Alan Disowns Drug Convict

….says he is not a core member of his team.

Alan Disowns Drug Convict

Top aides of the Alan Kyeremanteng’s campaign have distanced themselves from Mr. Kofi Dokyi Ampaw, a.k.a Kofi 123 who was jailed 12 years over a drug related offence in the United States of America for his unsavory comments which insiders say fits the description of Nana Akuffo Addo.

Kofi 123 is rumored to have urged party voters to vote for someone who is handsome and not someone who is old and short like a Lilliput.

The distancing is part of efforts by the various campaign teams to guard against such unhealthy utterances from people outside the various core campaign teams who claim association to particular candidates.

Mr. Ampaw, who was fired by TV3 after Enquirer revealed his drug record in the US in 2008 as part of an investigation on how he obtained a huge controversial contract from the Ghana@50 Secretariat during in 2007.

Presently, The Enquirer gathered the man, who until recently was often seen in the company of close allies of Nana Akufo Addo, is in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region perpetuating his use of what some party insiders consider as foul language against other candidates.

But The Enquirer is in firm grip of information that he has incurred the wrath of the Alan campaign team, as the breaks had been pulled on his wheels for talking too much.

According to a highly placed source within the team, key communication members have had cause to raise concerns over the demeanor of Kofi 123.

“Our candidate and, indeed, the core members of his team have always cautioned those who attempt to talk as his supporters.

“Currently, the issue of foul language is gaining very bad grounds and we at this particular camp have decided not to be part of it.

“Therefore, anybody who will like to associate himself or herself with Alan-K should desist from the use of foul language,” the source said.

The source said that based on reports received by the core members of the campaign team, Kofi 123 was given a stern warning to desist from such acts. According to the source, Alan, who is the candidate, always endeavors to meet with the campaign members constantly to discuss the issue to be raised on platform.

“It is quite unfortunate for somebody, like Kofi 123, who is nowhere close to the candidate to behave like that,” the source said.

Asked about his fate if he continues to behave like that, the source said Mr. Ampaw, in the first place, is not a core member of the team and that, if it gets worse, he would be prevented from even supporting Alan K.

“Our move is quite simple and that is to showcase what our candidate has to lead the NPP and any thing apart from that will not be entertained,” the source added.

Kofi 123, who made time in prison in the United States of America for a drug related offence, hit to news in 2007, after he won a dubious contract from the Ghana@50 Secretariat to erect signposts in all the districts in the country, as part of monumental plan for the celebration.

Using his company, 2A Multi-media, he managed to swerve the people who mooted the idea of sending a proposal to the Ghana@50 Secretariat.

After collecting a mobilization fee of over ¢100 million from the Secretariat, he went on a spending spree and ended up in doing shoddy work for the government at the time.

Presently, none of the signposts he erected is visible, as the materials he used for the project were said to be of a poor quality.

At the time his cover was blown, he was the TV3 morning show host, but was promptly asked by the station to take a bow to enable him to purge himself of all allegations made against him. However, he could not, as there were enough evidence that he misconducted himself in connection with the Ghana@50 contract. As part of the game plan to extricate himself from the net, he organized a press conference at the International Press Centre in Accra and publicly wept, but could not tell how he won the contract at the Ghana@50 Secretariat.

POLITICAL PARTIES LAW IN GHANA

POLITICAL PARTIES LAW IN GHANA.
(How effective is the law in our political arena)
feature article
by: Gilbert Amoyaw Sam
This is the five hundred and seventy-fourth act of the parliament of the republic of Ghana entitled the “political act”, 2000. An act to revise the statute on political parties to bring the provisions in conformity with the constitution and to provide for related matters.

Political parties are creatures of law. Therefore, political parties must operate in a manner that honors the law, not to stifle or break it.

A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to attain and maintain political power, or a group of people who share the same ideas about the way the country should be governed.

In Ghana here, there are so many political parties, but we have two party systems, which means that there are two dominant political parties, with extreme difficulty for anybody to achieve electoral success under the banner of any other party.

Participation in a political process is one of the tenets of true liberal democracy. In Ghana, article 55[2] of the 1992 constitution guarantees that every citizen of voting age has the right to join a political party.

A member of a political party is primarily expected to participate in the political process with the aim of lawfully and positively influencing the composition and policies of the government. He is also expected to contribute, financially or otherwise, to the realisation of the core objectives if his party. So far there has been about 20 political parties in Ghana now within the forth republic. They are; CPP, NCP, PCP, NIP, PHP, DFP, DPP, EP, GDRP, GCPP, BNP, NDC, NPP, NRP, NVP, PNC, RPD, UGM, ULP, and the URP. And as time goes on, I know very soon some other political parties will be formed under this particular law of the party’s law.

With the formation of the political party laws, which deals with the founding of political parties, these parties are in the forth republic and are functioning in the country.

Another thing the laws also talks about which is the (section 2) is “participation in politics”, which says that “every citizen of voting age has the right to participate in political activities intended to influence the composition and politicize of the government. But one thing that the law talks about, with even fines, which I think is not really working in out country is the formation of organizations or group outside the political party which has interest in the affairs of a party and its members joining the party as well.

Political parties operate to; participate in the shaping of the political will of the citizenry; disseminate information on political ideas, social and economic programmes of national character; and sponsor candidates for elections to any elective public office except that of District Assemblies or lower local government units, but (only god knows if they do not sponsor candidates for District Assembly elections). Political parties, in performing these functions, are subject to the laws of Ghana. Therefore, a member of a political party is not immune to legal sanctions upon breaching any law in his quest to achieve any political objective, through unlawful means. Unfortunately, some political parties continue to entertain impunity in the Ghanaian society by shielding their undisciplined members from legal discipline.

This attitude has been the bane to Ghana’s smooth political advancement since independence. This article advocates for a change to curtail this untoward conduct. Indeed, our laws should be allowed to whip members of political parties who joke with the law.

In all indications, I think this particular law of the parties is not really working. We have seen groups and organizations which are affiliated to a party. The groups are mostly formed when they are in opposition. Lot of groups have been formed which in one way or the other supports a political party. A group like the Danquah- Institute is an NGO, but it is really clear that that group belongs to the NPP. Another group is the 31st Women’s Movement which is also an NGO but supports the NDC. Lot of other groups have been formed to either support this party or the other. So where is the law now on this?

Another law which I think when given good ear to it will solve some of the conflicts in our country is the “prohibition of ethnic or religious parties”. This is one of the laws which really need to be looked at very carefully. Most of the ethnic conflicts and misunderstanding comes from the ethnic affiliation in our parties. I think this particular law is not working in our party laws. We see political parties being associated with ethnic groups. A typical example of such is the Eve’s and the Ashanti’s (Akans). The eves are associated with NDC and the Ashanti’s to the NPP. The NPP was founded with the spirit of Akans and are typically Akans affiliate, whiles the NDC are the Eves and also the Northern part of the country as well.

This has brought conflicts in most of our ethnic society, with even chiefs and opinion leaders involving themselves in partisan politics. There was an incident that one of the great chief in the country asks his people to vote for a particular party candidate. In Accra here, it was out that one of the chiefs was not invited for a public gathering by the current ruling party because they said they do not recognise him as a chief and he was installed by the previous NPP government. Now I political party is out which has a spiritual leader as its leader has also been registered in the country, with the.

The law also talks about registration of political parties, which says that “A political party shall be registered in accordance with this Act and shall pay in respect of the registration such fees as the Electoral Commission shall by constitutional instrument determine” I know most of our political parties have been registered and has been endorse by the electoral commission. It also says that a political party shall upon registration under the Act be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, may sue and be sued in its corporate name, and shall have the power to acquire, hold, manage or dispose of movable or immovable property and enter into any contract or other transaction as any legal person.

Qualification of founding and executive members of political parties is subject to this Act that, a political party shall have executive and other officers as its founding members shall determine. And its also says that only qualified citizens are to be elected appointed by its members to be elected as members of parliament or as a president. Most of these laws are perfectly working and has been given an eagle eye on them.

Declaration of asserts and expenditure by political parties is also one of the laws of the parties which give them ninety days to submit a written documentation for the declaration of all its asserts and expenditure to the electoral commission. This law is also on tract and working perfectly.

Another law which saw the late Dan Lartey, the founder of the GCPP out from the 2008 general elections, for failing to furnish the commission with the details of the existence and location of its national, regional, district and constituency officers, with their names, titles, and addresses of them. It says “within ninety days after the issue to it of a final certificate of registration, a political party shall furnish the Commission with details of the existence and location of its national, regional, district and constituency offices”. And this should tell you how important this law was or is.

These and some of the laws of the political parties in the country are really working very well, but in all cases there will be some lapses here or there which will hint of or two laws to function as expected, but I know the electoral commission will take a look at this and will work very hard to cover up the lapses in all the laws to promote smooth operation of politics in our country for the betterment of citizens.

Sudanese opposition leader held

Sudanese Islamist opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi -- once President Omar al-Bashir's main ally -- was arrested Saturday night, according to state media and al-Turabi's political colleagues.

State-run Ashorooq network said al-Turabi, head of Popular Congress Party (PCP), was detained after remarks he made in a local newspaper criticizing al-Bashir's regime and its handling of last month's elections.

Ibrahim al-Senousi, PCP deputy, said that security forces raided al-Turabi's house and detained him. His secretary, Awad Babakir, added that, "Armed security forces and intelligence agents arrived in three cars and took Dr. al-Turabi to an unknown location."

Kamal Omar, PCP secretary general said, "the authorities transported al-Turabi to Kober prison in Khartoum for investigation after his arrest around midnight (Saturday)."

Omar also said that military forces took over the PCP newspaper building last night and prevented journalists from entering its premises.

The newspaper's editor-in-chief, Omar al-Imam, said authorities closed the newspaper Saturday night.

CNN could not obtain an official statement from al-Bashir's government on Sunday.

Al-Turabi has been imprisoned a few times within the last few years, the last time in January 2009.

Al-Bashir seized power in a military coup in 1989 together with his then-close ally al-Turabi, who was long thought to be the power behind al-Bashir's regime.

In 2000, the president ousted al-Turabi from his post as parliament speaker and stripped him of his political power. Al-Bashir accused al-Turabi of undermining his power.

Al-Turabi later formed the opposition Popular Congress Party.

The oil-rich African nation has been riven by fighting in Darfur and a civil war between north and south.

Source:(CNN)

Ministers Chastised For Lateness To Function

The late arrival of the Minister of Education and other governmental officials to the prize-giving day ceremony of the Anfoega Senior High School in the Kpando District on Saturday, May 15 incurred the displeasure of the Paramount Chief of Anfoega traditional area, Togbe Tepre Hodo II, who minced no words in chastising them.

The program which should have begun at 9:30 am, started at 1:30pm. The Education Minister, Mr. Alex Tettey-Enyo, the Volta Regional Minister, Joseph Amenowode and the Director of Education, Gabriel Kploanyi, all arrived at 12:11pm. Togbe Hodo castigated government officials and politicians in general for being in the habit of arriving at functions late and thus “distorting the programme and wasting everybody’s time.”

He said that “if the President does not put his foot down to check these attitudes of his ministers and other politicians; they would derail his ‘Better Ghana’ agenda.” Togbe Hodo said “the time has come for politicians to call a spade a spade and not a big spoon, because Ghanaians can no longer be taken for granted by politicians.

He cautioned that if things continued to be done the same way as was done in past, then the Better Ghana agenda that Ghanaians had been promised and were yeaning for would elude them. “We are all talking about leadership and if our politicians continue this way, what type of signals are they sending to the youth? “My chiefs and I disapprove of late start of functions and especially so when no reasons are assigned for the lateness,” the paramount chief said.

He cautioned politicians not to take traditional authorities for granted or they would pay dearly for it. Both the Minister of Education and the Regional Minister apologized to the guests. Mr. Tettey-Enyo said they could not have absented themselves from the function and had to attend at all cost. He said it was not their intention to inconvenience traditional authorities and inconvenience traditional authorities and other dignitaries and invited guests.

Mr. Amenowode said he would not attempt an explanation for arriving late. The occasion which was on the theme: “45-yerars of Community Education. Challenges and the way forward,” was used on commission a bus, a computer laboratory and girls hostel. Mrs. Margaret Krampah, the headmistress of the school, appealed for a boy’s dormitory, administration block, a dinning hall complex, classrooms and staff bungalows to enhance academic work.

Mr. Peter Hayibor, chairman of the Board of Governors, expressed concern about the school’s low enrolment, describing it as a setback in the human resource development of the area and appealed to stakeholders in education to save the situation.

Akufo-Addo shocked by support at Isaac Osei’s constituency

Monday, 17th May: - If there was any doubt about Nana Akufo-Addo’s popularity in the main opposition party, then this cleared it. Subin on Sunday sent a clear message to the party and country, at large, where lies the overwhelming sentiment of the New Patriotic Party.

The filled-to-capacity atmosphere at the Owner Services Auditorium, Subin, Kumasi, was charged with positive excitement on Sunday, May 16, when Nana Akufo-Addo met with Subin delegates to tell his message of hope for victory 2012 to them.

“This is a big shock. We knew Nana was popular among polling station executives in this constituency. But, this is beyond our widest expectation,” Nana Yaw Osafo-Maafo, a member of Nana Akufo-Addo’s Victory 2012 campaign team, said after witnessing the ground swell of support his candidate received at Subin on Sunday.

Nana Akufo-Addo, who is competing for re-election as the presidential candidate of the NPP, also expressed a similar surprise and thanked the delegates for keeping faith with him.

Mr. Isaac Osei is the Member of Parliament for Subin and was thought to have the overwhelming support of his constituency delegates. Mr. Osei is one of five aspirants competing for the 2012 presidential nomination of the New Patriotic Party.

With the Subin constituency chairman, Alhaji Baba Wala, being a leading member of Mr. Osei’s campaign team, and news that most of the 16 constituency officers were in support of their MP’s presidential bid, what was not known was the allegiance of the 485 polling station executives, representing all 97 polling station areas and the 10 electoral area coordinators.

But, on Sunday, the overwhelming majority of the delegates spoke boldly and they spoke in favour of Nana Akufo-Addo.

Sloganeering in twi, they shouted “the one who toils is the one who must reap,” referring to Nana Akufo-Addo’s enduring contribution to the fortunes of the party from its conception.

The resounding message was that, by winning the confidence of 49.77% of the Ghanaian electorate in 2008, Nana Akufo-Addo represents the best hope for the NPP to change the trend of two four-year-terms for a sitting president.

One delegate said they will be electing on August 7, the candidate who has the best chance of winning in 2012, “not one who wants to use 2012 as a launching pad for 2016.”

The delegates said they were aware that while their MP was among those who openly campaigned against the expansion of the electoral college in 2009, Nana Akufo-Addo was the only known presidential aspirant, among the five, who went all out to push for the expansion.

“Unlike the past where only 10 constituency officers and members would pocket some big money and decide who to lead us, today, all of us polling station officers have the vote,” said one Subin delegate, K Agyemang.

“Those who thought we were not good enough to vote now thinks our vote is good enough for them. We shall see!” he added.

The delegates were determined to make it clear to Nana Akufo-Addo that Subin was more than a ‘go-area’ for him.

One delegate screamed to a loud echo of approval from the audience, “the results from Subin on August 7 will tell you we are all for you!”

The NPP will choose its 2012 flagbearer on Aug 7, 2010. The elections will take place simultaneously at 230 centres in all 230 constituencies across the country. The ballots will be counted and results declared at the constituency polling centres.

In a very short and powerful message, Nana Akufo-Addo asked delegates to vote for the name that is on the lips and minds of all Ghanaians today, whether in the market places, households, on the streets or workplaces.

“Some of us campaigned vigorously for polling station executives to have the vote because we know you are the men and women who do the actual door-to-door campaign and who on election day will get our people out to vote,” Nana Akufo-Addo explained.

“We are also aware that you have day-to-day interactions with members of your various communities. You hear what they are saying. You know who they want. So we want you to be the main decision-makers on who you think you can sell the easiest if elected as your presidential candidate,” he said.

Nana Akufo-Addo tasked polling station executives to make good use of the power that has been given them, because “if today, the Ghanaian people are looking up to the NPP to come and salvage our country from the pain and hardships, then they are looking up to you the polling station executives of our party to choose the candidate who can lead you to victory.”

He added, “the larger responsibility of bringing the NPP back into power in 2012 lies on you. For our part, we will do what we have to do, including giving you the resources to do your work effectively.”

The atmosphere in Mr. Isaac Osei’s constituency was not only vibrant but peaceful. He is the only candidate who is a sitting MP. Nana Akufo-Addo, with a 12-year background as an MP, is the only other candidate with any parliamentary experience.

Minority Leader, Mr. Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu, who was in Kumasi at the weekend, expressed the desirability of political parties nominating presidential candidates who have had experience as a legislature or of an elected office holder, as has become the norm in America.

Minority Leader, four ex-ministers to refund GH¢94,00

Five ex-ministers in the Kufuor administration and the current Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, have been ordered to refund a total of GH¢94,080 as overpayment made to them in their ex-gratia computation.

The directive, which follows the Auditor-General's Report on the Verification of Payments of emoluments for ex-ministers and Members of Parliament (MPs), drew an angry reaction from the Minority Leader when the Daily Graphic contacted him for a response.

He dismissed the news as "a childish prank by the NDC government to create disaffection for members of the NPP".

Those ordered to refund the money are Mr Christopher Addae, GH¢ 17,936; Mr Samuel Kweku Obodai, GH¢17,936; Mr Kyei-Bonsu GH¢20,848; Mr Ernest Debrah, GH¢19,424, and Mr Kofi Osei Ameyaw, GH¢ 17,936.

It follows a request by the Office of the President, by a letter dated March 29, 2010, requesting the Auditor-General to conduct an audit verification of Emoluments for Ex-Ministers and MPs to advise on whether there were shortfalls in payments made by the Office of the President, whether there were any overpayments by Parliament and whether there was a basis for reconciliation of the various payments.

Reacting to the Auditor-General's finding, Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu expressed surprise that the affected persons had not been notified but added that it would be interesting to know the basis of the said computation, adding, "We will react appropriately when the details are made available to us."

The Auditor-General, after carrying out the requested verification, submitted that there were no shortfalls in payments made by the Office of the President but that there were some under and over-payments made by Parliament.

That was also dismissed by the Minority Leader, who insisted that each MP was paid about the same amount of gratuity and wondered how "only the five of us could have been overpaid".

"The purpose of this prank is obvious but this cannot intimidate us," he added.

It would be recalled that President John Evans Atta Mills, after the submission of the Ishmael Yamson Report on the emoluments of Article 71 office holders, requested that payments be made to a category of holders who served between January 7, 2005 and January 6, 2009.

It made the categorisation of distribution as follows - four months' consolidated salary for each completed year of service or pro rata to calculate the end-of-service benefit (ESB), installation grant of one month's consolidated salary, and resettlement grant of one month's consolidated salary for each completed year of service.

That request was conveyed to Parliament by a letter dated November 5,2009.

According to the audit report, payments were made to ministers who were not MPs, saying those were paid all their benefits by the Office of the President.

It said ministers who were MPs were paid their ex-gratia by Parliament and their installation and resettlement grants by the Office of the President, while MPs who were not ministers collected their ESB and installation and resettlement grants from Parliament.

The report said the Office of the President paid the ESB and installation and resettlement grants to the 43 ministers who were not MPs, adding that they received the full amounts as calculated by the Office of the President based on the presidential directive.

It said the monthly salaries used for the computation of the ESB of 59 ministers were less than their approved monthly consolidated salaries, thereby resulting in total under-payment of GH¢411,632 being made to 54 of the 59 ministers.

It said the names of five of the 59 ex-ministers appeared again on the list paid by Parliament, although they had had their installation and resettlement grants paid by the Office of the President, stressing that by "this repetition, the five

ex-ministers have been paid the installation and resettlement grant twice".

In respect of the installation and resettlement grant, it said after setting off the under-payments against the over-payments, GH¢648, 710 had been paid to 176 MPs who were not ministers.

"The under-payment and overpayment by Parliament were as a result of the computations not going through any audit verification before being submitted to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning for the release of funds for the payment," the report said.


source: Ghanaweb