The Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC) has shot down an invitation by the Parliament of Ghana to appear before the house on June 9 to brief the legislature on its plans for the upcoming December polls.
The minority in parliament has since April 30 been mounting pressure to have the EC summoned before the house but that has not happened yet though majority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah has indicated there are still ongoing engagement.
However, he said an earlier planned June 9 date has failed because the EC will be out in some districts for other assignments which will end on June 14, thus a new date has being fixed on June 16 for them to appear before the house.
“The EC has assured they will be here on the 16th, I was trying to pull them to be here on the 9th of June, that is this Tuesday. That had been my own stand… they have indicated to me they have to fan out to various places in the districts to pursue a cause and that they will be coming back the Sunday leading to the 16”, he said.
He added that while the engagements were ongoing “a few issues came up”, some of which he mentioned the order by the Supreme Court for the EC to file the legal basis for which they want to exclude the old voters ID cards in the compilation of the new voters register.
The EC is expected to update the house on how it is going about the electoral processes in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
Kevin-Prince Boateng has spoken out following the death of George Floyd at the hands of four police officers in the United States and thinks that black professionals should go a day without work to show their worth.
Floyd’s killing sparked protests and riots all over the world and the former Barcelona forward stands in support of those sending a message.
“Do one thing,” Boateng told Sky Sports, “take every black person out of sports and every black actor out of the movies and how is it going to be? Boring.”I want to get a day that no black player goes to work, maybe on George Floyd’s birthday. Not because we don’t want to work or disrespect our club but to honour our black community.”
The idea was just one that Boateng, who is currently on loan at Besiktas from Fiorentina, had as he continued to call on people to do something to combat racism.”Of course,” he responded when asked if others could get involved with such a movement.”Imagine what a message it would be if white people stick with us, if they said,
‘I won’t go to practice’ or ‘I won’t go to work’ or ‘I won’t play’.”Imagine it’s on a Saturday, the day of a game, that would be a big message.”I’m trying to think of answers – putting cameras and speakers inside the stadium so you can point out who is that person. I’m trying to do something because nothing is happening.” There’s always just something tragic happening – and then it’s too late.”
Boateng previously walked off the pitch during a friendly match with AC Milan as he was the victim of racist abuse from the stands but he knows that others are fearful of doing the same thing.
“It was a powerful image and still is now,” he said.”But I think even now people are scared they are going to get sanctioned.”There’s always a little chain – we have to start to believe in what we are doing.”People say it was a friendly game, but I didn’t care in that moment because it was something bigger inside of me. It wasn’t about the game. Even if it was a Champions League game I would have walked off.”It’s not a discussion, it’s just if we’re strong enough, if we really want to change something, we have to take big measures.
When asked if society as a whole was doing enough, Boateng recognised that although some recent efforts were appreciated, more needs to be done.”Of course not,” he said.
“We have to talk; we have to be louder. We have to use social media, today it is the biggest platform.”People might say I only have 100 followers, well maybe you can influence 50 of them. Even showing you as a white person are with us, that gives us so much power. We believe you are with us so we can go forward with a bigger chest.”No one is doing enough. #BlackOutTuesday is not enough, it’s too easy. Because people are scared to stand for something, to say something because of sponsors or large followings. A black picture is way too easy.”It’s a beautiful message but I’m mad because people have it so easy.”If you ever point a finger at them, they’ll say ‘but I posted that picture’. The picture [alone] does not mean anything to me.”
Some governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) delegates in the Juaben Constituency of the Ashanti Region have invoked curses on the national executives of the party for disqualifying their preferred candidate from contesting in the parliamentary primaries.
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the party, according to the aggrieved delegates who spoke to Kumasi FM’s Elisha Adarkwah, disqualified Mr Francis Owusu Achiaw, their preferred candidate and another aspirant without any tangible reason, to pave the way for the incumbent MP, Ama Pomah, to go unopposed.
The delegates, numbering over 200, do not understand why Mr Francis Owusu Achiaw has been disqualified because, according to them, he successfully got vetted in Kumasi.
Unhappy with the circumstances of the disqualification, the delegates wore red armbands and marched to a river called “Asuo Abena” located at Nobowam in the constituency with schnapps and a sheep to invoke curses on anyone who was involved in disqualifying their candidate especially, Mr F.F. Anto, the first national vice-chairman of the party.
Besiktas forward Kevin-Prince Boateng has asserted if he were currently playing in the United States Major League Soccer, he would campaign the ongoing racial protests the way legendary boxer Muhammad Ali did.
USA is presently in a state of unrest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for several minutes with Floyd having apparent breathing difficulties and passing away in hospital.
It has led to protests not only across the United States but also in other parts of the world like the United Kingdom, France, Germany and even in African countries like Nigeria and South Africa.
Racism has been rife in football with Boateng among several black players that have been targeted by fans in stadiums.
“It is a difficult situation. Other than being sad, I am angry. It just hurts always coming back to the same feeling. It’s very difficult for me right now,” Boateng told Sky Sports.
“[Completing a potential move to the USA to play in MLS] wouldn’t change a thing. I would be the same person. I would fight the same because I’m numb now. It hurts me but it doesn’t touch me now, I’m strong enough to deal with it.
“Maybe that would be the perfect thing for me to play there right now – to make a statement to give something back to show the people that I’m on the frontline, that I will be your front guy – I will be your Muhammad Ali.
“He always said ‘I will be there, I’m more than a boxer’. I want to be more than a boxer. There are a hundred players better than me, faster than me, I will fight for something bigger.
“Even if I change two minds, three, one hundred – that’s in my power. America, Germany, Italy, France, England – everywhere there is racism so it doesn’t matter where I play. I will always play for the right thing.”
Liverpool players recently stood on their knees in training in solidarity for Floyd, while Borussia Dortmund players Jadon Sancho and Morocco international Achraf Hakimi wore shirts with inscriptions calling for justice for Floyd in their last Bundesliga match.
Boateng made the headlines in 2013 while playing for AC Milan when he walked off the pitch after racist chants were hurled at him in a friendly game against Pro Patria. Boateng has been a campaigner ever since and says football isn’t doing enough to tackle the problem, insisting he would walk away from the pitch if he was abused again.
“I saw Liverpool kneeling and that is a good start to show that they are with us,” the 33-year old Ghanaian continued.
“In general what is football doing? Not a lot. An advert on television or a banner when the teams walk onto the pitch [is not enough]. It’s already late but it’s never too late, we just have to wake up.
“There’s always a little chain – we have to start to believe in what we are doing. People say it was a friendly game, but I didn’t care in that moment because it was something bigger inside of me. It wasn’t about the game. Even if it was a Champions League game I would have walked off.
“It’s not a discussion, it’s just if we’re strong enough, if we really want to change something, we have to take big measures.”
Boateng is on loan at Besiktas from Fiorentina. He has scored two goals in six Turkish Super Lig outings.
After two months of inactivity because of the coronavirus pandemic, football in Turkey will resume next weekend with Besiktas hosting Antalyaspor at Vodafone Park.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has opened slots for three candidates to file nomination for consideration as the parliamentary candidate for the Tema East Constituency.
This is due to the absence of the elected parliamentary candidate, Ashai Odamtten, who has been out of the jurisdictions since September 2019.
In a letter sighted by GhanaWeb, the Regional Secretary, Theophilus Tetteh Chai, tasked the Executive Committee to “meet and nominate three candidates for consideration for the Tema East Parliamentary elections.”
The Parliamentary candidate for Team East Constituency, left the country for the US in September 2019 which was just two weeks after the parliamentary primaries of the party and has since not returned back to Ghana.
Ashai Odamtten served as the Chief Executive of the Tema Municipal Assembly in the previous Mahama administration.
Some anonymous aggrieved Ghanaian citizens have, through their lawyer Chris Arcmann-Ackummey, started processes for the removal of Electoral Commission Chair Jean Mensa just as her predecessor Charlotte Osei, was.
In a letter to Mrs Mensa to demand her response to some eleven allegations made against her by the aggrieved citizens, their lawyer said her failure to accede to their request would compel them to proceed with a petition for her impeachment.
The letter, dated 4 June 2020, was copied to the Speaker of Parliament, the Chief Justice, Chairman of the Council of State, President of the National House of Chiefs, Secretary to the President and the Chairman of the Eminent Advisory Committee of the EC.
“The allegations for which responses are sought, all of which, if proven, will make you unfit to hold the office you currently occupy, are hereby stated below”, the letter said.
They include “gross incompetence, procurement breaches, conflict of interest, collusion, organising illegal IPAC meetings, disregarding court directives on ROPAL, refusing to accept birth certificates and voter ID cards for registration, displaying falsehood and insincerity, endangering millions of Ghanaian lives through a registration exercise scheduled to take place at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, committing perjury before the Parliamentary Special Budget Committee and defying COVID-19 restrictions”.
Mr Arcmann-Ackummey said: “My clients are Ghanaian citizens drawn from some of the regions of Ghana whose identity, presently, cannot be disclosed for security reasons”, adding: “The disclosure of their identities will be made upon the presentation of the petition itself, if that happens”.
“I have their instructions to request official written responses to some allegations publicly made against you as the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission”.
“This request is in accordance with the ‘Audi Alteram Partem’ rule and most especially, in consonance with the passage of the Right to Information Bill, failing which I will give effect to their instructions to proceed with a petition for your removal from office as the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, which petition shall be submitted without delay through the constitutionally-established procedure to the President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo”, the letter threatened.
He added: “My clients intimated that they voted in previous elections conducted by the Electoral Commission and now fear being disenfranchised if you are allowed to continue with the current plan to compile a new voter register – a plan which the National House of Chiefs, clergy, clerics, civil society organisations, Federation of Labour, political parties and well-meaning Ghanaians have cautioned you against”.
In a week when the attention of Americans abruptly shifted from a paralyzing coronavirus pandemic to outrage over the deaths of black people in police custody, they learned that while George Floyd survived one threat, he was unable to live through the other.
Floyd tested positive for coronavirus in April, and again following his death last week after he was restrained by police in Minneapolis, final autopsy results show.
Racism a public health issue and ‘police brutality must stop,’ medical groups say
But the virus played no known role in his death and he was likely not contagious, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office said in its final report Wednesday.
“Since … positivity for (Covid-19) can persist for weeks after the onset and resolution of clinical disease, the autopsy result most likely reflects asymptomatic but persistent … positivity from the previous infection,” it said.
Floyd survived a pandemic that has killed more African Americans in the United States than whites or other ethnic groups.
Black Americans represent 13.4% of the American population, according to the US Census Bureau. But counties with higher black populations account for more than half of all coronavirus cases and almost 60% of deaths, a study found.
The protests against police brutality have only compounded the health risks as massive crowds take to the streets in close proximity despite the highly contagious nature of coronavirus.
County and family release conflicting autopsies
In addition to his coronavirus test results, officials released more details on the final autopsy.
Floyd’s death was due to cardiopulmonary arrest — or the stopping of his heart — according to the final autopsy results released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner.
His neck was compressed when the officer’s knee was on it for more than eight minutes, the report says, but does not conclude that it directly caused his death.
The final report from the medical examiner says Floyd had bruises and cuts on his head, face, mouth, shoulders, arms and legs from when the officer forced him to the ground and knelt on his neck. But it finds no evidence that any of those injuries directly would have killed him.
It found no evidence of major neck injuries, skull or brain injuries. There was no damage to internal organs, it said. “The thyroid cartilage and hyoid bone are intact,” it reads.
The hyoid bone can be broken during strangulation.
The final autopsy says Floyd had heart disease and a history of high blood pressure. It includes a more complete toxicology report that said Floyd had evidence of several drugs in his blood and urine, including morphine, fentanyl, cannabis and methamphetamine, although not all of the tests were reliable.
Experts hired by Floyd’s family and the Hennepin County Medical Examiner have concluded his death was a homicide, but they differ on what caused it.
An independent autopsy commissioned by the Floyd family disagreed with the county’s conclusion, saying he died of “asphyxiation from sustained pressure.”
It also said there was no evidence of heart disease, but added that pathologists didn’t have access to all of the samples from his body.
Protests continue for over a week
Throngs of protesters have taken to the streets since Floyd died on May 25 to demand the arrest of all four officers involved. Authorities initially arrested Derek Chauvin, the officer who pinned Floyd to the ground by his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds before he died.
On Wednesday, they upgraded the murder charges against him and charged three other former officers who were at the scene with aiding and abetting.
While officers are rarely convicted of on-duty killings, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he’s confident the evidence supports the new and more serious charges.
“George Floyd mattered. He was loved. His family was important. His life had value,” Ellison said. “We will seek justice for him and for you, and we will find it.”
Chauvin was initially charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. A charge of second-degree murder was added Wednesday, which carries 40 years in prison if convicted.
The other former officers J. Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao — were arrested Wednesday, and face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter. If convicted, they face up to 40 years in prison.
Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic, almost everything has come to a standstill.
In the course of the viral outbreak, many entertainment personalities, institutions, and influencers devised means to get their spirits lifted.
In Ghana, several artistes and institutions have organised virtual shows, programmes and initiatives to entertain people and get them to adhere to the safety protocols set by the government and health experts.
According to Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, one person who stands out for him in all this is Dancehall artiste and multiple award winner, Charles Nii Armah popularly known as Shatta Wale.
The leading member of the governing NPP said Shatta Wale showed leadership worth emulating with the kind of messages and engagements he had with his followers.
He said over time, the self-acclaimed dancehall artiste has proven his sense of maturity and positive influence on the youth in Ghana.
“In contemplation… I have watched and have been impressed with the apparent growing maturity of this young man. He recognises his influence on young people and seems determined to exploit it for positivity. His actions and messages in this COVID-19 period have been exemplary,” Gabby noted.
Shatta Wale, reacting to the acknowledgement by Gabby, expressed appreciation that his efforts have been appreciated.
“Thank you, sir, coming from you means a lot to me and the whole Shatta movement,” he said in a quoted tweet.
Ashesi University, one of the private tertiary institutions in the country, says it has completed its academic work for the second semester of the 2019/2020 academic year, hence, it will not be open for teaching and learning.
This comes even as President Akufo-Addo, in a televised address on Sunday night directed that schools, which have been shut down since March because of the novel coronavirus, can now reopen from June 15, 2020, for final year students.
The President explained that it was aimed at ensuring that final year students wrote their exit exams without challenges.
But Ashesi, in a social media post said they have been able to complete their semester online.
“With faculty support, final year students #atAshesi have mostly been able to complete their semester online. As a result, seniors will not be returning to campus following the partial reopening of schools by the Government of Ghana.” (1/5) pic.twitter.com/mBRUK9nLyf
The University also urged faculty members with outstanding work to submit same online.
“Seniors with outstanding work to be submitted will continue to work with their faculty online. We are thankful to everyone at Ashesi for holding steady through the last half of the 2019/2020 academic year. It has been a period of remarkable collaboration and effort.”
Other tertiary institutions like the University of Ghana and the Ghana Institute of Journalism have all planned to continue academic activities online despite the easing of restrictions.
The Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako has taken a swipe at the National House of Chiefs for attempting to portray the Electoral Commission (EC) as an autocratic entity in the commission’s bid to create a new electoral roll.
According to the ace journalist, the respected chiefs are “creating distortions” by implying that the electoral management body has said or is acting as though it is above the Constitution, a claim he says is false.
The National House of Chiefs in a statement last week called on the EC to make peaceful conduct of this year’s general elections its primary objective by ensuring that no qualified Ghanaian is disenfranchised and that the elections are free and fair.
“We all have to remember that power is not exercised in a vacuum, and so it would be naïve of anyone to think that a constitutionally created “independent body” has unbridled power. That cannot be the intention of the framers of our constitution,” the chiefs added in the statement.
Reacting to the statement on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo show Wednesday, Kweku Baako condemned the assertion by the chiefs, suggesting that they could have done better given their revered status.
“But it is obvious, like Charlotte Osei said, no matter what the parties say or individual citizens say, however prominent they may be, at the of the day they will take the decision. That is what she said and that is what the law too says.
“And I am reading that some persons are saying it will be naïve to think that the EC is above law. Has the EC ever said it is above the law?” he queried.
“So you don’t create your own distortions and invite us to interrogate your distortions and this is with all due respect to our chiefs who are very wise, but sometimes what they say I find it difficult to assimilate
“I am not a traditionalist, I am a Republican; it’s because I’m a realist that is why I concede that we need the chieftaincy institution. And so Kwame (referring to the host of the show), when our wise chiefs are talking, they should talk in a way that will make us all move along with them,” he intimated.
He indicated that the Commission was operating within the law and the only way to challenge its operation is to resort to the court.
“You don’t create a distortion. Has the EC said anywhere anytime that they are above the law? So look, people can go to the chiefs however prominent they are; they can go to the National House of Chiefs, they can go to the Council of State, they can go everywhere they want to go on planet earth, the only place that you can checkmate this EC is the court of law and the highest court of law is the best place,” kweku Baako added.
