CJ threats: NPP accusations are parochial, malicious and wicked - Quashigah

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Category: Politics

Created on Tuesday, 28 June 2011 00:00

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CJ threats: NPP accusations are parochial, malicious and wicked - Quashigah

{sidebar id=10 align=right}The Propaganda Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Richard Quashigah has

denounced claims by a member of the communications team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Samuel Awuku who had accused the NDC of being behind threats against the Chief Justice.

As far as Richard Quashigah is concerned, the accusations from the NPP man are "parochial, malicious and wicked."

Mr Quashigah who was reacting to comments by Mr Awuku who had earlier said the alleged threats on the life of Chief Justice Theodora Georgina Wood was being orchestrated by the NDC, said “the NDC is a very law-abiding party and if indeed we want to embark on anything, we will do so through the right legal process.”

Mr. Awuku had accused the NDC leaders of making dangerous statements that point to the party’s intention to oust the CJ. He recalled comments by the NDC Chairman Dr. Kwabena Adjei who said the judiciary should be cleansed as it had become very corrupt.

But speaking to Joy News’ Dzifa Bampoe on Newsnight Tuesday, Mr Quashigah rejected these claims, describing the accusations as unfounded, and stressed that the NDC has no intention of threatening the life of the CJ as was being peddled.

He said the youth group that has called for the resignation of the CJ do not have any ties with the NDC and therefore cannot be said to be acting on behalf of the party.

Asked whether comments by some leaders of the NDC, including himself that the CJ was superintending a corrupt judiciary and should therefore resign, was not enough evidence that the NDC was scheming to oust the CJ, Mr Quashigah said his were in no way a threat of harm to the CJ.

He said in any case, the comments he made were made in his personal capacity and that he did not speak on behalf of the party.

He however stressed that his comments were not threatening and that the NPP is just chasing its own shadow with such accusations.

The Chief Justice Georgina Wood has reported to the Police alleged threats to her life.

The Police have since invited for questioning members of a group thought to have issued the alleged threat.


Story by Derick Romeo Adogla/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana

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"NDC Will Meet Us Well-Prepared In 2012"

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Category: Politics

Created on Friday, 24 June 2011 00:00

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"NDC Will Meet Us Well-Prepared In 2012"

{sidebar id=10 align=right}The General Secretary of the Opposition New Patriotic Party, Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie says members

of his party will face the NDC squarely, if they attempt to employ any kind of intimidation tactics in the 2012 General elections.

Mr. Owusu Afriyie, popularly called Sir John, said this in an interview with Citi News, in response to a call on the two main political parties, to be circumspect with their statements.

Professor Kojo Yankah, Pro-Vic Chancellor of the University of Ghana, on Thursday June 23, bemoaned recent expressions by leading politicians, which he said threatens Ghana’s democracy and tranquillity.

The distinguished linguistic expert said the phrase “all die be die” used by the New Patriotic Party Flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, and the setting up of a ‘Heroes Fund’ by the NDC, which the party says is meant to assist members who suffer any injuries while undertaking party activities, are bad for Ghana.

Speaking at a public lecture organised by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra on the theme, “Dzi Wo Fie Asem”, Professor Yankah, also condemned the trend where politicians consistently spin expressions and force it down the throats of the electorate.

But Mr. Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, the NPP General Secretary, appears not to see any merit in Professor Yankah’s speech. According to him, the Linguistic Expert misconstrued the “All die be die” statement.

“It appears to be that the Professor took Nana Akufo-Addo’s statement out of context. If you place it in its rightful context, you will know that Nana Akufo-Addo was not calling people to fight nor was he being irresponsible in the statement that he made. What he said for which I understood clearly was the that, we are not as a political party going to sit down and fold our alms at our back, and allow the NDC to steal ballot boxes, to put the fear of the Lord in people by beating and maiming people at the blind side of the Police and nobody says anything. So he warned that if the NDC does that in 2012, then we will defend ourselves. That is the essence of the “all die be die” concept. He is not calling people to go and fight with no provocation whatsoever, but we are not going to allow ourselves to be intimidated. So if that’s what Professor Yankah understood, then we are sorry” he said.

“We are going to ensure that the people who go to put in the ballot papers in the box deserve better. A party like the NDC has set up a “Heroes Fund” stating to the world that they are encouraging their people to go and fight and kill people, steal ballot boxes and that if they get maimed or injured, then they will be protected because there will be a fund for them.

These are irresponsible statements that Kojo Yankah should have spoken to and certainly not the “all die be” concept. With the NDC’s Heroes Fund, we believe that they have something more under their sleeves come 2012, so if they are determined to steal ballot boxes and fight, they will come and meet us well prepared” he warned.



Source: citifmonline.com

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Cape Coast NDC Advises Mills

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Category: Politics

Created on Tuesday, 28 June 2011 00:00

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Cape Coast NDC Advises Mills

{sidebar id=10 align=right}CERTAIN NATIONAL Democratic Congress (NDC) members in the Cape Coast metropolis haveemphasized the need for President John Evans Atta Mills to step down for Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings to lead the party to victory in the 2012 general elections.

According to a group calling itself the NDC Concerned Youth in Cape Coast, Ghanaians needed a change due to the President’s poor performance hence the need for him to step down honorably for his challenger, Nana Konadu to bear the party’s flag in 2012 general elections.

At a press conference organized in Cape Coast over the weekend, the Chairman for the group, Seth Birikorang stated that President Mills should not even waste his time to contest Nana Konadu.

Mr. Birikorang, who is also a branch Chairman at Ebubunko in Cape Coast, expressed concern about the way the Cape Coast Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Anthony Egyir Akins and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cape Coast, Ebow Barton Odro had not been performing calling for their immediate removal.

He added that the youth would stage a heavy demonstration against the President if the two were not sacked within two weeks.

The Chairman alleged that board member of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), Allotey Jacobs, was not a member of the NDC and that the group would soon come out to expose him.

He further alleged that within two years Jacobs had been able to acquire more than ten contracts and was now constructing a hotel opposite Wesley Girls High School.

Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the group, Yusif Baba said President Mills had failed to instruct or apply his authority to discipline those who were destroying the party and the government.

“In our first press conference, we outlined a lot of mishaps going on in the party that are capable of escalating to the detriment of our party but nothing has been done about it although we copied them to the regional and national executives,” he noted.

He revealed that apart from Volta region, which was a strong-hold of the NDC, all the other regions could swing votes in the 2012 elections.

Mr. Yusif indicated that the power struggle within the party was not good since it had given the party a very bad name.

He bemoaned the situation where most of the floating voters who voted for the party in the 2008 elections, were turning their backs on the party because of its poor performance, while the neglect of the party’s foot-soldiers was also affecting the party negatively.

“After careful consideration of the political atmosphere of the moment, we believe Ghanaians really need a change,” he added.


Source: PeaceFM/Sarah Afful, Cape Coast

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'Okudzeto Ablakwa Must Admit He Erred'

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Category: Elections & Governance

Created on Friday, 24 June 2011 00:00

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'Okudzeto Ablakwa Must Admit He Erred'

MP for Okaikoi South and Communications Director of the NPP, Nana Akomea, has told Deputy Information Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa to put to rest the matter of 1.6 million jobs created in the first year of the Mills administration, by accepting that he committed an error.

The figure, originally given by Mr. Ablakwa, was first published in a Daily Graphic edition in March 2010.

{sidebar id=10 align=right}But the claim, which has variously been defended by some government officials, was dealt a heavy blow on Thursday by the Minister for Employment and Social Welfare, Hon. Enoch Teye Mensah, who told Parliament that he was unaware of the 1.6 million jobs.

The Minister, who was in Parliament to answer questions on unemployment rate in the country, asked not to be drawn into what he called the 1.6m jobs “minefield”. “I don’t know about 1.6 million jobs” he said, as more pressure mounted from curious opposition voices like those of Hon Albert Kan Dapaah and Hon Mathew Opoku Prempeh.

He also told the House his Ministry has no current statistics on the unemployment situation in Ghana.

Hon. Nana Akomea believes the debate must be put to rest by a simple acceptance by Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa that he erred in putting out the figure.

“There are some things that you do not need to push. When Sammy told the whole world that he had discovered 1.6million jobs, we told him clearly that it was not possible. And I am sure senior members of the NDC pointed out to him that it was not possible. And I am sure Sammy himself has come to accept that position, because when two three months down the line, when was compiling the top fifty achievements of Government, the 1.6 million jobs did not find a place in the top fifty achievements. So it’s a matter that Sammy should lay to rest. We all make mistakes once a while and this is clearly something that he cannot support” he noted.

“And this is not the first time E.T. Mensah the Minister for Employment has come to Parliament to deny knowledge of the 1.6 million jobs. The first time he came, he said he didn’t know anything about it. This is the second time that he is saying he didn’t know anything about it. So it is not a matter of him requiring notice because he said that eight months earlier. So I take it that it’s a mistake. Sammy was trying to whip up some good news for Government but its not exactly good news so he should just let it rest” he advised.

He said there was no need for Government to rush in coming out with statistics on employment since that would be known when the full results of the recent Population and Housing Census is released.

“We don’t have to continue to pursue this 1.6 million jobs debate because it distracts us.

But Mr. Ablakwa has told Citi News he will readily admit an error in the figures put out, when his sources tell him the figures are incorrect.

“I will be in a hurry to concede as soon as it comes to my notice I made a mistake or if the facts prove otherwise. So far, the breakdown we gave has not been interrogated so I am not in the position to dismiss or doubt what I have been told by these senior officials who have been in the public services for all these years and decades. So I think that we should just spend some time and interrogate what has been given to me to put out and if it emerges that mistakes were made, I will be the first to admit” he noted.

Hon. Akomea has also expressed concern about the Statistical Service’s inability to provide regular data on the unemployment situation in the country.

He urged Government to make funds available to the Statistical Service to make employment survey a central part of their work, to come out with the needed statistics on yearly basis.



Source: citifmonline.com

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