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I know how to do it, Akufo-Addo doesn’t, that’s why I’m coming back – Mahama

By
Ellis Ferdinand
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0

Former President John Dramani Mahama has said the launch of the 2020 manifesto of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Monday, 7 September 2020, will provide Ghanaians with the answers they have been seeking about why he is running for President again even though he has been there before.

“In a sense, our manifesto will provide the answer, but it will be a collective answer, coming from all the fabulous NDC members and supporters, men and women, who participated in its formulation”, the flagbearer of the NDC said in a statement, adding: “In all honesty, I didn’t take the decision to run for a second term as President neither easily, nor quickly. I didn’t jump into it. I did it out of a sense of urgency, after I began to contemplate more and more thoroughly about our vulnerabilities as a nation”.

Mr Mahama said: “I run for President because I want to leave a legacy: a solid infrastructure, with 100% access for all. With this legacy, we will build a truly developed Ghana, on a par with the advanced nations”.

“I know how to do it, part of it I’ve already accomplished, and since I know how to do it and the current government doesn’t, I feel I have the moral duty to ask for a second term”, he noted.

He added: “This is not about me, it’s about Ghana and Ghanaians”.

Read Mr Mahama’s full pre-manifesto launch statement below:

John Mahama speaks ahead of 2020 Manifesto

My brothers and sisters,

On Monday, we will launch our manifesto for 2020.

Let me take this opportunity to offer some personal reflections on the political substance of this manifesto.

You offered me the humbling chance to serve you from the highest offices in Ghana – first as Vice-President, for four years, and then as President for another four years. For this, I will forever be grateful, and I will fight for your wellbeing, for your hopes and for your rights with all my strength for the rest of my life.

But since I have already been there, why run again? I know many of you ask this question – sometimes openly, sometimes in silence. Why run again? It is a fair question, and it deserves a fair, personal answer.

In a sense, our manifesto will provide the answer, but it will be a collective answer, coming from all the fabulous NDC members and supporters, men and women, who participated in its formulation.

In all honesty, I didn’t take the decision to run for a second term as President neither easily, nor quickly. I didn’t jump into it. I did it out of a sense of urgency, after I began to contemplate more and more thoroughly about our vulnerabilities as a nation.

No country can aspire to become developed; no society can be truly resilient in the face of crisis and adversity without a solid economic and social infrastructure.

To create sustainable and ever-growing prosperity – something we all deserve – it requires building a robust social and economic infrastructure, one that supports creativity, innovation and the production of high value-added products and services.

This is precisely why, during my Presidency, I took aggressive steps to develop and consolidate our healthcare infrastructure, our educational infrastructure, our transport infrastructure and our digital infrastructure. This is the only way to build a resilient nation. Without creating and consolidating a developed infrastructure, no nation can resist global shocks.

Unfortunately, this current government has refused to continue on this path and therefore failed to make our nation less vulnerable and more resilient.

Let me give you just one example: access to electricity. In 2012, 69.2% of Ghanaians had access to electricity. In 2016, when I left office after my first term as President, 79.3% of Ghanaians had access to electricity. A 10 percentage points increase in 4 years. When I left the office, I was confident that a new government will deliver 90%, if not 100% access to electricity in the next four years.

However, the NPP government increased overall access to electricity from 79.3% to only 82.3%, a mere 3 percentage points increase.

It is our sacred mission to turn Ghana into an advanced nation as soon as possible! It is our moral obligation to be bold and to aim for greatness!

“Good enough” is no longer good enough! To prosper and thrive, we need fundamental change! We need to set our standards and expectations far higher than “good enough”! If we settle for “good enough”, we settle for a slow death of our very soul and of our pride.

I run for President because I want to leave a legacy: a solid infrastructure, with 100% access for all. With this legacy, we will build a truly developed Ghana, on a par with the advanced nations.

I know how to do it, part of it I’ve already accomplished, and since I know how to do it and the current government doesn’t, I feel I have the moral duty to ask for a second term.

This is not about me, it’s about Ghana and Ghanaians.

This is what Monday’s manifesto is about.

This is why I encourage all of you to watch the launch ceremony.

God bless Ghana! God bless each and every one of you!

Source: Class FM

It’s not a competition – Dele Momodu unfazed by NDC delay of manifesto

By
Ellis Ferdinand
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0

Nigerian business mogul and a staunch supporter of the Mahama administration, Chief Dele Momodu has dismissed suggestions that the deferment of the NDC’s manifesto ahead of the elections may affect the party’s chances.

The week-long delay of the launch of the opposition National Democratic Congress’ manifesto was largely jumped on and became a subject of mockery by the incumbent party, the NPP and several other people.

Among other things, some stakeholders described the postponement of the manifesto as proof that the NDC was not ready to lead the country.

In their defence, however, National Organiser of the NDC, Joshua Akamba, disclosed that the party’s manifesto release was stalled because the council of elders had to agree to all the policies therein.

“we are meeting with the council of elders together with the NEC members to be able to agree on the many policies,” he noted in an interview on Angel FM.

Reacting to the development, Chief Momodu maintained that there was no need to rush to put out the manifesto since it was not a competition.

Citing a similar move by the opposition party in announcing former president Mahama’s Running mate, he noted that he believed the launch of the NDC’s manifesto will create the same stunning effect.

“…there’s no worry. It’s not a competition. It’s the same way people were complaining that he didn’t pick a running mate early…. He took his time and when the vice presidential candidate came out, nobody could fault him. There was wild excitement everywhere, nobody could fault him,” Chief Dele noted in an exclusive interaction with GhanaWeb’s Laud Harris Adu Asare.

“…I’m sure by the time it comes out they will be able to say, it is not just about manifesto; this is what we have done before. You know that we have the track record, when we say we’re going to build road, we build it. When we say we’re going to build hospital we build it… when we say we’re going to build airport, we’ll build it. So that track record, if I were in their shoes I will really hammer on it,” he added.

Meanwhile the National Democratic Congress has indicated that it will outdoor the manifesto on Monday, September 7 after the previous set date of August 28.

National Communications Officer of the party, Sammy Gyamfi intimated that the 2020 manifesto will offer the citizenry policies based on truth and transformation.

“This is a manifesto filled with well thought out and truthful policies and programmes that will be delivered by the former President Mahama and supported by his running mate, Prof. Jane Opoku-Agyeman when elected. So, we the [NDC] are not going to tell lies to the people of this country or make promises we don’t intend to keep,” he noted in an interview with GhanaWeb.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Kwabena Agyapong and Nana Akomea to salvage NPP 2020 campaign

By
Ellis Ferdinand
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0

The Herald, has picked up reports that former General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Kwabena Agyei Agyapong, will this week join the Akufo-Addo 2020 campaign, as reports suggest panic in the ruling party as well as the Akufo-Addo government with bigwigs being afraid of a defeat.

I’m ready to behave like Kennedy Agyapong if you try me – Vim Lady warns

By
Ellis Ferdinand
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0
Ghanaian journalist, Afia Pokuaa aka Vim Lady

Outspoken Ghanaian journalist, Afia Pokuaa, popularly known as Vim Lady has sent a solid warning to party footsoldiers and certain individuals who like to verbally attack journalists when they question them about politics.

According to Afia Pokuaa, she’s had enough, and she is ready to face squarely anybody who insults her.

Speaking during her show on Okay FM, Vim Lady explained that some people believe they are uneducated because they communicate in the local dialect, however, the same people are scared of Afia Schwarzenegger and Kennedy Agyapong because they don’t spare those who offend them.

Check This Out: Greed, love for money reason why smaller parties have not merged – Advocate

She went on to disclose that she is ready to verbally attack anybody who finds it cool to insult her.

Watch and read excerpts of what she said below:

This year I’m ready. If you like send your nonsense messages. Like President Mahama said, nobody has a monopoly over violence, for us, we will not fight, for us, nobody has monopoly over spewing nonsense. We’ve been quiet for long because we are public figures but for now, if you spew nonsense, we will reply in the similar fold. That’s why you’re afraid of Afia Schwarzenegger and Kennedy Agyapong because if you try them, they will not let you go scot-free. We will all go that line.

You Ghanaians who we are seeking accountability and transparency are the same who attack the media. It will get to a point no journalist will ask any questions. They will just keep quiet and watch. Politicians will take you people for granted forever. The more you insult Journalists, the more we will shut the hell up and bloody stop talking. When you people watch BBC and CNN and you see Christiane Amanpour and Stephen Sackur and they are drilling politicians, you’re happy about that and say they are bold but when you do same in Ghana, you are told you don’t like the politician.

Check This Out: NDC’s Manifesto is the will of the People -Prof. Naana Opoku Agyemang

Do you think if we are not qualified we would have been sitting behind the microphone? The most painful thing is that because some of us speak the local language, you people think we are empty. If we should publish our CVs, like you will know that we are more qualified than some of your Ministers, we are bloody qualified than some of them but you feel that it’s ok to insult us the ones who are seeking for accountability for you. I say the more you insult us, the more we will decide not to speak.”

Source: Peace FM

 

Manasseh goes hard on Akufo-Addo for asking ‘all knowing’ neutrals to fight Mahama

By
Ellis Ferdinand
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0

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo could not hide his feeling of disappointment in the Catholic Bishops’ Conference over their silence on what he considers to be an ethnocentric comment by an NDC member of parliament which was amplified by John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the opposition party when they called on him at the Flagstaff house On Friday, September 4, 2020.

Not only did the furious Akufo-Addo hit out at the group of respected clergymen and other independent institutions and personalities but he also directed some verbal missiles into the camp of his opponents for dabbling in tribal politics ahead of the elections.

Check This Out: Mahama gave Ghana’s Bauxite to his brother but Akufo-Addo changed narrative – Samira Bawumia

The president in his tirade made known his expectations of the groups which is to call out members of both parties who act in ways which do not auger well for the country.

“If the President opens his mouth and says something that is unacceptable, he should be reprimanded. In the same way, opposition politicians, if they conduct themselves by their utterances in an unacceptable manner, they should be brought to book.”

But how can these groups come to the defence of the government when some members have made a habit of bastardizing the same groups? Ace journalist, Manasseh Azure is asking.

In the past few weeks, some members of government and the ruling party including Assin Central MP, Kennedy Agyapong and Elizabeth Ohene have made comments which sought to malign these institutions and Manasseh is wondering why President Akufo-Addo will seek ‘help’ from institutions whose relevance to the national discourse have been questioned by members of his government.

Check This Out: NDC’s Manifesto is the will of the People -Prof. Naana Opoku Agyemang

Manasseh in a Facebook post urged the president to carefully analyse his administration’s treatment of such institutions before demanding neutrality and fairness from them.

He argued that the NPP’s reputation of being friendly and tolerant of such institutions and persons is fast eroding under the regime of Akufo-Addo.

“When I heard you, I laughed heartily. Last week, I prophesied that you and your party would one day need the “dumb” and “noise-making” civil society organisations and independent voices to speak for you so you should stop discrediting them and calling them “all-knowing neutrals.” My prophecy was that you would need them in opposition, but you’ve shown that you need them now”.

“Weep not, Ogyam. Don’t worry so much in trying to figure out why journalists who have not sold their conscience and serious civil society groups are uncharacteristically at logger heads with the NPP”.

“It has something to do with your leadership. I’m not very old but my reading of politics in the Fourth Republic suggests that these independent voices, journalists and CSOs have a soft spot for the NPP as against the NDC, which was born from a repressive military regime”.

“I knew how the NPP was when it was led by Kufuor and I know how the NPP is under your leadership. The difference is clearer than night and day”.

Manasseh said that neutral persons and institutions have been cowed by the incessant attacks by the NPP members and are now unwilling to speak up on issues.

“In speaking up in the past, one only had to check one’s “factometre”. Today, the daredevils who speak up have to constantly check their “fearometre“.

“As to why independent CSOs and institutions are silent on injustice against you as your party, I have this simple reason for you”.

Check This Out: Greed, love for money reason why smaller parties have not merged – Advocate

“Nana Yenkamasem and Nana Kabimame cannot rule from the same palace”.

“Our elders say, it’s only a fool to whom a proverb is explained. Those old sages have also taught us that the wise are spoken to in proverbs”.

Below is the full post

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

 

Mahama gave Ghana’s Bauxite to his brother but Akufo-Addo changed narrative – Samira Bawumia

By
Ellis Ferdinand
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1
Second Lady of Ghana, Samira Bawumia

Second Lady of the Republic of Ghana, Samira Bawumia, has said that President Akufo-Addo has achieved a lot in the four years and lauded him for terminating Ibrahim Mahama’s bauxite deal.

Samira in her campaign, hit out at the John Dramani Mahama government when he compared his administration to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

She explained that President Akufo-Addo’s great contribution to the development of Ghana in the past three years should persuade Ghanaians to give him another term.

Check This Out: NDC’s Manifesto is the will of the People -Prof. Naana Opoku Agyemang

Unlike Mahama who awarded Ghana’s bauxite contract to his brother, the Presidential candidate of the NPP didn’t award contracts to his close family members, she said.

“This election is not about an individual, it is about our nation Ghana. It is not for you and me alone, it is about the future of Ghana. For the good job His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and my own Alhaji Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and the kind of work they have done and served Ghana, we have to consolidate our gains.”

Mrs. Bawumia cited the depreciation of the cedi, erratic power supply and economic hardship as some of the things Ghanaians endured under the NDC government.

Check This Out: Greed, love for money reason why smaller parties have not merged – Advocate

She said: “God intervened and blessed us by giving us His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. So, we will not make that mistake again. We will not move backwards; we are moving forward.”

“By God’s grace, we are winning and will win again. When a certain President came, he gave all Ghana’s Bauxite to his brother, but President Akufo-Addo changed the narrative and he said he will let all Ghanaians benefit from Ghana’s resources. If you don’t want this, what do you want again? Although we don’t have much of a problem in the Ashanti Region, just like the Regional Women Organizer said, more than 51% of the registered voters are women which means if the women vote, victory will certainly be ours. But we need a 100% turnout to let Nana Akufo-Addo win the elections,” she added.

Source: Pulse Ghana

NDC’s Manifesto is the will of the People -Prof. Naana Opoku Agyemang

By
Ellis Ferdinand
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1
The vice presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, says it is high time the will of the people is brought to mainstream governance, hence the NDC’s People’s Manifesto.
She intimates that the times when leaders sat in Accra and drafted manifestos for the people are long gone.
“We must make sure the exact cry of the people are incorporated into policy documents to ensure the people benefit directly”.

Check This Out: Greed, love for money reason why smaller parties have not merged – Advocate

She made this known when she took her campaign tour to Kwasiadukrom in the Bodi constituency of the Western North Region.
Addressing chiefs and people of the area, Prof Opoku-Agyemang said the NDC’s yet to be launched manifesto is a document that will address the felt needs of the people towards national development.
She pointed out that ‘The Big Push’ agenda in the manifesto, for instance, when implemented will ensure job creation for many people, adding the youth will be given hands-on skills training and projects started by the NDC government, which have been abandoned by the current government, will be completed.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang specifically called on women to rally behind the John and Jane ticket, especially as issues affecting women and children, are on top of the NDC’s agenda.
“This is our time as women and we must take advantage of the opportunity”, she said.

Breaking: Gov’t Suspends $1bn Agyapa Deal

By
Ellis Ferdinand
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0

The government has suspended the controversial Agyapa deal, which leverages Ghana’s mineral resources for $1bn in development finance, for ‘broader consultations.

The decision follows government engagement with civil society organisations, urging government to suspend it, describing the deal as opaque and amounting to ‘elite capture’

In a 15-point statement issued by the Finance Ministry, government said it would be meeting faith-based organisations, traditional leaders, academia and organised labour in the coming days.

The suspension of the Agyapa Royalties deal comes less than four weeks after the bill creating the deal was passed in Parliament – without Minority support.

 

About the deal

Government is looking for cash to finance capital expenditure and wants to leverage the country’s mineral resources to raise $1bn.

In the deal, 75.6% of royalties of at least 16 gold mining companies will go into Agyapa Royalties Ltd.

The company will list on the London Stock Exchange and the Ghana Stock Exchange and float 49% shares valued at $1bn.

It hopes to get investors to buy shares while Agyapa Ltd collects gold royalties from future mineral resources to pay as dividend to shareholders.

Agyapa Royalties Ltd is also incorporated in a tax haven, British channel island, Jersey, where companies don’t pay corporate tax. It means the company will enjoy considerable tax reliefs.

The Finance Ministry has touted the deal as an opportunity for Ghanaians to own a share of the country’s mineral resources and also an inventive way to raise money for development.

CSOs meet government

At a meeting Tuesday, leading CSOs interacted with the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta and requested for further documents to allay their concerns.

The Finance Minister obliged.

Suspension announced

Barely 72 hours after the meeting, the Finance Ministry has announced it was holding on, ceding to the demand by the group.

The statement stressed the deal nonetheless was not shrouded in secrecy and that was done in “the full glare of parliament in the spirit and letter of transparency”

Expect more…

African Cup of Nation’s trophy missing in Egypt

By
Ellis Ferdinand
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0

The Africa Cup of Nations trophy retained has reportedly been “stolen” from the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Cairo.

The Egyptian Football Federation confirmed to

Goal

that the trophy won by the Pharaohs three times in a row has been lost.
Ex-Egyptian Football Association vice-president Ahmed Shobeir earlier revealed that the trophy was discovered missing during preparations to build a museum to house all of the silverware won by the North African nation.

“Officials of the committee which meets every five years and currently manages the Football Association were surprised that the trophy was not available, in light of their desire to create a museum at the federation headquarters, which would feature the trophy and the national team’s kits,” Shobeir said on the

‘On Time Sports’ TV

show.
“However, [they] were surprised to find that the Afcon trophy was lost, and decided to open an investigation.”

It was initially claimed that former captain Ahmed Hassan – who skippered the team to success at the biennial tournament in 2006, 2008, and 2010 – was in possession of the trophy, although he subsequently denied the claim.

“The committee searched for the trophy, but then an employee told them that Ahmed Hassan, the former captain of the Egyptian national team, who won the cup three times in a row, has kept it,” Shobeir added.

Later, ex-Egypt midfielder Abdelghani clarified in a press conference that the trophy had been lost in a fire seven years ago.

“After the burning of the Football Association headquarters, some cups were lost, and the matter was investigated,” the former FA member began, “including the Africa Cup of Nations that we retained.

“Some said that the cup had been with Shawky Gharib, the former general coach of the Egypt national team, and some say it had been with Hassan, the former captain of the Pharaohs.”

After learning of the trophy’s disappearance, Hassan took to social media to express his dismay at the loss.

“I wish I had kept the cup in my house instead of it being lost,” he posted on his @AhmedHassan Twitter handle, “and I am surprised that I’m being questioned about the cup after nine years, despite the presence of two FA boards, and the five-year committee for a year and two months…but they’re only now looking for the cup!

“One of the members of the five-year committee contacted me and told me that they would put a picture of me with the African Nations Cup on the wall inside the federation,” Hassan continued, “and he asked me about the cup.

“I told him that I had delivered it back in 2011, and he said to me: ‘I wish you had not handed it over, as the cup is not at the association now.’”

Egypt are the most successful country in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, having won the trophy seven times since 1957.

Their trio of consecutive successes between 2006 and 2010 is an unprecedented feat in the history of the African game.

Greed, love for money reason why smaller parties have not merged – Advocate

By
Ellis Ferdinand
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1
Logos of some political parties

Social policy advocate Mr. Kojo Addo has opined that the difficulty for the smaller opposition parties to join forces so they could unseat the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) is premised on personal greed and desire for money.

Responding to the question on whether the smaller parties could make any difference should they join their forces, he said all these parties have their ideologies and these ideologies are what has divided these parties.

He believes it would be important for them to streamline their ideologies, come tother and form a coalition so they become a stronger force.

But this will not be easy since these parties all have their own interest and it shows that these parties do not have the interest of Ghanaians at heart but come in for their own selfish interest.

He made reference to the recent brouhaha that hist the Coalition of Independent Presidential Aspirants where Mr. Marricke Kofi Gane resigned from the group due to their differences.

He said the Coalition had planned to form a united front but had differences on the modalities to be used and this shows that people who usually seek political power only think about themselves.

Meanwhile, he has advised politicians to desist from the politics of insults and focus on the issues and policies.

The 2020 polls he added must be issue-based and devoid of vilification and unnecessary attacks on opponents.

Source: rainbowradioonline.com

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