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Ayariga Goes Gaga With Coughs & Jokes
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Ayariga Goes Gaga With Coughs & Jokes
The flagbearer of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Hassan Ayariga, made a mess of himself at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) presidential debate as he was struck with uncontrollable bouts of coughs, which analysts believe were not genuine.
Mr. Ayariga’s coughs during the second edition of the IEA debate held for the four presidential candidates with representation in Parliament yesterday evening at the Banquet Hall, State House were mostly disruptive and distracted the flow of proceedings during the debate.
{sidebar id=10 align=right}Curiously, Mr. Ayariga’s explosive coughs only got the better of him when the presidential candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, took his turn to respond to questions from the moderators of the debate, raising questions about the genuineness of his alleged sickness.
This sent wild speculations about the curious coincidence of Mr. Ayariga’s malaise, particularly when it became apparent that whenever he had the chance, he took on the NPP flagbearer.
Instead of talking about what he would do when elected as president, Mr. Ayariga continuously sang the tune of the ruling National Democratic Congress as if the PNC did not have any policy to pursue.
The PNC candidate took issues with the NPP’s free SHS policy and had protested earlier that he was not going to participate in the debate because he was sick.
Eventually, the debate was rescheduled, after which Mr. Ayariga agreed to rescind his decision to boycott the debate.
Woyome Pops Up
Despite the intermittent disruptions, the IEA debate took an interesting turn when the question of corruption was tabled.
The four debaters agreed that institutional strengthening would be needed in solving the corruption menace.
The NPP’s Nana Akufo-Addo cited the infamous Alfred Agbesi Woyome’s GH¢52million judgment debt scandal as a classic example of officially sanctioned corruption.
President John Dramani Mahama of the NDC was not amused by this reference, stating that anybody alleging corruption should be prepared to prove it. “We must not just rumour corruption,” he charged.
He said the issue was about who cancelled the contract leading to the debt and not who had made payment but Nana Akufo-Addo rebutted and said that Ghanaians should be interested in what he called “frivolous payments.”
This stance however contradicts what his party promised in 2008. His predecessor, the late John Evans Atta Mills, told the electorate that if the NDC was voted into power that year, a mere allegation of corruption would be immediately investigated.
John Mills was reacting to the NPP’s stance that allegation of corruption should be properly proved before it was investigated as popularly stated by the then President John Agyekum Kufuor.
The first point of the usual face-off between the NPP and NDC was realized when this topic was being discussed; President Mahama would rather have the issue of the Woyome scandal tackled from the point when the contract was purportedly cancelled by the NPP government. “What causes judgment debt is what we should be tackling.”
According to Kofi Bentil, an Executive Director of popular think-tank IMANI Ghana, “The Woyome case is not about judgment debt, it is about proper fraud.”
Indeed, Mr. Woyome himself has admitted that he did not have a valid contract with the government, hence raising questions about the basis of referring to the Woyome saga as a judgment debt. Nana Akufo Addo completely disagreed with President Mahama’s stance that allegation of corruption of the Woyome scandal should be proved beyond all reasonable doubt.
He described the Woyome judgment debt as “dubious.”
Ghana has dragged Mr. Woyome to court on charges that he fraudulently fleeced the government of the whopping judgment debt. “We have had a series of events that have alarmed our nation, most of course are these very famous dubious judgment debts that have been paid out in the last few years. Large sums of money, payment of which are very questionable and whose basis many people in Ghana question as an example of high level corruption,” stated Akufo-Addo.
According to the PNC candidate, tackling such dubious payment would require measures that would discourage public officials from taking advantage of the judgment debt incidence.
The Organisation
This is the third time the IEA has organised the presidential debates for contestants in the December elections-two for presidential candidates and one for their running mates.
The format was basically the same. There were little changes though in the last round where the contestants were made to sit down instead of standing for the four-hour duration of the programme.
The event was characterised by the usual long preludes to the actual debates. The organisers delivered long speeches which usually turned out to be repetitive.
The Composure
The composure of the presidential candidates was almost the same as the first time they appeared on the IEA platform.
They exhibited a mix of emotions including composures betraying anxiety and a sense of heightened anticipation.
This was expressed in several ways: President Mahama, Dr Abu Sakara of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and Nana Akufo-Addo were generally calm.
However, Hassan Ayariga appeared uneasy as he kept fidgeting and moving uneasily in his seat.
Mr. Ayariga’s responses drew occasional murmurs and uncontrollable laughter from the guests.
When the questions started flying, it became apparent that the candidates of the two major parties-NDC and NPP became the main focus; occasionally, Dr. Sakara’s insightful responses saw a silent approval from the audience.
Source: William Yaw Owusu & Raphael Ofori-Adeniran
No commentsPrez Mahama Orders The Digging Of Nine(9) Graves...Who Are They Waiting For? - Ohene Ntow Asks
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Prez Mahama Orders The Digging Of Nine(9) Graves...Who Are They Waiting For? - Ohene Ntow Asks
{sidebar id=10 align=right}A FORMER General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Ohene Ntow says the decision by the NDC government to order the digging of more graves upon the death of President John Evans Atta Mills has become a curse on the nation.
“I don’t think the steps taken to get the nine graves are the best for the country. It is a taboo…it should not be entertained but must be condemned in no uncertain terms,” he said on Oman Fm, an Accra based radio station Monday.
He said if President John Mahama cannot come out to explain the rationale behind the digging of nine graves then he should order the closure of the rest of them because “it portends a bad omen for the country and its leaders.”
Nana Ohene-Ntow noted that it was not the ordinary person who was to be buried in the graves but rather the country’s leaders. He wants the President to explain why graves should be dug when no leader is dead.
“When you talk about some of these things they take a defensive posture and try to incite the public against you. This is about our lives and our beliefs and we cannot shy away from it.
“All those who believe in God should rise up and pray to the Almighty that none of our leaders die so that the government will decide that he/she should be buried in any of the remaining graves.
“What I am saying is coming from my heart…it is coming from my own spirit. It is a taboo for President Mahama to sanction the digging of nine graves…who are the graves waiting for?
He said that when it comes to the death of any statesman particularly Presidents, family considerations take precedence adding “Be that as it may, the late President Mills was buried at Asomdwee Park but what baffles me is the digging of additional graves, nine or so. I have never understood that decision and I will continue to ask questions.”
“The circumstance leading to the final decision to bury President Mills in Accra was unpleasant but I don’t want to comment further for the sake of the family.
“What happened – that one person dies (Mills) and it leads to the digging of nine graves? What was the significance of that? Is that why our leaders have started dying? We need answers.”
He accused the NDC of making frantic attempts to hijack the funeral of the late former Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, but for the resistance put up by his family.
“When Aliu died, without extensive consultation, they said they were going to bury him there too. Even when Aliu’s final burial place had not been sorted out, Haruna Iddrisu ran to the media to announce that he was to be buried at the Osu Military Cemetery before a government release said it was rather at the Asomdwee Park.”
“Those of us wearing political lenses knew what they were trying to do. They knew that when Aliu’s body was flown to Tamale, it was going to soar the popularity of the NPP that was why they wanted to bury him in Accra against the wish of the family.”
“There is no doubt that it was a political funeral and the NDC wanted to hijack it to score cheap political points.
“They almost did the same thing to Doris Asibi Seidu, NPP MP for Chereponi who died in 2009 and I had to personally fend off the NDC interference.”
“Anytime disaster befalls the nation, the NDC wants to use it for propaganda whether appropriate or inappropriate.”
Source: William Yaw Owusu/D-Guide
Adwoa Safo to receive Nobles Forum Award
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Adwoa Safo to receive Nobles Forum Award
19 November 2012
NPP Parliamentary Candidate for the Dome/Kwabenya Constituency, Lawyer Sarah Adwoa Safo has been nominated to receive the Nobles International Award.
The Award which is the preserve of men and women of immense integrity and character in their chosen fields of endeavor, is an annual event organized by the West African International Magazine, and the West African Nobles Forum, a non-governmental and non-profit making sub-regional think-tank, fashioned after the philosophical society of America, made up of statesmen, legal luminaries, politicians and research fellows.
{sidebar id=10 align=right}Adwoa Safo, a professional lawyer with specialization in Procurement Law was nominated for the award to be honored on the 23rd of November.
Her nomination comes as a result of the immense role she played in the promulgation and the passage of the procurement law and as well as the pioneering role with its implementation as the first female secretary to the committee that drafted the bill.
She worked as the first legal officer of the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) for two (2) years and was very instrumental in the formulation of the proposals that formed the basis for the creation of the Appeals and Complaint Panel of PPA and the change of the name Public Procurement Board to Public Procurement Authority.
Having been at the Bar for seven (7) years, she currently owns a legal firm, AS, AA &CITI - LAW, KANTANKA CHAMBERS which she established in 2009 with her area of specialty, (Public Procurement Law).
In 1999, she became a member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). And in the 2001-2002 academic year at the Faculty of Law, she served as the vice – president of the Law Students Union (L.S.U) and a member of the Judicial Committee and was also a member of the Volta Hall.
In 2008, she contested the Dome – Kwabenya constituency primaries but lost to the incumbent MP, but her commitment and dedication to the party have been unflinching, in spite of the loss. This is a young woman who believes that it is now her turn to serve the people of Dome.
Apart from her impeccable achievements in her chosen field, she has also given much to the society by bringing dignity to many homes by way of supporting them to live decent lives.
Having offered herself for public service to represent Dome/Kwabenya constituency, Adwoa Safo has so far conducted her campaign in a decorous manner; stressing what she will do, should she be given the mandate to represent the people of Dome /Kwabenya in Parliament.
The unique manner which she had her formative education by not going through the formal instructional system and receiving tutorials from home even from cradle through to secondary education, makes her an exceptional achiever in the field of academia.
From: Ghana/Myoyonline.com
STATEMENT: IEA Must Hold Prez Mahama To Task
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STATEMENT: IEA Must Hold Prez Mahama To Task
{sidebar id=10 align=right}For many years now, the NDC and the President have avoided the credible corruption charges against them by AFAG, the media, whistle-blowers and other civil society groups. Today, the IEA has the opportunity to bring the President to respond to these alarming corruption charges.
Ghanaians expect the IEA not to fail in this endeavour.
AFAG on our part wishes the President to respond to these issues and if he fails to respond to them as he has done on many occasions, IEA must bring him to answer them in the interest of national development, accountability, transparency and probity.
AFAG urges the President to tell the nation his fight against corruption, with respect to the following issues;
These are our concerns;
1. On the Alfred A. Woyome scandal, on April, 2010, before the matter was commenced in court Hon. Mould-Iddrisu advised Dr. Kwabena Duffuor to pay two percent (2%) of the total value of the stadia project to Alfred Woyome (a total stranger) and Austro Invest (an unknown company), for an alleged breach of agreement with GoG. On 28th May, Hon. Mould-Iddrisu wrote to Hon. Dr. Duffuor, Finance Minister with a copy to the Chief of Staff that she had negotiated with Alfred Woyome for him to accept the negotiated amount of GH¢41,811,480.59 and that “having regard to the judgement debt against the State, I am of the opinion that we resolve this matter once and for all.”
Our Questions
In the face of these blatant act, why has his government failed to prosecute Mrs Betty Mould Idirissu in accordance with Financial administration Act 2003(Act 654) because at the time of her urges, She had documentary evidence that, Mr Woyome had no contract with the government of Ghana.
2. As of December 2008, the SSNIT Informal Sector had mobilized an amount of GH23, 000,000.00 from contributors. Today, this amount has been transferred from the SNNIT Informal Sector Accounts to a private account operated by Mr Kwame Peprah.
a. AFAG wishes to know the where about of the GH23,000,000.00
b. The action he is taking to settle contributors and retrieve the funds.
3. In the matter of the sale of TRUST BANK shares to ECOBANK,
a. The nation wishes to know why your government would sell a profitable and high performing Ghanaian Bank to Ecobank
(Record of former TRUST BANK: There was no need for the sale. TTB was performing well.
? Though the Bank of Ghana requires a minimum of 60 million Ghana cedis as capitalization for local banks in Ghana, TTB’s capitalization is 125 million Ghana cedis. This means, it is capable of operating 2 more local banks
? TTB was near merging with Home Finance Company (HFC) but this was stopped by the SSNIT board of trustees who were un-comfortable for such expansion
? TTB’s end on year profit in 2010 was 50% over 2009. Net profit in 2010 was 12 million Ghana cedis
? TTB board set a target of 19 million cedis profit in 2011. However, 2011 profit was 23 million Ghana cedis)
b. The nation wishes to know why the shares were sold to Ecobank at GH12.00/share instead of the GH14.00/share as evaluated by PriceWaterHouse Cookers
4. Mr President, the nation wants to know where your party raised USD20, 000,000.00 to build your party’s Ultra-Modern Office Building?
In conclusion, AFAG and the Nation wish that, you respond to these issues accordingly. Failure to do so, AFAG expects the IEA to put these vital issues of concern to Ghanaians.
Signed:
Arnold Boateng
Mutalla Mohamed
Davis Opoku
Dr Nana Ayew Afriyie
NB: Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG), is a pro democracy group in Ghana with an objective of making sure governments are accountable to the citizenry.
Education Watch reacts to Otabil
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12 November 2012
Education Watch reacts to Otabil
{sidebar id=10 align=right}The contents of a press statement read by Pastor Mensa Otabil, General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church at a press conference earlier today has come to our attention.
We wish to place on record that we have deep respect for Pastor Otabil and are mindful of the enormous contribution he has made over the years towards the spiritual upliftment of Ghanaians through his inspirational messages. We also take note of the significant investments Pastor Otabil has made in education through the setting up of a University and other charities aimed at assisting the needy in society.
Though Pastor Otabil did not mention us by name, we are constrained to clarify a number of issues he raised in view of the fact that we are the only organization which has sponsored advertisement in which Pastor Otabil’s statements featured.
Education Watch is a non-profit organization committed to deepening public awareness of electoral issues. In light of the many promises that have been broken by both the NDC and NPP since 1992, we deem it necessary to encourage public scrutiny of campaign promises in this electoral season in order to ensure that Ghanaians do not fall prey to deceptive promises couched purposely for electoral victory.
A case in point is the Free SHS program being touted by Nana Akufo Addo. Upon careful analysis of the proposal we came to the conclusion that there are too many gaps and inconsistencies in that particular promise. We also believe that beyond seeking to capture the votes of unsuspecting Ghanaians, that promise will not resolve the many problems within our educational system. This explains why we have sponsored advertisements both on Television and Radio to expose serious inconsistencies in the figures put out by leading NPP functionaries relative to the cost of the program.
With regards to the Pastor Otabil tape, we note that Pastor Otabil did not state his position on Free Education at the press briefing. We however wish to state that Education Watch was not the source of the voice recording in question. In deed the existence of the recording was first reported by the media. Upon hearing the recording we took steps to obtain the full version which confirmed that the voice on the recording was that of Pastor Otabil.
We were convinced after listening to the entire recording that it was relevant to the current debate on education in spite of the fact that it was made years ago. We then took relevant portions of his sermon to illustrate our position on Akufo Addo’s SHS promise as it would have been impractical to use the entire tape due to time and resource constraints. It is therefore erroneous for anyone to suggest that we have doctored his comments for parochial purposes.
Nowhere in the advertisement we have sponsored did we create the impression that Pastor Otabil’s comments were recent. In any event we are of the belief that the time that something was said is immaterial in this context.It is the import and truthfulness of the statements that matter.
We are sure that based on biblical injunction Pastor Otabil has spoken out against wrongdoing such as murder, adultery and other sins. Is it to be understood from Pastor Otabil’s statement today that because the Bible was written two thousand years ago, his messages against sin founded on biblical injunction should be ignored?
On the issue of seeking permission before rebroadcasting messages which he preached publicly, we note that Pastor Otabil over the years has based his sermons on the Bible and we do not believe that before quoting relevant parts of the Bible to buttress his messages he seeks permission from its authors.
We are also at a loss at the suggestion by Pastor Otabil that by playing back his words in an advertisement, we have attacked his person or his integrity. Anyone who has heard the advertisement in question will bear witness that nowhere did we question or attack Pastor Otabil’s integrity or person. Also in putting out the advertisement we had not accused Pastor Otabil of any wrong doing. It can therefore not be described as defamatory, unethical, criminal, malicious, Machiavellian or evil as he puts it.
In fact the only thing that comes close to being defamatory, unethical, criminal, malicious, Machiavellian and evil is the falsehood which was spread by NPP operatives in 2008 to the effect that a hit list which had Pastor Otabil’s name had been drawn up by the NDC with a view to murdering such persons when it came to power.
We recall that when this wicked lie became topical, Pastor Otabil did not find it prudent to condemn what was clearly an attempt to sow seeds of fear in the Ghanaian public for electoral advantage by a “marauding” and bullying force. Pastor Otabil stated at today’s press encounter that he kept silent on that matter.
We wish to ask whether in keeping quite then he did not allow a sinister force, a force of impunity, a force of treachery and a force of evil to prowl our nation? Did Pastor Otabil allow evil to triumph in 2008?
We wish to express our disquiet at the veiled suggestion by Pastor Otabil that we are surrogates of President Mahama and therefore he should rein us in. We find that attack on President Mahama at our instance most unfortunate. How can President Mahama take responsibility for the actions of Education Watch which like Pastor Otabil is not affiliated to any political party?
We are equally alarmed at Pastor Otabil’s admission that he does not comment on matters arising out of our politics because he may be tagged when he does so. We are alarmed because to take such a position will amount to shirking his responsibility as a revered man of God to speak out against wrongdoing in society as did the early Apostles who at the peril of their lives spoke out against evil.
In conclusion we wish to make clear that we stand by our advert as we are of the opinion that Pastor Otabil spoke the truth. We will in the coming days pay for the entire message to be played on media outlets in order to settle this matter once and for all.
Agbezuge Kofi Doe-Lawson
Executive Secretary – Education Watch Ghana
(02081276227/0288257287)