herein as advocating in the Legislative Body as follows during Question Time:

“Dr .Danquah: Would Government consider the appointment of a National Committee to enquire into the possibilities of a Volta Basin Corporation to develop the resources of the river for light, water and power, and to exploit for public benefit the vast mineral resources of the Volta Basin? Colonial Secretary: In present circumstances, No, Sir”. [i]

What he told the colonial government, Danquah repeated in 1953 when Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was Leader of Government Business:

“I have been thinking of the Volta as a great national asset long before political parties were formed in this country, long before even this national movement for liberation was started by old George Grant and long before the present Government came into power”. [ii]

Danquah advocated in 1947, the establishment of a Volta Basin Corporation (VBC) to generate electricity for Ghana! Dr. Nkrumah had the opportunity to execute this after independence and named the organisation Volta River Authority (VRA).

Danquah was the progenitor of extensive hydro-generation of power as part of his development vision for the new Ghana he had clearly perceived. He deserves his due in terms of appreciation.

The Legislator/M.P.

Danquah perceived bold and fearless M.Ps. who will stick to their principles; who have studied matters before the House and will stand unintimidated. This is what is expected of true and worthy representatives of the people.

On being accused of delaying a bill “in an attempt to raise passions” by then Minister of Justice, Sir Patrick Branigan, Dr. Danquah spoke boldly as a true African who could match the Whites boot for boot. He never was a colonial stooge. He could never have collaborated with “imperialists” against his own people. Danquah said:

“Mr. Chairman, I had been serving my country for 25 years before this man came. Go to Ireland. Your people are being used as slaves by the British. Go and save your people. You have no right to come here and interfere with my freedom. I sit down to bear all these things not because I cannot speak but because I have respect for the Chair. Go and save your country! I am interested in this Bill because I am a public man and I have got to use my time and energy to the best of my ability to stand here and fight, and I will fight honestly and sincerely, never minding what you say. I believe that this clause is wrong for 2 reasons and I will press for the amendment. If the Government turns it down, it is left to them, but the Minister of Justice must not come here and call names. Go to Ireland”. [iii]

Danquah obviously wanted a House of Parliament with real dignity both in form and in deed. He perceived an “inspirational” edifice, and, of course, together with its furniture depicting Ghana’s dignity and not advertising Chinese seats etc.

“In constructing a Parliamentary House, the general intention is to set up a building of a first-class standard as a memorial of the achievements of that particular country, and as a symbol or an inspiration for future generations.

…we want somebody who will be able to create inspiration; we want to see African spirit in this building, a Gold Coast Design into this particular building.

So I suggest… that the Government should withdraw this particular motion and agree to submit this matter to the Gold Coast African and to the entire world for designs to be submitted…”[iv]

Great detail as Danquah did. This is the essence of Parliamentary oversight of government financial estimates and ultimate expenditure.

MPs Vigilance

When the 1949 Budget Statement was presented, J.B. Danquah discovered that some items in the budget had been put there for the sake of being put there.

“How is it that this Government is so fond of foisting upon the country last-minute programmes hastily brought together and ill-digested? The explanation, of course, is simple: this government appears to have lost its grip on things: this government is sick of governing the people… Frankly, neither Roads and Bridges nor Water Supplies nor Social Welfare can be said to be wealth-producing in the sense that Adam Smith would speak of the wealth of a nation. No doubt roads and bridges for transportation of goods are a means to the production of wealth, but if these roads are used only for importing and transporting imported consumer goods in what sense can they be said to be wealth-producing? …We feel that the time has come to call a halt, to take stock and make an end of all new and hastily thought out commitments. This is a time that tests and tries men’s hearts.This is a time when an inefficient Government which has lost its grip must cease to tamper and to tinker with the destinies of a country the control and direction of which must soon pass out of their hands into the hands of the people and their Chiefs”. [v]

Danquah exemplified the need for careful scrutiny by MPs in all fiscal matters, “Now I say, Sir, that the Government has been extravagant in the manner of handling the country’s finances because never once does it seem to consider the question of the country’s economy. The very word economy appears to have disappeared completely from the dictionary and vocabulary of the present Government. This government has been very careless of the highest public interest. They do not seem to care who is to be taxed or who is not to be taxed, so long as the people pay the tax and the money flows in. So careless a government has proposed a series of taxes for this Budget Session, and it must be condemned as having outlived its day and the earlier it clears out, the better for this country. What we want is a Government in touch with the very life of their people, the sorrows, their groanings, their wants, their sufferings and their grievances and until we get that government this country, we will forever continue to agitate and demand for a better Government”. [vi]

The Opposition

One the role of the Opposition, Danquah had clear views which he passionately advocated: “I would like to make it clear that, although it is part of the game of politics for an Opposition to obstruct and criticize the Government and to take the maximum advantage of the Government’s mistakes so as to advance the Opposition’s own positive policy, the present Opposition does not intend to play that game unless compelled to do so by attempts on the part of the Government, if I may quote Laksi, “to do the worst possible things in the worst possible way”. Criticism is the salt of politics and we must not be afraid of it. It will indeed be dangerous if Government relied merely on its majority as its chief instrument of government.

We are not in a stage of siege but in a stage of freedom. The chief strength of the Opposition lies not so much in its numbers as in its quality. I am anxious that the Opposition should be strong not only to put the Government on its mettle, but to avoid slackness in our habits in this house and to ensure a regularity of attendance, as many members of the Government side taking as much pains as others in the Opposition do” [vii]

Education

Danquah was passionate about education. To him, every Ghanaian should be given opportunity to attain the highest possible educational level. When the colonial administration, outdoored a plan to build ONE University to cater for the whole of West Africa at Ibadan, Nigeria, Danquah was vehemently opposed to the idea. He spoke against it on platforms and wrote condemning it in his newspaper publications. At the Legislature, he was most vocal. He said inter alia;

“…The Gold Coast is not Nigeria and never could be! Achimota is not Yaba or Ibadan and never could be…Sir, there are nations in Africa as there are nations in Europe. There are peoples among Black Africans as well as there are peoples among Europeans. You cannot expect to build a successful University in Andalusia in Spain with its Moslem foundations for the education of the people of Oxfordshire in England with its feudal background; for the English are not Spanish, nor the Spanish English. So it must be everywhere, among every people, whether in West Africa or Western Europe.

Sir, for purely cultural reasons, I conceive that the Gold Coast “a proud little country with a good reason for being proud”, will never, can never and shall never be proud of a University situated at Ibadan and not at Achimota. And for this reason alone, this superlative cultural reason, I support the motion for a committee to be set up your Excellency to look carefully into Despatch No.169 and to make recommendations, recommendations to suit our Gold Coast tradition, our Achimota tradition!” [viii]

At the end, Danquah’s viewpoint carried the day. The University College of the Gold Coast was established in Achimota and the University acknowledges him as the Father of the University of Ghana and father of University education in Ghana.

On the Judicious Use of Public Funds

“I think that the existence of Parliament or Assembly is to look after public money. That is our first duty and I am surprised to see Ministers of high rank crying “shame, shame”, when they have committed mistakes and we are trying to point it out that they have been careless”. [ix]

“If you are going to entrust public money to persons who are not going to be honest, and who are going to yield to bribery and corruption and who are going to allow themselves to be influenced, then you are not doing good to the country”.[x]

Judiciary

Danquah perceived a strong, independent and competent Judiciary as sine qua non. The adjudicatory function should be completely administered to promote human rights and development. Hence, about the appointment of Acting Judges:

“Acting Judgeship is not a desirable thing for litigants. The practice of appointing Magistrates as acting Judges is a very undesirable thing. Either a man is competent to be a Judge or he is not. If he is competent, appoint him as a judge; if not, then do not appoint him as acting Judge to let him experiment with cases of poor people who appear before him. A man is not yet competent to act as a Judge, if a man is merely a Magistrate by his profession. Let him stay a magistrate. There is no reason why responsible Barristers should not be created Judges. Barristers who are devoted to their profession, Barristers who are deem eminent in their profession, should at any time be appointed Puisne Judges”. [xi]

Holistic Development

Danquah saw this in this way. We are all involved in building our father/motherland. He said: “We are in this struggle fighting for the greatness of our nation and a great nation does not consist only of men who are greater than Aggrey; it consists of real Aggreys and real Sarbahs and real Roy Ankrahs. In other words, a great nation does not consist merely of politicians who are fighting for their own self-glorification–megalomaniac politicians. But a great nation consists of the real men who are interested first in the culture of the nation; secondly in the commercial life and industries of their nation and lastly in the real political progress and economic independence of a nation. That is why when we started this struggle we thought that we should start on all fronts–not only political independence, but commercial independence, economic independence, banking, sports, philosophy and literature”. [xii]

Lawyer and People’s Servant

Danquah practised law selflessly. Wherever his services were required, he was liberally available. He was lawyer for the Joint Provincial Council of Chiefs. He was lawyer for the cocoa farmers of the Gold coast in their struggles with the colonial authorities. He was so generous and committed to their cause, that having chalked great successes for them (chiefs), Danquah was given the accolade “Akufo) Kanea” ( a light of salvation/hope for the Farmers of Ghana). He was indeed, a man for the people.

J.B. Danquah attained a lot.

·

He was founding member of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences.

·

He was the first President of the Ghana Bar Association.

·

He was the First Editor of the Ghana Law Reports.

·

He was the Father of Constitutionalism in Ghana. He was the man, who through the famous case of Re Akoto, tested the constitutionality of a law passed by Parliament on the due interpretation of a constitutional provision in Ghana. Today, this is a free pathway for all Ghanaians!

NOTES AND REFERENCES

[i] Hansard, Legislative Council, September 17, 1947

[ii] Hansard, Legislative Council, February 23, 1953

[iii] Hansard, Legislative Council, October 16, 1952

[iv] Hansard, Legislative Council, December 10, 1951

[v] Hansard, Legislative Council, April 13, 1949

[vi] Hansard, Legislative Council, March 28, 1950

[vii] Hansard, Legislative Council, June 30, 1952

[viii] Hansard, Legislative Council, July 24, 1946

[ix] Hansard, Legislative Council, February12, 1953

[x] Hansard, Legislative Council, March 27, 1953

[xi] Hansard, Legislative Council, March 27,1950

[xii] Hansard, Legislative Council, March26,1952

Source: Ghana | Africa Public Policy Institute

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“Danquah – The unfinished agenda" - Nana Akufo-Addo

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“Danquah – The unfinished agenda" - Nana Akufo-Addo

SPEECH BY NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO, 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OF THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP), AT THE COMMEMORATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF DR. J.B. DANQUAH AT THE ACCRA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE, ACCRA, ON 4TH FEBRUARY, 2015

ON “DANQUAH – THE UNFINISHED AGENDA”.

We are here to commemorate the life of one of the most extraordinary persons that the Ghanaian people have ever given to the world. He was born 120 years ago at Bepong in Kwahu, and died in the dungeons of Nsawam Medium Security Prison exactly 50 years ago today. In the 70 years in between, he lived a life truly fulfilled, rich in output, pregnant with significance and extensive in reach. Philosopher, theologian, scholar, jurist, historian, playwright, poet, journalist, freedom fighter, statesman, Joseph Boakye Danquah was a member of the legendary “Big Six”, together with Emmanuel Obetsebi Lamptey, Edward Akufo-Addo, Ebenezer Ako Adjei, William Ofori-Atta and Kwame Nkrumah, who are acknowledged as the founding fathers of Ghana.

{sidebar id=10 align=right}I dare say that I will not overreach myself when I say that Danquah’s memory will continue to live, at least, for as long as this nation Ghana lives.

He gave our country its name, Ghana, after years of research into the history and traditions of the people of the Gold Coast. He fought, first for the union of the geographical entity, we now call Ghana, and then he fought for Ghana to be established as a free, independent state. Finally, he fought to defend the liberties of the Ghanaian people, by insisting on a democratic system of government under the rule of law as the best form of government for independent Ghana. It was in the course of this, the last of his herculean labours, that the Ghanaian colossus literally gave his life at Nsawam Prison.

A good insight into his character is given by a quote from a letter he wrote from prison in October 1961 to President Nkrumah, demanding his freedom: “The turbulent national problems are invariably approached by me with philosophic calm. I am aware that such an approach does not always lead to “popular” or “quick” results, but what it creates becomes a permanent part of history”.

A prolific writer of books, poems, plays, pamphlets, letters and author of more than a few lengthy speeches in the Legislative Council and later in the Legislative Assembly, Danquah’s thoughts on the Ghana he dreamed of, have been fortuitously documented. What comes through clearly from his thoughts is that the Ghana of his dreams is still an unfinished agenda, a work in progress.

SELF-GOVERNMENT

In 1947, giving the keynote address at the launching in Saltpond of Ghana’s first political party, the United Gold Coast Convention, UGCC of blessed memory, on that fateful Saturday of 4th August, Danquah articulated his strong belief that the people of the Gold Coast had the right to be free from British rule and Imperialism. He stated: “We have come to take a decision whether our country and people are any longer to tolerate a system of government under which those who are in control of government are not under the control of those who are governed.”

In 1952, during a debate on Constitutional Reform in the Legislative Assembly, he declared: “There is no school nor University for liberty or freedom; neither liberty nor freedom is a degree or a diploma to be acquired after years of tears and toil and sweat in a school or in a University. Freedom is a birthright, and liberty is its expression. We desire to be liberated because we know we are entitled to be free…”

Thankfully, that part of his agenda was finished during his lifetime when Ghana obtained its independence from the British in 1957 under Kwame Nkrumah’s dynamic leadership.

RULE OF LAW

Danquah was an ardent believer in the rule of law and in a Constitution in which the rights of the individual were secured against the great powers of the State. Today’s Ghana is closer to what Danquah and others envisaged: a free, democratic, multiparty state, where the rule of law, respect for human rights, individual liberty and the principles of democratic accountability are generally accepted as the basic principles by which the affairs of state should be organised. As the Nigerian statesman, Nnamdi Azikiwe, predicted five decades ago at Danquah’s death: “If the lessons of history mean much, then the sacrifice of West Africa’s pioneer scholar, lawyer, journalist, poet, statesman and fighter in the cause of human freedom will not be in vain.”

Indeed, his struggles and even his death have not been in vain. We live in a Ghana now where the Supreme Court has express power to pronounce on the constitutionality of legislation and to strike down offending legislation. This is what he unsuccessfully sought from the Supreme Court in 1961 in the case of Re Akoto, when he brought an application for an order of habeas corpus for the release from detention of the Asantehene’s Senior Linguist and founder of the National Liberation Movement, the fearless Baffour Osei Akoto. History has been kinder to him than the Korsah Court was. We now also have a Human Rights ‘Fast Track’ Court, whose business it is to guard jealously the liberties of Ghanaian citizens, a development of which Danquah would have been proud. We live today in a Ghana where governments can change by ballots and do change by ballots and will change by the ballot. This is the political freedom for which the likes of Danquah, Obetsebi Lamptey, Dombo, Busia, Victor Owusu, Adu Boahen and the others sacrificed.

DEVELOPMENT IN FREEDOM

In 1950, J.B. Danquah stated: “Our duty is to liberate the energies of the people for the growth of a property-owning democracy in this land, with a right to life, and freedom and justice as the principles to which the government and laws of the land should be dedicated to in order specifically to enrich the lives, property and liberty of each and every citizen.” This became the policy of the United Party, and is today the policy of the New Patriotic Party.

In the eyes of this great man who founded our tradition, a property-owning democracy for a free, independent Ghana could never mean luxury for an elite at the expense of the poor. His vision was to establish a foundation of equal opportunities which will enable the broad spread of the benefits of private ownership to the greatest majority of citizens, not just a rich and privileged few. Danquah’s vision was to build in Ghana a society where every Ghanaian was empowered with access to education, skills and job opportunities to contribute fully to nation building and self-enhancement.

This was why the policy of the NPP government from 2001 to 2009 was to clear the ground for the purpose of inviting every Ghanaian to climb the ladder of competitive achievement. We know that, without many players, markets fail to deliver quality at the best price and without everybody on board, our democratic ship risks sinking under its own tilted weight.

This thinking is very much against what is being exhibited currently in Ghana, which permits a small class to have a near monopoly of the wealth of the country. A similar state of affairs in his day made Danquah declare in 1950 in the Legislative Council about the colonial government: “What we want is a Government in touch with the very life of their people, the sorrows, their groans, their wants, their sufferings and their grievances and until we get that government this country will forever continue to agitate and demand for a better Government.”

Ladies and Gentlemen, you would all agree with me that, as things stand today, this part of Danquah’s agenda remains unfinished.

PRESS AND OTHER FREEDOMS

Today, Ghana has a vibrant press and media. In 1930, Danquah set up the Gold Coast’s first successful daily newspaper, the West African Times, subsequently the Times of West Africa. In his day, he was a fearless critic of Government. At the time of Danquah’s death, there were only a handful of newspapers; the majority were owned by either the State or the CPP and sang the praises of the Government of the Day and President Nkrumah.

Currently, there are nearly 300 radio stations in Ghana, 31 TV stations and about the same number of political newspapers out there every day, including some that seem to be better informed of my medical records than even my doctor and I.

Danquah believed in the freedom of the press and of the individual and went to great lengths to defend these freedoms at a time when many did not think the ordinary people deserved such freedoms.

In a rejoinder to an article written by an Oxford Professor in the Gold Coast Observer on September 2nd, 1948, Danquah stated: “The people of the U.K are happier than the people of this Ghana because of the former’s opportunity to let off steam periodically in general elections. Give Ghana a constitution that affords the Ghanaian an opportunity to let off steam in an ordered periodic manner”. Today, we have such a Constitution, which supports our freedom to vote out a government which we consider bad and vote in a better alternative.

I know that there are some who still harbour the notion that governments would perform better if not encumbered with press and individual freedoms.

Yet, the freedoms we are enjoying cannot be blamed for the economic hardships that we are enduring. Ghana’s economy did not shrink in 2014 because of the criticisms that the President and his team of economic managers suffered at the hands of the opposition, trade unions, religious groups, the media or civil society, as a whole.

Our freedoms have nothing to do with a government that happens to be incompetent at governing. In fact, our freedoms must rather act as a check on the excesses of a poor government. It is, therefore, my submission that Ghana now is closer to the Ghana Danquah fought and died for: a nation of freedom. But, we are not there yet. God knows we are not there yet. This is just the beginning. And, I say so as a patriot of incurable optimism. 60 years is but a short time in the life of a country. Our forefathers, indeed, dreamed of a country of freedom, liberty, opportunities, progress and prosperity. That Ghana is still very much a work in progress.

SOCIAL JUSTICE & ENTERPRISE

Danquah believed in social justice and individual enterprise. He stated that the purpose of governmental action should be to enhance “the life, liberty and property of each and every citizen”. This meant giving every Ghanaian the opportunity to help build and own, exclusively, part of the country’s wealth. And on several occasions he stood up for the right of the citizen. When land was being sourced for the Tema Harbour in 1952, the government of the day acquired far more acres than it would need simply because it didn’t want people to make money on selling their own land. Danquah was incredulous and stated in the Legislative Assembly: “Mr. Speaker, he (Ansah Koi) said that if Government acquired a small area for the port, all the land in the neighbourhood would rise in value and individuals would come in and benefit by it and therefore the Government must take the whole area to prevent the individual from acquiring property and benefiting from the development.”

We certainly have a lot of unfinished business in setting out our economy to allow the enterprising individual to prosper. The unfinished agenda requires that we move away from the times when big government did everything, to a future when people are entrusted with self-governance. It means following the wisdom of our forefathers by moulding our economic system to suit our particular instincts for individual freedom and social justice.

Danquah criticised the state capitalist model, which was, ironically, relying on revenues raised from the toil of individual, private cocoa farmers of Ghanaian origin. He was clear in his mind that a welfare state could be created with a free market. To him, “the main purpose of a liberal government is to order things as to release the energies of the people for free and great endeavours in every field of life, and not merely in the gathering and eating of food.”

LEADERSHIP

Back then, Danquah recognised that the main drawback to progress in Africa was the lack of good leadership. He remarked then to an English politician, “whether black, brown, olive or white, we are all human beings, all equal, and could really have it good if properly led.” I, therefore, submit, Mr Chairman, that the old quest for proper leadership remains in Ghana today a critical part of Danquah’s unfinished agenda.

And what Danquah said some 60 years ago about the state of leadership in the Gold Coast resonates today: “Up and down the country the picture is dismal almost anywhere, and when the people of this country ask for a change in the form of Government, what they mean is that that dismal form of administration should be brought to an end.”

Danquah pushed for a Ghana where we choose a leader with an agenda that can lead to a more just, more equal, more free, more caring and more prosperous nation. I am confident that Ghana is on the way up to the Danquah ideal; the kind of competitive politics where propaganda will lose its inflated value, and where voting purely on ethnic lines will become as unrewarding as living with no dignity.

CORRUPTION

It is sad that one other sphere of public life on which Danquah spent a lot of his energies remains very much a problem in our country today. Danquah abhorred the misuse of public money under any circumstance. In his day, his typewriter was always handy to write letters to those in authority in Ghana and beyond to see that some wrong was righted. He argued passionately that public money ought to be managed by people who were committed to the country’s interests. He declared in the Legislative Assembly one day: “If you are going to entrust public money to persons who are not going to be honest, and who are going to yield to bribery and corruption and who are going to allow themselves to be influenced, then you are not doing good to the country.”

I wonder what he would have made of WOYOME, GYEEDA, SUBAH AND SADA and all the reports of the blatant appropriation of public money for private ends today.

One thing I can assure you though, Ladies and Gentlemen, if Danquah were alive today, President John Mahama would be receiving letters or more probably emails from him all the time and so would the Minister of Finance on how the country’s resources should be put to better use! As he wrote to Prime Minister Nkrumah on November 4, 1959, “This country can only prove itself fit to govern itself if those primarily charged with that governance first set the supreme example of incorruptibility.”

We need to strengthen the institutional mechanisms for dealing with corruption to promote this end. Above all, we need the personal examples of our political leaders, especially the President of the Republic, to demonstrate that public service is exactly that, public service. Those who seek wealth in public service have no place there. Their place is in the private sector where the making of money is a legitimate and necessary activity.

NATIONAL PRIDE AND PATRIOTISM

Danquah loved Ghana. In 1936, when he had completed his research into the name ‘Ghana’ to replace the Gold Coast, he wrote a poem, “I love a woman”, and its last verse reads:

“A black woman

Golden is her personal name,

Guinea’s Golden Lady,

And christened by her God-fathers

But from birth,

Ghana”

He believed Ghana was capable of being as good as any other country on earth as long as its citizens applied themselves and excelled in their chosen endeavours. And he believed it was up to the Ghanaian to develop Ghana and every citizen had a role to play in this regard. A few months after launching the UGCC, he declared in the Legislative Council “We must find a way to make our country live as a force and the force must be self- generated and generative –indigenous, so to speak.”

He had no doubt that Ghanaians could make a special contribution to the growth of world civilisation. This is what motivated him to write the first Twi play, “Nyankonsem”, and to contribute to theological debate in his now critically acclaimed work, “The Akan Doctrine of God”. Our and future generations must continue to be inspired by his example.

Danquah loved Ghana. There are hundreds in this room, and millions out there, inside our borders and outside, who share this love for the place where all of us feel completely at home. What is that ultimate statement of patriotism? Most people would say: “My country, right or wrong!” In fact, as the distinguished orator and senator Carl Shurz elaborated: “My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.”

That was Danquah’s belief. That should be our purpose. When we make the wrong choices, we must act to set things right. When those put in charge of running the affairs of state get it wrong we must have the courage, the humanity and the selflessness to say so. That is our patriotic duty. We must continue this part of the agenda.

DANQUAH ON AFRICA

Anyone who sets out to read up on Danquah is bound to discover a lot of surprises; you would discover that the official political history of Ghana has been economical with the truth. Nowhere more so than in the area of African unity. Danquah was not against the integration of Africa as his detractors may want us to believe. As a founding member and 1st president of the West African Students Union (WASU) in 1922, he understood perfectly the essence in linking up the mass of nationalist intellects across borders for the common struggle for liberation and economic empowerment. Having also studied at the feet of the great Casely Hayford, his mentor, who founded West Africa’s first nationalist movement, the National Congress of British West Africa, he was also familiar with the collective quest for the people of the region to be free. To him, the strength of regional unity meant having viable parts. Danquah foresaw the wider objective of unity, whether West African or African, as being better fulfilled by first making Ghana work as a role model.

That is why he was adamant that Ghanaians must concentrate first on getting Ghana right. In Professor SKB Asante's 2007 J B Danquah Memorial Lectures, he referred to a telling incident. At a meeting of the Working Committee of the UGCC, to confirm Nkrumah’s employment as the General Secretary of the nationalist movement, on 29 December 1947, Danquah cautioned his younger colleague, "This is a Gold Coast national movement" and not a "West African movement; to bring all these people together is not an easy thing. We want to concentrate on making the Gold Coast a nation to serve as the base for launching the liberation of the rest of West Africa. Are you prepared to accept our policy?" He was soon proved right, when Ghana’s role as the first West African state to gain independence inspired a domino of independence victories across the West African region within three years.

I have no doubt that, today, he would approve strongly our policy and determination to make of the West African regional community, ECOWAS, a genuine regional market. Already a market of some 350 million people, with the potential of 500 million people by 2035, i.e. in 20 years time, can provide immense opportunities for Ghanaian enterprise and ingenuity. We have every interest in taking the lead to realise the goal of regional integration.

ENHANCING GOVERNANCE AND ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT

Anyone who claims Danquah’s inheritance must necessarily undertake his passionate belief in the proper running of this country. Two things stand out in stark relief from our recent history, especially for those of us in the NPP who have the solid foundation of good governance of the Kufuor era on which to build.

We have as a matter of urgency to redress the balance of power in the one-sided relationship between the Executive and the Legislature; that is between the President and the Parliament, so that we can enhance the capacity of Parliament to exercise effectively its oversight responsibilities over and control of the public purse. The reckless expenditure of recent years demands it.

Secondly, to realise Danquah’s oft-cited goal of policy that will release the energies of the people, the time is ripe to take democratic principles fully into local governance. Local officials must become accountable to their local electorates. District Chief Executives should be directly elected if need be on partisan lines, just like Members of Parliament and the President. It will strengthen local self-confidence and initiative.

As the presidential candidate of the NPP, I have been asked what the first priority of an Akufo-Addo government would be and my answer was straight to the point: bring back macro-economic stability to the management of the economy. Without it, all our efforts will get down to naught. Danquah realised this long ago and I should at this stage share another of Danquah’s sayings from the Legislative Council with you. He is talking here about the Colonial Government’s management of the economy. “Now I say, Sir, that the Government has been extravagant in the manner of handling the country’s finances because never once does it seem to consider the question of the country’s economy. The very word economy appears to have disappeared completely from the dictionary and vocabulary of the present Government.”

Does this in any way, Ladies and Gentlemen, sound familiar?

Petrol prices remain high today, only because our government did not have the competence to keep our currency stable. We can’t afford to buy crude oil to power our lights because of the high cost of buying the dollar in an economy saddled with suffocating national debt. And this is at a time when the world price of crude oil has fallen drastically. And, we all know what high fuel prices mean even to the Ghanaian who does not own a car. Such is the situation that £1, which was exchanging for GH¢1.75 in December 2008 is now fetching GH¢5. Such is the situation that the price of kerosene, which was GH¢3.15 per gallon when the NPP handed over power in January 2009, is GH¢13.14 per gallon today.

We need to bring back confidence in the economy so that businesses and families can plan their budgets properly. What the NPP will do differently is that we will bring back that confidence. We will ensure fiscal discipline on how taxpayers’ monies are spent and ensure macroeconomic stability. Investors, domestic and foreign, will only be interested in Ghana when they can be assured of the bankability of investing in our economy. We will move away from high budget deficits and reckless borrowing because we know of the benefits of fiscal responsibility – low inflation, reduced interest rates, exchange rate stability, avoiding HIPC and making savings for social and capital expenditure.

Danquah chastised the Colonial Government for its penchant of always looking to taxation as a means of raising revenue for the State. “This government has been very careless of the highest public interest. They do not seem to care who is to be taxed or who is not to be taxed, so long as the people pay the tax and the money flows in.” Recent taxes on condoms and cutlasses come readily to mind.

We must move away from focusing on taxation to finance high deficits to a focus on production. This means providing incentives (including tax incentives) to enhance production and reducing the cost of doing business. We have to speed up the policy of linking every Ghanaian to an address on a national database to help us plan properly and spread thinner and wider the burden of raising taxes.

To say that Danquah was way ahead of his time in his thinking and approach to life is to say the obvious. He saw the need for Ghana to build an economy that was self-reliant and to move away from being a primary producer. Here he is, in a statement he made to the Legislative Council on roads and bridges in 1949, and I am not quite sure how many of us today look at infrastructure in such a comprehensive manner:

“Frankly neither Roads and Bridges nor Water Supplies nor Social Welfare can be said to be wealth-producing in the sense that Adam Smith would speak of the wealth of a nation. No doubt roads and bridges for transportation of goods are a means to the production of wealth, but if these roads are used only for importing and transporting imported consumer goods in what sense can they be said to be wealth-producing?”

I was excited to discover that Danquah had a dream, before Nkrumah returned from his studies abroad, of developing the Volta Basin not only for light, water and power but also to exploit its vast mineral resources to benefit the people of Ghana. This is the question he posed to the Colonial Secretary at Question Time in the Legislative Council on September 17th, 1947: “Dr Danquah: Would Government consider the appointment of a National Committee to enquire into the possibilities of a Volta Basin Corporation to develop the resources of the river for light, water and power, and to exploit for public benefit the vast mineral resources of the Volta Basin?” “Colonial Secretary: In the present circumstances, no Sir.” A few years later, he argued unsuccessfully against the Nkrumah Government negotiating a deal for the Volta Basin Project that would not include the exploitation of Ghana’s bauxite for the proposed aluminum smelting plant. We have a lot of work to do to exploit our mineral resources and add value to them. In much the same way, we would be following in Danquah’s path when we add value to our petrochemicals and bauxite resources. Adding value to these resources, manufacturing, i.e. making things, developing the appropriate skills of our population – these are the paths to our future prosperity and jobs for our youth. We have to travel down them and do so now, not tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow, but now.

CONCLUSION

Even though Danquah never exercised executive authority in the State, his influence on Ghanaian history has been truly astonishing and can be felt in virtually all areas of our national life – constitutional, cultural, economic, intellectual, political and religious. Several key institutions of our country owe their origin directly to his work – the Cocoa Marketing Board; the University of Ghana, Legon; the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi; the Bank of Ghana; Ghana Commercial Bank; and Accra Sports Stadium, amongst others.

Despite the passionate controversies that engulfed his life, he remained remarkably free of personal animus and hatreds. A memorable occasion arose when, soon after his release from his first period of detention in 1962, he decided, much against the advice of family and friends, to present himself, as a founding member of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, at the ceremony marking the award by the then Soviet State of the Lenin Peace Prize to President Kwame Nkrumah. He found no difficulty in exchanging pleasantries at the event with the man who had until recently been his gaoler, because to him the award was an honour for all Ghanaians, and not just Nkrumah. He thought his presence was necessary to make that point.

We need to take a cue from him. It is time that we moved on from the understandable bitterness that continues to fill the hearts of many who love his work and contribution because of the cruel circumstances of his death. Let me, on behalf of lovers of Danquah, especially his family of which I am proud to be one, use this occasion, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of his tragic death, to forego all feelings of bitterness and to say unreservedly to Kwame Nkrumah, his family and his supporters that we forgive what took place on that day. Let us promote a spirit of reconciliation between all of us for the sake of Mother Ghana, her progress and prosperity.

Gregarious and charismatic personality with a compelling presence, he was a man of exceptional charm and wit. Great lover of life, he was drawn to all things fine and beautiful. Indeed, the women he married at different stages of his life – Mabel Dove, Comfort Carboo and finally Elizabeth Varden – were all hailed as amongst the great beauties of their age. That was him – only the best was good enough.

In a petition Danquah sent to President Nkrumah a few weeks before his death in detention, he composed a poem, “A Song of Glory” which befits the theme of this lecture, “Danquah – the Unfinished Agenda”. The verse reads:

“Glorious Ghana, arise and shine

Thy star and thy eight regions’ stars,

Arise and shine, with God’s guidance,

To crown thy spheres of high command

We praise and sing “hurrah hurrah”

For Ghana’s glory of the past,

Today’s challenge is greater still,

Arise, with energy, to gain that glory.”

So it was that his beloved widow, Elizabeth Danquah, made the following inscription on his tombstone:

“Not lost, but gone before and departing, leaves footprints in the sands of time”

May God continue to bless him.

Joseph Kwame Kyeretwere Boakye Danquah, your place in the Ghanaian pantheon is secure. The Ghanaian people, whom you so loved, will never forget you.

Rest in perfect peace.

God bless Ghana, God bless Africa!!

Source: Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo

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JusticeGhana 2014 Major News & Events Review

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JusticeGhana 2014 Major News & Events Review

Dear and Cherished JusticeGhana Volunteer, Subscriber and Visitor, we wish to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year and to express our warmest gratitude to you for your support and loyalty. This year, our Year Resolution shall take a new look with the bid of making our Annual Report public to you so that you might have a better glimpse of what we did in the year 2014 and where we wish to go. But as usual, please find below a review of what in our judgments we saw as major news in the 2014.

JANUARY

Health News (Graphic Online, Thursday, 30 January 2014) Mental health patients to be cleared off streets, Dr Akwasi Osei- the Acting Chief Executive of the Mental Health Authority stated that the Authority is liaising with relevant bodies to clear mental health patients from the streets. “A systematic programme dubbed: "Operation clear the street and unchain mental health patients" is being put in place to take mental patients off the streets for treatment in two to three months and integrate them back into the society,” he said. JusticeGhana had earlier on, published an article on the Mental Health in Ghana.

FEBRUARY

Friday, 07 February 2014- The XXII Olympic Winter Games (Sochi) 2014 began and ended on Sunday, 23 February, 2014. BBC Sport correspondent Lawrence Barretto [Sochi 2014: Russia top medal table as Olympics come to an end] reported that Host nation Russia finished on top of the medal table as the 22nd Winter Olympics came to a close in Sochi on Sunday after 17 days of competition. “International Olympic Committee president- Thomas Bach officially closed the Games during an extravagant 130-minute ceremony. South Korea was given the Olympic flag as Pyeongchang hosts the 2018 Games,” the report adds.

Friday, 14 February- Outbreak of Ebola in West Africa: In March 2014, news about a rapidly evolving outbreak of Ebola haemorrhagic fever was reported to have started in Guinea. The outbreak, in the words of reliefweb.int/disaster, subsequently spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Senegal.

MARCH

08 March- Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 got missing: The Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, with 239 passengers on board, got missing on its scheduled journey from Kuala Lumpur- the Malaysian capital, to Beijing in China on Saturday March 8. According to the Malaysian Aviation authorities, the Flight MH370 disappeared from civilian radar screens about an hour into the scheduled six-hour flight.

APRIL

Tuesday/Wednesday 14-15 April- Abduction of Nigerian School Girls: The Boko Haram militants abducted more than 200 schoolgirls. On 01 November 2014, the Mail Online UK reported that the man, who identifies himself as Abubakar Shekau, said the 219 schoolgirls, who were taken from the remote northeastern town of Chibok, in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, are now 'in their marital homes'.

MAY

Wednesday, 13 May- Mine Accident in Turkey: An explosion at a coal mine in Soma, Manisa, Turkey, caused an underground mine fire, which burned until 15 May. The Soma fire took 301 lives, and had been described as the deadliest mining disaster in Turkish history. Turan Yılmaz(hurriyetdailynews.com, 31 December 2014) quoted Public Audit Mehmet Elkatmış during a press meeting at the Parliament on 30 December that “Turkey has not adopted the culture of resigning.” The report also said that regulations that were linked to particular incidents were damaging the sense of justice in the society. The Turkish Parliament approved earlier this month the International Labor Organization (ILO) convention on safety and health in mining, following debates after the recent disasters, Yılmaz had said in the report.

JUNE

Friday/Saturday 12 June to 13 July- Brazil 2014 FIFA World Cup opens: The Happiness Flag is seen as artists perform during the Opening Ceremony. SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - JUNE 12: The Happiness Flag is seen as artists perform during the Opening Ceremony of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil prior to the Group A match between Brazil and Croatia at Arena de Sao Paulo on June 12, 2014 in Sao Paulo.

Saturday, June 21, 2014- Fortaleza (BRA) the World Cup 2014 Group G game between Germany and Ghana at Castelao Stadium, Fortaleza, kicked off and the full-time result was 2-2. On Tuesday, 16 June, Ghana suffered a 1-2 defeat against the United States at Natal Sports Stadium, Brazil. On 26 June 2014, BBC Gary Rose reported that Cristiano Ronaldo's second-half winner gave Portugal a 2-1 victory over Ghana, but the result means that neither team progress to the World Cup's last 16. Under the heding-“World Cup 2014: Ghana sends $3m cash to players in Brazil”, the BBC reported that Ghana's government has sent more than $3m (£1.8m) in cash by plane to Brazil to pay the appearance fees owed to the national team at the World Cup. Joseph Yamin- the then Deputy Sports Minister, is said to have told Citi FM that the players "insisted" on cash payments. "The government had to mobilise the money and a chartered flight to Brazil." The outcome of the Brazil campaign is still under presidential inquiry.

JULY

Thursday, 17 July- MH17 Malaysia Plane crash in Ukraine: The Guardian UK reported on 18 July of a 'shot down' in Ukraine of a Malaysia Airlines plane MH17- killing 298 people on board plane in eastern Ukraine. The Guardian correspondents Helen Davidson and Alan Yuhas reported on Friday, 18 of July that bodies and wreckage are found near the town of Grabovo. The report quoted US officials as saying that surface-to-air missile caused crash and that Ukrainian, Russian and rebel leaders deny involvement.

Wednesday, 23 July- Scotland hosted the 2014 XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow: From 23 July to 03 August 2014, the eyes of the world were on Glasgow as it hosted the XX Commonwealth Games. In an introduction article- “Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games”, visitscotland.com described Glasgow among others as a modern city of culture and sport, forward-thinking and creative. “Glasgow is one of the UK's largest cities and has a lively heart and warm people. All of this and more was experienced by the millions of visitors and spectators first-hand as they, and the world, watched sporting history unfold…”

AUGUST

Friday, 15 August- Panama Canal Centenary Celebration: The centenary of the Panama Canal has 15 August 2014 MARKED the historic day when the ship S.S. Ancón crossed the Canal for the first time. History has it that Construction of the canal began in 1904. According to visitpanama.com, during the ten years it took to execute the colossal work of hydraulics of the Panama Canal, more than 56,000 people from over 30 countries came to Panama to participate in the project. “The bulk of the excavations for the construction of the interoceanic waterway were dug at Culebra Cut, in the central mountain range of Panama. An estimated 1,600 people were involved in this project from 1907 to late 1913. All of the soil excavated during this phase is equivalent to what was used to erect the Egyptian pyramids,” it said.

Tuesday, 19 August- US Protest at Ferguson: The shooting and killing of Africa-America teenager Michael Brown (18) on August 9, 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis, by Darren Wilson- a 28-years-old white Ferguson police officer sparked a massive protest and National Guard deployment in Ferguson. The Guardian correspondents Jon Swaine in Clayton, Missouri, Paul Lewis in Ferguson and Dan Roberts in Washington reported that A grand jury in St Louis County declined to indict Wilson for killing Brown on 9 August, following an altercation after the officer stopped him and a friend for jaywalking. [But] he is under investigation by federal authorities, which could bring civil rights charges.

SEPTEMBER

Thursday/Friday, 18 &19 September- The Scotland Referendum: The majority of the Scots said NO [2,001,926 (55.30%)] to independence from Great Britain, and Yes votes stood at 1,617,989 [44.70%]. The scotreferendum.com, quoted Alex Salmond- the First Minister as saying: “A turnout of 86 per cent is one of the highest in the democratic world for any election or any referendum in history [and] that 45% [1.6 million] votes, is a substantial vote for Scottish independence and the future of this country.” With this NO triumph, Prime Minister David Cameron preserved the British history and the Union Jack.

OCTOBER

Monday, 27 October- Ebola Conference: “Ebola Crisis- What it means for West Africa and The World”, The National Center for Disaster Preparedness, in collaboration with the Earth Institute brought together experts and stakeholders for a timely and educational conference to respond to spreading of the crisis.

NOVEMBER

Monday, 10 November- The Arrest of Ruby Nayale Amatefeh[aka Ruby Adu-Gymafi]: Nayele was arrested on 10 November 2014 at Heathrow Airport, London, for allegedly smuggling 12.5kg cocaine through VVIP Lounge, Kotoka International Airport, Accra, Ghana, onboard British Airways flight No. BA/078 on 09 November 2014. She was first heard at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court on 11 November 2014 and committed for Crown Court trial on 27 November 2014 at Court 5, Isleworth Crown Court, 36 Ridgeway Road, Isleworth, London, TW7 5LP. She pleaded guilty for unlawfully importing prohibited Class A Drugs [Cocaine] to the UK, and is set to be sentenced on Monday, 05 January 2015. The said 32 year-old Ametefeh of Ghanaian origin is rumoured to be of Austrian citizenship and in possession of Ghanaian passport with number G03764497 as well as an Austrian passport with Number P4187659.

DECEMBER

Tuesday, 30 December (Reuters) - Indonesian rescuers searching for an AirAsia plane carrying 162 people pulled bodies and wreckage from the sea off the coast of Borneo on Tuesday, prompting relatives of those on board watching TV footage to break down in tears. “Indonesia AirAsia's Flight QZ8501, an Airbus A320-200, lost contact with air traffic control early on Sunday [28 December] during bad weather on a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore,” the report added.

………..

NEWS FLIPS & ADDITIONS

Tuesday, 28 January (GNA) Eastern Region Records 1,929 DOVVSU Cases: The Eastern Regional Domestic Violence and Victims’ Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, recorded more cases of domestic violence in 2013 than in 2012. The Unit in 2013 recorded a total of 1,929 cases which indicated an increase as compared to 1,502 cases recorded for the same period in the year 2012.

Saturday, 25 January- NPP Regional Elections Held- The main opposition party New Patriotic Party (NPP), conducted its regional officers’ elections in preparation towards the much awaited 2016 general election across all the 10 regions of Ghana. This came after the party had successfully concluded its elections in 275 constituencies to elect polling station and constituency executives. The election of new national executive for the party took place on 01 March 2014. About 5,000 delegates cast their votes at 10 voting centres across the country for 267 candidates who contested the various regional positions.

Friday, 12 September (Deutsche Welle)- Relief, disappointment after Pistorius verdict: High Court Judge Thokozile Masipa concluded handing down her judgment in the Oscar Pistorius trial. She declared him not guilty of murder but instead said the athlete was guilty of culpable homicide. Masipa also found him guilty of handling a firearm recklessly in a public place. She however dismissed two other gun related charges. On 10 December 2014, news broke out from South Africa that Pistorius could be convicted of murder after Judge Masipa granted the prosecution leave to appeal against the verdict.

Saturday/Sunday, 20 & 21 December- The ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) elected its National Officers for four years term in Kumase. In a solidarity message from the Convention People’s Party (CPP) to the NDC, General-Secretary Ivor Greenstreet of the CPP said among other things that apart from glaring bribery and corruption at high levels of governance and public places in Ghana, the Ghanaians are not feeling the much-taunted NDC “Better Ghana Agenda” campaign promise. And that NDC must embrace itself with capable leaders who could manage the party while in opposition in 2017. This prompted rapturous murmurs, hues and cries at all-levels of the NDC political echelons.

Sunday, 28 December- Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo: the leader of the main opposition- the New Patriotic Party (NPP), delivered a speech at Dominion Centre, North London, in the United Kingdom, calling for a new voters’ register ahead of the 2016 general elections as the current register is bloated.

…obviously, this is not exhaustive. So you may respectfully, add more to this compilation.

JusticeGhana

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