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• 04.01.2009

Atta Mills names transitional team  (CLICK HERE !) 

Time For NDC, CPP Merger - Nkrumah

First son of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Ghana’s first president, Sekou Nkrumah is calling for a merger of his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP), the party his father founded.

Just minutes after President-elect, John Evans Atta-Mills gave his acceptance speech to the nation upon his victory in his Kuku Hill office, Mr. Nkrumah told reporter, Kuuku Smith that the only way for the CPP’s survival is to amalgamate with the NDC since years of dormancy has almost killed the party his father founded and loved so dearly.

On his return to Ghana about three years ago to start a political career, Mr. Nkrumah told the media that the only viable party that satisfies his fathers ideals is the NDC which was founded by former dictator, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings.

Mr. Nkrumah’s sister, Samia Yaaba Nkrumah to a similar step to nurture a political career in her father’s homeland of Ghana but decided to stick strictly to her father’s tradition. She Joined the CPP to the admiration of many. She is currently the Member of Parliament-elect for Jomoro after she toppled the three term incumbent, Lee Ocran of the NDC.

Samia is the only CPP member to have won a seat in parliament but has refused to join either of the NPP or NDC as the two dominant parties battled to woo other parties elected members of the legislature to form a majority. She has promised to vote on issues and not on partisan lines.

The CPP itself came of out of the 2008 presidential and parliamentary elections badly bruised. Its candidate, Papa Kwesi Nduom disappointingly failed to gain half of the votes of either the NPP or NPP, the parties he had vowed to win against. From three members in the legislature, the CPP has only Samia Nkrumah in the next parliament which will be inducted on January 7th.

As sound as Mr. Nkrumah’s suggestions appear to be, many CPP members are of the view that Professor Akosa could reenergize the party if given the chance a presidential candidate in the 2012 General Elections and may kick against the move.

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Acceptance Speech by President-Elect Mills

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA, JOHN EVANS ATTA MILLS

Fellow Ghanaians let us give thanks to the Almighty for seeing us through this year¢s general election.

I want to thank you for giving me the mandate to manage the affairs of state after January 7th 2009. I accept the onerous responsibility with all humility.

We have traveled a tough road to get here.

I am very much aware of the anxious moments, sleepless nights, long-drawn days and tension-filled hours that we have needlessly had to endure.

Your enduring spirit and resilience has made it possible for your will to remain supreme.

This year¢s elections featured many candidates representing various parties. The final leg involved me and Nana Akuffo Addo, a worthy son of our nation. I congratulate him and all others for a keenly fought contest.

The election is over and there is only one Ghana; there is no NDC Ghana and NPP Ghana. I renew my pledge that I will be President of all Ghanaians.

I thank the Electoral Commissioner and his team for guiding the nation through a very tough electoral process.

I also thank the security agencies for the important role they have played in the process. The media deserve our commendation for helping Ghanaians keep a close eye on the election.

President John Agyekum Kufuor has in no small way helped broaden Ghana¢s democratic dispensation. And his willingness to hand over to me come Wednesday, January 07, 2009, is a plus to him personally and to Ghana as a nation. I congratulate President Kufuor.

Members of the NDC have cause to celebrate but I am appealing to them to be extremely moderate and circumspect and not be provocative in their actions.

Change has also come to Ghana; let us all embrace it and forge ahead together with a common sense of purpose. Let us all put our shoulders to the wheel and begin to build a Better Ghana.

May God continue to bless our homeland Ghana and make Her great and strong.

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NDC victory is for all Ghanaians - Bondzie

Winneba (C/R), Dec. 4, GNA - Mr. Kojo Asmah Bondzie, Chairman of Effutu constituency branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), on Sunday said the victory of NDC in the 2008 General Election was for all Ghanaians and not the party alone.

He, therefore, appealed to Ghanaians irrespective of their political affiliations to join the celebration of successful elections. Mr. Bondzie said these when he addressed NDC supporters and sympathizers from the Effutu constituency after they undertook a two-hour victory keep-fit exercise in Winneba.

Led by executives of the constituency branch, the supporters amidst brass band music walked peaceful through some principal streets in the town. Mr. Bondzie advised the supporters to desist from any act that could inflame passion, and said Ghanaians were one people and not enemies.

He asked the supporters to invite supporters of other political parties to attend their intended victory get-together to unite the people in the area.

Mr. Bondzie thanked the people in the area for massively voted for the party in both the parliamentary and Presidential. He called for peace and cooperation among the people for the development of the area.

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Supporters of NDC in Bolga celebrate election victory

Bolgatanga, Jan. 4, GNA - Jubilant supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), took to the streets of the Upper East Regional capital on Saturday afternoon in celebration of the party's victory in the presidential election.

Moments after, Dr Afari Gyan, Chairman of the Electoral Commission, had pronounced Professor John Evans Atta-Mills winner and President-elect, the supporters poured onto the streets in party colours chanting songs and dancing.

Pockets of party faithful were also seen in different sections of the town expressing their delight in whatever style they chose. Some, who rode on motorcycles, tooted horns, while others danced to loud music from giant sound systems mounted for the occasion.

Other groups went on a route march from the GOIL round-about in the centre of the town towards the Navrongo road where the public cemetery is located, carrying a wrapped up straw mat draped in a New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag, symbolizing a traditional burial ceremony. The jubilation dragged on into the early hours of the night in most places without any violent incidence or confrontation.

UN chief commends Ghana on vote

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has praised the presidential election in Ghana as a democratic achievement and an example to others.

He congratulated the people and government for the orderly outcome of the vote which saw a narrow victory for opposition candidate John Atta Mills.

But losing candidate Nana Akufo-Addo is considering whether to challenge the result in the courts.

He told the BBC that results from some areas were questionable.

He said that intimidation had stopped his party, the ruling New Patriotic Party, from campaigning freely.

Mr Atta Mills has said he will be "a president for all".

Officials say there was no evidence of vote-rigging.

Analysts says Ghana's poll could help salvage the tarnished image of constitutional democracy in Africa after last year's flawed elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe and military coups in Mauritania and Guinea.

'No evidence of fraud'

Electoral officials announced the result after the last constituency to vote, Tain, showed him extending his lead over Mr Akufo-Addo.

The ruling party had boycotted the Tain constituency vote.

The electoral commission said the results of the run-off showed Mr Atta Mills had won narrowly with 50.23% of the votes, against 49.77% for Mr Akufo-Addo.

"On the basis of the official results given, it is my duty to declare Professor John Evans Atta Mills the president-elect of the Republic of Ghana," the commission's head, Kwado Afari-Gyan, said in the capital Accra.

He said the commission had considered allegations of vote-rigging by both sides but "did not find the evidence provided sufficient to invalidate the result".

Outgoing President John Kufuor earlier urged both candidates to respect the final result.

He appealed for calm and said any complaints of vote-rigging should be dealt with by the courts after the new president is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday.

'Good fight'

Addressing jubilant supporters on the streets of Accra around the NDC headquarters, Mr Atta Mills, who had failed twice before to become president, said: "The time has come to work together to build a better Ghana.

"I assure Ghanaians that I will be president for all."

He also congratulated "all other contestants, especially Nana Akufo-Addo, for giving us a good fight".

Although Ghana remains a very divided nation when it comes to choosing a president, it has proved that democracy can work, BBC correspondent Will Ross in Accra says.

Mr Atta Mills, aged 64, is a former vice-president. He lost two previous elections to President Kufuor.

Mr Akufo-Addo, also 64, from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won the first round of the presidential election but not by enough to avoid the run-off.

On Saturday, he was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying: "I acknowledge the electoral commissioner's declaration and congratulate Professor Mills."

A spokesman later told the BBC that, contrary to earlier reports, he had not conceded defeat, and that the ruling party would go to court to contest the result.

The stakes have been raised in these elections because Ghana has just found oil, which is expected to start generating revenue in 2010.

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• 03.01.2009

NDC Dedicates Electoral Victory To Tsatsu

The leadership of the National democratic Congress have dedicated their electoral victory to Tsatsu Tsikata, the jailed former Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) Chief Executive.

Addressing party supporters at its headquarters shortly after the NDC presidential candidate, Professor John Evans Atta-Mills was declared president-elect Saturday by EC boss Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Djan, NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia said “this victory should be dedicated to our unsung hero, Tsatsu Tsikata”

In November Professor Mills asked for prayers from all Ghanaians, especially NDC faithful, Tsatsu Tsikata who is battling with an asthmatic wheeze. According to the Law professor, Mr. Tsikata’s trial and subsequent incarceration was one of the many incidents of ‘selective justice’ by the NPP to get at its opponents at all cost.

“Today, we are all rejoicing of the oil found in our country; one man who played an important role in getting us this far is the jailed former GNPC boss, Tsatsu Tsikata. He has been trying to prove his innocence and yet seem not to be heard. This is just an example of the injustice we’ve been talking about.” Tsatsu was charged with willfully causing financial loss to the state and misapplying public funds and after almost six years of trial, the Accra Fast Track High court finding him guilty of all four counts of causing financial loss of about ¢2.3 billion to the state through a loan he, acting on behalf of the GNPC, guaranteed for Valley Farms Limited, a private cocoa producing company in 1991, and misapplying public property.

The court, presided over by Justice Henrietta Abban, sentenced him to five years imprisonment on each count to run concurrently.

Before his sentence, Mr. Tsikata was seeking an order at the Supreme Court to bring the International Finance Corporation to testify in the case in which both the Court of Appeal and the Fast Track High Court had ruled that the IFC has immunity from the processes of the courts.

But Mr. Tsikata insisted that failure to get the corporation to testify "will occasion a miscarriage of justice".

Tsatsu is currently at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital where he is receiving treatment for an asthmatic condition which worsened while in the Nsawam Medium Security Prison.

The president-elect is widely expected make the release of Tsatsu his top priority, once he takes the reins of government on January 7th.

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Mills: I accept the challenge; I'll be president for all

Accra, Jan. 3, GNA - The President-Elect, Prof. John Evans Ata Mills on Saturday said he had accepted the challenge to be the President and gave the assurance that he would be the President for all Ghanaians. "There will be no discrimination. Atta Mills will be father to everybody," he said, as he delivered his victory speech to thousands of supporters, who thronged the Osu Kuku Hill Campaign Office of the Mills Campaign.

President-Elect Mills expressed his appreciation to God for brining Ghana so far and said he was also grateful to outgoing President John Agyekum Kufuor for declaring his intention to hand over power to him on January 7 2009.

Sporting a white shirt, a black pair of trousers and black pair of shoes, and standing on a dais adorned by Ghana national colours of red, gold and green, he also expressed appreciation to the people of Ghana for the mandate given to him to be President for the next four years. President-Elect Mills said it had been a long struggle with sacrifices and with the elections over, there was only one Ghana.

"With the elections over, there is only one Ghana. There is no NDC Ghana; there is no NPP Ghana; there is no CPP Ghana. There is one Ghana," he said to the roar of the milling supporters. He congratulated his main contender, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and Leaders of the other political parties that contested the December 7 elections.

President-Elect Mills said he hoped that together with all Ghanaians, he would be able to work to build a better Ghana. He also expressed his appreciation to the Electoral Commission, security agencies and the media for helping to keep politicians and the parties on their toes during the electioneering process. The President-Elect advised supporters of the NDC to be moderate in their celebrations and not to do anything that would provoke others. "We have to be preparing for the task ahead. This is just one step of a journey of a million miles." He said he would pray for wisdom and humility to steer the affairs of Ghana, adding "May we pray to God to continue to shower his blessings on Ghana".

Soon after the President-Elect left the dais, a huge bottle of champagne was popped to the enthusiastic crowd to welcome the President-Elect. The Chairman of the EC on Saturday declared Prof. Mills, 64, as the President-Elect. He polled 50.23 per cent (4,521,032 votes) as against 49.77 per cent (4,480,446) by Nana Akufo-Addo, who is yet to concede. Leaders of the NPP are still locked in a National Executive Committee meeting for the second day running. The GNA has been informed that they are discussing the contents of a speech to be delivered by Nana Akufo-Addo.

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Ireland spent over €150,000 to deport Ghanaian man

Ireland spent more than €150,000 deporting a convicted Ghanaian drug smuggler last year, it has emerged.

The money was used to charter an aircraft to fly the man from Dublin to Ghana after he became violent during attempts to deport him on scheduled commercial flights.

While French and Italian authorities brought a number of Ghanaians to Dublin to be deported on the chartered aircraft, it has now emerged that neither country shared the €151,900 cost.

The aircraft chartered to deport the man from Ireland was a Boeing 737, which seats more than 100 people. Garda sources said that a large aircraft was needed because a smaller one could not make the journey without stop-offs.

Joint deportations involving EU member states attempt to maximise the use of aircraft chartered for deportations to countries into which there are few direct commercial flights. The multinational deportations are usually organised by the EU border security agency Frontex. Irish authorities used Frontex to invite the Italians and French to join the flight to Ghana last March.

However, because the charter was organised by Ireland, rather than Frontex, the cost was not shared by the participating countries.

The Ghanaian at the centre of the case served a prison sentence in Ireland for trying to smuggle cocaine valued at €400,000 from Brazil into Ireland. He was to be deported straight from prison at the beginning of last year.

Gardaí tried three times to fly him to Accra, in Ghana, via Germany on board commercial flights, which would have cost less than €6,000. Each time, the man became so violent he could not be put on an aircraft with other passengers.

A Garda source said the chartering of an aircraft was the only possible way to execute the deportation. The same source said the cost incurred was unavoidable.

Fine Gael spokesman on immigration Denis Naughten TD said if the Department of Justice had been more efficient, Frontex would have been involved at the beginning of the plan rather than "as an afterthought". "At least then the cost would have been shared."

Ireland participated in three multinational Frontex-led deportations to Nigeria in June, July and August of last year. Because they were Frontex-led, the €360,000 cost - for a total of 19 deportees - was shared.

Mr Naughten said he accepted that deportations had to take place, and that in the case of people too violent for scheduled flights, chartering an aircraft was sometimes the only option.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times

Source: Irish Times

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Nana Rawlings call for commitmet to women & child issues

Former First Lady and President of the 31st December Women’s Movement (DWM), Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings has called on political leaders to show more commitment to women and children’s issues in 2009.

In a New Year’s message issued in Accra today, Mrs Rawlings said 2009 must be a year for women and children’s issues to be recognised and for politicians to appreciate the impact their policies and actions have on women and children in particular.

Mrs Rawlings said the bitterly contested nature of the Presidential Elections have exposed very negative traits of politics that “we cannot allow to serve as a legacy for our children to emulate”.

“The political atmosphere has been tainted with accusations and counter accusations, lies, intimidation, insults and acrimony. These embarrassing manifestations of our current political dispensation must be exorcised as we start a fresh year,” Mrs Rawlings said.

The President of the DWM said in 2008 the movement saw a significant rise in its membership as more women subscribed to its programmes.

“We adopted a ward at the Princess Marie Louis Hospital in Accra and it was a joy to see the happiness we brought to the children all year round. Christmas was marked with decorations and other activities and in 2009 we hope to expand our scope.

“On the women front we provided credit facilities for women in various levels of small-scale business and we are happy to note that our activities brought joy and empowerment to most women and succour to their families, particularly the children.

“Majority of our women are still underprivileged, lack education and are regarded as lacking the ability to become significant breadwinners for their families. The DWM has over the years been working hard to reverse that trend especially in the rural areas and I must say we have made significant inroads and will consolidate those gains in 2009,” Mrs Rawlings said.

The DWM boss called on civil society organisations and children’s NGOs to pool their resources to ensure that women and children’s issues receive adequate attention in all sectors of society particularly the Executive and Parliament.

“I also call women to show more interest in political issues. The ratio of men to women in parliament is an indictment on women’s participation in politics. We cannot seek political and economic empowerment if we consistently choose to play second fiddle to our men folk in decision-making,” she said.

Mrs Rawlings thanked all diplomatic missions in Ghana for responding positively to the call to send monitors to observe the Presidential and Parliamentary elections.

“Their overwhelming response is touching and has gone a long way in protecting the sanctity of the election. I dread what the situation would have been if so many international organisations had not shown interest in the ongoing elections.

“To all Ghanaians I wish you a happy and prosperous new year.”

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• 02.01.2009

Kufuor’s New Year Message

The Year 2009 has dawned on us and it is my greatest pleasure to wish the entire nation a very happy New Year. For many Ghanaians the joy of the New Year has been tampered to an extent by the intense anxiety and high tension arising out of the ongoing Presidential elections which is yet to throw up a clear winner, despite last week’s run-off.

The two contesting parties have raised pertinent concerns which are being addressed by the Independent Electoral Commission, among others.

It is important however that we meet the Constitutional time table for handing over on the January 7th. I therefore urge all stakeholders to yield to the authority of the Electoral Commissioner when he declares the results. Any outstanding issues may be settled later by due process.

I should also appeal to the media also to exercise the greatest sense of responsibility and circumspection in discharging their functions. They must not inflame passions or incite people to undertake negative actions. Rather, their work should be guided by the public good at all times. On the part of the security forces, I know that the nation can count on them to remain neutral and to display the highest sense of professionalism in the conduct of their work at this very critical time in the country’s history.

Lastly, I entreat the general public to remain calm until the result of the election is declared by the Electoral Commission to facilitate the transfer of power from this government to the next on 7th January as mandated by the nation all Constitution. May God bless us all.

Signed: John Agyekum Kufuor
January 2, 2009

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Ghana Re-Opens High Commission In Lusaka, Zambia

Ghana’s new High Commissioner to Zambia, Dr. William G. M. Brandful organized a media briefing to celebrate the formal commencement of operations on Monday, 15 December, 2008, of the re-opened High Commission of Ghana to Zambia.

Ghana re-opened the High Commission to coincide more or less with the celebration of the 44th anniversary of independence of Zambia. Equally, the re-opening of the High Commission preceded, rather auspiciously, the election of His Excellency Mr. Rupiah B. Banda as the fourth President of Zambia. With these developments, the Government of Ghana is poised to strengthen further, the excellent ties that exist between Ghana and Zambia, going back to the early 60s when Ghana and Zambia first established diplomatic relations at High Commissioner level.

High Commissioner Dr Brandful stressed that under his administration, priority attention will be placed on intensified bi-lateral collaboration especially in the fields of Trade, Tourism promotion, Wildlife exchanges, Mining, Education, as well as in the Social/Health sector.

Before elaborating on the area of provision of Consular services, which traditionally is of core concern to every Diplomatic Mission, the High Commissioner paid tribute to Mr. Eugene Owusu-Agyemang, the out-going Honorary Consul, and his team of dedicated staff, on the able manner in which the Honorary Consulate oversaw the interest of Ghana in the absence of the High Commission. He explained, however, that with the re-establishment and formal commencement of operations of the in-coming High Commission, the Honorary Consulate is deemed to have ceased to exist as at Monday, 15 December, 2008. The High Commission offers a broad range of consular and welfare services to Ghanaians and Zambian nationals alike, including the issuance of visas to the latter group.

The High Commissioner, Dr. William Brandful presented his Credentials to the host President on 23 October, 2008, in the company of his wife, Mrs. Dinah Brandful, and members of staff of the High Commission.

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TOPP Junior High school score 100 percent in 2008 BECE

Twifo Ntafrewaso (C/R), Jan. 2, GNA - The Twifo Oil Palm Plantation (TOPP) Junior High School scored 100 percent in the 2008 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Mr Neneyo Mate-Kole, Managing Director of TOPP, who made this known to the GNA in an interview at Twifo-Ntafrewaso on Thursday, said out of 40

students presented, 18 students had between aggregate 6 and 9. Mr Mate-Kole congratulated the teachers for the good job done and urged them not to be complacent but work harder. He called on the students to take their studies seriously and urged parents to provide their children with their needs to enable them to stay in school.

Mr Charles Arthur, Local Union Chairman of the company also congratulated the teachers but pleaded with management of TOPP not to shirk its social obligation towards the school even though it has now been officially handed over to Ghana Education Service. He commended the management for the assistance it has given to the school and pleaded with it to continue with the support and monitoring of the school to maintain the standards.

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• 01.01.2009

Journalists Union Leader Abducted

The whereabouts of the Vice President of the Progressive Journalists Union Of Ghana Jorge Wilson Kingson is still unknown after he was abducted and tortured by supporters of the Ruling New Patriotic Party ( NPP) for possessing the complementary card of former National Democratic Congress(NDC) General Secretary and current First Vice Chairman Alhaji Hudu Yahaya.

Jorge was attacked and picked up by the hounds in the presence of the Presidential Candidate Akufo Addo, his Running Mate, Bawumia, Sheikh I.C Quaye Mustapha Hammid and other Party big wigs Wednesday afternoon when the former attended a press conference called by Akufo Addo to state his mind on the elections so far.

The press conference which was held at the East Legon Residence of the former Foreign Minister also saw the assault and forcible ejection of other media persons from the press confab on the excuse that they were pro Opposition NDC journalists.

Executives of the union which declared their support for the NDC presidential candidate Prof. Mills in the run-up to the Presidential Run-off fear Mr. Kingson may have been killed looking at the kind of beating and torture he was being subjected to in front of the NPP candidate and his team.

Eye witnesses to his ordeal said his cell phone was taken from him with its SMS content read on Oman fm a private radio station belonging to NPP maverick Member of Parliament of Assin North Kennedy Agyapong.

He was also interrogated under severe torture to extract information from him which was transmitted live on the said radio station.

Till about 20 hrs GMT he had still not been found and his cell phone is off.

Meanwhile both TV Africa and Metro Television Camera crew have also reported similar attacks in the hands the same thugs, with the TV Africa company vehicle being smashed and a camera man assaulted.

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Six babies born in two hospitals in Tamale on New Year Day

Tamale, Jan. 1, GNA - Two hospitals in the Tamale Metropolis recorded six births made up of five boys and a girl on New Year Day. The Tamale Teaching Hospital recorded four births, three boys and a girl while the Tamale West Hospital recorded two. Madam Amina Bukari, Senior Staff Midwife in charge of the Labour Ward in the West Hospital, told the GNA that both babies and mothers were healthy. Madam Mariama Fuseina, Midwife in charge of the Labour Ward in Tamale Teaching Hospital, said all the babies and their mothers are doing well.

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