NDC To Avoid Abuakwa By-Election As A Mark Of Respect For Slain NPP MP?

As a mark of respect to the memory of the slain Abuakwa North Member of Parliament, Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu, and his family, the governing National Democratic Congress is considering staying away from the yet-to-be declared vacant seat at Abuakwa North and the ensuing bye-election, The aL-hAJJ has gathered. Functionaries of the ruling party, this paper have been told, are distraught by the gruesome murder of the genteel former deputy Minister of Women and Children Affairs under the John Kufuor administration. A dependable source close to the National leadership of the party told The aL-hAJJ that, “the unfortunate incident has dealt a big blow to our fledgling democracy and we think as a responsible political party it will not be fair on our part to be engaged in any struggle to snatch the seat from our main opponents, the NPP.” “The circumstances under which JB died is very disheartening and as a party, we think it will be proper to accord his memory with respect by staying out of the bye-election occasioned as a result of his death,” the source noted. Asked if the party was not chickening out because of fears it will not make any impressive headway in the bye-election, the NDC kingpin, who does not want to be named, said “there is no doubt that Abuakwa North is an NPP stronghold, but looking at our performance in the 2012 election and the number of development projects our government has channeled to that constituency, there is no doubt that we can win the seat. We have contested bye-elections in all NPP strongholds since 1992, but this particular one the circumstance leading to the death of the NPP is not only regrettable but, also painful.” He added that “life is not only about politics…aside politics there is life. Have you thought of how the family of the late MP will feel should we engage the NPP in a fierce political battle in a bid to snatch the seat from them? The atmosphere in that constituency is a charged one and not conducive for the kind of politics we do in our part of the world so the best way to restore calm in that area and to honor our late brother, in our opinion, is to stay off the election.” The Abuakwa North NPP MP was murdered at his Shiashie residence in the wee hours of Tuesday, February 9, 2015 by assailant(s) believed to have used a ladder to have access to his bedroom before stabbing him several times, according to the police. On Thursday, the police arrested a young man, Daniel Asiedu, whom they suspect was responsible for the MP’s killing, and have since launched a search for what they say were his accomplices. As a result of the vacancy created by the death of MP, The Electoral Commission will in the coming days announce a bye-election in the Abuakwa North constituency in accordance with article 112 (5) of the 1992 constitution as amended. Article 112 (5) provides that “whenever a vacancy occurs in Parliament, the Clerk to Parliament shall notify the Electoral commission in writing within seven days after the vacancy occurred, and a by-election shall be held within thirty days after the vacancy occurred” Various political parties are expected to participate in the impending bye-election, however, the NDC, sources say, will not contest the election. According to the source, the party’s leadership is yet to meet and take a final decision on the matter, but “discussions we have had among ourselves indicate that we might stay out of the election as mark of respect for the late MP and his family.”

Source: The Al-Hajj

Abuakwa North MP shot dead

Abuakwa North MP, J.B. Danquah

New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Abuakwa North in the Eastern Region, Joseph Boakye Danquah-Adu, has been shot dead by unknown assailants.

The incident according to the Greater Accra Regional Police Command occurred at dawn on Tuesday, February 9 at his residence at Shiashi in Accra.

The police say they cannot immediately confirm whether the killing was carried out by robbers.

Citi News’ Fred Djabanor, who visited the house on Tuesday morning, reports that some minority MPs, family members, friends, officials of the police and CID officers have inundated the house.

He says in the meantime, the house has been put under lock with family members who were with him evacuated to enable the police pick up the necessary leads that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators.

According to Fred, a man who could not hold back his tears claiming to be the late MP’s personal security guard said he arrived at the premises for his morning duty only to be told of the sad incident.

“The Greater Accra Police Commander is also here. A woman has been put in a vehicle and taken away but I cannot tell if she’s the MOP’s wife.”

Fred says the police are yet to give out more information on the incident.

The late Joseph Boakye Danquah, is a chartered Accountant by profession.

He is the grandson of late J.B Danquah, a Ghanaian statesman, pan-Africanist, scholar and historian, who played a significant role in pre- and post-colonial Ghana.

– Source: citifmonline.com

Controversial Islamic Preacher Not A Threat To Ghana - National Security

Dr Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips       The National Security Secretariat moved to calm nerves on Monday after reports emerged in a section of the media that an Islamic scholar with alleged terrorism links had been preaching in the country. Reports that Ghana is hosting Dr Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, who has been banned from entering several countries, including the UK, US and Kenya, provoked a firestorm of controversy and consternation among some Ghanaians. On social media, news of Dr Philips arrival in Ghana drew condemnation from some users, who expressed fear that the Canadian citizen could incite Ghanaian Muslims to violence. But in an interview with GraphicOnline, the National Security Coordinator, Yaw Donkor, called for calm, stressing that Dr Philips did not pose any threat to Ghanaians. Mr Donkor said those raising red flags were only doing so on the basis of the man's history, adding: "There is no cause for alarm." He said his outfit had evaluated Dr Philip’s background and had determined that there was no basis to decline his request for a visa. Mr Donkor said: “If the one who sponsored him comes to ask us ‘why are you refusing him Visa’, what are we going to tell him? Are we going to tell him that because Czechoslovakia deported him, we don’t want him to come to Ghana or because Germany says that the man has written a book that is talking about anti-Semitism, we don’t want him to come [to Ghana]. How can you use that reason to refuse a visa to a sovereign country?” Emphasising that the public outcry that has trailed Dr Philips’ arrival in Ghana was unwarranted, Mr Donkor said the Islamic preacher was being surveilled by security agents, and had, so far, not said anything inflammatory or engaged in any diabolical activity in Ghana. “So, as far as I’m concerned, since he entered this country, he hasn’t said anything that requires me to take any action against him,” he said. According to the National Security Coordinator, since Christian preachers had been allowed to visit Ghana and speak freely, it would have been unfair and dangerous to have prevented Dr Philips from doing same. “We should be careful. He is not here on his own. Thirty per cent of this country are listening to him or they think he came because of them. If you have no reason to throw him out, you are going to create a problem by your own action. So we should watch it that way,” he said. Controversy Dr Philip’s books and teachings have been controversial, with countries like the UK accusing him of “condoning suicide bombings” and ‘rape”. Checks indicate that: Dr Philips was named by the US government as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Centre bombing.                           In 2007, he was banned from entering Australia on the advice of national security agencies.                                                                   In 2010 he was banned from entering the UK by home secretary Theresa May for holding "extremist views".                                           In April 2011, Dr Philips was banned from re-entering Germany as persona non grata.                                                                               In 2012, he was banned from entering Kenya over possible terror links.                                                                                                     In June 2014, the Bangladeshi intelligence service ordered Dr Phillips, who had gone to the country to give lectures, to leave the country. In September 2014, Philips was arrested in the Philippines for “inciting and recruiting people to conduct terrorist activities”. Denial Dr Philips has, however, denied either having connections to terrorists or inciting people to terrorism. In a letter he wrote while in detention in the Philippines and published on muslimmatters.org, he accused the Western countries, especially the US, of demonising him and portraying him as evil. The preacher said in all the countries where he had been banned, including the US, no evidence had been produced to prove that he was linked to terrorists or that he promoted terrorism. He said his messages, which he described as peaceful, rather sought to eliminate extremist ideas among Muslims.

Source: Graphic.com.gh

Afia Schwarzenegger 'Punches' Kennedy Agyapong

Afia Schwarzenegger Outspoken Ghanaian comedienne, Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa aka Afia Schwarzenegger is angry at Hon. Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central. The radio presenter on Thursday morning went hard on the politician for insulting the mother and brother of President Mahama. Afia on Okay FM’s mid-morning show, “Ye Wo Krom”questioned why Kennedy would insult siblings of the president if his governance does not meet his expectation. To her, the honorable could have saved himself from her early morning insults if he had criticized the works of the president but not his family members. “I’m not saying Mahama is the best or worst president ever in the country but if you want to attack him, attack his governance but don’t accuse his mother and brother of selling drugs”. She further questioned Kennedy Agyapong the work he does aside politics. According to the peeved radio presenter, his Madina-based radio station, Oman FM has collapsed. “Kennedy Agyapong, Ghanaians want me to ask you the kind of work you do. At times we are not able to tell people the truth straight in their face. Kennedy Agyapong what work do you do? That radio station which has collapsed? The station which I cannot tune in even though I stay around Madina?”. She continued that “anybody who will be arrested in connection with cocaine is your friend. Ghanaians want me to ask you the kind of work you do since you claim Mahama’s brother and mother deals in drugs.” She further advised Ghanaian politicians to make comments which will bring peace but not utterances which will divide Ghanaians.

Source: Omgvoice.com

Mad man kills girl; eats body with kenkey.

     

A  fourteen-year-old girl, Docia Aina Adufa - a Primary six pupil of Akyem Asafo Presby Pri­mary School in the East Akyem municipality of the Eastern Region - met her untimely death when Yaw Akoto, a 35-year-old men­tally deranged man, allegedly butchered her last Tuesday.

The madman, after allegedly killing the school girl, was said to have taken the body to the bush, cut it into pieces and cooked it and ate it with kenkey and banku.

The incident happened on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 and it was after a week that the body was found without the head.
The Daily Guide newspaper reported that an uncle of the girl, Yaw Sarpong, confirmed the tragic incident to the media saying that the alleged madman prepared the body for con­sumption.

"After searching for my niece for three days, we later found her body parts in the bush where that man lives. He had roasted some parts of the body while the rest was in a stew the mad man had prepared," he said.
Yaw Sarpong said the suspect fled when he saw the search party only to be arrested Wednesday.

The body was found partially decomposed in the bush after a week of search by her parents and members of the community.
A farmer reportedly spotted the parts of the body with gallons and leaves used to wrap banku and kenkey in a saucepan.
The farmer then raised an alarm causing residents to troop to the bush to witness the horrific sight.

He went to the Akyem Asafo police station to report the matter.
This was confirmed to newspaper by the father of the deceased, Kwaku Feni, a 70-year-old widower.

He said the little girl was sent by her aunty, Cecilia Ama Afasi Adu, on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 to fetch water but never returned.
The Suhum Police Com­mander, Superintendent Yahaya Muchiraru, briefing Daily Guide, hinted that his outfit had deployed his men and the youth into the bush to search for the alleged madman.

Yaw Akoto was later grabbed yesterday evening and is now cooling off in Nankese police station cells.
The mortal remains have since been deposited at the Police Hospital for autopsy.

Source: ghanaweb