Day: December 18, 2023

A total of 77 candidates have filed to contest in the District Level Election (DLE) in the Keta Municipality on Tuesday, December 19.

The figure consists of 73 males and four females from 22 electoral areas.

Mr Erasmus Kpodo, the Returning Officer for the Keta Central Electoral Area, told the Ghana News Agency that they were prepared to execute their mandate on Tuesday.

‘The EC office is fully prepared for Tuesday’s task and I believe the candidates and voters will live up to expectation,’ he said.

‘We just finished organising a successful platform mounting for all candidates across the entire municipality, and we hope people will come out in their numbers to vote.’

The four females would contest at the Kedzikofe, Dzelukofe Amugo, and Dzelukofe Afugo electoral areas.

For the unit committee elections, 169 candidates would be contesting, comprising 149 males and 20 females.

This DLE is to elect assembly members and their unit committee members into the various metropolitan, municipal, and district assem
blies across the country.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) has expressed concern over a proposal by the Electoral Commission (EC) to change the closing of voting time from 17:00 hours to 15:00 hours in the upcoming 2024 general election and subsequent ones.

The GFL urged the EC to provide further and better particulars about the intended amendments to the electoral system, especially on voting.

A statement jointly signed by Mr. Abraham Koomson and Mr. Caleb Nartey, Secretary General and President, respectively, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Tema, noted that ‘the EC has so far not provided any convincing scientific justification for the reduction of the voting period from 10 hours to eight hours.

The GFL strongly kicks against the reduction of the voting hours, describing it as a ‘dangerous experiment’ in the upcoming election.

According to the GFL, 2024 elections were crucial as stakes were high and tied to the peace and security of the country.

‘A presidential winner in Ghana must obtain not less than 50 percent pl
us one of the total valid votes, which means every vote counts.

‘But when a system is created for potential confusion on an election day, whereby potential electorates, mostly first-time voters, may have to struggle to find their polling stations, this plan to close at 15:00 hours could potentially disenfranchise thousands,’ the GFL noted.

According to the GFL and the EC, the electorates and the political parties, and stakeholders, must learn lessons from Election 2008, when

Ghana narrowly escaped political turmoil because, at one point, the results were too close to call.

‘It’s also our understanding that political parties were not thoroughly consulted by the EC on the proposed amendment on the closure of voting decisions. This suggests there is no buy-in yet.

‘We have followed publications indicating stakeholders, including the ruling party, are already expressing skepticism.

‘In view of the existing controversy over the handling of the 2020 general election and the potential impact on how parties rea
ct towards the pending elections,’ the GFL stated.

The GFL called for immediate roundtable consultations with critical stakeholders, including the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), governance think-tanks, and CSOs, to scrutinise the EC’s assessment with reference to realities in difficult-to-reach communities.

The broad stakeholder consultation must also scrutinise the EC’s recent data-capturing measures, especially the potential chaos over the location of polling stations by those recently captured during the limited voter registration process.

The GFL also called for issues on the outstanding registration exercise and clarion calls to expand centres for easy identification of polling stations and voting centres.

The GFL also stated that the application of indelible ink to check multiple votes must continue until sole reliance on verification devices is proven to be effective and the process is acceptable to stakeholders.

The Federation called on the EC to abandon its plan to use the upc
oming district elections for another level of piloting because of the potential incredibly low turnout, which will not reflect realities expected during general elections, as in the case of 2024, in which stakes are exceedingly high.

The GFL also urged the EC to critically consider vote patterns in difficult-to-reach areas where declarations of results always delay-cases of late starts or queues after 17:00 hours-and guarantee to address causes to ensure potential votes from such areas are not lost out.

The federation also called on the EC to revert to Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) structures and conventions with guarantees to build confidence to enhance buy-ins into reforms.

‘Our Federation strongly believes the Commission is fully aware of the polarised political environment and accusing fingers pointed at it for some actions that many see as unconstitutional, depriving electorates of their legitimate rights amidst suspicions of biases influenced by some controversial appointments,’ the GFL said.

According to GFL, ‘it is our hope that, at this crucial stage in our democratic dispensation, we do not make avoidable mistakes and build lost confidence in the electoral system to sustain the peace we enjoy today.’
Source: Ghana News Agency

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has explained to Parliament his decision not to assent to the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023, the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill Number Two, 2023 and the Ghana Armed Forces Amendment Bill 2023.

The President, in a letter to Parliament, which was read out to the House by Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, cited financial implications for not assenting to the Bills.

He said upon a thorough review of the relevant constitutional and legislative frameworks, specifically Article 108 of the Constitution and Section 100 of the Public Financial Management Act 2016 (Act 921) it was evident that the Bills introduced as Private Member’s Bills by the Honourable Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu, do not conform with the provisions of the Constitution.

The Armed Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeks to amend relevant Sections of Act 29 and the Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105) to replace the Death Penalty with life imprisonment whereas the Criminal
Offences (Amendment) Bill Number Two, 2023, seeks to abolish the Death Penalty.

On the other hand, the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeks to proscribe witchcraft accusations.

The President said those Bills, which abolished the Statutory Death Penalty and Criminalised the activities of witch doctors or witch-finders entailed substantial financial obligations on the Consolidated Fund and other public funds of Ghana, due to the projected costs related to imprisonment, sustenance and healthcare for those who would be convicted under the Bills when they became laws.

The Bills were passed by the House in July 2023 and presented by to the President in August and November this year for his assent.

However, the President, after holding a discussion with the Speaker on the Bills at the former’s office on 28th November, issued a letter to Parliament, dated 28th November, informing the House of his inability to assent to the Bills.

The President, in his second letter, noted that Article 106(8) states: ‘
Where the President refuses to assent to a bill, he shall within 14 days after the refusal state in a memorandum to the Speaker any specific provisions of the Bill, which in his opinion, should be reconsidered by Parliament, including his recommendation for an amendment if any’

‘Article 108: states that Parliament shall not, unless the bill is introduced or the motion is introduced by, or on behalf of, the President-

(a) proceed upon a bill including an amendment to a bill, that, in the opinion of the person presiding, makes provision for any of the following-

(i) the imposition of taxation or the alteration of taxation otherwise than by reduction; or

(ii) the imposition of a charge on the Consolidated Fund or other public funds of Ghana or the alteration of any such charge otherwise than by reduction; or

(iii) the payment, issue or withdrawal from the Consolidated Fund or other public funds of Ghana of any money not charged on the Consolidated Fund or any increase in the amount of that payment, issue or
withdrawal; or

(iv) the composition or remission of any debt due to the Government of Ghana; or

(b) proceed upon a motion, including an amendment to a motion, the effect of which, in the opinion of the person presiding, would be to make provision for any of the purposes specified in paragraph (a) of this article.’

‘Therefore, in the light of this significant Fiscal Impact, these Bills should not have been introduced without prior fiscal impact analysis nor without my initiation or on my behalf,’ the President said.

He noted that the absence of such analysis precluded those Bills from being properly classified as Private Member’s Bills.

He said the legislative power entrusted to the Parliament came with the responsibility to ensure that all enacted laws complied with the constitutional provisions safeguarding the nation’s fiscal integrity and upholding the principles of governance.

‘Mr Speaker, it is for the above reasons that I, in preserving the sanctity of the Legislative process, refused to assent to
the Bills,’ President Akufo-Addo said.

‘I take this opportunity to reiterate my support for the contents of the Bills and my intention for them to be reintroduced in Parliament on my behalf in due course.’

Speaker Bagbin, on his part, disagreed with the President’s opinion on the matter and promised to present his statement to the House within this week, after which the House could debate it.

The Speaker did not allow Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, the Majority Leader and Leader of Government Business, to make his remarks concerning the statement.

He noted that all members of the House would be allowed to comment on it after he had delivered his statement within the week.
Source: Ghana News Agency

A total of 64 women have filed to participate in the upcoming District Level Election (DLE) in all 14 districts of the Western Region.

This represents 5.3 per cent of the total number of 1,198 candidates standing for the elections.

For the unit committee elections, 382 women, accounting for 11.2 per cent, and 3,018 men are contesting.

Mr Lan Kwame Tugbenu, the Deputy Western Regional Director, National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said the figures gave a snail pace achievement on the Sustainable Development Goals on Gender Equality and the need for men to support women to take up such higher offices to contribute to national development.

The Goal-Five of the SDGs says Gender Equality was not only a fundamental human right but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.

Though there had been progress over the last decades, the world is not on track to achieving gender equality by 2030.

Mr Tugbenu said the Commission had u
ndertaken numerous education on the need for women’s voices to be heard in all aspects of society and prayed that those goals would be realized in no time.

He said many citizens had also expressed concern over the voting days in the country, particularly on the 2024 general election, which would coincide with the Sabbath and thus may prevent certain religious sects from participating in the process.

‘What the people are asking for is a definite day be it a holiday or not to enable them to exercise their franchises,’ he said.

Mr Tugbenu advised voters to take along their voter identify cards to the polling stations on Tuesday, December 19, from 0700 to 1700 hours to cast their ballots.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in the Dormaa West District of the Bono Region, has engaged various groups to whip up their interest in the upcoming District Level Elections.

The NCCE met artisans, Faith-Based Organisations and Community-Based Organisations among other youth groups to educate them on the need to turn-out massively to vote in the DLEs scheduled for Tuesday, December 19.

Mr Emmanuel Attah, Dormaa East NCCE Director, said the exercise was aimed at encouraging the people to participate in the impending elections since it was their civic duty as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution.

He said it was imperative for the electorates to consider the election relevant as it was a gateway to development in their communities.

‘We must attach all seriousness to the assembly elections because it will help us to decide who leads our communities to speak on our behalf during assembly meetings to seek development,’ he added.

Mr Attah also educated them on how to properly put their thumbpr
ints on the ballot papers to help reduce the number of spoilt and rejected ballots.

He advised the people to desist from engaging in activities that could compromise the peace and stability in their communities before, during and after the elections.
Source: Ghana News Agency

The Electoral Commission (EC) says it will not conduct the upcoming District Level Elections (DLEs) in 23 Electoral Areas and 83 polling stations in the Upper West Region because aspirants in those areas are going unopposed.

The EC said there were a total of 293 electoral areas and 1,222 polling stations in all 11 constituencies of the region.

Three electoral areas each in the Wa, Jirapa, and Sissala East Municipalities will not participate in the elections.

Seven electoral areas in the Nadowli-Kaleo District, two each in the Nandom and Sissala West Districts, and one each in the Wa East, Lawra, and Lambussie districts would not also take part in the election.

Mr Osman Ali, the Upper West Regional Director of the EC, revealed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview in Wa on Monday on the readiness of the Commission on the election scheduled for December 19, 2023.

He explained that plans were advanced for the conduct of the DLEs in all participating electoral areas in the region.

Mr Ali said
the electoral materials and logistics, security, and human resources were all ready for the exercise.

Speaking about the Biometric Verification Devices (BVDs) for the election, the Regional EC Boss indicated that all polling stations had spare BVDs and a fully charged power bank to cater for any unforeseen emergencies that might arise with the BVDs during the exercise.

He said security personnel had been deployed to all the areas where there would be elections.

‘We need the cooperation of all to make the election successful devoid,’ he indicated and entreated all eligible voters to participate in the election.

A total of 730 people had filed to contest for the District Assembly elections with 24 of them being females, while 1,897 candidates including 64 females had filed nominations to contest in the Unit Committee elections in the Upper West region.

Mr Ali said the EC had recruited and trained a total of 3,417 officials to ensure smooth, professional, and efficient conduct of the elections.
Source: Ghan
a News Agency

Water crisis in Adjen-Kotoku in the Ga West Municipal Assembly will be resolved when I am given the nod as the Assemblymember, Mr Jonas Malm Newlove Mohammed Odartei, alias Agoogo, Assembly member aspirant for the Area has said.

Mr Odartei was speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview ahead of the polls.

He said he would liaise with the Landlords’ Association in the area and with Ghana Water Company’s support connect pipe borne water to their homes, which had already started by Rush Company, manufacturer of drinks and other products, from Medie to Cafeè Junction.

The aspirant said government had also put in place water reservoirs out of which few people had access, adding that he would use his office to help connect many to the project to solve their water challenges.

Mr Odartei is contesting the seat with two others -Mr Francis Botwe and Madam Breatrice Kafui Badasu.

The incumbent, Mr Henry Chantei, is not contesting again.

Aside solving the water supply challenge, Mr Odartei has education, se
curity, sanitation, health, poverty reduction, among others as his priorities.

In his manifesto, Mr Odartei promised extending LEAP to many more aged.

He promised to provide free vacation classes every three months for final year students of Junior High School, Senior High School as well as those learning vocational skills.

For healthy citizens, the aspirant promised keeping the environment tidy by providing dustbins at vantage points, and cleaning exercises that would also create employment.

He said he would also organise free health screening as well as organise football matches to promote unity.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr. Joseph Korto, the National Dean of Presiding Members, is seeking to represent the people of the low-cost electoral area in Tema Community for the sixth time at the Tema Metropolitan Assembly.

Mr. Korto, who is the longest assembly member in the country, is currently serving his fifth term and doubles as the TMA presiding member.

After 20 years of being an assemblyman for the same electoral area, Mr. Korto told the Ghana News Agency that he was contesting for the sixth time because the youth and many residents appealed to him to contest as he was their only hope.

He said, ‘The majority of the area members and the youth came to me to go again; it is not true that one of the candidates is poised to unseat me.’

On what extra vision he has for the area after serving for so long, he said he would continue his good works that have attracted people by making sure the area was well lit.

According to him, over the years he has used his position to lobby and assist the youth to get employment, adding that he h
as also lobbied contractors working outside Tema to construct drains and streets for the area.

Through his leadership over the years, the only public school in the area, the Redemption Basic School, now has a Junior High School adding that every year he also provided the final pupils with exam logistics to aid them in their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

He said he used his position to mobilise money to pay for two heart surgeries for his residents, adding that a 12-year-old girl was also waiting for hers to be done.

Mr. Korto said his position as the Presiding Member of TMA saw to it that Assembly processes, rules, and regulations for the General Assembly Meeting and Sub-Committee Meeting, among others, were duly followed.

He said he ensured that the Metropolitan Chief Executive and the Metropolitan Coordinating Director followed the timetable and moved in the directions that would keep the TMA at the top of the league table, as well as mobilise revenue for the development of the metropo
lis.

He said his achievements as the national dean of presiding members included the presentation of citations to all 261 presiding members across the country for their work done during the current assemblies.

He added that he was also able to lobby the people to vote for a council of state members who would help the president achieve his intended vision and aims for the country.

He said that, as part of his achievements, he was integral to solving several misunderstandings between assembly members and their district assemblies across the country.

According to him, with his position, he was able to put the name of Tema, which is the centre of the world, onto the world map, as any time his name was mentioned, TMA also came up.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin has informed Parliament that he disagrees with the decision of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo not to assent to the abolition of death penalty/witchcraft bills.

The Speaker said he would within this week deliver a statement to the House on the issue, after which the House could debate on the matter.

The Speaker made the remarks in his statement on the floor of Parliament after reading out to the House, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s letter.

Speaker Bagbin admitted that the President invited him to discuss the matter concerning the Bills; saying ‘And when he raised this, I told him (the President) that I completely disagree with him, and I gave my reasons’.

The President in the said letter to Parliament explained his decision not to assent to the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill 2023, the Criminal Offences Amendment Bill Number 2, 2023 and the Ghana Armed Forces Amendment Bill 2023, citing financial implications for not assenting to the Bills.

Presiden
t Akufo-Addo said upon a thorough review of the relevant constitutional and legislative frameworks, specifically Article 108 of the Constitution and Section 100 of the Public Financial Management Act 2016 (Act 921) it was evident that the Bills introduced as Private Member’s Bills by the Honourable Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis-Xavier Kojo Sosu, do not conform with the provisions of the Constitution.

The Armed Forces (Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeks to amend relevant Sections of Act 29 and the Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105) to replace the Death Penalty with life imprisonment whereas the Criminal Offences (Amendment), Bill Number Two, 2023, seeks to abolish the Death Penalty.

On the other hand, the Criminal Offences (Amendment) Bill, 2023, seeks to proscribe witchcraft accusations.

The President said these Bills, which abolished the Statutory Death Penalty and Criminalizes the activities of witch doctors or witch-finders entail substantial financial obligations on the Consolidated Fund and other p
ublic funds of Ghana, due to the projected costs related to imprisonment, sustenance, and healthcare for those who would be convicted under the Bills when they became laws.

The Bills were passed by the House in July 2023 and presented to the President in August and November this year for his assent.

But the President after holding a discussion with the Speaker on the Bills at the former’s office on 28th November, issued a letter to Parliament dated 28th November, informing the House of his inability to assent to the Bills.
Source: Ghana News Agency

Dr. Sam Ankrah, an Independent Presidential Aspirant and leader of the Alternative Force for Action (AFA), has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of appropriating his apprenticeship training programme without credit.

He alleged that key components of his proposed economic strategies had been integrated by the NDC without his acknowledgment.

This is contained in a press release from the Group copied to the Ghana News Agency.

According to the statement, the NDC during a town hall meeting at Ellembelle, Western Region, announcd the establishment of a National Apprenticeship Training Programme to provide free skills training for Junior High School graduates, who could not progress to the Senior High School level.

The statement claimed that it was appropriated from a ten-point agenda outlined by the Group’s leader in his media engagements.

‘This ten-point agenda focuses on crucial areas such as Affordable Housing, Healthcare, Education, Food, Fuel, Transportation, and a robust anti-corruption sta
nce to establish an Affordable Business Environment,’ the statement added.

According to the statement, AFA’s apprenticeship policy entailed the integration of hands-on training in a specific occupation with academic instruction.

The statement said the duration of the training would range from two to five years depending on the individual’s level and would be implemented nationwide.

The statement added that the trainees would undergo self-mutation upon graduating in order to establish themselves as trainer managers.

‘The government would provide financial compensation for apprentices’ salary, thus granting enterprises the benefit of unpaid employment to facilitate corporate growth and the pursuit of further prospects.

‘This concept will generate economic prosperity, foster the expansion of local enterprises, and contribute to alleviating the significant unemployment gap,’ the statement said.
Source: Ghana News Agency