A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communication team, Yayra Koku
has alleged that the Auditor-General Daniel Dumelevo has been ”audited out” by President Akuffo Addo due to the possibility of the Auditor-General to audit the COVID-19 fund.
”The Auditor-General was about to audit the COVID-19 fund, and Akufo-Addo has “audited” him out.” He said.
Yayra Koku said Daniel Dumelevo was fighting corruption and so the decision of the president to fight him was unacceptable.
”The man is not fighting corruption. He is fighting those who are fighting corruption. Akufo-Addo is the definition of corruption.” He said.
The Auditor-General has been directed to go on leave after accumulating more than six months worth of rest.
The directive was contained in a statement signed by the Communications Director Eugene Arhin, released June 29,2020.
The statement said Daniel Domelevo praised for his anti-corruption campaign had only taken nine days of his accumulated leave since he was appointed in December 2016.
The Communications Director said the decision to direct the A-G to proceed on leave had precedent.
The Auditor-General has been at loggerheads with the president’s Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo who has been asked to refund $1million for unlawfully contracting a UK-based consultancy on behalf of the government.
File photo: Arrival lounge of the Heathrow Airport in London
Ahead of the planned reopening of its borders to international travellers on July 1, the European Union (EU) Commission has released a list of 54 countries that qualify for travels into Europe. Nigeria and Ghana are conspicuously missing.
Schengenvisainfo.com reports that citizens from Nigeria, Brazil, Qatar, the United States, and Russia would not be allowed to travel into Europe until the epidemiological situation in their countries with regards to COVID-19 improves.
According to the report, the countries whose citizens have been granted permits into Europe as the union opens its borders that were shut to curb the spread of COVID-19, include Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Australia, Bahamas, Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Canada.
Others listed are Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Palau, Paraguay, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Serbia, South Korea, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uganda.
The rest are Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guyana, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Lebanon and Mauritius.
Speaking on the development, Eric Manner, the EU Commission spokesman said the union had the right to choose who would enter its borders. He added that it was based on health criteria.
“The European Union has an internal process to determine from which countries it would be safe to accept travellers,” he said.
The EU commission on June 11, presented its recommendation on the reopening of internal Schengen borders on June 15, so that Europeans could travel freely within the borderless areas just as they did before the COVID-19 pandemic.
A 19-year-old female resident of Denu in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta region, Agbolosu Afi has been physically assaulted by military men who were deployed to guard the Ketu South boarder.
According to the Paramount Chief of Aflao Traditional Area, Togbe Fiti Adzongagaga V, the lady who lives in Denu but schools in Lome, Togo, was beaten by some military and immigration officials on the Sekpe border on Monday, 29 June 2020.
Speaking at a press conference held in Aflao to express his displeasure with the security tension in the area, the Chief condemned the action of the Military men.
He noted that if the government fails to withdraw the men in the area, his people will rise against them.
Speaking to Class News’ Volta Regional Correspondent Albert Kuzor, Agbolosu Afi explained that, she is a Ghanaian who lives with her family in Denu in the Ketu South Municipality but is enrolled in High School in Lome, Togo.
She said, on her way to school around 8 am, some Military and Immigration officers prevented her, together with her brother who was accompanying her from crossing into Lome.
She said, the officers removed their belts and started beating them up.
The 19-year-old indicated that, since Togo reopened its schools, commuting to school daily has been a struggle with Ghana’s borders still shut and the recent deployment of security personnel to the area has also been another challenge, impeding her access to education.
The Auditor-General has been directed to go on leave after accumulating more than six months worth of rest.
The directive was contained in a statement signed by the Communications Director Eugene Arhin, released June 29,2020.
The statement said Daniel Domelevo praised for his anti-corruption campaign had only taken nine days of his accumulated leave since he was appointed in December 2016.
The Communications Director said the decision to direct the A-G to proceed on leave had precedent.
The Auditor-General has been at loggerheads with the president’s Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Maafo who has been asked to refund $1million for unlawfully contracting a UK-based consultancy on behalf of the government.
He was appointed in the dying days of the Mahama administration in December 2016. Since then, he has been viewed by figures within the NPP government with scepticism about his neutrality.
One of the people who criticised his appointment, Yaw Osafo-Maafo.
But Daniel Domelevo has been praised for his anti-corruption fight. His work has also been applauded by diplomats.
Daniel Domelevo’s viral comment, ‘if you fight corruption, corruption will fight you back’ earned him praise from the Danish Ambassador.
Named the 2019 Integrity Personality of the Year, he has injected some bite in the work of the Audit Service formerly seen as toothless.
He has unearthed scandalous dealings at the GETFUND where scholarships were given to politically connected persons and cronies.
The report also attracted criticisms from within the government who questioned the methods employed in auditing and reporting the findings.
While the president’s directive quoted relevant labour laws, the term ‘proceed on leave’ is a politically charged word in Ghana. It is seen as a euphemism for sacking.
The Auditor-General is a position ranked as equal to an Appeals Court judge. He enjoys the security of tenure until retirement.
The Auditor-General has said he would go into farming if he ever leaves office. This was after concerns he may be removed from office.
The Auditor-General has said he had heard threats of being made to suffer the same fate as Charlotte Osei, who was removed from her Electoral Commission post in 2018.
“Who says I care? I don’t care. Life doesn’t end here,” he said and revealed his professional options.
“My father has a lot of farmlands. I will go and farm.”
Former President Jerry Rawlings has backed cries of concern following the deployment of military and other security personnel to border towns in the Volta and Oti regions.
In a statement, Mr. Rawlings said the move by the government is “generating animosity especially amongst innocent citizens whose basic way of life is being disrupted.”
“The deployment along the borders at peacetime especially at this particular point in time has created so much suspicion and will call for a lot of intelligent flexibility and diligence,” he added.
The said suspicions arise from the upcoming voters’ register compilation which starts on Tuesday.
With the Volta and Oti regions fetching the opposition NDC a chunk of their votes, the party is crying foul over voter suppression.
The NDC says the government is using the military to intimidate residents in these towns from registering to vote in December.
Governing New Patriotic Party MP K.T. Hammond lends credence to this.
According to the lawmaker from Adansi Asokwa, the troops are to ensure foreigners to not get to register to vote in Ghana’s elections.
However, Volta Regional Minister Archibald Letsa and the Interior Minister Ambrose Dery dispute this.
The two Ministers say the troops are merely there to enforce the border closure as part of measures to control the importation of Covid-19 into the country.
But Rawlings says “the Covid-19 restrictions have created enough difficulties for most of our citizens.
“Let us not make it worse with overbearing and intimidating behaviour towards our border dwellers whose livelihood solely depend on activities along the border.”
“Ahead of the voter registration exercise and the December elections, it is important that we demonstrate a sense of fairness and justice to all individuals and groups of people whilst maintaining the integrity and the sanctity of the process,” he added.
Ghana’s total confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus has risen to 17,351.
This was announced by the president during his 13th televised address to the nation.
This means that the country has recorded 609 new cases since the last update by the Ghana Health Service.
The total number of persons who have recovered from the novel COVID-19 has also increased to 12,994.
Ghana currently has 4,345 active cases with 112 deaths.
“As of Saturday, 27 June 2020, our country has recorded 17,351 confirmed cases, with 12,994 recoveries, representing some 75% of positives. This means that, currently, we have 4,245 active cases, having conducted 294,867 tests, one of the highest on the continent.
“30 persons are severely and critically ill, and we have a total of 112 sad deaths, constituting 0.6% of positives, as we maintain one of the lowest death rates in the world,” Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said in his address.
Neither K.T. Hammond nor the Ghana army can determine who a Ghanaian citizen is, law professor Kwaku Asare has said, describing as “frightening and deeply disturbing”, the Adansi Asokwa lawmaker’s comment that the military has influx the Ketu South municipality so as to stop Togolese nationals there from taking part in the forthcoming voter registration exercise of Ghana’s Electoral Commission.
Locals in the region, as well as the biggest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its Minority Volta Caucus in Parliament, have condemned the military influx.
Speaking to the media on the issue, Mr Hammond explained that: “The Togolese and the Voltarians – when I talk about Voltarians, the Volta Region – remember the history … basically the same tribe, so, they walk into [Ghana] but they are not Ghanaians”.
“When they walk in there, they can do whatever they [want], so, I guess that is the reason for that [military influx]”.
“There is a classic example”, he recalled. “You remember 2008, the second round; we had so much – 100,000 or so votes leading Prof Mills at the time of the second round. In the next round, one constituency, Ketu South, cleared all the [votes] we had. Where did they come from?” he asked.
“You see, so, everybody from wherever they came to vote, so, this is what the whole thing is about; 35,000 people at the time voted; the next one, everybody on earth voted there; where were they coming from?
“So, this is the whole issue: we want there to be sanity”, he added, noting: “The military is there to make sure that you vote if you are a Ghanaian, you vote if you have the constitutional right to vote; that’s all there is to it”, he said.
“They [military personnel] are not electoral officers, but they are a peacekeeping force … So, the soldiers, the police and immigration are just maintaining the peace, making sure there’s no infiltration. I mean, come on, let’s be serious; what’s the point in going through all that we’ve gone through, to the Supreme Court and all that then allow a porous border for people to come through and then infiltrate the register again? We would have been back to where we started”.
The EC voter registration exercise starts from the end of June.
The resultant register will replace the existing one.
Ghana’s Supreme Court recently decided that the Ghana card and passport will be the only two breeder documents used in compiling the register.
Commenting on the matter, Prof Asare, popularly known as Kwaku Azar, wrote on social media thus:
“We are being told by K. T. Hammond that “the military is at the Aflao border to make sure you vote if you are a Ghanaian and if you have the constitutional right to vote. That’s all there is. They are not electoral officers but they are peacekeeping forces. They are keeping the peace.”
I repeat;
Citizenship is a question of law. Neither K.T. Hammond, the military nor anyone can decide who is or who is not a citizen of Ghana.
I have cited the case of Bonito Olympio whose father was Sylvanus Olympio, a former President of Togo.
The NLC attempted to deport him to Togo only for the then Justice Wiredu to hold that both Bonito and Sylvanus are Ghanaians by descent.
Comity requires that if nobody is questioning Mr. Hammond’s citizenship then he, too, should not be questioning the citizenship of others.
I find his statement and attitude frightening and deeply disturbing. I reject it in its entirety.
I also call on the military brass not to allow its men and women to be used as citizenship inspectors!!
We are a peaceful nation because we live in peace. We must keep it that way.
Adansi Asokwa MP K. T. Hammond has said the sudden influx of soldiers in the Ketu South Municipality of the Volta Region is purposely to prevent neighbouring Togolese from crossing over into Ghana to take part in the Electoral Commission’s upcoming voter registration exercise.
Locals in the region, as well as the biggest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its Minority Volta Caucus in Parliament, have condemned the military influx of the region.
Speaking to the media on the issue, Mr Hammond explained that: “The Togolese and the Voltarians – when I talk about Voltarians, the Volta Region – remember the history … basically the same tribe, so, they walk into [Ghana] but they are not Ghanaians”.
“When they walk in there, they can do whatever they [want], so, I guess that is the reason for that [military influx]”.
“There is a classic example”, he recalled. “You remember 2008, the second round; we had so much – 100,000 or so votes leading Prof Mills at the time of the second round. In the next round, one constituency, Ketu South, cleared all the [votes] we had. Where did they come from?” he asked.
“You see, so, everybody from wherever they came to vote, so, this is what the whole thing is about; 35,000 people at the time voted; the next one, everybody on earth voted there; where were they coming from?
“So, this is the whole issue: we want there to be sanity”, he added, noting: “The military is there to make sure that you vote if you are a Ghanaian, you vote if you have the constitutional right to vote; that’s all there is to it”, he said.
“They [military personnel] are not electoral officers, but they are a peacekeeping force … So, the soldiers, the police and immigration are just maintaining the peace, making sure there’s no infiltration. I mean, come on, let’s be serious; what’s the point in going through all that we’ve gone through, to the Supreme Court and all that then allow a porous border for people to come through and then infiltrate the register again? We would have been back to where we started”.
The likelihood of civil war happening in Ghana is not far from reach as Ghanaians in the Volta Region are aggrieved over the ruling NPP Government’s decision to allegedly intimidate the voltarians with thugs from the national security ahead of the compilation of a new voters’ register in Ghana.
Recently, the government sent armed security personnel to the region to prevent Ghanaians living in Togo, which the government described as Togolese from registering to Vote in the 2020 elections.
A decision that has infuriated the people of the region.
K.T Hammond’s assertions
The Member of Parliament Adansi Asokwa Constituency, Hon Kobina Tahir Hammond has said that Voltarians, especially Ketu South indigenes are not Ghanaians.
Addressing the Media on the heavy military deplored to the borders captured by Ghanapoliticsonline.com specifically Volta Region, he said that there is history to back his assertions.
According to him, both Voltarians and Togolese are the same tribe so they both work in and out of the two territories but history shows that they are not Ghanaians.
He again said that in 2008, those who are not Ghanaians from both Togo and Volta Region voted massively for the National Democratic Congress to lead in the second round.
When a Journalist interfered to tell him that there is no evidence to what he is saying, Hon K.T Hammond, insisted that what he is saying is a fact.
He emphasized that the military were deployed to the Volta Region to prevent all those who are not Ghanaians, specifically Voltarians and some Togolese from registering to vote.
Volta Chiefs Assertion
A voice note from the Chief of the Anlo Traditional Area indicated that when there are problems and good men fail tom speak, evil triumphs.
Describing the situation, the chief indicated that when congenital lunatics and sycophants are being carried shoulder high and being paraded as heroes for making murderous statements, they should be warned, that the people of the Volta region, shall never start a war or a fight with anybody.
He added, that the people of the Volta region are peace-loving people, but if anybody dares to intimidate them, they shall fire no guns, they shall throw no stones, they shall raise no cutlasses nor use any bulldozers, but they shall live to read their obituaries and they will not live to take their oaths of office.
He continued that their God is a wise a just God and he will not see them die in vain.
He told the people of the Volta Region not to be discouraged. He indicated that no oppressors shall oppress the people of the Volta region.
Kelvin Taylor’s warnings
A release of some National Security operatives to the Volta Region ahead of the New Voter Registration Exercise has come to confirm an allegation by a US-Ghana Journalist, and Host of Social Media programme “With All Respect”, Mr Kevin Taylor that some thugs shall be sent into the Volta Region in November to cause mayhem ahead of the December 2020 election.
Mr. Kevin Taylor indicated that the thugs who were allegedly recruited by the National Security will be sent to the Volta Region to cause mayhem including burning down houses under the disguise as members of the Western Togoland secessionist groups.
Currently. some National Security operatives have been deployed to the Volta Region to supposedly prevent Voltarians and Togolese from registering for the New Ghana Card, according to The Member of Parliament Adansi Asokwa Constituency, Hon Kobina Tahir Hammond.
Addressing the Media on the heavy military deplored to the borders captured by Ghanapoliticsonline.com specifically Volta Region, he said that there is history to back his assertions.
According to him, both Voltarians and Togolese are the same tribe so they both work in and out of the two territories but history shows that they are not Ghanaians.
The Africa Centre for Peace Building (Peace Centre) is calling on the security agencies in Ghana to step up the game and investigate allegations of an intended deployment of some thugs into the Volta Region in November to cause mayhem ahead of the December 2020 election.
“The allegation which was made in one of the videos of the US-based journalist and Host of Social Media programme “With All Respect”, Mr. Kevin Taylor indicated that the thugs who were allegedly recruited by the National Security will be sent to the Volta Region to cause mayhem including burning down houses under the disguise as members of the Western Togoland secessionist groups.
The allegation which was made in one of the videos of the US-based journalist and Host of Social Media programme “With All Respect”, Mr. Kevin Taylor indicated that the thugs who were allegedly recruited by the National Security will be sent to the Volta Region to cause mayhem including burning down houses under the disguise as members of the Western Togoland secessionist groups.” – Peace Centre’s Director of Security and Research, Mr. David Jawara Banye said in a press statement.
According to Mr. Banye, though the Africa Centre for Peace Building is “not giving any credence to these allegations call on the State Security agencies and especially the Volta Regional Security Council to as a matter of urgency institute thorough investigations into this issue to assure the good people of the Region and Ghana as a whole that their peace and security is in no way threatened before, during and after the December 2020 elections”
“As we strongly call of the state to act swiftly on this, some (agent provocateurs and war entrepreneurs) could take advantage of these allegations cause confusion in that part of the country for their parochial interest.” – He added
A voice note from the Chief of the Anlo Traditional Area indicated that when there are problems and good men fail tom speak, evil triumphs.
Describing the situation, the chief indicated that when congenital lunatics and sycophants are being carried shoulder high and being paraded as heroes for making murderous statements, they should be warned, that the people of the Volta region, shall never start a war or a fight with anybody.
He added, that the people of the Volta region are peace-loving people, but if anybody dares to intimidate them, they shall fire no guns, they shall throw no stones, they shall raise no cutlasses nor use any bulldozers, but they shall live to read their obituaries and they will not live to take their oaths of office.
