Prez Mahama Fires CHRAJ Boss.

President John Dramani Mahama has removed Madam Lauretta Vivian Lamptey from office as Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). The President's action was based on the recommendations of a Committee set up by the Chief Justice to investigate allegations of corruption and mismanagement against Madam Lamptey. Madam Lamptey was accused of spending about 200,000 dollars on rent at the AU Village and about 180, 000 cedis on the renovation of her official residence. The Chief Justice, Madam Georgina Wood, set up the committee following a petition submitted by Richard Nyamah of the NPP and Member of Parliament for Nsawam Adoagyir Anoh Dompreh; demanding that Madam Lamptey be removed from office. The Committee after its findings  concluded that the former CHRAJ boss was unfit to hold the position of Commissioner for Human Rights and Administrative Justice. President Mahama on Thursday following the recommendation and in accordance with Article 146(9), removed Madam Lauretta Vivian Lamptey from office as CHRAJ Boss. According to sources, an official statement will be released later.

Source: peacefmonline.com

Afoko Knocked Out....As Court Dismisses Suit Against NPP.

An Accra High Court has thrown out the case between Mr Oppong Kyekyeku and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Oppong Kyekyeku, a member of the party, argued that the party’s Disciplinary Committee did not have the power to suspend its National Chairman, Paul Afoko. According to him, the procedure used to suspend Mr Afoko was in clear violation of the party's constitution. But on Thursday, 4th November 2015, the High Court presided over by Mr. Justice Arkaah-Boafo gave judgement dismissing the entire suit of Mr. Kyekyeku, saying the suit was "premature". The judge upheld the submissions of counsel for the NPP and ruled that "when people join a voluntary organisation, they must abide by the internal processes of the organisation they have freely joined and when those internal mechanisms have been fully exhausted, only then can a person seek redress in Court". Read a full details below Case While Mr. Paul Afoko, the suspended Chairman, of the NPP was the subject of the case before the National Disciplinary Committee of the NPP, one Mr. Oppong Kyekyeku sued the Party (NPP), Most Rev. Dr. Asante Antwi and Hon. C.K. Tedam, Chairman of the NPP Council of Elders, in the High Court, Accra. Suing clearly on behalf of Mr. Afoko, but without saying so, Mr. Kyekyeku reaffirmed certain issues raised by Mr. Kwabena Agyepong, General Secretary of the NPP, and sought to halt the proceedings of the Party’s National Disciplinary Committee. Mr. Kyekyeku sought the following reliefs: a)      A declaration that the 2nd Defendant by inviting the National Chairman to appear before it based on the petition of the 3rd Defendant violates Article 4(3) (d) of the 1st Defendant’s constitution. b)     A declaration that 3rd Defendant as an organ cannot bring a petition against any member of the National Executive and that its present petition to the 2nd Defendant against the National Chairman violates Article 4(3) (d) of the 1st Defendant’s constitution. c)      An order by the Honourable Court directed at the 3rd Defendants to comply with the procedure required under Article 4(3) (d) of the 1st Defendant’s constitution to go through the National Council with its petition through a member of the party against any National Executive Member. d)     An order of interim injunction directed at the 2nd Defendant not to hear any complaint against the National Chairman by the 6th October, 2015. e)      An order of perpetual injunction directed at the 2nd Defendant not to hear any complaint against the National Chairman without following the laid down procedures provided by the NPP bylaws. f)       Cost Solicitor for the Party, Mr. Godfred Dame, appointed by the Constitutional and Legal Committee of the NPP, filed Appearance, Statement of Defense and Opposition to the Plaintiff’s Application for Interim Injunction. Particularly, the Party’s lawyers filed a Motion to Dismiss the Claim of Mr. Kyekyeku altogether on several legal grounds, including the non-exhaustion of internal remedies of the NPP. The lawyers were heard and written submissions ordered by the Court. Today, 4th November 2015, the High Court presided over by Mr. Justice Arkaah-Boafo gave judgement dismissing the entire suit of Mr. Kyekyeku. He said the suit, indeed, was premature. That when people join a voluntary organisation, they must abide by the internal processes of the organisation they have freely joined. When those internal mechanisms have been fully exhausted, only then can a person seek redress in Court. The judge upheld the submissions of counsel for the NPP in the process. Incidentally, a very vital aspect of the drama was the issue as to which lawyer actually represents the NPP. The Law Office of Mr. S.K Boafo appointed lawyers for the NPP from Kumasi on the written authority of Mr. Paul Afoko. Prof. Mike Oquaye vehemently opposed this verbally in open Court and said he (Prof. Oquaye) was the appropriate person to appoint lawyers together with the Constitutional and Legal Committee of the NPP, of which he was Chairman. The Court thereby struck out the Appearance that came from Lawyer Boafo’s office signed by Mr. Yaw Boafo. This was on the 27th October, 2015. Today, 4th November, when the case came for Ruling, the Afoko-appointed lawyers came again with authorisation signed by Mr. Afoko. The Court refused their interventions and ruled against them.      Some issues arise: Firstly, why will Mr. Afoko force to appoint lawyers for the NPP when the Constitutional and Legal Committee has done so since 1992 when the party was formed? Secondly, why will Afoko force to appoint such lawyers when the suit has been filed by someone who stated plainly that he had filed the suit solely to protect the interest of Mr. Afoko? Thirdly, the world should know that the lawyers appointed by Mr. Afoko (S.K. Boafo & Co.) only filed an appearance and at the material time FAILED to file an Affidavit in opposition to the Plaintiff’s Application for Injunction which was fixed to be heard on 27 October 2015. This was unprofessional, collusive strategy to allow an injunction to be obtained against a reputable party like the NPP in an unmeritorious suit and manner. The counter-instructions given by Prof. Oquaye and effected by Lawyer Dame saved the day. This is a very serious development. Fourthly, why should Mr. Afoko force his way to intervene in the case when he knows clearly he has been suspended by the unanimous decision of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NPP? Notably, at its meeting on Tuesday, 3rd November, the National Executive Committee and the National Council unanimously re-affirmed the authority of the Constitutional and Legal Committee as the sole organ in the Party to appoint lawyers for the Party. All suits must be referred to the committee as has always been done since 1992. It goes without saying that Mr. Afoko should be advised to exhaust the internal remedies of the Party every step of the appeal to the National Council which he is entitled to do. Finally, it should be a good piece of advice to all members of the party that it is settled law that unless they proceed to exhaust all remedies provided under the Party’s Constitution, they will fail in any Court of Law. There is ample settled law on the matter. Could you imagine if this was otherwise? Politics is a competitive game with several opponents. If in a contest between Parties A and B, Party A secures some 100 people planted in Party B to bring frivolous suits nationwide and cause trouble and instability without recourse to internal remedies, can you imagine how damaging this could be? He/she who have ears to hear, let him/her hear!    ……signed…… C.K. Tedam Chairman, NPP Council of Elders       Source: Peacefmonline.com

Ghana Is Bouncing Back- Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama President John Dramani Mahama is optimistic that the programs and policies he has put in place in managing the Ghanaian economy are yielding results. According to Mr. Mahama, the Ghanaian economy has experienced tremendous growth over the last couple of years as a result of the reforms his administration is embarking on. “Our economy has been sufficiently transformed during these last few years of necessary and often painful reforms, so that it won’t fall prey anymore to low prices of commodities on the international market,” he said in a post on his facebook wall on Thursday. His conviction stems from a World Bank forecast that the Ghanaian economy will experience a GDP growth of more than 5%: 5.9% in 2016, and 7.8% in 2017. Below is the full post by the President: We are on the right path! The World Bank forecasts a GDP growth of more than 5% for Ghana; 5.9% in 2016, and 7.8% in 2017. The World Bank thus confirms the soundness of my government’s economic policies. Our economy has been sufficiently transformed, during these last few years of necessary and often painful reforms, so that it won’t fall prey anymore to low prices of commodities on the international market. Prices of commodities are still low, but our economy is getting back on track, as the World Bank’s forecast confirms. Our economy is changing!

                   Source: peacefmonline.com

Prez Mahama Inaugurates Gwiraman Community SHS.

President John Dramani Mahama last Monday inaugurated the Gwiraman Community Senior High School at Bamianko in the Nzema East District in the Western Region, saying the government’s quest to improve access to education was on course.

The Gwiraman Community SHS is the second community SHS to be inaugurated by the President in less than two months.

The first was the one named after the late President Mills which was inaugurated at Ekumfi Otuam in the Central Region last September.

The community day SHS is the flagship educational project of the Mahama administration.

President Mahama had promised that the government would construct 200 of the schools in selected under-served communities by the end of his first term.

The E-shaped four-storey edifice has facilities including 24 classrooms, eight staff offices, four science laboratories, a library, an ICT laboratory and an assembly hall.

Five more

Inaugurating the project, President Mahama said five more of the community SHSs were ready for inauguration.

The community day SHS, he said, represented the single most comprehensive educational policy ever undertaken in the country.

He stated that the schools were job creation avenues, saying, for instance, that the Gwiraman project alone created 165 jobs during is construction.

He added that 40 teaching and non-teaching staff would be posted to the school.

President Mahama advised parents to take interest in the education of their children and urged the community to take the project as theirs to ensure that the objective for which it was constructed was realised.

Education Minister

The Minister of Education, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman, said efforts to advance education in the country were on course.

The Omanhene of Gwira, Awulae Angama Tu-agnan II, described the President as a leader who kept his promises.

        

      Source: Graphiconline.com

   

Amenfi West MP dead.

The Member of Parliament for Amenfi West in the Western Region, Mr John Gyetuah has died at age 56. According to his wife Veronica, he was pronounced dead on Tuesday morning.

Confirming the death in an interview with Accra based radio station Adom FM, Mrs Veronica Gyetuah said the MP was initially found unconscious in his room Tuesday morning and rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The late John Gyetuah who served as a Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry and later Minister of State at the Presidency during President Mills’ tenure in office was in parliament on the ticket of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) for Amenfi Central.

He started his Parliamentary work in 2005 and served on the committees of Privileges, Health, Gender and Children.

Prior to parliament and as an Educationist, he worked with the Ghana Education Service where he rose to the rank of Senior Superintendent. He had a Bachelors in Sociology from the University of Cape Coast, and an EMGL from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.

He was born on October 1, 1959 and hailed from Asankran Breman in the Western region. He left behind seven children.

   Source: Graphiconline.com