FONKAR Declares Support For Nana

FONKAR executives in a pose with Nana Akufo-Addo The group, Friends of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings (FONKAR), has declared support for the presidential candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. This was when leadership of the group, which is committed to the promotion of the ideals and ideas of former first lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, paid a courtesy call on the opposition leader yesterday. National Coordinator of FONKAR, Joseph Bediako, who led the team said, “If they want to organize a demonstration, we will support it; if I go on radio or I ask any of my members to go on radio, they have to speak for the NPP.” That, he said, did not necessarily mean they would vote for Akufo-Addo and the NPP. Instead, Mr Joseph Bediako indicated that members of the group would do whatever it takes to help kick out President Mahama and his incompetent National Democratic Congress (NDC) government out of office on November 7, 2016, when the country goes to the polls to elect a new head of state. He, therefore, promised to meet the so-called ‘babies with sharp teeth’ in government boot for boot when they meet until they (babies) stop the needless attacks on individuals and make the 2016 campaign an issue-based one. He decried the level of economic hardship in the country as many Ghanaians are struggling to make ends meet. Nana Akufo-Addo, who was with his party’s acting General Secretary, John Boadu and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kwadaso, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, thanked the leadership of FONKAR for their support and commitment to the cause to remove the NDC from power. He expressed worry about how the country is virtually being run into ruins, indicating his readiness to put Ghana on a sound footing when voted into power. John Boadu described the visit by the group as “a continuation of the wave that is engulfing the people of our country about the need for change and considering what they said change must come but it must come with decorum and decency in our politics.” He wondered why the NDC and its members have become so opposed to criticisms that they resort to personality attacks and insults whenever they are criticized. “We believe that politics is about issues; it’s about addressing the myriad problems of our people; it has nothing to do with insults. In my mind, if you don’t have anything to say, then you resort to insults,” he said. “If the NDC is saying they have done so much, they should concentrate on delivering what they’ve done rather than resorting to insults,” Mr Boadu said. Bediako later introduced some members of the new FONKAR as Richard Bekoe, the Secretary; Christiana Bosu, Spokesperson; Ernest Oduro,  Communications Director; Abigail Owusu, Women’s Organiser and Evelyn Afriyie, Greater Accra Coordinator to  Nana Akufo-Addo. The rest are Lydia Atta Owusu, Students Representative and Eastern Regional Coordinator; Daniel Amoah, Director of Security; Opoku Agyemang, Director of Research; Christian Lamptey, Western Regional Coordinator; Victoria Sam, Central Regional Coordinator; Rebecca Afriyie, Deputy Coordinator and Kwesi Denkyi, Special adviser.

Source: Daily Guide

Prez Mahama Presented Untruths, Half-Truths And Embellished Truths

"The President presented palpable untruths, half-truths and embellished truths...It was a tragedy of a presentation" Minority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu made the remark above while giving his take on President John Mahama's State of the Nation Address on Thursday, February 25, 2016. Addressing the media after the President’s three-hour address, the Minority leader said the President refused to paint the true state of the nation. According to him, “there are three measures of assessing any State of the Nation Address. First of all the president is obligated under Article 67 of our constitution to present to the people of this country through the House of Parliament the State of the Nation Address. Article 34(2) provides us with some window about what to expect in a State of a Nation Address. So, that is the first measure that one uses to assess the presentation...the second one is the health of the economy. The third one: the right to work and the right to employment. How many people are employed in this country? Of course, we do know that employment is predicated on agriculture and industry. What is the state of agriculture in this country? What is the state of industry, especially the manufacturing industry, in this country?" Economy On the economy, the minority leader said "by every yardstick our country is not doing well". This is contrary to President Mahama's assertion that the economy is back on a sound footing. “What is the state of the economy? He pushed it to the background because one thought that advancing the course of this country will be predicated on the economy: solid economy by every yard stick, GDP growth rate, interest rates, inflation, the strength of the currency" Hon Osei Kyei Mensa Bonsu added. Roads Speaking to roads and other developmental projects, the minority leader said the President decided to "dwell on development occasioned in his view by infrastructural development...he focused on road consturction on which he spent more minutes than the total kilometres he had been able to add...under President Mahama, he spent $1.9 billion to do only 740km of roads. That is a shame"

Source: Rebecca Addo Tetteh/Peacefmonline.com

Ursula Owusu On Prez Mahama’s Greatest Achievement...

Ablekuma West MP Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has summed up President Mahama’s first term in office as characterised by ‘an institutionalization of mediocrity’. Moments before the President delivered his State of the Nation Address, the critical voice from the opposition party said key highlights of the President’s first term are based on the initiative of the former NPP administration. She told Joy FM Thursday, public transport company, Metro Mass Transit, Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP), NHIS, Capitation Grant were social intervention policies attributed formulated by President John Kufuor’s ‘far-sighted visionary government’. The MP explained the NHIS has collapsed. Hours later, President John Mahama during his State of the Nation Address contradicted this view by stating that usage of the health insurance scheme in 2015 was at about 11.2million – an “undeniable” statement of confidence in the NHIS. Ursula Owusu explained that the revelations of fraud uncovered at NHIS is evidence of a mismanaged scheme. . “If you talk about mediocrity, then they have done very, very well in that respect but if you talk about delivering development then there are huge question marks”. Although she acknowledged infrastructural development under John Mahama, she stressed that building roads, schools and hospitals are basic items on every government’s to-do lists. Popping champagne over the building of roads is a celebration of mediocrity, she suggested. According to Ursula Owusu, government has failed to address the utmost concerns of Ghanaian youth – employment. The Ablekuma West MP pointed out that there is a “sense of despair” among jobless youth which threatens the stability of the nation. “People have literally thrown up their hands in despair….You don’t know where the explosion is going to occur”, she said.

Source: myjoyonline

EC Rubbishes Calls To Dissolve 18-Member Steering Committee

EC Boss, Mrs Charlotte Osei The Electoral Commission has replied members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), individuals, groups and political parties who are demanding dissolution of the newly inaugurated National Election Steering Committee because of its biased composition. The Commission says the mere fact that there are concerns with one or two persons on the committee, does not mean the entire committee is compromised. The committee inaugurated last week is described by the EC as a move to ensure credible elections and is chaired by the EC Boss, Mrs Charlotte Osei . Speaking to Joy News, the Director of Public Affairs at the Electoral Commission, Christian Owusu Parry, said they believe the various institutions which were written to nominate representatives, are capable of executing the mandate of the steering committee. “We would not dissolve the 18-member steering committee,” he said.  Mr. Christian Owusu Parry in an interview answered the following questions. Why were the political parties not informed on the committee in question? A lot of things are done administratively, so if there is an administrative decision that has to be made by the commission, I do not think that such administrative decisions have to always get to the various political parties, to say whether they agree or not, because this is an administrative decision that the constitution empowers the commission to do alone. So you think this is not an important issue that needs to involve political parties? We would consult the political parties on all key issues but it is not all decisions that the commission would consult political parties for their approval, because we need to be given the freedom to work as an election management body. Why do we have names of members from some political parties being part of the committee? The selection was purely done by the institutions we sent the letters to. Therefore, EC knows nothing about the selection and did not investigate the names sent to us because we believed the institutions would do the necessary checks before sending individuals to the commission. Do you think the existence of the committee is necessary? The existence of the committee is necessary especially with the persons involved from the various elected sectors to form the committee, because it would fasten idea generation and plans put in place for the coming elections. Also if immediate information is needed by the commission all it needs to do is to contact directly the person in the committee than going through the long chain of command from the various sectors.

Source: Elizabeth Semiheva/Peacefmonline.com

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